Clear sunlight once again shone through the small opening at the highest point into the dark cell, the brilliant point of light falling beside her shoes.

The same scene—Zhi Xi had been watching it for two thousand years.

During these two thousand years, she had experienced regret, and even had thoughts of breaking her promise and quietly leaving the Heavenly Prison. But she still persisted. Perhaps for her, staying in the Heavenly Prison was no longer simply about guilt toward Xuan Yi, but rather a kind of redemption and sublimation for herself.

The narrow cell was now piled high with various official documents. The head of the Justice Ministry would often send matters for her to handle, and no matter how she declined, it was useless.

Today there was another pile of matters to handle. Zhi Xi sighed as she opened the documents. Suddenly she heard the door to the prison corridor being opened, and footsteps came closer and closer. In a moment, those footsteps actually stopped before her door, and a long-missed soft voice sounded: “Senior Apprentice Sister.”

The documents in Zhi Xi’s hands immediately slid to the floor. Looking up, beyond the light of the true word restraints, Xuan Yi’s figure was slender and blurred.

Was it emotion? Was it guilt? Was it joy? Was it having no face to meet her?

The sudden myriad of feelings actually left Zhi Xi stunned in place.

Xuan Yi quietly looked at the graceful figure in the dark cell. The senior apprentice sister who, when she liked her in her heart, took such thorough care of her; the senior apprentice sister who, though she clearly didn’t like her in her heart, still had to uphold the way of justice to protect her.

She parted her lips and said softly: “At that time, being able to meet Senior Apprentice Sister first, I felt very at ease.”

But she had betrayed that sense of ease. Zhi Xi’s eyes, which had been dry for two thousand years, were suddenly soaked with tears once more. She turned her head away, pressing her sleeve against her eyes.

Xuan Yi’s voice was low and gentle: “Actually, at that time I was planning to kill Senior Apprentice Sister.”

…Ah? Zhi Xi looked at her in astonishment.

“I’m very glad I didn’t strike in the end.” Behind the black gauze, Xuan Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Senior Apprentice Sister should also be like me—it would be better to be more lenient toward yourself.”

Zhi Xi immediately didn’t know what to say, and it seemed even her tears couldn’t flow out anymore.

Yet she heard this oddly-tempered young princess suddenly sigh again, her tone becoming helpless: “Senior Apprentice Sister truly has no discernment at all.”

At least Yan Xia later chose Gu Ting. Zhi Xi just crashed headfirst into the pit that was Shao Yi and nearly died in it.

Zhi Xi was at first angered by the guilt her words evoked, but very quickly, her expression became tranquil and clear again. That infatuation that had once driven her mad and caused her to generate countless strange fantasies had long since completely disappeared in these two thousand years. That mass she had once hidden in her heart—the Sea of Bitter Regrets, pitch-black and profound, impervious to all methods—had also vanished into smoke and dispersed.

Actually, Shao Yi had never once been wrong. What she was infatuated with was ultimately a phantom, just like when she was infatuated with Fucang back then. She held her head high, living in the illusion she herself had constructed, unwilling to bow her head to look at reality.

So she lowered her head and laughed with relief: “…That’s right, truly no discernment at all.”

Xuan Yi’s laughter faded faintly into the distance: “Hurry out, Senior Apprentice Sister. In a few months, Senior Apprentice Brother Gu Ting and Senior Apprentice Sister Yan Xia will be getting married. Let’s go to the ceremony together.”

Just leaving like that? Zhi Xi hurried toward the true word restraints, only to discover that those several powerful restraints had somehow been torn apart by Xuan Yi. She chased out of the cell and called loudly: “Xuan Yi, I’m sorry.”

Sorry for what? If the two of them switched places, she wouldn’t have such noble sentiments. Senior Apprentice Sister truly loved tormenting herself.

Xuan Yi waved her hand, and the hem of her lotus-pink long robe disappeared into the dark corridor.

*

The closed curtains were suddenly pulled open, and light from the not-very-bright courtyard shone through the moon window, illuminating the bedchamber.

