Maybe it was because they were outnumbered. The man in black immediately retreated but was stopped by Young Master Zhou.
"Who sent you?" he asked.
Indigo turned around. "Stop him!"
Too bad they were one step too late. The man in black killed himself.
Young Master Zhou clutched his injured arm and walked over to kick the man in black twice. "Who did you mess with to get hit this hard?"
He didn't know what bad luck he had run into. His last wound had just healed, and now he was hurt again.
At that moment, a sharp whip came flying back toward them.
The sound of it slicing through the air was right by his ear. Young Master Zhou rolled aside, dodging Indigo's whip.
It followed him like a shadow, changing angles and sweeping past him, the tail flicking his black hair and slapping his face with a snap.
Young Master Zhou turned his head, and a few broken strands of hair fell. A red mark appeared on his face.
His face burned. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. It was the first time anyone had ever really hit him in the face.
Just a moment ago they were fighting side by side, and now that guy was suddenly attacking him with a whip. Young Master Zhou was completely furious, and they immediately got into a scuffle.
"What are you two doing?" Aenwyn rushed over at that moment.
Young Master Zhou couldn't beat him and stopped angrily. "Ask him what he did." He turned his face toward her.
On his handsome face was a clear whip mark, clearly from being struck.
Aenwyn felt a jolt in her chest. It felt like her own child had hit someone.
"It's fine. He didn't mean to." Aenwyn said, reaching out to check his face.
But Indigo pulled her back, making her stumble.
This completely set Young Master Zhou off. What did she mean not on purpose? So biased.
His eyes were red as he grabbed her hand.
The three of them were now in a tug-of-war. You wouldn't let go, and neither would he. Aenwyn was stuck in the middle like a prized dumpling.
"Let go of me, all of you!" Aenwyn snapped.
What were they doing? Were they little kids?
"Make him let go. Look at my face." One was tattling.
Indigo said, "Why did you come here in the middle of the night?"
Aenwyn suddenly remembered.
Right, this guy came sneaking up to her window in the middle of the night. If she hadn't been sleeping in full makeup these past two nights, she might've been exposed already.
Young Master Zhou saw her expression change and gave an awkward laugh, letting go of her wrist.
"I wasn't doing anything, just passing by."
He turned and saw Ludovic and Ishmael. "Ah, Ishmael, why are you here?" He looked like he'd just seen his savior.
"Tell me clearly. Why did you sneak into my room in the middle of the night?" Aenwyn was furious and ready to hit him.
She was dressed as a man, and her behavior was usually bold and rough. Sometimes she acted even more like a man than actual men, just with a delicate face. And this guy dared to sneak in at night? He deserved to be hit.
Aenwyn reached out to check the injuries on Indigo's body.
Ludovic walked over, and only then did Aenwyn let go of him.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." Aenwyn said.
Ludovic smiled gently.
Yeah, every time he opened his mouth, he always asked if she was okay.
After knowing she was in disguise, he started to notice details he had ignored before.
The shape of her eyes, the tone of her skin each day, all had slight differences. He sighed inside, thinking she must be hiding because someone was after her.
They kept talking, not noticing Indigo watching Ishmael.
When Indigo left home, he was six. Ishmael was already fourteen then. He recognized him at a glance.
The eldest son of the Yue family in the capital, skilled in both civil and martial arts by fourteen. He had joined the army as a strategist at a young age, showing no fear in battle, using clever tactics to drive enemies back forty kilometers. He became famous after that.
Even in Danzhou, Indigo had heard of the eldest son's great accomplishments. At sixteen, he gave up the sword for books, stunning the court. Now just past twenty, he already held a place in the Dongling government. Truly worthy of being Official Song's son.
Indigo looked away after a glance.
"What's your real name?" Ludovic suddenly asked.
Uh...
Aenwyn realized she was probably full of holes by now. If not for the lack of a cinnabar mole on her forehead or an identity mark on her hand, anyone would have guessed she was a woman by now.
She still didn't know she had already been exposed. And someone was still suspicious of her.
Still, since they had met, Aenwyn had a good impression of Ludovic. She figured it was okay to tell him her name. It didn't sound very feminine anyway. She was just about to speak.
"His name is Yue Ruchu." Indigo said at that moment. He was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, gripping tightly.
"As for me, I'm just a nobody."
What? When did I change my last name?
Aenwyn protested and tried to turn her head, but he held her still.
"Yue Ruchu?" Ludovic said softly.
On the other side, Ishmael was still watching them.
Aenwyn? When did Second Brother change his name? Aenwyn. He thought about the word. Did it mean "as it was in the beginning"?
He hadn't interacted much with his younger brother since childhood. He only vaguely remembered that whenever he came home, that thin little figure would silently stand to the side.
