Zhao Yān refused to show weakness, maintaining her smile as she stared back at him.

The hand on her waist tightened as if in punishment. Zhao Yān twisted slightly, trying to appear unaffected, but couldn’t break free.

The two stood facing each other, seemingly affectionate but engaged in a silent contest. Through the gap in their profiles, the warm light flickered, faintly revealing Zhou Ji’s cold, handsome face.

The faces of people passing on the bridge were blurred. Having no interest in worldly extravagance, Zhou Ji gave a dignified, indifferent bow and departed.

Zhao Yān was the first to look away, pressing her hand on Wenren Lin’s forearm to remind him: “Zhou Wanlan has already left.”

Wenren Lin repeated the name with raised lips, then lifted his hand along her spine and lightly touched the back of her neck.

Zhao Yān felt a chill on her nape and instinctively covered the spot he had touched. Wenren Lin’s expression became solemn, his eyes darker than the night, as he turned and walked away.

The wind filled her sleeves, blowing several red and white peonies and jasmine flowers from her basket. After a moment of stunned silence, Zhao Yān hurriedly quickened her pace to follow him.

The city gates closed at the Hour of the Dog (7-9 PM). Cai Tian had already ordered the guards to prepare the carriages to continue their journey.

Zhao Yān bent down to enter the carriage. As soon as the curtain was lowered, she eagerly removed her veiled hat to breathe.

…

…

The ice mirror on the small table in front of Wenren Lin had been removed and replaced with seven or eight plates of fresh, steaming dishes.

Having spent much time with the Empress Dowager, Zhao Yān had also sought various ways to enjoy good food and thus had studied “fake vegetarian cuisine” thoroughly.

For instance, the seemingly plain tofu soup near Wenren Lin’s hand was made with fresh chicken breast minced into a fine paste, while the “clear soup” was prepared with mountain delicacies and seafood combined with pork bones, simmered over a slow fire to produce a small bowl whose aroma alone revealed its exquisite flavor.

She hadn’t expected Wenren Lin’s diet to be so refined and light. Zhao Yān had thought someone like him, even if not the blood-drinking monster from storybooks, would surely love gnawing on bones and devouring meat.

She quietly sat down and placed the flower basket aside. Wenren Lin didn’t look up, focusing intently on wiping his hands with a damp cotton towel.

Zhao Yān was indeed hungry. She quickly cleaned her hands and picked up a jade spoon, first serving herself a bowl of soup.

The clear sound of bowl and spoon colliding could be heard. Wenren Lin finally looked up and, after a moment, asked, “Is it delicious?”

“I never realized before how docile and obedient Your Highness could be.”

Zhao Yān held the small bowl with both hands and tilted her head slightly, realizing he was referring to her earlier playful offer to “serve wine.”

“Isn’t it the Grand Tutor who said I should pretend to be a beautiful concubine?”

Remembering something, she showed an expression of disbelief, “Could it be that the Grand Tutor doesn’t like obedience?”

Wenren Lin watched Zhao Yān finish the soup that lined her stomach and then reach for the tender fish meat as white as jade. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, “It seems Your Highness is not so obedient when others aren’t present.”

Zhao Yān followed his gaze and saw her bowl filled with the best selections from the entire table. Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

She truly had no experience serving others; in eating, drinking, and playing, she was accustomed to putting herself first. She had forgotten that Wenren Lin hadn’t yet picked up his chopsticks.

Zhao Yān tried to remedy the situation by taking another pair of clean chopsticks and selecting the same items again. She then gently pushed the bowl with its small mound of food toward him, placing the chopsticks on the white jade chopstick rest.

Wenren Lin supported his forehead with one hand, looking at the bowl of food that could hardly be called elegant. After a moment of silence, he simply said: “Wine.”

Zhao Yān poured another cup of wine. This time, she had learned her lesson and directly offered the cup to his lips.

Unexpectedly, the path at night was uneven, and the carriage wheel happened to roll over a stone. With the sudden jolt, Zhao Yān instinctively reached out to steady herself against Wenren Lin’s shoulder.

As a result, half of the wine in the cup spilled onto her hand, while the other half dripped down Wenren Lin’s collar and clothes, spreading a dark, wet stain…

Wenren Lin looked at the wine stain on his clothes and slightly narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Yān quickly withdrew her hand, hesitating whether to find a towel to wipe him as she held the cup, when she felt something warm and soft on the back of her hand.

