Chapter 54: No One Returns

　　After traveling all night by carriage, Chen Zhi felt like her whole body was falling apart when she got off—she could barely control her movements. The carriage was cramped, with four people squeezed inside; her knees had to stay bent, leaving no room to stretch. She hadn’t slept well at all.　　Chen Zhi looked around. There was no sign of people in sight. In the quiet seclusion of the dense forest stood an inn.　　As soon as she entered her room, she collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep immediately—she didn’t even have time to take off her shoes. Though Yue Chen’s body had suffered neglect in the cold palace, she had been raised in extreme luxury; she had never done a day of hard work. Her fingers were slender, smooth, and fair, well - cared for.　　From what Chen Zhi had learned, this seemed to be the first time this body had ever left the imperial capital. The fate of noble women in great clans always seemed predictable: marry into a family of equal status to secure the greatest benefits for their maternal clan. If they wer