Seeing Bai Jinzhi’s hesitation, Xiao Rongyan added, “Don’t worry, the pastries are made with vegetable oil.” He only mentioned this because he assumed the Bai family was probably still observing mourning rites.

Bai Jinzhi was about to decline, but the words came to her lips and she swallowed them back. After all, Master Xiao would be her future brother-in-law, so not eating her brother-in-law’s gifts would be a waste.

She unceremoniously accepted the food box, walking inside with Xiao Rongyan while opening it to peek inside: “Oh! These are plum blossom pastries from the palace! Thank you, Master Xiao!”

Bai Jinzhi took out a piece to taste, her eyes lighting up: “Mmm… this is the imperial chef’s handiwork, and still fresh from the oven! Did His Highness bring a chef on the campaign?!”

Xiao Rongyan smiled faintly.

Bai Jinzhi felt dissatisfied in her heart with the crown prince’s style. After thinking, she handed the wine bottle in her hand to Xiao Rongyan: “It’s improper not to reciprocate when receiving gifts. This freshly bought wine is for you, Master!”

A guard behind Xiao Rongyan quickly took the wine.

“Then I thank Fourth Miss!” Xiao Rongyan’s voice was mellow and extremely pleasant to hear.

“Master Xiao, just call me Xiao Si!”

Bai Jinzhi glanced back at Xiao Rongyan’s guards, then moved closer to Xiao Rongyan and lowered her voice to ask: “Master Xiao, my eldest sister doesn’t like sweet foods, remember that!”

Xiao Rongyan looked at Bai Jinzhi, slightly stunned. But Bai Jinzhi winked at Xiao Rongyan with a mischievous expression that said ‘I know everything’, then ran off carrying the food box.

Xiao Rongyan stopped in his tracks, watching Bai Jinzhi’s retreating figure. After a long moment, he reacted, pressing his lips together as he lowered his head and chuckled softly.

The guard following behind Xiao Rongyan was somewhat surprised. He glanced in the direction where Bai Jinzhi had disappeared, shocked in his heart… So their master liked wild and unruly girls like the Bai family’s Fourth Miss! No wonder their master was unwilling to get close to their Great Yan’s foremost beauty, who possessed both looks and talent!

Xiao Rongyan’s guard stepped forward with the wine bottle and asked: “Master, since you’ve already bid farewell to the Crown Prince, when do we depart tomorrow?”

“We leave as soon as the city gates open. Have our people prepare tonight!” Xiao Rongyan said.

The Crown Prince had already spoken with the Wanping prefect, so Xiao Rongyan would not be obstructed when leaving the city tomorrow. This trip was already much faster than Xiao Rongyan had anticipated. For safety’s sake, Xiao Rongyan planned to bypass Pingyang City on his return to Great Yan, hoping only to arrive in time to save more common people.

Thinking that he would leave tomorrow, Xiao Rongyan somehow felt he wanted to say goodbye to Bai Qingyan.

It was already past midnight, but the lamp in Bai Qingyan’s room was still lit. The window shutters were knocked upon, and she looked up, putting away the map on her desk: “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Hearing Xiao Rongyan’s voice, Bai Qingyan walked toward the door. She held up an oil lamp and walked to the entrance, pulling open the door.

Xiao Rongyan had just walked to the door and hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to open it so quickly, so the two ended up quite close to each other.

“Miss Bai.” Xiao Rongyan nodded and bowed to Bai Qingyan.

She didn’t step across the threshold, only asking: “Master Xiao comes late at night – is there something?”

The oil lamp’s candle flame flickered violently in the wind, the dim soft light dancing between them, bright and dark. Perhaps the wind was too strong – in an instant it extinguished the oil lamp, leaving only the bright moon hanging in the sky… illuminating the man’s sharply defined facial features.

“After you left, His Highness the Crown Prince summoned three advisors to discuss matters. That Master Qin did argue forcefully, asking the Crown Prince to deploy troops tonight, but the Crown Prince’s other two advisors felt these were all baseless speculations from Miss Bai, not credible! Master Qin couldn’t win the argument and could only suggest in the end to first send scouts to the Nine Curves Peak bend and the exit of Nine Curves Peak at Wengshan Gorge to investigate whether there are ambush forces.”

