Zheng Shuangyin maintained her customary propriety, remaining in place to exchange greetings, but Deng Weili waved to Teng Yuyi: “Yu’er, come here, there’s something important to discuss.” Teng Yuyi felt a flutter of curiosity and said to Lin Chengyou: “Wait for me a moment, I’ll go talk with them.” Lin Chengyou glanced at the women across the way. His wife had always been close with these former classmates – once they started talking, who knew when they’d finish. On second thought, he remembered there was a suspect in a case he was working on who lived in the West Market, so he smiled and said: “I’ll go attend to some other business. The wine at the Dongfeng Tower across the way is quite good. If you plan to chat with them at length, you might as well sit inside and talk at your leisure.” He gestured for Kuannu to help make arrangements for Teng Yuyi at the restaurant, then headed off in the other direction.

Meanwhile, Teng Yuyi entered the restaurant with her former classmates. For their convenience in drinking tea while talking, Kuannu specifically chose a private room by the window on the second floor.

“What are you buying so many fishing supplies for?” Deng Weili removed her veil, revealing her appearance beneath – hair pinned up with ornate combs, bright eyes, and white teeth.

“We’ll be taking waterways on the journey to Puyang and Jiangnan. I’m worried about getting bored on the boat, so I thought we could catch some fish to grill,” Teng Yuyi said as she poured tea for the two of them.

Deng Weili laughed. “You’ve always been a foodie. Don’t eat all the fish in the Wei River.”

Teng Yuyi gave her a sidelong glance: “That would only be possible if you, Deng Weili, came along. Just our small group couldn’t manage it.”

Zheng Shuangyin held them both back: “Stop it. Every time you meet, you start bickering. Don’t forget we have something important to discuss.” She turned to Teng Yuyi: “Yu’er, guess who we just ran into?”

Teng Yuyi paused with her teacup at her lips: “Who?”

“The Peng sisters.”

Teng Yuyi was startled. Ever since Peng Zhen’s open rebellion, she hadn’t seen the sisters for a long time.

Recently, Peng Zhen and his conspirators had been executed. By law, the women of the Peng family should have been sent to the palace as servants, but in an act of mercy, the Emperor and Empress issued a decree releasing several of the Peng family women. However, being relatives of a criminal official, even though they weren’t enslaved, their lives must be extremely difficult.

“Lady Peng succumbed to poverty and illness recently,” Zheng Shuangyin said. “To make ends meet, Peng Huayue and Peng Jinxiu are now washing clothes at an embroidery shop in the West Market. Though we weren’t particularly close, we did spend days and nights together studying at the academy. After all, the Peng sisters weren’t bad people by nature. Seeing them disheveled and significantly thinner, I felt terrible, so I gave them some silver. At first, the sisters refused to accept it, but later, perhaps realizing my sincere intention to help, they finally did. But just then, Weili came looking for me—”

At this point, Zheng Shuangyin and Deng Weili exchanged glances.

Teng Yuyi listened intently. Though Zheng Shuangyin appeared aloof and distant in public, anyone who knew her well understood how loyal she was to friends.

“As soon as Weili arrived, Second Miss Peng’s expression suddenly changed. She hurriedly pulled her sister away, refusing even to take the silver.”

Deng Weili smiled bitterly: “She even glared at me fiercely as they left as if I had deeply wronged her somehow. Back at the academy, though we weren’t close, I never offended Second Miss Peng. I don’t understand why she suddenly despises me so.”

Teng Yuyi made a sound of surprise. It did seem strange. Deng Weili’s grandfather, Minister Deng, had played a major role in eliminating Peng Zhen’s remaining followers. Could Second Miss Peng be taking out her anger on Deng Weili because of this? But by that logic, Official Zheng’s efforts weren’t any less than Minister Deng’s.

Unfortunately, because she had deliberately distanced herself from the Peng sisters after learning of Peng Zhen’s impending rebellion, her strongest impression of them was accidentally discovering Second Miss Peng’s feelings for the Prince of Chun’an. She wasn’t very clear about other matters.

“The Peng family was once at the height of prosperity. Second Miss Peng grew up amid gold and jade. After such a sudden family catastrophe, it’s understandable if her temperament has become somewhat peculiar,” Teng Yuyi speculated. “Perhaps she was simply overwhelmed by memories of better times, not necessarily angry at Weili.”

Zheng Shuangyin and Deng Weili pondered this thoughtfully, clearly feeling this explanation insufficient to dispel their doubts.

“The way Second Miss Peng glared at Weili—something wasn’t right,” Zheng Shuangyin said. “That hatred… it was as if Weili had stolen something precious from her.”

Teng Yuyi peered at Deng Weili: “Did you take something from Second Miss Peng?”

“I have no interest in taking other people’s things,” Deng Weili shrugged. “Never mind, perhaps it’s as you said earlier—Second Miss Peng’s temperament has changed, and her actions can’t be judged by normal standards anymore.”

Zheng Shuangyin said: “This area is full of unsavory characters. The sisters are young and alone—sooner or later, someone will take advantage of them. We were classmates after all. Since Weili and I ran into them, we wanted to help find them a proper place to stay. But my grandfather was nearly implicated in the Peng family case. If I were to arrange their accommodation, it might invite suspicion.”

Teng Yuyi made a sound of acknowledgment. Official Zheng’s mistress kept in an outside residence, Shu Liniang, had been sent to him through Peng Zhen’s indirect machinations. The character for “color” has a blade above it—because of this, Official Zheng had nearly been controlled by both Peng Zhen and the Prince of Chun’an. After the Prince of Chun’an’s palace coup, Official Zheng had gone to great lengths to dispel the court’s suspicions about himself.

Perhaps recalling this history, Zheng Shuangyin showed a faint look of disgust, but being her grandfather, she could only pretend nothing was wrong and continue drinking tea and chatting.

“Given Second Miss Peng’s attitude, she doesn’t seem likely to accept Weili’s goodwill. As for other classmates—the Peng family’s rebellion case implicated many people, and everyone avoided them like the plague. After thinking it through, Weili and I could only come to you. The Prince of Qingyuan is His Majesty’s nephew, and last year’s Huaixi rebellion was suppressed through the combined efforts of the Prince of Qingyuan and General Teng. If you two were to help, it wouldn’t raise suspicions. What luck that we ran into you in the West Market.”

Teng Yuyi considered this. She had already planned to acquire the Caifeng Tower for her perfume shop, so finding a place for the Peng sisters wouldn’t be difficult. But while this matter wasn’t particularly major, it wasn’t trivial either. To avoid causing trouble for her father and Lin Chengyou later, she would at least need to inform His Majesty and the Empress through Lin Chengyou before making arrangements.

Therefore, she didn’t immediately agree, only smiling as she said: “Let me ask him first.”

This “him,” naturally, referred to Lin Chengyou.

The sentiment in these words was evident, causing Zheng Shuangyin and Deng Weili to blush simultaneously. Neither had found love yet, and they only half-understood matters of the heart, but just hearing these words made clear the meaning of “two hearts entwined in love.”

The two couldn’t help but smile as they studied Teng Yuyi. She had always been the most striking among their classmates, and now that she was married, she was like a famous flower reflected in water, even more elegant and charming.

Feeling awkward under their gaze, Teng Yuyi deliberately turned to look out the window and said: “Oh? Who are those young nobles in fine clothes? They’ve been waiting at the entrance for quite a while.”

Zheng Shuangyin looked down haughtily: “Most likely they’re here for Weili. Since the Crown Prince became engaged to Tinglan, Weili is no longer a potential Crown Princess. When the news spread, countless young men from Chang’an and Luoyang sought to marry Weili—the heir of Marquis Wei’an, the eldest son of the main Cui family branch from Boling… So many suitors have nearly worn down the threshold of the Deng residence. Every time Weili goes out, she’s bound to have several ‘tails’ following her. It’s gotten to the point where we hardly want to go out with her anymore.”

Teng Yuyi wasn’t surprised at all. Deng Weili came from an aristocratic family, excelled in the four arts, and was remarkably playful and cheerful—she naturally attracted attention wherever she went.

Deng Weili was long accustomed to this, casting a disdainful glance toward the window: “I don’t like any of them. They’re either too dull or too plain-looking.”

Zheng Shuangyin lowered her head with a smile: “Listen to that—the noble young lady of the Deng family, openly discussing men’s appearances.”

Teng Yuyi rotated her teacup: “Weili, that’s not right of you. We are people of profound wisdom—how can we judge others by their looks?”

Deng Weili burst out laughing, pointing first at Teng Yuyi, then at Zheng Shuangyin: “Stop ganging up on me. Are you saying you two don’t judge by appearances?”

Teng Yuyi asked with a smile: “In all your years, haven’t you ever met a man you found agreeable?”

At these words, Deng Weili seemed to lose focus, propping her chin thoughtfully for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh: “Well, there’s no one I fancy now.”

So there must have been someone she fancied “before.” Teng Yuyi’s curiosity was piqued, but just as she was about to inquire further, Deng Weili and Zheng Shuangyin began discussing the establishment of a poetry society.

Deng Weili excitedly asked Teng Yuyi: “Will you join? Zheng Er is the society president, your sister is the vice president, and there are over thirty other classmates helping with various affairs. While you’ve been away from Chang’an, we’ve been working with your sister to organize things.”

Teng Yuyi, who loved entertainment most of all, was naturally willing: “If we’re establishing this society, why limit ourselves to poetry and refined conversation?”

Zheng Shuangyin smiled: “What do you have in mind?”

