The next day, the Lantern Festival, a large, spacious carriage surrounded by dozens of elite Xuance Army riders, slowly departed westward from the outskirts of the capital.

From dawn until dusk, they traveled farther and farther away from Chang’an.

Li Dafeng followed behind the carriage, watching Jiang Zhiyi leaning on the window sill, looking up and laughing about something with Yuan Ce outside.

Yuan Ce sat on horseback, smiling and responding to her. Seeming to sense a gaze from behind, he glanced back at Li Dafeng, then said something to Jiang Zhiyi before slightly pulling on his reins to slow his pace.

“Military Physician Li has been eyeing them the whole way,” Yuan Ce fell back to join him. “Looking less would benefit your heart and mind.”

Li Dafeng’s eyes curved slightly: “Young General Shen is being unreasonable. The horse’s head faces forward. If I don’t look forward, where should I look?”

“You could turn around. Then what’s behind becomes what’s in front,” Yuan Ce pointed toward Chang’an behind them. “My Xuance Army doesn’t keep people whose bodies are in Cao’s camp but hearts are with Han. Military Physician Li can still go back if he wishes.”

“Thank you for the guidance, Young General Shen, but I’m quite content in Cao’s camp.”

“Then I wonder how lively things must be in Han’s camp during this Lantern Festival.”

—Master Li, you’re leaving early on the Lantern Festival? What a pity, tomorrow the lanterns in my courtyard will burn all night.

Bao Jia’s final words from the night before suddenly echoed in his ears.

Li Dafeng didn’t respond further, nor did he allow himself to imagine which companion might share her evening under those lanterns that would burn throughout the night.

As the sun set and darkness fell, the procession reached a post station.

Li Dafeng dismounted at the entrance, handed his horse to a soldier, and stared momentarily at the red lanterns overhead. Just as he stepped across the threshold, he suddenly heard a familiar female voice from inside the courtyard: “You’ve kept me waiting!”

Li Dafeng’s brow twitched in surprise. Looking up, he saw Bao Jia in a dashing riding outfit, elegantly emerging from within.

The person who should have been dozens of miles away, surrounded by admirers at a banquet or out enjoying the lanterns, had suddenly appeared at this remote post station.

Just like seven years ago, when he thought they had already said their final farewell, yet she appeared before him in the unexpected darkness, passing through the thick winter fog.

Jiang Zhiyi, just as surprised as he was, stopped in her tracks: “Elder Sister, why are you here?”

“I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to you, so I thought I’d come and spend the Lantern Festival with you,” Bao Jia smiled, speaking to Jiang Zhiyi without looking in his direction.

Li Dafeng stood in place, watching Bao Jia and Jiang Zhiyi exchange smiles and pleasant conversation, until Bao Jia turned and walked toward the main room, and Jiang Zhiyi turned to invite him to join them for dinner.

Li Dafeng glanced at Bao Jia’s retreating figure. Although she had been smiling since her arrival, she didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

After all, when she had said, “Tomorrow the lanterns in my courtyard will burn all night,” she had probably wanted him to stay one more day before leaving.

But he had only replied: “Then I wish the Princess a perfect evening.”

In truth, Yuan Ce had insisted on departing today to take action against the Zhong family. It would have been entirely possible for him to stay one more day with Bao Jia in Chang’an for the Lantern Festival, then catch up with the troops by traveling faster.

But he wasn’t as she had suggested—unable to be held by any tender boudoir.

On this special day, the annual occasion for lovers, if he had spent the Lantern Festival with her, he might never have been able to leave.

“Thank you for the invitation, Your Ladyship, but I should join the soldiers in the side quarters,” Li Dafeng bowed to Jiang Zhiyi.

Seemingly trying to bring the two together, Jiang Zhiyi whispered to Yuan Ce: “What about your military orders?”

Yuan Ce glanced at him. “Military orders.”

Li Dafeng looked toward Bao Jia, who had already seated herself at the square table in the main room, then followed Yuan Ce and Jiang Zhiyi inside.

The square table had four sides. Yuan Ce and Jiang Zhiyi, inseparable, squeezed together on one side, with Bao Jia sitting opposite them.

After entering, Li Dafeng took a seat next to Bao Jia.

The table was set with four bowls and chopsticks, with steaming rice balls in the bowls. Bao Jia, having waited for them and grown hungry, picked up her spoon and was about to eat a rice ball.

