◎Next time, I will definitely come.◎

The arrows flew through the air, spreading out to seal off all of Luo Wanqing’s escape routes.

Even if Luo Wanqing could escape, the Crown Prince behind her would never be able to avoid Li Guiyu’s five arrows fired with full force.

The moment Luo Wanqing saw the arrows approaching, she abandoned any thought of dodging. She stood silently in front of the Crown Prince, gripping her blade with both hands, aiming at the center arrow, and roared!

Her internal force surged outward as she struck down fiercely at the arrow with her blade!

The arrow carried the force of thunder and lightning, like a mountain collapsing or tsunami crashing. When it struck the blade, the blade shattered with a ringing sound. One arrow pierced through Luo Wanqing’s shoulder, sending her entire body flying backward!

Luo Wanqing spat out a mouthful of blood, then felt someone embrace her from behind, absorbing the force around her body while channeling a warm current into her, protecting her heart meridian.

For a moment, everything spun around her. She couldn’t tell what was happening around her, only hearing the sounds of fierce combat. Zhuque seemed to have followed and was shouting beside her: “Crown Prince His Highness is here, protect the Crown Prince!”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing instinctively opened her eyes and saw Li Guiyu on the high building touch the ground with his toes, sweep out with his sword horizontally, and escape by treading on the waves.

Luo Wanqing struggled to get up but was pressed down by Xie Heng, who forced several pills into her mouth and said flatly: “Can’t stop him anymore.”

With Li Guiyu’s skills, once the Supervision Department entered the chaos, and with Xie Heng still here, no one could stop him.

Luo Wanqing urgently grasped Xie Heng’s sleeve, her lips trembling: “Young Master…”

“We’ll kill him later.”

Without needing her to speak, Xie Heng could see her intention. He held her hand and said calmly: “Your injuries are urgent.”

Luo Wanqing couldn’t speak. She felt her consciousness gradually becoming blurred.

She could no longer think about her situation or whether she was dying. She only thought of her family.

Qinglu would wait with them at the ferry until dawn. If she didn’t arrive by dawn, perhaps they would leave.

If she died, that would be fine. Qinglu would see them off one last time. They had no remaining value as leverage, so once they left, no one would likely deliberately search for them again.

But if she lived, Qinglu now knew their final direction of departure, which would create future threats of them being discovered and used as hostages against her.

Yet now that she had been saved by Xie Heng, given what she had done tonight, he probably wouldn’t let her leave.

Who could help her? Who would help her?

In this desperate situation, she suddenly thought of one person.

He was the only person she could rely on now.

“I want to see Cui Heng.” Luo Wanqing used all her strength to grab Xie Heng’s sleeve.

Xie Heng, who was treating her injuries, paused and looked up at Luo Wanqing. He saw her gasping, pleading urgently: “I know my sins are deep, but it wasn’t intentional. I hope Young Master will consider that I protected the Crown Prince tonight…”

“Alright.”

Xie Heng understood her meaning and agreed decisively.

He didn’t know why, but hearing her helpless pleading in this desperate situation, he felt a strange, bitter pain spreading in his heart.

He gently brushed her temple with his hand, rarely speaking so tenderly in front of others: “Rest assured. He’s on his way. When you wake up, he’ll be back.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing had no more strength. The medicine seemed to take effect, and her vision slowly darkened.

Xie Heng looked at the arrow in her body and her pale face, pressing his lips together.

Then he looked around. The surroundings were a scene of carnage. Most of the Crown Prince’s people were dead, and almost all of Fengyu Pavilion’s people had been wiped out, leaving only some high-ranking members still putting up desperate resistance.

Fengyu Pavilion had ten groups of heaven-level assassins in total. Previously, when he was impersonating Qin Jue, he had killed Tianjue Four Blades and Eight Music during an ambush. Later, Zhao Yuyan died, and Zhang Jiuran’s whereabouts were unknown. Tonight, Fengyu Pavilion had come out in full force—hundreds of top-level assassins were all here. If it had been just the Supervision Department alone, it would have taken considerable effort. Now that they could be completely rooted out, he had to thank Li Guiyu.

