On the quiet pebble path, a warm orange glow illuminated the way ahead, particularly striking in the bright, clear moonlight.

Xiao Rongyan never doubted that Bai Qingyan’s vision and abilities were adequate for great responsibilities. Setting aside gender, in Xiao Rongyan’s heart, Bai Qingyan was a hero who could compete for supremacy in turbulent times.

When he was in Xiliang, he had also met the Empress of Xiliang. Although the Empress was also a woman of rare intelligence and strategy, her ambitions only extended to enriching and strengthening one Kingdom, not conquering the world – her vision was still somewhat shallow.

Bai Qingyan’s profound and tranquil eyes also gazed at Xiao Rongyan. Her lustrous jade-like fair skin gleamed with a pearl-like delicate luster under the cold moonlight, truly beautiful to the extreme, making heaven and earth pale in comparison.

“I’m only awaiting the right moment.” Bai Qingyan didn’t hide anything from Xiao Rongyan, her eyes showing extraordinary resilience and composure.

It was as if they weren’t discussing earth-shaking changes of dynasty, but something as ordinary as eating and drinking.

Bai Qingyan had already arranged everything that needed to be arranged. She had the military!

After this spring examination, with the reassignment of officials, she would quietly replace her people in granaries and grain transport routes – with the Crown Prince handling this matter, everything would be easily managed.

What Bai Qingyan had left to do was simply… wait for the right moment – four words.

The moonlight was like water, illuminating the pebble path through the bamboo grove bright and clear. When the wind passed through, the bamboo shadows swayed, making soft rustling sounds.

The lantern in Xiao Rongyan’s hand swayed with the movement, its flame flickering bright and dim.

A thin wisp of cloud obscured the bright moon. Xiao Rongyan couldn’t help but step closer to Bai Qingyan, raising his hand to tuck the hair strands blown by the wind behind her ear. Gazing at Bai Qingyan’s suddenly burning ears, his lips curved with barely concealed amusement. His large hand gripped Bai Qingyan’s slender shoulder as he bent slightly closer to her ear, his voice lowered extremely low: “A’Bao, after months apart, have you missed me?”

The familiar sandalwood scent lingered around Bai Qingyan’s nostrils. Her breathing became slightly irregular for a moment. Following her heart, she also moved a step closer to Xiao Rongyan, her arms encircling his lean waist without an ounce of excess, looking up at him: “I’ve missed you…”

Xiao Rongyan’s throat bobbed, unable to control his emotions. The large hand on her shoulder slid to her delicate spine, his strong arm pulling her tightly into his embrace. He gazed deeply at her and lowered his head, slowly approaching Bai Qingyan: “A’Bao, I’ve missed you, missed you so much I don’t want to be apart from you for even a moment! I wish the world could be unified now, so I could hold you in my arms day and night.”

Listening to Xiao Rongyan’s rich, low, husky voice and meeting his deep, dark eyes, sensing the intense tenderness in his gaze that couldn’t be dissolved, Bai Qingyan’s heartbeat grew faster and faster, her face growing hotter and hotter. The unprecedented longing for the opposite sex in her heart could no longer be suppressed. She stood on her tiptoes, their noses touching, their heated breaths intertwining.

Bai Qingyan lowered her gaze and kissed Xiao Rongyan’s lips, and she was immediately held even tighter by him.

The stirring between their lips and teeth went from gentle tasting to deeper and deeper, more and more intense. She couldn’t quite handle it and softly retreated two steps, her back against a thick bamboo trunk. She tightened her arms around Xiao Rongyan’s waist, tilting her head back to receive his increasingly passionate kiss.

The bright moon slowly emerged from the pale clouds that had concealed it, spreading clear light everywhere. The moonlight was bright, penetrating the mottled bamboo shadows like silk ribbons.

Though it was not yet the Awakening of Insects, fireflies that had already sensed spring’s approach slowly flew out, carrying their flickering, dim light, bumping and stumbling toward the bright sheepskin lantern in Xiao Rongyan’s hand.

“Woof woof… woof…”

Suddenly, dog barking came from the distance in the bamboo grove, particularly clear in this serene path with its deep shadows and complete silence.

Bai Qingyan quickly pushed Xiao Rongyan away, pretending to look proper as she turned around, standing with her hands behind her back and clearing her throat. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Xiao Rongyan, smoothing the wrinkles in her clothing. Looking up, she saw a yellow dog in the distance under the frosty white moonlight, apparently chasing a rabbit.

“Wangcai, come back quickly! My father said… If he catches you not guarding the house at night and going out to chase rabbits again, he’ll stew you!”

A child’s clear voice calling for the family dog came from afar. The yellow dog that had been chasing the rabbit stopped under the moonlight, staring at the wild rabbit that had rushed into the bamboo grove. It looked back, and finally reluctantly licked its nose and turned to run quickly toward home.

Xiao Rongyan walked to Bai Qingyan’s side, took her hand, and held it tightly in his palm, leading her forward for a stroll. He couldn’t help but sigh: “When will we ever be undisturbed?”

Bai Qingyan pressed her lips together to suppress her smile, her heart as sweet as if she had tasted honey: “If you’re willing to marry into the family early, perhaps no one would come to disturb us…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan say this, Xiao Rongyan stopped walking again and looked at her solemnly: “Very well!”

Bai Qingyan was stunned. She had only been joking, but Xiao Rongyan had answered so seriously that she didn’t know how to respond.

Their four eyes met, and Bai Qingyan’s throat felt blocked, her lips trembling.

“If A’Bao is willing, I couldn’t ask for more!” Xiao Rongyan’s eyes were calm, not at all like he was joking. “I’m willing to marry into the family, but I wonder if A’Bao would be willing to take me as a husband when the world is still unsettled? If A’Bao agrees… after this trip to the capital ends, I will certainly go to the gates of the Bai mansion in Shuoyang to propose marriage.”

Bai Qingyan’s delicate hand was tightly held in Xiao Rongyan’s grip, and for a moment her heart was in complete turmoil.

Xiao Rongyan gripped Bai Qingyan’s hand and pulled her a step closer to him, looking down at her: “Will A’Bao agree?”

After a long silence, Bai Qingyan seemed to have made up her mind and said to Xiao Rongyan: “When Great Yan destroys Wei, and Great Jin destroys Liang, if your heart remains unchanged, you may come to propose marriage.”

Deep amusement appeared in Xiao Rongyan’s eyes. He knew Bai Qingyan had always been a person of firm resolve. Previously, Bai Qingyan had said… they would be together when the world was unified. He thought there was no room for negotiation, but unexpectedly, today the date could be moved forward.

“It’s a promise. When the time comes… please put in a good word for me with the mother-in-law!” Xiao Rongyan seriously bowed formally to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “Master Xiao can rest assured.”

Under the bright moon, Xiao Rongyan gazed at Bai Qingyan’s smiling eyes with deep affection, feeling his emotions surge beyond self-control, and once again pulled her into his embrace.

·

With both masters absent, Yue Shi was invited by the Bai family hidden guards to a guest room to drink tea and eat peanuts – not drinking alcohol while on duty was a rule of the Bai family.

Sitting with the hidden guards around the eldest miss of the Bai family, Yue Shi felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Every time their master wanted to go to the Bai eldest miss’s boudoir, it was Yue Shi who led these hidden guards away. Yue Shi was terrified of being recognized by these hidden guards, which would be bad for the Bai eldest miss’s reputation and would also make the Bai family’s hidden guards think their master was a lecher.

Yue Shi sat at the Eight Immortals table lit by candles, not even daring to straighten his back, afraid of revealing any flaws.