Wenren Lin disappeared for two days. Zhao Yān once suspected that her test from the previous night had failed, which made her feel somewhat vexed.

On the fifth day of the month, the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhao Yān had a rare day of leisure without having to attend studies at Chongwen Hall. The Eastern Palace was busy with cleaning and preparations. Early in the morning, the Imperial Kitchen sent fresh rice dumplings along with pomegranate flowers and artemisia plants. Accompanying these items was an imperial edict from the Supreme Palace.

“According to the Imperial Physicians, Your Highness has been sleeping poorly lately. The yin and cold energies accumulated from last winter have yet to dissipate, which may affect your longevity. Coincidentally, the Yuquan Palace in the suburbs has been completed. Soaking in hot springs during summer helps with detoxification and extending one’s lifespan. His Majesty, showing compassion for Your Highness, specially invites you to recuperate at Lingquan Palace for half a month.”

The elderly eunuch’s face was full of smiles. “After the midday meal, you will depart at the Hour of the Goat (1-3 PM). You have half a day to arrange your traveling affairs. This old servant shall not disturb you further. May Your Highness be blessed with fortune and longevity!”

Zhao Yān’s expression remained calm as she ordered Liu Ying to reward him, then turned and headed toward her bedchamber.

Her steps grew increasingly rapid, her lips curling slightly upward. Once inside, she flopped onto her desk and let out a long sigh.

Previously, when Zhao Yān had mentioned leaving the palace, either her father the Emperor ignored her or her mother the Empress prevented it. Today’s edict, even with a strand of hair for a brain, one would know it was Wenren Lin’s doing.

The only problem now was that it would be inconvenient to act freely in Yuquan Palace. She needed to find a way to get close to Wenren Lin and seize the opportunity to search for direct evidence connecting the “missing children and young girls case” to Prince Yong’s mansion.

As she was contemplating her next move, hasty footsteps sounded from outside the door.

Zhao Yān recognized the sound immediately. Looking up, she saw Liu Ji stride in, saying directly: “I heard Your Highness is going to Yuquan Palace for recuperation. May I accompany you?”

…

…

Zhao Yān smiled, her lips curving. “This departure from the palace is of great importance. I was just worried about having too few helpers. Even if Sister Liu Ji hadn’t asked, I would have invited you to come along.”

Liu Ji gave a “that’s more like it” expression, raising her eyebrows in a somewhat spirited manner.

Her summer clothes were thin, without the heavy winter coat concealing her figure. She appeared increasingly tall and flat-chested, possessing a carefree competence that secluded young ladies typically lacked.

Remembering something, her expression darkened again. She leaned forward, supporting herself on the table, and pressed closer: “I’ve held back for two days, but I still can’t help asking one more question. The day before yesterday, when you resumed dressing as a girl and locked yourself alone in the hall, what exactly were you planning?”

Zhao Yān recalled that “tiger step” move that had been etched into her memory, and her heart inexplicably fluttered. Her voice lowered: “Nothing… I just wanted to see my true appearance after pretending to be the ‘Crown Prince’ for so long.”

“Your Highness has grown up and now has secrets.”

Liu Ji snorted, her eyes uncomfortably moving away from Zhao Yān’s lovely face, then after a moment, resolutely returning.

“Then, am I the first person since Your Highness entered the Eastern Palace who has had the honor of seeing Your Highness in a girl’s attire?” Liu Ji asked seriously.

Zhao Yān had just uttered the word “Liu” when Liu Ji immediately raised her eyebrows and added, “Liu Ying doesn’t count!”

Zhao Yān couldn’t help but recall that half-day of intimate encounter at Hegui Pavilion, where everything, both what should and shouldn’t be seen, had been revealed before Wenren Lin…

“I… suppose?” Zhao Yān said, not without some guilt.

Liu Ji was indeed, aside from Liu Ying, the first “woman” to see her in girl’s attire in the Eastern Palace. It wasn’t a lie.

Liu Ji’s face immediately lit up with joy, as if she had received some great reward. She took out an exquisite short dagger hidden in her sleeve and placed it flat on the table.

Zhao Yān picked up the short dagger and pushed the sheath open an inch with her thumb. The blade was as thin as autumn water, as cold as frost and snow—a treasure that could cut hair with a mere breath.

