Feng Zhiwei didn’t take the wine cup. Looking at Jin Siyu, she said in a melodious voice: “The Prince truly harbors deep obsessions.”

“A woman I want—I’ve never had reason to let go easily.” Jin Siyu wasn’t embarrassed by her refusal to take the cup. Holding it perfectly still, he smiled: “And this cup of wine, you also shouldn’t refuse.”

“Oh?”

“Have you forgotten that transformed parasitic poison from before? The once-yearly antidote is right here.” Jin Siyu smiled, indicating the wine cup.

“I’d say it’s more likely poison.” Feng Zhiwei lazily lay down. Her body moved, the silver chain rang out. She frowned, looking at Jin Siyu’s hand being pulled at the other end.

“Unity Lock.” Jin Siyu smiled and wiggled his fingers. “Locking us together, hearts united for life.”

Feng Zhiwei tapped her fingers on the bed edge, looking at him with an expression that said: “Prince, is your brain not working properly?”

Jin Siyu remained unperturbed. He swept aside his robe and sat beside her: “Don’t try to act tough. I just checked your pulse. The parasitic poison remains in your body, only suppressed by some powerful vital energy you possess. The more you forcefully suppress it, the potentially heavier the backlash in the future. Do you truly have no awareness of this at all?”

Feng Zhiwei sighed, nodding in complete agreement: “I know, of course I know. Anyone fears death, don’t they?”

“Of course. Moreover, how could you willingly die from parasitic poison now?” Jin Siyu’s tone was profound, seemingly pointing at something. He again extended the wine cup: “Shaoyao, if I haven’t misjudged your character, for someone like you, as long as it’s beneficial, any title is merely illusory. Surely you wouldn’t be foolish enough to give up the chance to obtain the antidote just because this is some nuptial wine? If so, I’ve truly misjudged you.”

“Is the Prince trying to goad me?” Feng Zhiwei smiled and raised an eyebrow. “But I think I’ve still fallen into your trap.”

She reached out to take the wine cup. Jin Siyu suddenly withdrew it. Just as Feng Zhiwei froze, Jin Siyu’s arm turned, already nimbly threading under her armpit to bring the wine cup to her lips. With their arms entwined, he smiled: “Nuptial wine should be drunk with husband and wife’s arms crossed.” As he spoke, he smoothly placed the other wine cup in her hand.

Feng Zhiwei’s hand paused but she took it, a smile flickering at the corners of her lips: “After all, it’s just drinking wine. However it’s drunk, it’s the same…”

Jin Siyu’s face glowed, gently bringing the wine cup to her lips. Feng Zhiwei followed suit, also smiling as she extended it. Jin Siyu smiled and bent his face close. Just as his lips approached, Feng Zhiwei suddenly tightened her fingers forcefully.

With a “crack,” the wine cup shattered in her hand.

The wine splashed out with a whoosh, all of it spraying onto Jin Siyu’s collar in a dripping mess.

Amid the sound of the shattering cup, she said lightly: “…But I’m still not happy.”

Jin Siyu’s hand froze.

In an instant, his face went ashen.

Dim clouds in the distance reflected faint light, shooting through the narrow cabin window onto the seated woman and standing man. The woman half-reclined on the soft couch with her head slightly raised. The man leaned forward, his knee pressed between her legs—an extremely intimate and ambiguous posture, yet the atmosphere was intensely cold and cruel.

That cruelty came from their mutual gazes.

High-ranking man and woman from enemy nations, each having shed the politician’s false mask, releasing their full aura and hostility—gazes sharp with killing intent.

The air was as heavy as a wall, yet seemed it would crumble if a cold beam of light shot through.

In the silence, Feng Zhiwei, who had been meeting Jin Siyu’s gaze without concern, slowly lowered her eyes, dropping them to her own lips.

Jin Siyu’s hand holding the cup remained frozen before her. The shock he received far exceeded Feng Zhiwei’s. She was forever more ruthless than he imagined.

