Jin Siyu abruptly raised his head to stare at her, his eyes sinister and unwilling, but because that smoke hadn’t yet dissipated, he couldn’t speak.

Feng Zhiwei looked at him with a smiling expression, very kindly shaking that white iron chain as she said, “Your Highness, your first question must surely be how I unlocked this lock?”

Jin Siyu gave a cold snort. Feng Zhiwei unhurriedly said, “Does Your Highness still remember the circumstances of how I seized the key that day?”

Jin Siyu froze, lightning flashing through his mind as the scene of Feng Zhiwei seizing the key that day flashed before his eyes… She struck out… flew to seize it… he retreated… she suddenly lunged forward… fiercely pinning him to the ground… pinned… pinned!

That pinning move!

Jin Siyu’s eyes flashed with blue light. Feng Zhiwei knew he had already thought of it and nodded with satisfaction, smiling, “Your Highness is truly exceptionally wise to have thought of it so quickly.”

Her praise was genuine, but to Jin Siyu’s ears it was sarcasm. His gentle and handsome face nearly turned iron-blue.

This woman was cunning to the extreme!

That day when she lunged at him, he hadn’t understood why she would make such a move. He knew that this person had her reasons for everything she did and would never act rashly in a hot-headed manner. Sure enough, that lunge was only to slam his hand clutching the key onto the ground!

Even the initial deadly strike to seize the key was just a feint. She knew full well it was impossible to seize the key from his hand – it was only for that final lunge and pin!

That pin, with her hand pressing heavily on the ground, left an impression of the key on the floor. Then she found a way to make a rubbing of it. On this ship, she must have had an inside accomplice, and one who was a skilled craftsman at that.

What truly could have confined her was actually just this chain that even peerless divine weapons couldn’t sever, personally tied to his hand, never leaving his side. As for sealing her martial arts or even poisoning her – none of that could affect her. She had powerful experts around her who could all help her resolve such matters.

And she was indeed ruthless enough. Although she had long since made a rubbing of the key and could have escaped, she deliberately waited for the best moment to lock him before leaving.

This thought flashed by, and then he laughed somewhat hoarsely, saying, “Good, good, you’re very good.”

Feng Zhiwei looked at him gently and softly, saying in a tender voice, “I’m not good, Your Highness. However, I’m quite fortunate that you won’t have to face my not-goodness anymore in the future. Today we part ways, and most likely we’ll truly never meet again.”

“How do you plan to leave?” Jin Siyu’s expression was full of sarcasm. “There are spare sampans in the lower cabin, but do you think those two small boats can catch up with my fast ship? As long as I turn around and pursue, you still can’t escape.”

“Your Highness, you won’t pursue me,” Feng Zhiwei’s smile looked thoroughly mocking no matter how one viewed it. “Your Great Yue has already fallen into chaos. You must hurry back to deal with it. You no longer have time to oppose me.”

“Fallen into chaos?”

“Your Highness has had no communication at sea,” Feng Zhiwei said leisurely. “However, I can kindly remind you that Great Yue’s court and country should already be in turmoil, because a group of assassins infiltrated the capital to assassinate ministers, seriously injuring three people in succession. These ministers are all power backers of the princes currently in the capital, and two of them are mortal enemies of you, Prince An. And the traces left by that group of assassins, the clues are also slowly pointing to the elite of Your Highness’s personal guard battalion – Your Highness, you have trouble.”

She smiled without any hint of gloating, and her tone was very sincere. Jin Siyu stared at her, bitterly regretting why he hadn’t skinned her back in the underground dungeon beneath Puyuan Garden, allowing her to remain a disaster until now.

“You… arranged this long ago?” After a long while, he asked coldly.

Feng Zhiwei expressed great appreciation that he had calmed down so quickly with an approving nod. “Naturally, before you abducted me.”

Jin Siyu’s eyes flashed, and he blurted out almost incredulously, “You deliberately let me abduct you!”

“Exactly!” Feng Zhiwei clapped her palms together. “If not, how else could I find a reasonable excuse to leave Jincheng? Jincheng right now is not a safe place.”

Jin Siyu’s thoughts flashed like lightning in an instant, and he finally understood what she meant earlier by not asking where they were, but asking how many days they’d been out. She was calculating the days, waiting to return. Six days out, eight or nine days back to Xi Liang – that added up to exactly half a month. Within this half month, something major would definitely happen within Xi Liang’s borders, and she just happened to have a dignified and proper reason to be absent. On one hand, this avoided getting caught up in Xi Liang’s internal turmoil and affecting her own safety. On another hand, it also helped avoid arousing the suspicion of the Tiansheng Emperor when he learned of this matter in the future. On yet another hand, her disappearance would inevitably drain the Regent Prince’s energy and attention, making it convenient for certain people to make their move!

What excellent use of borrowed force, three birds with one stone!

How hateful that he himself had been constantly anxious, puzzled about why she was so easily abducted, yet pleased with how thorough and unmatched his own plan was. Only after boarding the ship did he feel at ease, not realizing that boarding the ship was the beginning of falling into a conspiracy. Despite all his calculations, he still couldn’t match the depth of her schemes!

“Your Highness need not be discouraged.” While Feng Zhiwei restored her masculine attire, she consoled him with a beaming smile. “My schemes aren’t more brilliant than yours – it’s just that I plotted against you before you plotted against me. One could say that when I learned a batch of Great Yue merchants had landed in Xi Liang, my arrangements had already begun – how could you not fail under such circumstances?”

In all matters, anticipate the enemy’s moves first, and you’ll forever remain in an invincible position. What Feng Zhiwei spoke was the simplest yet most useful principle. Jin Siyu’s angry expression had already faded as he listened quietly. After a long while, he smiled and said, “I am instructed.”

