Gu Kaiyuan returned to the carriage and tossed the gold leaf directly to Dongmei, "When we reach the next post station, buy more steamed buns and give them to anyone in need."

Bai Suihe raised an eyebrow as she looked at him, "Not bad, you gained quite a lot on this trip."

Gu Kaiyuan had something on him, which she was well aware of, and her space had plenty of it, though she didn’t know its origin.

"Someone wants to play the role of an elder, naturally they have to act like one—this is quite the generosity."

"Did you kowtow?" Bai Suihe looked at him as if he were foolish. They didn’t lack such things; was such a sacrifice necessary?

"How could that be? Just a nod and a handshake, and her age is similar to my father’s. Moreover, they have a friendship, so if you consider it, she counts as an elder. Giving a meeting gift—I think her gift was rather light."

Bai Suihe hurried to sit upright, "Come on, tell me what happened?"

Gu Kaiyuan was prepared, sipped some water, and then started to narrate slowly.

Bai Suihe, alongside two maids, occasionally let out laughter, wishing she could have witnessed it in person.

"I wonder when your father will call for me," Bai Suihe anticipated.

She wasn’t greedy for the so-called meeting gift; she wanted to see their face-changing trick firsthand.

Gu Kaiyuan shook his head, "After today, they’re likely unwilling to meet you for a while."

The first meeting gift must’ve left Mrs. Xu with a shadow in her heart, looking for excuses to trouble Bai Suihe would require her to muster up the courage.

"That’s really a pity..." Bai Suihe touched her stomach, "By the way, shouldn’t I be able to ask for double?"

"..."

☆

The ground was covered in white, with clusters of smoke in the valley adding a touch of color to the snowy night.

Apart from those keeping vigil, snores and occasional murmurs echoed.

"Daddy, Mommy, there’s danger." The baby’s voice rang in their minds.

Bai Suihe’s eyes instantly widened, and Gu Kaiyuan was already upright, vigilantly surveying the surroundings.

"Baby, is there someone coming to attack?" Bai Suihe also scanned around; it was silent, eerily silent.

"I recall hearing some sounds from the mountains before we slept; why is it so quiet now?"

Gu Kaiyuan counted the time and realized what he had forgotten, "A pack of wolves is coming down the mountain."

Bai Suihe’s heart tightened; wolves descending meant something she knew all too well, "What do we do? Quickly circle the fire..."

The baby hurried to reassure them, "Mommy, don’t worry, I can protect you."

Bai Suihe gently stroked her stomach, "You’re still young; these things are for the adults to handle. Your daddy hired many people; there’s no need to fear a small wolf pack."

Gu Kaiyuan glanced at her; this small wolf pack consisted of dozens of wolves. In the previous life, some people were dragged away.

Bai Suihe fiercely glared at Gu Kaiyuan. With so many capable adults, were they to rely on the baby in the stomach for protection?

She didn’t know if the baby’s use of powers would harm her, and, of course, she didn’t want that.

Gu Kaiyuan understood these concerns and cooperated by saying, "Baby, don’t worry, Daddy will definitely keep you safe this time.

Do you know how long before the wolves arrive?"

In the previous life, he was also awakened from his sleep, and the scene became chaotic. When things calmed down, it was already daylight.

"They’re on the mountain top," the baby replied in a soft voice, "They’re observing us."

Gu Kaiyuan gently stroked the stomach, "Suihe, if there’s any commotion, quickly get into the carriage and have Dongmei block the doors and windows."

Bai Suihe knew not to cause trouble now and solemnly nodded, "You also be careful."

She knew Gu Kaiyuan wouldn’t want to hide at this moment, and with two escort agency personnel and so many experts, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Gu Kaiyuan first helped Bai Suihe dress properly, tightly wrapped in a cloak, and then woke up Dongmei and the others not far away.

Dongmei and the others were still puzzled, but upon hearing Bai Suihe needed to get into the carriage, they didn’t say much and immediately helped her in.

Gu Kaiyuan, along with the now-awake Zhuang Datou, went to wake the two escort agency guards, while he himself found Yun Ni and the others.

"What’s happening?" The employers were called up late and couldn’t help but feel tense.

"There’s a wolf pack," Gu Kaiyuan said plainly. "They’re watching us from the mountain; wake your brothers up quickly and have everyone form a circle."

Gu Kaiyuan only wanted to protect Bai Suihe; regarding the others, he couldn’t care less.

Everyone quickly sprang into action, and Gu Kaiyuan didn’t forget to warn Liu Pingkang and the others.

Though unsure how Gu Kaiyuan knew about the lurking wolves, Liu Pingkang trusted he wouldn’t deceive them.

This wolf pack is scarier than bandits; once they’re set on you, they won’t easily give up. Apart from fighting to the death, there’s no other option.

"Hurry, wake up," fearing to provoke the wolves into an early attack, the escort woke everyone with unprecedented gentility.

Roused from sound sleep in the middle of the night, everyone had complaints, but upon hearing about the wolves, panic ensued.

They were all pampered nobles; the hardships of these days were the worst they had faced in life, and now, a wolf pack. They had heard about these creatures before, capable of terrorizing entire villages.

"Quiet down; if you keep shouting, you’ll bring the wolves down before you have time to prepare," Ma Zhi warned in a lowered voice, "If the wolves descend, who do you think will suffer first?"

Seeing the knife at Ma Zhi’s waist, everyone understood his implications.

"Hurry up and find any weapons for defense that you can think of," Ma Zhi said through gritted teeth to those standing still, "Once chaos breaks out, there’s no guarantee anyone can protect you. Focus on self-preservation."

His words greatly awakened those still asleep. Everyone quickly stopped standing around dumbly and started gathering things. The kitchen knives they’d used earlier and sticks for stoking fires were all grabbed. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Seeing their chaos, it wasn’t a solution; Ma Zhi and others resorted to directing them using methods learned from their predecessors.

Women and children were escorted into the carriage, which was pushed to the center, along with all the livestock.

Seeing some men trying to crowd into the carriage, Liu Pingkang snapped a whip at them, "You can’t expect us to guard them if you don’t protect your own families."

"All able-bodied men must stand guard outside, and anyone caught hiding will face consequences afterward."