The wine cup was at her lips. He forgot to withdraw it. But Feng Zhiwei, usually adept at seizing opportunities, didn’t immediately lower her head to drink the wine containing the antidote. Instead, she laughed lightly, reached back to take the wine cup from his hand, and casually set it on the table.

As she took away the cup, Jin Siyu came to his senses. Hearing the light sound of porcelain touching the table surface, his gaze flashed. After a long moment, he suddenly smiled.

This smile lost all gentleness, full of mockery. Then, expressionless, he slowly wiped the residual wine from his chin. His movements were extremely slow and meticulous, as if wanting to use such slow motion to soothe the surging anger within.

Then he coldly swept his sleeve. The wine cup on the table shattered silently. He smiled: “Fine. I’ve still misjudged you. Though you can bend and stretch, you have your own unmatched pride. Since that’s so, you can rely on your own abilities to obtain the antidote from me.”

Feng Zhiwei smiled unsurprisingly—people like them, encountering any matter, would no longer rage like common folk with blood flowing. On the contrary, the angrier they were, the more they had to quickly calm themselves. Those in high positions holding power over myriad lives couldn’t allow themselves to impulsively invite disaster.

Jin Siyu was fortunate to be understood by her. Jin Siyu was unfortunate to be understood by her.

She smiled without speaking, didn’t even glance at the shattered cup, suddenly stood up, and walked toward the exit.

She and Jin Siyu were currently locked together. Her walking away without greeting him pulled his hand. He immediately retracted his arm. At the same time, Feng Zhiwei also raised her hand. With a clatter, a straight long chain suddenly stretched taut between them, silver light flashing and rippling like wave light on this sea.

“What are you doing?” Jin Siyu looked at her coldly, his voice low.

Feng Zhiwei looked back at him from the other end of the silver chain, her expression leisurely and composed: “Oh, I need to relieve myself.”

“…”

Without waiting for the stunned Jin Siyu to answer, she turned and walked away. Jin Siyu couldn’t forcefully pull her back. The three urgencies of human life—there was absolutely no reason to prevent someone from relieving themselves. But in the current standoff, unlocking it naturally wouldn’t work. Not unlocking it—should he follow?

Him? Follow?

The noble Da Yue prince rarely found himself frozen in place. But Feng Zhiwei seemed truly not to have considered the issue of propriety between men and women. Taking leisurely steps, she first looked around in all directions, confirming this large cabin had no toilet facilities, then prepared to go out the door.

Jin Siyu had to speak: “Don’t go out!”

Feng Zhiwei turned back, saying lightly: “Do you plan to watch while I use the toilet? You may be willing to watch, but I’m unwilling to be watched. It would upset my digestion.”

Jin Siyu frowned. If this were some shameless man, he’d probably answer “I’d love to watch, you can hold it till you burst.” Unfortunately, he was of noble birth with deeply ingrained imperial upbringing. No matter what, he couldn’t say such crude words. After a moment of silence, he took out a small golden key and with a click unlocked his own lock.

The key was extremely small. As golden light flashed in midair, Feng Zhiwei standing before Jin Siyu suddenly struck!

The moment that golden light appeared, her finger shot out like wind. Her fingertip flicked, but there was no expected howling force. Her expression changed, but her reaction was extremely fast. Her body flashed and she was already before Jin Siyu, striking out to seize that key.

Jin Siyu, having anticipated this, sneered coldly. His finger lifted—the small golden key’s sharp tip like a blade stabbed directly at her eyes. Feng Zhiwei twisted her head to evade, her figure turning to already be behind him. Kick the knee, ram the waist, raise the arm, strangle the throat—four movements executed in one breath. In an instant, she locked near his throat. The slender chain in her hand whipped out, whooshing to wrap around his neck and strangle him. Jin Siyu slid his steps, bent his waist and rotated his head sharply, spinning away from her strangling attack. Unexpectedly, Feng Zhiwei fell backward onto his back, actually clinging to his back and spinning a full circle with him. When Jin Siyu stopped, she had rotated to his front. Her hands crossed, fiercely sweeping horizontally to again try to sever his throat.

