Feeling Yuan Ce’s sudden trembling, the “assailant” herself also shuddered, slowly opening her tightly closed eyes that had been shut to gather courage.

Looking at those thin lips below, pressed into a line from tension, and recalling the fleeting sensation of her tongue against them, Jiang Zhiyi belatedly felt her face grow hot and retreated slightly like a thief.

In the silence, neither spoke to explain or question, with only their deliberately subdued breathing quietly rising and falling.

Jiang Zhiyi knelt beside Yuan Ce, secretly lifting her eyelids to peek at him. His eyes were covered by her palm, his emotions unreadable, while his high, straight nose cast shadows in the candlelight. Despite his sharp features, he always nuzzled her gently whenever he kissed her…

Her heart gently swayed as she gazed at him for a moment before slowly leaning down again.

A strand of dark hair slipped from behind her ear as she lowered her head to kiss the tip of his nose, light as a dragonfly skimming water.

Yuan Ce’s hands at his sides suddenly clenched into fists, his chin lifting slightly.

Jiang Zhiyi’s gaze moved downward, observing his tense jawline before leaning in to kiss his chin.

Yuan Ce’s breathing grew heavier, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

Following his movement, Jiang Zhiyi shifted her gaze downward, tilting her head to examine his Adam’s apple as if studying some curious object.

He seemed to know where she was looking and swallowed again under her scrutiny.

Jiang Zhiyi blinked curiously before carefully lowering herself to kiss his Adam’s apple.

Yuan Ce finally raised his hand, grabbing her wrist and flipping over in one motion.

In the next instant, with a dizzying reversal, Jiang Zhiyi’s black hair spread across the bed like a waterfall. She raised her head in surprise to find him propped above her, his tall frame completely enveloping her, drawing her into his shadow. The eyes fixed on her surged with dark emotions, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

“…Having fun?” Yuan Ce asked in a hoarse whisper, lowering his eyelids.

His scent surrounded her, and Jiang Zhiyi’s heart pounded so hard it nearly leapt to her throat. She glanced sideways at his hand gripping her wrist and shrank back slightly: “It’s… It’s okay…”

“After playing so long, just ‘okay’?”

“It’s fun…”

Yuan Ce gave a light snort: “Have you had enough fun then?”

“More or less…”

“Then—” Yuan Ce lowered his eyes, his gaze falling to her full, slightly upturned red lips, “is it my turn?”

Before Jiang Zhiyi could answer, his hot breath approached, and Yuan Ce bent down to kiss her. Having held back for so long, he expertly parted her teeth and invaded deeply.

Unaccustomed to this after so long, Jiang Zhiyi’s body trembled as she tried to retreat.

Yuan Ce released her wrist, instead taking hold of her chin to capture her.

A soft, fragmented moan escaped Jiang Zhiyi’s forcibly opened mouth as she felt him consuming her as if he would devour her completely, taking and swallowing, turning and returning, even depriving her of space to breathe.

Jiang Zhiyi clutched the bedding, her closed eyes fluttering, her entire being dizzy. Unable to catch her breath from his kisses, she raised a limp hand to push at his shoulder.

Yuan Ce paused and lifted his eyes, releasing her.

Jiang Zhiyi half-opened her eyes, her face flushed and her nose beaded with fine sweat. She took several breaths before speaking: “I wasn’t this fierce just now… Are you kissing someone, or devouring them…”

Yuan Ce blinked: “Everyone has their techniques. When you were causing mischief earlier, I didn’t question you in the slightest.”

“Of course you didn’t dare question me!” Jiang Zhiyi glared at him. “Being favored by this Princess is your honor…”

“Then would the Princess like to tell me how she prefers to be kissed?”

Jiang Zhiyi cleared her throat, licked her lips, and slowly averted her gaze: “Like—like last time would be fine.”

“Last time?” Yuan Ce appeared to be reflecting. “What was the last time like? I beg the Princess to enlighten me; this servant doesn’t remember.”

Jiang Zhiyi turned back to glare at him and kicked him: “You dare not remember even this? Then don’t kiss me at all!”

