Chapter 133: Selling Oneself to Save a Father

Chu Bing had been lying in bed for two full days, and her wounds were slowly beginning to heal.

Li Mohan kept a constant watch over her. Stuck in bed all day with nowhere to go, not only was Chu Bing losing her patience, but even the System couldn't help but grow anxious.

"Host, I gave you the opportunity to pursue romance, but you cannot abandon your duties and neglect the mission entirely!"

Chu Bing sat on the edge of the bed, cupping her face in her hands and sighing. "I want to complete the mission too, but isn't that why I'm waiting for nightfall?"

Only when night fell would Li Mohan go to sleep, allowing her the chance to slip away to Li Haoran’s courtyard.

"Then, Host, I must remind you once more: if you do not take any action tonight, I will be forced to take measures against you."

Chu Bing covered her ears and collapsed back onto the bed. "Fine, I get it."

"What do you get?" Li Mohan pushed the door open, catching the tail end of her sentence.

Only then did Chu Bing realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud. She quickly stammered, "Oh, nothing. I was just bored and talking to myself."

"My father wants me to depart tomorrow. Today, I will take you to tour the area around the estate." Li Mohan sat on a stool, his expression cool and composed.

Chu Bing’s eyes lit up. Forgetting that he was about to leave, her entire face brightened. "Are you really taking me out?"

Li Mohan watched her eager expression and arched a brow. "I said I am leaving tomorrow."

Chu Bing realized her mistake, gave a dry laugh, and tried to put on a pitiful look. "In that case... I really am quite reluctant to see you go..."

"Hmph." Li Mohan chuckled softly. "Get ready; we are leaving now."

Chu Bing jumped off the bed and grabbed a set of clothes, ducking behind a screen to change. Li Mohan had intended to step out, but before he could rise, Chu Bing had already vanished behind the screen. As he listened to the rustling movements from behind the partition, his mind couldn't help but conjure images of her. His throat tightened, and he sat frozen in his seat.

When Chu Bing finished dressing and emerged from behind the screen, she saw Li Mohan sitting upright. She held out her skirts and spun around. "Does this look good?"

She was wearing a silver-white ru-skirt with a high waist. The skirt was voluminous, and it looked elegant as she moved. It was her first time wearing such ladylike attire, and it felt quite refreshing. Li Mohan had prepared the outfit; he hadn't looked at it closely before, but seeing it on Chu Bing, he suddenly felt it was exceptionally beautiful.

Seeing Li Mohan staring at her in silence, a flash of smugness crossed Chu Bing’s face. She leaned in playfully and linked her arm through his. "Let's go!"

Li Mohan looked at her arm on his, then gently nudged it away. "There are people watching outside."

Chu Bing glanced at him. "What? Not even letting me touch you? Fine then, I’ll go find someone else."

She clasped her hands behind her back, her lips curled into a high, teasing arc, betting that Li Mohan couldn't bear it. She had seen right through him—he was a repressed man who said no with his mouth but wanted it desperately in his heart.

As she expected, Li Mohan grabbed her wrist within seconds.

Chu Bing turned around, her smile unconcealable. "Can't bear to let me go?"

Li Mohan gave her a cold look for a few seconds before dragging her toward the door.

Old Zhao saw the two of them emerge one after the other, especially their tightly clasped hands, and his eyes widened.

"Uncle Zhao, is the carriage ready?"

"Yes, yes, it's waiting outside." Old Zhao nodded, leading them out of the courtyard while stealing another glance at their joined hands.

Seeing his subtle reaction, Chu Bing couldn't help but cover her mouth to hide her giggles.

Prime Minister Li’s mountain estate was located in the borderlands. The local customs were rugged and fierce, but in many ways, there was much to see and do. As Chu Bing and Li Mohan stepped out of the carriage and into the town, she felt she didn't have enough eyes to take in all the sights. The street was filled with acrobats and candy vendors. If Li Mohan hadn't been holding her hand, she would have vanished into the crowd long ago.

"Where are we going?" Chu Bing asked excitedly, eager to charge toward the most crowded areas.

Seeing the look on her face, Li Mohan said indifferently, "Not the crowded places. We are going to a restaurant."

"Why the restaurant? I don't want to eat..." Chu Bing watched as the fun parts of the street drifted further away while Li Mohan led her inside.

Li Mohan took her straight to the second floor. Chu Bing curiously surveyed her surroundings. On the first floor sat several patrons in foreign attire, speaking in low voices, but Chu Bing noticed that all of them had blades resting by their sides. Were the people in these borderlands truly this fierce?

Li Mohan seated her, and a waiter approached with a tray, smiling. "Guests, what would you like to... order?"

Old Zhao slipped him a silver ingot. "Don't mind us for now. We are expecting someone."

"Understood."

Chu Bing asked curiously, "Who else is coming?"

Li Mohan poured her a cup of tea. "Someone unimportant."

He went through all this trouble for someone unimportant? Chu Bing pouted and sat by the window. Looking down at the street from above had a unique charm.

Wait.

She actually witnessed a trope that was a staple of time-travel stories: selling oneself to bury a father!

Below the restaurant, a girl dressed in white mourning clothes was kneeling on the ground. A straw mat with an old man lying on it was placed in front of her, and she was sobbing softly. Just looking at the scene, it was truly pitiful. However, Chu Bing always felt that "selling oneself to bury a father" was just a gimmick, and women who did this were rarely simple.

"What are you looking at?" Li Mohan hadn't heard a sound from Chu Bing for a while. He turned his head, saw her staring intently at the scene below, and walked over to stand beside her.

"Look there. Isn't that girl quite pretty?" Chu Bing pointed at the girl and asked Li Mohan with a mischievous smile.

Li Mohan looked where she was pointing and frowned slightly.

"Isn't she?" When he didn't answer, Chu Bing leaned in and asked again.

Li Mohan raised an eyebrow. "Just a con artist. Why waste your thoughts on her?"

Chu Bing pursed her lips. If she weren't so bored, she wouldn't be watching someone sell themselves to bury their father!

The girl below seemed to sense something. She raised her face toward the restaurant, her gaze meeting theirs from afar, and suddenly began to kowtow repeatedly in their direction.

Chu Bing instinctively stepped back. "What’s wrong with this girl?"

Why was she kowtowing to them for no reason? It was a bit creepy!

Li Mohan’s gaze turned cold. "She is looking for a buyer."

"Huh?" A buyer? What on earth!

"In the borderlands, after the men go to war, many women cannot survive, especially if the sole breadwinner dies. They sell themselves, and usually, if they spot a potential buyer they think can afford them, they will kowtow to them," Old Zhao explained slowly from behind.

Chu Bing understood. She looked at the girl outside. Could it be that she had overthought it, and this really was just an ordinary girl selling herself to bury her father?