Before it reached her mouth, Li Dafeng suddenly pressed down on her hand.

Bao Jia raised an eyebrow and looked at the hand on the back of hers.

Li Dafeng quickly withdrew his hand and explained: “There’s fermented rice wine in the soup. It would be better if the Princess didn’t eat it. Please ask for a different bowl.”

“Does fermented rice wine count as alcohol?” Bao Jia asked with amusement. “Master Li certainly lives a burdensome life.”

“I just worry that once the Princess makes one exception, there will be a second.”

“Isn’t Master Li worried about himself?” Bao Jia asked pointedly.

Li Dafeng was speechless.

“This Princess doesn’t follow rules. When I’m in a good mood, I’ll break however many rules I wish.” Bao Jia put the rice ball in her mouth and continued eating, no longer glancing at him.

Jiang Zhiyi looked between them and toned down her affectionate exchanges with Yuan Ce.

Watching Bao Jia finish her bowl of rice balls down to the last drop of soup, Li Dafeng exhaled deeply and lowered his head to eat his bowl.

Before he could finish, Bao Jia had already adopted an attitude of not wishing to keep him company. She stood up and beckoned to Jiang Zhiyi: “Didn’t you say you wanted to make lanterns? Come, Elder Sister will join you.”

With that, she left without a backward glance.

*

Yuan Ce went out on business during the night, leaving the main room to the sisters Bao Jia and Jiang Zhiyi.

After dinner, Li Dafeng bathed in the bathhouse, washing away the dust from a day’s journey. Passing through the corridor, he saw through the half-open window of the main room the warm glow of candles inside. Bao Jia and Jiang Zhiyi were concentrating on crafting lanterns, chatting and laughing, neither sparing a glance outside.

Li Dafeng paused for a moment, then turned and walked alone to the side room. He lit a lamp, sat by the window where he could see the entire courtyard, and took out a medical text to pass the time.

The long night dragged on, with occasional breezes rustling the pages of his book. Li Dafeng, holding the spine of the book, looked up toward the main room every time the wind rose.

He watched as the beautifully crafted lanterns were hung up.

He watched as buckets of hot water for bathing were carried in.

He watched as Gu Yu closed the windows, extinguished most of the candles, and the entire main room sank into quiet slumber.

Li Dafeng lowered his head and continued reading from the page where he had stopped an hour ago.

After reading a few pages, he suddenly heard a faint clicking sound. Looking up, he saw the door of the main room being pushed open from the inside, and a figure with loose, flowing black hair walking out.

Li Dafeng immediately recognized her. His hand on the book spine tightened slightly, but he saw that Bao Jia only wrapped her shawl around herself and sat in the corridor, showing no intention of coming toward him.

It had been more than seven years since he had seen her with her black hair down, casually wrapped in clothing.

Years ago, when he visited her palace, sometimes she would wake from an afternoon nap and be too lazy to dress properly, appearing before him just like this.

As an unrelated man and a subject, it wasn’t appropriate for him to see a princess in such an intimate state, so he would tell her that he would return after her maid had helped her dress.

She would ask if it didn’t look good. He would say it didn’t.

She would then specifically ask if it was unattractive or just inappropriate.

Looking at her with her misty hair and brows, her alluring face, he truly couldn’t lie, so he could only say—inappropriate.

She understood his meaning and, smiling, said she wouldn’t get dressed then.

Li Dafeng pulled himself from his memories, his gaze returning to the present.

Under the corridor lamp, half of Bao Jia’s face was illuminated by the soft light, half hidden in shadow, as she sat quietly, looking up toward the direction of the post station’s main gate.

Li Dafeng thought he knew what she was looking at.

If he wasn’t mistaken, she was probably looking at that red lantern—the same red lantern he had stared at when he first arrived at this post station.

On this night of parting, this festival for lovers, there hung a red lantern that had broken its promise.

Li Dafeng watched Bao Jia without moving until a cool breeze blew through, lifting her black hair, and he saw her pull her shawl tighter.

He closed his book, turned back to pick up a hand warmer, tested its temperature with his fingertips, and then walked out.

Bao Jia heard his footsteps and looked up at him, watching as he slowly approached, but not saying a word.

Li Dafeng walked up to her and handed her the hand warmer without speaking.

Bao Jia took the hand warmer and held it in her hands to warm them for a while. Seeing him still standing beside her, she looked up and asked: “Anything else?”

