Perhaps their pursuers had yet to react, as Du Youqian's group of three reached a nearby county town without being intercepted.
They used the silver coins looted from the corpses to check into an inn, and Qing He asked the innkeeper for hot water.
After helping Du Youqian finish his bath, she hopped into the same tub he had used.
She soaked contentedly for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, feeling as if she were washing away all the exhaustion, anxiety, and worry from the past few days.
Soaking in the hot water, a wave of drowsiness washed over her, and Qing He began to drift off... until a soft "CREAK" came from the window.
"Who's there?" Hearing the sound, Qing He quickly grabbed a towel to cover her chest and whipped her head around to look.
When she saw the open window and, sitting on the sill, a handsome, martial-looking young man with a roguish smile and a saber at his waist, Qing He breathed a sigh of relief.
