Chapter 176: If They Can Breach This, I'll Eat My Hat

"That's right!" Zhao Lan'er's eyes lit up. "Sangqian is so smart and capable, she will definitely find a way to protect herself."

After saying this, her expression drooped again. "However, after all, the opponents are a group of bandits. How can we not worry?"

"But I believe in Miss Lin. She will surely return safely," Uncle Yuan said with a smile.

Liao Shuxia suddenly stood up, startling everyone in the room.

"You're right! Little Gouzi will definitely come back safely! I'm going to fetch her right now. So what if they're a bunch of bandits? I refuse to believe this!"

Her usual fiery temper returned. As soon as she finished speaking, she bolted toward the door. Zhao Lan'er and the others exchanged bewildered glances for a moment before hurriedly chasing after her.

Uncle Yuan helplessly massaged his brow.

When he said that, he certainly didn't mean for them to go demand people from the bandits!

...

Lin Sangqian finished brewing the medicinal herbs and prepared to deliver them to Gu Zhinan's tent.

Halfway there, however, she was intercepted by Zhang Qianqian.

"What are you holding?" Zhang Qianqian asked fiercely.

"Medicine for Gu Zhinan," Lin Sangqian replied.

"Give it to me! I'll take it to Brother Gu."

"Take it then. Why are you glaring? I didn't want to deliver it anyway." Lin Sangqian shoved the medicine bowl directly into her hands.

Zhang Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief, then stared at her and warned, "I'm warning you, I was here first. Don't even think about seducing Brother Gu!"

Suppressing the urge to slap her across the face, Lin Sangqian said coldly, "To be honest, I've lived for quite a while, and I've never seen anyone as stupid as you. If it weren't for your father's sake, I would have kicked you down the mountain long ago."

"You—what do you mean?"

"Do you have any idea how many tears your mother has shed at home every single day since you were captured by the bandits?" Lin Sangqian said. "Do you know how badly your parents want you to hurry back home? But what about you? When you had a chance to go down the mountain, you actually refused to leave and even treated me like your imaginary rival. Is this fun for you?"

Zhang Qianqian was stunned, a clear look of guilt flashing across her face. "My mother, she..."

"Let me tell you something: Gu Zhinan might be a treasure in your eyes, but I have zero interest in him. For now, he seems all right, but at the end of the day, he's just a bandit who has plundered who knows how much property from innocent people. Unlike you, my conscience does not allow me to fancy a bandit."

"Then why are you lingering here and refusing to leave?"

"Moron." With that, Lin Sangqian turned around and walked away.

Zhang Qianqian was somewhat bewildered. What did Lin Sangqian just call her? A moron? What was that supposed to mean?

Besides, what did she mean just now by saying her conscience wouldn't allow her to fancy a bandit? Wasn't that just a roundabout way of scolding her, Zhang Qianqian, for having no conscience?

Zhang Qianqian stamped her feet in fury.

Odious Lin Sangqian!

After a short while, Zhang Qianqian delivered the medicine to Gu Zhinan's tent.

Because of the earlier delay, the medicine had already turned somewhat cold.

Gu Zhinan didn't mind, however. He frowned as he finished it in one go and tossed the empty bowl back at her.

"Why are you the one delivering it? Where is Lin Sangqian?"

Gu Zhinan assumed Lin Sangqian had been slacking off, but the moment Zhang Qianqian heard this, her eyes reddened again.

Seeing this, Gu Zhinan asked impatiently, "What are you crying for? I just asked where Lin Sangqian is! You're always crying, crying, crying—aren't you sick of it?"

Tears spilled from Zhang Qianqian's eyes.

Gu Zhinan: "..."

"Fine, I can't afford to provoke you, but I can at least stay out of your way, right?"

Without waiting for a response, Gu Zhinan turned and strode out of the tent.

The moment he stepped outside, a man named Cheng Biao immediately sidled up to him and grinned. "Why is the boss coming out now? Didn't little Zhang just go into your tent? Heh heh."

"Heh your head." Gu Zhinan gave him a kick. "Where is Lin Sangqian?"

Cheng Biao was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled again. "Oh, oh! No wonder the boss has no interest in little Zhang. Well, it's true—Miss Lin is indeed much prettier than her."

Gu Zhinan felt an urge to twist his head off.

"Miss Lin seems to be in the kitchen."

Though called a kitchen, it was actually just a tent designated for cooking.

A makeshift stove had been set up inside, fully stocked with pots, bowls, pans, and all sorts of ingredients.

Lin Sangqian was currently inside boiling noodles.

Truth be told, Zhang Qianqian's culinary skills were genuinely lacking.

Therefore, she decided she might as well cook for herself.

Just as the noodles were about to be done, Gu Zhinan walked in.

As soon as he entered the tent, he took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"What are you making? Why does it smell so good?"

"I'm boiling noodles," Lin Sangqian said.

"Noodles can smell this good? Give me a bowl."

"No way." Lin Sangqian immediately guarded her food. "I only cooked enough for one portion. If you want to eat, make your own."

"How am I supposed to cook?" Gu Zhinan put on a pitiful expression.

You have to admit, his striking face paired with that expression still carried quite a bit of lethality.

Lin Sangqian softened a little.

"Fine, fine. You can have this bowl first, and I'll cook another portion."

Anyway, making noodles wasn't much trouble.

Lin Sangqian scooped out the noodles and handed them to him. Gu Zhinan immediately took them and began wolfing them down voraciously, looking as though he hadn't eaten in three days.

"These noodles are amazing! I had no idea your culinary skills were this good. They taste even better than the noodles from the imperial kitchens!"

"You're a bandit, yet you've actually eaten noodles from the imperial kitchens?" Lin Sangqian asked casually while continuing to cook her own batch.

To her surprise, Gu Zhinan suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of him slurping his noodles.

Before she finished cooking the second portion, he had already polished off the entire bowl.

"Your cooking is top-notch. From now on, you'll be in charge of meals."

"Zhang Qianqian is still around, so I won't do it," Lin Sangqian said. "Otherwise, she'll start feeling like I've stolen something of hers again."

Gu Zhinan looked somewhat disappointed, but since he was still counting on Lin Sangqian to cure his poison, he didn't dare to force her.

At that moment, Cheng Biao's voice rang out from outside, "Boss! Suddenly there are a lot more government bailiffs at the foot of the mountain, and some look like they're from the Yu family. The brothers patrolling the mountain say it looks like they're preparing to storm up here!"

"What are you panicking about?" Gu Zhinan calmly wiped his mouth. "Green Creek Mountain is a place I personally and carefully selected. If they can actually storm up here, you can consider me beaten!"

Lin Sangqian mused to herself that if they really did storm up here, wouldn't he indeed be beaten?

"But their numbers really have increased a lot! Who knows why!"

Lin Sangqian scooped up the newly cooked noodles and, just as she was about to eat, noticed Gu Zhinan glaring at her ominously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just captured you, and down below the government bailiffs suddenly multiply. Could this possibly have something to do with you?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you—my elder brother is a government bailiff. Once I was brought up here and he found out, he undoubtedly petitioned the authorities to dispatch more men," Lin Sangqian said with an innocent expression. "Oops, oops, I completely forgot about that."

Gu Zhinan wanted to laugh, unsure whether he was amused by her tone or infuriated by her attitude.

"I believe your ghost stories." With that, Gu Zhinan turned and strode out.

Lin Sangqian made a funny face at his retreating back and happily continued eating her noodles.