Feng Jiu’er had no idea where she was; she couldn’t even remember why she was in such a place.
In her hazy half-consciousness, she seemed to hear voices speaking outside.
The voices came in fragments, mostly unintelligible, but she could tell there seemed to be two people.
“Are you certain it’s really her?” That was a man’s voice—low, pleasant, extremely good to listen to.
“This time, there’s no mistake. It’s truly her, returned.”
The voice was familiar, but why it was familiar, she still couldn’t say.
“This subordinate’s face and voice were healed by her as well—exactly the same as ten years ago. She was born brilliant; she could never be that fool.”
“That fool’s soul occupied her body for ten years. Since her return, has she shown no sign of unease?”
The unfamiliar man’s voice spoke again, but what were they talking about? Why couldn’t she understand a single word?
The familiar voice spoke again: “This subordinate has stayed by her side for over a month now and has noticed nothing amiss. Your Majesty, it is truly the Holy Maiden, returned.”
After that, the conversation outside seemed to pause for a while.
Jiu’er tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, impossible to lift no matter how hard she tried.
Why did this feeling seem so familiar?
She was already awake, yet she couldn’t manage to wake up at all.
Most importantly—where was this place? Who was around her? And who… who was she!
“This child is about to wake.” A figure in plain white sat down at the bedside.
The man’s voice was gentle as flowing water; though she couldn’t see his face at all, she could almost guess that he must be a man of unparalleled, breathtaking beauty.
The man’s hand came to rest on her eyelids, his fingertips brushing gently across her brow.
Such a gentle, such a warm touch!
Jiu’er’s two heavy eyelids suddenly snapped open.
She raised her gaze and looked at the man seated by the bed, and in an instant, she was so dazzled by features so perfect they left one unable to look away that she was utterly speechless.
Seeing her stare at him, captivated, the man’s thin lips curved slightly upward in a smile, gentle as the wind, as if it could make all of heaven and earth lose their color completely.
“Jiu’er, seeing Father, do you truly not recognize him?”
“Father?” Jiu’er opened her mouth, only to find her throat dry and parched.
Feng Qiongcang waved his hand, and Yanu immediately brought over a cup of warm water.
Feng Qiongcang helped Jiu’er sit up and brought the cup to her lips: “Is it uncomfortable? Drink a little water first.”
Jiu’er couldn’t quite make sense of the situation, but her throat truly did feel terrible.
She could only lower her head, hold the rim of the cup to her lips, and drink the entire cup of water.
Afterward, she looked up once more at the man sitting beside her, her large eyes still full of confusion, her expression utterly lost.
It seemed as though many fragments were flashing through her mind, yet every single one was so blurred, impossible to make out clearly.
But the man beside her really was so gentle, and his scent was pleasant too—not fragrant, but fresh and clean.
In short, everything about him was a pleasure to behold, the kind of presence one couldn’t help but like.
“Father?” Jiu’er’s voice came out muffled; her throat still hadn’t fully recovered.
Feng Qiongcang nodded and gently stroked her brow and the bridge of her nose: “My little one, you’ve finally returned to Father’s side.”
…
She was the little princess of the Feng Clan emperor, his only daughter.
Here, her father doted on her, and all her imperial brothers adored her without limit.
Life felt as though she had reached its very summit, as if there should be nothing left to regret.
But why did it feel like reaching a summit? Shouldn’t she have always been at this summit all along?
And this so-called lack of regret—why did it feel like something was buried deep in her heart, refusing to surface?
If she didn’t dig it out, would it remain a regret forever?
“Princess, what is it?” Seeing her brow furrow, Yanu grew tense at once. “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Shall we go back and have His Majesty take a look at you?”
“It’s nothing, nothing at all. I was just thinking about something.” Jiu’er waved her hand, not understanding why he was so nervous.
Every time she frowned, Yanu grew especially anxious, as if afraid something terrible might happen to her.
And Father too—always insisting on personally checking her pulse. Was she really so fragile?
“Princess, His Majesty said that the last time you fell from a tree, you injured your head, and you still haven’t fully recovered. You shouldn’t strain your mind with too much thinking.”
Yanu smiled gently at her: “If you think too much, your head will start hurting again.”
“But…” But what she actually wanted to say next, even Jiu’er herself didn’t know.
It was just that she had this inexplicable, dreamlike sensation—yes, exactly that kind of unreal feeling.
She was a princess, showered with boundless love and favor, living such a blessed and carefree life…
So why did she keep having this sense of being caught in a dream?
“Princess, the Second Prince set up a Hundred Fruits Garden in the back garden today especially to cheer you up. Don’t you want to go take a look?”
“Of course I do!” The moment food was mentioned, all her worries vanished at once.
Jiu’er brightened immediately, all her troubles instantly cast aside.
What unreal feeling, what dream-like sensation? In fact, this was reality!
There were fun things to do and delicious things to eat—where was anything unreal about that?
If she pinched herself hard, it would hurt—wasn’t that real enough?
In the back garden, the maids and eunuchs had set up several tables, all laden with food.
Pastries, fruits, and preserves and fine delicacies!
“Jiu’er, you’ve come?” The Second Prince, Feng Yan, swept his long sleeve aside and walked over at a leisurely pace.
“Second Brother.” Though this “Second Brother” still felt a bit unfamiliar to her, he was refined and courteous, the kind of gentleman one couldn’t help but like at first glance.
So Jiu’er liked this elder brother quite a lot as well.
And this place, this whole environment, these people here…
Right, the way these maids and eunuchs behaved—it seemed similar to some custom from somewhere else.
But just what place’s customs were they similar to? Where exactly was that? Why could she never quite remember?
“Jiu’er, what are you thinking about?” Feng Yan came up to her, asking gently.
Her train of thought broken, she instantly forgot what she had just been thinking about. Jiu’er looked up to meet his gaze, wanting to smile, but somehow couldn’t manage it.
“Second Brother…” Jiu’er furrowed her brow.
“Hm?”
“Am I really Father’s little princess?”
“Jiu’er, why would you say such a thing?” Feng Yan’s expression darkened slightly, then instantly softened again, afraid his look might frighten her.
He said gently, “Father went through so much trouble…”
He abruptly stopped himself there, but Jiu’er looked at him with curiosity: “Father… went through so much trouble?”
“Went through so much trouble to cure you,” Yanu said earnestly. “Princess, you can’t remember the past, and His Majesty is already terribly grieved over it. If the Princess were to say she isn’t His Majesty’s daughter, wouldn’t that grieve him even more?”