It was just unfortunate that he had escaped…

Xie Heng felt a slight chill in his heart. He lifted Luo Wanqing horizontally and said coldly: “Zhuque, protect Crown Prince His Highness, continue to blockade Fangfei Pavilion. Not one of the remaining Fengyu Pavilion members can escape.”

Zhuque immediately acknowledged the order and quickly pulled up the completely terrified Li Shangwen. With Supervision Department members clearing the way, they fought their way out.

Xie Heng carried Luo Wanqing to the shore and saw several large ships slowly approaching.

A small boat had already reached the shore early. An elderly man in purple eunuch robes stood on the boat. Seeing Xie Heng, he respectfully bowed: “Inspector Xie.”

“Grand Supervisor Yang.” Xie Heng nodded, then immediately said, “The assassin escaped earlier. The Supervision Department will conduct a city-wide search tonight. Please tell His Majesty that treating the Crown Prince’s injuries is urgent. I’ll report to His Majesty after tomorrow’s court session.”

“Inspector, you’ve worked hard.”

Grand Supervisor of the Central Imperial Office Yang Chun, who had grown up with the current emperor as his childhood companion, smiled and said gently, “Inspector, you may attend to your business first. However, regarding tonight’s city-wide search, the Supervision Department may not be suitable.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng looked up coldly.

Yang Chun smiled awkwardly and only said: “When Xuanwu Envoy entered the palace tonight, the Third Prince also simultaneously sent His Majesty a secret letter, saying he discovered Crown Prince His Highness at Fangfei Pavilion and that the Supervision Department seemed to have ill intentions. His Majesty received two letters with similar content but opposite accusers. His Majesty is quite troubled and has specifically sent this servant to investigate. But when I arrived here, I couldn’t make sense of anything—everyone fighting in chaos…” Yang Chun looked at Fangfei Pavilion, where it was impossible to distinguish who was who in the fierce combat, his tone helpless. “It’s hard to reach any conclusion.”

Xie Heng had Xuanshan go to the palace to accuse Li Guiyu of assassinating the Crown Prince, while Li Guiyu simultaneously had someone accuse Xie Heng of assassinating the Crown Prince.

With both men involved in the case, how could they let the Supervision Department arrest anyone?

“His Majesty has appointed this servant to handle this matter,” Yang Chun smiled. “Inspector Xie need not worry too much.”

Understanding Yang Chun’s meaning, Xie Heng wasn’t surprised. Though tonight hadn’t achieved the best outcome, being able to use Li Guiyu’s hand to uproot Fengyu Pavilion and capture its high-ranking members meant both sides had suffered heavy losses, while he had no significant losses to regret.

Xie Heng was concerned about Luo Wanqing’s injuries and didn’t want to say more. He nodded and said quietly, “Grand Supervisor, you’ve worked hard.”

With that, the two bid farewell. Xie Heng protected Luo Wanqing as they boarded the small boat. He drew the curtains and laid Luo Wanqing down, checking her wounds while arranging the final siege through the curtains with Zhuque.

“People from the Central Imperial Office have come, but they certainly won’t risk their lives for tonight’s events. Zhuque, don’t mind them. Get ahead of the Central Imperial Office and bring Fengyu Pavilion’s people back to the Supervision Department. Take them directly without consulting the Central Imperial Office. Qingya, prepare to transport the wounded. Have someone return to inform Xuanshan to prepare physicians and medicine, ensuring all wounded can receive treatment immediately upon return without delaying anyone. Arrange Wei Qianqiu in my room, ready to extract arrows, and tell him clearly—these are Li Guiyu’s arrows.”

Wei Qianqiu was Elder Zhong’s closing disciple, specifically responsible for Xie Heng alone.

Hearing the last sentence, Qingya understood this was specifically arranged for Liu Xiniang. By preparing in advance, Liu Xiniang could have her arrows extracted immediately upon return, maximizing her chances.

