Yan Yunning offered a composed, polite smile but said nothing in reply.

“Ningning,” Prince Xuan said in a coaxing tone, as though humoring a child. “You mustn’t let this cause a rift between you and Yu’er. I have spoken to Yu’er as well — after Yu’er ascends the throne, your child with him will be the next Prince Xuan of Xuanzhao. No one shall ever surpass him.”

Yan Yunning pressed her fingertips together. By the standards of this ancient era, and from Prince Xuan’s perspective, such a promise was already quite generous.

Yet from her own perspective, she could not accept it. Had she been born into this age, she might have found nothing wrong with it — but she was not.

Xuan Yanyu with someone else?

Even the mere thought was unbearable to her.

“I won’t,” Yan Yunning said in a measured tone. “I will respect His Highness the Crown Prince’s choices.”

She would not stand in the way of Xuan Yanyu’s decisions. But if he were to choose another woman, she would quietly remove herself from his life — and the child she carried, she might… she might not keep either. Let others call her selfish.

To choose another woman was, in her eyes, to abandon both her and their baby.

Prince Xuan did not notice that Yan Yunning’s manner of address had shifted from “Your son’s consort” to simply “I.” He let out a hearty laugh. “Good. Ningning, come then — walk with the Imperial Father to the treasury and pick out a few treasures you like.”

Yan Yunning declined with a gentle smile. “There is no need. The gifts are already more than enough, and I am feeling a little tired. I would like to return to the estate and rest.”

“Very well. The Imperial Father will have them sent to the Crown Prince’s estate for you.”

Yan Yunning did not reply. Instead, she simply said, “Then I shall take my leave.”

Prince Xuan nodded with a smile. “Go ahead.”

The curtain at the palace entrance was lifted by a maidservant, and brilliant light fell over Yan Yunning, making her slender silhouette appear even more slight and fragile. Prince Xuan withdrew his gaze and sighed.

“Your Majesty,” Eunuch Feng ventured carefully, “the Crown Princess appears to be somewhat unhappy.”

Prince Xuan raised an eyebrow. “It is of no matter. Her thinking is far too naive — sooner or later she will learn the hard way. I am doing this for her own good.”

Right now, Yu’er dotes on her. But in a year or two, when that affection fades, the backlash will fall upon her. After years of being the sole recipient of his favor, how could she possibly bear the sudden loss of it? It is far better that she begin to accept things now.

He had never once imagined that Yu’er would go on doting on her forever — he considered that an absolute impossibility.

——

Yan Yunning stepped out of Prince Xuan’s palace and, without calling for anyone to follow, walked alone down the long boulevard, taking in the lively bustle of the street.

She suddenly realized that here in Xuanzhao — or for that matter, in Qilan either — she had no place she could truly call her own.

She missed her father and mother…

Whenever she was wronged, she missed her father and mother…

Yan Yunning’s lashes gave a faint quiver. She lowered her gaze and caught sight of a child clutching a sugar figurine. She found herself wanting to buy one too. She felt along her garments — she had not brought any silver with her…

“Greetings, Crown Princess.” After hesitating for quite some time, Pei Shuluo finally stepped forward to pay his respects.

He had initially considered pretending not to notice the Crown Princess, but after thinking it over, decided that doing so might not reflect well on him. He had wrestled with it at length before ultimately steeling himself and approaching her.

“Young Master Pei.” Yan Yunning gave a courteous nod.

Having noticed that Yan Yunning had been gazing at the sugar figurine all this while, Pei Shuluo could not help but say, “Does the Crown Princess wish to have one?”

Without waiting for Yan Yunning to respond, Pei Shuluo stepped forward, selected a phoenix-shaped sugar figurine, and offered it to her with a smile. “Crown Princess, please accept this.”

Yan Yunning blinked in mild surprise. The figurine’s eyes were adorned with tiny pearls, its tail feathers sweeping upward in an elegant arc, the craftsmanship exquisitely detailed — a truly delightful thing to behold.

Seeing that she made no move to take it, Pei Shuluo drew his hand back slightly, as though to withdraw the offer.

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Yan Yunning offered a faint smile and accepted the sugar figurine from his hand, holding it in her palm as she admired it.

“Crown Princess, please think nothing of it.” Pei Shuluo smiled warmly. “Is there anything the Crown Princess wishes to purchase?”

