Qin Wan gazed into the brilliant deep eyes before her, feeling as if she were in a dream. Was it a dream? In this moment between life and death, she had once again dreamed of Yan Chi.

She remembered what Qin Shuang had said – when people are about to die, they naturally think of those they care about most. Qin Wan was remembering the night of bloody arrows raining down, recalling the last glimpse of her father and mother’s faces. Yet she never expected to see Yan Chi in her dreams…

Qin Wan’s mind was in a fog, her chest tight and her vision darkening, but the soft warmth on her lips remained distinctly clear. It felt like grasping onto a final lifeline, while also carrying a hint of nostalgia for this strange new life. Her hands instinctively reached for the waist of the person before her, and as her lips moved slightly, fresh warm breath flowed continuously into her mouth.

Qin Wan’s eyes opened slightly, still seeing those same eyes before her. But when she looked up, she saw the faint light above growing dimmer as she was pulled down by an icy current, sinking into some sort of abyss.

Instinctively, she held tightly to the person before her who provided some warmth. She felt the soft warmth on her lips move again, carrying a heart-penetrating gentleness. Just as she tried to carefully discern it, that last beam of light above completely disappeared. Qin Wan’s spirit wavered, and her final trace of consciousness faded away like that light.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Wan’s consciousness returned slightly. The bone-chilling cold had disappeared – while there was still some coolness on her body, it was nothing like the hopeless feeling of being trapped in an ice cave before. Opening her eyes to look around, she was shocked to find herself in Sun Haoyue’s underground secret residence.

Her temples ached slightly, but she clearly remembered Sun Haoyue’s secret being exposed, people arriving outside, and Sun Haoyue ultimately activating the mansion’s mechanisms intending to die together with everyone. And she…

Thinking of this, Qin Wan couldn’t help but pause. She had fallen into something like a well and then dreamed of Yan Chi.

As Qin Wan was lost in thought, suddenly a light footstep sounded. Her heart instinctively tensed, but when she looked up, she saw Yan Chi striding in through the doorway.

Qin Wan stared woodenly at Yan Chi, unable to react for a moment.

Seeing her eyes open, Yan Chi’s eyes brightened for an instant. He walked to Qin Wan’s side in a few steps. “You’re awake?”

Qin Wan continued staring blankly at Yan Chi, unable to distinguish if this was still a dream.

Seeing her dazed expression, Yan Chi’s rough but warm palm landed on her forehead. At this touch, Yan Chi’s brows furrowed slightly, his eyes showing a hint of tender pain. Then his hand moved to her cheek, seeming to caress it before sliding down toward her collar. At this exploration, Qin Wan snapped out of her daze.

She suddenly raised her hand, firmly gripping his wrist.

Seeing her strong reaction, Yan Chi looked into her eyes.

Their gazes met, and Qin Wan’s eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment. Her clear spring-like eyes became even more captivating. Combined with her still-damp hair carrying traces of moisture, her typically gentle yet resilient and calm face now carried a pitiful charm. Yan Chi’s throat suddenly moved, and he looked again at Qin Wan’s hand gripping his own, giving a gentle tug—

At this tug, Qin Wan seemed to regain more of her senses. Just as she was feeling embarrassed about their proximity, Yan Chi suddenly leaned in and picked her up in his arms, with such force that she almost crashed into his chest.

Qin Wan’s eyes suddenly widened. Her small face landed on Yan Chi’s neck, and her eyes blinked in continued confusion. “Is… is this a dream…”

“You’ve dreamed of me before?”

Yan Chi’s quick wit startled Qin Wan. She suddenly realized that the Yan Chi in her dreams never spoke, while the Yan Chi before her not only spoke but still had his characteristic quick reactions that left her amazed.

Qin Wan’s cheeks suddenly grew hot – this wasn’t a dream.

If it wasn’t a dream, then where did this embrace come from?

Qin Wan struggled, her hands immediately beginning to push against Yan Chi’s chest.

This room appeared to be a warm chamber in the underground residence, and she was lying on a long couch.

This couch hadn’t been used for who knows how long, giving off a musty smell. Beneath her was Yan Chi’s brocade robe, while her outer robe covered her. Not far away, a small porcelain basin held a burning fire.