Feng Zhiwei looked at him with appreciation and said lightly, “That day at Puyuan Garden, I still felt Your Highness had somewhat of a hot temperament. Now it seems you’ve become calm, introverted, self-possessed, and level-headed. The throne of Great Yue belongs to none other than you.”

“To receive such words from an unparalleled national strategist is this prince’s fortune.” Jin Enyu smiled, then suddenly asked, “However, I have some doubts I don’t understand. Would Marquis Wei be willing to resolve my confusion?”

“Please speak.”

“This person stuck to the ship’s hull behind me,” Jin Siyu said without turning his head. “I’d like to know how he got in.”

Feng Zhiwei smiled slightly, looking at the ugly person clinging like a gecko to the rear window – the cabin was enclosed on three sides facing the deck, sealed tight as a drum. Only this side’s window faced the ship’s body, directly overlooking the great sea, impossible to control. To be able to stay steadily on this cabin wall without being blown off by the fierce sea wind – this person’s martial arts could be called astonishing and unprecedented.

Feng Zhiwei smiled and pointed at the shadow on the ground, indicating Jin Siyu should look. From that crooked shadow, Jin Siyu made out that it was that ugly cook. He gave a bitter smile, shook his head and said, “It could only be him. I regret indulging my appetite.”

He kept one thought in his heart unspoken – when he first took notice of that cook, it wasn’t because of his own appetite. At that time, he had suddenly remembered that peony flower at Puyuan Garden, remembered how particular she was about food, remembered she liked soups and dishes. His heart stirred for a moment, so he recruited that person.

The thought he moved for her became the opening she exploited.

But this was only his own foolish infatuation.

“There was indeed a famous Xi Liang chef who had opened a shop on that street for a long time,” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “However, by the second time you went to eat, the person had already been switched.”

“Then why did the taste remain the same?”

“Are you certain the taste was exactly the same?” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “Your Highness, you’re not truly a gourmet. People of your status spend more of their thoughts on court affairs. To deal with someone like Your Highness, you only need someone with decent cooking skills to learn a bit of that chef’s secret recipes and techniques. The second time, serve you a few different dishes – as long as they’re not the same dishes from the first time, you won’t taste any difference.”

Jin Siyu sighed. Feng Zhiwei looked at the person clinging to the hull, staring at her without blinking. She thought to herself, what was wrong with Ning Cheng, that scoundrel? Why was his gaze so strange today? And she thought she had never before discovered that Ning Cheng’s culinary skills were actually quite good. Could Ning Yi’s picky palate have been spoiled by him? When Ning Yi made wisteria cakes last time, his technique was flawless – could he have learned from Ning Cheng first?

Looking up at the sky’s color, Feng Zhiwei crouched down and tapped on the floor. The pull rings that Jin Siyu had originally arranged were all popped out by flip panels. Feng Zhiwei tied some very resilient and elastic tendon-like materials onto those iron rings, then took a small box that the “ugly cook” handed her. She bound some blue, gleaming short arrows to the tendon ends, pulling each one to its limit, arranging them all the way from the door to the window. All the arrowheads pointed directly and impolitely at Jin Siyu.

That ugly cook reached into Jin Siyu’s hair bun, applied force with his fingers on the crown, and a tiny golden key fell down. The cook raised his hand and tossed it, the key landing far away in another corner of the room.

Jin Siyu could only give a bitter smile.

When everything was done, Feng Zhiwei patted her hands, carefully circumventing those iron rings, and smiled, “Your Highness may call for help in a moment, but you must remember to remind your subordinates to remove these little toys one by one. Otherwise, in the pitch darkness, if someone accidentally trips on one, what returns to Great Yue will be Your Highness’s corpse.”

Jin Siyu sneered coldly without speaking. Feng Zhiwei looked at him quietly, then suddenly said, “After this parting, we shall never meet again. To speak truly, I have indeed wronged Your Highness, yet I have no regrets – we belong to enemy nations and each serve our own government. I’m sure Your Highness understands. As a farewell message to Your Highness, consider it an apology – although I designed against you in Great Yue, it’s not entirely to add trouble for you. Those I helped eliminate for Your Highness were all ministers most vehemently and powerfully opposed to you in the current court. You’ve wanted to move against them for a long time, but because you were monitored too closely, it was too inconvenient to act. Moreover, you worried that acting would create an uncontrollable situation, so you hesitated and remained undecided. Actually, for a man to accomplish great things, sometimes you can’t worry too much. I simply helped you administer a strong dose of medicine. Things have reached this point – your great army must move whether it wants to or not. I suggest that after you return, immediately march your army north, but don’t go through the Yue Central Plains. Go from East Yue through the mountains. Between East Yue’s Changqing Mountain Range, there’s an old road that’s been abandoned for many years…” Using the moonlight, she drew a simple map on the ground, pointing out that road. Jin Siyu looked down, his eyes already brightening.

“…Pass straight through here, and you’ll emerge at Gaohuang City, the fortified city where Great Yue’s border meets the interior. If you launch a surprise attack on Gaohuang, as long as you take this city, the heartland of Great Yue will be completely exposed before you! At that time, Great Yue’s court and country will surely be shocked and terrified by your heaven-sent divine troops’ lightning raid. You should seize this opportunity, create some rumors of heavenly mandate and divine authorization to spread, to win over the people’s hearts and shake the will of the court’s resistance, building momentum for your future enthronement. Afterward, march your forces directly toward—” Her finger drew a sharp line on the ground, striking straight at Great Yue’s capital. Jin Siyu’s eyes flashed continuously, faintly revealing a boiling expression.

“…Even if by some chance things don’t go smoothly, retreating from that old road into the Changqing Mountain Range offers both offense and defense. In that vast, boundless mountain range, there’s a place with excellent terrain. You could completely use it as your main base to lie low and develop, then plan for expansion. Your power could extend to the surrounding eight counties…” Feng Zhiwei spoke while gesturing, slowly unfurling before Jin Siyu an enormous, meticulously and completely thought-out military strategic plan.