Bai Qingyan knew of Qin Shangzhi’s abilities. She wasn’t surprised that he could argue forcefully for the Crown Prince to send troops, nor was she surprised that the Crown Prince didn’t fully heed Qin Shangzhi’s words.

In her previous life, Qin Shangzhi had been just like this under the Crown Prince’s command – frustrated and unable to fulfill his ambitions.

Seeing that Bai Qingyan remained silent, Xiao Rongyan’s calm and untroubled gaze focused on her pale, stunning face, then fell upon her lips, looking into her eyes: “Tomorrow, I will leave…”

His low, mellow voice was restrained yet steady, extremely moving.

Meeting his gaze, she felt her heart skip slightly, tightening her grip on the extinguished oil lamp: “Master Xiao, safe travels.”

A strange silence quietly grew between them.

Perhaps it was the seductive night, and seeing her earlobes gradually redden, made Xiao Rongyan, who had always been self-controlled and restrained, feel emotions surging in his heart that were difficult to suppress. He took a step closer to Bai Qingyan.

Xiao Rongyan was never someone who couldn’t contain himself or hide his thoughts, but thinking of how Bai Qingyan had sent him a message before the palace banquet, how she had never exposed him despite knowing his identity.

At the palace banquet, when she saw him leave, her whole body had tensed, and when she saw him return safely, the slight relaxation in her shoulder line.

And now with the army’s expedition to Nanjiang, even though she had guessed that he wanted to use her voice to relay a message to the Crown Prince, plotting to accompany the army with ulterior motives, she still served as that messenger before the Crown Prince.

All these past events repeatedly circled in Xiao Rongyan’s mind, making him feel with precision Bai Qingyan’s certain kind of concern for him.

Setting aside their identities and speaking only of man and woman, was Bai Qingyan’s excessive concern for him the same kind of fondness and affection that he had developed for her?

Because he had some suspicions in his heart, Xiao Rongyan’s actions could be considered a careful, tentative probe.

The man’s deep, profound aura pressed closer, his tall, upright figure blocking out the moonlight, enveloping Bai Qingyan in his towering shadow.

Xiao Rongyan moved another half step closer, with only a fist’s distance between them. The heat of his breath swept across her forehead. She gripped the oil lamp more tightly, her eyelashes trembling lightly as her heartbeat became increasingly violent.

Xiao Rongyan lowered his head to gaze at the expression on her face, but made no further moves, only looking at her with deep eyes.

Her lips moved, but her throat seemed blocked by something, unable to make a sound, because she seemed to vaguely understand what was hidden deep in Xiao Rongyan’s eyes that he hadn’t spoken aloud.

However, their identities were worlds apart, and the Bai family had not yet escaped danger safely. She had no leisure nor the mental energy to consider matters of romantic love.

She had already sworn never to marry in this lifetime, seeking only to use her remaining years to protect the safety of all the Bai family members and fulfill her grandfather’s dying wish.

“Master Xiao, rest early.” Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and stepped back.

The burning light flickering in Xiao Rongyan’s eyes froze and dimmed. After a long while, he slowly stepped back half a pace, returning to that elegant and composed demeanor with a smile: “Miss Bai should also rest early. I take my leave.”

Xiao Rongyan turned around, the graceful smile between his brows dispersing like mist, and he couldn’t help but laugh at himself mockingly.

Near the end of the yin hour, scouts rode fast horses into the city, heading straight for the government office.

Bai Qingyan practiced archery at the training ground as usual, without the slightest negligence.

Soon, lights blazed in the government office as the Crown Prince dressed while ordering people to summon all the generals for discussions.

Bai Qingyan, drenched in sweat, shot the last arrow from her quiver. A messenger had already come to summon her: “Young Master Bai, the Crown Prince urgently summons you!”

Xiao Ruohai, with a cloak draped over his arm, felt his heart tighten, knowing that the opportunity Bai Qingyan had been waiting for to see the Bai family army had arrived. He handed her a towel to wipe her sweat: “Young Master!”