Love and Crown

Night gradually spread, and bright lights were lit one by one in the Sea Temple Palace. The bloody battle slowly came to a halt as the disciples of the Tianshan Sect, after resisting stubbornly for over four hours, finally laid down their weapons.

After countless casualties on both sides, the months-long standoff between the Central Plains Martial World and the Tianshan Sect was declared over.

In the following days, the battlefield was cleared, merits and faults were assessed. The Tianshan Sect's leader, Yun Zixin, went missing, and all surrendered disciples had their martial arts abolished. From then on, the Tianshan Sect was erased from the Martial World.

As the year-end approached, the leaders and disciples of various sects, unable to endure the bitter cold of the snowy mountains, departed one after another over the next ten days. The Martial World, chaotic for half a year, seemed poised to return to its former tranquility. If there was any difference, it was that I had become the Pavilion Master of the Phoenix Come Pavilion.

When the battle ended that day, no one asked why I returned alone or where Xiao Huan had gone. It was as if everything had happened naturally.

I assumed the heavy responsibility of Pavilion Master in the Sea Temple Palace and found among Xiao Huan's belongings the notes and suggestions he had left behind. Following his reminders, I began to naturally preside over discussions with the leaders of various sects, naturally make final decisions on various proposals, naturally review all account books and documents, and gradually grew accustomed to disciples clasping their fists and addressing me as "Pavilion Master."

More than twenty days later, all the other sects that had been stationed in the Sea Temple Palace had left. The once-bustling palace became an empty city, with only a few disciples of the Phoenix Come Pavilion remaining. And the Phoenix Come Pavilion no longer had any reason or need to stay here.

After the routine meeting with several hall masters that day, I tapped my hand on the pearwood table and said, "Order everyone to pack up. We set off tomorrow and return to Jinling."

With that, I stood up to return to my room. The room was silent; no one moved to leave. I had no choice but to pause.

"Are we really leaving?" Su Qian was the first to break the silence.

I smiled. "The disciples are all eager to go home for the New Year. If we leave tomorrow, we should make it back before the holiday."

"Don't push yourself too hard," said Mu Yan, who had recovered enough to stand, smiling. "The disciples can go home for the New Year. If you really want to wait, I'll stay here with you."

I chuckled and sat back down. "I almost forgot something." I paused. "Send funeral notices to the leaders of the Martial World, informing them that the former White Pavilion Master of the Phoenix Come Pavilion has passed away due to illness. The funeral rites will be simple, so they need not trouble themselves with formalities."

Amid the heavy silence, I stood up again and walked out of the room alone.

Outside, the brilliant sunlight shone on the snowy mountains, on the steps still covered with snow beneath my feet, and on the grand architecture of the Sea Temple Palace. For some reason, I thought of the Forbidden Palace—the city I had forgotten for far too long.

I had always believed it represented only decay and confinement, but now I suddenly understood that such a vast, secluded courtyard was, at its core, lonely.

I tilted my head slightly upward. The sun was blazing, and the sky was a clear, washed-out blue. It was truly a beautiful day.

After a long journey, Su Qian and Mu Yan, still recovering from his injuries, hurried back to the main hall of the Phoenix Come Pavilion in Jinling. The other hall masters returned to their respective branches, and the disciples dispersed. I arrived in the capital just before sunset that day.

Horseback riding was forbidden on Xuanwu Street behind the Forbidden Palace. Leading my worn-out mount through the crowd, I brushed past jubilant capital residents carrying New Year's goods. Another year had passed.Suddenly, I found myself reminiscing about the small tavern where we drank on New Year's Eve last year, wondering if they would still have that sweet millet wine this year.

Lost in thought, I walked along the long moat outside the Forbidden Palace. Turning at the bridgehead, the guards at the city gate straightened their posture but didn’t stop me.

Looking up, I saw Xiao Qianqing standing quietly on the bridge, dressed in simple robes and a light fur coat, a familiar smile on his face. "I had someone stationed at the gate to report when they saw you return," he said.

I nodded and smiled. "Missed me that much, huh?"

He laughed and nodded solemnly. "Very much."

I chuckled. "Alright, alright. I missed you too, happy now?"

Behind us, the street lamps gradually lit up, and the frozen moat reflected the hurried passersby. I smiled and said, "Xiao Qianqing, I’ve finally figured it out. Starting today, I’m going to make an effort to love you properly. One can’t live in the past forever, right?"

