The servant came in.
She was a thin woman.
She glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the tray on the table for a moment. Then, she bowed slightly toward the curtains where Bairan lay behind them and said:
"Miss, the master asked me to see if you would like me to prepare hot water for a bath."
Bairan replied in a lazy tone,
"Oh… your master is very thoughtful. Always worrying about his customers' needs…"
The thin woman didn't raise her head, nor did she respond to the comment about her master's thoughtfulness.
After a brief pause, Bairan continued,
"I'm not interested in bathing right now. I want to sleep. Take those things away. Wake me near dinnertime — I might bathe before then."
The servant only said, "Yes, Miss."
She went to the table and looked carefully at the rice and soup. Her master had instructed her to report exactly how much the young lady had eaten.
Bairan looked at her from the mattress and said coldly,
"Why are you so slow? What kind of servant are you…"
Then she muttered to herself,
"Crowded, annoying town… bad food… and now slow servants. Can I even have a good rest here?"
The servant grew frightened and hurriedly said,
"So—sorry, Miss! I'll be quick!"
Bairan added lazily,
"Leave the chopsticks behind."
The servant asked, "Why?"
Bairan slid the mattress aside, her tone turning cold and angry.
"Should I answer you?"
The servant, terrified, stammered,
"I-I didn't mean to offend you, Miss… please forgive me… Master said you are a noble lady…I should serve you well"
She fell to her knees.
Bairan paused, Was my angry face so terrifying?
Feeling a little sorry, she sighed and said,
"Okay, okay… Don't act like it's the end of the world. Stand up and do your work. Who said I'm angry? Stand up… just do what I told you."
The servant looked up cautiously, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and relief as she scrambled to her feet. With her head still bowed, she began to clean up the table hurriedly.
Bairan watched her. As she settled back onto the mattress, she thought,
Why is the innkeeper so impatient?
The servant arrived at the door.
This time, Bairan spoke in a calm voice,
"Tell your master may my family will arrive in two days. If you guys serve me well, there will be a good reward."
"Yes, Miss!" The servant responded immediately, bowed, and exited the room.
Bairan sat up quickly, just as the servant's footsteps faded away. She touched her face.
I should leave here very soon. Now that I know the address of Lin's family, I can find it by myself.
The innkeeper won't let me go that easily. Every half-stick of incense, someone comes in. He's in a hurry… I should be, too.
She opened the door. Poked her head out
No one was in the corridor. Silent.
She closed the door again, picked up the table, and set it in front of the door.
Then she went to the silk-covered window. Standing in front of it, she pulled down her hair stick. Her long hair fell like a black river.
She cleaned one of the chopsticks and used it to gather her hair into a simple bun.
Then, she placed the hairstick by the window in an eye-catching place.
She climbed out through the window and onto the inn's roof. From there, she could see a cart piled high with sacks of hay parked near the edge of the alley. It looked safe enough to jump on.
Bairan walked to the edge and whispered to herself,
"Okay… let's jump."
She bent her knees slightly, readying herself.
But her heart pounded wildly. It felt like she couldn't breathe.
She tried again. Even took a few steps back to make a more accurate jump but each time, she stopped just before leaping.
Frustrated with herself, she muttered,
"Am I scared of heights?"
She was definitely scared of heights
Annoyed, she went back into the room, pushed everything aside, and was about to walk out through the door instead.
But at that moment, hurried footsteps approached her room.
Bairan's eyebrows furrowed as the sounds got closer. They didn't sound like an adult's footsteps—too light, too quick.
Then came a rushed knock and a nervous voice calling,
"Bairan-jie… Bairan-jie!"
Bairan frowned even deeper.
"Baian…?"
She opened the door hurriedly, pulled Baian inside, glanced out to make sure no one was following him, and then quickly shut the door.
Holding Baian's shoulders, she asked,
"Why are you here?"
Baian stumbled over his words, his voice shaking.
"Ba… Bairan-jie… they… they're coming for you!"
Seeing how frightened he was, Bairan gently called his name, her voice was calm,
"Baian, just tell me what happened. Don't be scared…"
Baian managed to calm down a little and continued,
"I heard them talking about you… My master and Master Tong… They said you don't have anyone here, and Master Tong can sell you in the capital. I… I don't want you to go with them. Master Tong is worse than my master—he always beats people...Bairan-jie, you… You should hide yourself!"
Bairan listened carefully to every word, then asked,
"Was the innkeeper with them?"
Baian nodded.
"Master Fu… Master Fu and Master Tong are close friends."
Bairan asked,
"When will they come to take me?"
Baian clenched his hands nervously, his voice slightly rising with worry.
"Soon… Master Tong said it should be very soon because he's leaving town tonight."
Bairan asked again, her tone unchanged,
"Did they see you?"
Baian hesitated,
"Master said, 'Who's there?'... but I don't think he saw me."
Bairan let out a long sigh and gently placed her hand on Baian's head, brushing his messy hair aside.
"I told you to take care of yourself, didn't I?" she said softly. "You shouldn't worry about me… but now that you're here, do you know what we should do?"
Baian looked up at her, confused, his wide, innocent eyes blinking.
"…?"
Bairan couldn't help but chuckle. "We should run away together."
Baian blinked again, stunned. "Run…?"
"Yes," she said, her voice light but steady. "If we stay, bad things will happen to both of us. And maybe you master hurt you for helping me if we run fast enough, we might still have a chance."
She bent down slightly and looked him in the eyes.
"Do you trust me, Baian?"
He hesitated only for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"I do. I want to be with you "
"Good." Bairan smiled and gave his shoulder a little squeeze.