“If the Princess can’t sleep, I could keep her company in conversation.”

“Talk about what? When we’ve talked recently, has any conversation ended pleasantly?”

“Then I’ll just sit with the Princess for a while.” Li Dafeng sat down beside Bao Jia.

“Do you know what my companions would say at a time like this?”

“What would they say?”

“They would say—’ Then today I’ll only say things that make the Princess happy.'”

Li Dafeng turned his head to look at her.

“Didn’t you say that if you return alive, you’ll enter my residence? You might want to learn how to be a companion first.” Bao Jia glanced at him.

Li Dafeng looked at her for a moment, then shifted his gaze away from her face.

Bao Jia also looked away, leaning against the corridor pillar in disappointment, just thinking that this person truly couldn’t be taught, when suddenly she heard Li Dafeng speak: “Back then, my feelings for the Princess were genuine.”

Bao Jia’s eyelashes trembled, and she blinked lightly.

Li Dafeng gazed at the distant red lantern and continued slowly: “When I received the Princess’s letter, there was no red lantern at home, only yellow ones.”

“At that time, the Empress was pressuring my father to end my association with the Princess. I was confined to our residence by my father and couldn’t go out to the streets. I pieced together some materials to make a red lantern.”

Bao Jia slowly straightened her posture.

“After being imprisoned, I heard that the Princess knelt for three days and three nights for me, nearly losing half her life. I wondered if two things in this world couldn’t be defied.”

“Which two?”

“One is the will of heaven, the other is imperial power. There was no red lantern at home, yet I made one—that was defying heaven’s will. The Empress wanted me to end all contact with the Princess, yet I privately corresponded with her—that was defying imperial power. When you defy these, you must pay a price.”

Bao Jia nodded: “Yes, defying heaven’s will and imperial power naturally requires payment. But… isn’t the ultimate price death?”

Li Dafeng narrowed his eyes, looking at her.

“Li Dafeng, have you ever dreamt of a kite?”

Suddenly hearing her use his full name, Li Dafeng hesitated slightly, then shook his head.

“I have. I dreamt that one day I would become a kite, flying among many kites. All the kites knew that the higher they flew, the stronger the wind would be, and the more easily their strings might break. So when other kites saw the wind pick up, they would carefully reel in their strings and fly lower. But I felt that kites were born for the wind.”

Li Dafeng’s gaze flickered slightly.

“If I never visited the highest place and felt the wind there in my entire life, what kind of kite would I be? I wanted to go where the wind was strongest and fiercest, flying freely for as long as I could. That way, even when the string breaks, it’s with complete satisfaction.”

Li Dafeng gazed at her for a long time without speaking.

Bao Jia also paused here for quite a while, as if brewing something. After a good while, she turned her head and asked: “Li Dafeng, I’ll ask you once more—did you ever regret it?”

After a long silence, Li Dafeng finally nodded: “I have regretted it.”

Bao Jia curved her lips, the corners of her mouth lifting in a victorious smile.

“But if I had to do it again, I would probably still make the same choice.”

“I know,” Bao Jia raised her chin, looking at him sideways. “I know you would still choose the same way. I just wanted you to regret it.”

Li Dafeng gave an almost imperceptible sigh: “Have I said something to make the Princess happy today?”

“I suppose so,” Bao Jia’s tone lightened, as if she had put down a heavy burden, and was now in the mood to press her advantage. “It would be even better if you could do something to make me happy.”

“What would that be?”

Today is the Lantern Festival. I had originally promised one of my companions that I would go out with him tonight to see the lanterns.”

“Does the Princess want me to accompany you to see the lanterns now?”

Bao Jia shook her head: “I’m just telling you—when I left the Princess’s residence today, he was very sad and asked me where I was going.”

“What did the Princess say?”

“I said I was going to fulfill a wish.”

“What wish?”

Bao Jia turned her head and fixed her eyes on his: “A wish that, if I were to die tomorrow, I would want fulfilled today.”

Li Dafeng slowly blinked twice, seeming to anticipate something.

“I thought about it. You said if you returned alive, you would enter my residence. This doesn’t make sense. If you return alive, then sooner or later you’re mine. Why not sooner? If you don’t survive—if I waited in vain, it would seem like a loss. And if you tested all those medicines for nothing, that would also be a waste, wouldn’t it?”

Li Dafeng’s breathing tightened, his previously calm chest beginning to rise and fall slightly.

