Night had fallen for some time, rain flowing steadily, with a faint fresh floral scent wafting from beyond the courtyard, all else silent.

A single lamp burned small as a bean in the room, and after the maids brought tea, they withdrew.

Yan Shisheng sat across from Mu Wanyao, his heart thundering like drums as he looked at the young princess before him.

He saw her elaborate hairstyle like clouds, her vermillion lips, and beautiful eyes. Her radiant beauty made the entire humble Yan residence seem magnificent. Such a princess was as different from him as clouds from mud.

How could such a princess be so forward as to kiss his cheek?

Yan Shisheng could sense that sometimes the atmosphere between him and Mu Wanyao became strange. Though they usually lacked rapport, at such times they shared an unspoken understanding. Whenever the atmosphere turned awkward, both would tacitly avert their gazes, breaking the mood.

They had managed well before, so why did she suddenly kiss him?

Even more bewildering was that he clearly… couldn’t forget the sweet fragrance as she bent close. Soft, warm sweetness. When her soft lips touched his cheek, the entire world froze for that instant.

Mu Wanyao was also quietly observing Yan Shisheng as he sat opposite her in his plain white clothes, eyes downcast, his eyelashes seeming dusted with gold powder in the lamplight, delicate and beautiful.

Mu Wanyao’s heart fluttered at the sight, and she couldn’t help but cough lightly.

Yan Shisheng’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he looked at her.

Their eyes met, sparks flickering. Another moment of wordless awkwardness ensued.

Mu Wanyao grew somewhat annoyed and frustrated. She declared righteously: “Why didn’t you dodge earlier?”

Yan Shisheng: “…Probably because I was facing away from Your Highness, and have no eyes in the back of my head.”

Mu Wanyao’s cheeks flushed pink as she fanned herself: “Oh.”

They fell silent again.

After a while, Yan Shisheng apparently felt he must say something, and spoke stiffly: “…Why did Your Highness suddenly kiss me?”

Mu Wanyao replied with poise, smiling at him: “Because I saw how you worried for the common people and the nation, I was moved by your noble spirit. Those surging emotions overwhelmed me, and no words could express my admiration for you. Unable to help myself, I kissed you.”

Yan Shisheng remained silent.

After a while, he showed a somewhat forced smile: “So that’s it. It seems Your Highness is someone who cares for all under heaven.”

Mu Wanyao shot him a glance.

She said: “I’m not. Don’t misunderstand.”

Yan Shisheng: “…”

Mu Wanyao continued: “Precisely because I’m not someone like you, I admire you, admire that you have something we ordinary people don’t. If I were like you, my reaction probably wouldn’t have been to kiss you, but rather to become sworn siblings… ah, sister and brother.”

Yan Shisheng looked at her wordlessly: Sister and brother?

She was only half a year older than him. Was that worth her constantly remembering?

His features were handsome, his bright eyes gentle, still carrying some youthful air. As he gazed at Mu Wanyao so intently, she felt her cheeks burn and her heart pound like a startled deer, unable to bear the pressure.

Mu Wanyao turned her face aside, using her feather fan to hide her features below her eyes. Her bright eyes glanced at him quickly, and she yawned, standing up to say: “It’s getting late, I need to sleep, you should retire early too.”

As she was about to walk past him to the inner chamber, Yan Shisheng suddenly stood up, took several steps, and blocked her path. Without speaking, he bowed deeply to her.

Mu Wanyao immediately became flustered: “What else do you want? I already said I was too excited. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for suddenly saying such passionate words!”

Yan Shisheng looked at her: “So Your Highness won’t give this humble one any explanation?”

Mu Wanyao lifted her chin: “Do you want me to compensate you for damages? How about a thousand gold pieces?”

Yan Shisheng said: “That’s not necessary.”

Mu Wanyao asked angrily, embarrassed: “Then what do you want?”

Yan Shisheng lowered his eyes, saying: “If Your Highness could teach this humble one what books to read, what skills to learn, which powerful families in Chang’an cannot be offended, which noble houses need to be called upon… that would be enough.”

Mu Wanyao was startled, withdrawing her forced composed gaze.