Jin Siyu looked at that terrain and drew in a sharp breath, murmuring, “This one plan alone could topple a nation!”

For a general to obtain a plan that could topple the world – that excitement was beyond words. He instantly forgot his hands were bound, forgot his enemy Feng Zhiwei stood before him, forgot those small poisoned arrows specifically meant to delay time on the ground. His gaze blazing, he looked at the map on the ground, continuously calculating and murmuring.

Feng Zhiwei watched him with a smile, a few parts wistfulness and a few parts loneliness in her eyes. Then she silently walked past him, taking the hand of the cook who had been lying prostrate on the hull, and soundlessly swam down the ship’s side.

Her jet-black long hair was lifted by the sea wind, scattering across Jin Siyu’s face. A faint fragrance assailed him, but Jin Siyu didn’t turn his head, still immersed in excited thoughts.

Feng Zhiwei’s smile was faint, lonely and desolate.

Men… they all love kingdoms more than beauties.

So beauties must never carelessly lose their hearts, narcissistically thinking their sovereign would exchange his kingdom for them.

She pressed her lips together, her eyes resolutely determined as she silently walked out. Jin Siyu remained completely unaware, concentrating on his deliberations. Only after more than half a watch did he finally raise his head, laughing excitedly with a burst of self-confidence as brilliant light surged in his eyes. He turned his head to look, only then realizing Feng Zhiwei had already left.

He froze, feeling lost and melancholy. Then, as if thinking of something, he called out in a low voice, “Not good!”

Feng Zhiwei descended from the window. The ugly cook on the hull, looking up at her, tightly gripped her hand as they swam down the ship’s side.

Feng Zhiwei felt somewhat uncomfortable – Ning Cheng was gripping her hand too tightly. But walking on the ship’s side where one could easily lose footing, she didn’t dare casually shake him off.

The two descended to the lower cabin where the sampans were stored. Ning Cheng still tightly gripped her hand. Feng Zhiwei paused in surprise – the ugly cook at her side suddenly leaned in, extremely close, looking as if he would touch her cheek.

Feng Zhiwei’s heart jumped in alarm – Ning Cheng wasn’t entirely one of her own people. This time she had no choice but to use him. This person was unrestrained and willful – if he suddenly made a move on this lonely ship in the great sea, she would have absolutely no chance of survival!

Moreover, wearing a mask, still on Jin Siyu’s ship – who knew if this was actually Ning Cheng?

Startled, warning signs suddenly arose in her heart. Her hand lifted, and several poison needles already appeared between her fingers. She planned that as long as he came closer than was appropriate, she’d reward him with a needle first!

Ning Cheng indeed came closer regardless, suddenly raising his hand quickly.

Feng Zhiwei immediately confirmed that there was definitely something wrong with this Ning Cheng.

Her finger flicked!

The flying needle shot out, a dark gleam flashing in the darkness. Suddenly, a clean and fresh scent like duckweed rushed into her nostrils.

Lightning flashed through Feng Zhiwei’s mind. In that instant, she deeply regretted it. Too busy to do anything, she viciously shoved the person beside her.

The ugly cook’s body tilted, the needle tip flying past his nose with a whoosh, embedding itself in the cabin wall.

Feng Zhiwei stared blankly at that needle, instantly breaking out in a cold sweat.

The ugly cook also seemed not to have reacted, never imagining that Feng Zhiwei would actually attack him. He stood there dazed. Feng Zhiwei had already stamped her foot and complained in a low voice, “How is it you!”

Someone above giggled with laughter, sounding very pleased. Then a pitch-black, filthy fellow jumped down lightly, pointing at the “ugly cook” and clutching his stomach in hearty laughter.

“Serves you right for forcing me! Serves you right for harming me! You deserved to be stabbed to death!”

“Ning Cheng—” Feng Zhiwei looked in astonishment at that fellow who looked like he’d spent a year in a chimney and garbage heap, black as a crow and greasy, then looked at the ugly cook, somewhat stammering, “Could it be you’re not—not—”

“Bah!” Ning Cheng spat viciously, pointing at the ugly cook. “Ask your good bodyguard!”

Feng Zhiwei looked at the ugly cook in amazement. That person slowly peeled off his mask, straightened out his body that he’d twisted askew with internal energy. After a series of bone cracking sounds, he restored Gu Nanyi’s appearance.

Feng Zhiwei gaped – Gu Nanyi could cook?

Gu Nanyi looked at Ning Cheng with his very pleased expression, then said slowly, “He cooked the dishes, I carried them out.”

Feng Zhiwei understood instantly – she had thought Ning Cheng was the ugly cook and Gu Nanyi was hiding elsewhere, because Gu Nanyi absolutely would not enter the kitchen. Probably Gu Nanyi had used force, compelling Ning Cheng to surrender the cook’s mask. Then the dishes still had to be cooked by Ning Cheng, then carried out by Gu Nanyi, so he could see Feng Zhiwei daily. The ship had strict security – although the cook used the excuse of hereditary culinary arts that couldn’t be viewed by outsiders to close the door while cooking, people still occasionally came in to inspect. So before and after cooking, Ning Cheng was most likely forced by Gu Nanyi to hide in places like the smoke pipe or garbage bin. Just look at his styling with cabbage hanging from his head, seaweed wrapped around his waist, and lard-splattered boots to understand.

No wonder this scoundrel was full of anger. Seeing her mistake the cook for him and nearly attack Gu Nanyi, he didn’t even warn her.

Ning Cheng was still clutching his belly, laughing in relief. The more he thought about how Feng Zhiwei had nearly killed Gu Nanyi by mistake, the more pleased he felt. Laughing until he couldn’t catch his breath, he said, “…Ay… oh my… oh my… if… your reaction… had been a bit slower… my master… wouldn’t have a rival anymore… haha… ugh.”

