Although Miss Jun wanted to keep galloping like this, even if she wasn't tired, the horse couldn't take it.
She reined in the horse by evening.
"Gongzhu."
Zhu Zan's voice sounded from behind.
Miss Jun seemed slightly startled.
"Don't suddenly call out to people," she said, sitting stiffly on the horse, not turning her head and speaking in a calm voice.
"How is that sudden?" Zhu Zan asked, puzzled, "You suddenly stopped, and I..."
"Why do you talk so much?" Miss Jun glanced back at him, a bit annoyed and said.
Zhu Zan was even more puzzled.
Thinking, I only said one sentence.
Why is she annoyed?
She isn't the type to get angry easily, usually calm and composed, never venting her anger on others.
He focused slightly to observe Miss Jun, trying to discern if she was troubled by something.
Miss Jun had already turned her head away.
"Are we traveling through the night or resting tonight?" she asked calmly, as if the previous annoyance was a mere figment of Zhu Zan's imagination.
"We've been traveling at night for several days straight; let's rest for a night today," Zhu Zan said, looking ahead.
In the distance, a city loomed faintly.
"Should we pass through this town and camp outside, or just enter the city and rest now?" he asked, contemplating.
"Let's camp outside," Miss Jun said, glancing at the sky, "It's still early."
Zhu Zan nodded and spurred his horse.
"Let's go," he said, "No need to enter the city, we'll just bypass it."
Just as he urged the horse, Miss Jun said, "Ah."
"Let's enter the city and rest," she said.
She usually made decisions decisively, especially while traveling. By the time she voiced them, she would have considered everything thoroughly and made the best choice.
This sudden change of mind was a first.
It seemed her earlier decision of not entering the city was casually said without much thought.
She wasn't this kind of person, so there must be something that necessitates going into the city or makes camping outside inconvenient.
"Why?" Zhu Zan asked intently, glancing around, "Is there something wrong?"
The journey had been incredibly smooth, so much so it seemed unreal, with no surveillance whatsoever. Although Miss Jun analyzed that the emperor, being wary of anyone prying into the Fang Family's hidden silver, would undoubtedly guard against anyone looking into this, leading them to be unnoticed, Zhu Zan didn't believe Lu Yunqi would be obedient and compliant.
Did she now sense something amiss?
"It's nothing," Miss Jun said with annoyance, "I just want to go into the city."
Why the annoyance again?
Zhu Zan looked at her puzzledly.
Miss Jun also looked at him, as proud and indifferent as ever, but the hint of red at the tip of her ears didn't escape Zhu Zan's notice.
Is this annoyance a form of shyness? Is it because he asked why they're entering the city? What sort of question would make a girl too embarrassed to answer, thus annoyed?
Zhu Zan's thoughts turned as he realized, and he looked at Miss Jun with a smile.
"Alright, let's enter the city," he said, collecting his smile and nodding solemnly, "I was thinking of entering the city too."
With that, he urged his horse forward first.
Wondering what nonsense he might be thinking, Miss Jun mumbled to herself, relieved that he wasn't asking further. Watching the man riding ahead, she cautiously reached out to touch her ear, feeling slightly anxious as she tried to dissipate the warmth.
The city was still bustling in the evening, with markets filled with various freshly harvested fruits and grains for sale, lively and crowded. The two had to lead the horses through the throng.
"Keep up," Zhu Zan occasionally turned back, looking at the woman following behind.
She walked slowly, intrigued by the market goods, often halting, so much so that when he turned back, she was sometimes out of sight.
In an instant of widening a few steps apart, mothers holding children and old men with baskets on their backs stood between them, blocking their path.
Zhu Zan had to lean beyond these people to see Miss Jun.
Miss Jun had a smile on her face, the rein lightly dangling behind her back as she strolled leisurely, seemingly ignoring Zhu Zan's urging.
Entering the city was the right choice, seeing the crowd around, she felt at ease.
"Hey," Zhu Zan squeezed through from ahead, seemingly a bit helpless, "Are you going to buy something?"
"Not buying," Miss Jun replied.
"Then what are you looking at?" Zhu Zan asked.
"Because I want to," Miss Jun raised an eyebrow and said.
Really acting improperly again, yet different from the past; the former impropriety was naturally innate, whereas now there was a bit of deliberation.
Zhu Zan frowned at her, however, it's been said that this is normal too, his understanding nodding with this.
"Where are we staying?" he asked, shifting his focus from the troublesome matter of buying or looking, to looking ahead, "There's an inn there, seems crowded, noisy, but the gate area in front surely has one too, likely quieter…."
He hadn't finished his sentence when Miss Jun pointed with her hand.
"We'll stay here," she said decisively, then after noticing Zhu Zan looking at her, she widened her eyes, "Why are you staring at me?"
"Is there another change?" Zhu Zan hesitated and asked.
Upon voicing, he regretted; wasn't this indirectly criticizing her arbitrariness in the city-entry decision earlier? Indeed, the woman before him darkened her expression and silently walked past him.
Some things are better left unsaid, unless intentional, or before this, he would've voiced them excitedly, but crucially, it's not like before now.
Zhu Zan was internally regretting repeatedly, leading the two horses, humbly following, while trying to explain a bit.
"How is it not like before now?" Miss Jun asked, "What's different about me?"
Although her voice was calm as before, Zhu Zan wouldn't truly believe she was the same as she used to be.
This explanation was no better than none, even brought up the past.
The many foolish things he did back then, Zhu Zan had no desire to recall, and didn't want her to remember either.
"No, I wasn't talking about you," he said earnestly and seriously, without a hint of jest, "I was talking about myself, it's me that's different now."
"Why are you…" Miss Jun said, "...let's eat then."
Zhu Zan was attentively listening and sensed that what she said didn't equate.
"What?" he asked, "Why are we eating then?"
By this time, they had entered the inn; inns in small towns were simple, situated in the busy market, with patrons constantly moving through the front and back courtyards, bustling like the street outside.
The welcoming shop assistant overheard.
"Do you want to eat?" he warmly suggested, slinging the towel over his shoulder and pointing beside, "We have food here."
Similar inns offered dining too, with multiple patrons enjoying hearty meals and drinks in the front hall, appearing to have hardly any free seating.
"Why not eat in the room?" Zhu Zan proposed.
However, Miss Jun had already shaken her head.
"Right here is fine, there's still a spot inside." She said.
The shop assistant promptly responded, calling out to the extended-legged patrons in the hall to move, while inviting them inside.
Zhu Zan paused, looking at Miss Jun.
"I understand now." He suddenly stated.
Miss Jun quietly looked at him, expression calm, though her hand rested by her side tensed slightly, nails pressing into her palm.
"Understand what?" she inquired.
"Today you're just opposing me at every turn," Zhu Zan said.
Miss Jun loosened her clenched hand, curling her lips slightly.
"Why is it not you insisting on going against me?" she raised an eyebrow and said.
Zhu Zan looked at her.
"You make a valid point," he nodded seriously.
....
....
(The second update is slightly late)