◎After being with Xiniang, I’m not even afraid of dreaming anymore◎

Luo Wanqing listened to these words without making a sound.

Seeing her long silence, Li Guiyu couldn’t help but turn to look at her and asked in puzzlement: “Miss?”

“Nothing,” Luo Wanqing seemed to just come back to her senses and laughed: “Listening to you deceive yourself is quite interesting.”

Li Guiyu frowned slightly: “What does Miss mean?”

“Nothing, let’s talk business.” Luo Wanqing didn’t want to argue with him and said directly: “You complained like that at the palace banquet. The Zheng family should be very dissatisfied with you. How dare you still say you’ve made arrangements with the Zheng family to protect me?”

“Between people, we only discuss interests, not feelings.” Li Guiyu seemed to understand what she was asking and said leisurely: “As long as that secret exists for one day, the Wang and Zheng families and I will forever be on the same side for one day.”

In this world, enemies and friends depend only on who they’re facing.

Usually the three families compete for their own interests, but once it involves the Cui family, they’re destined to be bound together.

Luo Wanqing roughly understood the relationship between these three parties. After thinking, she changed the topic and asked: “You knew I wanted to see the marriage contract?”

“Yes,” Li Guiyu nodded, then said with understanding: “Miss discovered the confession was wrong, didn’t you?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing understood that perhaps from the very beginning, his complaint at the palace banquet and making her aware he had the marriage contract in his hands was intentional.

He had long known that as soon as she investigated the case, she would discover the confession was wrong. Once she discovered the confession was wrong, she would need to collect her father’s handwriting. When no handwriting could be found in Jiangnan, it was because Li Guiyu had cleared it away early. So today, he was also waiting by the tree stump for the rabbit.

“From last night’s palace banquet, you had already planned to come find me today?”

Luo Wanqing understood. Li Guiyu nodded, then reminded her softly: “Miss, have you forgotten?”

Luo Wanqing was puzzled, then heard Li Guiyu’s voice, very soft: “Today is my birthday.”

These words made Luo Wanqing pause. Li Guiyu watched her reaction, chuckled softly, and turned to look out the window: “So you did forget.”

In previous years, on his birthday, she would always prepare carefully.

He remembered the first year she gave him a sword.

The second year, she gave him a poetry collection with the character “Jiang” in it.

In the third year, she gave him a pipa piece.

In the fourth year, she gave him a sachet embroidered with both their names.

The fifth year she gave him a jade pendant and took him to the outskirts of the city to watch the stars. It was that night that she initiated a kiss…

But now she remembered none of it.

She only remembered Cui Heng’s occasions, helping him celebrate at Zhenzhu Pavilion, playing pipa pieces for him. She had given everything she once had with him to another person, placing him in a position he might never have reached, so important that even when she wanted to celebrate at Zhenzhu Pavilion, she had to change locations to avoid dishonoring the dead soul.

How humiliating, how hurtful.

But he couldn’t say it out loud. Saying it would only add to the mockery and serve no purpose.

After all, the person was already dead…

Li Guiyu unconsciously gripped the window tighter, adjusting his breathing. Luo Wanqing thought for a moment, then finally spoke: “If you had told me earlier it was your birthday, I wouldn’t have come today. Stop the carriage, I’m leaving first.”

“Not going to look at the item?” Li Guiyu immediately spoke.

“No need.”

Luo Wanqing shook her head and stood up to leave: “I have my answer.”

“Take a look.”

Li Guiyu suddenly called out to stop Luo Wanqing: “It’s pouring rain today. After you see the item, I’ll have the carriage take you back.”

Luo Wanqing’s steps paused. After thinking for a moment, she nodded: “Alright.”

She sat back down and watched Li Guiyu take out a box from his sleeve.

He opened the box and took out the marriage contract, unfolding it for Luo Wanqing to see.

Every character on the marriage contract was familiar to Luo Wanqing. She had read this marriage contract countless times during her nineteenth year.

But when she looked at it then, no names had been written on it yet. He had brought it to her to see if there was anything improper.

Marriage contracts were mostly the same—where could there be anything improper?

It was only because he was too nervous that he needed repeated confirmation.

At this moment, she and Li Guiyu sat together, but both had long lost their initial state of mind.

Luo Wanqing carefully read every character, looking at the names signed on it.

Luo Wanqing.

Jiang Shaoyan.