Her strikes were vicious, using no internal force whatsoever—completely the martial arts Gu Nanyi had urgently crammed into her recently. The angles were cunning, the speed alarming. Jin Siyu had studied her martial arts, knowing she rarely made moves and her close-combat techniques would certainly not be very proficient. He hadn’t expected that today when she struck, it would be like thunder and lightning, attacking in an instant.

The cabin space was limited. The two were extremely close. This kind of brutal close-combat killing technique also startled Jin Siyu. He suddenly fell backward, sliding along the ground. This time Feng Zhiwei couldn’t cling to his back like a leech. A cold smile had just appeared at the corners of Jin Siyu’s lips as he was about to put away the key he hadn’t had time to withdraw. Unexpectedly, Feng Zhiwei suddenly lunged fiercely—

For the first time, Jin Siyu lost his composure, eyes wide, watching Feng Zhiwei suddenly leap, her entire body heavily lunging at him!

“Bang.”

The dull thud of body colliding with body.

In that instant, even Jin Siyu’s mind went blank, not knowing what happened. He only vaguely felt the person fiercely colliding into him pressing his body and hands tightly to the ground. His heart alarmed, he quickly moved his fingers, sliding the key into his sleeve.

With the key withdrawn and his heart settled, only then did he feel the woman’s body above him was warm and elastic like a supple willow branch in early spring, with flowing curves and vital force, fitting seamlessly into every contour of his body. It was as if a long-parched valley was instantly enveloped by clouds and rain, so warmly tender that even his heart seemed to soften. In that softening, he felt something elsewhere harden, burning urgently hard. He hummed lowly, thinking: You threw yourself at me and provoked me, don’t blame me. He raised his hand to strike her pressure points. But Feng Zhiwei also hummed lowly at the same time, raising her knee to viciously ram downward.

Jin Siyu saw it immediately and lightning-fast raised his knee. “Bang”—another dull thud as their knees collided heavily in midair. Jin Siyu suddenly cried “Ah” in pained distress.

A mysterious smile emerged on Feng Zhiwei’s face as she touched her own knee.

Jin Siyu’s hand pressed tightly on his own knee. He suddenly raised his head to look at her. Under his finger, fine blood traces instantly seeped out.

Feng Zhiwei rolled over and climbed up, smiling at him, innocently lifting her robe hem and wiping her own pants.

From inside her pants showed hard, square-cornered edges—clearly something had been added.

“Sorry,” she said with a charming smile. “These past few days practicing martial arts, fearing injury, I’ve been wearing iron knee guards. When you abducted me, you were too hasty and forgot to remove them.”

Jin Siyu frowned at those square things. When he abducted Feng Zhiwei, he naturally searched her entire body. Her commonly used soft sword at her waist was also confiscated. But somehow he hadn’t detected this thing on her knee. Through her pants, one couldn’t tell what it was. How many strange, hard-to-detect objects did this woman have on her body?

Feng Zhiwei smiled, raised her hand—the chain connected to it drew a long white arc of light in midair, looking less like a lock chain and more like some oddly-shaped bracelet. Then she easily prepared to walk toward the door.

After just one step, her body was pulled back. She struggled but couldn’t break free.

Turning back, she saw Jin Siyu had already sat up. The other end of the Unity Lock had somehow been locked onto an iron ring protruding from the floor.

“Did you think once I removed the lock you could leave?” Jin Siyu stroked his knee, smiling somewhat coldly. “Not fastened to my hand, it can still be fastened anywhere. This cabin floor is all specially made, with these same white iron rings everywhere. I can fasten you anywhere at any time according to need.”

Feng Zhiwei stared at him. After a long moment, she showed a smile—this smile exactly the same as the expression Jin Siyu had shown after she splashed him with wine.

“You see,” Jin Siyu said with gentle expression and slightly cold tone, “we’re the same kind of people. Even when angry, our reactions are similar.”

He stood up, stroking his knee, limping slightly as he went out. Opening the door, he ordered: “Send in a chamber pot.” While turning back to smile at her: “Draw.”

