“What happened?”

Shen Miao stared blankly. Such a frivolous gesture would normally deserve a stern rebuke, but for some reason, she answered honestly: “While escaping earlier, I was wounded by a dagger.”

Xie Jingxing glanced at her, took out a porcelain bottle from his robes, and tossed it to her. “Apply this medicine.”

Shen Miao caught it without saying much, thinking about applying the medicine. However, she was sitting on the ground and had been soaking in the cold lake water for so long that she could barely summon any strength. Forget applying medicine – even sitting up was difficult.

Seeing her condition, Xie Jingxing had no choice but to walk to her side, grip her shoulders, and help her onto the small couch in the boat cabin. Shen Miao had lived two lifetimes and was no naive young girl experiencing her first feelings, so she naturally wouldn’t feel embarrassed being alone with him. However, wearing Xie Jingxing’s oversized clothes with her snow-white shoulders exposed, the cold wind made her skin break out in goosebumps – though whether from the cold or discomfort, she couldn’t tell.

Before she could say anything, something warm suddenly covered her, burying her head completely. Shen Miao shook her head and discovered that what enveloped her was Xie Jingxing’s fox fur coat. The fur was warm and cozy, and Shen Miao instinctively wrapped it tighter around herself, exposing only her small face the size of a palm. Looking at Xie Jingxing without speaking, she truly resembled a fluffy little fox.

Xie Jingxing found it somewhat amusing. He got up and walked to the other end to fetch something, then crouched in front of Shen Miao and reached out to grab her leg.

“What are you doing?” Shen Miao asked, avoiding his hand.

“If you don’t treat your wound, it will fester by tomorrow,” Xie Jingxing said. “Don’t think you can take advantage of me.”

Shen Miao: “…” This person’s way of speaking was truly annoying. What did he mean by “taking advantage” of him? And he said it with such a serious expression, too. Shen Miao didn’t want to deal with him at all. She said, “I’ll do it myself.”

“Fine.” Xie Jingxing stood up without another word and leaned against the nearby cabinet with his arms crossed, like a spectator: “I’ll watch you do it yourself.”

Shen Miao bent down, but her hands could barely hold the medicine bottle steady. Earlier, during the struggle with those two men, she had been thrown around several times by the tall, thin man, and her entire body was sore. Now her hands were trembling, and after she managed to open the bottle with difficulty, she nearly spilled its contents.

After struggling for a long while, she finally gave up, but not wanting to concede to Xie Jingxing so easily, she just sat wrapped in the snow-white fox fur, glaring at him without speaking.

Xie Jingxing let out a chuckle, snatched the medicine bottle from her hand, crouched down again, and grasped her calf. He remarked casually, “I’m not a good person. If you want to be stubborn, you might lose your leg in the process.”

Shen Miao remained silent.

Xie Jingxing held her calf and slowly lifted the trouser leg. His hands were cool and slender, seemingly bearing the slight calluses unique to those who practiced martial arts. When they brushed against her delicate skin, Shen Miao felt a strange discomfort, as if that patch of skin was beginning to burn. The next moment, the fabric stuck to her wound by blood was suddenly torn away, making Shen Miao nearly cry out in pain.

“The wound is quite deep,” Xie Jingxing examined it with a frown. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“I didn’t expect you to be so kind,” Shen Miao replied. Indeed, she hadn’t imagined Xie Jingxing would be so kind as to treat her wound. Given their relationship, Xie Jingxing saving her life today could already be considered deep affection. Such a calculating person was hardly kindhearted, and Shen Miao couldn’t think of any reason why he would help her. So regarding the wound on her leg, she had only planned to deal with it after returning to the Shen residence.

Xie Jingxing stood up and took the teapot from a small table nearby, emptying it. He reached outside the boat to scoop a potful of lake water, then placed it on the warming stove to boil. He said, “I’m indeed not that kind, but considering your sense of loyalty, I’ll be a good person this once.” At this point, he looked up at Shen Miao and said, “They say Shen Xin is loyal and righteous. I didn’t expect even a young girl from the Shen family to understand loyalty. Thank you for not betraying me.”