Qingya immediately responded: “All other wounded Supervision Department members’ arrangements have been prepared long ago. I’ll have someone arrange for Physician Wei immediately.”

With that, everyone received their tasks and dispersed. After calmly completing everything and everyone had withdrawn, only he and Luo Wanqing remained in the small boat.

Xie Heng turned to look at the woman lying with closed eyes, protected by his internal force at her heart meridian. His gaze fell on Luo Wanqing’s shoulder.

This arrow had ultimately been shot off-target.

If it had been more accurate, no one could have saved this person.

Regardless of whether Li Guiyu admitted it or not, this face had ultimately affected him, even though he didn’t even know who this was.

But with such deep affection and loyalty, how had they reached this point?

Xie Heng looked down at her face.

Her skin was unnaturally pale—not just fair, but thin, as delicate as blown glass. Her features were exquisite, every detail perfectly sculpted.

She lay quietly, looking like a porcelain figurine, breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring tenderness.

But completely different from her face were the scars and calluses on her hands.

She used blades, different from swords. Blade users all had thick calluses. She hadn’t been practicing martial arts long, but she was very diligent, practicing every day without slacking off even once, so the calluses on her hands resembled those of someone who had been learning martial arts for years.

He couldn’t help but touch her callused fingertips, looking at her completely reconstructed muscles and bones. Remembering how she had cried uncontrollably from pain while sitting in his arms during bone reconstruction, he couldn’t help wanting to ask.

How had she managed to do it? And why?

How had she gone from an unmarried girl raised in inner chambers with untrained fingers to this point?

How had she gone from a physician who saved lives to carrying a butcher’s blade?

Why wouldn’t she trust him and go to Lingnan properly, instead of insisting on gambling this life-and-death path?

He remembered when he was still Qin Jue, seeing her unable to even eat meat after killing someone.

Then he thought of recently when he forced her to conduct interrogations, how she held the steel needle but couldn’t bear to use it.

She wasn’t meant for this path, so why did she come?

Her journey here, when understood afterward, wasn’t difficult to deduce.

When he had initially refused her petition at the Supervision Department, she decided to be self-reliant. For some reason, she and Zhang Jiuran had switched identities. Zhang Jiuran had even given her all her internal force. She had stumbled to the Supervision Department, perhaps to disguise Zhang Jiuran’s identity, or perhaps because Fengyu Pavilion held some leverage over her, forcing her to obey their orders.

But she didn’t truly want to take his life, so she held the Crown Prince hostage and came back to save him.

Throughout this journey, she had no one besides herself.

The only person she could trust was perhaps Zhang Jiuran, whom he considered utterly evil.

So she was full of contradictions. She hadn’t deceived him—she simply didn’t want people to know she was Luo Wanqing.

As an exile impersonating a death row prisoner and entering the Supervision Department under false identity, if he didn’t know her or hadn’t traveled with her from the Eastern Capital, if he learned the truth…

He would probably restore order and send her back to Lingnan.

But she had risked her life to come to the Supervision Department because she wanted to seek revenge personally and not return to Lingnan, didn’t she?

So what was wrong with hiding her identity?

She hadn’t wronged him in any way. Even knowing the Supervision Department had abandoned her, she still chose to protect it.

He was the one who had abandoned her repeatedly.

In Yangzhou, he had abandoned her, letting her go to Lingnan.

Tonight, he had abandoned her, waiting for her to be surrounded and die under Li Guiyu’s blade.

Thinking of his words: “Even three-surname ministers still have people who dare use them—it’s just a dog, why wouldn’t I dare?”

And that line: “She has a gentle, weak personality and a pure heart. She’d rather go to Lingnan exile and endure until death than come to the Supervision Department to kill. She’s a physician—what are you?”

Xie Heng couldn’t help but feel his heartstrings tremble.

How could he be so harsh toward her?

