Jun Buli really had intended to leave—but he’d meant to leave openly, not run away. With Yaotiao’s exclamation, what had been an entirely ordinary situation suddenly turned rather awkward.

Ziqing and Yelu Qianqian both turned to look at him at the same time, saying nothing—just watching.

Jun Buli looked back at them, equally silent, just watching. In an instant, the atmosphere turned distinctly strange.

Seeing this, Yaotiao called out again, “Mommy, Brother’s running away!”

As she shouted, her small hand didn’t forget to grab tightly onto Jun Buli.

“You brat, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you!” Jun Buli said in a low voice.

Yaotiao shook her head innocently, then launched into an earnest lecture. “Brother, you’re being so irresponsible!”

“What does this have to do with responsibility?” Jun Buli asked, exasperated.

“Brother, didn’t you hear Aunt Qianqian say Sister Jing’er likes you?” Yaotiao asked seriously.

“And so?” Jun Buli was puzzled, curious to hear what logic the girl could possibly produce.

“Brother, as a woman…”

“Wait a minute. What woman, not woman—you’re just a little girl.”

Yaotiao shrugged. “Fine. But as a female, I think…”

“Why so much preamble? Just say it.”

“How is that preamble? Are you even going to listen or not!” Yaotiao grew annoyed, grabbing Jun Buli with her other hand too, refusing to let him leave.

“Go on…” Jun Buli said, holding onto his patience.

“As a female, I think that when a man hears someone say they like him, and he just up and leaves, that’s extremely irresponsible behavior,” Yaotiao said, very seriously.

Jun Buli’s handsome face darkened. “So the moment someone says they like you, you’re obligated to be responsible for them? Girl, if you think that logic holds up, you should go educate Father with it.”

The line of women who liked Father stretched from Xijing all the way to Da Zhou.

“Let me finish!” Yaotiao slapped Jun Buli’s face in annoyance—well, her tiny little hands together weren’t even enough to cover one side of Jun Buli’s face!

Jun Buli took a deep breath, catching a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of his mother and Aunt Qianqian still watching them. Reluctantly, he had no choice but to keep listening.

“If you also like that woman, you should pursue her, because girls are born to be pursued—that’s called being responsible,” Yaotiao said, pausing before continuing. “And if you don’t like her, you should reject her clearly—that’s even more what being responsible means. Otherwise, you’ll waste the best years of her youth.”

“Well said!”

Suddenly, Yelu Qianqian burst out and gave Yaotiao a thumbs up. “Little girl, at your age, you already understand such profound truths about love? Incredible.”

As she spoke, Yelu Qianqian strode over, and Ziqing followed as well, looking at her little daughter with unmistakable delight. Jun Buli’s mouth twitched, but deep down, he found himself mulling over Yaotiao’s words—there really did seem to be something to what she’d said. Yelu Qianqian scooped Yaotiao up, examining her closely—the more she looked at her delicate, exquisite features, the more she liked what she saw, laughing warmly. “Girl, if you weren’t so young, I really would…”

Before she could finish the sentence, Jun Beiyue’s voice cut in from behind. “Yaotiao, your brother has important matters to discuss with Aunt Qianqian. Come here, Father will take you to play.”

At this, Yaotiao brightened at once, wriggling free and slipping out of Yelu Qianqian’s arms, bouncing over to Jun Beiyue and grabbing his hand, as if afraid he might change his mind.

“Let’s go, I want to see the camels!”

Ziqing held back a laugh. Jun Buli’s expression darkened—Father was playing favorites, clearly rescuing his sister while abandoning him!

Yaotiao trotted off with her father, utterly irresponsibly, leaving Jun Buli alone to face two women!

Ziqing sat down on Jun Buli’s right; seeing this, Yelu Qianqian quickly sat down on his left, asking, “Ziqing, what was it you were saying just now about my Qianqian wanting to marry?”

Ziqing didn’t dare answer, her gaze flicking repeatedly toward her son’s face, puzzled—hadn’t he been planning to run off? Why was he still sitting here?

“Well? Go on, tell me. Are the two of you hiding something from me?” Yelu Qianqian pressed again.

Ziqing was just about to speak when Jun Buli abruptly stood up. “Mother, Aunt Qianqian, please, carry on. I’m going to take a walk outside.”

With that, he hurried away. Yelu Qianqian burst into laughter so hard she nearly toppled over. “Hahaha, this kid is even cuter than Yaotiao! I was just joking, and he got that flustered!”

Flustered?

Jun Buli had barely stepped outside when he heard the laughter erupting behind him. His mouth twitched uncontrollably. Like mother, like daughter—terrifying. He genuinely couldn’t imagine how Uncle Situ had survived all those years.

He’d intended to rest properly, to sort through everything that had happened these past years, but now he had no idea where to go. He wandered aimlessly, unconsciously turning Yaotiao’s words over in his mind—pursuit and responsibility…

Meanwhile, in another palace hall, Situ Jing’er drowsily opened her eyes. Her bright, lively eyes rolled around several times before she suddenly realized she was in her own chambers, and she bolted upright from the bed, startled!

“Back already?”

She was stunned, hurriedly checking herself from head to toe. Thank goodness, thank goodness—she was perfectly fine.

Thank heavens, Jun Buli hadn’t bitten her.

Good grief, that man had actually lunged at her—how terrifying!

Her memory stopped right at the moment Jun Buli had knocked her to the ground. Everything after that was a complete blur, impossible to recall.

Who had saved her?

“Princess! You’re awake!” The maidservant cried out in delight, immediately sending someone to spread the news, to fetch the physician, and to bring tea and water for her!

“Princess, thank goodness, you’ve finally woken up!”

“His Majesty has been keeping watch over you the whole time! He only just stepped out a moment ago!”

“Princess, how are you feeling? Is anything hurting you?”

…

Amid the flurry of voices, Situ Jing’er frowned, sweeping her gaze over everyone. “Where are Aunt Qing and the others? Where’s Sister Duo’er? How long have I been back?”

“They’re all here, staying as guests in our Xijing palace. Though I heard they only planned to stay a few days before leaving,” the maidservant answered honestly.

At this, Situ Jing’er panicked, scrambling out of bed in a rush, not even bothering with shoes before running out.

“Princess, your shoes!”

“Princess, you haven’t fully recovered yet! Come back!”

“Princess, if His Majesty finds out, this servant won’t be able to bear the blame—please come back!”

…

Ignoring the crowd chasing after her, Situ Jing’er’s figure flickered and vanished from sight.

She needed to find out what exactly had happened, what had gone on in the Blood Lord’s tomb, whether Jun Buli and Yaotiao’s Sky Wolf addiction had truly been cured.

And of course, most importantly, she needed to hurry and remind Sister Duo’er—no matter what, this time, they absolutely could not let that wretched scholar get away.

If they let him slip away again, who knew how many years it would take before they saw him again!

Situ Jing’er charged recklessly ahead, heading straight for Meng Duo’er’s chambers—but suddenly, at a turn in the corridor, there came a loud thud…

Ugh, that hurt. She could have sworn there wasn’t a wall here!

Clutching her head, she looked up—and saw…