“Horseback riding, sword dancing, cuju… everything is interesting. We could even hold regular competitions—not to determine superiority, but to strengthen our bodies.”

Zheng Shuangyin and Deng Weili couldn’t help but get excited too. After some discussion, Zheng Shuangyin said: “Then it’s settled. When Yu’er returns from Puyang, we’ll officially establish the society. For the society’s first theme, Yu’er can share her experiences from the journey to Puyang.”

The three chatted and laughed, seemingly with endless topics to discuss. Caught up in the excitement, Teng Yuyi invited her classmates to the Prince of Cheng’s mansion tomorrow to discuss details. Before they knew it, night had fallen, and Zheng Shuangyin and Deng Weili took their leave.

As they went downstairs to part ways, Zheng Shuangyin told Teng Yuyi where the Peng sisters were currently staying.

When Teng Yuyi got into the carriage, she saw that Lin Chengyou hadn’t returned yet.

Kuannu hurriedly explained to Teng Yuyi: “The Young Master just caught up with a suspect and might need some more time to return. If my lady is tired, this servant can take you back to the mansion first.”

Teng Yuyi smiled and said: “I’ll wait for him in the carriage.” She then instructed Kuannu: “Duan Fu is waiting for me at the merchant stall on the corner. Help me fetch him.”

Soon Duan Fu arrived, and Teng Yuyi told him the location of the embroidery shop: “Keep an eye on the Peng sisters. Whatever they say or do, report back to me in detail.”

She had already decided to help the Peng sisters, though she hadn’t yet decided where to place them.

From Zheng Shuangyin and Deng Weili’s description, the sisters’ temperaments seemed to have changed considerably. If she placed them in her perfume shop without understanding the full situation, she might only be inviting trouble. Moreover, Teng Yuyi clearly remembered that Second Miss Peng had gotten along well with Deng Weili right up until the Peng family’s downfall. For her to suddenly hate Deng Weili, something must have happened afterward.

After Duan Fu left, Kuannu and others waited in front of the carriage. Half an hour later, Duan Fu returned, and coincidentally, Lin Chengyou came back just as Duan Fu was about to report his findings.

Lin Chengyou got into the carriage and asked curiously: “What did you send Duan Fu to do?”

Teng Yuyi said softly: “I’ll tell you later.” Then she instructed Duan Fu: “You may speak now.”

Duan Fu then reported everything he had seen and heard.

The Peng sisters currently lived in a woodshed behind the Mingzhu Embroidery Shop. The shed was small and dirty, cramped with four people in total. When Duan Fu climbed onto the eaves, the other two roommates happened to be washing clothes by the well.

Seeing no one else around, Elder Miss Peng berated her sister in a low voice: “Even though we sisters have fallen to such circumstances, you’re still just thinking about your temper. When Zheng Shuangyin offered the silver, she showed not the slightest hint of looking down on us. I could tell she sincerely wanted to help us. I looked—that much money would have been enough for us to rent a modest house. What were you thinking, acting crazy like that? If you hadn’t insisted on pulling your sister away, how could we end up without even taking a single coin? You’re going to be the death of your sister!”

Second Miss Peng sobbed: “What difference would it make if we took it? We’d still be short of food and clothing. At most, we could rent a place for a while, but in the end, we’d still be thrown out.”

“It would still be better than being crammed in one room with these lowborn people like animals.”

“Don’t call others lowborn. Don’t you understand, sister? We’re already lowborn ourselves. These bitter days will never end, so why bother having such lofty aspirations?”

Elder Miss Peng said with a trembling voice: “So you do understand. In that case, why wouldn’t you let your sister accept that silver?!”

Second Miss Peng refused to speak.

“Is it because of Deng Weili?” Elder Miss Peng pressed.

“Yes.” Second Miss Peng’s voice grew shrill. “Anyone else would be fine, but I refuse to be indebted to her!”

Elder Miss Peng seemed furious: “Just because the Prince of Chun’an towards her… you’re completely muddled! This is all just your suspicion. That man was unfathomable—how do you know if he liked—”

Second Miss Peng’s voice carried a sob: “He did! He did! Back then, he was all I could see, in my heart and my eyes. His every move might have fooled others, but not me.”

“Even if it were true, so what? Deng Weili never wronged you. Back at the academy, wasn’t she good to both of us? Besides, that treasonous rebel harmed so many people—is he worth remembering until now? He never even truly looked at you back then. Look at what you’ve become.”

Second Miss Peng burst out in anger: “He’s a treasonous rebel? Wasn’t Father one too? History is written by the victors. In the end, he just failed. If he or Father had succeeded—”

Elder Miss Peng hurriedly covered her sister’s mouth: “Have you gone mad, daring to say such things! The Prince of Chun’an is dead—no, the criminal Lin Min has been executed. Would you throw away your life for some foolish infatuation from the past?”

Second Miss Peng wept quietly. Just then, an embroidery worker came by to scold the sisters: “You were told to cut the fabric—so you’re here being lazy!” She entered the shed, beating and cursing as she drove the sisters away.

As soon as Lin Chengyou heard the words “Prince of Chun’an,” his smile vanished. He silently watched Duan Fu, waiting for him to continue.

But Duan Fu dully said: “That’s about all there was.”

Teng Yuyi was speechless with shock for a long while. What did Second Miss Peng mean? Could this be why she held a grudge against Deng Weili? But this… how could it be?

She cast a shocked glance at Lin Chengyou, dismissed Duan Fu, then turned to tell Lin Chengyou her thoughts about taking in the Peng sisters.

It took Lin Chengyou a long while to regain his usual demeanor: “Helping them is fine, but only if they harbor no ill intentions. From what we’ve heard, their nature doesn’t seem bad. No need to rush—let Duan Fu watch them for a few more days.”

Teng Yuyi nodded.

After saying this, Lin Chengyou frowned, lost in thought. Teng Yuyi silently watched him. Since the Prince of Chun’an’s suicide in Xingqing Palace, Lin Chengyou had barely mentioned the matter. But while handling the Prince’s funeral affairs, Lin Chengyou had lost considerable weight in just a few days. Ever since then, whenever anyone mentioned the Prince’s death, Lin Chengyou would quickly fall silent, and this time was no exception.

After his moment of abstraction, Lin Chengyou turned to find his wife watching him. His heart constricted, and he pulled her close, kissing her forehead: “It’s getting late, and we still need to pack. Let’s head back.”

On the way, Teng Yuyi leaned against Lin Chengyou’s shoulder, pondering silently before suddenly saying: “I want to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Remember that time when the Prince of Chun’an, to help Wu Qi become Crown Princess, had someone set up a situation between you and Deng Weili?”

Lin Chengyou’s expression grew slightly distant as he made a sound of acknowledgment.

“It was the night of the Buddha’s Birthday Festival. You and Deng Weili were both led to the arched bridge in front of Qinglong Temple. Everyone who passed by thought you were having a secret rendezvous. Once such a misunderstanding spread widely, Deng Weili would naturally find it difficult to become Crown Princess. Moreover, that night the Prince of Chun’an forged your handwriting in a love letter to Deng Weili, including with it an extraordinary pair of ‘Moon-Reflecting Pearl Rings.'”

At this point, Teng Yuyi glanced at Lin Chengyou: “Because the jewelry box was inscribed with the characters ‘Star-Plucking Tower,’ even I initially thought you were the gift-giver. Only later did I learn it was all a trap. But thinking about it now, if the goal was to make Deng Weili believe there was something between you, a love letter alone would have sufficed. Why send such precious jewelry? And while the jewelry was falsely claimed to be from Star-Plucking Tower, it was purchased elsewhere. No matter how cautious the Prince of Chun’an was, if the Court of Justice had followed the trail, they might have discovered its true origin.”

This was the most puzzling aspect of the case for Teng Yuyi. The Prince of Chun’an was meticulous—why take such an unnecessary risk?

Lin Chengyou remained silent. These inconsistencies had puzzled him too; they didn’t seem like his Royal Uncle’s style, but rather more like the work of a militant like Peng Zhen.

Moreover, thinking carefully, although this would make people suspect there was something between him and Deng Weili, those who knew him well knew that at the time, his heart was completely focused on Teng Yuyi. While this incident might have cost Deng Weili her eligibility to become Crown Princess, it wouldn’t have created any real connection between him and Deng Weili. Given his personality, he would have grown to strongly dislike Deng Weili.

“Also, Deng Weili had loved collecting artisan-made puppets since childhood. Coincidentally, the person who lured her into the alley that night was a puppet vendor. But Deng Weili had never publicly spoken of this hobby—even a few classmates at the academy knew about it. For the Prince of Chun’an to make such a precise arrangement that night, he must have thoroughly investigated Deng Weili’s preferences…”

The carriage suddenly fell silent.

If Second Miss Peng’s words had planted the seed of doubt, this analysis would have caused those doubts to grow exponentially.

They both then thought of the dream from their previous life. Of the three names on the Crown Princess candidate list, none had ended up marrying the Crown Prince.

From the palace servants’ gossip, most people believed the Crown Prince refused to marry Deng Weili because her bearing somewhat resembled Teng Yuyi’s.

But what if someone didn’t want Deng Weili to marry the Crown Prince and deliberately created various obstacles?

Lin Chengyou’s expression became inscrutable. Teng Yuyi asked: “Is that love letter still kept at the Court of Justice?”

Lin Chengyou made a sound of agreement.

Teng Yuyi leaned back against his chest, picking up his golden fish pouch to play with: “…Do you remember what was written in the letter?”