Feng Zhiwei watched him quietly. Just as he was about to turn and exit, she suddenly tilted her body, making a lame person’s crooked leg gesture.

Jin Siyu’s face instantly turned livid…

After Jin Siyu left, Feng Zhiwei calmly climbed onto the chamber pot and took care of life’s major business. While still squatting, she cheerfully hummed a few lines of song, the lyrics roughly meaning: Thank you chamber pot, granting me comfort, etc.

That chain, for convenience, was quite long—about five feet, just enough for her to walk to the bed to sleep but not enough to reach the window to escape.

Feng Zhiwei didn’t go near the window at all. She wandered around on the floor briefly, had a maid come in to remove the chamber pot, then directly climbed onto the bed. She picked out and ate all the walnuts, red dates, peanuts, lotus seeds and such from under the covers, piling up a heap of shells on the floor. Then she comfortably lay on the golden silk soft bedding, feeling that since the envoy mission to Xi Liang with all the rushing about and turmoil, this moment was the most enjoyable and comfortable.

She thought about matters for a while, then calmly closed her eyes to sleep, not worried that Jin Siyu would force himself on her—the more men in this world understood her, the less they dared force themselves on her. If she encountered some reckless brute who didn’t know her, then she’d need to be careful.

After sleeping comfortably for a while, she heard the door open. Someone tried hard not to limp too obviously as they walked in. Feng Zhiwei didn’t open her eyes. That person retrieved the lock from the floor, clicked it onto his own hand with a snap, and sat beside her bed.

The cabin was very quiet. By this time, it seemed to already be daytime. Faintly she could hear sailors shouting overhead and the sound of waves crashing against the hull. Somehow it sounded vast and lonely. Feng Zhiwei closed her eyes, remembering someone who had once described to her the sea at Anlan Ravine. He said that sea sound was empty, clear and silent. Traveling by boat at midnight, hearing it stirred one’s heart like surging tides, not knowing what night it was.

Ha… actually he was wrong. People like him and her would never truly not know what night it was.

Their greatest pain had always been living too clearly, too clearly.

“…What are you thinking about?” After a long while, someone asked lowly from beside the bed, their tone quite peaceful.

Feng Zhiwei didn’t open her eyes, saying lazily: “Thinking that this stretch of sea and that stretch of sea are, fundamentally, not so different.”

Jin Siyu didn’t speak. This nonsensical statement from Feng Zhiwei—no one would understand it. Yet he seemed to understand. After a long moment, he sighed: “All things in the world actually remain unchanged in their original place. What changes has always only been people’s thoughts.”

Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes, just in time to see Jin Siyu’s gaze cast over. Across Pu City’s leap and the struggles in Xi Liang until now, this was the first time the two gazed at each other calmly. Each saw something deep and cool in the other’s eyes, then immediately looked away.

“A prince of imperial blood—I didn’t expect you’d also be willing to explore such idle matters.”

“This isn’t an idle matter.” Jin Siyu said lightly. “Whether noble as a prince or lowly as a commoner, the only difference is status. The suffering encountered walking through the human world is equal in quantity—perhaps even the former has more.”

Feng Zhiwei deeply agreed with this statement but was unwilling to discuss it deeply. She glanced lightly at Jin Siyu. This man was different from Ning Yi who had never received favor since childhood and fallen from high peaks. He was a true legitimate prince of Da Yue’s imperial court, the Da Yue Emperor’s most beloved son, which was why he could rise above his mediocre brothers. Now wielding great power, not controlled by the court, Da Yue’s realm would very likely be his in the future. Who would have thought that in his heart, there was also a fragile hidden pain like glass that couldn’t be disturbed?

But imperial scions, regardless of status, who hadn’t clawed their way out through seas of blood, mountains of blades, conspiracies and schemes?