Qin Wan seemed to have completely awakened, but no matter how she pushed against Yan Chi, his embrace remained as immovable as a majestic mountain. While Qin Wan was trying very seriously to push him away, he not only ignored her efforts but also placed one hand on her back and one in her hair, then rested his cheek on top of her head, taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh.

Qin Wan’s hands weakened in their pushing. Her clear eyes reflected the distant fire, making her face grow even hotter, while Yan Chi’s arms squeezed so tightly that her back ached, causing another moment of dizziness.

But after a moment, her rationality helped her calm down.

Closing and opening her eyes, the distant fire still reflected in them, but her spirit was now clear and calm.

“Why is Your Highness here?”

“I was with the military stationed in Yuan Prefecture. I thought you had already passed through Yuan Prefecture to Tong Prefecture, but I never expected you to use the token I gave you.” As Yan Chi spoke, he still held her firmly against his heart.

Qin Wan moved slightly, to no effect, so she simply resigned herself to leaning against Yan Chi’s chest.

She still didn’t quite understand why Yan Chi had come here.

“When I first gave it to you, you didn’t want it. Since you’ve used it now, it must have been urgent. I rushed over through the night, just in time to find the mansion’s owner activating the mechanisms—”

Qin Wan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “How is Wan Xing?”

Yan Chi’s hand on her back seemed to move slightly, then he calmly said, “She won’t die.”

The room was quiet for a moment, with only the “crack” sounds from the fire. “Your Highness has put in quite some effort.”

“With your personality, if no one protects you, I can hardly be at ease.”

“Why protect me?” Although Qin Wan was leaning against Yan Chi without struggling, her tone remained calm.

Yan Chi raised his hand to stroke her hair gently, “Naturally because my heart is set on you.”

He seemed to have gathered quite some determination to say these words. Hearing them, Qin Wan’s spirit wavered slightly again, but after a moment, she slowly said, “What do you mean by your heart being set on me?”

Hearing this, Yan Chi released Qin Wan. He pulled back slightly, looking at her with brilliant yet somewhat sharp eyes, “Naturally, it means I am clear and certain about my feelings for you.”

Looking into Yan Chi’s eyes, Qin Wan’s heart suddenly warmed, with sour yet fragrant emotions spreading through her. Her throat tightened slightly, leaving her momentarily speechless. Such clarity, such certainty.

Her father’s actions in the world were nothing if not clear and righteous. Following her father’s footsteps, whether dealing with cases or worldly affairs, she always sought truth and reality. She was good at piercing through layers of fog to find the truth, yet she knew that what covered people’s hearts was far more complex than mere fog. The more she saw, the more she understood the subtle complexity of human hearts. But once someone laid themselves bare before her with such clarity, even her rock-solid heart would soften somewhat…

Looking at Yan Chi, she once again marveled at his sharp insight – he knew exactly what she needed.

Seeing Qin Wan lost in thought and silent for a while, Yan Chi couldn’t help but grab her hand, “Don’t you believe me? Or dare not believe?”

Hearing these words, Qin Wan’s eyes immediately sharpened, “What is there not to dare?”

Her tone carried three parts pride, three parts composure, and four parts certainty, causing Yan Chi to burst out laughing. His rich, magnificent laughter drummed against Qin Wan’s eardrums, and his eyes filled with brilliant light. That gaze held three parts tenderness, three parts satisfaction, and four parts arrogance, his whole being radiating joy from within.

After laughing for a moment, Yan Chi suddenly grew serious. He firmly gripped Qin Wan’s hand, “Good, then I’ll take that as your belief! Since you believe, you must also give me clarity.”

Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, her gaze deliberately shifting to the side, “What clarity?”

Her features were as elegant as a painting, her cheeks slightly pink. Although she appeared uncooperative, there was a sense of having nothing to fear now that Yan Chi had declared his feelings – quite different from her usual self-contained calmness. This attitude was nearly a clear acknowledgment, making Yan Chi smile again as he pulled Qin Wan into his embrace.

This time, his embrace wasn’t as forceful as before, but his hands unconsciously roamed between her neck and back, as if wanting to merge Qin Wan’s body into his heart. Qin Wan shrank her back slightly, her hands reaching around Yan Chi’s waist.

Yan Chi’s breathing became unsteady for a moment, and he suddenly lowered his head to speak against her hair, “You… when you first saw me just now, you embraced me the same way…”

“I thought it was just in a dream.”