Lin Chengyou thought casually: “Just some passionate phrases. At the time, I was focused on uncovering who was behind it all, so I didn’t read it carefully. After so long, I can’t remember clearly anymore.”

Teng Yuyi sighed inwardly. The Prince of Chun’an matter had left a scar on Lin Chengyou’s heart. Given what happened to her in their previous life and Yan Shizhi’s death, he would never be able to let it go in this lifetime.

Perhaps for this reason, whenever the Prince of Chun’an was mentioned, Lin Chengyou always consciously or unconsciously avoided the topic.

She couldn’t bear to press him further, but couldn’t suppress her curiosity.

Though the letter’s handwriting was forged to match Lin Chengyou’s, the content had been written by the Prince of Chun’an himself.

Perhaps the answer lay in that letter.

The next morning when Teng Yuyi woke and reached beside her, Lin Chengyou was already gone.

“The Young Master went to the Court of Justice to hand over some cases. He told the servants not to disturb my lady,” several elderly maids came to tell her.

Teng Yuyi was lost in thought for a moment before getting up to dress. After finishing her toilette, she went to pay her respects at the main hall.

Qu Qinyao was about to go to Qingyun Temple to help Master Qingxu with a ritual. Seeing Teng Yuyi, she pulled her aside to give various instructions. A’Zhi and A’Shuang volunteered to stay and help their sister-in-law pack, which finally satisfied Qinyao enough to leave.

As Teng Yuyi headed to the east wing with her younger siblings, they met Chunrong on the way: “My lady, please return quickly—many classmates from the academy have arrived.”

This meant Second Brother A’Shuang couldn’t accompany them anymore. He smiled slightly and said to Teng Yuyi while standing in place: “Sister-in-law, I’ll be in the mansion all day. If you have any urgent matters, just ask Second Brother.”

He then instructed A’Zhi: “Help Sister-in-law pack properly, don’t be mischievous.”

As he spoke these words, A’Shuang stood tall in the sunlight. He lacked Lin Chengyou’s vibrant charm and the King of Cheng’s steady coolness but had something of Uncle Qu Ziyu’s scholarly dignity. Seeing him so mature for his age, Teng Yuyi couldn’t help but smile and nod: “If Sister-in-law needs anything, I’ll certainly ask for your help.”

As they spoke, she led A’Zhi back to the east wing, where cheerful laughter filled the courtyard—about thirty classmates had arrived.

Teng Yuyi brought A’Zhi forward to greet them. The young woman smiled and curtsied: “Yu’er. Princess A’Zhi.”

During the serving of tea and snacks, Du Tinglan quietly asked Teng Yuyi: “You’re setting out tomorrow—how’s the packing coming along?”

“Almost done. But I bought some more things in the West Market yesterday, so today I need to repack everything.”

Du Tinglan worried: “I’ll help you pack later. Mother was concerned you wouldn’t like the food on the road, so she specially prepared some things for me to bring.”

Teng Yuyi’s eyes lit up: “What did Aunt make?”

Du Tinglan laughed and poked her sister’s forehead: “Glutton.”

Meanwhile, A’Zhi happily asked: “Miss Deng, Miss Zheng, are you also starting a poetry society?”

With this question, the pavilion grew even livelier. After drinking a cup of tea, Teng Yuyi invited her classmates to stroll in the garden. Someone mentioned martial arts heroes, and a classmate interjected: “Speaking of that, I remember Weili encountered a martial arts hero in Luoyang a few years ago.”

Deng Weili continued: “That’s right. I had mischievously gone out with my guards and unfortunately encountered some highly skilled bandits. That person happened to be passing by with his attendants and drove all the bandits away in just a few moves. Unfortunately, it was too dark, and I couldn’t see his face.”

A’Zhi curiously pursued: “Couldn’t you even see his build?”

Deng Weili’s smile faltered slightly, then she shook her head. After a moment, the girls dispersed—some to admire flowers, others to catch butterflies. Their graceful figures in their colorful dresses added an extra touch of spring beauty to the elegant garden.

Teng Yuyi was discussing poetry society matters with Du Tinglan and others in a corner of the garden when she happened to glance over and see Deng Weili sitting alone by the pond feeding fish. Though her pose was casual and relaxed, she drew more attention than the peonies beside her.

Something stirred in Teng Yuyi’s heart. She left her sister and Zheng Shuangyin to sit down beside Deng Weili by the pond.

Deng Weili glanced at her: “Have you checked on the Peng sisters? How do you plan to help them? If it’s inconvenient for you, I can ask my grandfather.”

Teng Yuyi rested her chin on her hand, watching the brocade carp swimming back and forth in the pond, not responding to the question.

Deng Weili leaned in to study Teng Yuyi’s face, asking suspiciously: “You’re acting strange today. Could it be you’ve discovered why Second Miss Peng is angry with me?”

Teng Yuyi suddenly said: “Weili, did you once mistakenly believe that the martial arts hero who saved you was the Crown Prince?”

Deng Weili’s hands shook, nearly dropping the fishing rod. Though she didn’t answer, her shocked expression said everything.

Teng Yuyi raised her eyebrows: “Don’t be upset. I know that despite your casual exterior, you’re very strong-minded. If you didn’t have a good impression of the Crown Prince, you would never have allowed your grandfather to put you forward as a Crown Princess candidate.”

Deng Weili cast a glance at Du Tinglan nearby, put down her fishing rod, and said in a low voice: “You can guess all you want, but please don’t let Tinglan misunderstand me. Besides, I’ve long known that the person who saved me wasn’t the Crown Prince.”

“When did you find out?”

“I knew years ago.” Deng Weili wasn’t worried about Teng Yuyi’s misunderstanding but feared Du Tinglan might harbor doubts, so she decided to explain everything openly. “Why else do you think I keep hiding in Luoyang? It’s because I knew I was wrong. But the Crown Princess candidate list wasn’t a trivial matter—I couldn’t just ask Grandfather to withdraw my name. That Luoyang incident happened five or six years ago. It was dark then, and the person who saved me never spoke a word, but he had many attendants who all called him ‘Young Master.’ From their accents, they were clearly from Chang’an. Seeing that grand manner, I knew he must be a royal family member in disguise. Two of his guards had ambiguous voices, high and thin—later when I entered the Grand Ming Palace for an audience, I learned that’s how palace eunuchs typically sound. Think about it—if he weren’t a prince, how could he have palace eunuchs as his guards? But the Second Prince was only ten years old then, so it could only be the Crown Prince. I had Grandfather inquire, and sure enough, the Crown Prince had indeed been to Luoyang during that time, so the misunderstanding took root. It wasn’t until several years later that I realized my mistake.”

Teng Yuyi exclaimed: “How did you find out?”

“I remember that person knocked down the bandit leader with a single move—showing how exceptional his martial arts were. But a few years ago, I watched the Crown Prince spar with some warriors in the palace, and his skills seemed far inferior to that person’s. Not just the Crown Prince—few people in Chang’an had such superior martial arts skills.”

She glanced at Teng Yuyi again and said frankly: “I once suspected it might be the Prince of Cheng’s heir, but I inquired and learned that the heir was traveling in Hongzhou with the Prince and Princess of Cheng at the time—he wasn’t in the capital or Luoyang.”

Teng Yuyi’s eyes flickered: “Did you never suspect it might be the Prince of Chun’an?”

Deng Weili started: “It couldn’t possibly have been the Prince of Chun’an. Everyone knows the Prince of Chun’an was vastly learned but completely lacking in martial arts skills.”

After saying this, Deng Weili seemed to recall the palace coup, and a trace of doubt crossed her expression.

Sensing trouble, Teng Yuyi quickly laughed: “Look at me, I almost forgot about that. But I heard from the Young Master that the Prince of Chun’an did know martial arts, though his skills weren’t as good as ‘abandoning wisdom and intelligence.'”

Deng Weili was startled at first but relaxed at the last statement.

Teng Yuyi gazed at Deng Weili. Having grown up carefree, Deng Weili had always been optimistic and open-minded. Some things were better left unasked.

Still, thinking back to that night of the Buddha’s Birthday Festival last year, one doubt remained in her heart.

Deng Weili had always been discerning since childhood—how could she have accepted a pair of Moon-Reflecting Pearl Rings of unknown origin? Could there have been something moving written in that love letter?

Teng Yuyi couldn’t help following this line of thought. For instance, the letter might have detailed specific moments when the writer had seen Deng Weili or mentioned certain things she had done.

Such words would be enough to convince Deng Weili that the writer truly admired her. Since she was already a Crown Princess candidate at the time, no one in Chang’an except the Crown Prince would dare pursue her, which was why Deng Weili mistakenly believed it was the Crown Prince expressing his love.

However, it later proved to be just a scheme.

No—perhaps behind this scheme lay hidden an unknown sentiment.

Unfortunately, asking further would only bring unnecessary trouble to her good friend.

Let it be, let some things fade with the wind.

She suddenly recalled last night’s conversation with Lin Chengyou, wondering if he would look for that letter at the Court of Justice today.

***

After handing over his cases, Lin Chengyou sat lost in thought in the office chamber.

Though all was quiet around him, his ears rang with the conversation he’d overheard between some noble youths in the restricted street.

“You want to marry Minister Deng’s granddaughter?”

“Why not?”

“The family status might be similar, but don’t forget—that Miss Deng almost became Crown Princess. Minister Deng won’t look favorably upon ordinary character and status.”

“That old man is too arrogant. Don’t forget the current Crown Princess is just the daughter of Scholar Du from the Imperial Academy. Can Minister Deng surpass the Crown Prince?”