How could he say such heart-piercing words after she had endured all this?

He was Xie Heng, so naturally she held no resentment.

She had always been rational, clear-headed, and discriminating in her loves and hates. Xie Heng had his position, and she didn’t care about Xie Heng.

But what about Cui Guanlan?

Thinking that before losing consciousness, her final trust had been placed in Cui Guanlan, he felt both secretly pleased and deeply ashamed.

He knew that if she learned he was Cui Guanlan, she might not harbor resentment, but she would be heartbroken.

She could never treat Cui Guanlan as she had before, and Cui Guanlan would forever lose the Liu Xiniang who carried Luo Wanqing’s shadow.

Thinking of this possibility, he sighed softly, leaned against the boat, and closed his eyes.

He suddenly realized he had no courage and couldn’t bear to admit he was Cui Guanlan.

He didn’t know what to do and could only lean against the boat, feeling it sway as it reached shore.

Protected by Xie Heng’s internal force at her heart meridian and having taken various life-saving medicines, Luo Wanqing felt as if she was soaked in warm water, warm and comfortable, with her consciousness somewhat blurred.

She vaguely remembered she needed to do something and should wake up quickly, but couldn’t remember what exactly. She could only repeatedly call out the only memory remaining in her consciousness.

“Cui Guanlan… I want to see Cui Guanlan…”

She kept muttering this name, feeling herself being carried by someone, constantly changing locations. Finally, those people seemed to give her anesthesia, and she completely lost consciousness.

When she regained consciousness, she immediately opened her eyes and tried to sit up. Before she could move, she was pressed down: “Wait!”

A familiar voice came. Luo Wanqing gasped and looked up.

The young man before her wore a gold mask and white robes, his lips curved in an ambiguous smile. He pressed one hand on her shoulder and held a medicine bowl with the other.

Luo Wanqing stared at him blankly. He smiled gently: “Haven’t seen me in so long that you don’t recognize me?”

“Cui… Cui Heng?”

Luo Wanqing spoke hoarsely. Seeing her calm down, Cui Heng lowered his eyes to hide the emotions within, smiling as he cooled the medicine: “I hadn’t even entered the Eastern Capital when I heard the Inspector call someone to notify me that you had been calling my name all night. You made me rush here non-stop without even changing clothes.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She looked at the sky, then immediately asked: “What time is it?”

“Past the middle of the Yin hour.” Cui Heng tested the medicine’s temperature and brought it to her lips. “Drink the medicine first.”

Past the middle of the Yin hour…

There was still time, still time!

Luo Wanqing reacted and pushed him away, trying to get out of bed. Cui Heng had anticipated her reaction and quickly set down the medicine bowl, supporting her: “You’ve just suffered serious injuries. Is there something that must be done right now?”

“Yes.”

Luo Wanqing looked up, earnest and urgent: “Cui Heng, help me with a favor, okay? I need to leave for a while right now, leave immediately, or I won’t make it in time.”

As Luo Wanqing spoke, she knew Cui Heng might not agree.

She had just set a trap for Xie Heng last night. Although in Xie Heng’s eyes, she had earned merit by protecting the Crown Prince in the Supervision Department’s name, he probably still considered her a traitor.

In Xie Heng’s eyes, she was Zhang Jiuran, who had betrayed him repeatedly—unforgivable. His letting Cui Heng stay here was probably just a bit of compassionate mercy.

But Cui Heng was the only person in the Supervision Department she could plead with now. She urgently said: “I beg…”

“Alright.”

Cui Heng agreed immediately. Luo Wanqing was startled, then saw Cui Heng take a cloak that had been prepared nearby, drape it over her, tie the cord, and say gently: “But I must escort you.”

He couldn’t let her disappear. Monitoring her and taking her away while ensuring she posed no threat to the Supervision Department should be his bottom line.

Luo Wanqing didn’t want to make things difficult for him: “Alright.”

As soon as she spoke, Cui Heng smiled and suddenly lifted her horizontally. Luo Wanqing was startled, and he carried her out through the window, treading on rooftops as they rushed outward.