He suddenly stopped, because he saw that Feng Zhiwei was no longer shocked, but had changed to looking at him with a smiling expression, that look like watching a monkey show.

Ning Cheng immediately reacted.

He’d offended the number one schemer in the world!

He suddenly recalled his master’s repeated instructions before leaving: “You can offend anyone except Feng Zhiwei. If you offend her, you must apologize, quickly and sincerely. If you offend her but don’t apologize and instead push your luck—don’t blame me for not being able to save you from thousands of miles away.”

He also recalled his master’s tireless admonition: “…When Feng Zhiwei smiles at you when she shouldn’t be smiling, be very careful.”

Ning Cheng finally belatedly remembered these two sentences and jumped back with a whoosh to a zhang away.

Fortunately, Feng Zhiwei only smiled briefly before turning around, pointing at the sampan and saying, “Push it down and let’s leave quickly.”

Ning Cheng watched her back suspiciously, wondering if just one smile was a problem or not?

Movement was already faintly audible above. The three no longer delayed. They untied the mooring rope and pushed the sampan into the sea. The boat already had prepared food and fresh water inside.

The small boat swayed leisurely out of the large ship’s shadow. After Gu Nanyi tested that there were no problems, he reached out to help Feng Zhiwei aboard. At the moment Feng Zhiwei boarded, she suddenly paused, looking back at the cabin wall where they’d stored the sampan. Vaguely, she felt there was something there that stirred her heart. Just as she was about to go back and look, she heard footsteps above shaking the ship’s walls with booming sounds, and someone exclaimed, “Your Highness!”

The ship immediately blazed with lights. Lamplight shone down from afar. Gu Nanyi pushed the oar without hesitation, and the small boat carrying three people swayed out three zhang. As soon as they emerged from the large ship’s shadow, people on the ship discovered them. Arrows immediately rained down like locusts.

Unfortunately, both Gu Nanyi and Ning Cheng were among the world’s top experts. With both exerting their full strength, the small boat shot out like an arrow, like a knife’s edge slicing open a pure white wave on the sea’s surface. Bang bang clang clang sounds continued endlessly. Those arrows all missed their mark, landing in the boat’s stern.

In the blink of an eye, the small boat had already left the large ship’s range. After traveling a bit further, they could no longer hear sounds from the large ship.

Feng Zhiwei stood at the bow, squinting at that large ship. Suddenly she saw a figure flash at the bow – someone rushed to the bow. In apricot-colored brocade robes and white cloak, the cloak fluttered fiercely at the dark bow. It was Jin Siyu.

His hand rested on the bow as if calling out, his voice infused with internal energy scattered by the wind. By the time it reached Feng Zhiwei, only faint fragments remained: “…boat…”

Feng Zhiwei gazed at him, sensing his urgent expression. She laughed bitterly and said, “This fellow is still obsessing over me seizing his boat? I left him a sampan for backup.”

She casually waved her hand, making an apologetic gesture to Jin Siyu without much remorse.

Jin Siyu had already given up calling out, exhaling a helpless sigh instead.

His hand resting on the bow, he gazed from afar at Feng Zhiwei standing with hands behind her back at the boat’s head. That young woman’s sleeves were light and ethereal as if about to ride the wind away, her posture steady yet majestic as mountains.

The small boat beneath her hid among the undulating waves, appearing and disappearing, rapidly vanishing at this end of the sea. Behind her, dawn was breaking. Faint seven-colored rays of light descended from the sky like celestial silk ribbons, flying across the vast sea to drape over her shoulders. She carried that body of golden light, treading upon ten thousand acres of waves, shooting away against the current. Like an immortal from Mount Guye approaching across the waves, sleeves riding the wind.

While he stood alone at the bow, the white cloak behind him swept backward by the fierce sea wind like a white banner unfurling in the azure sky and sea wind. His warm, dark eyes overlooked this vast sea, reflected this azure sky and red sun, filled with her arrow-swift departing figure growing ever smaller.

Gazing at each other across the sea, departing further and further.

From this small boat’s departure, for the remainder of their river and sea lives, they would find it difficult to meet again.

A bitter smile slowly seeped from the corners of Jin Siyu’s lips. Last year leaping from the city, this morning into the sea – between her and him, meetings were always so brief, partings always so resolute.

This complex, enigmatic woman dealt him heavy blows each time, making him struggle again and again through complex emotions. He wanted to put her to death, yet also desired to control her life. It was precisely in such complex hesitation that he lost time and again, because he wasn’t as decisive and ruthless as she.

Now, at the moment when he hated her most once again, she had given him a great gift, a gift that left him confused and bewildered.

Was it truly because of guilty conscience that she pointed out that critically important old road?

From her position, she could completely watch Great Yue’s throne struggle consume itself endlessly, even adding fuel to the fire, until Great Yue’s national power weakened, then reap the benefits. That would accord with Tiansheng’s interests, accord with the proper actions of a strategist like her, rather than pointing out the way forward, pushing him – this prince with the strongest power – onto the path of bloody conquest, cutting the Gordian knot swiftly.

She was indeed an enigma, wrapped in layers of dense fog. Even occasional glimpses might not be real – perhaps just scattered fragments, perhaps those fragments were deliberately shown to you.

Jin Siyu gazed far toward that direction. The small boat was now just a tiny dot, following the waves away, as if about to sail into the sunlight.

In a trance, he felt that was perhaps where she should be heading.

From today forward, he would no longer guess at her, nor could he guess.

Henceforth gazing at each other from the ends of the earth, never forgetting.

Jin Siyu slowly turned around, his back against the rail, leaving that leaf-like boat in the distant sea behind him.

He suddenly said, “Bring wine.”