“One was the Crown Prince’s willing pursuit, the other is Deng’s family and the Duke of Wei’s household choosing a son-in-law—how can you compare the two? Besides, however, diminished the Du family may be now, they’re still a centuries-old noble family of Longyou. As for Minister Deng, even the Prince of Chun’an wasn’t good enough back then.”

“Hush, watch your words. There is no Prince of Chun’an now, only the criminal Lin Min. By the way, how do you know about this?”

“This happened several years ago. My mother frequently visited the palace then. The Empress and Princess of Cheng pitied Lin Min for growing up motherless, so when he turned eighteen, they took it upon themselves to arrange his marriage. Somehow, they first asked about Minister Deng’s granddaughter but were flatly refused by Minister Deng. Not only did he refuse, but this minister’s tone was reportedly quite harsh. Afterward, perhaps fearing the Empress and Princess of Cheng wouldn’t give up, he sent his granddaughter back to the Duke of Wei’s mansion in Luoyang overnight, leaving the Empress and Princess of Cheng in an awkward position.”

Another rake laughed: “…Actually, you can’t blame Minister Deng. Lin Min’s background… was unclear. I wouldn’t give my precious granddaughter to a bastard either. As long as Minister Deng lives, even if Lin Min hadn’t failed and was still the Prince of Chun’an, he could never marry Miss Deng.”

Just then, the sound of colleagues laughing outside interrupted Lin Chengyou’s thoughts.

His colleagues entered, smiling: “Evaluator Lin, since your marriage, you haven’t joined us for drinks in ages. Everyone’s decided that before you leave for Puyang, we should have a proper drinking session tonight. Director Wang said he’ll host.”

Lin Chengyou’s thoughts were only of Teng Yuyi. He smiled: “Such a kind offer? But I need to pack tonight—any later would be too late. I appreciate the seniors’ goodwill, but let’s put this drink on hold. Director Wang, may I make it up when I return?”

Unable to persuade him, his colleagues could only laugh and see him out.

After chatting for a while in the corridor, Lin Chengyou smiled, clasped his hands in farewell to his colleagues, and took his leave.

Passing the Archives Room at the corner, he stopped.

The room’s door was tightly shut, with the case files locked inside. Being a major treason case, only Chief Minister Zhang and the official in charge held keys to the Court of Justice archives—and Lin Chengyou happened to be that official.

After hesitating at the door, Lin Chengyou was inexplicably compelled to enter.

Three floor-to-ceiling bookshelves greeted his eyes. He knew this place so well he could find the relevant files with his eyes closed. He quickly located the case files and then found that letter among the pile of evidence.

Beside the letter was a lacquered box.

Lin Chengyou hesitated for a moment before slowly opening the long-sealed box.

A sudden brightness met his eyes as the Moon-Reflecting Pearl Rings emanated a lunar-like radiance.

Lin Chengyou studied the box’s contents, absently taking up the letter beside it. The handwriting matched his exactly.

Back then, he had only skimmed it carelessly—after all, it was just a scheme, and the words in the letter were naturally insincere.

But now it was different. The huge doubt in his heart made him begin to reread the letter’s contents.

As he read, a wind seemed to stir in his heart. Words could be forged, emotions could be exaggerated, but those detailed descriptions in the letter could not possibly be false. Only someone who held the recipient deeply in their heart would notice such tiny moments.

Unfortunately, it was hidden too deep, suppressed too thoroughly—those proud yet conflicting young feelings, all concealed between the lines of truth and fiction.

Gradually, an inexplicable tightness rose in Lin Chengyou’s chest.

It left him feeling breathless.

He slowly returned the letter to its place.

After standing there for a long while, he gently closed the box with its otherworldly jewelry.

His movements were exceptionally careful, not even disturbing the light dust on the box’s lid.

***

All day, Teng Yuyi had been discussing poetry society matters. After seeing off her classmates in the evening, she was busy directing Chunrong and others to pack when a matron came to ask: “My lady, did the Young Master say if he would return for dinner?”

Before Teng Yuyi could answer, someone replied: “No need, I’m taking my lady out tonight.”

Teng Yuyi turned to see Lin Chengyou walking through the front courtyard.

Dimples appearing as she smiled, Teng Yuyi hurriedly instructed Bilu and the others: “The Young Master and I are going out. Bring the things I prepared, and we’ll pack the personal clothing when we return.”

She went down the steps to meet him.

Lin Chengyou looked his wife up and down, smiling: “Not changing clothes?”

“Already changed.”

The couple had planned last night to go out in the evening.

Lin Chengyou took his wife’s hand as they walked out: “Then let’s go.”

Once in the carriage, Teng Yuyi covered her mouth to yawn, feeling drowsy. She simply leaned back against Lin Chengyou’s chest to doze.

Lin Chengyou started, looking down at his wife: “No afternoon nap today?”

Teng Yuyi made a sound of agreement with her eyes closed: “Was busy discussing things with my sister and the others at noon, didn’t have time for a rest.”

Lin Chengyou smiled, bending to kiss the top of her head: “Alright, lean on me and sleep for a while. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

He pulled a cloak from the nearby low couch to cover his wife.

After dozing for a while, Teng Yuyi suddenly noticed Lin Chengyou’s unusual silence. Looking up to study him, his expression seemed normal, but she could detect subtle emotional changes that might fool others but not her. This reminded her of that love letter. After a moment’s silence, seeing Lin Chengyou still lost in thought, she decided not to ask and simply closed her eyes again to doze.

She fell asleep almost immediately but suddenly heard someone calling softly: “Yu’er.”

Teng Yuyi rubbed her eyes.

Lin Chengyou pinched his wife’s ear: “Awake?”

Teng Yuyi nodded with her eyes closed. Lin Chengyou helped her out of the warm cloak: “Then let’s get out—we’re here.”

They got out together and walked along the alley until they reached a modest house.

Lin Chengyou raised his hand to knock.

Soon, they heard soft footsteps inside, and the door opened.

“Young Master, My Lady.” It was an elderly matron from the Yan household.

Then a simply dressed young woman came out to greet them—Yan Shizhi’s widow, Lady Bai.

Lady Yan held a chubby infant in her arms, her face lighting up with undisguised joy at seeing them.

“Sister-in-law,” Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi greeted with smiles.

Lady Yan hurriedly led them inside: “Quick, please come in.”

Entering the front courtyard, Teng Yuyi looked around. The house was kept neat and orderly, with both masters and servants cleanly dressed. As they entered the main hall, they heard someone ask from inside: “Third Lady, who’s here?”

Lady Yan quickly replied: “Mother, it’s the Young Master and his lady.”

As soon as she finished speaking, an elderly woman hurriedly came around from the inner rooms. Her hair was completely white, her figure thin, but her gentle gaze and dignified features immediately identified her as Yan Shizhi’s mother.

Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi respectfully bowed: “We pay our respects to the Elder Lady.”

The Elder Lady Yan fumbled, barely managing to stop one before failing to prevent the other, finally turning to tell Lady Bai: “Third Lady, you entertain the guests here, I’ll go prepare tea and refreshments.”

“Let me go,” Lady Bai turned to hand the infant to the elderly matron beside her.

“Don’t trouble yourself, Sister-in-law. Let me hold my nephew.” Teng Yuyi carefully took the baby.

Looking down as she spoke, she met the infant’s clear eyes. The child seemed to have just woken up, his arms and legs quite strong, silently blowing crystal-clear bubbles.

Teng Yuyi curiously met the infant’s gaze.

Lin Chengyou didn’t dare touch such a tiny bundle but studied him from his wife’s arms. Suddenly noticing the infant had noticed him, he couldn’t help smiling and teasing: “Do you recognize me? Call me Uncle You.”

Teng Yuyi burst out laughing: “How old is he? I heard babies don’t recognize people until they’re six months old.”

Lin Chengyou disagreed: “He smiled as soon as he saw me—he must recognize me already.”

Teng Yuyi looked carefully and saw the infant had indeed shifted his gaze to Lin Chengyou’s face, not only that but was also grinning silently at him.

“Oh my, he does recognize you!”

Lady Bai came over with the matron to serve tea and refreshments. Hearing the couple’s serious discussion, she couldn’t help laughing: “He may recognize people, but speaking is still far off.”

Elder Lady Yan commented with reddened eyes: “Thanks to the Young Master and his lady’s frequent care, the child has grown strong. If Wanchun knew from the underworld, he would be so grateful.”

Lin Chengyou smiled slightly: “We meant only to visit. If we’ve made the Elder Lady sad, that would be our fault.”

Elder Lady Yan wiped her tears and sat nearby, asking kindly: “It’s getting late—have you had dinner?”

Teng Yuyi exchanged glances with Lin Chengyou before answering frankly: “To answer the Elder Lady, we haven’t had dinner yet. We were hoping to impose on your household for a meal.”

Elder Lady Yan and Lady Bai were overjoyed: “What imposition? Just don’t complain if the food is too simple!”

Soon the dishes were served, each one delicious. After a lively meal, while the Elder Lady was talking with Lin Chengyou, Teng Yuyi went out to have Kuannu bring in the package she had prepared earlier.

It was filled with grains, various delicacies, abalone, and fish. Teng Yuyi said: “After this meal, there will always be another. Let’s leave these foods with our Sister-in-law. When we come to freeload again, at least we won’t be empty-handed.”

Put this way, Lady Bai and Elder Lady Yan couldn’t refuse such thoughtfulness.

