A person falling from the building before the Falling Flowers Palace.

Thousands of torches illuminated the black before dawn, like countless floating starlight rising among the myriad layers of palace towers. Before the dark old building, tens of thousands of iron-armored soldiers stood silently in silence, watching two slender figures embracing and tumbling down, like two willow leaves drifting with the wind between heaven and earth. Watching a furious dragon fire arrow flying out from some unknown angle, an instant meteor, rolling toward the most noble true dragon beneath one person in the imperial dynasty. Arrow entered, fire rose, blood sprayed, toppling into dust.

The imperial dynasty’s Crown Prince had half his body draped over the railing, head hanging deeply, as if confessing to the myriad troops below for a lifetime of arrogant indulgence, mediocrity and worthlessness.

Those imperial thrones, supreme honors, undying ambitions, those attempts to rise up after being forced into desperate straits—in one morning, turned to ash.

So noble, yet dying so cheaply.

This fall, this descent.

Suddenly a gust of wind arose from the horizon, scattering a few drops of rain. The torchlight swayed, making people’s vision flicker. In that flickering vision, the brilliance of sky-water blue unfolded.

That person swept diagonally past the building’s body like a thread of light wind, instantly catching up to the two falling people. The crowd looked up, knowing it was impossible to save two people at once, yet not knowing whom he would save.

Ning Yi sat high upon his horse, face cold and composed. Everything was settling into place—Gu Nanyi would certainly save Feng Zhiwei, so then, Shaoning would also be lost.

Very good, very good.

In midair, Gu Nanyi swept near.

He didn’t reach out to grab anyone, but while suspended in the void, lightly flicked his sleeve.

Dawn was breaking, and among the lush flowers and trees arose ice-clear misty vapor. That person swept straight through midair—though in flying motion, his bearing was as still as a frozen abyss. His gesture of casually flicking his sleeve in the shallow mist was like a deity crossing through immortal clouds drifting in the wind.

The crowd looked up, hearts moved and spirits shaken.

With that sleeve flick, he separated Feng Zhiwei and Shaoning, then Gu Nanyi pointed one finger at Feng Zhiwei’s chest.

Feng Zhiwei was in the midst of a dizzy fall when she suddenly felt her body lighten. All her limbs and bones suddenly relaxed. Involuntarily drawing a breath, the qi within her body floated up, and her descending momentum slowed.

Meanwhile, Shaoning, who had been pushed aside, somehow flew out diagonally. Gu Nanyi struck with his palm horizontally, and Shaoning traced out a very long falling arc, just in time to be leaped up and caught by a master among the guards.

By this time, Gu Nanyi had already taken Feng Zhiwei’s hand and descended unhurriedly. In midair, those two people’s robes and sleeves flew in the wind, their postures elegant and refined. Even though they appeared to be a pair of men, their bearing was still outstanding and inspiring admiration.

Everything happened in a flash. Except for a few people, most only saw Princess Shaoning pushed aside falling diagonally while Gu Nanyi saved Feng Zhiwei. They didn’t know there were many more movements involved, nor did they know that without that finger point and another person’s assistance, these movements would have been impossible to complete at all.

Ning Yi was naturally one of those few people.

His gaze suddenly fell on the top of the building, where a black shadow flashed and vanished.

Just moments ago, when Shaoning was pushed aside and falling, that person on the building had acted, using long-distance true force to assist Gu Nanyi in pushing Shaoning’s falling momentum to the side.

Who was he?

The Crown Prince’s man? But how could he cooperate with Gu Nanyi?

He lifted his head slightly, pondering all the suspicious points, deliberately keeping himself from looking at those two people’s joined hands.

Not looking at Feng Zhiwei.

He was so calm, he wouldn’t let anyone see his devastation after the raging waves.

Seeing her fall, one shock; seeing her protecting Shaoning as she fell, one tremor; after one shock and one tremor, furious tides surged up, yet also an uncontrollable desolation.