Qin Wan’s outer robe slipped to the ground, leaving her feeling cold. She leaned against Yan Chi, only then able to draw some warmth from him. Hearing her words, Yan Chi laughed again, “So you did dream of me?”

Qin Wan thought briefly, then gave a soft “Mm” in response.

Yan Chi’s chest rose and fell, followed by another satisfied sigh.

“This makes me content.”

Feeling the coldness of Qin Wan’s body, Yan Chi quickly picked up her fallen outer robe and draped it around her, then lifted her horizontally in his arms. “We shouldn’t stay here long, we need to leave.”

Being carried by him made Qin Wan’s heart tremble. Back in Jin Prefecture, she hadn’t noticed, but once they left, the distant thoughts during dangerous moments along the way had made her aware of her feelings, not to mention those successive amorous dreams. She had never been a coward – she didn’t fear the murderous intent behind the fog, didn’t fear the treachery of human hearts, so how could she fear Yan Chi’s clear and straightforward intentions?

She had her ambitions and wasn’t someone who placed love above all else. She had her concerns and worries, but she truly believed in Yan Chi.

And now that he was right before her, what was there to fear?

Though she dared, while her face showed bold and straightforward confidence, she had never experienced matters of the heart before. Nestled in Yan Chi’s arms, looking at his profile, a sweet and bitter sense of wonder arose naturally in her heart.

This was an unexpected branch in her life’s path. Though she was skilled in medicine and forensics, matters of the heart remained foreign to her. She stared at Yan Chi, unsure what role he would play on the unknown path ahead.

“Why are you staring at me?” Yan Chi carried Qin Wan out of the warm chamber, and upon leaving the door, noticed her gaze constantly on him. Looking at her, he saw her face still pink like sunset clouds.

He knew Qin Wan’s resolve far exceeded ordinary people, even surpassing many men, but those close to her knew her feminine charm was no less than any other woman’s.

“Did Your Highness truly come from the Yuan Prefecture garrison?” Qin Wan asked again, though things were different now from before.

Yan Chi curved his lips, “Indeed from the Yuan Prefecture garrison, though not in Yuan City. There are two main camps north of Ji County. I knew as soon as your token was used, and then Bai Ying’s news arrived as well.”

“Bai Ying? Wan Xing?” Qin Wan quickly understood.

Yan Chi nodded, “She is Bai Feng’s sister, originally one of my intelligence agents.”

Qin Wan’s lips moved slightly, “When she entered the household… it was not long after you arrived in Jin Prefecture.”

Yan Chi gave a low laugh, “The night the An Yang Marquis’s household had its incident, I saw you then.”

Qin Wan blinked her eyes, unaware of this detail. Looking at Yan Chi’s profile, she felt she had many questions to ask, but the current situation didn’t allow for much inquiry. She looked around this secret residence – she had never been to the warm chamber they were in earlier and didn’t know how Yan Chi had brought her there…

Seeing her expression, Yan Chi knew what she was thinking. “The mechanisms beneath this secret residence all use water as power. Sun Haoyue activated the largest mechanism, opening all the water gates below, but a secret passage can’t have just one exit. I took you down through the passage, and we ended up at the very bottom.”

As he spoke, Yan Chi carried Qin Wan along a corridor with what appeared to be living quarters on both sides. At the end was a staircase, which Yan Chi strode up carrying Qin Wan.

“This lower level is equivalent to a two-section main house, once the master’s resting place.”

By now Yan Chi had carried Qin Wan up to the next level. Though Qin Wan was slender and not heavy, she wasn’t a child, yet Yan Chi carried her effortlessly, seemingly without strain. Qin Wan looked up, not recognizing the place at first, but when Yan Chi stepped through the nearest door, her brows immediately furrowed.

This staircase wasn’t far from the stairs leading to ground level. The ice room was not far to Qin Wan’s left, and when she looked right toward the stairs they had climbed earlier, she found that side completely collapsed into ruins. The storage room where they had been placed earlier was now just a mess of stones and dirt.

“This mansion truly is destroyed…” Qin Wan’s tone carried a hint of coldness. “Sun Haoyue’s main house should be in that direction.”

Qin Wan’s eyes narrowed as she looked toward the position ahead of the storage room, which was now unrecognizable.

Yan Chi said, “This mansion has a secret residence below, and another level beneath that. Once the lower mechanisms are activated, they destroy the secret residence first, then the visible house above sinks and is eventually buried.”