After playing with the infant a while longer, seeing it was getting late, Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou took their leave. Elder Lady Yan and Lady Bai, holding the child, saw them to the door. Lin Chengyou said: “These next few months while we’re away from Chang’an, starting tomorrow, the Prince of Cheng’s mansion will take turns sending people to look after you. Elder Lady and Sister-in-law, if you need any help, just ask them.”

Lady Bai handed the child to the matron behind her and formally bowed to Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou: “How could Sister-in-law not understand your kindness? The child is still young, and we have a long road ahead. For Dage’s sake, Mother and I absolutely won’t be recklessly stubborn. Go with peace of mind—if we face any difficulties, we’ll certainly seek your help.”

She then handed a bag of homemade butterfly pastries to Teng Yuyi: “Sister-in-law made these herself. They’re better than what’s sold in the West Market. The journey is long—take these as road provisions.”

Teng Yuyi sighed inwardly—this woman was neither servile nor arrogant, truly admirable and lovable. She accepted the gift solemnly: “Please don’t trouble yourself further, Sister-in-law. Elder Lady, please stay.”

When the couple reached the alley entrance and looked back, Lady Bai and the Elder Lady still stood in place, watching them leave.

***

Back at the mansion, Lin Chengyou led Teng Yuyi around inside and out to check everything. Seeing the luggage was all packed, he had Kuannu bring in a small trunk from outside.

Teng Yuyi found something odd about the trunk and bent to open it, but Lin Chengyou stopped her: “What’s the hurry? Wait until we’re on the boat to look.”

“Could there be someone alive inside?”

Lin Chengyou laughed: “What are you thinking? I was worried you’d be bored on the journey, so I collected some interesting items. If you look now, they won’t feel fresh when we’re traveling.”

Teng Yuyi smiled and relented, dismissing Kuannu. Lin Chengyou glanced at the water clock: “We need to rise early tomorrow. Let’s go to bed.”

He took Teng Yuyi’s hand and returned to their chamber. The maids blushed and hurriedly withdrew to prepare bath water and toiletries.

Teng Yuyi bathed and got into bed. Soon Lin Chengyou emerged from the washroom. As he lifted the bed curtain, a crisp scent, somewhat like bamboo, wafted to her nose.

Teng Yuyi quickly closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. The next moment she felt a tickle on her forehead—Lin Chengyou seemed to be propped above her, studying her: “Yu’er?”

Teng Yuyi’s ears burned and her heart raced. In their half-month of marriage, they had been intimate every night. Usually, when she pretended to sleep like this, Lin Chengyou would either tickle her ear or bury his face in her neck to nibble, invariably making her laugh.

Thinking of this, Teng Yuyi suppressed her smile and continued pretending to sleep.

But this time, Lin Chengyou just quietly studied her for a moment before rolling back to his side.

Teng Yuyi was surprised—could he think she was asleep?

Opening her eyes and turning her head, the lamplight flickered through the curtains, dimly illuminating Lin Chengyou’s profile. He stared fixedly at the canopy, clearly lost in thought.

Teng Yuyi remembered the letter from earlier that day and was struck silent.

Though Teng Yuyi hadn’t spoken, Lin Chengyou seemed to sense his wife’s inner sigh. Coming back to himself, he turned to look at his wife, then pulled her into his arms, though he didn’t say a word.

After a long while, Lin Chengyou spoke: “Yu’er, I want to go somewhere tomorrow morning.”

His expression held a trace of bewilderment.

Teng Yuyi, nestled against his chest, just made a sound of acknowledgment.

“You’re not going to ask where?”

“I know. I’ll go with you.”

Lin Chengyou’s heart contracted sharply, unsure whether he ached for his uncle who had chosen the wrong path or was moved by his wife’s crystal-clear heart.

He held Teng Yuyi tighter, wanting to speak but too choked with emotion to find words. Teng Yuyi hugged him back firmly. An invisible warmth flowed through the bed curtains—their feelings so deep that they needed no words to understand each other’s hearts.

The next day at dawn, morning mist curled through the air.

Outside Chunming Gate, a tall figure suddenly appeared before a newly tended grave.

It was a youth of eighteen or nineteen in a jade crown, dressed all in white as he approached the grave.

The tombstone bore just a simple line of text:

“Lin Min, courtesy name Sihong, died in the 19th year of Longyuan, aged twenty-two.”

The youth gently touched the tombstone, and then sat down beside it. After a while, he took out a prepared wine flask, filled a cup, and poured it on the ground as a libation.

The wine gleamed like silver, while the soil was dark and damp.

Drop by drop, the wine fell into the earth, vanishing instantly.

Throughout this, not even the grass and trees by the grave stirred.

The youth stared woodenly at the wine-soaked earth for a while, then raised his eyes to murmur something to the tombstone.

Still, silence reigned.

After sitting a while longer, the young lord set down the wine flask, rose to carefully brush the dust from the tombstone, and finally turned to leave.

Not far from the grave, under a weeping willow by the road, stood a young lady. She wore a veiled hat and plain dress, holding the reins of a magnificent small red horse, with a white horse beside it.

She seemed to have been waiting for the young lord. As soon as the brocade-clad youth approached, the maiden handed him the white horse’s reins. Though they exchanged no words or gestures, their intimacy was evident.

The youth mounted his horse, and the girl shook her reins. They rode side by side, soon disappearing into the morning mist.

As the hoofbeats faded, two elderly men emerged slowly from the mist—one Buddhist, one Taoist, both with flowing robes.

Behind them followed two young Taoist acolytes and several Buddhist monks.

“Master!” Juesheng and Qizhi exclaimed in surprise. “That was Senior Brother and Sister-in-law.”

Master Qingxu stroked his beard, watching the red and white figures receding into the distance: “I saw them. Don’t make such a fuss.”

Juesheng and Qizhi scratched their heads in confusion. Their Senior Brother still deeply resented Yan Shizhi’s wrongful death. Logically, Sister-in-law should also hate the Prince deeply—not to mention whether her previous life’s experiences were real or illusory, in this life she had “died” once because of the Prince’s trap. Being harmed twice by the same person, how could Sister-in-law not hate him after learning the truth?

They’d heard that in the past, Sister-in-law carried poison and hidden weapons whenever she went out, fearing another attack from the Prince of Chun’an’s “black-cloaked men.” Thinking of Sister-in-law’s past circumstances was truly pitiful.

Yet this morning, they had not only seen their Senior Brother come to pay respects to his uncle but also their Sister-in-law waiting nearby.

Master Qingxu’s white eyebrows rose as he declared: “In life, one who can love deeply should be able to hate deeply, and one who can hate deeply should also be able to let go. Your Senior Brother may be mischievous, but his heart is bright and open—if he can resent, naturally there will come a day of acceptance. Yu’er is even more remarkable—her willingness to let go of this hatred stems not only from her inherently kind nature but also from her deep love for your Senior Brother. This is what it means to have a heart like crystal.”

Abbot Yuanjue, watching the direction where the young couple had disappeared, gently added: “Amitabha. One thought of evil extinguishes countless kalpas of good karma; one thought of good gives rise to great wisdom. Over the past year, these two children have grown much.”

Master Qingxu’s face showed satisfaction, then heard Juesheng and Qizhi say with partial understanding: “Perhaps Senior Brother and Sister-in-law can accept this because the Prince of Chun’an was also a pitiful person.”

Master Qingxu sighed: “Min’er had his pitiful aspects, yet was not truly pitiful. Everyone in this world has their sufferings, but not everyone chooses evil. With countless paths available, he chose one that harmed both others and himself. In the end, those innocent victims owed Lin Min nothing.”

He then swished his whisk: “Enough talk. Today this old monk must set out for Puyang—let’s begin.”

Activity immediately commenced at the grave. Juesheng and Qizhi knew this Buddhist ceremony had been arranged through great effort by the Prince and Princess of Cheng and His Majesty. The first service was held seven days after death, today was the second, and the third would be conducted by Abbot Yuanjue’s senior disciples Mingxin and Jianxing in his absence. The Buddhist power of the Great Seclusion Temple’s high monks was not to be underestimated—after three services, the sins committed by the Prince of Chun’an in life might be somewhat lightened.

While the juniors busied themselves, Master Qingxu and Abbot Yuanjue sat quietly to one side.

“I wonder what helped these two children find peace,” Master Qingxu gazed into the distance, sighing. “Have they said anything to you these past days?”

Yuanjue focused on turning his prayer beads, not even moving his eyebrows at the question.

Master Qingxu marveled: “Though You’er doesn’t speak of it, I know he’s always calculating how to lighten Lin Min’s sins from his previous life. Yan Shizhi’s family is now alone and helpless—though You’er visits often to care for them, he absolutely cannot bring himself to ask Yan Shizhi’s family to forgive Lin Min. Yu’er’s ability to find peace is an unexpected blessing… Both children value relationships deeply, Yu’er especially—having endured suffering in two lives yet maintaining pure goodness, such a wonderful child—You’er is truly blessed. Min’er is fortunate too—those he harmed can still help him with kind thoughts.”

Yuanjue opened his eyes, smiling slightly: “Good fruit born from evil soil—both are fortunate. The gatha says: ‘The previous thought attached to circumstances is affliction; the next thought detached from circumstances is bodhi.’ These two children have simply stopped seeking their affliction.”

He looked compassionately at Lin Min’s tombstone: “One gives a lotus branch, and all circumstances become thus. Let us hope in his next life… he will no longer be bound by obsession.”

Before his sigh finished, Buddhist chanting arose from the grave, like gently surging waves, softly stirring the emerald wild grass before the stone. The wind whispered, rising into the sky, accompanying the increasingly resonant chanting as the clear breeze gradually receded, never looking back.