She saw Wenren Lin calmly lowering his head, lightly sipping the few drops of wine that remained on the joints of her right hand, savoring it unhurriedly.

Zhao Yān was stunned; the place on the back of her hand where his thin lips had touched seemed to burn.

Zhao Yān swallowed.

Whether it was an illusion or not, whenever she thought she had gained a small victory, Wenren Lin always had a way to turn the tables, and yet maintained a dignified, proper appearance that left her defenseless.

Zhao Yān sat back in her seat somewhat stiffly, set the cup down on the table with a thud, and decided to ignore this scheming fellow. She picked up her small bowl and began eating with her head down.

A ripple passed through the depths of Wenren Lin’s eyes. He also picked up his chopsticks and extracted a piece of tender white tofu from the bowl heaped high with food, and put it in his mouth.

Fresh. Fragrant.

…

The carriage left the city just before the gates were locked, traveling for nearly an hour along mountain roads before reaching Yuquan Palace.

At this time, preparations were not yet complete. Palace servants were busy carrying and arranging chests and boxes, and even the lanterns had not been fully set up, so in the darkness, not many people noticed Zhao Yān’s arrival.

Before the carriage had fully stopped, Liu Ying, who had been anxiously waiting at the gate, came forward to greet them. She bowed and said, “Your Highness, Lady He has been sent to express her regards. I used Your Highness’s fatigue and rest as an excuse to temporarily keep her waiting in Guanyun Hall.”

Zhao Yān hadn’t expected that the person sent by her father and mother to supervise would arrive so quickly. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Entering through the main gate might cause too much commotion. Is there another entrance we can use?”

Liu Ying replied, “The corner gate to the north is close to Guanyun Hall.”

Zhao Yān nodded and instructed, “Send away any unnecessary attendants, prepare wet towels for wiping my face, and clean clothes. I’ll be there shortly.”

Liu Ying bowed and withdrew. Zhao Yān then turned to the guard driving the carriage and said, “Go to the corner gate, quietly.”

The guard seemed to have reservations and didn’t move.

Zhao Yān suddenly realized that these guards were Wenren Lin’s men, so of course, they wouldn’t listen to her.

She leaned against the carriage window, looked back at Wenren Lin, appearing quite pitiful.

“Did you not hear His Highness’s words?” Wenren Lin finally spoke.

The carriage immediately started moving, both quickly and smoothly. His light, emotionless sentence proved more effective than Zhao Yān’s urgent commands.

Entering through the corner gate, they found only Liu Ying waiting there with towels and clothes.

Zhao Yān didn’t have time to bid farewell to Wenren Lin and jumped out of the carriage. As she passed through the corridor, she removed her veiled hat and hairpins, then took the towel Liu Ying silently handed her to wipe off the red makeup from her face. She let down her hair, casually running her hands through it a couple of times before using a jade hairpin to tie it up on top of her head.

Entering through the back door of Guanyun Hall, she had just removed her scarf when she heard Lady He’s voice approaching from a distance: “…no need to wake the Crown Prince. Let the Imperial Physician check his pulse to ensure His Highness is safe and sound, then I can return to the palace with my report.”

There was no time to change clothes completely. With Liu Ying’s help, Zhao Yān hurriedly bound her chest, put on her undergarments, and without even fully removing her skirt, dived into the inner bedroom. She poked her head out from the well-covered bed curtains.

Almost at the same moment, the female official and the Imperial Physician entered the hall one after another.

“Lady He, Imperial Physician Zhang.”

Zhao Yān nodded to the female official and Zhang Xu, using the bed curtains as cover while discreetly kicking away the skirt fabric gathered at her ankles.

“Your Highness is awake?”

Lady He bowed in surprise. Seeing the little Crown Prince’s rosy complexion and slightly disheveled hair and clothes, which indeed looked like someone who had just woken from a nap, she secretly felt relieved.

“Just woke up.”

Zhao Yān pretended to reproach Liu Ying, “Lady He is Mother Empress’s most trusted person. Why didn’t you wake me when she arrived?”

Lady He hurriedly said, “The journey from the Imperial City to here takes half a day of bumpy travel. Your Highness must indeed be tired. This servant wouldn’t dare disturb you. But Her Majesty and His Majesty are concerned about Your Highness and instructed this servant to watch the Imperial Physician check your pulse before returning to report.”