“Does Your Highness know what happened here?”

Yan Chi nodded, “I’ve met with the Qin household guards and encountered the Zhongyong Marquis’s heir on the way. I know the general situation – it’s all because Sun Haoyue harmed many lives trying to save his wife.”

Qin Wan shook her head, “His wife was already dead. If I hadn’t seen his wife’s corpse already showing signs of decay, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Yan Chi’s expression darkened, “Then he had fallen into obsession.”

Qin Wan didn’t argue with this. Sun Haoyue had been like an immortal figure, with no one normally able to see anything amiss. Even now, Qin Wan still remembered how he had intimately held Bai Feixian’s already rotting arm.

He wasn’t mad or foolish – he had truly fallen into obsession.

“The rooms and stairs on this side are all destroyed, how can we get out?”

Qin Wan suddenly asked this question. Only about three-tenths of the underground residence remained undestroyed, but the only exit was blocked. They were effectively trapped in an enclosed prison below – how could they escape?

“If we can’t get out, are you afraid?”

Yan Chi didn’t linger here, carrying Qin Wan toward the ice room.

Hearing this, Qin Wan smiled, “With Your Highness for company, it’s not so bad.”

Yan Chi tightened his arms around Qin Wan, who suddenly remembered to ask, “How long was I asleep?”

Yan Chi replied, “Two hours.”

It had already been two hours – that meant outside it was probably daybreak.

“As I said before, with so many mechanisms here, there can’t be just one exit. Sun Haoyue destroyed the eastern part of the residence, which shows its master must have left himself an escape route when building it.”

There couldn’t be just one exit…

Qin Wan pondered these words carefully for a moment, and then her eyes suddenly brightened, “I know, I know where the exit is.”

Qin Wan raised her hand to point, “Go forward, then turn left and keep going forward. There’s a room where Sun Haoyue usually extracts hearts and livers. That room still has cat corpses he used for practice, and I once saw a black cat in this residence carrying away a cat corpse. Sun Haoyue must have kept this hidden, and since Renxin Court was his and Bai Feiyu’s sleeping quarters, he wouldn’t tolerate these bloody things going in and out there. So I guess there must be another exit there. The cat corpses were taken out – perhaps because there were guests in the residence those days and it wasn’t convenient to clean up, so they were temporarily piled somewhere in the residence, where that black cat found them…”

As Qin Wan spoke, Yan Chi was already walking in the direction she indicated.

Soon, Qin Wan spoke softly, “It’s here—”

Stopping his steps, Yan Chi frowned, “There’s someone in the room.”

Qin Wan thought for a moment before remembering, “It’s Sun Haoyue’s subordinate.”

As she spoke, Qin Wan pulled out her flint from her sleeve. Though the outside was soaked, the inside was still dry. She lit the flint, and they entered the room. Sure enough, they saw Shang Lu lying exactly as before on the ground.

Yan Chi glanced at this but paid no attention, then noticed the porcelain jars on the ground and the red objects that had rolled out. He frowned, walking past the long table with the porcelain jars and directly entering the inner room.

On the long table, that corpse still lay undisturbed.

“Possessing such extraordinary medical skills, yet choosing the path of darkness.” Yan Chi’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice deepening, “Even profound love doesn’t justify forgiveness.”

Hearing this, Qin Wan sighed, feeling as if a heavy stone weighed on her heart.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Chi lowered his head to ask.

Qin Wan replied, “Perhaps this is the cruel irony of fate – he could save everyone in the world, except the one he loved most.”

After a pause, Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi, “If it were Your Highness, what would you do?”

Faced with Qin Wan’s question, Yan Chi unconsciously looked at her, seemingly imagining her with an incurable illness. His eyes darkened, “I wouldn’t fall into darkness, because I already am darkness.”

He gazed deeply at Qin Wan for a moment before walking directly behind the long table.

Hearing his words, Qin Wan thought of his title “Demon King.” When she first heard this title, she had felt curiosity and instinctive awe but never imagined that one day she would be in the Demon King’s arms.

Reaching the dark room with the corpse, Qin Wan wasn’t sure where to go, as she had only been here once before with Qin Xiang.

Yan Chi glanced at her, “You’ve been here before?”

