The surroundings were too noisy, seemingly drowning out Jingrong’s words.

But Ji Yunshu still heard and understood clearly!

What did he mean by “how this prince treats you”? What did he mean by “do you truly not know”?

These two sentences were like scalding hot oil being poured over her.

Her eyes trembled slightly—she was actually somewhat panicked!

She could only remain silent!

Jingrong’s angry eyes now appeared extremely affectionate.

He said: “Do you know that the first time this prince saw you, I guessed you were a woman. I teased and played with you repeatedly, yet the teasing left this prince’s heart tangled and confused like a ball of thread, stirring me until I was emotionally entangled, unable to sleep at night, food losing its taste. Even several times, I wanted to remove the cap from your head to prove this prince’s speculation. Do you also know that after confirming this prince’s guess, those feelings became chaotic as tangled hemp, truly unbearable to scratch, and only you could make me this way!”

Now Ji Yunshu understood.

This fellow was confessing to her!

Hey, hey, hey, Your Highness, wake up—we’re impossible!

“Your Highness, I… I don’t know what you’re saying. Let me go.” She struggled with her arms, her body using even more force to squeeze sideways.

But Jingrong blocked her tightly and thoroughly.

He even emphasized again: “You don’t understand? Fine, this prince will say it once more—paired fish sport in water with joy, a lone chick crawls and bonds. A village girl’s dream—bedrock solid as firm.”

Boom—

As the words fell, fireworks exploded thunderously across the sky.

In the night sky, colorful and brilliant, starry flames penetrated people’s eyes like light!

Around them, the crowd cheered wave after wave!

But Ji Yunshu looked at Jingrong’s unwavering eyes and lost all movement.

Their four eyes met, sticking tightly together!

She pursed her lips and lowered her brow.

With a tone of gentle refusal, she said: “Your Highness, the joy of paired fish—when drought comes, they perish. A lone chick bonding—when rain comes, they separate. Your Highness’s affection does not suit me.”

The sound of exploding fireworks slowly covered her soft voice.

But Jingrong could still hear it.

Between his deeply affectionate brows, his slender eyes slowly sank. Those hands gripping Ji Yunshu’s arms also loosened like buttons from thread on a needle, separating.

Disappointment!

Still disappointment!

“Fine, this prince understands!”

The restraint was released. Ji Yunshu hugged her arms. In her flustered expression was an emotion difficult to fathom. She avoided two steps and left Jingrong’s embrace.

The two stood back to back—one with thoughts fallen like dust, one nervous with sweating palms.

And at precisely this moment, when Ji Yunshu raised her eyes, she saw Ji Muqing.

In a crimson red outfit, a blue and white cloak draped over her shoulders, hair styled in a long spiral bun, golden hairpins in her hair, silver ornaments and gold bracelets—nothing lacking. In her hand she carried a square lantern with gold-inlaid thread edging, made of top-quality red bamboo wood, with silver-beaded matching tassels hanging from the corners.

Behind her followed four maidservants!

This entourage was comparable to a noble lady’s procession!

Seeing she was about to walk this way, Ji Yunshu was conflicted about whether to “run into” her or avoid her.

Just then, Ji Muqing’s gaze looked in her direction.

And in zero-point-zero-one seconds, Ji Yunshu’s body was forcefully turned around by a pair of large hands.

What was left for the distant Ji Muqing was a magnificently turned back!

And as she turned, Ji Yunshu was once again pressed against the wall. Her sharp, slender chin was forcefully grasped by Jingrong’s long fingers and gently lifted up.

Her small body was blocked by his tall, upright frame.

As her chin was lifted, she was also forced to meet Jingrong’s bloodthirsty gaze, carrying unwillingness and some anger!

“Please let me go, Your Highness.”

“Yunshu.”

He called her name softly.

In an instant, he lowered his head and bent down. Again lifting Ji Yunshu’s chin slightly, one hand clasped her waist. His palm pressed down forcefully as those cold, stern lips moved toward Ji Yunshu’s small, crimson lips for a kiss.

Lips touched lips, accompanied by brilliant fireworks filling the sky!

What a uniquely beautiful scene.

But Ji Yunshu was stunned rigid by this sudden kiss, her eyes widening, even her breathing gradually seeming to stop.

Even Ji Pei had never been this intimate with her!

At that moment, Ji Yunshu’s heart was truly chaotic as tangled hemp!

So chaotic she didn’t know what to do, so numb she even forgot to resist.

But Jingrong kissed like fire and荼.

Ji Yunshu raised her pale fingers and pressed them to her lips, lightly wiping. Her face red, she looked at Jingrong in disbelief.

And in the moment after her gaze froze, she turned and fled in panic.

“Yunshu…”

As Jingrong called to her, before he could even reach out to pull her back, she had already rushed into the crowd.

The coming and going crowd instantly covered her figure. Jingrong could only desperately push through the crowd, exerting all effort to find that figure.

But Ji Yunshu seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

Little thing, running quite fast!

He stood in place, allowing the crowd to bump against his shoulders.

