When the last ray of sunset glow at the horizon was swallowed by the night, Qi Nan finally rushed to the garden under the guidance of several divine servants. Seeing the two young celestials on the cloud-silk rug from afar, his heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

Fucang Shenjun had been missing all afternoon, and everyone at the Pale Moon Pavilion was asking about him. When Qi Nan couldn’t find the princess anywhere, he knew something was wrong. He had thought it must be the princess pestering and dragging Fucang Shenjun around, the two juniors quarreling somewhere. As a result, his family’s precious little princess ancestor was brazenly sleeping on someone else’s lap, the golden rings from her hair having fallen off and being held in Fucang Shenjun’s hand.

Qi Nan’s hurried footsteps stopped instantly. He turned and wanted to walk back, which confused the divine servant beside him: “Divine Official Qi Nan, Princess Xuan Yi is right over there. Where are you going?”

Don’t make a sound! Qi Nan tried to stop him with tears streaming down his face, but it was already too late. Fucang Shenjun had already risen while holding the princess and was slowly walking over.

Perhaps to avoid waking the princess, he had completely restrained all his auspicious radiance. In the hazy night that was neither fully dark nor light, a trace of obscure embarrassment and shyness crossed the refined and elegant Shenjun’s face. He said in a low voice: “Divine Official Qi Nan, she… drank three cups of wine and just fell asleep not long ago. The guest rooms are not far from here—I’ll lead you there.”

With that, he was about to hand Xuan Yi over to Qi Nan.

Qi Nan absolutely refused to take her, clutching his lower back with a face full of worry: “My back has been aching these past few days…”

Fucang had no choice but to continue holding Xuan Yi as he turned and walked ahead: “Divine Official, please follow me.”

Walking a bit higher up, they reached the guest rooms and elegant chambers. Along the long nanmu corridor, lanterns were sparsely dotted like luminous pearls. The divine servants opened the room door and placed a handful of Nine Harmonies incense in the bronze tripod. The attending female immortals finished arranging the bed curtains, and Fucang was about to place the little princess in his arms onto the bed when he felt her suddenly move, immediately followed by dozens of violent sneezes.

“…What is that smell?” Her eyes were completely red as she covered her nose, her voice hoarse.

The divine servants hastily apologized: “We didn’t know the princess disliked the scent of Nine Harmonies incense. We’ll remove it immediately.”

Qi Nan smiled politely: “My princess has peculiar temperament and doesn’t much care for these famous incenses. We’ve troubled all of you servants.”

Fucang had no choice but to carry her back out. When they reached the nanmu corridor, the cold night wind blew and Xuan Yi’s spirits involuntarily recovered by fifty or sixty percent. Her face also became stern as she said in a hoarse voice: “Qi Nan finally noticed me?”

She struggled slightly, and Fucang set her down. Qi Nan hurried over to help her sit on the nanmu corridor, saying in a low voice: “How is the princess? It’s all my fault—I actually let you drink three cups of wine.”

Xuan Yi pouted: “I’m thirsty, and my head hurts.”

The attending female immortals had already brought tea. Qi Nan pinched her head: “Is it hurting here, Princess?” It would be good if it hurt a bit more, this willful and wayward little ancestor.

The pain made Xuan Yi quickly stop him: “You’re about to pinch my brains out.”

She touched her head. Her long hair was loose, but the golden rings that had bound it were missing. Just as she was puzzled, a hand held out an exquisite and delicate golden ring before her eyes. Fucang said coolly: “Looking for this?”

Xuan Yi looked up at him. His expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. She took the golden ring and combed through her long hair with her five fingers, then suddenly said: “I’m hungry.”

…Already hungry so soon. Fucang clapped his hands, and servants quickly brought up a white stone table. Arranged on it were no longer the tofu and quail she disliked, but rather several new dishes.

She raised her eyebrows in slight surprise: “So your family’s food does have some good items.”