He was half-joking and half-serious, so Shen Miao didn’t explain that he had misunderstood. In that situation, if she had immediately revealed that the person in the secret chamber was Xie Jingxing, those two would have killed her instantly. Anyone would use stalling tactics, but since Xie Jingxing believed she hadn’t spoken out of loyalty, letting him feel indebted to her could only be beneficial. Therefore, Shen Miao had no intention of clarifying this misunderstanding.

However, Shen Miao thought to herself, even if she had revealed Xie Jingxing’s presence, with his skills, he probably could have escaped unscathed. She had heard that those two men must have had companions nearby, yet now there was no disturbance at all – it was obvious whose handiwork that was.

After a brief silence, the water in the pot began to boil. Xie Jingxing tore off a piece of cloth from the corner of his robe, dipped it in the hot water, and held Shen Miao’s calf with one hand, resting it on his knee while wiping away the dirty blood around the wound with the other.

Shen Miao’s foot was almost pressed against Xie Jingxing’s chest, touching his cold garment. The fabric was cool and stiff, like his cold heart beneath that careless exterior. Shen Miao felt somewhat uncomfortable and turned her head away, her toes unconsciously curling slightly. In her previous life, except for Fu Xiuyi, she had never been so intimate with any other man. Even with Fu Xiuyi, looking back now, their interactions had mostly been forced. Most of the time, Fu Xiuyi had left her with the impression of being an “emperor” – consequently, she had barely encountered any men during her girlhood.

Feeling the silence growing uncomfortable, Shen Miao looked for a conversation topic and asked, “Who were those people?”

By “those people,” she naturally meant the tall, thin man and his companions. Hearing this, Xie Jingxing didn’t respond. He simply cleaned the dirty blood from Shen Miao’s calf, sprinkled medicine powder on it, and took out a handkerchief to bandage it. While doing all this, he kept his head down, extremely focused, and his technique was quite skillful. Bandaging wounds seemed to be something he was very familiar with. The lights on the boat flickered, and the lanterns on Wanli Lake were like brocade. The bright light illuminated his face, and the young man’s features were unbelievably handsome. In this momentary brilliance, there seemed to be an illusion of tenderness.

Even Shen Miao couldn’t help but be slightly stunned. However, this illusion of tenderness didn’t last long. Xie Jingxing put down her foot and suddenly placed both hands on either side of her, leaning in close. His distinct features were just inches away, his peach blossom eyes seemingly filled with intoxicating wine. Though his movement appeared casual, it was so forceful that it almost made it hard to breathe.

Shen Miao calmly met his gaze. After staring at her for a while, Xie Jingxing finally released his hands and said flatly, “Knowing too much isn’t good for you.”

“I don’t want to know anything,” Shen Miao said. “I just hope you won’t implicate me.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt some regret. She didn’t know what was wrong with her today – perhaps it was the suddenness of events, or perhaps it was the frustration from being injured, but when facing Xie Jingxing, some of the temper she had buried deep inside had been provoked. The casual venting, willfulness, and bickering had unconsciously been drawn out by Xie Jingxing.

“As long as you know your limits, no one can implicate you,” Xie Jingxing said. He tidied up the scattered cloth strips on the boat, then found a long pole and hung Shen Miao’s wet clothes on it to dry them.

“When can I leave?” Shen Miao asked.

“People are watching outside. Going out now would cause gossip, and since you’ve been with me, people might link you to me.” Xie Jingxing’s words were still infuriating: “So, for the sake of my reputation, when the boat docks, I’ll take you to the Princess’s mansion. Her people will send you home.”

Shen Miao was slightly startled: “The Princess’s mansion?”

“Princess Rongxin,” Xie Jingxing poked at the charcoal. “She’ll help.”