Qin Wan made an affirming sound, “I told the housekeeper that Fifth Sister might be in the Herb Garden, but he came alone. That’s how Sun Haoyue knew our intentions as soon as we arrived. He planned to use smoke, but I had already figured it out and took an antidote before entering. After they left, I found Fifth Sister in the ice room we just passed. Later we encountered Shang Lu, came this way, and Late… Bai Ying, it was Bai Ying who saved us.”

Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, “If you’re used to calling her Wan Xing, then call her Wan Xing.”

Qin Wan immediately shook her head, “Your Highness kept this from me initially, probably thinking I wouldn’t accept your kindness without reason. Now that I know, Bai Ying should remain Bai Ying.”

Yan Chi didn’t pursue this topic further, instead saying gravely, “You were quite bold, daring to come here with just those young ladies from your household.”

Qin Wan gave a bitter smile, “I was indeed reckless this time, almost endangering them. But if we hadn’t come, Fifth Sister might have ended up like that corpse lying there. It was worth it.”

Yan Chi frowned, “I heard the Qin family’s Fifth Miss doesn’t treat you well.”

Hearing this, Qin Wan felt somewhat helpless having Bai Ying stay by her side served purposes beyond just protection.

“Whether she treats me well or not doesn’t matter. She never meant to harm me. Since we’re both Qins, and I knew she was truly in danger, I couldn’t just do nothing…”

Yan Chi seemed to disagree with her words but chose not to pursue it further at this moment. His eyes swept the room, noticing two secret doors in this dark chamber – one where Shang Lu had appeared, and another whose destination was unknown. Qin Wan looked around, “This way, this unknown door – let’s check it out.”

Yan Chi willingly followed in the direction Qin Wan indicated. Through the secret door, they entered another dark room. This chamber lacked the porcelain jars, but as Qin Wan’s flint light flickered, she saw a human skeleton supported by brackets made by Sun Haoyue, making it appear as if a skeleton was standing there.

Qin Wan’s eyelashes trembled at the sight, but when she looked up at Yan Chi, she saw that even his brows hadn’t moved.

Besides the human skeleton, the room contained various diagrams and medical books. Looking at them, Qin Wan saw that these weren’t simple drawings of human meridians, vessels, joints, and acupoints, but detailed illustrations of the distribution of blood vessels around every organ in the human body. Moreover, there were drawings of dissected human organs.

The artist’s skill was above average, straightforwardly rendering human organs with vivid detail. Looking at these diagrams, Qin Wan was quite shocked, feeling she had discovered medical treasures not shared with outsiders. But remembering these came from Sun Haoyue’s numerous victims, she felt dejected.

Yan Chi spoke gravely, “What a waste.”

Qin Wan shared his regret. Yan Chi didn’t linger, carrying her further ahead into another room. This one was arranged like a study, and Qin Wan noticed several volumes on the desk.

“What are those? Let’s take a look—”

Qin Wan pointed, and Yan Chi carried her over. After a few steps, Qin Wan felt much of her strength had returned and said, “Your Highness can put me down. I’m not seriously ill, just caught a chill.”

Though Qin Wan still felt waves of cold, she understood her condition from these symptoms.

However, after she spoke, Yan Chi frowned and still carried her to the desk.

Seeing this, Qin Wan sighed and opened the volumes. Upon reading, she saw they recorded the conditions of “patients,” and she couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. These weren’t ordinary medical records – they detailed the conditions of Sun Haoyue’s victims, recording in detail the reactions of those whose organs were removed and those who received organ transplants. Looking through them, Qin Wan saw that very few who received organ transplants survived. There seemed to be some extremely strict criteria that Sun Haoyue initially didn’t understand, so those who died were part of his process of discovering these criteria…

There were many ways to excel in medicine, and if this notebook wasn’t stained with human blood, Qin Wan would have considered it more valuable than even the secret texts passed down only to direct descendants of the Medicine Valley…

“His talent likely surpassed all previous Valley Masters of the Medicine Valley. If only he…”

If only Sun Haoyue hadn’t taken this path and instead focused on healing people – wouldn’t that have been better?

Qin Wan thought this but felt it futile to say. She put down the volume, only saying, “These volumes are crucial evidence. If we can get out, we should have them take everything away.”

Yan Chi understood Qin Wan’s meaning, “Of course, we can get out. By now, the people outside must be worried.”

Qin Wan put down the records, and Yan Chi continued carrying her forward. Meanwhile, Qin Wan’s flint was about to go out. Without it, how would they find the exit? What if they encountered more mechanisms?