Fucang ignored her and only bowed to Qi Nan: “It’s already late today. There’s no reason to send guests away under the moonlight. Please stay the night in the guest rooms, both of you. I’ve been gone for too long and must return to the Pale Moon Pavilion now. I take my leave.”

Xuan Yi searched for a long time but didn’t see the afternoon tea cakes. She said urgently: “Wait! Where are my peach blossom hundred-fruit cakes and agate white jade cakes? Did you eat them all?”

Did she think everyone was as obsessed with tea cakes as she was? Fucang had no choice but to instruct the servants in a low voice to make more tea cakes. Just as he was about to leave, he heard her call out to him softly from behind: “Fucang Shixiong.”

He turned around. Qi Nan had already retreated to the guest room. She sat alone on the long nanmu corridor. Under the clear, cold moonlight, there was a subtle loneliness and wariness in her eyes. After pausing for a moment, she said softly: “A Thousand-Year Dream… really not urgent?”

That faint aching pain spread again in his chest. Fucang couldn’t help but walk toward the corridor. His long robe spread out as he slowly sat down beside her and hummed an “Mm”: “Not urgent.”

Xuan Yi smiled slightly and pushed over a portion of winter mushrooms she didn’t like eating: “You eat this.”

Was this her special way of expressing gratitude? He could neither accept nor refuse. After being stunned for a long while, he finally took them and set them aside.

She was eating with her head down. After all, she was a pampered and spoiled princess—she only used the tips of her chopsticks to pick up a tiny bit of each dish and put it in her mouth. Suddenly she said again: “If you talk about cutting my hair again, I’ll go learn combat techniques and sword arts from my teacher.”

“And then?” He remained composed. He could never keep up with her leaping train of thought anyway, so he simply went with the flow.

Seeing that the golden ring in her hair was inserted crookedly, he unconsciously reached out to straighten it, only to hear her speak crisply and decisively: “Then I’ll personally beat you up.”

Fucang laughed mockingly: “Just with your abilities?”

She had already generously forgiven his past misdeeds, yet this fellow still wanted to provoke her. Xuan Yi pushed his hand away: “Don’t touch me.”

She didn’t have much appetite. After eating a small portion, she refused to eat more and pushed the white stone table aside. She took out the half-finished white snow golden carp from her sleeve and continued molding it, while asking leisurely: “Are the tea cakes ready yet?”

Silver moonlight gradually climbed to the summit of Taishan. Between her slender fingers, it was as if she were kneading a ball of moonlight. It was hard to say whether the moonlight was paler or her hands were paler. The cold night wind shuttled through the nanmu corridor. A faint, subtle fragrance drifted from her hair strands, different from the unique incense scent of the Zhuyin Clan.

What time was it now? He should return to the Pale Moon Pavilion. To abandon so many guests for almost an entire day was truly too discourteous. Fucang felt he could find ten thousand reasons to leave this place, yet he didn’t want to use a single one.

This was the summit of Taishan that he knew best—his home, the nanmu corridor he faced day and night. Right now there was an additional Dragon Princess here. Since their acquaintance, they had almost never had such quiet and peaceful time together. Now he actually hoped this moment could last a while longer, just like the burning pain in his chest.

The delicate and exquisite white snow golden carp quickly became lifelike in her palm. Xuan Yi used her fingernail to carve out the last fish scale, held the little golden carp in her palm, turned her head and asked him: “Does it look good?”

Fucang’s gaze shifted from the golden carp to her face, sweeping past in a flash, and he hummed another “Mm.”

Xuan Yi laughed smugly: “Even if it looks good, I won’t give it to you.”

A strange joy burned like an evil fire. He actually didn’t know whether he wanted to crush her in his palm, or whether he wanted… wanted those absurd actions he absolutely never contemplated on ordinary days.

Fucang suddenly drew back. Fortunately, the servants were walking forward carrying the freshly made tea cakes with bowed heads. He rose to his feet as if relieved: “Eat up. I’m taking my leave.”

Xuan Yi waved at him warmly in farewell: “Go to sleep early.”

That would be difficult.

Fucang departed silently under the moonlight. This truly was his most fatal day.