“Where to?”

Cui Heng asked as he headed toward the city gate.

“Qingyun Ferry, five li outside the city.”

Luo Wanqing immediately gave the destination. Hearing this location, Cui Heng’s movements stiffened, becoming noticeably rigid.

Luo Wanqing looked up, puzzled: “Cui Heng?”

“It’s nothing.”

Cui Heng collected himself and smiled without asking more. He just held her and leaped across rooftops, climbed over city walls, and raced across the wilderness.

He seemed to know she was in a hurry and didn’t even use horses, using his internal force to protect her heart meridian while rushing with lightness skills.

In his arms, Luo Wanqing felt the cold morning wind passing around them, but her body was very warm.

She couldn’t help but look up at him.

The early morning had no stars or moon—just darkness pressing down—yet she could see this person’s face. His jawline was beautiful, and his lips looked thin and soft.

She suddenly couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like if he had been there last night.

If Cui Guanlan had been there, would he have stood at the bow like the others, quietly watching her?

As soon as she thought about this question, she felt glad he hadn’t been there last night.

Otherwise, if he had stepped forward, she would have felt guilty.

If he hadn’t stepped forward… though she could understand, it would still have been somewhat, or perhaps quite, heartbreaking.

But fortunately, he hadn’t been there.

Thinking this, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but gently shift her head to rest against his chest.

Cui Heng felt her movement and glanced down at her. Seeing her relax her guard and rest gently against his chest, his heart felt both bitter and warm.

They traveled urgently for less than half an hour. As the sky gradually brightened, by the time they reached the ferry, the sky had become a clear, misty expanse.

From afar, Luo Wanqing saw Qinglu standing at the ferry with her family. In Cui Heng’s arms, she couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Xie Heng saw the people standing there from far away and immediately understood Luo Wanqing’s purpose and what Fengyu Pavilion had been using to threaten her all this time.

When the Luo family met disaster, since Luo Wanqing hadn’t died, what could be used to threaten her…

Xie Heng’s eyelashes trembled.

He stopped in front of the group while holding Luo Wanqing. When she touched the ground, the Luo family members suddenly widened their eyes.

Luo Shangchun exclaimed excitedly: “Little sister?!”

“Sir, you’re mistaken.” Luo Wanqing didn’t dare look at Luo Shangchun. After dismissing him perfunctorily, she turned to look at Qinglu beside them, took documents from her hands, and said gratefully: “Thank you.”

“The boat has arrived. You can go by yourselves.” Qinglu waved her hand. “I need to return.”

“They didn’t discover anything, did they?”

Luo Wanqing worried. Qinglu smiled: “The Supervision Department killed most people and was called back by your signal flare. I cleaned up the rest, and now Fengyu Pavilion is also scattered. I’ll go back to find the mother parasite and then leave, too.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt much more at ease. She bowed formally: “Green mountains and clear waters—may we meet again someday.”

Qinglu nodded and bowed back: “High mountains and distant waters—may we reunite if fate allows.”

With that, Qinglu turned and left.

Luo Wanqing watched her departure, then immediately turned to the Luo family members who had been staring at her in a daze. She handed the documents to Luo Shangchun and said calmly, “These are your future identity documents. You’re all from various small countries who were kidnapped and trafficked into the Eastern Capital. Take these border crossing documents and travel permits. Starting today, follow the water downstream, find a place to settle, then go to the authorities to change your names. From now on, live good lives.”

Luo Shangchun couldn’t speak. He looked at the woman before him. She resembled Luo Wanqing greatly, but upon closer inspection, her eyes seemed somewhat different too.

“Little sister?”

Luo Shangchun called again uncertainly.

Luo Wanqing felt sourness rising in her heart, but she didn’t want her family to worry about her anymore.

Her future life and death were uncertain. It would be better to let them have one good cry and be done with it.