A deep red wine cup filled with transparent liquid soon appeared brimming before his eyes. In that liquid he saw his own eyes, saw that woman who smiled and shattered the cup, departing calmly, acting with thunderous force in a gentle manner.

She swayed in the azure waves and clear liquid, a flower in a mirror, moon in water – with one touch, shattered.

He smiled faintly, raising the wine cup. As on that night before the bed, when he slept beside her, he faced the void and gently toasted once more.

“To myself.”

“To your eternal loneliness from now on.”

The small boat crossed the sea. Feng Zhiwei stood silently at the bow, thinking about Jin Siyu’s rushing out, thinking about what she’d glimpsed in that flash before boarding. In her heart, vaguely, she felt something wasn’t quite right.

After thinking for a while without any leads, she turned around. Behind her, Ning Cheng was busy washing his face. Seeing her turn back, he warily retreated a bit. Feng Zhiwei didn’t even look at him, waving the chain in her hand at Gu Nanyi with a smile, “Look, I gained a good item from this trip.”

Gu Nanyi took it, looked, and nodded. Ning Cheng had always been interested in strange and peculiar things. His eyes kept glancing over, his heart itching unbearably. Seeing Feng Zhiwei about to put it away as if nothing had happened, he finally couldn’t resist and leaned over, saying, “Let me see, let me see.”

Feng Zhiwei casually handed it to him. Ning Cheng examined the lock head that looked unremarkable but was actually exquisitely constructed, clicking his tongue in admiration, “…You really used that method to make a rubbing of the key. And Gu the Blockhead, who would have thought you had such skills… ah!”

“Click.”

“Splash.”

The first sound was the lock clasp clicking shut, the second was a body falling into the sea.

No need to ask – Marquis Wei, who believed a gentleman’s revenge could wait ten years, had finally made her move against Guard Ning who dared to scheme against her.

Locking the chain on his hand, then immediately pushing him into the sea – the harm was executed swift as lightning in one fluid motion. Ning Cheng hadn’t even reacted before being filled with a bellyful of seawater.

With a splash, a dripping head emerged from the sea, clinging to the boat’s edge and roaring, “Feng Zhiwei, you—”

Feng Zhiwei sat in the boat, shaking the chain in her hand, saying mildly, “Guard Ning, as long as you curse out anything I don’t want to hear, I’ll fasten the other end of this chain to any random shark.”

Ning Cheng: “…”

After a long while, he flailed his hands and feet trying to climb onto the boat. Neither Feng Zhiwei nor Gu Nanyi moved – pushing him into the sea was just a punishment. Would they really drag the meritorious Ning Cheng through the sea for eight days?

Ning Cheng clung to the boat’s side, cursing in his hometown dialect that Feng Zhiwei couldn’t understand while climbing up. His knee had just touched the boat’s side when he suddenly heard a “creak.”

Ning Cheng froze, looking around – had he used too much force and damaged the boat?

Looking carefully, seeing no movement, he continued climbing. One leg had just climbed in when suddenly there was another long “creak.”

Then he saw Gu Nanyi suddenly grab Feng Zhiwei and leap up, while Feng Zhiwei angrily called out in a low voice, “Not good!”

Ning Cheng looked down.

The boat’s bottom had cracked open, the crack growing larger. Seawater continuously poured in. This small boat was about to sink.

Guard Ning stood there dazed – no way? He climbed onto a boat and fiercely climbed it until it broke?

His martial arts hadn’t greatly increased recently…

In midair, Gu Nanyi gave a low call. His jade sword flashed, and that struggling boat instantly split into pieces floating on the sea. The sword light spread like lightning along the boat’s body, reaching the hand of Ning Cheng clinging to the boat’s edge at flying speed. Ning Cheng quickly let go and fell into the sea again…

Gu Nanyi, holding Feng Zhiwei with sleeves fluttering, landed on a piece of boat plank. The golden light of the sun shot down. The man and woman embracing with sleeves dancing were like banished immortals descending to the mortal world.

Ning Cheng looked up dripping wet, his nose crooked with anger…

But he soon stopped being angry. He slapped the boat plank, laughing loudly and pointing at Feng Zhiwei, “You also have times when you can’t calculate everything!”

Feng Zhiwei smiled bitterly.

She finally remembered what that thing she glimpsed before boarding was.

It was a leather raft, just not inflated, disguised with things and hung there. At first glance, it looked like oilskin clothes.

Jin Siyu indeed still had a backup plan – he feared she would steal a boat to escape, so he simply glued both sampans together with adhesive. After soaking a bit in seawater, they would come apart. Whichever boat she used to leave, the result would be the same.

As for the leather raft, that was what he prepared for himself, emergency survival equipment in case of danger.

Earlier when Jin Siyu rushed to the bow, he should have been grateful for her final strategic advice, his conscience awakening to warn her the boat was dangerous, but unfortunately it was too late.

The strategy she gave was too compelling, causing him to miss the timing to speak the truth.

Was this called reaping what you sow?

Feng Zhiwei squinted her eyes, gazing far toward that direction, thinking that Jin Siyu could also be considered an outstanding figure of his generation. Under her early calculations and step-by-step schemes, he could still be so meticulous as to leave this move. If she hadn’t first sent people to stir up trouble in Great Yue and given him such a good plan, forcing him to return at the fastest speed without being able to pursue her again, with just this one move, he could leisurely return to the ship and pursue her, plucking her back while she clung to broken boat planks on the great sea. In the end, she would still be the loser.

She suddenly laughed. Although in a bedraggled state on the broken boat plank, her smile was broad and radiant, brilliantly shining in the sunlight.

Excellent!

The outstanding talents here, on this vast sea each displaying their wisdom, a renowned minister of his generation contending with the future ruler of Great Yue, each with wins and losses then parting with a laugh – exhilarating!

