Qin Yining sat up straight and leaned forward to look, searching among the various military tents and soldiers for that familiar figure.

As the distance grew closer, face after face became increasingly clear.

She first saw Huzi and Ji Yun with their faces full of joy, then she saw the person who rushed out from the central command tent and came to an abrupt halt behind Huzi, dressed in azure war robes.

Seeing this usually domineering and arrogant person now looking foolishly overjoyed, Qin Yining couldn’t help but laugh.

Pang Xiao forced himself to stand still, not wanting to appear too unstable, but the passionate emotions in his chest made his heartbeat feel as if he had been fighting on the battlefield for an entire day—no, perhaps even a full day of battle wouldn’t make him as excited as he was now.

Seeing Qin Yining smiling like a flower, Pang Xiao felt as if someone had tickled his heart, and he couldn’t help but smile as well. If there weren’t so many people around and he didn’t need to maintain his dignity as commander, he would have already rushed over to her.

Suppressing his overwhelming excitement and joy, Pang Xiao feigned composure as he approached.

Though the surrounding Huben Army couldn’t see anything unusual about their commander, Huzi, who frequently interacted with Pang Xiao, was already secretly laughing—

Your Highness, you’re walking so fast!

Your Highness, why are your fists clenched so tightly? Are you nervous or do you want to hit someone?

…

The young eunuch driving the mule cart saw a tall man with an intimidating presence approaching, and thinking this must be the fierce Pang fellow, was so frightened he nearly wet himself on the spot. His hands and feet stiffened as he stopped the cart, jumped down, and knelt far away with his forehead pressed to the ground, trembling like a sieve.

Where did Pang Xiao have the leisure to look at others? At this moment, his heart and eyes were filled with only Qin Yining.

“You’ve come.”

Qin Yining smiled and nodded, then stepped down from the cart, about to perform a formal salute: “I pay my respects to Your Highness.”

Pang Xiao couldn’t bear to see her suffer even the slightest grievance. Before she could kneel, he had already supported her and pulled her to his side, taking out from his chest the red bean bracelet strung with plum blossom tassels and putting it back on her wrist. His large hands carefully tied the cord into a beautiful, delicate little butterfly knot.

Qin Yining looked up at his focused expression, her eyes gradually filling with warm moisture.

Placing her delicate hand in his dark, rough palm to admire carefully, Pang Xiao lovingly stroked her head. “Come on, let’s go inside to talk.” With that, he took Qin Yining’s hand and walked toward the military camp.

Seeing their prince openly holding that beautiful woman’s hand as he returned, the young lady looking delicate and weak with her powder-pink cheeks showing a shy demeanor, the Huben Army soldiers all spontaneously made way for the two.

Only after walking closer did they realize that this plainly dressed beauty was the same one who had come for negotiations.

Some still remembered when their prince had his robes half-open, hands on his hips, boldly declaring, “Sooner or later, you’ll be my woman!”

Others from the elite guard remembered when their prince had led them into the capital city to “rescue from the execution ground” at the Meridian Gate.

Their prince was indeed a real man, a true hero! What kind of woman couldn’t he get? Looking at them now, the beauty had clearly already submitted to their prince!

“Good! Good! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!” The cheering sounds came like a delayed beat, with soldiers clapping and cheering, shouting loudly in great excitement.

Pang Xiao didn’t stop them, even openly laughing with several nearby deputy generals: “This is your princess. Later, when we have the grand wedding, you can all come pay your respects to her.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Several deputy generals laughed as they saluted. “We’ll definitely contribute generous wedding gifts when the time comes!”

Pang Xiao laughed heartily, pulling Qin Yining’s hand as they entered the tent.

The cheering outside grew even louder.

Qin Yining heard Huzi outside saying, “Move along, move along, go do whatever you’re supposed to do, don’t cause trouble here. Have you all finished the tasks His Highness assigned you…”

Qin Yining was so embarrassed she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Who knew what these people would imagine was happening inside the tent.

“What were you just saying out there? When did I say I would marry you?” She pulled back her hand from his grasp, turned around, and refused to look at him. “I’m going to lift the tent flap.”

“Wait,” Pang Xiao looked at her slender back, heartbroken, and embraced her from behind, his lips falling on her earlobe, neck, and the side of her face.

“If you don’t marry me, who else would you marry? I don’t care anyway—everyone knows you’re mine now. You were sent here by your emperor’s people, so even the people of Great Yan won’t say otherwise.”

Qin Yining was held captive in Pang Xiao’s embrace. His lips were somewhat dry and chapped, and as they rubbed against the delicate, sensitive skin of her ear and neck, they caused tremors throughout her body. She shivered and twisted, saying, “Don’t be like this, there are still people outside.”

“So you’re saying when there’s no one around, you’ll let me do whatever I want?” Pang Xiao paused, then laughed lowly, blowing a puff of hot air toward her already completely red ear, causing her to bury her face in his shoulder.

Qin Yining’s face turned completely red. “You’re such a person—your mouth has become even more wicked. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“If you won’t talk, then let’s do something else? Since you say my mouth has gone bad, why don’t you examine it for me and see if it’s really gone bad.”

Pang Xiao gripped her shoulders, lowered his head to seek her lips, and pressed down urgently, wildly sucking and stirring, exploring every sensitive spot in her mouth.

This wasn’t their first kiss, but it was Pang Xiao’s most passionate one.

Qin Yining felt like a drifting leaf being tossed up and down by towering waves. She instinctively extended her lotus-white arms to wrap around his powerful neck.

Her soft, delicate body pressed tightly against his iron-hard form tensed beneath, Pang Xiao’s hands caressed her back, then supported her hips and lifted her up.

To avoid falling, Qin Yining could only wrap her legs around his waist, but this position was too shameful. Embarrassed, flustered, and frightened, with her lips occupied, she could only beat his shoulders with her small fists and push against him forcefully.

Pang Xiao felt physically and mentally delighted by her beating. Even though she hit him until her hands hurt, he refused to let go, continuing to ravage her pink lips until they were slightly red and swollen before finally releasing her, still unsatisfied as he pecked her twice more.

Qin Yining’s face was flushed red as she gasped for breath, lowering her eyes to avoid looking at him, saying softly, “Won’t you let go of me?”

Her voice was even more gentle and tender than usual. Having a beauty in his arms with breath like orchids, showing such a shy appearance, made Pang Xiao’s heart race with desire, truly wishing he could immediately take care of what needed to be done.

However, he wasn’t the type to act recklessly. He treasured Qin Yining like a precious gem, so naturally he wouldn’t look down on women like most men of this era did. His respect for Qin Yining meant he could only let his emotions flow while stopping at propriety.

“All right. If I keep holding you, something will happen.” Pang Xiao placed her on his military cot, not forgetting to tease roguishly, then kissed her forehead again and sat beside her.

Qin Yining silently moved a bit further away before saying, “I never thought you would use this method to help me escape. Aren’t you afraid the Emperor will hold a grudge against you?”

“So what if he holds a grudge? Would I be afraid of him?” Pang Xiao laughed softly, taking the hand wearing the bracelet to play with it, saying heartbrokenly, “These past days have been hard on you. Ji Yun and Bingtang have both told me everything. It’s all my fault for making you go hungry and suffer.”