The cold dagger pressed against Lin Yan's neck, yet she felt no fear.
She merely understood, suddenly, what the female protagonist and the supporting female character were looking for.
Xing Shao Jun, the male second lead of this novel, and the original supporting female character's greatest asset.
It was because the supporting female character had saved him that she truly stepped into the spotlight, gaining the Emperor's favor, becoming the legitimate daughter, and eventually marrying the male lead.
Although she also wished to marry this man, he was a discerning individual who only cared about war and had no interest in marriage or having children.
She recalled that in the original plot, the female protagonist, having learned of this beforehand, had intended to rescue him. However, as the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Fugu, she had made no demands after saving him.
This made her appear even kinder and more noble than the supporting female character.
It seemed, however, that the Princess had lured her here, disrupting the plans of the female lead and supporting female character, and allowing her to stumble upon this opportunity.
Seeing that Lin Yan wasn't screaming, Xing Shao Jun relaxed slightly.
"What about my coachman and maid? I can't get down the mountain without them," Lin Yan said calmly.
This calmness was not feigned; she was genuinely not worried.
This man was the male second lead from the original story. While not a peerless hero, he was not someone who would harm women and children.
"Don't worry, the coachman is fine. As for your maid, she might be unconscious for a while." Seeing Lin Yan's composure, he retracted the dagger.
"Don't worry, as long as you take me down the mountain, I won't do anything to you. I can guarantee that."
He casually toyed with the dagger in his blood-stained hand, its flashing cold light dazzling Lin Yan's eyes.
Lin Yan remained silent, instead quietly moving aside to let him enter.
Xing Shao Jun struggled to get in, and only then did Lin Yan notice how severely injured he was. Blood had soaked through his clothes, staining a large area.
"Miss, Miss, are you alright?" Uncle Fu's anxious voice echoed from outside.
The scoundrel had entered the carriage before he could even react. He had been completely unable to resist, and with only two frail women in the carriage, they were no match for him.
"I'm fine," Lin Yan said calmly, looking at the dagger Xing Shao Jun was about to extend again. "Let's continue down the mountain!"
"Miss?" Uncle Fu's voice was still filled with concern.
"Don't worry, let's go down the mountain!" After speaking, Lin Yan leaned against the carriage wall, observing the young Duke Xing.
"Yes." Uncle Fu's voice faded, and the carriage slowly began to move.
"There's emergency medicine in the drawer over there. If you're not afraid, you can take it out and use it," Lin Yan had just checked Gu Yu's pulse and confirmed she was fine.
"Afraid?" He raised an eyebrow. "Afraid of what?"
"Afraid I might poison the medicine."
"Would you?" Xing Shao Jun wasn't looking down on Lin Yan, but a young lady from a respectable family like her probably hadn't even seen poison, let alone knew how to use it.
"Perhaps. After all, poisoning isn't that difficult," Lin Yan replied evasively. She could indeed poison, but she wouldn't use it against him.
"Then aren't you afraid?" Xing Shao Jun looked at her, finding this young lady from a prominent family entirely different from those he usually encountered.
"Afraid of what? Although you have a dagger, your official boots and the plaque on your waist are not hidden. So why should I be afraid?"
"Miss has sharp eyes!" he praised.
With someone so observant and calm by his side, he suddenly felt that boarding this carriage was the right decision.
Xing Shao Jun pulled open the drawer and saw the white porcelain bottle inside. He opened it and smelled the scent of excellent hemostatic medicine.
He then turned and opened his robe to apply the medicine. However, some wounds were in awkward positions, so he decided to treat the more serious ones first and deal with the rest back at his residence.
After all, he had already caused trouble for them; he couldn't possibly tarnish their reputation further. A lady from such a respectable family placed great importance on her reputation.
Some people would become suicidal over things that affected their reputation. Although he didn't think the person before him would react that way, he still felt it was best to be cautious.
His pursuit this time was likely the work of spies from those people in the south. After all, his decisive victory had caused them significant losses.
He hadn't expected their reach to extend so far, even infiltrating the capital, the heartland of the country. If they intended to do anything else, it would be dangerous.
This matter had to be reported to His Majesty immediately. This incident also served as a reminder; the capital was no longer as safe as it seemed, and he would have to bring weapons with him when going out in the future.
However, the people he encountered at the temple today were likely the family of the Duke of Anguo, right? But why would those two young ladies from the Duke of Anguo's family assist the pursuers in searching for him?
Had the Duke of Anguo's family colluded with external enemies? If it hadn't been for those two, he wouldn't have resorted to hijacking this carriage.
Actually, contacting Princess Jiayi would have been a good option, but the Princess's status was too noble. If she were to be implicated, he would be solely responsible.
Therefore, this carriage had become his best choice. Although he had caused this young lady some fright, he would do his best to compensate her once they returned to the capital.
However, he did need to pay more attention to the Duke of Anguo's side. Those two young ladies had been lurking near his hiding place, searching for clues to find him.
Several times he had almost been discovered by them. If not for that, he wouldn't have stabbed himself in the leg multiple times to stay alert.
Having lost so much blood, he wondered if the pursuers would find the blood trail and catch up. If they did, he was determined to protect the people in this carriage and prevent them from harming the innocent.
The hemostatic medicine Lin Yan had prepared in the carriage was quite effective. After application, the bleeding stopped within a short time, but the effects of severe blood loss were not so easily overcome.
He had been able to remain conscious due to the adrenaline and his heightened senses. But now, after getting into the carriage, he had relaxed slightly. While still vigilant, he could no longer resist the physical exhaustion.
As the carriage moved more smoothly, he finally passed out.
After he lost consciousness, Lin Yan, who had been still, moved beside him. After testing to confirm he was truly unconscious, Lin Yan took his wrist.
His injuries weren't severe, just a significant amount of blood loss. Being injured in the vicinity of the capital indicated the involvement of certain factions, but that had nothing to do with her.
She had planned to treat this world as a vacation and had no desire to get entangled in such matters.
However, he was certainly doing better for himself; in this world, he was the male second lead.
Lin Yan took out a bottle of invigorating pills she had made in a martial arts world from her system inventory and fed him one.
She then returned to her original seat, waiting for the carriage to descend the mountain.