Though they might never meet again in this life, in their twilight years with white hair, they would surely smile while recalling this momentary meeting of wind and clouds, engraved upon the vast sea.

On the boat plank, Feng Zhiwei stood up, scooping a palmful of seawater with her hand. Facing Jin Siyu’s distant direction, she raised her head in a whale-drinking gesture.

With a smile.

“To you.”

“To your finally understanding how to let go.”

The broken boat wasn’t life-threatening for the three of them, though returning would require some effort.

Ning Cheng now felt psychologically satisfied, clinging to the broken hull with a grin from ear to ear. He smugly shook the chain on his hand, thinking being locked up was actually quite good – he could fasten it to the hull later so he wouldn’t easily be scattered by the waves.

Gu Nanyi suddenly leaned over. When his flying sword broke the boat, he had been very skillful – he and Feng Zhiwei occupied the largest piece of the bottom, and he remembered to retrieve the oar, which still hadn’t fallen into the sea. As his body tilted, Ning Cheng immediately warily ducked his head into the seawater.

But he felt his fingers loosen with a soft click – a sound he was too familiar with. Looking up, sure enough, the chain Feng Zhiwei had locked on his finger had been removed. Gu Nanyi unhurriedly locked it onto his own finger and Feng Zhiwei’s.

Ning Cheng stared blankly, wiping the seawater from his face as if wiping his own tears of bitterness – too excessive! His mother’s, too excessive! Just now locked onto me, dragging me swimming in the sea, now the boat’s broken and worried about getting separated from Feng Zhiwei so taking it for himself, aaaaaah too excessive!

In Guard Ning’s chest rolled countless repetitions of “excessive excessive excessive” like thunder exploding in his heart. If he had paper and brush in hand right now, he would surely spread out a notebook, dip his brush in ink, and write with flourish “The Guard’s Righteous Indignation, the Villain’s Ingratitude” or “The Outrageous Incident of Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi Colluding to Push Someone Into the Sea.”

Unfortunately, he had nothing in hand. To complain, even the vast sea offered no one to listen. Neither of the two before him would hear his grievances. He could only swallow his broken teeth, clinging to the boat plank and contemplating how to boil, roast, fry, stir-fry, and steam these two upon returning to the Imperial Capital.

Gu Nanyi actually hadn’t treated him too badly. He untied a thin rope from his waist, binding Ning Cheng’s boat plank to his own. As long as there were no big waves, they wouldn’t separate.

It was now near late autumn. The seawater was very cold. No boats or ships passed in all directions. Xi Liang’s coastal ports hadn’t opened as early as the South Sea – merchant ships traveling back and forth were hard to encounter. Feng Zhiwei sat on the boat plank, looking at the boundless sea, sighing, “This is troublesome now. We can’t have no ships passing for ten days or half a month. I originally wanted to time it so I’d return right when Xi Liang’s incident occurred. Now I can’t get back – what about Zhiwei?”

Gu Nanyi remained silent, also seeming somewhat worried. After a long while he said, “She has people protecting her.”

“How can my guards compare to you two…” Feng Zhiwei didn’t dare mention her shadow guards in front of Ning Cheng, only saying vaguely, “I shouldn’t have followed you both out.”

Ning Cheng rolled his eyes – you think I wanted to follow? If not for my master threatening to send me to Henei Manor if I didn’t protect you well, would I care about you?

“It’s fine.” Gu Nanyi didn’t seem too worried, but wouldn’t elaborate. He removed his outer garment and draped it over Feng Zhiwei’s shoulders. “The wind is strong, don’t catch cold.”

Feng Zhiwei smiled, drawing the garment close and thanking him. Ning Cheng stared with reddened eyes, saying ominously, “Men and women shouldn’t touch – ah!”

Young Master Gu drove a small jellyfish near him…

They drifted for a day without seeing a ship. Fortunately, they all carried dry provisions and fresh water, though lighting fires was inconvenient, so they ate everything raw. During the day, Gu Nanyi continuously rowed toward Xi Liang’s direction, but the boat plank was no match for a boat. With Ning Cheng dragging behind, speed was slow.

At night the moon rose. The sky was bright and clear as if washed. Moonlight like snow spread across the sea’s surface as if for a thousand miles. As far as the eye could see was shimmering waves. A section of boat plank drifted toward the moonlight. Feng Zhiwei sighed looking at the huge golden moon, saying with some relief, “Fortunately, it’s not like in storybooks where falling into the sea inevitably means encountering violent storms. Looking at this sky, it’ll be clear for several days.”

Gu Nanyi at her side said nothing, setting the oar aside. Feng Zhiwei looked at him with concern, “You keep refusing to let me row, and won’t stop yourself. You’ve been tired all day – rest a bit.” Her eyes turned but just caught sight of Gu Nanyi tucking his hand into his sleeve. She turned her eyes away nonchalantly, suddenly pointing at the horizon, “What a beautiful seabird!”

Gu Nanyi looked up. Feng Zhiwei suddenly struck out, flipping his sleeve and pulling his hand. Though she had already been careful with her strength, Gu Nanyi still instinctively flinched, seemingly pained. Feng Zhiwei’s eyes were sharp – she’d already seen his slender, snow-white fingers covered densely with blood blisters. Some had burst, some hadn’t, dark and purplish, looking frightening.

She held Gu Nanyi’s hand, pressed her lips together, and silently cursed her own carelessness. Gu Nanyi wasn’t like those boatmen who rowed for years – he couldn’t possibly master rowing techniques. Rowing all day like this, how could his hands not be abraded?

Gu Nanyi seemed somewhat uncomfortable, pulling his hand back. Feng Zhiwei wouldn’t let him. She removed the hairpin binding her hair, lit the waterproof flint, heated the hairpin, and carefully began piercing his blood blisters one by one.