She suppressed her emotions and smiled apologetically: “I apologize. I am an inspector from the Supervision Department. Because my case involved approaching Third Prince Li Guiyu, who is the former fiancé of Jiang Shaoyan, of Miss Luo’s, I specifically had someone imitate Miss Luo’s face and deliberately learned her voice and habits to deceive the Third Prince.”

Hearing this, the Luo family showed shock. Sister-in-law Su Hui hesitated: “Are there such miraculous things in this world?”

“I sincerely apologize for borrowing Miss Luo’s face.”

Luo Wanqing nodded. Luo Shangchun reacted, and his eyes reddened.

Having been displaced for so many days, he had heard many rumors and roughly knew what had happened. He only said: “It’s nothing. You’re investigating Li Guiyu’s case, right? As long as he gets his just deserts, you can do whatever you need! My little sister…” Luo Shangchun choked up. “My little sister, if she knew from beyond, certainly wouldn’t… wouldn’t mind!”

Luo Wanqing smiled without speaking. Looking at this older brother who had loved her most since childhood, she didn’t dare make a sound.

Because she feared that once she spoke, her hoarse voice would betray her emotions.

She had learned so much on this journey—she learned to disguise, to control herself, to use calm to cover raging storms, and to express boundless tenderness through silence.

Cui Heng, beside her, saw that she didn’t dare speak and stepped forward gently: “Time is getting late. You should depart early. Here’s some silver for travel expenses.”

With that, Cui Heng took out three bags of gold and pearls.

For ordinary families, these gold and pearls would be enough for a lifetime.

Luo Shangchun’s eyes widened as he quickly said: “We can’t accept this…”

Luo Wanqing also looked back in surprise, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Cui Heng: “You’ll have to rely on yourselves from now on. Taking more is always better. If not for yourselves, think of the child.”

With that, Cui Heng glanced at Luo Wenshui with a gentle expression: “She’s still growing.”

Hearing this, Luo Shangchun looked at the confused Luo Wenshui beside him, gritted his teeth, and finally accepted the gold and pearls, then immediately knelt.

Luo Wanqing and Cui Heng quickly supported Luo Shangchun. Luo Wanqing didn’t dare continue talking with them and said quietly: “Go quickly, or you won’t make it in time. Go to a place even I don’t know.”

Luo Shangchun nodded with tears and led his wife, child, and Yao Zelan onto the boat.

Yao Zelan had remained silent throughout, just watching Luo Wanqing with red eyes. When Luo Shangchun reached out to pull her, she suddenly acted, grabbing Luo Wanqing’s wrist.

“My lord,” Yao Zelan stared at her with tears in her eyes, “if the family encounters trouble in the future, may we seek your help?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing was startled, then murmured: “When you come to the Eastern Capital… first inquire about how Liu Xiniang is doing. If she’s serving well as an official, you can go to the Supervision Department to find her. If something happened to her, leave quickly.”

“Liu Xiniang, is it?”

Yao Zelan spoke, and tears fell. She smiled and said hoarsely: “Then, Lord Liu, remember to take medicine every tenth day of each month. Life is long,” Yao Zelan reached out and patted Luo Wanqing’s hand, “there will always be a mother waiting for you to come home.”

With that, Yao Zelan covered her face and boarded the boat.

Luo Wanqing stared blankly as the small boat disappeared into the blue mist, watching Luo Shangchun wave goodbye from the bow. Her lips trembled slightly as she looked down at her trembling wrist.

Xie Heng watched her quietly. He knew she had used all her strength, hoping no one would know her identity.

Because she wanted to protect these most important people and give them the best life.

Yet watching them depart and hearing those words, “mother waiting for you to come home,” she still felt her chest so blocked she couldn’t breathe.

“She’s a physician…”

Luo Wanqing murmured.

She raised the hand Yao Zelan had grasped, suddenly realizing what had just happened.

Her mother was a physician who examined her every day.

Everything else could change, but some small chronic conditions couldn’t.

She only needed to feel her pulse once to know who the person before her was.