Just as Qin Wan was secretly worrying, they reached another dark room.

But this chamber had no doors or windows, seeming to be the final room of the secret residence.

Qin Wan hurriedly said, “There’s no path forward. Let’s go back through the previous door – the flint is about to die.”

Qin Wan wanted to return, but Yan Chi didn’t move. He surveyed the room with a serious expression and instead walked to the center. Seeing this, Qin Wan immediately realized something was unusual about this room. “Is the exit here?”

“There’s wind. Can you hear it?” Yan Chi suddenly spoke. Qin Wan concentrated but couldn’t hear anything after a while. Yan Chi looked at the flint and said, “Watch the flame.”

Qin Wan immediately understood – such an everyday detail she would normally notice, yet somehow she had missed it. Looking now, she saw the flame indeed tilted slightly.

Qin Wan felt relieved, “The exit must be here!”

Just as she spoke, the flint in her hand went out silently.

The surroundings immediately fell into a silence where one could hear a pin drop, with only their breathing distinctly audible. Qin Wan worried, “What should we do? That was my only usable flint.”

“No matter, opening this won’t be difficult.”

Qin Wan was about to ask if Yan Chi had another flint, but hearing his words, she felt reassured.

Yan Chi carried Qin Wan a few steps toward a corner, then gently set her down. “Stand steady.”

In this corner, Qin Wan stood supporting herself against the wall. She made a soft sound of acknowledgment, and in the darkness felt Yan Chi adjusting her outer robe. Then she heard him walk away, and soon the sound of him lightly tapping the stone walls began. Qin Wan knew he was checking for mechanisms in the walls, and held her breath.

Yan Chi tapped around in a circle, quickly returning to a spot not far from her. When he suddenly went silent, Qin Wan couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong? Is there no mechanism here? Or is it too difficult to solve?”

After Qin Wan’s question, Yan Chi remained silent.

In the pitch-black darkness where one couldn’t see their own hands, Qin Wan suddenly felt anxious. “Your Highness?”

As she spoke, she reached out toward where Yan Chi stood. Just as she was about to touch him, the previously unresponsive Yan Chi suddenly wrapped his long arm around her and pulled her into his embrace. This unexpected movement made Qin Wan let out a small cry, and before she could react, he had her pressed against the stone wall.

“You still call me ‘Your Highness’?”

Yan Chi’s breath was mere inches away. In the silent darkness, his magnificent deep voice and breathing carried warmth. The pink that had just faded from Qin Wan’s cheeks rose again. She pushed against Yan Chi, but he immediately wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tighter and tighter until they were pressed firmly together.

“Wan Wan…”

Just as Qin Wan was hesitating over Yan Chi’s first question, he suddenly called out softly. That single utterance made her ears tingle and left her dumbfounded.

She was completely enveloped in Yan Chi’s embrace. Though she was slender, she wasn’t short, yet in his arms, it felt as if she could be embedded within him. Qin Wan hesitated for a moment, and suddenly her nose stung with emotion.

No one had called her that in a long time. As if by heaven’s design, Ninth Miss shared her name. In the past, both her father and mother had called her this way – it had become the way only the closest people in the world addressed her. Qin Wan had thought no one would ever call her that again.

Yan Chi seemed to instantly sense her grief and held her even tighter.

Darkness surrounded them, like every nightmare-filled deep night before, but this time, Yan Chi’s broad warm embrace gave her strength. The grief that threatened to overwhelm her was barely held in check.

Her hand moved, climbing to Yan Chi’s waist.

This movement made Yan Chi’s breath catch, and he lowered his head. She felt him kiss the top of her head, then heard him say, “After returning to the capital, I’ll send people to Zhong—”

“No—”

Before Yan Chi could finish, Qin Wan interrupted him.

Yan Chi hadn’t expected this. Qin Wan had acknowledged her feelings for him, which was precious to him. With his decisive nature, how could he tolerate her remaining in such an ambiguous state until they reached the capital?

The capital was a den of tigers and wolves, and he wasn’t unaware of the Zhongyong Marquis’s household’s intentions. Since he knew, he naturally wanted everything under his control. But Qin Wan was unwilling.

Yan Chi was silent for a moment, his tone darkening, “Why?”

Qin Wan, still in his embrace, asked, “Without me, what were your original plans?”