“Shaoyao.” Jin Siyu lay on her side, pulled over half the blanket to cover himself, looking thoughtful. After a long moment: “I know you’re unwilling to explore me. I know you’re unwilling to follow me. Logically, having reached this point, forcibly keeping you has no meaning. Though I’m dull, I haven’t reached the point of forcibly demanding another’s heart. But with you, now permit me one shameless act—remember, no matter what, I will keep you.”

Feng Zhiwei was silent for a long moment, then laughed lowly: “The Prince says this through gritted teeth—it doesn’t sound like a declaration, more like wanting to kill someone.”

“If I kill, I’ll kill your heart.” Jin Siyu remained unmoved. In the pale shadow of daylight, he appeared somewhat pallid. His usually refined features now seemed resolute. “If you were merely Shaoyao, some inexperienced woman who loved another, then though reluctant, I might not forcibly confine you. What use is a heart not with me? But you are Wei Zhi. Since Wei Zhi is Shaoyao, I have no more reason to give up.”

“Oh?” Feng Zhiwei turned her head to look at him, amusement in her eyes.

“The Regent Prince’s only heir being frightened—that was your handiwork, then framing me, wasn’t it?” Jin Siyu suddenly changed topics, mockery touching the corners of his lips. “Shaoyao, you’re merely a Tiansheng envoy, alone in Xi Liang. You dare meddle in the three-territory struggle—what are you after?”

“I’m after securing Tiansheng’s imperial power forever and the people’s lasting peace, of course.” Feng Zhiwei didn’t deny it, answering smoothly.

Sneering coldly, Jin Siyu shook his head: “No, it’s not. Your mouth is full of loyalty and patriotism, constantly speaking of benevolence and righteousness. You appear to be the most orthodox and loyal subject. But anyone who truly understands you knows what you value is never another’s imperial power or realm. So what if Xi Liang is restless? So what if Changning harbors other intentions? So what if Da Yue allies with Xi Liang? I dare say you clearly know about our three-territory alliance yet have absolutely no plan to fully report it to your court. You don’t report it but privately intervene—what are your intentions?”

“This questioning should properly come from my sovereign.” Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly. “Or Your Highness could memorialize my Emperor to have him question me.”

“You see, that tone of yours—you still dare claim loyalty and patriotism.” Jin Siyu laughed heartily. “Shaoyao, now let’s return to the point. Though I haven’t yet figured out your true intention in framing me, I can be certain your thoughts are absolutely not those of an ordinary subject. What you want is overwhelming power, controlling Tiansheng, isn’t it?”

Feng Zhiwei slowly raised her eyes to look at him, still noncommittal with just a smile: “Oh?”

“You appear neutral, the Emperor’s confidant, but any observant person can see you have secret dealings with Tiansheng’s red-hot Prince Chu. With your intentional or unintentional assistance, he’s killed brothers cheerfully yet maintains his reputation with universal praise. That Ning Yi—the throne is his determined goal. In my view, as long as the old Emperor truly meets misfortune, no one in court is his match. And you, as his most capable assistant, once he ascends the throne, you’ll certainly be second to none, above ten thousand.” Jin Siyu smiled, lifting her chin to carefully gaze into her eyes. “Wei Zhi, Shaoyao, has Ning Yi promised you overwhelming power?”

Feng Zhiwei smiled at him, inwardly still somewhat admiring—from another country, based merely on scattered information, he’d deduced eighty or ninety percent accurately, clearer than those involved.

Only, the most critical part was still guessed wrong…

But given his position, reaching this conclusion was entirely normal.

Jin Siyu stood up. His long sleeves drooped, forming a tall silhouette against the light. Such a refined person, viewed from the side, was actually distinctly upright. His gaze looking back at Feng Zhiwei in the dim light was both gentle and sharp.

“One of you, one Ning Yi—one like a wolf, one like a tiger. Once such a pair of sovereign and subject achieve success, how could they allow others to sleep peacefully beside their couch? At that time, how could Da Yue have peace?”

“Your Highness speaks as if Tiansheng were already ours, while Da Yue is yours.” Feng Zhiwei laughed lightly.