“I understand, Princess. This servant will be gentler.” Yuan Ce lowered his eyes, his thumb lightly caressing her moist lips, soothingly stroking the corner of her mouth before lowering his head to kiss her again.

Early the next morning, Jiang Zhiyi was awakened by the bright sunlight.

Feeling unusually warm beneath the quilt, especially with what seemed like a burning brazier behind her, Jiang Zhiyi opened her eyes in confusion, wondering if it was April or December. Lying on her side, she reached back and touched a warm chest, startling fully awake.

Lifting the quilt and looking down, she saw an arm draped over her waist.

Turning further, she discovered Yuan Ce lying behind her, his chin resting atop her head, sleeping peacefully.

“Ah!” Jiang Zhiyi exclaimed in surprise, pulling the quilt as she rolled away from his embrace.

Yuan Ce’s arm fell empty as he opened one eyelid, squinting at Jiang Zhiyi, who had distanced herself with the blanket, his face questioning.

“Didn’t I tell you to leave before daybreak?” Jiang Zhiyi pointed at the high sun outside.

Last night, when Yuan Ce had insisted on staying, she’d noticed the dark circles under his eyes and thought that after traveling day and night, making him move again would be too harsh. She had agreed, but insisted he leave before daybreak.

“It was already light when I woke up—since it was already light anyway.” Yuan Ce raised his hand to rub his neck.

“Don’t you usually go to the military camp before dawn?”

“Why don’t you consider when I fell asleep last night?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyebrow twitched.

She wasn’t exactly sure what time it had been. By her reckoning, it seemed he had kissed her for half the night…

Indeed, after traveling a day and night without rest, then kissing her half the night, even an emperor would forego morning court…

“Then, then have Jing Zhe and Gu Yu come by? Did they see us?”

Yuan Ce glanced at her sideways: “When have you ever avoided them during our previous intimacies?”

Jiang Zhiyi pouted: “How is this the same? I’ve already declared I’m returning to the capital to break our engagement. If I change my mind so quickly—”

She thought of Jing Zhe and Gu Yu who had helped her escape through the window, of Pei Zisong who had used Minister Pei’s name to send an urgent letter, of Minister Pei who had unexpectedly become involved in someone else’s marriage affairs from thousands of li away, of her uncle, and of the escort her uncle had dispatched to fetch her who were still on the road… Jiang Zhiyi didn’t know how many faces she would need to lose.

“Are you saying—” Yuan Ce sat up straight, fixing his gaze on her, “that you intend to go back on your word?”

Jiang Zhiyi immediately shook her head, mumbling: “…I didn’t say that. The matter still requires consideration. You’ll just have to wait for my letter.”

Yuan Ce crossed his arms and looked at her askance: “Then what was last night’s sharing of the bed?”

“What about sharing a bed? The number of people who attend to Princess Baojia is countless, yet I don’t see them all demanding explanations.”

…This Li Dafeng, unable to make the Princess faithful to him alone, has now caused his fiancée to follow her example.

Yuan Ce turned his head away with an angry laugh, narrowing his eyes: “Fine, since the Princess merely considers me an ‘intimate guest,’ be careful today and don’t go out.”

“Why? Are you interfering with me again?”

Yuan Ce raised his thumb, gently rubbing her lower lip: “This is swollen.”

Jiang Zhiyi felt a tingle at the top of her head. Her fingertips touched her lips as she recalled how, toward the end of last night, when they were both growing drowsy, he had still been pecking at her. She leapt from the bed in panic, rushing to the dressing table to look in the bronze mirror, then turned back with a red face, nearly in tears: “Yuan… Ce—!”

“In the future, without my summons, you are forbidden from entering my bed!”

Jiang Zhiyi had never known lips could be so fragile. After eating for more than a decade without incident, half a night of kissing had indeed caused swelling.

Seeing Yuan Ce completely unharmed and unscathed, Jiang Zhiyi felt truly dissatisfied, regretting her lack of skill and resolving to make him lose face next time.

