Chapter 554.1: reached dongling (1/2)

Tan Ge returned to the room shared by herself and Su Xi-er, taking a seat by the heater as she held her hands out to the brazier. As colour returned to her cheeks, the anxious expression on her face slowly relaxed as well.

Su Xi-er also extended her hands above the heater to gain some warmth, her eyes darting between the heater and Tan Ge. At last, she stood up and touched her outer robes. It’s much drier than it was this morning after sitting next to the heater all day.

When Su Xi-er sat back down, she looked towards Tan Ge. “Why did he suddenly ask for you?”

Tan Ge slowly said, “With how formidable he is, how could I know his thoughts? When I arrived, he just looked at me and didn’t say anything.”

“Is that so?” Su Xi-er skeptically asked as she stared right at Tan Ge.

Unable to match Su Xi-er’s gaze, Tan Ge lowered her eyes to look at the heater.

Su Xi-er softly chuckled and went to her bed, covering herself with her quilt before closing her eyes.

Watching her turn away, Tan Ge’s hand froze in midair for a moment, and her eyes narrowed.

So it turns out that Su Xi-er was testing me. If I had revealed anything with my expression, she would have picked up on it. Having already lost the drug that Shi Mo gave me, this hairpin is my last chance.

Tan Ge gazed at the burning heater. I’m just like this charcoal ーeither I burn more and more brightly, or I get extinguished in an instant. I’m using my own life as a gambling chip, risking getting burned in the process.

The sea was much calmer in the following days, and the boat kept a steady pace towards Dongling. As they continued to close in on their destination, Shi Mo had all of his men change into normal clothes to camouflage as a farmer’s boat. Even he himself changed into some blue robes, but he still kept his face covered besides his mouth.