She smiled slightly, using her feather fan to tap his shoulder, saying with a smile: “That simple? Very well.”

Yan Shisheng looked at the feather fan resting on his shoulder.

Mu Wanyao gave a light laugh, withdrew her fan, and turned to leave with a swaying gait, her figure graceful and alluring.

Yan Shisheng stared as the curtains fell behind her, watching her disappear into the deep red curtains as maids entered to attend her. He hastily withdrew his gaze, and bowed once more before retiring—

Thus, the atmosphere became conspicuously harmonious.

Liu Wenji’s family kept urging him to return home, but knowing the princess’s party probably wouldn’t stay at the Yan residence much longer, he stubbornly resisted his family’s pressure, coming and going from the Yan residence, eagerly trying to please the maid Chunhua.

Chunhua was gentle and shy, not daring to tell the princess. Liu Wenji said that after he passed the metropolitan examination, he would ask the princess to release Chunhua, and having said it many times, Chunhua gradually began to look forward to his success… Everyone said Liu Wenji was talented, a Lingnan prodigy, so passing the metropolitan examination should be easy, right?

Compared to Liu Wenji’s romantic situation, Yan Shisheng’s was rather miserable.

Mu Wanyao said she would teach him, but she was a princess—how could her teaching be like others’?

Mu Wanyao casually listed many books Yan Shisheng had never heard of, scorned him as a bumpkin, then revised the list to books he could access. Yan Shisheng asked his third brother to borrow books from Liu Wenji’s father, while he sat in the princess’s chamber, practicing calligraphy under the maids’ watchful eyes.

Through the curtain, Mu Wanyao mocked: “Your handwriting needs to be practiced and corrected starting now. To think your father was even a metropolitan graduate, yet didn’t teach you proper calligraphy.”

Yan Shisheng smiled bitterly: “My writing isn’t that bad, is it?”

Mu Wanyao: “Your writing isn’t bad, of course. But among Chang’an’s noble sons are many calligraphy masters from centuries-old families. The strokes they write are nothing a country scholar like you could produce. I’ll give you a copybook, you can slowly practice from it. Though you probably won’t achieve much, I’ll consider the copybook well spent.”

Yan Shisheng filtered out her mockery, carefully noting her advice.

Mu Wanyao took another sip of the sour plum drink Yan Shisheng had prepared for her, the sweet and sour taste making her eyes smile: “Also, you need to start improving your martial arts now. Our Great Wei values both literary and martial talents. All the ministers I’ve known, who among them couldn’t draw a sword at will? You can’t even ride a horse well, this won’t do.”

Yan Shisheng pondered: “My eldest brother’s martial arts are good, I’ll learn more from him. Does Your Highness have any other teachings?”

Mu Wanyao thought for a moment, staring at him: “What you most need to change is your bearing.”

Yan Shisheng was stunned: “Ah?”

Mu Wanyao said with a smile: “Chang’an favors those who are bold and unrestrained, willful and uninhibited. Someone as reserved as you, when you get to Chang’an, others won’t like that.”

Yan Shisheng was dumbfounded.

He said softly: “Surely you’re teasing me?”

Mu Wanyao put on a serious face: “Not at all, I’m telling the truth. Believe it or not. Nobody likes someone like you anyway.”

Yan Shisheng asked for guidance: “What counts as ‘bold and unrestrained, willful and uninhibited’?”

Mu Wanyao: “It means shouting back at anyone without changing expression.”

Yan Shisheng said: “But if I dared to shout at Your Highness once, wouldn’t the sword hanging by your bed come down immediately?”

From behind the curtain came the sound of a young woman’s irrepressible laughter, clear as a spring.

Yan Shisheng couldn’t help but turn to look, seeing shadowy movements behind the curtain as she seemed to have collapsed laughing on her bed, shaking like flower branches in the wind. His heart stirred, and he couldn’t help but smile along with her.

Suddenly Mu Wanyao stopped laughing and put on a stern face: “I’m tired, I need to nap. Go study by yourself, don’t make noise, don’t disturb me.”

Yan Shisheng: “Perhaps this humble one should leave…”

Mu Wanyao ignored him.