As the morning mist dispersed, the bright sun again shone over Chang’an.

At Bash Bridge, beside the weeping willows, carriages, and horses gathered to bid farewell.

Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi had changed clothes at the Prince of Cheng’s mansion and now stood together on the bridge.

Lin Chengyou wore casual clothes and carried a golden bow. For convenient travel, Teng Yuyi had specially changed into crimson male Hu clothing. That splash of red was like a flame leaping into a spring painting—not only warming Lin Chengyou’s heart but brightening the mood of everyone present.

The Du family had arrived early.

“Dear Yu’er, the boat deck is slippery—don’t play there too much.”

“Young Master, these are freshly made snacks from your aunt—take them for the journey.”

Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi responded to one after another, completely overwhelmed: “Aunt, this is too much. The weather’s getting warm—even though Yu’er loves to eat, she can’t finish all this herself. We’ll take these two boxes, please keep the rest for Shaotang and Sister.”

Madam Du pouted: “These aren’t for Yu’er, they’re for you. Aunt knows you don’t like sweets, so I specially made some light savory pastries. The leavened dough took quite some effort—they were just finished this morning.”

Lin Chengyou smiled as he accepted: “Then I must properly appreciate Aunt’s culinary skills.”

While Teng Yuyi clung affectionately to her aunt and cousin, Lin Chengyou, long accustomed to his wife’s endearing manner, watched without taking his eyes off her. Amid the bustle, wheels creaked as academy classmates arrived to see Teng Yuyi off.

Deng Weili was the first to step down from the carriage.

Having returned from outside the city that morning, Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi felt as if a great weight had been lifted from their hearts. Seeing Deng Weili now, they no longer felt conflicted.

Teng Yuyi hurried to greet them. The girls first paid their respects to the elders before gathering around Teng Yuyi to chat.

Deng Weili handed Teng Yuyi a music score: “Here, last time you said you wanted the ‘Cloud Moon’ collection by the Bai father and son from Luoyang. This score had been lost for ages—I had people inquire for a long time before finding it. Worried you’d be bored on the journey, I rushed to bring it before you left.”

Teng Yuyi was overjoyed: “Thank you, thank you!”

Zheng Shuangyin and Liu Siniang also presented two books, the “Book of Documents” and the “Analects”: “The Academy Head told us not to neglect our studies—take these to read on your journey.”

Teng Yuyi understood immediately. Secretly lifting the covers to peek, she saw they weren’t serious texts at all, but rather popular story collections containing various amusing tales and anecdotes—perfect for entertainment.

She coughed once: “I dare not disappoint the Academy Head’s teachings. I’ll certainly study diligently on the journey.”

Her classmates exchanged knowing glances, suppressing their laughter. Then came the sound of more carriages—Master Qingxu and Abbot Yuanjue had arrived with their disciples, followed by five plump, elderly Taoist priests riding black donkeys.

The five priests laughed at their donkeys, saying: “Master Qingxu, rest assured. On this journey to Puyang, the Young Master and Yu’er’s safety is in our hands.”

As Master Qingxu alighted from his carriage, his gaze naturally fell on Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi, his expression both satisfied and somewhat wistful.

“The Crown Prince and Qi’er are presiding over the archery ceremony at Linde Hall today and can’t make it to see you off. Your parents have an important Buddhist service to attend, so they’ve asked me to relay several messages: Officials from Puyang have written that the demon there not only can transform endlessly but is also quite adept in water. Once there, you must not underestimate it.”

Lin Chengyou pulled Teng Yuyi to kneel: “Please tell Father and Mother not to worry.”

Master Qingxu continued: “His Majesty and the Empress also have instructions: This southern journey has two purposes—first, to pray for and deliver the souls of those unjustly killed in the Battle of Nanyang years ago; second, to eliminate the demon terrorizing Puyang’s people. One of you has studied the Dao since childhood, and the other has just entered the path, but in terms of wisdom and understanding, you are well-matched. Supporting each other on this journey, you cannot retreat from helping the people. Don’t disappoint the elders’ and people’s expectations of you.”

Teng Yuyi’s heart surged with emotion, while Lin Chengyou’s expression grew serious. They knelt together and responded solemnly.

Lin Chengyou then smiled: “Disciple-grandson and Yu’er hope you’ll take good care of yourself while we’re away from Chang’an.”

Master Qingxu shook his sleeves and bent to help them up: “With you young ones around, your master-grandfather isn’t ready to leave yet. By the way, Yu’er, how are you progressing with the Shadow Jade Insect Wings?”

Teng Yuyi answered honestly: “They’re quite obedient, but I tend to get distracted during combat.”

Master Qingxu said: “They can sense their master’s every thought and intention. The distraction comes from your qi cultivation not being fully developed yet. Don’t be impatient—with your understanding, given time, these insects’ power won’t be inferior to You’er’s golden bow.”

Teng Yuyi, already confident about this, just smiled and glanced at Lin Chengyou, seeing him watching her with a smile, then said brightly: “Thank you for your guidance, Master-grandfather.”

At this moment, another group approached along the path behind Bash Bridge, led by a figure as majestic as a heaven god—it was Teng Shao. Unlike before, though he rode quickly, his posture was somewhat askew. Looking carefully, one could see he was missing a leg beneath his robes.

“Father.” Teng Yuyi’s heart ached. Teng Shao let his daughter and son-in-law help him dismount, feeling greatly comforted. “Good children.”

He then stepped forward to salute Master Qingxu and Abbot Yuanjue.

“General Teng.”

With this, everyone had arrived. After a cheerful round of conversation, Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou mounted their respective transport amid the crowd of relatives and friends.

Figures crossed on Bash Bridge, bidding farewell beneath the weeping willows. Teng Yuyi watched the loved ones on the bridge, her heart warm until they became tiny black dots in the distance. Only then did she reluctantly lower the carriage curtain, smiling as she heard Lin Chengyou and her father discussing Jiangnan customs outside.

They traveled east out of the city to the East Wei Bridge, where the group boarded five boats, the largest able to hold over a hundred people. After boarding and making brief arrangements, eager to reach Puyang to catch the demon, they officially began sailing south.

Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi were the most restless, immediately discussing fishing plans.

Kuannu brought out the prepared fishing gear. Lin Chengyou took off his golden bow and handed it to Teng Yuyi. While she was busy lighting the clay stove in their cabin, he went to fish by the rail.

After a while, he caught two fish but didn’t see Teng Yuyi emerge from the cabin. Putting down the fishing net, he went in to find her resting her arms on the windowsill, staring silently at the river.

Hardly looking ready to fish, Lin Chengyou sat beside his wife and followed her gaze outside: “What are you looking at?”

Teng Yuyi lowered her arms and turned to nestle against Lin Chengyou’s neck. After a moment’s silence, she said: “Just now when I was bringing things to Father, I heard him asking Abbot Yuanjue about Mother’s afterlife. Father said his fate with Mother was too shallow and asked if there was any way to renew their connection in future lives. It made me sad… Father has been so melancholy this past year. I want to comfort him but don’t know how.”

Her eyes reddened: “Actually, I’m very afraid too. Every night I used to hold my doll and carefully recall Mother’s face, but even so, the memories kept fading. I’m afraid that if this continues, one day I’ll forget what Mother looked like…”

Without realizing it, her face was covered in tears. Lin Chengyou silently wiped them away, but they only fell faster. Unable to get up to fetch a handkerchief, he simply let her lean against his chest. In moments, her tears had soaked his front.

Thinking back, Teng Yuyi had always kept everything bottled up inside, but now with him, she cried when she wanted to cry and laughed when she wanted to laugh. From now on, someone would always be there to share her joys and sorrows. Though his heart ached, this thought brought him some peace.

Teng Yuyi seemed to realize this too, looking at Lin Chengyou through thick tears before burying her face in his neck again. Lin Chengyou’s heart melted completely. After she had cried enough, he said softly: “Don’t you want to know what’s in that trunk?”

Teng Yuyi had expected Lin Chengyou to try to comfort her and was surprised by this change of subject. She didn’t respond.

“Shall we open it and look now?”

Teng Yuyi managed a slight response, nodding through her tears.

Having recently learned some basic Daoist arts, Teng Yuyi had long sensed something unusual about the trunk. Lin Chengyou pulled her up and walked to it, crouching to open the lid. Sure enough, wisps of malevolent qi leaked out. Looking closely, she saw it was full of old case files.

Tears still in her eyes, she asked: “What are these?”

“Puyang’s unsolved cases over the years.” Lin Chengyou casually took out one and handed it to Teng Yuyi. “When I first heard about the supernatural occurrences in Puyang, I felt something was wrong. I was busy with our wedding and couldn’t go myself, so I had a legal clerk from the Puyang county office compile old case files and send them to Chang’an by express courier.”

Teng Yuyi curiously opened the first file, titled “The Unsolved Liu Xiaopo Family Massacre in Huang’an Lane.”

The case occurred three years ago. The victim, Liu Xiaopo, was a local wealthy merchant. On the night of the incident, his entire household of over eighty people was killed. The case remains unsolved.

The second file was titled “The Granary Guard Case.”

This case happened five years ago. Two victims, both guards at the granary, were killed in front of the building. Strangely, while not a single grain was missing from the storehouse, the hearts had vanished from both victims’ chests.

Besides these top two, there were more than twenty other bizarre unsolved cases below.

“Do you see the problem?” Lin Chengyou watched Teng Yuyi.

Teng Yuyi frowned: “These case files all have varying degrees of resentful qi, seeming to indicate vengeful ghosts, but when you open the files to look inside, there’s nothing unusual.”

