Dawn came with milky-white fog mingling with the warm breaths of boatwomen and deckhands as they talked. Linhe Town woke early.
This small town had been built entirely around its dock; almost everyone lived off the harbor's trade.
Closest to the water was a food street serving boat crews. Most shops weren't open yet, but a few breakfast stalls and roaming vendors were already lively.
Xie Yu stepped off the pier and bought two fried pancakes.
She had just finished discussing business at the docks and had already secured a fleet that would set sail for Jiangnan the next day.
The carriage Shen Changyin had given her was far too good—she couldn't bear to abandon it. So she found a team with a large cargo ship willing to transport the carriage south.
Cargo boats couldn't take passengers, so she additionally chartered a medium-sized vessel for herself. Over the past two days, she roamed the town buying northern specialties to bring with her.
After two days here, she was already familiar with the dockside vendors. When they saw her, smiles broke out everywhere:
"Little Yu, we heard you're heading south tomorrow?"
"When will you be back?"
Xie Yu waved cheerfully. "Not coming back!"
It was her last day in the capital region. She would leave tomorrow, yet she felt nothing in particular.
She shopped as usual during the day, only returning to the inn at dusk to pack.
She didn't own much. The only bulky items were the specialty goods she'd bought, already neatly packaged by the sellers—no extra sorting needed. She only had to hire a sailor tomorrow to load them onto the boat.
She finished packing early and, knowing she needed to wake up before dawn, tried to sleep. But she was constantly awakened by other guests—after all, the inn was only a cheap roadside place near the docks, meant for a single night's rest, not comfort. The walls were terribly thin.
She could clearly hear conversations from adjacent rooms.
Unable to sleep, she ordered peanuts and jasmine tea from the innkeeper's assistant, opened her window, and gazed at the moon while listening to lovers next door exchange their farewells.
Another room held a young woman heading to Jiangnan for the first time whose family had chased her here to offer last-minute reminders.
She listened and snacked.
Fresh-fried peanuts were wonderfully fragrant. She pinched off the red skins and chewed slowly, letting the oils fill her mouth before taking a sip of cool jasmine tea.
The night before a long journey was a strange moment.
No matter how much one longs for the future, no matter how beloved the destination, on the last night before departure there is no pure happiness.
People with someone to see them off feel reluctant; those with no attachments—like her—found themselves oddly drained of energy.
The moon above was pale and thin, its hooked point sharp enough to hang a person from.
Xie Yu shook her head, cleared her thoughts, lay down, and—despite the noise—fell asleep within fifteen minutes.
—
The next morning she dragged herself from bed.
The sky in the distance was still dark blue. The streets were empty, but the sailors of the fleet she'd hired were already working when she arrived at the pier.
Dock labor required strength, so the boatwomen wore very little—just a single thin shirt on top, short pants below for ease of movement.
Xie Yu, having rented cargo space on the large boat and chartered a second ship, counted as a significant client.
As soon as she appeared, a sailor dashed off to call the overseer.
Soon, a middle-aged woman walked up holding two freshly wrapped fried dough sticks.
"You're the young traveler who chartered the boat? Call me Old Cui. I'll be steering your vessel." She handed one dough stick to Xie Yu.
Xie Yu accepted it with a smile. "Yes, that's me. I still have some luggage—let's load it up."
With the crew helping, everything was settled in less than half an hour. The carriage was loaded onto the cargo ship as well.
Xie Yu then lounged comfortably on a redwood ship as large as a modern cruise vessel, watching the pilot set up a little stove in the front cabin to cook the river catch.
The fresh aroma of fish simmered with just a little salt drifted through the mist. The moment she smelled it, Xie Yu's spirits soared.
She breathed in the cold river air, shamelessly begged for a bowl of fish soup, and then stood at the bow sipping it while gazing at the endless expanse of water—feeling like the Queen of the world.
Clearly, the bad mood from last night had been at least 80% caused by the inn's disastrously seasoned peanuts.
Besides the captain, there were four crewwomen. As Xie Yu returned to the cabin drinking her soup, she chatted with them—although "chatted" was really "subtly gathering information." It was her habit.
By the time the captain finally boarded, Xie Yu had already learned how many family members and how many chickens each sailor had—yet had revealed absolutely nothing about herself.
Even so, the four sailors treated her like a lifelong confidante and insisted they all go drinking together once they reached Jiangnan.
The captain, an experienced woman, took one look and knew her crew had been thoroughly charmed by Xie Yu.
She wasn't angry—only curious, wanting to understand this traveler better.
She sat down inside the cabin.
"So, Miss Yu, what made you decide on Jiangnan? Sightseeing? When will you return? Will you take our boat again?"
"Not going back to the capital," Xie Yu said boldly. "I'll tour Jiangnan, then Lingnan, maybe detour to the Northwest. Anyway, I'm not returning to the capital."
