Yonghe stared blankly at the woman who started a fire, took off her clothes, and placed them by the fire to dry, leaving only her underclothes.

"Hey, what are you standing there for? Come on over and dry your clothes," Wufu said to her. "I’m telling you, it’s deep autumn and almost winter. You know how cold that Water Pond is. If you end up with a high fever from catching a cold, I won’t care for you!"

A gust of wind blew by, and the soaking wet Yonghe shivered. Dragging her wounded leg, she went over, mimicked her in taking off her clothes, and shivered from the cold.

Wufu glanced at her leg, surveyed the surroundings, then walked away.

"Where are you going?" Yonghe’s frightened voice came from behind.

Wufu turned her head and saw her looking nervously, afraid of being abandoned. She said, "I’m checking out this place. Are we supposed to live here forever?"

Yonghe muttered an "oh," sat back down, hugging her knees by the fire, feeling the warmth. But seeing her hands and feet, all covered in various wounds, she couldn’t help but weep.

Having lived a privileged life for so many years, she’d never suffered like this. She didn’t even know if she’d live to see her mother again!

As she cried, she reminisced about the days before. Yonghe felt increasingly unlucky and miserable.

Hearing rustling footsteps, she saw Wufu return with a handful of grass.

"Luck hasn’t run out; I found my whip by the water," Wufu said, raising her whip, found near the water’s edge.

She sat down, took a stone, smashed the grass on another stone, then told Yonghe to roll up her pant leg.

"What’s this?" Yonghe asked, a bit dumbfounded, watching her apply the mushy grass to her wound.

"Herbs, just applying them temporarily. Hopefully, you’re accustomed to exercising, and these minor injuries won’t trigger a high fever, otherwise, I’m really..." Wufu scoffed.

Yonghe understood her implication, pursed her lips, and said, "Wufu, your name’s Wufu, right? You saved me, and I’ll repay you! Tell me what you want?"

"Oh?" Wufu eyed her sideways. "I can ask for anything?"

Yonghe nodded.

Wufu said, "Then I want to be a princess too. Is that okay?"

Yonghe was taken aback, not reacting for a moment.

"You’re a noble person, like a royal branch. I risked my life to save you, surely I can earn the title of princess, right?" Wufu shrugged. "At least save me from Song Jiaoer’s constant ’commoner’ jibes."

Yonghe said, "Saving this princess is also an honor for you..."

"You better not say things like that!" Wufu interrupted. "What honor? You’re a princess, so what? If I wasn’t happy, there are plenty of ways to ensure you’d die here unnoticed, and people would believe you fell to your death!"

Yonghe’s face went pale. "You, how could you say that?"

"Scared now, aren’t you?" Wufu chuckled softly. "So, don’t act all high and mighty in front of me. My temper is quite odd. Even if it’s not a princess, not even your father is more valuable than me. My life is the most important."

Yonghe’s lips moved. Though angry, she didn’t dare rebut, so she retorted, "If your life is the most important, then why did you save me? You could’ve let go, and wouldn’t have fallen with me! You could’ve even let that assassin kidnap me."

Wufu sighed, lying back on a boulder, hands resting behind her head. "Which is why I say I’m stupid. My mind must have been caught in a door to act so ’heroically’ and ’righteously’."

If Ah Jiu were to learn the truth, would he be furious?