Caught off guard by the sound of Yan Yunning’s call, Fafa said excitedly, Master, I’m here, I’m here.

Yan Yunning’s eyes flickered. She was quiet for a moment, then asked: Fafa, is there any way to erase Xuan Xixi’s memories of my origins?

Fafa fell silent for a moment — perhaps afraid that Yan Yunning would ignore it again — and then said readily, It’s possible, Master.

Yan Yunning asked again, her voice light and even: After I go home, Xuan Xixi will forget me, won’t he.

Fafa said in shock, M… Master, you remembered? You remembered what happened last time when Yan Shiyao was injured?

Yan Yunning answered the question with a question: Will he or won’t he forget me.

Fafa told her the truth: He will.

A single tear spilled from the corner of Yan Yunning’s eye. Through the faint tremor in her voice, she said inwardly: Xuan Xixi, in the days to come — this little lazybones hopes that you will always, always, always be happy…

“Can you? Ningning — take this Palace home with you.” The man asked, careful and tentative.

“All right. I’ll take you home with me.”

Xuan Yanyu, who had only just heard these words, had no time to feel joy before he slipped into unconsciousness in Yan Yunning’s arms.

Fafa asked curiously: Master, why aren’t you taking him home?

Yan Yunning did not answer Fafa. She only reached out and gently patted Xuan Yanyu on the back.

She naturally could not take Xuan Xixi home.

If she took Xuan Xixi home — what would become of Xuanzhao?

What would become of Prince Xuan and the Princess Consort?

As Prince Xuan grew older with each passing year, he had no other imperial sons besides Xuan Xixi. Xuan Xixi had wanted to groom Momo, but Momo was simply not ready.

If Xuan Xixi left, Qilan would only need to wait a few more years — until Prince Xuan was older and more frail — to seize Xuanzhao.

Or even before Qilan moved against Xuanzhao — if the court ministers saw that Xuan Xixi was gone, would they not think of usurping Prince Xuan’s throne?

They would.

They absolutely would.

And at that point — what fate would await Xuan Xixi’s father and mother, and his sisters?

How could she possibly take Xuan Xixi away — plunging Xuanzhao, Prince Xuan, the Princess Consort, Zhaonan, Zhaoyue, the Princess Imperial, Ye Chen, Ye’an, and so many others into danger?

She instructed Ye’an and the guards to carry Xuan Yanyu to the sleeping chamber.

Yan Yunning stared at the man’s face for a long while, lost in a daze, then murmured softly, “Xuan Xixi, you don’t know — at the very beginning, I couldn’t stand the sight of you either. I even listened to Fafa and went to the apothecary to buy… never mind. I won’t say it — or you’ll be unhappy again.”

Fafa pursed its lips. At the start, they couldn’t stand each other — so how had it come to this, so utterly unable to be apart?

“And another thing.” Yan Yunning wrapped her fingers around Xuan Yanyu’s hand where it lay across the brocade quilt — his knuckles distinct, his skin clear and clean. Her lips trembled faintly. “Xuan Xixi, whenever I think about the days ahead — after I leave, you will have a new Crown Princess. You’ll dote on her. The two of you will have a child together. Just thinking about it makes me hurt so much.”

“Will you coax her the way you coax me? Will you carry her on your back? Will you get up in the middle of the night to pour her water? Will you agree to her unreasonable requests too?”

“You said without me, you’d be like Father Emperor — mm…” Yan Yunning pressed her cheek against his chest, her eyes growing damp at the corners.

So it turned out… that a chance meeting that should never have happened truly could not lead to being together…

Tears soaked into the brocade quilt.

When Yan Yunning next opened her eyes, she looked around in confusion at a room full of Imperial Physicians.

“Ningning, you’re awake.” Xuan Yanyu helped Yan Yunning sit up and instructed the physicians to come forward and take her pulse.

Half a quarter-hour later, a physician said in trembling terror, “Your Highness, the Crown Princess… the Crown Princess, she…”

Before Yan Yunning could make sense of the situation, Xuan Yanyu sent the physician flying with a kick out of the room.

Master. Fafa stepped forward to explain. You’ve been unconscious for two days. That day, while you were lying against Xuan Yanyu’s chest, you drifted off in a daze and then fell into unconsciousness for two days.

Hmph. Didn’t you say that if I lost consciousness or fell into a deep sleep, you would also lose connection?

