Jiang Zhiyi quickly took a bath to wash away the filthy atmosphere she had absorbed. With her beloved waiting, she skipped several post-bath procedures and, after simply applying moisturizer, left the bathing room and dismissed Gu Yu and Xiaoman.

Returning to her bedroom alone, Jiang Zhiyi gently opened the door and looked toward the bed, but didn’t see anyone.

Lowering her gaze, she finally spotted the tall young man lying on the footstool beneath her bed. His left arm cushioned his head, his right hand rested casually on his body, and his eyes were closed, motionless as if asleep.

She had told him to rest on her bed—why make himself uncomfortable like this?

Jiang Zhiyi frowned, lightened her steps as she approached, took a thin blanket from the bed, and crouched down beside him.

As soon as she drew near, the sleeping figure suddenly opened his eyes and sprang up, raising his arm in a defensive block. His bent knee shifted to the side as he flipped over and straddled her.

“Ah…” Jiang Zhiyi had barely uttered half a cry when, in a dizzying reversal, she found herself firmly pinned to the footstool.

Looking down at the arm pressed against her throat, Jiang Zhiyi was forced to tilt her head back, still clutching the blanket as her eyelashes trembled in confusion.

The sharp gaze above her was like striking a pool of soft water, immediately dissolving into bubbles.

Seeing that expanse of skin, white enough to dazzle and seemingly able to drip water, the hostility in Yuance’s eyes suddenly receded. As if just remembering where he was, his gaze flickered and quickly moved away. He released his hold and flipped back down.

Jiang Zhiyi hesitantly followed his gaze and looked down, immediately pulling her scattered collar closed. Still holding the blanket, she scrambled up, gently panting as she touched her burning cheeks.

Seeing him stand with his back to her at the bedside, speechless and unmoving, Jiang Zhiyi caught her breath and looked at the back of his head: “I-I saw you were asleep and wanted to cover you with a blanket…”

Had he not stayed up for five consecutive nights, how could he have fallen asleep in such a dangerous place?

“Don’t approach me again when I’m sleeping,” Yuance spoke slowly, suppressing his fire as he walked to the small tea table and poured a cup of water.

“Why not?”

“No reason. I just don’t like it.”

“You didn’t have this rule before…”

Yuance’s drinking motion paused.

Of course, though living in Chang’an meant freedom with constraints and restrictions, it didn’t involve fear for one’s life. No one else would be trained like a wild beast as he had been, more alert in sleep than when awake, viewing any living thing that approached as a mortal enemy.

After a long moment.

Yuance: “The past is the past.”

“Fine, it’s not a big deal, why so serious…” Jiang Zhiyi muttered as she stood up, put down the blanket, and lowered her head to adjust her nightclothes. Raising her eyes, she saw him still standing by the small tea table and walked over on her initiative.

Sensing her approaching footsteps, Yuance turned around with the teapot in his hand like a roadblock between them.

“What’s wrong now? You’re not asleep anymore, are you? If I can’t approach you whether you’re asleep or awake, just say it directly—do you want me to stay several zhang away from you?”

Yuance slowly rotated the teapot, using the spout to point toward the bed, and raised his chin: “Just that far.”

He said it directly!

Jiang Zhiyi was speechless for a moment, then turned angrily back to the bed. She climbed up, pulled the covers over her head and feet, and, feeling that wasn’t enough, rolled over to lie on her side, presenting her cold back to him.

Yuance turned around after drinking his water and looked at the bundle that was either trembling with anger or sadness. Listening carefully, he could hear a faint rustling of speech—

“Says he doesn’t like it, when clearly before he liked me being close the most…”

“Could it be that I’m no longer likable…”

“After washing myself so fragrant only to be rejected, I fear there’s no place for me in this vast world. I might as well become a nun in a temple!”

The quilt covering her head was suddenly pulled away. Jiang Zhiyi’s muttering stopped abruptly as she turned back with a flushed face.

Yuance held the corner of her blanket, expressionless as he tilted his head: “How do you want to be close?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s brow immediately relaxed. She sat up and patted the bed beside her: “You’re tired tonight, too. Sit here, I’ll manage it myself.”

“?”

“Did you think I was angry?” Jiang Zhiyi blinked. He had offended powerful nobles for her sake—how could she waste this beautiful moment on a small grievance? “I’m always the one who rejects others, never the one being rejected. I’m self-aware enough to know that. I was just teasing you—it’s all about the playfulness!”

“…”

This was the first time he’d heard anyone use “self-awareness” in such a way.

Yuance turned away with a somber expression.

Jiang Zhiyi: “What’s this? I’m not angry, but now you are?”

“Just teasing you—it’s all about the playfulness.” Yuance lifted his eyelids indifferently. Under her earnest gaze, he lifted his robe and sat on the edge of the bed, expressionlessly extending his arms to indicate she could do as she pleased.

Jiang Zhiyi took the initiative. She spent some time finding the right angle, sometimes adjusting his shoulder, sometimes bending his arm.

Yuance released all tension from his body, allowing her to position him as she wished.

He was merely a tool to stabilize the situation—he might as well be a dead man.

Having made her adjustments, Jiang Zhiyi comfortably embraced his arm, nestled into his embrace, and rested her head on his shoulder.

Yuance’s breathing tightened slightly, the released tension returning as his waist and abdomen stiffened like a sheet of iron.