Zhao Yān showed understanding and obediently extended one hand from behind the bed curtains, looking toward Zhang Xu, “Thank you for your trouble, Imperial Physician Zhang.”

Zhang Xu bowed and stepped forward, then suddenly paused.

Zhao Yān followed his gaze and was startled—in her hurry, she had forgotten to remove the small bracelet woven from fresh flowers.

Fortunately, Zhang Xu was an ally. With drooping eyelids, he took out a soft, thin silk handkerchief and placed it under Zhao Yān’s wrist, covering the half-wilted jasmine bracelet.

After checking her pulse, he withdrew his hand and said, “Your Highness should soak in the hot spring for a quarter of an hour each day to gradually drive out the toxins. Since hot springs in summer can be drying, I will prescribe some heat-relieving remedies.”

Zhao Yān immediately withdrew her hand. Zhang Xu’s brush moved swiftly like a dragon and snake, quickly prescribing sour plum soup and sweet mountain drinks.

Lady He was completely reassured. She bowed, took her leave, and hurried back to the palace to report, traveling through the night.

After the close call, Zhao Yān let out a long sigh of relief. Tugging at her sticky clothes, she said, “Liu Ying, where is the bath?”

Liu Ying replied, “There are two, Dragon and Phoenix. Which one would Your Highness like to use?”

Zhao Yān wasn’t accustomed to bathing with others. Remembering that Liu Ji wanted to hold hands and bathe with her, she immediately answered, “The men’s side. Leave the Phoenix Pool for you all. Now that we’re away from the palace, you needn’t be constrained. You and Liu Ji should relax as well.”

Liu Ji was indeed a clingy person, previously attached to the Crown Prince and now to the little prince, potentially causing some inappropriate situations.

Liu Ying nodded, “This servant will go make arrangements.”

“Wait.”

Zhao Yān turned back, took out a bunch of pink and white roses and a sachet from the flower basket she had brought back, and handed them over.

“I bought these in the marketplace. Happy Dragon Boat Festival,” she said with a gentle smile.

Liu Ying was momentarily stunned. After a while, she solemnly accepted the bouquet and sachet with both hands, carefully holding this blessing in her palms, and softly said, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Zhao Yān waved her hand. Once relaxed, she began to feel drowsy and rubbed her eyes, saying, “It is I who should thank you. Sister Liu Ying, you should smile more. It must be tiring to maintain a stern face all the time.”

Liu Ying properly responded with a “Yes.”

Then she realized that her response was too distant and formal. She wanted to be more naturally friendly like Liu Ji, but couldn’t overcome the barrier of “master and servant,” and for a moment didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.

She simply bowed and fled in near panic.

Under the bright moon, Liu Ying looked at the vibrantly blooming bouquet in her hand, allowing the cool night mountain breeze to blow away the heat from her face.

“Smile more, Sister Liu Ying.”

Once, a gentle, fragile young boy had said the same to her.

He had also stood under the veranda of the summer resort, counting the fireflies in the courtyard as he told her, “Don’t envy Liu Ji, and don’t feel inferior because you cannot fight alongside me. Look, fireflies don’t compete with stars and the moon for brilliance. Small as they are, they can still illuminate a small patch of night sky.”

But later, her moon fell.

There was no more gentle moonlight in the world to shine upon that lonely and humble firefly.

She thought she would fade into darkness, dying silently with regret and resentment, until she welcomed another proud and resilient little sun…

Liu Ying tucked the sachet into her bosom, her dignified face gradually becoming determined.

She truly didn’t have Liu Ji’s talent for strategy to stand proudly beside His Highness. But at least now, she too had found her place.

…

The Dragon Pool hot spring was behind Guanyun Hall. Zhao Yān gave a slight yawn and dismissed the palace maids carrying lanterns, saying, “You may all withdraw. Just leave the clothes in the outer room.”

The attendants obeyed, placing the clothes on the couch in the outer room before closing the door and withdrawing.

Zhao Yān lifted the hanging curtain under the carved flower moon gate and continued inward. Warm yellow lamplight mixed with steamy heat enveloped her.

By the rippling Dragon Head hot spring, Wenren Lin was using a fire starter to light the last copper floor lamp with floral branches.