“Whether I’m boasting or it will certainly be so in the future—I think you know in your heart.” When discussing world politics, Jin Siyu naturally displayed the hard, proud nature of a commanding prince, his expression blazing.

“So you want to keep me? Cut off Ning Yi’s wings, remove hidden dangers for Da Yue’s future?”

“I actually hope more that you could be as you said to me that year in Pu Garden’s study—no need to be constrained by one family, one nation. No need to be constrained by whom you serve, what worthy minister you become. All are worthy ministers. I hope more that your overwhelming power would be granted by me.” Jin Siyu’s expression was distant, with considerable longing. Then he shook his head, smiled bitterly, negating his own thought. His expression cooled: “Things having reached this point, even if you spoke such words again, I wouldn’t dare believe them. So I’ll only say something most realistic to you—you greatly value Ning Yi, don’t you? Then, let’s make a wager. How about it?”

Feng Zhiwei remained noncommittal about that statement of greatly valuing Ning Yi. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, still with that casual “Oh?”

Her attitude of seeming not to care about anything made Jin Siyu sigh repeatedly in his heart—if she truly didn’t care about anything, that would be fine. But more likely, she had gone over everything countless times in her mind.

Thinking of how she didn’t deny that statement about greatly valuing Ning Yi, his gaze darkened, then returned to normal: “I might make a move against Ning Yi. Do you dare stay by my side to protect him?”

Feng Zhiwei smiled mockingly: “Are you joking? If you make a move against Ning Yi, can’t he protect himself? If you make a move against Ning Yi, what would I be doing staying by your side?”

“Aren’t you supremely wise? Aren’t you skilled at perceiving people’s hearts? Only by my side can you know what I want to do, right?” Jin Siyu smiled with everything under control. “What else, besides being by my side, allows you to grasp everything better, to defeat me more effectively?”

“Your Highness actually uses himself as bait.” Feng Zhiwei smiled.

Jin Siyu smiled without speaking, his gaze deep. But Feng Zhiwei didn’t speak. She put her hands behind her head and lay down, looking at the cabin ceiling, saying leisurely: “Your Highness, today you’ve spent so much effort talking, made such a big detour, explained your reasons for keeping me, then came up with this wager. It seems reasonable. But actually, you’re not trying to convince me. You’re only trying to convince yourself.”

Jin Siyu remained silent for a long moment, turning his head away. Daylight struck his thick lashes, suffusing them with pale golden light.

“I won’t accept your wager.”

Jin Siyu immediately turned back. Feng Zhiwei smiled lazily: “If you have the ability, go kill him. If Ning Yi can be so easily killed by you, what qualifies him to take the great throne?”

Jin Siyu’s gaze flickered, staring at her completely unconcerned expression—not like disappointment, but rather with some delight.

“Or…” he slowly, with some probing, leaned closer. “Your thoughts aren’t what I guessed?”

Feng Zhiwei smiled, raised her hand—the taut chain’s silver light dazzling. She smiled: “Is my martial arts also different from what you imagined?”

Jin Siyu’s body paused. He smiled bitterly, taking advantage to lie down on the outer half of her bed: “We’re now tied together. Borrowing half a bed should be acceptable?”

“The bed is entirely Your Highness’s. I can’t control it.” Feng Zhiwei yawned, feeling she hadn’t slept enough, and closed her eyes again.

Once she closed her eyes to sleep, her usual expression restrained, her features and aura left only peace and tranquility. Jin Siyu turned to face her, propping his cheek on his hand to watch her. Feng Zhiwei lifted half an eyelid, glanced, completely unconcerned, and continued.

Jin Siyu frowned at her small gesture, somewhat wanting to laugh, somewhat angry, also somewhat helpless. In a trance, he recalled Pu Garden’s Shaoyao—she occasionally had cute little gestures, charmingly delightful, making one’s heart soften from within, increasingly willing to believe she was just a simple woman, at most somewhat clever and capable, impossible to connect with that cloud-overturning, rain-summoning sinister high minister.

Yet heaven knew how skilled she was at acting.

Yet that charming, delightful Shaoyao remained forever in that winter at Pu Garden.