Her hair fell loose, jet-black long hair draping her entire body. Some fell on Gu Nanyi’s shoulder. Gu Nanyi leaned in to smell it. Feng Zhiwei laughed softly, “Stop fooling around…” Over there, Ning Cheng clinging to the boat plank looked up and glared, an expression of “adulterers, get lost.” Feng Zhiwei gestured at Ning Cheng’s eyes with the hairpin. Ning Cheng whooshed back under the seawater.

With that obstruction quiet, all around remained only Feng Zhiwei’s gentle breathing and the sea wind’s long singing. A faint fragrance dispersed, mixing with the sea’s steaming, misty air. Though not easy to distinguish, Gu Nanyi felt he could clearly separate them – everything belonging to her, in his world, was always first, always clearest.

He lowered his eyes, watching Feng Zhiwei cover her half-wet garment, kneeling before him. Her long lashes slightly lowered, expression serene. Behind her, the moon was large as a disk, its light brilliant for a thousand miles. In a trance, it reminded one that now was the Mid-Autumn period. Mid-Autumn – Gu Nanyi vaguely remembered that was a day of reunion. He contentedly curved his lips slightly – mm, very good, very reunited.

Feng Zhiwei pierced the last blood blister, finding a piece from her inner garment that hadn’t been soaked by seawater, carefully bandaging Gu Nanyi’s hand. Suddenly sensing he seemed in a pleasant mood, without raising her head, she smiled and asked, “What happy thought occurred to you?”

Her shoulder suddenly warmed – Young Master Gu’s arm had come around. He used a gentle gesture, somewhat carefully encircling her shoulder. His fingers applied slight pressure, and Feng Zhiwei couldn’t help but lean against his shoulder.

Feng Zhiwei felt a bit uncomfortable, looking back at Ning Cheng, who was draped over the boat plank seeming about to fall asleep. She wanted to struggle a bit, but then heard the young master sigh.

Gu Nanyi rarely sighed. His sighs differed from ordinary people’s long-drawn melancholy – light and faint, like at this moment because of the lonely sea wind drifting under the reunion moon.

Feng Zhiwei’s back stiffened briefly. Suddenly recalling that day at Xi Liang’s palace banquet, she’d overheard that father-daughter conversation. Her heart ached, and she leaned against Gu Nanyi’s shoulder without moving.

Gu Nanyi didn’t press close to her, only lightly resting his chin against her hair, holding her as they gazed at the bright moon on the horizon. He seemed completely satisfied just holding her like this, never opening his mouth. Feng Zhiwei knew he was taciturn and didn’t want to break this night’s tranquil beauty, so she sat quietly.

This night the sea tide was gentle, gently pushing the boat plank. Moonlight scattered like silver everywhere, gilding both their silhouettes clearly.

Feng Zhiwei suddenly heard Gu Nanyi softly say, “Reunion…”

Feng Zhiwei made a questioning sound, only then realizing what day it was.

“In the past, who did you spend Mid-Autumn with?” she asked in a low voice.

Gu Nanyi seemed to think for a while before slowly saying, “I don’t remember when I was small. Later, my wet nurse would make me cakes. She’d talk a lot that day and sing songs, but I don’t remember any of it.”

Feng Zhiwei listened quietly, thinking that in all those past years of perfect nights, for him they were actually incomplete. Even surrounded by a thousand people, he ultimately stood alone and cold. Only when he finally understood the true meaning of reunion did he have to separate from those around him.

Fate had actually always been unfair to him.

She sniffed, drawing her clothes tighter, hearing him say leisurely, “Wei, if we could just keep drifting like this, how good that would be.”

Feng Zhiwei made an agreeing sound, sensing the person behind her seemed to grow more cheerful again, as if truly able to drift like this forever without cares or worries, like a wisp of wind, scattered freely in the unencumbered universe.

To drift like this would be truly good.

She leaned quietly against Gu Nanyi. Both raised their exquisitely lined jaws, gazing at that round sea moon in the distance. The moon seemed close enough to scoop with one’s hand, its pale blue veins visible, winding and coiling like mountain ranges, like human figures, like the immortal realm of Penglai. Did the human world truly have such a place as Penglai, for those weary of walking to retreat from the world and dwell, releasing their cares among green cliffs and white deer, finding the true freedom deep in their souls?

After a long time, amid the long sea wind and the sharp, thin cries of seabirds, Feng Zhiwei softly said, “Let me sing you a Mid-Autumn song…”

Gu Nanyi made a low sound of agreement.

“Grandmother Moon, light my millstone, little girl child, I have no mother…”

Her voice was soft and fine, like these leisurely waters, the sounds of the tide rising and falling in the vast heaven and earth. The moonlight silhouetted the quietly embracing man and woman, drifting with the current toward Penglai in their dreams.

Feng Zhiwei didn’t know when she fell asleep – perhaps she sang until exhausted, perhaps Gu Nanyi had sealed her sleep acupoint. Last night’s moonlight and seawater were too gentle. Even in her dreams, she seemed to hear low murmuring from the distant firmament, ethereal and remote, tender and earnest. In that murmuring, she seemed to feel someone gently press their face against her forehead, someone seemed to whisper in her ear, saying over and over: Take care, Zhiwei.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt her eyes slightly moist, as if she’d cried in her dreams, though she couldn’t remember what she’d dreamed. Then she felt something heavy and itchy on her face. Looking carefully, it was actually Gu Nanyi’s face pressed against her cheek. His veil draped across her face, the wind blowing it and tickling her nose. He still maintained last night’s embrace, posture somewhat strange with his waist half-twisted, yet firmly protecting her in the middle of the boat plank, not touching the seawater. His own garment hem below was all wet.

Feng Zhiwei greatly admired that Gu Nanyi could sleep immovable as a mountain on such a narrow boat plank drifting on seawater – truly the world’s number one wasn’t claimed lightly. She slowly pushed his face away, afraid of accidentally startling him – if their bodies tilted, both would fall into the water.