Spring days were rainy, and Qing Di Palace, this place where it often rained, was almost in a fine drizzle every single day. The deep and quiet courtyard was full of misty water vapor, steaming clouds and swirling mist. Crystal water drops fell one by one from the top of the nanmu wood corridor, like a crystal curtain.

Fucang turned his head to look at the blue gauze canopy. The figure inside was still sleeping.

Since waking, she had been like a newborn Zhuyin Dragon God—getting drowsy at the drop of a hat. One sleep would last three to five days. She had already been sleeping for four days this time. Since yesterday, her turning over had gradually become more frequent, so she should wake soon.

The slightly cool spring breeze poured into the room. Fucang put on his outer robe. After thinking about it, he still didn’t close the curtains. He pushed open the door, broke through the cloud boundary and went out. The divine officials he passed smiled as they bowed in greeting, saying at the same time: “Divine Lord, the Immortal Radiant Apricot Blossoms in the garden bloomed the day before yesterday.”

Such good timing—she would definitely be delighted to see them.

After practicing his sword by Chengjiang Lake and returning to the room, he discovered the Dragon Princess had actually already awakened. She was sitting on the bedside covering her eyes with her sleeve, looking rather pitiful.

Fucang flicked his fingertip, making the curtains close. The room immediately plunged into the darkness that put her at ease.

“You did it on purpose.” Xuan Yi pouted. As if afraid she would secretly run away, when he wasn’t there he made the room so bright. She had nearly been blinded again when she woke—how could this guy be so cruel?

Fucang pretended not to hear, crouching by the bedside to brush aside her long hair and carefully examine her complexion, saying in a low voice: “The Immortal Radiant Apricot Blossoms have bloomed. Want to go see them?”

She immediately hooked her arms around his neck happily: “Yes.”

Her face still carried the flush of just waking, and even her lip color was much more vivid than usual. Fucang suddenly didn’t really want to go see the apricot blossoms right now. His fingertips caressed her lips for a moment, but in the end he still couldn’t help raising his head to kiss her.

After being separated for two thousand years, he couldn’t be gentle. In the pitch-black darkness where one couldn’t see one’s own hand, he released with all his might—biting, licking, and sucking. He truly wished he could dismantle her and swallow her whole, attacking and conquering in her lips and teeth again and again, demanding her response, until she docilely leaned into him, her skin burning hot.

In the entanglement, Xuan Yi only felt his palm pass through her clothing and grasp her bare shoulder. Perhaps because she no longer had dragon scales, this strength made her feel a slight pain. She began to twist and struggle like a fish just caught on a hook, her voice trembling: “It hurts.”

But her tone clearly didn’t sound like she was in pain.

Then let it hurt a bit more. Their time together had been far too brief—only pain could be savored in memory.

Fucang lowered his head and bit her shoulder, turning and repeating. On that jade-porcelain-like skin, a bluish-red bruise quickly appeared. He caressed it with his fingertips for a moment, feeling a strange kind of pleasure, and couldn’t help but continue sucking and kissing heavily down along the curve of her shoulder.

Poor Xuan Yi, without her dragon scales, was like an ant on a hot pan. Right now her body in his hands was truly like tofu—a pinch here, a bite there left ambiguous marks. It hurt a little, but not that much—an indescribable feeling.

The world turned upside down. The darkness that had put her at ease suddenly became scorching hot. Her body was turned over, and his lips lightly bit her back. One hand reached around to the front, covering her rising chest.

She had simply become a bird with broken wings in his embrace. Her waist was restrained, her shoulders were restrained. As if she couldn’t catch her breath, there was nowhere to escape up, down, front, or back. That extremely sweet ocean-like poisoned wine had already pickled her to the marrow. From now on, probably even her divine soul would be addicted to it.

Fucang gripped her chin and turned her face halfway around. In the pitch-black darkness, the profile of her face carried a faint snow-light. He went to kiss the corner of her lips, again and again, accompanied by the teasing movements of his palm. The Dragon Princess’s two feet kicked chaotically on the blanket again—why did she always love to hide? His hand went down along her soft and charming curves, landing on the place that would make her hide even more desperately.

Just hide then, fallen celestial deity, courting death. These accounts, separated by two thousand years, must ultimately be settled clearly. As if taking revenge, he also bit the corner of her lips.