Slowly, his lips curved in a smile. His cold fingertips touched his own lips.

That faint lingering fragrance seemed to still be there!

And he had indeed been somewhat greedy!

After escaping from Jingrong’s side, Ji Yunshu seemed to have lost her soul, returning all the way to the Wei residence.

Just entering her courtyard, she saw Wei Yi holding that extinguished plum blossom lantern, sitting on the stone steps outside the house, head bowed, looking extremely dejected.

Hearing movement, he raised his head. Seeing Ji Yunshu return, he ran over immediately.

“Shu’er!”

“Did you come back by yourself?” she asked him.

He shook his head: “No, it was Sister Luan’er and that black big brother who brought me back.”

Black big brother—he meant Lang Bo.

She nodded without speaking.

Wei Yi saw her complexion was off. Tilting his head, he asked: “Shu’er, are you unhappy?”

Was her unhappy expression that obvious?

She forced a smile and shook her head: “I’m not unhappy. Wei Yi, it’s already very late now. You should go rest early.”

“But…”

“What’s wrong?”

He raised the lantern in his hand: “Shu’er, I haven’t hung my lantern yet.”

The Lantern Gathering Festival—lanterns hung higher meant more good fortune.

Looking at Wei Yi’s regretful eyes, Ji Yunshu couldn’t bear it, but her own lantern had been knocked down by that bastard Jingrong.

But she really didn’t want to make Wei Yi unhappy and dampen his spirits.

So thinking it over, her eyes suddenly brightened.

She smiled: “Wei Yi, we won’t hang lanterns. Let’s release sky lanterns instead, okay?”

“Sky lanterns?”

“Right, sky lanterns.”

“Good! Release sky lanterns, release sky lanterns!”

Wei Yi was extremely happy.

Then Ji Yunshu called Luan’er and had her find two sky lanterns from the residence.

Ji Yunshu also brought some writing brushes and ink, setting up the sky lanterns on a small table.

Picking up a brush, she said to Wei Yi: “Wei Yi, this sky lantern can float very, very high. Many people use them to make wishes. If you have any wishes, you can write them on it.”

“Really?”

“Of course. So what wish do you have?”

Wei Yi thought for a moment, picked up a brush, and began writing on his sky lantern.

Ji Yunshu didn’t know what he was writing. She also began moving her brush.

On the pure white sky lantern, a vertical line of elegant characters soon appeared.

May human hearts be without dust, the dead already at peace!

The wish Ji Yunshu made was different from ordinary people!

Luan’er glanced at it, puzzled: “Miss, don’t ordinary people write things like ‘good health’? Why did you write this?”

Setting down the brush, she explained: “Living without schemes, dying in peace—this is the most beautiful thing between life and death, and also spiritual health.”

“Hm? Oh.” Luan’er seemed to understand but not really.

At this moment, Wei Yi had also finished. Holding the brush, he smiled: “Shu’er, look, I’m done.”

When she came to look, she saw on Wei Yi’s sky lantern several crooked little people drawn.

Some tall, some short, some fat, some thin—four people total.

Wei Yi pointed at a tall one: “This is me.”

Then pointed at a fat one: “This is Father.”

Then pointed at a slightly plump one: “This is Mother.”

Then pointed at a thin, small one: “This is you, Shu’er.”

On Wei Yi’s clean face was a thick sense of happiness, extremely bright!

Ji Yunshu’s heart was moved, also carrying guilt. That feeling surged to her heart, making her tears almost spill out.

Collecting her emotions, she said gently: “Alright Wei Yi, let’s light the fire and release the sky lanterns.”

“Okay!”

The two sky lanterns were lit with fire and slowly rose into the sky…

Under the ink-black night sky, they flickered with eye-catching orange-red halos, farther and farther, higher and higher…

Wei Yi bounced and jumped, tilting his head up, saying a whole cartload of words.

But Ji Yunshu didn’t hear a single sentence. She raised her somewhat heavy eyes to watch those two sky lanterns, her heart full of worries!

That was her first kiss!

In one lifetime, teased by a man countless times.

That feeling was like beating a drum in her heart—contracting and expanding, pounding until she was still heart-trembling even now.

…

At this time at Guangqu Academy.

Jingrong stood under the eaves, hands behind his back. That ink-colored long robe was slowly lifted by the cold wind.

He raised his head, looking at those two sky lanterns floating far away in the sky. The corners of his lips gradually floated up with a faint smile.

In his mind appeared the scene of kissing Ji Yunshu.

That warmth and tenderness truly remained, melting into his heart.

At this time, Lang Bo walked over from afar with hurried steps.

Walking to Jingrong’s side, he said: “Your Highness, a letter has arrived from the capital.”

Having said that, he presented the letter.

Jingrong also instantly put away that faint smile, his expression grave. He took the letter and opened it to look.

After reading through the contents once, that letter was crumpled tightly in his hand into a ball.

A cold light suddenly flashed in his eyes: “It seems Jing Yi planned this move long ago.”

Jing Yi, the Third Prince of Great Lin, titled Prince Yi!