She had not even brought a maidservant or attendant along. The day Tong Tong had met with misfortune was right here on this very boulevard. His mother, though she had not directly scolded him, had made it abundantly clear through her words that she blamed him for not accompanying Tong Tong back to the estate.

Tong Tong had come looking for him, yet he had abandoned her and returned to the estate alone. When Tong Tong saw him again, she had pointed at him in accusation through her tears.

This had left him wracked with guilt, and he was no longer willing to spend more time at the estate. For the past several days he had been staying at an inn.

“No.” Yan Yunning parted her lips, considering whether to ask Pei Shuluo if there were any scenic yet tranquil spots in Xuanzhao. After a moment of silence, she let the thought pass unspoken.

After all, directing such a question at Pei Shuluo would feel rather strange. Within Xuanzhao, who knew the city better than Xuan Yanyu? To ask Pei Shuluo rather than Xuan Yanyu — that would indeed be peculiar.

“My Lady,” Ye’an called out, unable to hold his tongue any longer.

His Highness had been standing there for quite some time, doing nothing but radiating cold displeasure — and still had not gone forward to check on her himself.

Hearing Ye’an’s voice, Yan Yunning turned and glanced back. Pei Shuluo clasped his hands and offered a silent bow.

Behind Xuan Yanyu, Ye Chen rose on his tiptoes and gave Yan Yunning a conspiratorial wink.

His Highness is about to explode!!

Yan Yunning turned her head to look at Pei Shuluo with a smile. “Wait here a moment.”

With that, she walked forward and stepped up to Xuan Yanyu. She reached into his robes, found his silver, withdrew one tael, then carefully tucked the remainder back in place. She stepped back a few paces and held the coin out to Pei Shuluo.

“There is no need, Crown Princess. It wasn’t nearly that much — and it was only a sugar figurine. There is truly no need to…”

“Take it.” Yan Yunning seized the moment when he raised his hand to wave her off and pressed the silver into his palm.

Pei Shuluo: “…”

“Then I shall be heading back.” Yan Yunning gave the sugar figurine in her hand a little wave.

Pei Shuluo bowed in farewell. The people on the street paid them little mind, and even those who did notice would not have imagined that Pei Shuluo was bowing to the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince — after all, it was not uncommon for scholars to clasp their hands in parting.

Yan Yunning returned to stand before Xuan Yanyu and tilted her head up to look at him. “Heading back to the estate?” she asked, her voice unhurried.

Xuan Yanyu looked down at her, a flash of cold displeasure crossing the depths of his eyes. Just moments ago she had been all smiles. Now, facing him, she was like this — utterly indifferent.

His gaze fell to the sugar figurine in her hand. It irritated him greatly.

“You’re not going back?” Yan Yunning asked again.

The man said nothing and turned to walk ahead. Yan Yunning followed behind him, deliberately slowing her pace. The man walking in front gradually slowed his steps as well.

“Ah—!” Yan Yunning let out a startled cry.

“What is it?” Xuan Yanyu strode to her side in an instant, instinctively drawing her into his arms.

Yan Yunning lifted the sugar figurine to Xuan Yanyu’s lips. “It’s so sweet it’s hurting my teeth. You try some.”

The man pressed his lips together, a slight furrow forming at his brow. “This palace has never eaten food bought by someone irrelevant.”

“A man, especially,” he added through gritted teeth.

“Then I won’t eat it either.” Yan Yunning twirled the wooden stick in her hand, making the sugar figurine spin along with it — a beautifully delicate little thing.

“Xuan Yanyu,” Yan Yunning said suddenly. “Consider this figurine bought by you — in your own eyes, do you count as someone irrelevant to yourself?”

The man was momentarily stumped. He recalled that Yan Yunning had taken one tael of his silver and handed it to Pei Shuluo, so by that logic, it could indeed be considered his purchase.

His mind worked it out perfectly well, yet his pride refused to yield. “It doesn’t count,” he said stiffly. “It cannot be counted as a purchase made by this palace.”

“Then go buy me another one. As for this one, I’ll simply hold it and look at it — I want to eat one.” Yan Yunning gave a sweet, playful laugh, her voice carrying a soft, coaxing lilt.

“Did you not just eat some a moment ago?” Xuan Yanyu muttered in a gruff, low tone. “And now you say you’ll hold it just to look at it.”