In the four sections for parents, Li Guiyu’s side now bore the names Li Zong and Wang Lianyang. She wasn’t sure how he had convinced them to write these, but regardless, they were now complete.

On the bride’s parents’ side, besides her mother, Yao Zelan, her father’s name…

It was only a personal seal and a fingerprint.

The characters on this personal seal were not her father’s, which meant that on her marriage contract, what her father had left were only stamps, not handwriting.

This made Luo Wanqing pause in surprise. Li Guiyu picked up his tea and said softly: “Has Miss finished looking?”

Luo Wanqing slowly raised her head and stared at Li Guiyu.

She suddenly realized that actually “letting her see the marriage contract” wasn’t the condition—perhaps this was the real purpose.

What was he telling her?

Was he telling her that her father had left no handwriting whatsoever?

“Why isn’t my father’s name on the marriage contract?”

Luo Wanqing pressed. Li Guiyu shook his head: “I don’t know, but since I’ve known him, he indeed never leaves handwriting outside. I suspect that handwriting is perhaps too revealing and easily recognizable. Uncle probably feared people would know he came from Fengyu Pavilion.”

Luo Wanqing didn’t speak. She knew that, compared to Fengyu Pavilion, what her father feared more was perhaps being discovered as coming from “within the pavilion.” For someone with such a layered identity, concealing all traces that could identify his true self was normal.

But this way, she would never have any evidence to prove he could read and thereby overturn the confession.

And Li Guiyu was exposing this point for her to see.

But why do this?

Or was she overthinking?

She quietly stared at Li Guiyu, who slowly and carefully put away the document under her gaze.

After a while, the carriage stopped. Li Guiyu drained the last sip of tea from his cup, then looked up at Luo Wanqing, his gaze seeming like the past, shrouded in misty rain: “Is Miss still willing to dine with me?”

“No need.” Luo Wanqing stood to leave. As she bent down, her hair cascaded down, vaguely revealing a section of her fair neck. Her clothing shifted slightly, and red plum blossoms peeked out from her collar, revealing some alluring charm.

Li Guiyu instinctively looked up and saw the red plum on her nape, his pupils contracting sharply.

Luo Wanqing was completely unaware and continued on her own: “Today is Your Highness’s birthday. You should still invite your relatives and friends to gather. Don’t let enemies spoil the mood.”

“What’s on Miss’s back?”

Just as she finished speaking, Li Guiyu suddenly spoke.

Luo Wanqing’s heart tightened. Her movements paused slightly, and she heard him probe: “Is it a painting? Or something else?”

“It’s plum blossoms.”

Luo Wanqing controlled her emotions, not letting Li Guiyu detect any abnormality, and said coldly: “Tattooed on the body, convenient for future body identification.”

Li Guiyu was stunned by this response. Luo Wanqing turned and got out of the carriage.

Only then did Li Guiyu react, lifting the curtain and urgently calling after her: “Miss! I was improper just now, I…”

Luo Wanqing ignored him and found a passerby, giving them a piece of broken silver to buy the umbrella in their hands.

Seeing this action, Li Guiyu’s words were forcibly cut short. She wouldn’t even borrow an umbrella from him.

He pressed his lips tightly, watching Luo Wanqing turn and walk into the rain. After a long time, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said coldly: “Depart, let’s go back.”

“Your Highness isn’t celebrating your birthday anymore?” Zitang was somewhat surprised.

Li Guiyu leaned heavily against the carriage wall and said indifferently: “She came—that’s already a birthday celebration.”

“Oh,” Zitang drove the carriage, then remembered: “Your Highness, Jiqing left the Supervision Department. Should we notify Young Master Zheng about this?”

Li Guiyu didn’t speak. After a long time, he said slowly, “Wait until after today.”

Luo Wanqing hurried back to the Supervision Department and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She first went to eat dinner, then returned to the mountain, had someone prepare hot water, and after taking a good bath, it was already nighttime.

As soon as she left her room, she immediately sensed someone was there. Looking up, she saw Xie Heng sitting by the desk, head lowered as he reviewed documents.

Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but be startled and instinctively said, “How did you come here?”

“What, after meeting the Third Prince once, I’m no longer allowed to come?”

Xie Heng didn’t turn around, continuing to review documents with his back to her, joking: “I even specially sent a gift, doesn’t that earn me some consideration from Xiniang?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

Luo Wanqing crouched in front of Xie Heng, raised her hands to turn his face toward her, and studied him: “Where are Qingya and the others? They haven’t gone to sleep this early, have they?”