But first, she needed to recover before mounting a comeback.

After several days of recovery, news arrived from the capital that the case against the Marquis of Xuande had been concluded. He had been found guilty of attempting to assassinate a princess of the current dynasty and imprisoned, sentenced to execution after autumn.

The reason Jiang Zhiyi received this news immediately was that when she had previously gone out with Pei Xueqing, Yuan Ce had assigned her twenty Xuance soldiers, leaving a trail so long one couldn’t see its end. Now, San Qi came to share the good news, saying she no longer needed to worry and could freely go out for spring outings.

However, when Jiang Zhiyi heard this news, she wasn’t thinking about spring outings.

Jing Zhe, seeing her seemingly low spirits, asked what was wrong, as the punishment of a villain was something to be happy about.

Jiang Zhiyi sighed: “I’m just thinking about the endless cycle of revenge. This all started because Zhong Boyong and Zhuo Kuan schemed to make me sprain my ankle. Yuan Ce retaliated on my behalf, and then the Marquis of Xuande sought revenge by trying to assassinate me… The Zhong family has been sentenced to exile en masse, but they will eventually return. I wonder if another bloody conflict will erupt then.”

Jing Zhe looked puzzled: “Princess, haven’t you heard about the Zhong family while with the Young General? The Zhong family likely won’t return.”

“Why? Has their sentence been changed?”

“No, it’s that all the male members of the Zhong family disappeared during their exile journey, suspected of having escaped. Fugitives will certainly never be able to return.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Zhiyi was startled. “He never told me about this. How do you know?”

“When this servant returned to the mansion from Zheng County in the first month, I saw the Madam crying daily, and everyone in the Marquis’s household was discussing it. They said the Zhong family had acted rashly—after exile, they might have had a chance to make a comeback someday, but by escaping like this, they would face only death if they ever reappeared.”

“Why would the Zhong family be so desperate?” Jiang Zhiyi sat by the window, puzzled, resting her chin on her hand. “You said this happened in the first month… wasn’t that shortly after they left the capital for exile?”

“Yes, not long after. They disappeared on the night of the Lantern Festival, while still in the metropolitan area, around Mount Cuoer.”

“Why would they choose the Lantern Festival?” Jiang Zhiyi stopped mid-sentence, her expression changing slightly.

The Lantern Festival? Wasn’t that exactly when she and Yuan Ce had departed for Hexi?

They had left for Hexi, and shortly after, the Zhong family had escaped. Could they have been coming after them?

But they had traveled for over a month without encountering any danger.

Besides, the Zhong family had moved first, so they were unlikely to know about their itinerary. If anyone had inside information, it would be Yuan Ce knowing about the Zhong family’s movements…

Wait. Jiang Zhiyi carefully recalled the events of that time. She remembered wanting to stay in Chang’an until after the Lantern Festival before departing, but Yuan Ce had seemed eager to set out, so she had considerately agreed to leave with him on the day of the Lantern Festival.

That night, they had stayed at a post station, and Yuan Ce had gone out for a while, telling her to celebrate the festival with Princess Baojia—

If this coincidence wasn’t the Zhong family seeking out Yuan Ce, but rather Yuan Ce seeking out the Zhong family…

“Jing Zhe,” Jiang Zhiyi swallowed nervously, suddenly struck by a terrible suspicion, “how far is the first post station on the official road from Chang’an to Hexi from Mount Cuoer? Is it possible to make a round trip in one night?”

Jing Zhe recalled the geography in her mind: “It would be difficult for an ordinary person, but with a fast horse and an excellent rider, it would be possible.”

Jiang Zhiyi slowly lowered her hand that had been supporting her chin, clenching it into a fist: “…Then if, after that night, the Zhong family continued north in exile, while I continued northwest, would I have had another opportunity to reach their location and return in a single night?”

“With different directions, once farther apart, it would be very difficult to make a round trip in one night.”