Bao Jia watched his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down: “Li Dafeng, I’m getting cold.”

Li Dafeng sat in place for a long time, so long that Bao Jia thought he was pretending not to understand—

“Then let’s go to my room.” Li Dafeng stood up, supporting himself on his knees.

Bao Jia got up with a curved smile, wrapped her shawl around herself, and followed his footsteps.

Li Dafeng walked ahead, leading the way with measured steps, moving rather slowly. Bao Jia wasn’t in a hurry either. She hung back, watching him as if he were still engaged in a final struggle, which only widened her smile.

Reaching the door of the side room, Li Dafeng’s steps faltered. He paused for a moment, slowly pushed open the door with both hands, and then stood with his back to her for another moment before turning sideways to invite her in.

Bao Jia stepped across the threshold, casually placed the hand warmer on his desk, and removed her shawl, handing it to him.

Li Dafeng took her shawl with one hand and closed the door and windows with the other, then walked to the inner part of the room to hang her shawl on a wooden rack, smoothing out the wrinkles.

When he turned back, Bao Jia was already sitting on his bed, her elbow propped on the pillow, her temple resting on her hand as she looked at him: “Has Master Li heard from them about how to serve someone during his stay at my residence?”

Li Dafeng approached: “I would appreciate the Princess’s guidance.”

“Very well, then this Princess will personally teach you—” Bao Jia reached out and pulled Li Dafeng by the collar, drawing him down.

*

In the simple side room of the post station, under the swaying yellow candlelight, suppressed moans and the sound of flowing water echoed softly.

Bao Jia lay on the bed with her neck arched, one hand tightly gripping the bedding, the other pressing on the back of Li Dafeng’s head, her fingers tangled in his hair.

Like a fish stirring a spring pond, he easily pulled her into an abyss of trembling.

Just because this person was Li Dafeng, just one look at him was enough to make the tide overwhelm her senses.

At the moment of climax, Bao Jia’s entire body shuddered as she cried out, only to have Li Dafeng quickly cover her mouth.

With her cry forced back into her throat, Bao Jia’s reddened eyes welled with hot tears, and she bit his fingers hard to release her energy.

Li Dafeng endured the pain with restraint, catching his breath as he raised his head.

Having spent four years in the military, he knew the keen hearing of the Xuance Army soldiers. Although the side room’s doors and windows were closed tightly, louder sounds would still carry outside.

Feeling her gradually calm down from her rapid breathing, Li Dafeng finally released his hand.

Bao Jia looked down at him, her gaze fixed on the traces of moisture on his jaw.

Li Dafeng sat on the bed with one leg bent, quietly returning her gaze.

After a moment, Bao Jia suddenly reached out toward him.

Li Dafeng froze for an instant, then stopped himself from pulling away.

“Has a woman touched you before?” Bao Jia asked, staring at him.

“Yes.”

Bao Jia raised an eyebrow and applied pressure with her hand.

Li Dafeng let out a muffled groan: “…Isn’t the Princess touching me right now? If the Princess is asking if other women have touched me, then no.”

Bao Jia smiled and propped herself up, supporting herself on her sore thighs to kneel. She pushed him onto the bed, then straddled him: “Then this Princess will now begin the feast.”

*

The night of the Lantern Festival seemed exceptionally long. The candles in the side room flickered all night, only ceasing when they had burned to ash.

Near dawn, Bao Jia had become like a puddle of water, boneless as she leaned against Li Dafeng’s chest. He wiped her body with a damp cloth and helped her into her nightdress.

“Li Dafeng—” Bao Jia called him hoarsely.

Li Dafeng lowered his eyes to meet the alluring gaze she cast at him.

“Do you regret it?” Bao Jia asked.

“I’ve already answered the Princess.”

“I’m not talking about seven years ago. I’m asking if you regret not coming to find me earlier when you returned to the capital before the New Year?”

Li Dafeng’s gaze locked on her features, and he nodded in admission: “I regret it.”

If he had known he would be utterly defeated in the end, he might as well have surrendered from the beginning.

Bao Jia smiled with satisfaction and parted her lips slightly.

Li Dafeng lowered his head and kissed her.

In the turning and connecting of their kiss, two streams of breath intertwined again. When he sensed the uncontrollable tide of passion rising once more, Li Dafeng released her.

But Bao Jia raised her head: “Li Dafeng, I want more.”