Liu Ji said, “This was Zhao Yǎn’s dagger. I’ve kept it in my chest all this time, and now I’m giving it to Your Highness. You can carry it for protection during your journey, just in case.”

Zhao Yān knew she was concerned about a repeat of last year’s assassination attempt. She nodded, “Thank you.”

“It originally belonged to your brother anyway. I’m merely returning it to its rightful owner.” As she spoke, Liu Ji continued to stare intently at Zhao Yān’s face.

She stared until Zhao Yān began to feel puzzled, then finally gave a light laugh and said in a husky voice, “Hurry and pack. When we reach Yuquan Palace, I want to soak in the hot springs with Your Highness.”

Zhao Yān’s real goal had nothing to do with Yuquan Palace, but thinking that a relaxing hot bath might not be a bad idea after all.

Liu Ji turned to go back and pack the traveling clothes. After taking a few steps, she turned back and said, “Zhao Yǎn was right. Your Highness truly is a beauty.”

Zhao Yān didn’t understand why Liu Ji seemed so delighted. She blinked her eyes and decided to focus on the dagger before her.

The sheath was made of cowhide, understated and modest, with a light-colored scratch on it. She lightly ran her finger over it, trying to find some remnant of Zhao Yǎn’s warmth…

Zhao Yān held the sheath to her chest, lowered her eyes, and whispered to herself, “If you have any awareness in the netherworld, bless me to succeed in this journey and quickly uncover the true culprit.”

After the midday meal, the personnel accompanying her to Yuquan Palace and the luggage were all packed and ready.

Liu Ying stood under the hanging flower gate, bowing her head in conversation with a female official from Kunning Palace. Seeing Zhao Yān approaching slowly in an apricot-white robe, she hurriedly said something and then bowed, “Your Highness, the carriage has been arranged.”

Zhao Yān guessed that her mother must be concerned about her safety on this journey and had sent someone to instruct Liu Ying closely. She didn’t ask further, merely nodded slightly and strode toward the gate.

Gu Xing led the guard detail waiting in front, with two four-horse carriages parked one behind the other at the entrance.

As Zhao Yān hesitated about which carriage to board, she saw the deep green curtain of the rear carriage lift slightly, revealing half of a familiar, stern face.

Zhao Yān understood and said to Liu Ying behind her, “You and Liu Ji take the front carriage. I’ll sit in the back one.”

Although Liu Ying knew this was improper, seeing the determined and calm look in her master’s eyes, she hesitated momentarily but ultimately obeyed.

Wenren Lin’s carriage was quite spacious, with ample room for four people.

The curtains hung down all around, making the light somewhat dim. Wenren Lin sat in the main seat, pressing his temple. A line of golden-white light filtered through a gap in the carriage curtain, falling on his quiet profile, without a trace of warmth.

For some reason, Zhao Yān felt that his complexion today looked excessively pale and cold, yet his thin lips were particularly crimson, giving his divinely handsome features a touch of bewitching beauty.

Before she could look more closely, she met a pair of deep, unfathomably beautiful eyes, just like their first meeting in the snow last year. Wenren Lin slightly curled his lips and patted the space beside him.

Zhao Yān quietly moved over and sat properly beside him.

As the carriage started rocking and swaying on its journey, she glanced sideways and saw that Wenren Lin had changed back into dark-colored scholar’s robes. His right hand rested casually on his knee, holding a jade-handled folding fan with a pair of cloud-patterned warm jade pendants the length of a knuckle hanging from the handle.

The cold, dark iron ring on his index finger was gone, replaced by a ring inlaid with warm jade, accentuating his long, white fingers.

His waist belt had also been changed to a new one with carved chi dragon jade hooks, also made of the same warm jade material, adding several degrees of scholarly warmth to his appearance.

For some reason, Wenren Lin’s attire today seemed to be fixated on warm jade.

Moreover, the material of these jade ornaments looked somehow… familiar?

Lost in her observations, Wenren Lin snorted and flicked open his fan, waving it in front of her eyes. The pair of jade pendants on the fan swayed and jingled.

“Is Your Highness so concerned with things you’ve used before?” he asked.

A pair of fan pendants, a ring, a jade hook belt… exactly four pieces, all about the same size.