“Is this face pleasant to look at?”

Xie Heng spoke with a smile.

Luo Wanqing was amused by him and couldn’t help but lean down to kiss his cheek, then stood up to close the doors and windows, asking curiously: “What are you doing here so early today?”

“Missing you.”

Xie Heng answered honestly, turning back to his documents: “Thinking about you going out to eat with Li Guiyu made me restless. I couldn’t help but want to come wait and see what time you’d come home.”

“Xie Lingzhu…” Luo Wanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “When will you change this temperament of yours?”

“I’ve changed plenty. I don’t complain, I don’t use force, I just wait lovingly at home. Is that also a crime?” Xie Heng glanced at her. “That’s being too harsh.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing thought what he said made sense, so she returned to his side. Remembering what had just happened, she couldn’t help saying: “When will these paintings on my body disappear?”

Hearing this, Xie Heng’s brush tip paused. He looked up, seeming somewhat pleased: “He saw them?”

Then he reacted: “What did he see?”

“You’re happy?!”

Luo Wanqing was incredulous. Xie Heng’s smile diminished slightly, and he lowered his head to continue with his documents: “I trust that Xiniang will find a way to deceive him and avoid trouble.”

“Young. Master.” Luo Wanqing emphasized, clearly displeased.

Xie Heng immediately softened: “Just rub with alcohol and they’ll fade. I won’t act rashly next time.”

Not expecting Xie Heng to admit fault so quickly, Luo Wanqing was somewhat surprised: “Why is your attitude so good today?”

“Mm? Good?”

Xie Heng looked up with a smile: “I’ve always been this good to my wife. This is the first day my wife has noticed.”

Hearing him call her “wife,” Luo Wanqing’s face grew warm, and she said softly: “That form of address isn’t appropriate.”

“Oh.”

Xie Heng seemed somewhat disappointed, lowering his head helplessly: “Alright then. Let’s not discuss this now. You should sleep early tonight—there are important matters tomorrow.”

“Mm?” Luo Wanqing was curious. “What matters?”

“Tomorrow, the Supervision Department will announce that you’re officially succeeding as Chief of the White Tiger Division. In the afternoon, the Supervision Department will hold a special inauguration ceremony for this, and starting the day after tomorrow, you’ll accompany me to court.”

As Xie Heng spoke, he sighed with some heartache: “From now on, you’ll have to wake up early every day and never sleep well again.”

Luo Wanqing remained silent. Xie Heng was somewhat puzzled: “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Luo Wanqing looked up at him and couldn’t help saying: “Young master… do you like sleeping?”

“We always want what we can’t have,” Xie Heng smiled with some nostalgia. “Besides, I used to love sleeping, especially sleeping until the sun was high in the sky.”

“Were you like this at the Dao Sect too?” Luo Wanqing understood and asked curiously. “The Dao Sect seems to wake up quite early.”

“Mm.” Xie Heng nodded, then explained: “So I usually told them I was meditating and practicing in the mornings.”

Then he’d sleep until he naturally woke up.

“But later I didn’t have such days anymore. I had headaches and insomnia, rarely slept, which made me increasingly feel that being able to sleep well wasn’t easy. But now it’s better.”

Xie Heng looked up at her with a smile: “After being with Xiniang, I’m not even afraid of dreaming anymore.”

Author’s Note:

[Mini Theater: The Legend of the Dao Sect]

Interview: “Who is the most diligent person in the Dao Sect?”

Disciple: “Senior Brother Xie Heng!”

Interview: “Why? Doesn’t he ever attend morning classes?”

Disciple: “Senior Brother doesn’t attend morning classes, but he works hard! The sect master said that the reason Senior Brother could become a first-class swordsman at such a young age is due to his diligence. Every day, when everyone else sleeps, he practices swordwork. When everyone else wakes up, he practices cultivation. Senior Brother doesn’t come to morning classes because morning class time is too late, and by then Senior Brother has already entered meditation and cannot be interrupted, so he doesn’t come.”

Interview: “Who told you all this?”

Disciple: “The sect master!”

Interview: “Have you personally verified this?”

Disciple: “We have verified it. Junior Brother Zhuque once peeked at Senior Brother’s morning practice and flew from his room to outside the courtyard. Senior Brother Xuanshan said that Junior Brother Zhuque could fly so far because blankets increase Senior Brother’s internal energy, so we all didn’t dare go anymore.”