Li Dafeng’s Adam’s apple moved slightly: “It’s almost dawn.”

“Then until dawn. Li Dafeng, for me, being separated by distance or death makes no difference. I’m spending today as if you won’t come back.”

Li Dafeng’s eyelashes trembled lightly as he lowered his head to kiss her again, as if determined to completely exhaust this spring night.

*

Half a year later, in July, at the Princess’s residence in Chang’an.

In the scorching summer heat, the ice mirror in the study emitted waves of coolness, blocking out the intense heat from outside.

Early in the morning at the break of dawn, Bao Jia stood by the window with a nervous heart, anxiously reading a letter from Jiang Zhiyi. At the end, it read—

“The interior regions have been recaptured, and the battle is decided. The entire Xuance Army suffered injuries but no casualties in this campaign. Military Physician Li is perfectly well and will arrive in the capital in about three days. Elder Sister need not worry.”

The stone that had been suspended from June until July finally settled. Bao Jia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly sat down, supporting herself on the armrest of the chair.

When she parted from Li Dafeng in the first month, she had roughly guessed what he was risking his life for.

What he needed to do was undoubtedly what Yuan Ce needed to do, which was to address the threats facing Hexi.

At that time, Hexi had two major enemies: one was the cautious Western Luo, and the other was Hedong, which needed to be contained.

After Yuan Ce returned to Hexi, the Western Luo had remained inactive, while Hedong was in a standoff with the court. She had expected things to remain peaceful until the end of the year.

However, in June, a drought suddenly struck the three southern provinces, and Hedong raised the flag of rebellion without warning, catching everyone by surprise.

Jiang Zhiyi was trapped in Xingyang, and Yuan Ce led the Xuance Army to her rescue with all his might. Li Dafeng was certainly among them.

The lives of everyone she cared about depended on this battle, but being in Chang’an, she couldn’t help at all. She could only anxiously wait for news every day.

Fortunately, every dispatch brought victory reports.

Sitting in her chair, Bao Jia looked at the date on Jiang Zhiyi’s letter—

Today was exactly three days later.

Due to the official roads being closed, private correspondence had been delayed. The day the letter reached the Princess’s residence was the same day Li Dafeng would arrive in the capital with Jiang Zhiyi.

Bao Jia called for Cui Mei and asked her to go to the Marquis of Yong’en’s residence to inquire about their arrival.

Cui Mei sent someone to inquire, who returned saying they hadn’t arrived yet. Bao Jia could only wait in the study. She waited until the afternoon when news finally came that Jiang Zhiyi’s carriage had entered the city.

Bao Jia immediately took her carriage to the Marquis of Yong’en’s residence.

The people at the Marquis’s residence were all familiar with her and promptly escorted her inside when they saw her arrive.

As Bao Jia walked inward, she unexpectedly felt a sense of nervousness, like returning to one’s hometown.

Over the past half year, she had exchanged several letters with Jiang Zhiyi but not a single one with Li Dafeng.

Unable to see each other, she didn’t want to engage in the sentimentality of conveying emotions through words. When they parted, she had only asked him to remember her birthday, but her July birthday had been overshadowed by the war—she had even forgotten it herself, so naturally, she didn’t know if he had remembered.

Bao Jia was led by a maid to the Marquis of Yong’en’s courtyard, where she heard Madam Xu’s voice from afar: “Fortunately, the Ladyship brought Master Li with her. I was worried that the roads to the capital might still be blocked, requiring considerable time, but I didn’t expect the Ladyship to arrive so quickly.”

“How is that quick? You’ve kept me waiting!” Bao Jia walked through the corridor and entered.

“Elder Sister Bao Jia!” Jiang Zhiyi greeted her with delight.

“Such a bloody return to the capital! Were you injured on the way?” Bao Jia looked her up and down.

“I’m fine. But what about Elder Sister? Were you frightened during the palace coup?”

“Don’t worry, a disgraced and unfavored princess like me wouldn’t catch the rebels’ attention.” Bao Jia said, looking past Jiang Zhiyi.

The man she hadn’t seen for half a year was sitting properly at a table, writing a prescription with flowing strokes, seemingly deaf and blind as he didn’t look at her even once.

“Your Xuance Army’s military physician is still treating people? You should heal your blindness and deafness first.” Though her words were sharp, her mind was working through various possibilities.

