The Palace Guard traveled swiftly, and two days later, just as Cheng Chang’s group reached Fuzi Pavilion, Cheng Ye was already waiting there with a column of imperial guards, escorting Prince Cong’s carriage.

Earlier, upon learning of Cheng Chang’s disappearance, the Princess Consort of Prince Cong had fallen gravely ill from grief. Though she had since recovered, her health remained frail. Seeing Cheng Chang now, she nearly fainted from emotion, taking his hand again and again as if still in a dream.

Once they reached Fuzi Pavilion, Jinling was near at hand.

The day the Third Young Master of Prince Cong’s household returned to the capital was a rare, brilliantly sunny day. The imperial guards led the way in magnificent formation, every hoofbeat in perfect unison.

The common folk of Jinling, having nothing better to do, all came out to watch the spectacle. Behind the sixteen mounted guards came a wide, ornately domed carriage rolling slowly by. A sudden gust of wind lifted a corner of the cloud-silk curtain, revealing the Third Young Master’s quiet profile within.

The onlookers along the road all seemed to catch their breath at once.

The last time the Third Young Master had nearly drowned, he’d woken up even more handsome than before. Now, returning from his disappearance, he somehow looked even more striking than after that incident.

Just that fleeting profile alone — brows like mountains under moonlight, eyes like cold stars — possessed a beauty so refined that not even the most skilled craftsman in the realm could carve even a tenth of it. Those unaware might have thought Prince Cong’s household had somehow summoned down an immortal.

Though escorted by the imperial guards the whole way, they did not head straight to the palace, but first brought the Third Young Master to Prince Cong’s residence — it was said His Majesty had specially granted permission for Cheng Chang to rest briefly at the mansion before attending the welcome-home banquet in the palace later that evening.

This so-called welcome-home banquet was a private imperial family dinner, attended only by Emperor Zhaoyuan, a few consorts and princes, and Prince Cong’s family.

After Emperor Zhaoyuan ascended the throne, the brothers of his generation had gradually passed away, or lived far off in their fiefs, occasionally sending memorials of greeting but rarely returning to the capital even once in several years. Those who were recalled, like Prince Nan’an, were all from collateral branches, distantly related to Emperor Zhaoyuan’s direct line, and some had already been demoted in rank, mostly holding only the title of Assistant Defender General.

Thus, those qualified to dine with Emperor Zhaoyuan at a family banquet were among the most exalted people in the realm.

In the past, when Cheng Chang had frequently caused trouble in Jinling, Emperor Zhaoyuan had shown him no particular favor, at most turning a blind eye to his conduct. But the two were, after all, uncle and nephew by blood, and now that Cheng Chang had reformed and endured such great misfortune, Emperor Zhaoyuan couldn’t help feeling for him. With the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday approaching and both the palace and the outer court busy beyond measure, Emperor Zhaoyuan had still found time to send the Palace Guard to escort Cheng Chang home, and personally hosted a banquet for him within the palace — an honor unmatched anywhere in the realm. To the court officials watching, it almost seemed as though His Majesty favored this nephew even more than Prince Ling or Prince Yun.

Once Cheng Ye had received Cheng Chang with the imperial guards at Fuzi Pavilion, Yun Xi had had little to do for the rest of the journey.

She remained at the very back of the procession as always. Once they reached Prince Cong’s residence, the household steward invited the colonels and commanders who had escorted them all the way to take tea in a side hall, and presented each of them with a tea packet as a gift — with that, her duties for this journey were complete.

When she hefted the tea packet in her hand, it felt surprisingly heavy. Prince Cong’s steward explained it was a fine golden-threaded tea from the Western Regions, sent in tribute to the palace — a small token, nothing of great value. But once Yun Xi left the mansion and opened the packet, she found that what was inside wasn’t tea leaves at all, but a tea spoon woven entirely of gold thread.

All seven or eight colonels and commanders present had each received one.

Such a gift, however precious it might seem to an ordinary person, was truly nothing to Prince Cong’s household. After all, the Third Young Master was a member of the imperial family, the very apple of the Grand Empress Dowager’s eye and His Majesty’s own nephew — once the imperial commendations came down, they would all receive proper rewards besides. This tea packet from Prince Cong’s household was merely a symbolic gesture.

Yun Xi put the golden spoon away carefully. Looking up at the sun, she saw it was already midday. On her way back to Prince Cong’s residence, she asked Zhao Wu, who was stationed at the gate, “Where’s my sister-in-law?”

Seeing Yun Xi, Zhao Wu called out happily, “Young Miss!” and said, “The Young Madam heard early this morning that you’d be returning to Jinling today, and she’s been waiting in the main hall ever since. Young Miss, you’d better hurry — the Young Madam must be growing anxious.”

Yun Xi answered with a quick “Mm,” and hurried inside in a few long strides, not even pausing to set down her luggage as she rounded the spirit wall toward the main hall.

Golden sunlight spilled like a three-foot carpet before the entrance to the main hall. Yun Xi caught sight of a figure seated composedly by the tall desk, faint as thin smoke in pale sunlight, and her steps slowed unconsciously.

