Fu Yun Xi heard her laughter and lowered his head, catching sight of her two round hair buns pressed against his chest. Her autumn-pool eyes were curved into crescents, no longer carrying their usual biting coldness and mockery. Instead, they reflected genuine joy and contentment. A round dimple seemed to form at the corner of her mouth, and her butterfly-wing-like long eyelashes trembled slightly, arousing tenderness in anyone who saw them.

She appeared to be an obedient, gentle, and delicate young girl, yet her inner strength was immense. She was sharp and ruthless, leaving no room for mercy in her actions. But perhaps this was her true self—one who should laugh freely, living healthily and happily without being trapped in schemes and intrigues.

His heart, which had initially taken her as a consort to protect her, seemed to flutter unexpectedly. His gaze softened in a way that surprised even himself. As the horse slowed its pace, he pressed his lips together before finally uttering a single word: “Silly.”

Han Yan hadn’t heard his other words, but she caught this one. She turned her head to glare at him disapprovingly and retorted, “You’re the silly one.”

Fu Yun Xi’s lips curved up in pleasure, saying nothing as the horse continued running until it stopped at a mountain in the eastern part of the city.

Seeing the verdant mountains and clear waters, and the tranquil environment, Han Yan couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is truly a beautiful place.”

Fu Yun Xi glanced at her, “You’ve never been here before?”

Been here before? Han Yan was startled and shook her head, “I might have, but I can’t remember clearly.”

In her previous life, she had followed strict rules and rarely left the manor after age five, staying inside to study women’s virtues and ethics. After the bandit incident, she had lived in a daze, with only memories of her mother and Brother Ming remaining. Now in this life, all past events were blank, making it impossible to recall previous memories.

Fu Yun Xi’s expression remained unchanged, merely responding with a soft “Mm.” Han Yan noticed the change in his demeanor but couldn’t understand why. She sat down by the stream, picked a water plant leaf nearby, and began playing with the water by herself.

Fu Yun Xi walked to the stream’s edge. Where there had once been colorful fish swimming in the clear water, now there were none—only mirror-like stillness remained. Though the surroundings seemed unchanged, the people had changed.

“I’m back,” he said.

Han Yan asked curiously, “What did you say?”

Fu Yun Xi looked at her, “Why did you seek out Jiang Yu Lou today?”

Han Yan thought for a moment, deciding it would be better to tell him herself rather than let Jiang Yu Lou do so. However, she omitted how she obtained the handkerchief, only saying it belonged to an old acquaintance. She asked, “Do you have any way to help investigate if there’s anyone with the surname Qiao in the Sichuan Tang Clan?”

“That’s not difficult,” Fu Yun Xi came over and sat beside her. “Don’t go out these next few days.”

Han Yan looked at him, “Why?”

“Western Rong people have infiltrated the capital,” Fu Yun Xi’s expression was serious. “They might be planning something big. The capital isn’t safe day or night. If you go out, you might be in danger.”

Han Yan stared at him, “Those people at the Zhuang manor, were they arranged by you?”

She had noticed that these past few days, someone seemed to be monitoring her every move, though without any obvious actions. She naturally thought of Fu Yun Xi, wondering if they were his people. Now receiving his direct confirmation, she didn’t know what to say and could only lower her head and mutter, “Thank you.”

“No need for courtesy, Princess Consort.” He pronounced “Princess Consort” unusually slowly, as if reminding her of something. Han Yan turned her head, gazing at his supernaturally handsome face: “Why are you so good to me?”

This question had been hidden in her heart for a long time, yet she hadn’t dared to ask it, whether out of worry or consideration. Now that their marriage was settled and he would become her husband, spouses should be honest with each other.

Fu Yun Xi patted her head as if soothing a small animal: “Foolish.”

He said nothing more. Having been called silly, stupid, and foolish so many times, Han Yan no longer minded. Though he still hadn’t explained why, she didn’t pursue the question further, and instead felt relieved.

Perhaps sometimes not knowing the truth was a good thing—ignorance could be bliss.

On the other side of the mountain forest, a tall man in dark robes stood with his hands behind his back.

“Brother,” a woman in yellow clothing approached from behind. She was extremely beautiful, with captivating, alluring eyes. Her figure was graceful and well-proportioned, and though her skin was slightly dark, her features were exquisitely lovely. Her yellow dress was made of thin gauze, yet she showed no signs of feeling cold in the winter air. A small snake was coiled around her exposed skin. The woman exuded an enticing aura, like a fine meal that made people want to take a bite.

“Brother, when will we make our move?” The woman’s voice was equally enchanting, seeming to carry a magical power that compelled people to look at her.

“Irina, I’ve told you many times not to act rashly.” The man turned around, his jade-colored eyes like those of a lone wolf, with arrogance and ambition evident on his commanding face. It was Zhuo Qi.

The woman ran to his side and clung to his arm, nuzzling against him coquettishly: “Irina just wants to see him soon. Brother said once we come to Da Zong, I can see him.”

“He is from an enemy country,” Zhuo Qi said, “Irina, you’d better remember that.” His tone carried a hint of warning.

The woman heard the meaning in his words and quickly promised, “Brother, I’ll be good. As long as we win, you promised not to kill him and to take him back to Western Rong to be my husband.”

Zhuo Qi seemed to give a cold laugh: “When Fu Yun Xi was fourteen, he defeated our hundred thousand elite troops with just ten thousand soldiers. He’s deep and unfathomable, not easy to deal with. Capturing him won’t be simple.”

The woman pouted unhappily, “Brother definitely won’t lose. Irina only likes him, only wants to marry him.” As she spoke, she recalled the handsome youth from the battlefield seven years ago, with his cold and aloof demeanor, remaining composed even before thousands of troops. She had grown up in Western Rong, where men were as passionate as fire, and many had courted her, but she had fallen for this enemy commander who wouldn’t even look at her properly. To her, he was the most wonderful man, and though they hadn’t met for many years, she had never forgotten him. Zhuo Qi had promised that if this mission succeeded and they captured Fu Yun Xi, he would give him to her to take back to Western Rong as her consort.

“Irina, don’t get too deeply involved. He already has a Princess Consort,” Zhuo Qi cruelly interrupted her fantasy when he saw her lost in thought.

Irina said unhappily, “She’s just an unfavored daughter who hasn’t even come of age this year—just a little girl.” Her eyes flashed with disdain. “He won’t like that kind of girl who knows nothing. The women of Da Zong are made of water, crying at the slightest thing. A man like him should be with women of Western Rong, bold and uninhibited, like eagles—that’s proper.” She stroked the small snake coiled around her arm. “Such a greenhouse flower isn’t worth looking at.”