When she had entered the palace, Bai Yu and Qiao Yun had been there by her side; all she had brought with her was some changes of clothing and jewelry, and silver notes for emergencies.

Today, leaving the palace, the two maids remained faithfully at her side. The bundles each of them carried were no different from what they had brought on that first day.

Xin Yun escorted Ling Jingshu and her two maids to the palace gate.

A carriage was already waiting outside.

“Xin Yun, thank you for seeing me off this far.” Ling Jingshu clasped Xin Yun’s hands with reluctance: “Now that I am gone from the palace, you must take extra care in looking after Her Majesty.”

The two women had lived side by side for so long that they had long since formed a bond as deep as that of sisters. If Ling Jingshu was reluctant to part, Xin Yun felt the same way.

“Rest easy — I will take good care of Her Majesty.” Xin Yun blinked, forcing back the glimmer of tears in her eyes: “You are returning home to the Ling household. Settle your heart and prepare your trousseau in peace; stop worrying yourself over things in the palace.”

Ling Jingshu’s nose stung, and she gave a soft sound of agreement.

Xin Yun wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and urged Ling Jingshu to board the carriage quickly.

Ling Jingshu threw her arms around Xin Yun tightly: “Take care of yourself!”

Then she released her embrace, stepped onto the carriage without looking back.

The carriage swiftly set off and moved away.

Xin Yun stood for a moment where she was, watching the carriage depart, then returned through the palace gate with red-rimmed eyes.

Ling Jingshu lifted the curtain and looked at the magnificent vermilion palace gate, at the long palace walls — and it was as though some suffocating part of herself that had long been constrained was slowly falling away with the receding distance.

Farewell, the imperial palace!

Farewell, Empress Wei!

Farewell, Xin Yun — and all the friends she had come to know over these two-plus years…

Without knowing when it had happened, two clear trails of tears had slid down her face.

These were tears of reluctance, and also tears of relief and joy.

She had entered the palace against her will, under the pressure of Empress Xu. From the moment she had arrived, there had not been a single instant of true ease. Every day she had been on edge, carefully navigating everything the palace demanded of her. Even when her feelings for Wei Yan had gradually grown and they had come to hold each other in their hearts, she had been forced to suppress the happiness inside her, not daring to let a trace of it show before others.

Fortunately, all of that was over now!

She had finally endured through to this day — the day when the bitter days gave way to sweetness.

The tears fell faster and faster; Ling Jingshu wept silently for a long time. Bai Yu did not offer words of comfort, for she had already begun to cry alongside Ling Jingshu.

Qiao Yun was not ordinarily a sentimental person, yet even she could not help being swept up by the moment and shed a few tears.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt.

Qiao Yun quickly wiped her tears, alert: “What’s happened? Why has the carriage stopped?”

The driver guiding the carriage was also a palace eunuch; his voice was soft and high-pitched: “Miss Ling, Imperial Physician Wei is just ahead.”

…Wei Yan?! What was he doing here?

Ling Jingshu was startled, and instinctively lifted the curtain to look outside. She saw a tall, slender young man walking toward the carriage. He was dressed in a plain grey robe, his features refined and handsome, a smile at the corner of his lips.

Who else could it be but Wei Yan?

This surprise had come rather suddenly!

“Why are you here!” Ling Jingshu thought she was speaking in a soft tone of mild reproach, but her eyes sparkled with pure delight: “Aren’t you afraid someone will see?”

“Afraid of what?” Wei Yan smiled and countered: “Before, we had to hide and conceal everything, not letting anyone know. Now we are already betrothed. My coming to see you back home is a perfectly open, perfectly natural thing. Who would dare say a word against it?”

In the clear, gentle morning light, that warm, smiling face was handsome beyond all reason.

Ling Jingshu felt as though she had drunk a full bowl of honey — it was sweet to the point of being almost overwhelming: “Since you planned to come and see me off, why didn’t you tell me earlier? You nearly frightened me just now.”

Wei Yan curved his lips upward: “If I had told you in advance, where would the surprise be?”

That was true enough!

An entirely unexpected send-off — a sudden, unlooked-for surprise — had swept away all the low spirits and sadness in her heart. Her whole heart was packed to the brim with happiness.

Ling Jingshu’s lips curved into a smile.

Wei Yan, through the carriage window, gently wiped away the undried traces of tears at the corner of her eye, and murmured tenderly: “Leaving the palace is a happy occasion — why the tears?”

Ling Jingshu explained with a touch of embarrassment: “Just now, looking at the palace gate and palace walls, I lost control of myself for a moment, and somehow started crying.”

Wei Yan laughed in spite of himself: “They always say women are made of water — truly not the least bit false.”

On the side, Bai Yu — who had been entirely ignored — finally coughed once: “Imperial Physician Wei, this place is not far from the palace. Although there are no passersby, it would not be appropriate to remain stopped here too long. Whatever you have to say, perhaps it would be better to board the carriage and speak at leisure?”

The two of them were being so tenderly intimate and sweet — it practically blinded her and Qiao Yun!

Wei Yan was quite thick-skinned and felt no embarrassment whatsoever. He smiled and thanked her: “Bai Yu is as thoughtful as ever. I’ll board the carriage now.”

Once inside, Wei Yan politely proposed: “I would like a moment alone with A’Shu. The two of you — would you mind sitting out on the driver’s seat for a moment?”

Bai Yu: “…”

Qiao Yun: “…”

They had truly underestimated Imperial Physician Wei before. The sheer thickness of his skin would shock the world!

Bai Yu and Qiao Yun did, in the end, go out to the driver’s seat.

The spacious carriage held only Ling Jingshu and Wei Yan.

Ling Jingshu glared at Wei Yan with indignant shame: “You… how could you shoo them both outside? Isn’t it obvious you want to do something with me that others shouldn’t witness?” The mere thought of it was mortifying enough to make her unable to lift her head!

Wei Yan looked completely innocent: “Would you prefer to hug and hold each other with them watching?”

Ling Jingshu’s fair cheeks burned hot; she spat at him reproachfully: “Shameless! Who said anything about hugging and holding each other with you!”

Wei Yan, quite shamelessly, broke into a grin, opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace, and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead: “Yes, yes — I am the shameless one. I want to hold you — have pity on me, won’t you?”

Ling Jingshu buried her face in the familiar, warm embrace, and the corners of her lips had already curved high.

Before the wedding, by the customs of propriety, an engaged couple was not to meet. Wei Yan had carefully calculated the timing to come and see her off, wanting to seize this opportunity to see her one more time.

After today, the next time they would see each other would be the moment he lifted her bridal veil on their wedding day.

It seemed as though Wei Yan could read her thoughts; he leaned close to her ear and murmured quietly: “A’Shu, once we part this time, it will be at least several months. I am living under the Emperor’s eye — I must behave myself. Most likely I won’t be able to leave the palace to come and see you.”

The Emperor had gifted a residence, but it would need to be renovated and prepared before the wedding could take place — even at the fastest pace, it would take three months. Fortunately, the wedding date was to be set before the year’s end, so there was only these few months left to endure.

Ling Jingshu smiled softly in reply: “We’ve already waited through so long — a few more months is nothing.”

Once these months were over, they would be able to spend every day together, side by side, for the rest of their lives.