Princess Rongxin was also born to one of the late Emperor’s consorts. Though not as favored as Princess Yuqing, she was deeply loved by the late Emperor. Among the late Emperor’s children, Princess Yuqing and Princess Rongxin shared a deep sisterly bond. Princess Yuqing had married the Marquis of Lin’an, while Princess Rongxin had married the top imperial scholar of the time. Unfortunately, the scholar died of illness a few years later, and Princess Rongxin never remarried. She moved back to the Princess’s mansion and had lived alone all these years.

Given the relationship between Princess Yuqing and Princess Rongxin, she would surely help Xie Jingxing with this favor.

Shen Miao looked up at Xie Jingxing. He had thought ahead. If they tried to summon the Shen family now, seeing them alone together with disheveled clothes would inevitably lead to misunderstandings. Given the relationship between the Shen and Xie families, they knew how complicated things might become. Having Princess Rongxin intervene was indeed a good solution.

The sound of fireworks came from overhead. Shen Miao was sitting by the boat’s window, and hearing the sound, she looked out to see colorful fireworks in the night sky over the capital. As Bailu and Shuangjiang had said, the fireworks wouldn’t stop all night. Watching them now from the quiet lake surface was quite different from watching amid the surging crowds earlier.

“Do you like these?” Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t like them,” Shen Miao replied.

Every year during the Ming Qi royal banquet, the Emperor and his consorts celebrated together, lighting countless fireworks in the imperial garden. At that time, she had just returned from Qin country, and the palace had suddenly gained a Madam Mei who was greatly favored by the Emperor. On the night of the banquet, Madam Mei and Fu Xiuyi drank and made merry in the imperial garden, while she sat in Kunning Palace with Princess Wanyu and Fu Ming, watching the fireworks rise and fade alone. That was the coldest display of fireworks she had ever seen, and since then, she had disliked such things.

“What’s there to like about something so fleeting? Just a flashy show that’s pleasing to the eye but useless,” she said with a hint of resentment, though her gaze seemed somewhat melancholic.

Xie Jingxing gave her a surprised look, then after a moment’s thought, got up and took something out of a cabinet at one end. He walked to Shen Miao’s side and handed it to her.

“We don’t know how long it will take for the boat to reach shore. Since today is the Jade Rabbit Festival, why don’t you make a lantern too?” Xie Jingxing suggested.

Shen Miao looked at the lantern in her hand. It was probably left behind by people who had been playing on the boat earlier. It didn’t have a candle inside yet and was neatly folded. Looking out the window, the surface of Wanli Lake was covered layer upon layer with lanterns. Their boat was moving through this brilliant scene like a ferry crossing a magnificent Milky Way.

Before Shen Miao could answer, Xie Jingxing had already made one himself. After finishing the lantern, he casually placed it in the lake, his movements nonchalant. Seeing this, Shen Miao asked, “Why don’t you write a note?”

Lanterns were supposed to contain notes with the maker’s wishes written on them, so the gods could hear human prayers and bless the lantern makers with fulfilled wishes in the coming year.

“I don’t believe in gods,” Xie Jingxing said lazily. “No need to write anything.”

Shen Miao thought for a moment and indeed found it hard to imagine someone with Xie Jingxing’s proud and unbridled nature earnestly praying to the gods. She folded two lanterns but didn’t write notes or place candles inside. Instead, she lit the flame at the top of each lantern with a fire stick and placed them in the lake.

The two lanterns burned from top to bottom, appearing like two balls of fire on the lake surface. Xie Jingxing was stunned and asked, “Those are mourning lanterns. What are you doing?”

Lighting lanterns this way was for commemorating the deceased. Amid such festivities, Shen Miao was mourning the dead.

Shen Miao didn’t respond to Xie Jingxing’s words. She just watched as the lanterns gradually burned until the flames consumed them completely. After a long while, there was no trace of the two lanterns on the lake surface.

Reborn into a new life, some things could be redone, but others could not. Like Princess Wanyu and Fu Ming – in her previous life and this one, their reunion was a final farewell. In this life, there would never again be that gentle and graceful princess or the sensible and steady Crown Prince.