So Yan Shisheng didn’t leave, still sitting reading by the window—

The fine rain continued falling.

When Mu Wanyao woke, she saw him still sitting outside the curtain. The maids had left at some point, sitting and chatting on the steps outside. While the young scholar reading by the window sat straight as a bamboo, not having rested for a moment.

Mu Wanyao got up from bed, her cloud-like hair disheveled, and lifted the curtain to go out, standing behind him.

Yan Shisheng seemed to sense her presence. As he was about to look up, Mu Wanyao leaned forward from behind, her delicate hands grasping his, holding together the somewhat worn brush.

Mu Wanyao said softly: “You’re writing this character wrong, let me teach you.”

Yan Shisheng’s entire body stiffened, making no sound.

Then he heard her laugh by his ear, her breath caressing his reddening ear, light as mist: “You just memorize by rote, without understanding the principles, lacking spirit and flow; your family has no power or influence, yet you won’t socialize. Studying like this, even in ten years, you won’t pass the examinations.”

Yan Shisheng looked up at her.

Their eyes met for an instant before both quickly looked away, gazing at the sky and rain—

Mu Wanyao had recovered well at the Yan residence, but her uncle kept sending letters, urging her to go to the South Sea. Mu Wanyao used the excuse that Chunhua hadn’t fully recovered, wanting to delay a few more days.

Her days were light, scolding Yan Shisheng a bit, and teaching him to study a bit, even better than her days in Chang’an.

That night, after Mu Wanyao finished her tea, she received a letter from Chang’an.

The letter was sent by an advisor from Princess Danyang’s residence on behalf of the Crown Prince—

The Wuman had reunified, with a new Wuman King ascending the throne.

The new Wuman King had someone ask her if she still remembered their promise.—

Mu Wanyao’s expression changed drastically.

In that instant, the past she had deliberately forgotten and discarded crashed over her like a tidal wave, drowning her.

The lonely days of being ostracized in Wuman, watching helplessly as her maid was bullied to death, the days when Meng Zaishi whispered in her ear and held her hand, speaking of cooperation…

It all came rushing back.

Just as Yan Shisheng had said, the past never truly passes.

No matter how good the present might be!—

Thunder crashed at the edge of the sky, booming loudly.

In the deep night, Yan Shisheng stood before the house, staring abstractedly at the dark sky, thinking it would probably rain again tomorrow.

Thinking of rain, he couldn’t help but think of that day… Yan Shisheng touched his cheek, seeming to still feel her warm fragrance from then.

He closed his eyes, suppressing his fanciful thoughts.

The Third Young Master Yan’s loud voice called out from behind: “Second Brother, why are you touching your face and smiling?”

Yan Shisheng: “…”

Yan Shisheng opened his eyes to see his third brother had just returned from outside, panting as he carried back a box of books for him. As Yan Shisheng went to help his third brother unload the books, they heard a loud “bang” of a door being pushed open.

He instinctively turned to look, seeing Mu Wanyao had come out of the main house, standing in the corridor.

She saw him, her gaze pausing slightly.

Mu Wanyao spoke harshly to everyone in the courtyard: “Pack up, tomorrow we go to the South Sea!”

The guards and maids throughout the courtyard were stunned, not expecting such suddenness—

Muffled thunder rumbled at the horizon, lightning occasionally illuminating the corridor’s wooden beams with sharp clarity. Having ordered the guards and maids to pack, Mu Wanyao turned to walk along the corridor, Yan Shisheng following behind her.

Yan Shisheng: “Your Highness, Your Highness… Mu Wanyao!”

He caught up to her, grabbing her wrist.

Mu Wanyao was pulled around to face him, their eyes meeting.

The light in Yan Shisheng’s eyes became gentle, and he sighed: “Why such a hurried departure? If there’s any problem, perhaps I could help Your Highness think of a solution…”

Mu Wanyao looked at him coldly.

Mu Wanyao said: “You care so much about me, are you planning to come with me? The only men who can stay by my side long-term are eunuchs. Are you prepared to castrate yourself?”

Yan Shisheng: “…”