Lin Chengyou nodded: “The presence of malevolent qi outside indicates these files have been in contact with cases involving extreme resentment, but the clean interiors show this qi isn’t from the victims in these cases.”

“You mean—”

“The vengeful spirits belong to victims from another case file. Someone feared we’d notice something amiss and hid the truly problematic file beforehand. What was sent to Chang’an are just cases meant to confuse us.”

Teng Yuyi’s interest was immediately piqued: “Only people from the Puyang prefecture could handle these old cases. Anyone daring to hide case files must hold a high position.”

Lin Chengyou smiled wryly: “Think about it—supernatural beings often form from concentrated resentment and malevolence. Puyang hasn’t had any plagues or disasters in recent years—how could such a powerful demon appear without cause? In my view, there must either be a major cause of injustice locally, or corrupt officials and wealthy families have been oppressing the people, not just recently but over many years. These local dogs of officials dare not report to the court, simply because they fear exposing their misdeeds.”

Teng Yuyi’s eyes grew brighter as she listened. After thinking, she said: “So when we reach Puyang, we shouldn’t rush to catch the demon, but first follow this thread to understand its origins—just like how we had to understand the corpse demon was a former dynasty’s princess before dealing with it. Before subduing Naizhong, we had to know why it became a demon.”

She clapped her hands and smiled: “Since they think they’re clever, why don’t we start with the local government office?”

Lin Chengyou nodded and smiled as he listened—his Yu’er never needed much explanation.

“Now look at what this is,” he pointed to the bottom of the trunk.

Teng Yuyi took out a small box. Though light, it felt ice-cold to the touch and bore talismans drawn by Lin Chengyou himself.

“Inside this…” Teng Yuyi weighed the box. “Could it be a ghost?”

“Not a ghost—a flower demon. This demon was skilled at sweet talk and bewitching people’s hearts. To cultivate, it ate many people’s hearts and livers before being caught and imprisoned at Qingyun Temple.” Lin Chengyou grinned mischievously. “After Master-grandfather removed its demon core, its powers were greatly diminished, but its ability to bewitch hearts hasn’t lessened at all. I used to use it to train my silver insect—now I’m giving it to you. Use this flower demon to train your Shadow Jade Insect Wings, and they’ll improve greatly within half a month. By the time we reach Puyang to catch demons, they’ll be able to show their true capabilities.”

Teng Yuyi was overjoyed inside but looked suspicious: “You didn’t steal this demon from Master-grandfather, did you?”

“Now that you know, shouldn’t you reward me?”

Teng Yuyi hooked her arms around Lin Chengyou’s neck and planted a flurry of kisses. Lin Chengyou couldn’t resist this—seeing the cabin door firmly closed, he took advantage of the moment to wrap his arms around his wife’s waist and pull her down, rolling over to pin her beneath him, intending to return her kisses fiercely.

Teng Yuyi’s eyes sparkled with sweetness as she laughed and tried to dodge when suddenly there was a flash of light—two jade-colored butterflies had darted out of her sachet.

They had detected the demonic qi from the trunk early on and, worried their young mistress couldn’t handle it, had forgotten their training in their urgency.

Teng Yuyi giggled.

Lin Chengyou frowned: “Did anyone ask you to come out? Go back.”

The two jade insects circled Teng Yuyi, clearly ignoring Lin Chengyou’s words. Teng Yuyi cupped his face and kissed him several times, then whispered something in his ear, blushing.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Lin Chengyou’s ears burned as he lazily rolled over to get up.

By now, Teng Yuyi was thoroughly intrigued by the Puyang cases. She thought that to accumulate merit for her mother, she should first support righteousness and eliminate evil. Whether dealing with demons or villains, she needed skill. Recently, her lightness skills and swordplay had improved dramatically—what she lacked was Daoist arts. She held up the box and instructed her spirit insects: “See this? Inside is a very powerful demon. If you can defeat it, you’ll prove your worth. If you haven’t improved in half a month, no more meat treats in the future.”

She was about to release the demon from the box when Lin Chengyou said: “Wait.”

He led Teng Yuyi to the table by the window and took out a packet of cinnabar he always carried. After dissolving it in water, he dipped a brush tip in it and handed it to Teng Yuyi.

“This is called a dual cultivation brush. No matter how much good a Daoist does eliminating evil, they only cultivate blessings for themselves. To cultivate for others, you must specifically write their names on your magical implements. After we reach Puyang, besides dealing with that demon, we have many unsolved cases to investigate. As husband and wife work together to solve them one by one, we can accumulate considerable good karma. If you write your parents’ names and birth data on these spirit insects now, the merit can be credited to your father and mother.”

Teng Yuyi never imagined that Lin Chengyou’s roundabout discussion was all to resolve her inner conflict. Tears were still fresh on her face, and her eyes reddened again. After staring at him for a moment, she choked out “All alright” and wiped her tears before taking the brush. She wrote her parents’ names and birth data on one butterfly’s wing. Her mother’s love for her could never be repaid in this life, and she had realized her father’s hardships too late. If she could help cultivate blessings for her parents’ next life, she was willing to try any method.

The two spirit insects stopped flying about and stayed still, obediently letting their mistress write on their wings.

After finishing, Teng Yuyi felt much relieved. Watching from the side, Lin Chengyou also breathed easier. Just as he was about to take back the brush, Teng Yuyi walked to the other Shadow Jade Insect Wing and wrote several more lines.

The first line was his birth data.

The second line read “Long Life to Lin Chengyou.”

Lin Chengyou froze. He had written these same words on a Buddha’s Birthday Festival night when Teng Yuyi was under an evil curse with demons plaguing her. Unable to express his feelings due to various concerns and fearing she wouldn’t live past sixteen, he could only write his love on a prayer lantern.

Teng Yuyi didn’t know about this, and after their hearts united, there was no need to mention it. He never expected that one day she would pray for him in the same way.

Satisfied, Teng Yuyi put down the brush and turned to see Lin Chengyou still dazed. She walked over and tilted her head to study him: “Are you overcome with emotion?”

“It’s fine.”

“Then why are you in a daze?”

“Because—” Lin Chengyou pecked her lips, “I want to kiss you.”

“Just one kiss…?” Teng Yuyi’s eyes were moist and black, shining as she gazed at him.

Lin Chengyou lowered his head again. This kiss was different from usual—sweet and peaceful, like a clear stream under the moonlight, gently flowing through both their hearts. Outside the window, the setting sun reflected on the water. Inside was like an exquisite painting—a pair of jade-like lovers nestled together, already merged with the golden sunset.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door: “Senior Brother, Sister-in-law, Kuannu caught a huge fish, as tall as me and Qizhi! Everyone’s discussing whether to release it—come quickly and see!”

Lin Chengyou paused. It was Juesheng and Qizhi’s first time on a boat, so they were naturally excited, running back and forth on deck since boarding. When tired, they would lean on the rail, intently watching the endless flowing river.

After playing until now, they’d finally remembered their Senior Brother and Sister-in-law.

Besides Juesheng and Qizhi, the Five Priests could be heard laughing outside. However reluctant, Lin Chengyou had to release Teng Yuyi: “Shall we go look?”

It wasn’t yet bedtime, and staying cooped up in the cabin didn’t seem quite proper. Teng Yuyi could only nod.

Walking out, Teng Yuyi glimpsed the golden bow on the table. Just reaching the door, she suddenly said: “You go first, I need to change clothes.”

Lin Chengyou had already opened the door and couldn’t conveniently return: “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Teng Yuyi walked to the table and picked up the golden bow to examine it. In an inconspicuous corner on the inner edge of the bow, there were indeed two lines written in cinnabar.

The color of the cinnabar was like blood from the heart.

Teng Yuyi’s heart suddenly raced. Though the words were written on the magical implement, they seemed engraved in her heart. After standing dazed for a moment, she put down the golden bow, dipped the brush in cinnabar again, and then turned her Mysterious Sound Bell bracelet around, carefully selecting the most suitable spot before adding two lines.

Waiting for the ink to dry, she lowered her beautiful face and smiled, kissing those three characters before putting down the brush and leaving the cabin.

For the next half month, Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou lived in perfect contentment, spending their days catching shrimp, practicing martial arts, or training the Shadow Jade Insect Wings, always together.

Sometimes they did nothing but stand on deck gazing into the distance, seeing the vast waters meet the sky. At dusk, they watched the sunset glow and the evening mist paint magnificent scenes.

At night, under the lovely clear moonlight, they would sit drinking wine and playing chess.

When they tired of dried provisions, Teng Yuyi would roast fresh mushrooms and seafood on the clay stove, serving them with orange sauce and peach blossom vinegar, taking portions to her father Teng Shao, and the Five Priests’ chambers. The fresh, crisp flavors earned universal praise.

Every evening, Juesheng and Qizhi would inevitably linger in their Senior Brother’s room, helping draw talismans and listening to stories, while the Five Priests would come to their cabin seeking wine.

After eating and drinking their fill, the Five Priests would gather everyone on deck to chat. When the conversation grew lively, the old generals from Huainan and Abbot Yuanjue’s disciples would join in, and along the way, Teng Yuyi heard many fascinating folk tales.

The further south they sailed, the more luxuriant the shoreline grew.

Half a month later, they finally reached Puyang’s borders.

That evening, Lin Chengyou found his wife doing her makeup by the window. He dipped a brush in rouge and volunteered to paint her makeup dimples.

After a long while with no satisfactory result, Teng Yuyi grew suspicious. Unable to move, she could only roll her bright black eyes upward, though she couldn’t see anything.