He gazed fixedly at the gentle features so close before him. After a long while, he wanted to extend his finger to smooth away a strand of disheveled hair hanging over her brow. That stray hair lay before her nose, rising and falling with her breathing. Surely she found it slightly itchy, affecting her sleep. But with this movement of his hand, the chain rang out, sounding harsh in the silent room. His hand stopped abruptly.

Between him and her, would there always be this cold iron-like wall separating them, unable to freely approach even an inch?

Jin Siyu sighed inwardly, withdrew his hand, suddenly feeling somewhat drowsy. Struggling mentally and physically with this woman was also tiring. Slowly he also closed his eyes.

As soon as he closed his eyes, after a while Feng Zhiwei opened hers, her gaze clear, completely without sleepiness. Her eyes swept over the cabin ceiling and floor. She suddenly sat up: “I’m hungry.”

Jin Siyu had just fallen asleep and was yanked awake without consideration. Opening his eyes in that instant, the noble prince looked groggy and sinister, staring at her for a while. Feng Zhiwei innocently met his gaze, emphasizing again: “I’m hungry.”

Jin Siyu sat on the bed in a daze for a moment before getting down to order food. Servants brought up several small dishes. Jin Siyu pulled her over to sit and was just about to eat with her when Feng Zhiwei had already quickly picked up chopsticks, rapidly turning over all the dishes once.

Then she smiled pleasantly: “If Your Highness doesn’t fear poison from me, please don’t hesitate to dine together.”

Eating dishes she’d turned over…

Looking at those disturbed dishes, Jin Siyu truly didn’t dare in anger risk his life stubbornly competing with her. He pressed his lips together and smiled: “I don’t have the habit of sharing meals with others.” While glancing at her dishes with meaningful eyes.

Feng Zhiwei smiled as she ate, her expression quite satisfied, though her actions were somewhat odd—she pushed the food around, seeming to have poor appetite. No wonder her appetite was poor. Jin Siyu was too stingy! The dishes brought up weren’t bad in variety, just horribly prepared. All dishes seemed to have no salt, bland as water. The buns were finely made but the leavening hadn’t worked properly—hard lumps that could be thrown as projectiles. Feng Zhiwei, accustomed to fine dining, had never eaten such poor food. While forcing it down, she reflected on whether she’d deceived people too harshly back then, causing a good magnanimous prince to become such a miser. Sigh, back then she should have just directly annihilated his personal guard battalion instead of deceiving him onto the city tower to be traumatized.

Here her chopsticks battled with hard lumps. After a long while, she barely filled her stomach. Over there, Jin Siyu watched without anger. When finished, he asked: “Eaten well?”

Feng Zhiwei smiled charmingly: “Yes, thank you for the hospitality.”

Jin Siyu nodded and beckoned: “Bring the dishes.”

Then Feng Zhiwei stared wide-eyed watching sea and land delicacies, aquatic and terrestrial fresh foods, camel hump and bird’s nest, bear paw and carp lips… continuously presented by an extremely ugly chef, dazzlingly arrayed before her in a full table.

Strange aromas spread. She took a deep breath, wanting to be intoxicated but instead “burped.”

Hard lumps and plain water vegetables had filled her up.

Opposite, Jin Siyu elegantly raised chopsticks, smiling: “Don’t underestimate this chef’s ugliness—he’s a master chef we went to great lengths to recruit in Xi Liang. He used to be Xi Liang’s old Emperor’s exclusive imperial chef. His soups and dishes are superb.” While picking up a piece of elaborately prepared carp lip, drinking Da Yue’s famous wine “Fire Burning White,” savoring it slowly and methodically.

Then he greatly praised this carp lip for its perfect texture, rich juice and pure flavor. He gently told Feng Zhiwei: “That earlier course is our Da Yue banquet custom—first serve bland dishes to draw out the taste, then this is the real meal—you moved too quickly just now.”

