The journey continued and so did the health assessments. All other health assessments went smoothly with nothing suspicious worth noting. The crew stopped at a city for food.
Yu Han was more accustomed to food here, so he personally ordered his favorite dishes.
"That's new coming from you," Lei Chen said as the waiter left after receiving their order.
"I like noodles out of all other options," he shrugged.
"If you do, why did you make us order for you the past few times?" Sun Kang asked out of curiosity.
"Because I hadn't picked noodles as my favorite yet."
Lei Chen and Sun Kang shared a glance. Noodles were a staple. Anyone around Zaohua would have tried noodles at least once in their lifetime. Someone as influential as Yu Han couldn't have been deprived of such basic things.
"You never had noodles before?" Sun Kang asked skeptically.
Yu Han quickly looked down, wondering if he shared too much. Although he was starting to trust Lei Chen and Sun Kang, he wasn't sure telling them about his amnesia was the right thing to do.
No one specifically told him he couldn't say it, though. Maybe he should confide in someone he trusts.
"Actually," Yu Han struggled despite his resolve to share, "I have something to tell you guys."
Lei Chen and Sun Kang paid him complete attention. Traveling with them had proved to Yu Han that they weren't a threat.
"I'm not that influential," Yu Han uttered, "So, these past few days were my first time trying noodles."
Lei Chen frowned, "That's… rough."
"Do your superiors treat you badly?" Sun Kang asked.
Yu Han chuckled. They were very simple people. He was too cautious around them for the longest time.
"I take you two as my friend, so I will be straightforward," Yu Han leaned forward, catching their utmost attention, "I recently woke up in the middle of nowhere with zero memories. It's not that I never had noodles, it's just that I don't remember having them."
Sun Kang's jaw dropped, and Lei Chen's eyes widened. This wasn't something they expected.
"A villager rescued me, and then an escort from Zhongping State came for me. I don't even know if I'm influential or not. That's why I said I can only try about the villager's healthcare issue. There's no guarantee."
"W-Why didn't you say it before?" Lei Chen asked speechlessly.
Yu Han scratched his head, "I just survived two assassination attempts. I'd rather be cautious."
Sun Kang leaned forward, "Then, why tell us now? What if we're just waiting to hurt you?"
Yu Han sighed, "If I keep it in any longer, I'll lose it. So, I just decided to take the risk and trust you guys."
Lei Chen and Sun Kang glanced at one another. It was too sudden for them to have Yu Han open up out of nowhere. Even Yu Han thought it was stupid and sudden for him to speak about himself. But he wanted to confide in someone so badly that he didn't think twice.
"You told us and trusted us, for which I'm grateful," Lei Chen uttered cautiously, "But you should be careful not to say it to anyone else."
Sun Kang nodded, "Don't worry. I'll escort you to Zhongping State scratchless."
The two young men digested it faster than Yu Han's expectations. He felt like a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulder. He exhaled deeply now that his burdens were lifted, and just then, the waiter arrived with their food.
Looking at the food, Lei Chen and Sun Kang had nothing but questions.
"Wait, so you had no memories? Like, zero?" Sun Kang asked, unable to bury his curiosity.
Yu Han nodded, "This name, too, the villagers gave me. I don't know why Zhongping State summoned me either, but I might be connected to some higher-up."
"Woah," Lei Chen's eyes widened, "I've never heard of an official with a missing son. Someone must've buried it to protect you considering you got into assassination attempts right after waking up. That's terrifying honestly. You're strong for keeping your composure."
Yu Han nervously chuckled, "I owe it to my escort group. We saw a very scary lady… Mr. Liu got into a fight with her to let me escape. I don't know if he's alright or not."
Lei Chen glanced at Sun Kang, "Scary lady?"
"Was she in a veil?" Sun Kang asked.
Yu Han gasped, "How did you guess that?"
Sun Kang's eyes widened, "Now that you say it, I'm concerned for Liu Longwei's safety, too."
Yu Han gulped, "What do you mean? Who is she supposed to be?"
"Veiled Lady…" Lei Chen gulped, "She is the associate of Qin Bao from the Other Side. I heard anyone who looks into her eyes goes insane."
"Yu Han," Sun Kang hit the table with his fist, "The Veiled Lady coming for you should be kept a secret. Don't tell it to anyone other than His Majesty. If the Other Side wants you, then you're probably more than just influential."
"Sun Kang is right," Lei Chen added, "We'll take it to our grave, and so should you."
Yu Han nodded in fear. He didn't know he encountered people from the Other Side. He was glad he confided in Lei Chen and Sun Kang. They not only understood him immediately, but also gave him extra knowledge on how to protect himself. Had he not told them, he wasn't sure if he could trust the Emperor. By now, it seemed the Emperor was his only choice.
With Longwei's safety hanging by a thread, Yu Han dared not make the situation worse than it already was.
After eating, he followed the crew and set out for Zhongping State once again. They were close to it and didn't need many stops along the way. All they needed to do was to patiently wait.
It almost seemed the conductor could sense their urgency. The train moved faster to send them to their destination. Within a few hours, they were at the station of Zhongping State.
Just as they left the train, Longwei stood right outside—full of unattended injuries.