“It’s been half an hour,” Teng Yuyi pouted. “This isn’t painting peach blossom makeup—are you painting a whole garden of peonies?”

“Don’t move,” Lin Chengyou held his wife’s chin. “It’s almost done.”

The cool brush tip touched her forehead, each stroke exceptionally careful. Teng Yuyi suppressed her doubts for now but growing bored of waiting, her eyes wandered. She happened to notice the Soul-Locking Beast on the table—the silver insect had drunk too much wine and was now sleeping with a full belly, its tail curling slightly with each tiny snore. Looking closer, Teng Yuyi noticed what seemed to be writing on its tail tip.

Just as she tried to look more carefully, Lin Chengyou suddenly released her chin.

“Done.”

Teng Yuyi gathered her skirts and rushed to the bed, taking out the water-caltrop-flower mirror from under her pillow. She saw a brilliantly gorgeous rose, with a realistic crown and stem, though the flower was slightly large.

“Oh, not bad.” No wonder it took so long.

Lin Chengyou put down the brush: “Of course it’s good—look who painted it.”

Teng Yuyi happily examined herself in the mirror from different angles. As she looked, something seemed off—the pink petals were too plump, and the stem’s position wasn’t quite right. Looking carefully, she discovered a little pig hidden in the flower’s center.

The pig was entirely pink, about half a fingernail in size, sleeping contentedly under the rose. Though the lines were simple, a few strokes captured its essence perfectly.

“Lin Chengyou!” Teng Yuyi’s delicate eyebrows shot up, but Lin Chengyou was already gone.

His laughter could be heard from outside.

Teng Yuyi threw down the mirror and ran out to settle accounts with him.

Just as she reached the deck, the Five Priests hurried over in alarm: “Have you seen the sky? Earlier when Master Qingxu said this demon shouldn’t be underestimated, we didn’t believe him, but looking at this, it’s truly extraordinary. What’s its background? Do you have any clues?”

Teng Yuyi looked up to see rolling black clouds—in the blink of an eye, it had turned dark. White mist rose suddenly from the shore, carrying an unbearable stench. The scene was unnatural, and seeing this, she completely forgot about the earlier incident.

Lin Chengyou showed a playful expression: “Before we could go looking for it, it’s already eager to meet us. Last night, Yu’er and I thought of a plan. Juesheng, Qizhi, go invite Abbot Yuanjue and General Teng.”

Everyone quickly gathered in the cabin, where Teng Yuyi displayed the formation diagram she had drawn the previous night.

“This monster not only can transform endlessly but is also deeply versed in water. We’ve searched through the ‘Demon Classic’ but haven’t seen such a creature. We shouldn’t act rashly before understanding its nature—”

As she spoke, she glanced at the pile of Puyang case files in the corner. Since entering Puyang’s territory, most civilians on shore wore tattered clothing.

“However, since it’s come to us, we have countermeasures. Juesheng, Qizhi, you—”

Juesheng and Qizhi puffed out their chests: “Yes.”

Lin Chengyou just smiled and listened as Teng Yuyi explained her plan in detail, winning everyone’s wholehearted approval.

As the boat drew closer to shore, instead of preparing to disembark as expected, everyone returned to their rooms.

Music drifted from the shore, and through the white mist, several pleasure boats gradually appeared.

The lead boat was lit as bright as day, with flower shadows crisscrossing the deck. At the front stood two round-faced officials, with bejeweled singing girls behind them.

The two officials’ faces gleamed with oil as they clasped their hands in greeting from afar: “This humble official Wu Ren and Liu Quede pay respects to the Prince of Qingyuan.”

The boat remained silent.

The two exchanged puzzled glances but dared not slack in courtesy, still leading the singing girls aboard.

Just as they steadied themselves on deck, they suddenly saw a crimson-clad youth sitting alone on a mat.

In the moonlight, the youth was extraordinarily handsome, wearing a broad smile.

The two officials immediately recognized the golden fish pouch at his waist and, startled, hurriedly adjusted their clothes and hats before stepping forward to bow.

“This humble official Wu Ren and Liu Quede pay respects to Your Highness.”

Lin Chengyou smiled and cupped his hands: “Governor Wu? General Liu? No need for such ceremony.”

Seeing his friendly demeanor, the two officials relaxed significantly and quickly asked: “Where are General Teng and Abbot Yuanjue?”

“Still resting in their chambers—they’ll be out shortly. Please wait here a moment.”

Wu Ren and Liu Quede wiped the sweat from their brows and smiled at the singing girls behind them: “Your Highness has come from afar and must be tired. Quickly, go attend to him.”

“Stop,” Lin Chengyou said.

The singing girls’ smiles froze.

Wu Ren stammered: “Your Highness, these are our prefecture’s finest singing girls, making their first appearance to serve—”

Lin Chengyou’s smile didn’t fade: “They stink.”

The singing girls covered their sleeves and giggled: “Your Highness must be joking—we just bathed.”

“Having just smelled fragrance, one naturally can’t stand the stench.”

The singing girls thought Lin Chengyou was joking and still moved forward, but unexpectedly, flames burst from the deck. The girl in front nearly had her skirt hem burned, frightening her into stopping.

Lin Chengyou smiled coldly: “Truly know not what’s good for you.”

Wu Ren and Liu Quede dismissed the singing girls and moved to approach themselves, but Lin Chengyou spoke again: “Tsk, you two are the most foul-smelling—how dare you come near?”

The two officials lifted their sleeves to smell themselves, saying sheepishly: “We especially burned incense and bathed to welcome Your Highness’s party.”

Lin Chengyou unhurriedly drew the silver chain from his waist, smiling: “What good is burning incense and bathing? You can’t wash away the stench of blood and filth.”

The two men froze. A fierce light flashed in Lin Chengyou’s eyes as his silver snake shot toward them like a shooting star.

Liu Quede backed away in terror. Wu Ren stomped his right foot, raising an evil wind. A black mist appeared from nowhere, surrounding them from all directions. The singing girls transformed into strange shapes, their hands curved like iron hooks as they pounced at Lin Chengyou.

Only Liu Quede trembled helplessly.

Lin Chengyou was quickly surrounded but remained motionless.

Quick as lightning, a crisp female voice rang out from above: “See it? Bite it!”

Before the words faded, two large creatures swooped down from the sky, ignoring Wu Ren and the singing girls to charge straight at Liu Quede hiding to the side. Caught completely off guard, Liu Quede was instantly seized.

Strangely, as soon as Liu Quede was bitten, Wu Ren and the singing girls dissolved into black smoke and scattered.

Liu Quede, who had appeared cowardly before, now looked sinister. He looked up in pain to see a young lady sitting atop the cabin.

The moonlight illuminated every detail of her face. She smiled radiantly, like an immortal, and those two huge butterflies with their subtle divine light had emerged from behind her.

“Who are you?” Liu Quede’s voice suddenly became very strange, sounding like a poisonous snake’s hiss in the night.

Teng Yuyi lifted her chin: “Haven’t heard of the Twin Demons of Chang’an? Meeting us means your time has come.”

Liu Quede laughed coldly and leaped into the river. The two butterflies spread their wings and immediately gave chase.

“Their powers might not be enough to catch it,” Lin Chengyou turned back. “Come.”

Teng Yuyi smiled and jumped down, landing perfectly in Lin Chengyou’s arms.

“Senior Brother, Sister-in-law!” Juesheng and Qizhi jumped out from another direction.

“Tonight was just one of the demon’s underlings. Let’s follow it to find their lair.”

Just then, the Five Priests and Abbot Yuanjue sailed up in another boat, cutting off the monster’s path.

Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou breathed easier.

Lying on Lin Chengyou’s back with the wind whistling in her ears, Teng Yuyi felt indescribably excited. Suddenly she said: “Did you write something else on the Soul-Locking Beast?”

“What?”

“I saw it.”

“‘Long life,’ that’s all.”

“No, there was another line.”

Lin Chengyou drawled: “‘Long life to the best young lady in the world.'”

Teng Yuyi gave a sweet laugh.

Lin Chengyou asked in return: “Did you write something in the Mysterious Sound Bell too?”

“You saw?”

Lin Chengyou said softly: “Last night when you embraced me in bed.”

Teng Yuyi blushed.

“Don’t tell me yet—I know, it was ‘long life’ too, right?”

“Wrong. Guess again.”

“Then it must be—” Lin Chengyou smiled, “‘Long life to the best young lord in the world.'”

“Wrong again. Can’t you guess something else?”

Suddenly Juesheng and Qizhi shouted from shore: “Don’t let it escape! Ah, Senior Brother, Sister-in-law, come help quickly!”

Lin Chengyou flew forward but kept talking: “Then was it ‘Together until our hair turns white’?”

“Guess again!”

Lin Chengyou looked down at their shadows on the water, inseparable as glue and lacquer, and suddenly realized: “Could it be ‘Long life’ and ‘Together forever’?”

“…”

“Did I guess right?”

Teng Yuyi planted a kiss on his cheek. Fortunately, the surrounding mist concealed them from others’ view.

“Long life, together forever.” Lin Chengyou felt his heartstrings vibrate as he softly repeated the words several times. “Promise—next life will be the same.”

Teng Yuyi nodded firmly: “The Twin Spirit Companions are our witnesses.”

Lin Chengyou turned to peck her lips.

Then they heard the Five Priests shouting from shore: “Twin Demons of Chang’an, you’re too unfair! You’ve caught it but won’t show yourselves—come finish this!”

The couple exchanged smiles and called out brightly: “Coming!”

—THE END—