Fafa: …

“A pack of worthless physicians.” Xuan Yanyu’s eyes had gone crimson as he let out a low snarl. “If Ningning does not recover, this Palace will tear down the Imperial Physician’s Court. Every last one of you…”

Before Xuan Yanyu could finish, Yan Yunning took his hand and soothed him. “It’s all right. I’m fine now.”

“Ningning.” Xuan Yanyu’s eyes had lost all light. He stared at Yan Yunning’s pale face, his fingers trembling beyond his control.

“I really am fine.” Yan Yunning swayed their joined hands and said softly, “Xuan Xixi, I’m so hungry.”

“Good. Let’s go eat.” Xuan Yanyu tightened his grip on her hand.

“Your Highness.” Yan Yunning smiled and tilted her head. “Won’t you carry your little lazybones to the Qishan Dining Hall?”

“Of course.” Xuan Yanyu took the cloak Qiuci handed to him and draped it around Yan Yunning’s shoulders, then smiled and tapped the tip of her nose. “Let’s go to the Qishan Dining Hall.”

“Mm.” Yan Yunning wrapped her arms around the man’s neck. The Imperial Physicians and maidservants in the hall all stepped aside, clearing a path for them.

A rush of warm heat flooded her nose. Yan Yunning quickly wiped away the blood.

On the way to the Qishan Dining Hall, Xuan Yanyu walked very, very slowly.

Yan Yunning steadied herself and tilted her head up to look at the setting sun. She murmured, “Xuan Xixi, the sunset is so beautiful tonight. Can we sit outside and eat while watching it?”

“Yes.”

“Xuan Xixi, if our Crown Prince’s Manor had a lake — do you think the water’s surface would reflect that orange glow?”

“Mm. It would.”

“Xuan Xixi, is this the first time you’ve ever had a meal at sunset? It’s my first time too.”

“Mm.”

“Xuan Xixi, Xuan Xixi, Xuan Xixi.” Yan Yunning reached up and touched the gold crown pinning back the man’s hair, then asked the question Xuan Yanyu himself had once asked when carrying her for the first time. “Xuan Yanyu — is it solid gold?”

The man gave a faint start. He tilted his head to look at her and said in a low voice, “It’s fake…”

“That can’t be right. You’re the Crown Prince — you can’t wear something fake.”

“The Crown Prince has to save up for his Crown Princess’s betrothal gifts and dowry gifts. Why can he not wear something fake?” What had gone unsaid in her heart last time, Yan Yunning now said aloud.

“Then have you given your Crown Princess her betrothal gifts and dowry gifts?”

“Of course. This Palace even gave double the betrothal gifts.”

“Xuan Xixi, being your Crown Princess is such happiness.”

“Then be this Palace’s Crown Princess forever. Never leave this Palace. All right?”

The man’s voice caught faintly in his throat.

Yan Yunning closed her eyes, letting the tears fall freely. “All right.”

“You promised this Palace. Don’t break your word — otherwise this Palace will never forgive you.”

The sun slid below the horizon. Yan Yunning looked down and saw clearly the man’s crimson eyes, and the wetness on… his cheeks.

“I won’t…”

“Don’t deceive this Palace. Otherwise this Palace truly will not forgive you.”

Yan Yunning’s lashes trembled. This time, she did not open her mouth to answer him.

The sun sank away. Night descended. The maidservants set out candleholders, a dining table, and dishes of food in the courtyard. Xuan Yanyu carried Yan Yunning over and set her down on a cushioned mat.

“Your Highness, the breeze is so cool.” Yan Yunning leaned against the man’s shoulder. The faintly cool evening wind touched her face, and she closed her eyes, a smile resting on her lips. Xuan Yanyu watched her, and a sudden, sharp pain pierced his heart.

The wind blew stronger and stronger. The dishes of food already laid out became dusted with dirt. Yan Yunning opened her eyes, watched the tree branches in the courtyard swaying wildly left and right, and said with regret, “Your Highness, it looks like we can’t eat outside today after all.”

“We can.” The moment the man’s words fell, the sky let out a tremendous boom, and then all at once, raindrops began to fall — one after another.

Xiao Wan hurried to produce an oilpaper umbrella and held it over Xuan Yanyu and Yan Yunning’s heads. The dishes of food were also cleared away by the maidservants.

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll have our meal at sunset again. All right?” Xuan Yanyu sheltered Yan Yunning in his arms and carried her running back to the sleeping chamber.

“All right.”

Sadly, for several days in a row, the evening hours never again saw a single ray of sunset — and Yan Yunning grew sicker with each passing day, slipping into unconsciousness more and more often.