She probably also knew she had reconstructed her bones, knew someone had forcibly channeled internal force into her, knew she had just been injured, and knew she had just been pulled back from death’s door.

She knew everything.

Yet she said nothing.

She only asked for her name, told her to remember to take medicine before her monthly cycle, and said there would always be a mother waiting for her to come home.

Luo Wanqing couldn’t control herself. Looking at the departing boat, she covered her chest and began gasping rapidly. After a long while, she softly cried: “Ah…”

Once the first cry escaped, sobs followed one after another, pouring out like a flood.

Cui Heng reached out to support her, watching her cry aloud.

He had never seen her lose composure like this while conscious. Only now did he finally feel that she was just a young girl.

She was nineteen years old. Half a year ago, she was still a girl who would become shy if she spoke too loudly.

He quietly held her shoulders, listening to her cries that fell upon his heart. He had little experience interacting with women and didn’t know what to do. Finally, seeing the boat far away, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace, gently patting her back, his voice hoarse: “It’s alright. After you get your revenge, you’ll have a good identity. You’re skilled in martial arts and capable. I’ll give you lots of gold and pearls then, and you can take them back to live well with them.”

Luo Wanqing listened to these comforting words, soothed by his voice, and cried for a long time before finally stopping.

When daylight fully broke, Luo Wanqing’s mind cleared somewhat. Only then did she realize she had cried all over Cui Heng’s clothes.

She sniffled and stepped back somewhat embarrassedly, saying quietly: “Sorry…”

“Having a beauty cry in my arms should be my joy. What do you have to apologize for?”

Cui Heng smiled, looked at her complexion, restrained his smile somewhat, and said gently: “Is there anything else?”

Luo Wanqing shook her head and said hoarsely, “Let’s go back.”

“Go back where?” Cui Heng asked with a smile.

Luo Wanqing was startled and looked up in confusion: “Aren’t you here to monitor me? Naturally, we’d return to the Supervision Department.”

Hearing this, Cui Heng seemed speechless. After a moment, he sighed: “If I were monitoring you, why would I bring so much gold and pearls?”

Luo Wanqing thought about it and realized that carrying three bags of gold and pearls daily did seem excessive.

“Then you came to…”

Luo Wanqing couldn’t figure it out. Cui Heng looked helpless: “I thought you were inviting me to elope, so I brought quite a few things.”

This absurd answer made Luo Wanqing laugh despite herself.

She couldn’t help asking: “If I asked you to come away with me, would you follow?”

“Hmm…” The young man before her seemed to consider seriously, then looked at her and said gently: “Cui Guanlan would follow you.”

Cui Guanlan would follow her.

But what about the person behind the mask?

Luo Wanqing didn’t want to think about it. Today, this person saying he’d elope with her was certainly a joke, but he should have known what she wanted to do.

So he had been so thoughtful, even bringing three bags of gold and pearls.

Just for this, she was very grateful.

She smiled and said gently, “Let’s go back.”

Cui Heng didn’t speak. After a moment, he seemed to hesitate, then stepped forward and took a short flute from his sleeve.

“Last time I got angry with you and broke that flute. I’m giving you a replacement.”

He handed the flute to Luo Wanqing and said gently, “Next time, I will come.”

Luo Wanqing heard these words and knew he was referring to last night’s events.

She suddenly felt her heart fill up. She didn’t mind, but she was very happy that he was willing to make this promise to her.

She looked up at him seriously: “Don’t worry, I won’t give this flute to anyone else this time.”

These words left Cui Heng stunned. After a moment, he seemed to think, then nodded: “Having Miss’s promise puts me much at ease. If Miss is willing,” he extended his hand, his bright eyes full of laughter, “may I carry you back?”

Luo Wanqing understood he didn’t want her injuries to worsen from travel. She didn’t say much, only lowered her eyes, spread her arms, and softly answered: “Mm.”

Author’s Note:

[Mini Theater]

Cui Heng: “Dating is really expensive.”