A handkerchief was handed to Shen Miao. She looked up, and Xie Jingxing impatiently said, “Why are you crying again?”

Shen Miao touched her cheeks and realized that without noticing, they had become wet. Perhaps happiness gave rise to sorrow, and even her tears came unconsciously.

Seeing her take the handkerchief, Xie Jingxing said, “You have some sense of loyalty. If you ever face any difficulties in the future, you can come find me.”

These abrupt words momentarily stunned Shen Miao. Looking at Xie Jingxing, the young man’s profile appeared even more striking and elegant in the light of the lanterns across the lake. He leaned against the window, looking at Shen Miao, a complex light flashing briefly in his eyes. Yet he spoke casually, “I don’t like owing people favors. Since you didn’t betray me today, I won’t treat you poorly. You seem to have gotten into quite a bit of trouble, so perhaps in the future, you’ll need my help. When that time comes, considering today, I’ll lend you a hand.”

Shen Miao said, “Then thank you, Young Marquis.”

Xie Jingxing smiled, then suddenly turned to look at her with a teasing tone: “But help is one thing – don’t fall in love with me.”

Shen Miao was almost exasperated to the point of laughter. She said, “Young Marquis is thinking too much.”

“Is that so?” Xie Jingxing walked over from the window, looking down at Shen Miao, who was sitting on the couch. He suddenly pulled out the hairpin from her hair, examining it thoughtfully in his hand: “Then why are you wearing the hairpin that ‘I’ gave you?”

He deliberately emphasized the word “I.”

Shen Miao was at a loss for words. She was about to say that the maid had put it on her when she heard Xie Jingxing continue: “Today you’ve touched me and seen me, but offering yourself in return – that’s unnecessary.” He smiled mischievously: “A little girl who hasn’t grown up yet – I’m not desperate enough to settle for that.”

This person’s words were too poisonous! And he liked to twist the truth! In both her past and present lives, Shen Miao had met either hypocrites or people with a self-righteous demeanor. This was the first time she’d encountered such a rogue who could infuriate others with just a few words.

“I don’t like you, Young Marquis, and I won’t in the future either. You can rest assured,” Shen Miao replied sarcastically.

“That’s good,” Xie Jingxing stared at her, the playful smile still on his lips, but his dark eyes momentarily revealed a kind of warning and indifference. He said, “Little girl, I’m not a good person.”

Shen Miao remained silent. Xie Jingxing wasn’t a good person, but could she be considered one? Perhaps in her previous life, but in this life, she was vicious and ruthless – completely at odds with the word “good.”

The boat drifted quietly with the current. Outside the window, light snow began to fall gently. The lake surface was half-covered with crystalline snowflakes and half with brilliant lantern light. Colorful fireworks bloomed in the sky. This New Year’s Jade Rabbit Festival didn’t seem to be going very well, but it was certainly special.

The purple-robed young man leaned against the window, gazing indifferently outside. He looked for a long time, and when he turned his head back, he found that Shen Miao had fallen asleep on the small table.

When asleep, her face lacked the distant aloofness and dignity she usually maintained. After today’s ordeal, her cheeks were still flushed, and wrapped in Xie Jingxing’s oversized fox fur coat, she truly looked like a young girl who hadn’t grown up. Her hair had been partially dried by the warming stove, and a strand covered her eyes. Perhaps feeling some irritation, the sleeping Shen Miao wrinkled her brow.

Xie Jingxing walked to her side, paused, then reached out to tuck the strand of hair behind her ear. He took out the jade camellia hairpin he had pulled from Shen Miao’s hair earlier, twirled it in his fingers, and gently inserted it back into her hair. He stood with his arms crossed, watching her for a while, seeing her sleeping soundly, and raised an eyebrow: “Sleeping so peacefully in front of a strange man – truly fearless.”

After sitting for a while longer, the boat suddenly swayed violently and stopped – they had finally reached the shore.