The negotiation before Heavenly Waves Tower still rang in his ears—not even half a day later and he witnessed her once again breaking her word and betraying him to his face.

She was always like this, wearing a mask with gentle words, turning around with all promises cast to the ninth heaven, always using the most beguiling, charming smile and graceful manner to wield a knife against him.

And he—how long would his soft heart continue?

How long would it continue? Would it end? Leaving such a capricious disaster with thoughts as deep as an abyss?

Before, he could still persuade himself—an unfavored prince, why meddle unnecessarily? Now everything would be different. His path was already under his feet. The iron-blooded struggle for the imperial dynasty was right before his eyes. The lives and fortunes of countless thousands would be borne on his shoulders. He could no longer tolerate a thread of retreat or soft-heartedness.

No matter how much his thoughts retreated step by step in concession, they ultimately couldn’t withstand Heaven’s will coldly surging forth.

Wei Zhi, Feng Zhiwei.

You and I, from now on.

Enemies.

Feng Zhiwei gazed at Ning Yi from afar.

That person sat high upon his horse looking up, floating clouds surging before him, tens of thousands of iron armor behind him, heaven and earth all within his eyes—only unwilling to include her.

She watched quietly, earning only a silent long sigh.

Some things were not intentionally done by her, yet somehow, as if fate itself had a hand turning clouds and overturning rain, forcing her step by step to always stand in opposition to him.

She didn’t plan to explain.

Explanations weren’t useful. When she held Shaoning and fell from the Quiet Study, and he just happened to ride his horse over taking this scene into his eyes, Heaven’s will was already accomplished.

The still-shaken Imperial Guard Commander came forward wiping his sweat, repeatedly thanking Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi, deliberately warm and cordial—His Majesty had already departed from Tiger Might Military Camp to return to the palace. Once he learned that Princess Shaoning had been saved by Master Wei, there would certainly be generous rewards. He needed to quickly establish good relations now.

Shaoning rushed over, hair bun askew with one shoe missing. Before the eyes of all, she both cried and laughed, throwing her arms around Feng Zhiwei’s neck: “Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi!”

She didn’t thank Feng Zhiwei for saving her life, nor did she care that the person who actually saved her wasn’t Feng Zhiwei. She just called out like that, each call containing tears, as if wanting to express all her surging excitement through this name.

Countless soldiers awkwardly lowered their heads—seeing no evil.

The arriving high ministers looked at each other in dismay—the Princess coming out with this display in public, truly disregarding all imperial family dignity? Once this spread, how would they handle it in the future?

Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly and pushed Shaoning away, retreating three steps and bowing.

“Your Highness,” she said gently and apologetically, “this humble subject was just accidentally knocked into, implicating Your Highness by bringing you down from the building. This is all this humble subject’s fault. Please punish this humble subject, Your Highness.”

She smiled again: “Having survived the disaster, this humble subject is as excited as Your Highness—I was discourteous.”

Her meaning was very clear—I didn’t save you. I was knocked by the Crown Prince and my body became unstable, causing you to fall from the building. Now it can only be counted as merits and faults offsetting each other.

And your improper behavior was merely excitement from surviving the disaster—she didn’t say Shaoning was discourteous but said herself, yet she believed—you understand.

Shaoning stood frozen in place.

The ministers breathed a sigh of relief.

But Feng Zhiwei had already walked away.

She had lost interest, smiling faintly, bringing Gu Nanyi to a corner to wait for His Majesty to return to the palace and return the Tiger Might Army command token.

That corner was secluded with no one coming. Gu Nanyi liked such quietness, tasting grass leaves one by one among the flower bushes to see if they had sweet flavor. The face-to-face killing and blood-splattering at the building top earlier seemed to have had no effect on him at all.

Feng Zhiwei watched him for a long while, then suddenly moved before him. Her gaze penetrated deeply through the veil he never removed, asking:

“Tell me, who exactly are you?”