She was being very careful here, but over there, Ning Cheng, who’d soaked in seawater for a day and night, sneezed and raised his head. As soon as he opened his eyes and saw those two in an even more ambiguous embrace than last night, he immediately flew into a rage – he felt if His Highness embraced Feng Zhiwei like this, it would be very displeasing, but if Gu Nanyi embraced Feng Zhiwei like this, it was even more displeasing. This could not be borne! Guard Ning’s impulsiveness surged. Instantly forgetting where they were, he raised his leg to kick the boat plank – “Hey hey! Men and women shouldn’t touch!”

“Bang.”

This kick immediately tilted the large boat plank that Gu Nanyi had been suppressing with the oar, keeping it circling. Gu Nanyi, who had just briefly dozed off, instantly woke, instinctively reaching to grab Feng Zhiwei. But Feng Zhiwei was also busy trying to grab him. Their arms crossed in midair, but they’d forgotten they were still wearing that chain. Their bodies pulled and tilted – splash! Feng Zhiwei fell into the water first, followed by another splash as Gu Nanyi was also dragged down.

As soon as Feng Zhiwei fell into the water, she reached for the boat plank, not guarding against Gu Nanyi falling right above her. As she raised her head, she only felt a shadow flash before her eyes – something was diving straight down, pressing her underwater. Then a pair of ice-cold yet soft lips pressed against her lips.

Feng Zhiwei’s eyes widened. “Ah!” Her mouth had just opened when a large amount of seawater surged in. She choked, her breath catching. Then she felt someone support her back, and a warm flow entered her lungs. The suffocating feeling in her chest immediately disappeared. Feng Zhiwei’s confused consciousness cleared, and she immediately understood Gu Nanyi was transferring air. Her face reddened. She wanted to move away, but Gu Nanyi seemed to have suddenly gained enlightenment – in the water, he firmly supported her back, refusing to let go. His lips gently moved on Feng Zhiwei’s lips, his manner tender yet determined. Seawater gurgled around them with crystalline bubbles. Golden sunlight penetrated the azure seawater, illuminating the underwater world bright and transparent. Gu Nanyi’s veil was soaked by seawater, then slowly floated up. In that dreamlike, radiant glow, there seemed to be another flash of light—

Feng Zhiwei suddenly closed her eyes.

Her lips suddenly moved. Something took advantage of her momentary shock to playfully slip into her rose-colored realm, its movements unfamiliar and inexperienced as it gently swept around, as if hesitating, as if savoring this supreme beauty and sweetness beyond anything imagined in this life. It was a new world that by chance opened before him in all its strange and magnificent glory. In that crashing revelation, he saw misty rain over Penglai, jade towers and golden palaces, the bright moon in all its fullness, azure waves for a thousand acres – he saw all the beauty of heaven and earth, and was thereby saved in that instant.

Gu Nanyi’s eyes widened. The impact was too great for that instant. Even his peerless martial arts seemed to forget what to do. Those hands supporting her back unintentionally slipped, as if touching some undulating, graceful valley, so smooth and fragrant. Held in his palm like soft jade and silk, it glided like a swimming fish across his heart. Somewhere was gripped tighter, even his breathing seemed restricted, becoming slightly rapid.

Feng Zhiwei had already regained clarity. Face reddening, she wanted to struggle, but because they were locked together, when they fell the chain had tangled. The more she struggled, the closer they pressed. Just as she was thinking whether to first unlock the chain, a muffled roar came from above, muted by water. That loyal pest roared, “What are you two sneaking around doing underwater?” Splash! Ning Cheng pulled both of them up without warning.

After pulling them up, Ning Cheng looked at the two suspiciously – just falling into water, not into fire, why was Feng Zhiwei’s face so red? Also, why was Gu Nanyi suddenly facing away? And furthermore, why were his fingers trembling for someone of his peerless skill? Had epilepsy suddenly struck?

Guard Ning stared with shifty eyes, looking back and forth between the two, considering whether to write a new report to his master expressing his current doubts and obtaining his far-sighted guidance. His bone-picking gaze made the already somewhat guilty Feng Zhiwei furious with shame. She whirled around and roared, “What are you looking at? Look again and I’ll—”

Her voice suddenly stopped. Then she showed delight, instantly forgetting to continue trampling on someone’s precious guard – in the distance, a merchant ship was heading in their direction.

Over there, Ning Cheng saw the large ship and cheered, instantly also forgetting to continue investigating that suspicious duo. Only Gu Nanyi stood on the boat plank, thoughtfully touching his lips, feeling that last night and this morning were the happiest and most complete of his life. That large ship need not board.

However, one sneeze from Feng Zhiwei immediately made him change his mind about continuing to drift on the boat plank. He quickly stopped the large ship. Upon inquiry, it was indeed a merchant ship heading to Xi Liang. The three boarded. Fortunately, the ship’s master was an old hand at life. Seeing the three had extraordinary bearing, he didn’t ask many questions, maintaining a courteous attitude and even giving each a cabin. This ship knew the route well and didn’t stop at every port and island to change crew like Jin Siyu. So although the drift at sea delayed them a day, they ultimately returned to Xi Liang’s Jincheng on the originally planned date.

At the city gate, Feng Zhiwei met her subordinates coming to welcome her. Her first question was, “What’s the current situation?” While hastily saying, “Mount up. Head to the palace first. Report to me as we go.”

With that, she kicked the horse’s belly to leave, but the horse didn’t move. Feng Zhiwei turned back in surprise to see the horse casually held by one hand. That person, with one hand, made a healthy horse unable to budge. Seeing Feng Zhiwei turn back, that person raised his face in the backlight, arching his brows with a smile, “Hey! What’s so urgent? Is it because you missed me?”