Xie Jingxing walked to the bow of the boat. Several men in black appeared on the shore, and the leader said, “Master, everything has been handled thoroughly. Will you return to the residence now?”

Xie Jingxing looked back at the cabin and said, “First to the Princess’s mansion. Tieyi, bring a carriage here.” He walked back into the cabin, tapped on the small table, and as Shen Miao drowsily raised her head, Xie Jingxing said, “We’ve arrived.”

“We’re here already?” Shen Miao immediately became alert, looking out the window and preparing to leave. However, the wound on her leg still hadn’t healed, and as soon as she stood up, her leg weakened and she nearly fell. Xie Jingxing quickly grabbed her arm, thought for a moment, then secured the fox fur around her and picked her up horizontally, heading outside the boat.

Shen Miao was startled and instinctively put her arms around Xie Jingxing’s neck. Looking up, she saw Xie Jingxing smirking: “Behave yourself, don’t take advantage of me.”

Shen Miao: “…” Xie Jingxing had one arm around her shoulders and back. Being tall and long-legged, he carried Shen Miao effortlessly. Shen Miao’s head rested against his chest, and she could feel his sturdy torso and strong heartbeat, which made her somewhat uncomfortable.

Upon leaving the boat, she realized that several men in black were already standing outside. Seeing Xie Jingxing carrying a young girl out, despite their best efforts to remain composed, their expressions changed slightly. The most relaxed was Xie Jingxing himself, who walked to the carriage, tossed Shen Miao inside, and simply said, “To the Princess’s mansion,” before walking away without looking back.

As the carriage slowly moved away, the men in black looked at each other. A tall, young man said, “Tieyi, why did the master carry a girl out? What’s their relationship?”

“Yes, yes,” another woman approached, stroking her chin thoughtfully: “After all these years, so many beauties couldn’t get close to the master, but it turns out this is what he likes.” Her eyes brightened: “Ah, now I understand.”

“Oh, stop it, who said that?” Another mature woman with a charming appearance objected: “What’s there to look at in such a young girl? Has she even matured yet?”

“Huolong, I know you like the master, but regarding this, well, you can’t be jealous,” the previous woman laughed, looking at the middle-aged man in the center: “Tieyi, you’re closest to the master, who is that little girl? What’s her relationship with the master? Tell us.”

“Silence!” Tieyi in the middle couldn’t bear it anymore: “Go back, all of you! If the Dark Division is this idle, tomorrow you’ll all be guarding the tower prison.”

At these words, everyone immediately backed away, saying things like: “Suddenly remembered I have something to do,” “Have those people’s bodies been properly disposed of?” “Better report back to the Dark Division first,” “Today was really dangerous indeed,” chatting as they walked away.

Tieyi breathed a sigh of relief, then turned and disappeared into the night.

Meanwhile, at the Princess’s mansion, when the servants reported Xie Jingxing’s arrival, Princess Rongxin was already preparing for bed.

Having been widowed for many years and without children, festivals and celebrations only emphasized her solitude. Although the Emperor treated her as a sister, they weren’t born from the same mother, so they couldn’t be truly close. Besides, interacting with the Emperor in the palace was never as comfortable as staying in her mansion. So for many years during the Jade Rabbit Festival, Princess Rongxin neither entered the palace nor went out to enjoy herself, but stayed quietly at home, just like any other day.

Today was different. When she heard Xie Jingxing had come, Princess Rongxin was quite surprised. After changing her clothes, she went out to welcome him, and upon entering the main hall, saw Xie Jingxing already sitting in a chair waiting. Seeing her, he smiled slightly: “Aunt Rong.”

Princess Rongxin’s given name was Yurong, and she shared a deep sisterly bond with Princess Yuqing, so it was appropriate for Xie Jingxing to call her Aunt Rong.