"How could you not return? The capital is a fine place—full of opportunities for young women!"
The captain rambled warmly: "Look at Jiangnan, Lingnan, the Northwest—the people there all dream of reaching the capital."
"I'm not chasing achievements. I like traveling. There are so many scenic wonders under heaven—why not see them all?"
Xie Yu added, "Think about it: those mountains and rivers may have stood for millions of years. I may well be standing in the same spot as some primitive woman from millions of years ago. Doesn't that sound interesting?"
The captain didn't know what "primitive woman" meant, but she figured it out quickly enough.
She sighed and shook her head.
"How can it be so easy? Leaving one's home is hard. And don't you ever miss your mother or sisters?"
Images flashed: her occult-obsessed mother, her health-crazy sisters.
Xie Yu shook her head wildly. "All dead."
She said it firmly, cheerfully, without a trace of sorrow.
The captain choked on her words, unsure if she should comfort her. After a long moment, she asked:
"Then… is there no girl you like back in the capital? At least someone who likes you?"
Xie Yu carefully picked bones from a piece of fish belly. Unbidden, Shen Changyin's face drifted through her mind.
She hesitated. "Maybe… maybe there is."
Now the captain and sailors perked up like aunties at a wedding feast. They were all women in their thirties and forties—there was nothing they loved more than a young woman's love story.
"Tell us! Tell us!" they urged.
Using an alias and knowing none of them could possibly know Shen Changyin, Xie Yu slowly began.
She recalled Shen Changyin's behavior and her final choice to let her go.
"I think she might have… a bit of a soft spot for me. But she doesn't realize it herself."
"Oh—ho——!"
The crew clutched their chests, struck by pure romance.
The captain asked, "How do you know?"
"I'm not stupid," Xie Yu said dryly.
Back in the village, she hadn't noticed Lin Yan's crush because she'd never bothered to consider a little girl's feelings after a few brief meetings.
No thought—no discovery.
But Shen Changyin wasn't someone she could ignore. Xie Yu had thought about her a lot.
She wasn't the type to play dumb. Nor the insecure type who refuses to acknowledge someone else's obvious affection.
Shen Changyin's behavior toward her was delicate—sometimes too good.
It might very well come from faint, hidden liking.
The captain waved dramatically. "Then what are you doing going to Jiangnan? Get off the boat and go back! Nurture that relationship!"
"Tell her you know, and then go live a happy life together!"
Xie Yu said, "She doesn't know that I know. And I don't plan to tell her. Best if she never figures it out."
The captain shuddered. "Isn't that a bit cruel?"
Xie Yu looked at her, dark eyes tinted with the river's cold mist. "Not really."
A chill crawled down the captain's spine.
This young traveler—though kind and easygoing on the surface—wasn't someone easily controlled.
"She's not my type anyway," Xie Yu said, finishing her soup.
The captain asked, "Then what is your type?"
Back in the village, Shen Changyin had asked her something similar, and Xie Yu had answered, I'll never fall for anyone.
But that reply had been entirely tailored to Shen Changyin.
Now, speaking to the captain, she was far more relaxed.
"First, she has to like me. Like me a lot."
"And… though it sounds superficial, she has to fit my aesthetic. I'm not extremely picky—I just like a certain kind of… aura."
She rambled on, not knowing if she was speaking truth or nonsense:
"As for personality, she should be gentle with me, but not spineless. And she definitely has to be smart."
—
Time returned to the morning of the previous day.
Shen Changyin held back and held back.
Finally, the Empress announced the end of court because she needed to return to the inner palace to listen to a Daoist lecture.
Even though the Empress left, the civil and military officials kept quarreling as if they had no intention of dispersing.
Shen Changyin didn't spare them a single glance. She immediately turned and walked out of the Hall of Diligent Governance. Her subordinates shut their mouths tight and followed quietly behind her.
Old Jin hurried forward: "My Lady."
Shen Changyin said, "All the spies who previously participated in tracking down the Third Princess—reactivate them. Investigate and bring Her Highness home."
"Right away—!" Old Jin agreed very crisply.
She agreed, but the world was vast, and Xie Yu had a three-day head start. For a moment she truly didn't know where to even begin looking.
Shen Changyin personally took charge, trying to deduce Xie Yu's direction based on the scattered information from her agents.
And then she experienced exactly what it meant to "lift a stone only to smash one's own foot."
She had actually, sincerely, let Xie Yu go on purpose.
The silver she gave was untraceable, the travel pass was blank—Xie Yu could fill in any false name she wanted.
In her tent hung a massive map; every road was just a thin line, weaving an enormous net.
Shen Changyin covered her eyes with one hand, rubbing at the soreness, letting out a long breath.
Right now she had not a single actionable lead.
Guess?
That was never her style.
To avoid poor decisions, she never guessed. She never gambled.
