It did not take long for the evening to arrive. The sky had gone darker, the moon peeking out from a dense cloud, stars twinkling up above. It was a beautiful sight and time to get out and look outside.
Inside the Qu residence, the front pathway was crowded and busy. Carts, carriages pulled by horses, people in black uniforms were lined up, and servants continued to load things inside these carts and carriages.
Even though the study was far back from the gate, it was still unavoidable to not hear the commotion going on as people continued to pass by the place, and their voices kept on entering inside.
Still inside the study, Lin Xiaofei couldn't help but raise her head from what she was reading and look outside the window. There was only the back garden from where her line of sight was on, so she had to stand up and walk towards the door to clearly hear what was going on.
However, it wasn't needed as her two maids started to rush inside the study.
"My lady!"
Bai Lu panted quickly as she arrived before Lin Xiaofei.
"Is there something going on outside?" Lin Xiaofei asked.
Bai Lu and Su Tang looked at each other before nodding at their mistress.
Su Tang said, "Too many horses and soldiers are standing in the front entrance."
"What for? Where did they come from?" Lin Xiaofei's heart took a leap as she thought that someone dared to invade the Qu residence.
But before she could run her thoughts on whether someone dared or not, Su Tang quickly shook her head. "They're all wearing the crest of the Duke's family. They must be His Lordship's people who will accompany him to the North."
Lin Xiaofei frowned and was in deep thought. Tomorrow was Qu Xing Xu's departure and not tonight. It was weird that the preparation was quickly done as though they were in a hurry...
Wait, could it be that there were some changes in their time of departure?
Lin Xiaofei slightly lifted her skirt up and started to walk towards the front entrance where the commotion was going on. She saw the horses, soldiers, servants, and carriages that her maids were talking about as she arrived there.
However, amidst the commotion, Lin Xiaofei didn't see Qu Xing Xu.
While scanning through the crowd, Lin Xiaofei finally saw the second person she wanted to find after her husband. It was Gu Yan.
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom Wearing a darker uniform than his usual clothes, Gu Yan was talking to another man. It seems that he was instructing that man to do a particular task. When Gu Yan felt someone's gaze on his back, he turned around and saw his master's wife standing not far from him.
After dismissing the other man, Gu Yan rushed towards Lin Xiaofei and greeted her.
"What is going on?" Gu Yan heard her ask. Her voice was soft, but he could hear restrained anger in her tone.
Gu Yan held his breath for a few seconds, feeling slightly conflicted, and finally said, "Master's departure was pushed forward by the Emperor. He needed to go to the North tonight rather than tomorrow."
"Why wasn't I informed of this? Where is he?" Lin Xiaofei glanced around with her eyes, but she still couldn't find that man who didn't even show his face today after working her up all night.
But after asking these questions to Gu Yan, she suddenly stopped him from answering.
Lin Xiaofei's eyes hung down, and she took a deep sigh. "No need to tell me where he is. That man's probably further ahead of you."
Gu Yan nodded.
Confirming what she said, Lin Xiaofei reached inside her pocket and took out a satchel and a folded paper. She planned to give them to him tomorrow, but since he had to go in a rush, she was unable to personally give them away.
"Give this to him. It will help him sleep better at night," she told Gu Yan and gave the things to him. "As for the letter. Tell him to read it when he arrives at the North. Do not let anyone get their hands on it or read it. Do you understand?"
Gu Yan strickly nodded.
But then, he remembered something.
"My lady. I'll order someone else to give these away to Master. I was ordered by him to look after your safety and not come with him." Gu Yan recalled that Qu Xing Xu ordered him to make sure that Lin Xiaofei was safe. Despite the residence filled with their people, the Capital was no longer a safe place. Thus, it was only logical to put his trusted aide, Gu Yan, by her side.
"There's no need for protection." Gu Yan wanted to say something, but he was stopped again by her. "I know what you want to say. But I can't let anyone else take these things to Qu Xing Xu. I don't trust them. As for my safety... I can just go back to my maternal family and stay there until he returns."
Gu Yan was still not reconciled at first, but when he heard that she did not want to risk trusting anyone else to deliver the letter and satchel, he decided to do it in the end. Gu Yan finally took the things he got from her and kept them hidden well in his person.
"Once I deliver this to Master, I will immediately return to stay by your side." Gu Yan promised her.
Lin Xiaofei gave him a slight smile and did not tell him that by the time he returned, she wouldn't be around the Capital anymore. No, she won't be around the empire anymore because she's heading somewhere else.
Watching all of them busy themselves preparing to leave, Lin Xiaofei walked back to the courtyard and got changed.
Normally, the servants and guards standing around the courtyard were many. But tonight, it seems that only a few people were left because most were needed in the front. Even Lin Xiaofei's maids were not outside the courtyard as they were ordered to go to the kitchen and prepare her meal.
And thus, when Lin Xiaofei went out through the window to the back of the courtyard, no one saw her leaving while wearing a man's clothes and a mask covering her face.
Qu Xing Xu hurried to the North tonight. It was so sudden that it caught her off guard. But thankfully, she already prepared everything else for her own journey outside the empire.
It was not only her husband who had plans and things to do...
Even she had something she needed to finish.
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Author has something to say: Oh... I wonder where Xiaofei is going? And what is she really planning?
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