Jiang Zhiyi, completely oblivious, sighed contentedly.

No wonder Princess Baojia always told her about the wonders of male companions, saying that having someone attend to you at night was as blissful as being a deity—truly, she had not been deceived.

Silently thinking this while enjoying the peaceful tranquility of the night, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly asked: “Brother A-Ce, do you think elder cousin will come again after tonight’s incident?”

Even embraced like this, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

Yuance closed his eyes, composed himself for a moment, and answered casually: “Not if he fears death.”

“Then we should refrain from taking his life, that wouldn’t be good—”

“What, you want to become a nun and save all living beings?”

Jiang Zhiyi raised her head to glare at him: “It’s not that I’m being compassionate. My uncle has only this one legitimate son—he can’t lose him because of me… If there had to be my cousin’s life between my uncle and me, then I would have no blood relatives left in this world!”

Yuance opened his eyes and looked down.

“Since I was very young, I knew my aunt wasn’t truly kind to me. It was only because of my status, because my father had merit in serving the country, the court, and the Emperor Uncle. As long as she was good to me, she could gain many benefits, so she acted like a good aunt. Everyone else in the Fang family is the same…”

“If that’s the case, why not live in the Duke of Ninguo’s mansion or the palace? Why live here for so many years?”

“Because Uncle’s kindness is genuine. I want my uncle, and only here can I have him.”

Yuance closed his eyes again and frowned: “Then wait until his legs heal and beat him again.”

Jiang Zhiyi was startled before realizing he was talking about her elder cousin.

“…Actually, these measures only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. I have a once-and-for-all solution. Listen and see if it makes sense.” Jiang Zhiyi cleared her throat, seeming somewhat embarrassed as she tightened her grip on his arm. Given the elder cousin’s current condition, he’ll be bedridden for at least three months. If I’m already betrothed within these three months, even if his villainous heart persists, he’ll be helpless. Don’t you think so?”

Like a flash of white light in the darkness, Yuance’s eyelid suddenly twitched.

“Those filthy words from yesterday have reached other people’s ears. Although you’ve beaten them all to the point where they’ll be bedridden for a hundred days, what about after those hundred days? Rumors can’t be completely stopped, so we can only make the rumors true before then. If you marry me, their idle talk will become wedding congratulations…!”

No response came from above, and Jiang Zhiyi’s voice grew increasingly smaller and lower: “There’s still over a month until the New Year. By then, Uncle will return to the capital. So our betrothal—can it be settled then?”

After speaking, Jiang Zhiyi looked up expectantly.

But she saw the person above her with eyes closed, completely still. Not just his mouth, but even his eyelashes seemed glued to his eyes, unmoving.

Asleep again?

“Brother A-Ce?” Jiang Zhiyi tentatively called out, receiving no response. She gently shook his arm. “Brother A-Ce?”

After countless “Brother A-Ce”s, the bedroom finally fell into silence, with only a woman’s soft sigh remaining.

Early the next morning, at the military camp outside the city.

Mu Xinhong made his usual early rounds inspecting the camp. With his saber at his waist, he approached the training ground, noticed someone drawing a bow and nocking an arrow inside, and punched the shoulder of a small soldier at the entrance: “Why aren’t you collecting arrows for the Young General? What are you daydreaming about?”

“General Mu, the Young General, arrived before dawn. He went straight to the training ground to shoot arrows. He seems troubled about something, and I didn’t dare disturb him.”

Troubled? At that hour before dawn, when even the roosters hadn’t risen, who could trouble the Young General’s mind?

Mu Xinhong hurriedly entered the training ground, glanced at the row of densely packed targets, and walked to Yuance’s side, observing his inscrutable expression, opened his mouth, then closed it.

Yuance held the bow in his left hand and drew a new arrow from the quiver with his right: “Speak.”

“Young General, is everything alright with you?”

“Do I look like something’s wrong?”

Mu Xinhong coughed lightly: “It’s just… this is exactly how I look when I’ve had an overnight argument with my wife…”

“Am I you?” Yuance raised an eyebrow.

“Of course not. Young General, with your divine appearance, even if you argued, just one word from you would be worth ten from others. I’m sure after these few days, the Princess is completely devoted to you, heart and soul, even wanting to marry you!”

“…”

Yuance: “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Huh?” Mu Xinhong was startled. He had merely been flattering, was it that important? “What have you encountered…”

Yuance closed his eyes briefly: “A small trouble.”

“What trouble? This humble one is willing to share your burden!”

“Not necessary.” Yuance drew his bow, pulled the string taut, glanced at the targets already filled with arrows in the bullseye, adjusted his aim upward, and released.

With a crisp “swish,” a bamboo leaf floated down from thirty zhang away at the edge of his vision.

Yuance lowered his hand and placed the bow in Mu Xinhong’s hands, walking away: “I’ve avoided it for now.”

Mu Xinhong hurriedly put away the bow and followed, but before he could ask for clarification, a small soldier carrying a food box hurriedly approached.

“Young General, Princess Yongying sent a maid here saying that you… You left early this morning and probably hadn’t had time to eat breakfast. This is morning food for you.”

Yuance looked down, stared at the three-tiered sandalwood food box for a moment, and hesitantly opened the top layer.

At first glance, he saw a pair of white steamed buns with the character for “double happiness” written in red.

“…”

Second layer—

Dates. Peanuts.

Third layer—

Longan. Lotus seeds.

“…………”