So many years had passed, yet he was still so small.
"Mm, hehe." Aenwyn gave an awkward laugh.
Indigo's grip was too tight. It was starting to hurt. What was wrong with him now? What was so unacceptable about her surname?
"Aenwyn, we're setting off for the capital tomorrow. Where are you headed?" Ludovic asked.
To the capital. Same destination.
They were also heading to the capital, but Indigo probably wouldn't want to travel together with them, right? She glanced back at him.
Then she heard Indigo say, "We're going to the capital too."
Young Master Zhou, who had been listening carefully, immediately jumped in. "Then let's go together."
Aenwyn couldn't make that decision. She turned to see what Indigo would say.
Everyone looked at him.
Aenwyn thought Indigo would definitely refuse. He was always so petty, and besides, her identity wasn't convenient. But to her surprise, Indigo said, "All right."
Young Master Zhou gave him a sidelong glance. "At least you know what's good for you." He touched the scratch on his face and gave a cold snort.
Indigo's face remained indifferent.
Since they had decided to travel together, there wasn't much luggage. The most were the health supplements Aenwyn had received from Mister Henricus. She originally considered hiring someone to take them ahead to the capital. But when she looked back and saw both Indigo and Young Master Zhou somewhat injured, she decided to keep them. They might need the nourishment.
Ludovic arranged for someone to carry the things onto the boat.
There were only five cabins on the boat. Two needed to be reserved for others, so they were left with just three.
The journey to the capital would be long. Where would they all sleep? That was a problem.
"Aenwyn, you can share a room with me. The other two can have one each. Ishmael's leaving, so he won't be staying," Young Master Zhou said while bandaging his wound.
Ishmael raised an eyebrow. "I'm not going anymore."
He had planned to go to Sitong Town to meet his second brother, but since they had already crossed paths on the way, there was no need.
"Why not?" Young Master Zhou exclaimed, his careful plans ruined.
Ludovic also looked curiously at Ishmael.
Now there were five people and only three rooms.
"I'll share with Indigo. You three can figure it out," Aenwyn said. There was no way she was going to stay with anyone else.
Ishmael and Indigo had no objections.
"No," said Young Master Zhou and Ludovic at the same time.
Now that they knew the two weren't real siblings, how could they possibly allow them to stay in the same room?
"Then share with me?" Ishmael said, drawing glances from Young Master Zhou and Ludovic. Ishmael didn't seem like the type to offer to share a room. Why now? Their expressions changed slightly.
Aenwyn looked up at him. Where did all these handsome men come from? She must've stumbled into a den of beauties.
But no matter how handsome they were, she wasn't going to share a room with him. She'd rather sleep alone in the storage cabin.
Aenwyn refused.
With no better option, Ludovic finally suggested, "How about Aenwyn gets her own room, I'll share with Young Master Zhou, and the other two can figure it out?"
He looked at them.
Indigo and Ishmael exchanged a glance but didn't object.
That settled the room assignments.
Aenwyn felt more exhausted now than when they were being chased yesterday. She carried her bag, ready to rest.
The three cabins were on the second floor. She took the middle room. Indigo glanced at the layout and chose the one on the left. Ludovic and Young Master Zhou took the right.
In the left room, "You're called Indigo?" Ishmael asked. He felt like the boy looked familiar, but couldn't place where he'd seen him before. A tall, lean figure in tight-fitting clothes, black hair tied up, and a cold, distant air.
"Mm." Indigo rarely spoke. He lay down on the soft couch and closed his eyes to rest.
His long lashes trembled slightly, as if he had fallen into a dream from long ago.
When Aenwyn knocked, it was Ishmael who opened the door.
Aenwyn nodded politely at the charming man, then saw Indigo sleeping on the couch.
"Indigo, are you hungry? Get up and eat something."
She called him for a while, but he didn't wake up. Aenwyn gently pushed him.
The boy, trapped in a nightmare, finally opened his eyes. The black jade-like pupils still held traces of fear. Seeing Aenwyn looking at him, he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
His chest wasn't broad, but it held her tightly.
Aenwyn's cheek rested against his chest. She could hear his rapid heartbeat. His arm around her was slightly damp.
"What is it? A nightmare?" she asked softly.
Ishmael stood quietly nearby, watching the two clinging together, clearly disapproving.
Young Master Zhou, waiting at the door, grew impatient. "What's taking so long?"
He stepped in and immediately saw the two hugging each other. His face darkened like a storm. Jealously, he muttered, "What are two grown men doing, hugging like that?"
Outside the door, Ludovic stood in a pale blue robe. The three of them watched the two embrace. The tension in the air seemed to crackle.
Goosebumps rose on Aenwyn's back. She suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
Three women make a drama. But these four men...