But now it seemed she had no other choice.
She could only rely on her understanding of Xie Yu—and guess.
And the moment that thought formed, it was as if the fog instantly tore open before her. Countless answers surfaced in her mind—not even requiring thought, just intuition.
Which direction did Xie Yu go?
—South.
By what method?
—Water.
Because during her previous escape Xie Yu had already tried land routes. Shen Changyin knew she was someone who liked new experiences. This time she would choose water.
But the capital had many docks. Which one?
Shen Changyin paused, then circled a spot on the map in red—Jingshui Village, where they had once eliminated bandits—and then circled the nearest dock to that village.
She sent riders ahead to inquire at Jingshui Village, confirming that Xie Yu had indeed visited them before heading south.
The moment Shen Changyin received the message, she rose and walked out of her tent.
Old Jin and Zhu Ting were already waiting, and two battalions of soldiers were fully equipped.
"Let's go." She didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat.
Traveling through the night beneath the stars, they barely arrived before the ships departed the next morning.
The sky was no longer pale; crowds were growing. Every boat bustled with movement. Countless ships covered the river so densely that the water itself was nearly invisible.
Old Jin questioned the dockmaster and returned to report: "Only two fleets are sailing to the south today. All passenger ships are over there."
She pointed to the northwest side of the dock, where dozens of pleasure boats were tightly moored.
"My Lady, should we begin searching now?"
For no reason, Shen Changyin suddenly remembered that day in the countryside when Xie Yu half-joked: "If I like someone, I'll fight for her."
What if that wasn't a joke at all?
She drew in a deep breath. "No."
"Seal the dock. If I want her to willingly come back with me, I have to find her myself."
She strode toward the cluster of boats, her walk turning into a run. Dew soaked the hem of her robe, weighing it down slightly, but it still swayed as gracefully as ever.
She couldn't swim, and the moment she stepped onto the first boat she staggered from the rocking beneath her feet. Grabbing the mast, she steadied herself—yet once she adjusted to the movement, she wasted no time and rushed straight into the cabin to search.
Finding no trace of Xie Yu, she ran back onto the deck and jumped to the next boat.
The river lay broad and calm, morning mist falling like pale silk. Her robe flared in the air behind her like the wings of a butterfly struggling to take flight.
Inside the cabin, Xie Yu had been casually chatting with the crew when a sudden commotion erupted outside. She half-rose: "What's going on?"
"You stay put." The captain would never allow a passenger to check. She signaled to her crew: "We'll look."
Xie Yu relaxed and sat back down.
The cabin returned to stillness—dim and quiet, with only the faint glow and crackle of the small stove.
She warmed her hands by the fire, glanced at her luggage in the corner, and wondered where she should go sightsee first.
The quieter the surroundings became, the livelier her mind grew. And the livelier her thoughts grew, the quieter the cabin felt.
Her thoughts wandered endlessly while her body remained still.
There weren't many mountains down south; she might as well focus on the water.
Jiangnan food was sweet. She could eat sweet dishes, but going without savory flavors might be rough…
Suddenly, the cabin door was flung open with a harsh creak, flooding the room with blinding light.
Xie Yu instinctively shut her eyes. Before she could even reopen them, she heard the rapid breathing of whoever had come.
When she looked up, Shen Changyin stood right there.
Breathing hard, hair at her temples damp with sweat, chest rising and falling sharply, her eyes brighter than Xie Yu had ever seen—staring straight at her.
She didn't give her the chance to speak. Shen Changyin's words came at her like a rushing wind:
"The mountains and rivers you want to see—they'll still be there in a thousand years. They never change, they're not precious. No matter when you look at them, they'll still be there."
"But a person's life is short and precious. My life is short. So stay by my side."
Xie Yu looked at her—at her breathless tension, her slight dishevelment, the urgency in someone who was usually slow and composed.
She let out a brief laugh: "You look like you just fought a war."
Shen Changyin tried to steady her breath. "I searched thirty-four boats for you. It was like fighting a war."
Xie Yu exhaled, amused. "Do you know what feeling made you say all that just now?"
Shen Changyin shook her head. "I don't."
Still out of breath, she touched her chest, then continued: "But I'm smart. I'll figure it out."
Xie Yu covered her face with both hands, then peeked through her fingers: "No need to figure it out. Things are fine as they are. Let me ask you a question—what's our relationship?"
Shen Changyin: "Doesn't matter. You're not allowed to leave."
Right now Xie Yu didn't look like the younger one at all. Her lips curved up, her tone light and teasing, amusement impossible to hide—something between indulgence and mischief: "Then let's just say we're friends."
Just friends? Shen Changyin hesitated.
But Xie Yu had already stood, grabbed part of her luggage, and walked toward her—handing Shen Changyin the rest.
She said brightly, "Let's go."
—
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