It had been so long since she’d seen Fang Furan. Not since her brother’s death, when she’d gone to the northern frontier to bring his body home, had she been separated from Fang Furan for so long.

She missed her dearly, yet felt a twinge of hesitation too — after all, she had gone off so single-mindedly to find Cheng Chang, without sparing much thought for whether her sister-in-law, left alone at the mansion, might worry for her.

But it was Fang Furan who, hearing the commotion outside, looked up first and called out, “A’Ting?”

She rose quickly and hurried to the door. Seeing Yun Xi, the joy in her eyes seemed almost to overflow. “Didn’t I hear you’d arrive in Jinling this morning? Why are you only getting back now?”

Yun Xi said, “Prince Cong’s household invited us to tea. I couldn’t very well decline along with the other commanders, so I only came back after we’d finished.”

Fang Furan nodded.

She took Yun Xi’s hand and pulled her close to look her over. Seeing that she looked reasonably well, she smiled, then looked her up and down again and scolded her gently, “Winter set in half a month ago, and here you are in such thin clothing — don’t you feel the cold?”

Then she pulled Yun Xi inside and picked up a porcelain bowl from the table, handing it to her. “Drink this ginseng broth.”

Yun Xi said “All right,” took the bowl, and drank it down in one go before asking, “Sister, how has your health been lately?”

Fang Furan said, “So you do remember to ask after me.”

Though she said this, there was no trace of reproach in her tone. Perhaps there had been some at first, but after so long apart, the worry and longing that had built up in her heart had washed away that small measure of complaint. Now, seeing Yun Xi standing safe and sound before her, all she felt was relief.

Fang Furan nodded. “I’m well. I’ve been taking my medicine on schedule and looking after myself.”

She took Yun Xi’s luggage and began unpacking it for her, asking as she did, “I heard it was you who found the Third Young Master in the end?”

Yun Xi said “Mm” at first, then thought about it and shook her head. “Not exactly. The Third Young Master’s own good fortune saved him. By the time I found him at the fishing village on the East Sea, he was already in good health. Even if I hadn’t gone looking for him, I imagine he would have made his own way back to Jinling once he woke.”

Fang Furan paused, puzzled. “Didn’t you say he fell off a cliff? It’s only been two months — how could he be in good health? Falling from such a height, with not a single injury?”

“There was a knife wound on his arm, but by the time I found him, even that had already healed,” Yun Xi said. “I asked the Third Young Master about it afterward. He said he doesn’t remember much about the fall itself — perhaps a branch broke his fall along the way, which is why he wasn’t injured.”

Fang Furan made a small sound of acknowledgment, her hands slowing as she seemed to fall into thought.

Seeing this, Yun Xi asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

Fang Furan glanced at her, seemed about to say something, then held back. After a moment, she asked, “Does the Third Young Master… know that you went to such trouble to find him?”

Yun Xi said, “He knows.”

“And has he said anything to you? Promised… anything?”

Yun Xi paused, and after a moment understood what Fang Furan meant.

She lowered her eyes. “He only thanked me. Nothing more.”

She paused, then quickly added, “Besides, I don’t want him to feel he owes me anything just because I went to find him, or feel obligated to repay me. That’s not what I want from this.”

Fang Furan shook her head gently. “A’Ting, that’s not what I meant. It’s only that… you and the Third Young Master, it was always going to be difficult…”

Fang Furan didn’t finish the sentence, but Yun Xi understood perfectly well.

Between her and Cheng Chang, it had always been difficult — even if their feelings were mutual, neither His Majesty nor Prince Cong would easily approve of such a match. Her effort to find him this time had been, in a way, an opportunity — and if even this hadn’t moved him enough, then her hope of ever being with him in the future seemed all but hopeless.

“It’s fine,” Yun Xi said, still looking down. “I…”

I don’t hope for that. I’ve never hoped to be with him.

But she couldn’t finish that sentence either.

If she asked herself honestly, did she really not hope for it? In truth, she did.

No one in this world ever truly falls for someone without wishing to stay by their side forever.

She simply kept telling herself to be content. She knew it was too difficult, and so she’d resigned herself to staying within safe bounds.

He was easygoing on the surface, but in truth he was a distant, cold person at heart, wrapped in a shell. She feared that if she got even one step closer, he would retreat three steps further away.

“What’s this?” Fang Furan asked, pulling an exquisite tea packet from Yun Xi’s luggage.

Yun Xi took it from her, drew out the golden tea spoon inside, and handed it to Fang Furan. “It’s a reward from Prince Cong’s household today.”

She paused for a moment, then said, “Sister, I want to find a chance to return this tea packet and spoon. I don’t want to keep it.”

Fang Furan was surprised for a moment, then smiled. “You should return it.” She said, “If there’s someone we hold dear in our hearts, someone we love, then we ought to carry ourselves with dignity before that person. We shouldn’t readily accept their gifts or favors — that way, whether or not they return our feelings, we can still hold our heads high before them. Only then can we be worthy of that love.”

As she spoke, Fang Furan placed the golden spoon back into the tea packet and said gently, “Find the right moment, and return it.”