Feng Zhiwei: “…”

After the dining incident ended in another draw, Jin Siyu and Feng Zhiwei remained quite quiet for a period. Each night Jin Siyu fastened the lock clasp to the floor and went out to sleep elsewhere. Each morning he returned, fastened himself, and conversed with Feng Zhiwei about books and philosophy. The atmosphere between them was quite peaceful. As the ship sailed farther, approaching Da Yue, Jin Siyu’s expression grew increasingly relaxed. Naturally, he no longer was awkward about meals. Feng Zhiwei gradually had the privilege of tasting that ugly chef’s skills. Even she, who had tasted delicacies throughout the world, had to admit—truly excellent.

On the seventh day at sea, having just passed an archipelago at Xi Liang’s sea border, the ship that had rested and resupplied at shore set sail again. Everyone on board was Da Yue’s elite carefully selected by Jin Siyu. However, most of his Da Yue military subordinates weren’t skilled with water, so sailors and boatmen were still hired with heavy gold from Xi Liang. Jin Siyu’s precautionary work was very thorough. At each port, he necessarily replaced the original sailors, hiring a new batch locally with heavy gold to continue the journey. Thus, along the way, no one could follow him all the way to Da Yue except that chef—but that chef was one he’d taken a liking to when first arriving in Da Yue. After eating several meals at the man’s restaurant, he recruited him. The background was unquestionable. Thus, throughout the entire ship, it was practically an iron plate.

This night the starlight was brilliant. After eating dinner in harmonious atmosphere, the two leaned at the window watching scenery to aid digestion. Feng Zhiwei wore women’s clothing, her hair lazily loose—Jin Siyu strictly forbade anyone from approaching within three zhang of this cabin, so she didn’t fear discovery.

The breeze lifted Feng Zhiwei’s long hair, rustling across Jin Siyu’s face beside her. The fragrance between hair strands was faint yet noble, not overwhelmed by the sea’s fishy air. That oncoming satin-like touch made Jin Siyu momentarily close his eyes slightly. When that satin brushed past, his expression involuntarily revealed slight melancholy.

The moonlight was perfect, starlight about to flow.

The sea tide like lovers’ whispers, clamorous and intimate, swirling and undulating between reef and reef, its posture gentle.

“I’m saying…” Feng Zhiwei suddenly spoke, breaking this intoxicating moment of silence. “How many days have we been out?”

She didn’t ask where they’d reached. She asked how many days out. Jin Siyu vaguely felt this question was somewhat strange but didn’t pay much attention. Thinking: “Six days?”

Feng Zhiwei hummed acknowledgment. After a long interval, she said again: “This is a fast ship, right?”

Jin Siyu smiled: “Of course. An ordinary ship would probably take eight days.”

“That’s right.” Feng Zhiwei lowered her head, seeming to calculate, muttering to herself: “Then the timing should be about right.”

“What did you say?” Jin Siyu hadn’t heard her words clearly and turned his head to ask.

With this turn of his head, he saw the woman’s eyes held bright moonlight. Behind that bright moon, sea waves layered. His heart jolted, instinctively sensing danger. He hastily retreated but heard a “click.” His right hand resting on the windowsill tightened. Looking down, somehow a steel ring had popped out from the window edge, trapping his right wrist.

He reacted extremely fast, immediately swinging his left hand to strike deadly points on Feng Zhiwei beside him!

Force howled!

Feng Zhiwei suddenly ducked down!

His hand missed. Then he heard another “click.” This sound was more familiar. Looking down, somehow Feng Zhiwei had already freed herself from the Unity Lock on her right hand, but fastened the chain connected to his left hand into the clasps that were everywhere on the floor.

She had actually used his own method against him, fastening him to the floor!

Jin Siyu’s face was iron blue. Opening his mouth to whistle shrilly, behind him suddenly rose a pale blue smoke. He hastily held his breath and swallowed his voice. This cry for help couldn’t emerge.

Opposite, Feng Zhiwei smiled lightly, reached out and patted his shoulder, saying gently:

“Your Highness, this journey has been truly comfortable. But now I should return. Thank you for taking me along.”