( though this man isn't terribly animated in character, xingchen is forming a decently strong impression of him regardless - thoughtful, warm, honorable (at least regarding the fair exchange of favors). perhaps even trustworthy. that said, his choice to allow most of his guard to drop has little to do with any of that, or any similar implication that xingchen retains even an ounce of trust in his judge of character. he doesn't. he's simply indifferent to whatever consequences come of such judgment proving incorrect.

and so he allows the man to assist him in sitting up, more attention paid to the information provided. zizhou... xingchen vaguely recalls that being the next destination the road which he had taken, though he'd thought it a good number of hours out still. had he misjudged the distance? or had this relative stranger carried him all that way? ) If you followed that same road, then Zizhou would be correct. ( but then, ) Have you already paid for the night? I can do so, if you haven't. Or- however long our stay has been. ( because it occurs to him now that he hasn't the slightest clue how long he was unconscious. what feels to him like less than a day may very well have been two or three nights, all passing in a haze. )