Recalling his attitude when they parted at the post station, when Li Dafeng personally helped her into the carriage, compared to his current indifferent demeanor, as if they had returned to before the New Year—

After half a year, had this man found some new difficulty he couldn’t express?

Li Dafeng finished writing the prescription and handed it to Madam Xu, then came forward to bow to her: “Greetings to the Princess.”

Bao Jia’s gaze fell on his face, which had grown thinner, and she glanced at him without responding.

Li Dafeng then turned to Jiang Zhiyi: “Ladyship, this humble one will now go prepare the Marquis’s medicines. Please excuse me.”

Watching Li Dafeng leave, Bao Jia’s expression turned displeased.

Knowing he had arrived, she had waited all day from morning until afternoon, not even having the mood to eat lunch. Upon hearing he had arrived, she had come immediately. What kind of attitude was this?

Had he lost his memory and forgotten everything about that night at the Lantern Festival?

“Elder Sister, don’t be angry. Military Physician Li prepared a birthday gift for you in May and entrusted me to bring it. If not for the war, it would have been in your hands long ago,” Jiang Zhiyi quickly consoled her.

Bao Jia blinked: “Oh? Is that so?”

Since he remembered her birthday and had prepared a gift, he hadn’t lost his memory.

Then, who was he putting on airs for?

Bao Jia remained puzzled. She stayed at the Marquis’s residence, catching up with Jiang Zhiyi, and by nightfall, Li Dafeng still hadn’t reappeared. She collected the birthday gift Li Dafeng had given her from Jiang Zhiyi and returned to the Princess’s residence, suppressing her irritation.

The companions at her residence all came to greet her attentively upon her return. She was eager to open Li Dafeng’s gift and was about to dismiss them all when she suddenly felt an intense gaze on her face.

Turning her head, she saw Li Dafeng standing behind all the companions, staring at her steadily.

That expression, truly, looked somewhat like someone catching a cheating spouse.

She had waited at the Marquis’s residence for half the day, while he had silently come here—was it to catch her in the act?

But she hadn’t done anything.

After that night with Li Dafeng at the Lantern Festival, she had naturally grown somewhat cold toward her companions upon returning to her residence. It wasn’t that she was deliberately restraining herself for a man who might not return; she simply had lost interest in romance with others.

So these men now seized every opportunity to approach her, fearing they might lose their chance to live freely and gloriously in the Princess’s residence. They constantly surrounded her, coming and going.

Bao Jia dismissed the companions in front of her and walked up to Li Dafeng: “What does Master Li mean by this? Indifferent in public, yet standing here with the air of catching a cheating spouse? Who is this display for?”

“I just came to see if the Princess’s companions were in good health.”

Bao Jia raised an eyebrow: “Not concerned about me, but concerned about my companions’ health. Master Li is truly original. Did you become addicted to examining my companions back then?”

Li Dafeng turned his head away.

Having experienced this life-and-death battle in July, he had worried that he might not live to deliver her birthday gift, let alone see her again.

Until the battle was decisively won, when the Xuance Army and the Capital Army faced each other across the Chu River boundary, Yuan Ce chose to withdraw his troops. He knew Yuan Ce had made his final decision.

He no longer needed to follow Yuan Ce down that path of no return—a path that, once taken, would forever close the possibility of being with her.

The burden on his shoulders was instantly lifted. In the days approaching the capital, he had wished to travel faster each day, eager to see her sooner.

Right up until entering the city today, he had planned to find her at the Princess’s residence after diagnosing the Marquis and determining his treatment.

However, after entering the city, he had made a detour to a medical shop to prepare medicines in advance, where he encountered an “old acquaintance”—

Liu Linfei from the Princess’s residence.

Liu Linfei was at the medical shop seeking treatment for the same condition as before: kidney yang deficiency from excessive sexual activity.

It seemed that during his half-year absence, the Princess and her companions had continued their lively lifestyle.

With or without him, there was no difference.

Li Dafeng’s gaze fell on the box in Bao Jia’s hand, recognizing the birthday gift he had prepared for her.

Bao Jia was tired of dealing with this peculiar man and took the box inside, about to open it when she noticed it had a coded lock.

“What’s this code? Why lock a gift? Jiang Zhiyi wouldn’t peek,” Bao Jia asked irritably, turning back.

Li Dafeng took the box and unlocked it for her.

Bao Jia opened the lid with one swift motion—

And saw a rather familiar-shaped… jade implement.