Zhao Yān suddenly had an absurd thought: could these jade ornaments possibly be… carved from the box of jade rods that Wenren Lin had taken away that night?

Seeing the young prince’s eyes full of disbelief, Wenren Lin rubbed the jade-inlaid ring with his fingertip and deliberately asked, “Rushed workmanship, somewhat crude. I hope Your Highness will forgive the imperfection.”

“…”

Well, since he was using them himself and wasn’t embarrassed, why should she feel awkward?

“Has Prince Su been carving these past two days?”

Zhao Yān wrinkled her nose. She caught that faint scent of frost and snow again.

“Not entirely. Your Highness lowered yourself to request leaving the palace, so this prince had to make time to personally escort you.”

Wenren Lin did not want to mention what happened at the beginning of the month. He tapped Zhao Yān’s sleeve with his fan. “What weapon are you hiding?”

This guy was like a dog—he could even detect things hidden in her sleeve!

Despite her private complaints, Zhao Yān obediently took out the short blade that Liu Ji had given her and placed it on the table. Wenren Lin glanced at it briefly and asked indifferently, “A man’s?”

Wenren Lin made no response either way, playing with the jade pendant as he said: “Guarding against this prince.”

Zhao Yān choked, raised her clean eyes, and said sincerely: “Even if I wanted to guard against Your Highness Prince Su, I couldn’t. It’s just that with my brother’s precedent, I’m guarding against villains.”

At this point, she pursed her crimson lips, her voice dropping: “I haven’t yet thanked Prince Su for helping me leave the palace to recuperate.”

Wenren Lin’s fingers, which were playing with the jade pendant, paused slightly. He raised the corner of his eye and asked, “How will you thank me?”

Zhao Yān rested her chin on her hand and lowered her eyelids, just as she was contemplating how to steer the conversation in a direction favorable to herself, the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

Caught off guard, Zhao Yān tumbled forward, her forehead landing in a slightly cool palm.

Wenren Lin had steadied her head with just one hand, saving her from a bloody forehead. Even in this hot weather, that palm remained jade-cool without a hint of dampness.

In contrast, Zhao Yān, startled and then relaxed, felt her blood rushing up, her cheeks almost burning. She hurriedly stabilized herself in her seat.

Wenren Lin lightly clenched and unclenched his fingers, savoring the lingering warmth and smoothness, before withdrawing his hand and retrieving a package of items prepared earlier from under the seat.

Opening it on the table revealed a set of bright red women’s clothes, a set of hairpins, and a box of rouge and powder.

Wenren Lin opened the rouge box, picked up a fine brush for applying makeup, and made sure each soft, clean white wool bristle was stained with the crimson rouge. He then turned, held Zhao Yān’s chin, and turned her bewildered face toward himself.

The first stroke fell beneath Zhao Yān’s right eye, the bright red pigment concealing that overly delicate tear mole.

It felt a bit itchy. Zhao Yān unconsciously fluttered her eyelashes, and after a moment, finally realized that Wenren Lin was personally applying makeup for her.

Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, and there were many people on the main road. The carriage moved slowly and bumpily, but his hand was so steady. Up close, Zhao Yān could even detect his occasional, extremely light breathing.

“The other night, this prince said that if Your Highness wanted this prince to accompany you on this trip, you would need to do something for this prince.”

Wenren Lin carefully drew flower petals at the corner of her eye, then moved slightly away, pinched her chin, and examined her from left to right for a few moments. “Does that still stand?”

Zhao Yān was stunned, thinking blankly: Hadn’t she already demonstrated the “tiger step” posture with him on the bed?

Was that not enough?!

Wenren Lin seemed to hear her thoughts. He dipped the brush in rouge again and said in a low voice: “That book, *The Classic of the Dark Lady*, has Your Highness studied it thoroughly?”

Zhao Yān’s hands, placed at her sides, immediately stiffened and curled.

She nodded, then quickly shook her head, anxiously guessing: could Wenren Lin’s “do something” mean demonstrating all the techniques from that book?

She slowly frowned: that would truly… be quite challenging.

Wenren Lin raised his finger to wipe away excess powder from her face, his cold white fingertip becoming stained with a delicate light red.

He moved his cold eyes to her and stopped his brush to ask: “Is Your Highness going to break your word?”