“Why have you come today?” Princess Rongxin was puzzled at first sight of Xie Jingxing, but mostly delighted. Having no children of her own, she treated Xie Jingxing as her son. She pitied his background, and when Princess Yuqing passed away, Princess Rongxin had visited the Marquis of Lin’an’s mansion to pay respects and thoroughly berated Xie Ding. Although Xie Jingxing was mischievous, he showed great respect to Princess Rongxin and visited her mansion during festivals. Usually, he would come after New Year’s Day, so his visit to the Jade Rabbit Festival this year was unexpected for Princess Rongxin.

“I missed Aunt Rong and wanted to see you. Aunt Rong wouldn’t turn me away, would you?” Xie Jingxing smiled. With his naturally handsome appearance, this half-joking, half-serious manner made him look so charming and dashing that all the maids in the hall blushed.

Princess Rongxin tapped his forehead lightly and laughed: “You dare to flirt even with an old woman like me. You rascal, you’re getting more and more brazen.”

“Missing Aunt Rong is one thing, but I’ve come tonight to ask for your help with something,” he said.

Princess Rongxin was taken aback, then sat up straight and said seriously: “Jingxing, are you in some kind of trouble? If there’s anything difficult, just tell Aunt Rong.”

“Don’t worry, Aunt Rong, it’s a small matter,” Xie Jingxing explained with a smile: “A friend of mine got separated from her family at the Jade Rabbit Festival today, and unfortunately fell into the water. Although I rescued her, it’s somewhat inconvenient. I was hoping Aunt Rong could send her home in the name of the Princess’s mansion.”

Though he explained it simply, Princess Rongxin immediately understood the situation. While Ming Qi was relatively open about relations between men and women, a young woman’s reputation was still quite sensitive, and even a small rumor could cause significant damage. However… Princess Rongxin looked at Xie Jingxing: “Your friend is a young lady?”

Xie Jingxing nodded.

“In all these years, I haven’t seen any young lady by your side,” Princess Rongxin suddenly teased, “Jingxing, you’re a grown man now. How old is this young lady, and is she engaged?”

“Aunt Rong,” Xie Jingxing said helplessly, “she’s just a young girl. I only helped her because I owed her a favor. You won’t refuse to help me, will you?”

“What are you saying?” Princess Rongxin pretended to be angry: “When have I ever not helped you? Alright, alright, where is this young lady now?”

“In the carriage outside. Aunt Rong, could you also find her some clothes to change into?” Xie Jingxing asked.

Hearing this, Princess Rongxin’s gaze towards Xie Jingxing became even more meaningful. Seeing this, Xie Jingxing just shook his head with an amused smile, not bothering to explain. Princess Rongxin instructed her maid to bring Shen Miao from the carriage to rest in a chamber, then said to Xie Jingxing: “But you still haven’t told me which family this young lady is from?”

“The Shen family of the capital, the legitimate daughter of General Wei Wu, Shen Miao,” Xie Jingxing said lazily.

Princess Rongxin was drinking tea and nearly choked upon hearing this. She looked at Xie Jingxing in disbelief: “That good-for-nothing noble lady? Isn’t she infatuated with Prince Ding?”

Xie Jingxing shrugged, and Princess Rongxin carefully looked at him, weighing her words: “Jingxing, there are thousands of young ladies in the world, and you’re still young… maybe wait a bit longer.”

Xie Jingxing: “…”

Switching scenes, while Princess Rongxin and Xie Jingxing were having their heart-to-heart talk, Shen Miao was sitting in Princess Rongxin’s bedchamber, watching maids come and go, arranging clothes and hair for her.

In her previous life, Princess Rongxin had never been so enthusiastic towards her. Perhaps she looked down on her for running to another man’s side, or perhaps she thought her education was crude. In any case, she had always been cold towards her. Even later, when she became the Empress, Princess Rongxin remained indifferent. Since Princess Rongxin rarely entered the palace, on the few occasions she did, her gaze towards Shen Miao was never friendly. In Shen Miao’s mind, Princess Rongxin was also someone difficult to get along with.

Who would have thought she would be so attentive now? Shen Miao found it somewhat puzzling.