Yan Chi’s brows furrowed slightly, “Naturally, the Northwestern Army takes precedence. With the recent upheaval in the crown prince selection, both court and military are unstable. My journey south was partly to deal with this matter.”

Qin Wan then said, “Then let the Northwestern Army take precedence.”

Hearing this, Yan Chi started to speak but stopped, “Then what about us… How can I give you the clarity and certainty you want?”

Knowing he misunderstood, Qin Wan continued, “The clarity I want isn’t about a position by Your Highness’s side. Your Highness has great ambitions, and I too have a wish. Before fulfilling this wish, I have no plans to marry. If it weren’t Your Highness, it wouldn’t matter. If I couldn’t decide and couldn’t resist or change it, then marriage would be fine. But since it is Your Highness, I shouldn’t hide this from you.”

“What is your wish?” Yan Chi immediately asked.

Qin Wan’s lips pressed together tightly, “This wish has existed for long. Please don’t ask me about it.”

Qin Wan hadn’t expected Yan Chi to want to make their relationship public so quickly, but doing so would disrupt her plans. Her heart felt bitter – the concerns she had when accepting Yan Chi’s feelings surfaced so quickly. However, no matter what, she wouldn’t delay her revenge and justice for Yan Chi. Saying this much was already the greatest honesty she could offer him now.

Yan Chi’s breathing seemed uneven. He was someone whose word was law in the Northwestern Army. He had planned to proceed slowly, but since Qin Wan wanted clarity, he would give it to her. He thought he understood her, but he was wrong – she could even refuse the position of Crown Prince’s consort.

How many noble ladies in the capital coveted this position, yet she could refuse so decisively, not even letting him finish speaking? Yan Chi’s heart was in turmoil. He suddenly released Qin Wan.

“Let me ask you, do you think my declaration today was too casual or abrupt?”

Qin Wan, her heart already complex with emotions, was startled by this question. Even if she didn’t know he had rushed from so far away, even if his protection and care in Jin Prefecture seemed ordinary, even if she forgot about the token he gave her, once she knew Wan Xing’s identity, what was not to understand?

Shaking her head, her voice softened, “Of course not.”

Yan Chi laughed in the darkness, “Then do you feel our acquaintance is too brief, that you can’t fully trust my character?”

Qin Wan smiled bitterly, “Of course not…”

Yan Chi’s tone deepened slightly, domineering yet carrying a gentle probing, “Then do you feel my decision is too hasty, that my feelings for you aren’t deep enough?”

Qin Wan responded quickly, “Perhaps… a little.”

Hearing this, Yan Chi’s breathing grew heavy, and his hand on her waist immediately tightened.

But Qin Wan didn’t regret answering this way. She didn’t feel Yan Chi treated her casually, nor did she feel she didn’t understand his character. But in matters of love, Qin Wan was naive and found it hard to see clearly. She wasn’t afraid to accept Yan Chi’s feelings, but marriage was still too distant for them, especially since she had to fulfill her earlier wish first.

“So you still don’t trust me enough…”

After a long while, Yan Chi forced these words out between his teeth. Qin Wan wanted to explain, but Yan Chi gave a low laugh, somewhat helplessly indulgent yet also carrying an unyielding determination to achieve his goal, “Very well, we have time ahead of us. Whether it’s because you have an unfulfilled wish or because you feel our relationship isn’t deep enough yet, we’ll see how things develop.”

After a pause, Yan Chi looked at her with captivating eyes, “You always manage to surprise me.”

Qin Wan’s worried heart slightly relaxed, “Thank you, Your High—”

Before she could finish “Highness,” she felt her lips sealed. Yan Chi pressed her firmly against the stone wall behind her, kissing her deeply and heavily, clearly intending to wear down her defenses bit by bit and imprint his presence upon her. Qin Wan tilted her head back, instinctively wanting to resist, but sensing the surging emotions in Yan Chi’s heart, she paused for a moment before finally closing her eyes, her wrists softening as she loosely placed her hands on his waist.

Qin Wan’s response seemed like the perfect comfort. Yan Chi pulled her into his embrace, suddenly shifting from his overwhelming presence to a gentle and slow exploration of her lips. His heart, which had been suspended for so long, seemed to truly settle at this moment. Though things hadn’t gone entirely as he wished, how could he complain when the person in his arms was so extraordinary…

Thinking this, Yan Chi’s grip unconsciously tightened again.