“So the Lantern Festival night was the last opportunity…” Jiang Zhiyi murmured absently, vaguely recalling that the day after the Lantern Festival, when Yuan Ce returned, there seemed to be a smell of blood on him. When she asked about it, he said he had hunted a wild rabbit for her…

Jiang Zhiyi shuddered.

“Princess, are you suspicious?” By now, Jing Zhe had also realized the implication.

It wasn’t suspicion—Jiang Zhiyi was almost certain such a coincidence couldn’t exist.

Her desire to see the lanterns had been written all over her face at the time. If not necessary, why would Yuan Ce deny her even this small pleasure? Looking at their unhurried pace afterward, being a day early or late made no difference.

But why would he do this… Was he worried about the Zhong family retaliating, so he eliminated them?

But he hadn’t gone to such lengths with the Zhuo family.

Jiang Zhiyi rubbed her temples in thought. She had previously found it strange that he had prepared evidence against the Zhong family in advance. He had explained it was because her aunt treated her poorly, so he kept it for contingencies. But thinking about it now, he and she were hardly “in love” before he went to the academy, so it was unlikely he did it solely for her…

Even his reason for going to the academy to “cultivate his character” now seemed flimsy.

Could it be that he had gone to the academy specifically because of Zhong Boyong and the Zhong family?

Jiang Zhiyi thought for a moment, then called for Gu Yu: “Do you remember if the Young General had any conflicts with the Zhong family in the capital before he went to the academy? I mean his grievances with the Zhong family, not on my behalf.”

Gu Yu reflected and shook her head: “This servant doesn’t recall such a thing. Before the Young General went to the academy, weren’t you urging him to marry?”

“…”

“If you don’t remember, just say so. No need for useless comments.” Jiang Zhiyi shot her a glare, though the reminder did spark a memory. “…Didn’t he ignore me for several days because I was pressuring him about marriage?”

“It wasn’t deliberate neglect. The Young General was busy consulting famous physicians at that time, treating his deputy who had become a ‘living corpse.’ Didn’t you later ask Master Huang to examine him?”

Jiang Zhiyi furrowed her brow.

Yes, there had been such an incident. But what had seemed reasonable at the time now seemed full of holes—

With Li Dafeng, a miraculous healer, at Yuan Ce’s side, why would he need to consult other famous physicians?

If Li Dafeng had been helpless, necessitating other options, then why had Master Huang, whom she had recommended, immediately said the condition was treatable after just taking the pulse, promptly prescribing a remedy?

Later, when she asked Yuan Ce about Master Huang’s prescription, he had said that Gao Shi’s condition had improved, so he’d moved him out of the mansion to recover in the military camp.

Afterward, Yuan Ce didn’t mention it again, and she forgot to inquire further.

Looking back now, Li Dafeng could detect blood stasis in her body just by taking her pulse, while Master Huang had remained completely unaware from beginning to end. The difference in skill was obvious…

As Jiang Zhiyi pondered in confusion, she happened to see San Qi passing by the window and called him over: “San Qi, you should know of a deputy named Gao Shi in the Xuance Army?”

San Qi’s gaze flickered slightly: “Yes, this humble one knows of him.”

“Previously, he was severely wounded fighting the Northern Qiang people and was recuperating in the capital. Didn’t he return to Hexi with you? I don’t believe I’ve seen him.”

San Qi lowered his head: “The Young General handled that matter. This humble one is not clear about it. Perhaps the Princess should wait and ask the Young General when he returns…”

Jiang Zhiyi nodded thoughtfully and said, “Oh.”

Two hours later, in the Xuance military camp, Mu Xinhong stood before the desk reporting: “Young General, San Qi’s message is just as I’ve related. The Princess suddenly asking about Gao Shi likely isn’t simply out of concern… Could she be suspicious of something?”

Yuan Ce frowned without speaking.

While Mu Xinhong was still pondering what would happen if the Princess discovered the Young General was still keeping secrets from her—

Yuan Ce lifted an eyelid and spoke: “You mentioned before, what do you prepare when your wife is upset with you?”

Mu Xinhong pointed to his knee and replied without hesitation: “Knee pads for convenient kneeling.”