Xiao Qianqing reached out, his fingers threading through my tousled hair. He lowered his head, and I couldn’t see the expression on his face. He pulled me by the shoulders and embraced me tightly.

My hand holding the reins stiffened for a moment before I dropped them and hugged him back.

Slowly, warm tears began to stream from my eyes.

"Xiao Qianqing, you’re really wonderful."

"I know."

"Xiao Qianqing, I really like you."

"I know."

"Xiao Qianqing, why can a person only truly love one person in their lifetime?"

He paused. "I know."

Countless people passed behind us, countless street lamps flickered to life, and the noise faded into the background. I remember clearly—this day was the 22nd day of the twelfth month in the ninth year of Virtuous Blessing. A full year had passed since the palace coup of last year.

Returning to the palace, I busied myself with New Year celebrations and various state affairs. I had always thought Xiao Qianqing was highly capable, but who knew he’d dump the most troublesome matters on me? Disputes between the Purist Faction and the Pragmatist Faction, debates between the Westernization Faction and the Exclusionist Faction—it took me half a day just to understand what was going on, let alone resolve them.

When I asked Xiao Qianqing about it, he innocently spread his hands and said he’d been too lovesick to eat or sleep, and handling daily affairs was already taxing enough—he couldn’t be bothered with these troublesome matters.

I really wanted to smack him. If he wasn’t going to deal with the difficult stuff, what was he even here for?

After days of chaotic work, I barely made it to the approach of the New Year—the day Xiao Qianqing was scheduled to ascend the throne, as agreed a year prior. I thought once this hurdle was cleared, I could finally relax in Jinling. But who would’ve guessed I’d collapse the day before New Year’s?

It’s quite embarrassing, really. I just felt a bit dizzy when getting up for the morning court session. After sitting in the Qianqing Palace for a short while, I stood up and fainted right in front of all the officials.

When I woke up, I was lying on the bed in Xiao Qianqing’s chambers. Li Mingshang sat by the bedside, wearing a half-smile when he saw me awake. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. You’re with child."

I sat up abruptly. "Really?"

Li Mingshang shook his head, his long beard swaying. "Would I lie about a diagnosis? Though the timing is rather unfortunate. Even if it’s genuinely that brat’s child, who’d believe it if word got out…"

I leaped up and hugged him tightly. "This is wonderful, just wonderful…" Then, whether I was laughing or crying, I ended up smearing tears and snot all over Li Mingshang’s robes.After learning about my pregnancy, Xiao Qianqing finally found an excuse to postpone the next day's coronation ceremony with a slew of lofty reasons. Sitting down privately with me, he said, "Being emperor is exhausting. I'm still so young—I don't want to die an early death." Then he stared at my belly and added, "This child is a boy, right? Perfect. Once he's born, we'll insist he's the late emperor's posthumous child and put him on the throne. If the age doesn't quite match, we'll just make up some excuses. By the time he's two or three, no one will be able to tell the difference between one or two years anyway. After all, the two of us now hold the power to shape the world as we please—whatever we say goes, and no one would dare argue." He said all this with such shameless conviction, not a hint of guilt in sight.

Furious, I threw a pillow at him. "Why should my son be the one to slave away as emperor? What if it's a girl? Would you suggest she disguise herself as a boy to rule, huh?"

Xiao Qianqing narrowed his pale jade-green eyes and smiled devastatingly. "You guessed it."

A face like his was truly a sin.

Jokes aside, the new year arrived—the tenth year of Virtuous Blessing.

Once I became pregnant, Li Mingshang hovered around me constantly, forbidding me from venturing more than ten li beyond the Forbidden Palace. He kept insisting I was only slightly less restless than a monkey in a tree and that, for the sake of the Great Wu's future ruler, he had to keep a tight leash on me.

On the other hand, Xiao Qianqing willingly took over all government affairs, claiming it was worth it for decades of leisure afterward.

With nothing to do, I grew bored in the rear palace. Aside from teasing Xiaoshan and Jiao Yan, I had no other entertainment. Even Ying Xian was now in Jinling with Hong Qing—I couldn't even watch her light incense anymore.

At the Phoenix Come Pavilion, the Pavilion Master's absence was noted. Su Qian had written several times urging me to come to Jinling, saying it didn't matter where I stayed. The Pavilion Master hadn't shown up for a month or two, and even if I did nothing there, at least the disciples at the main hall could see a living person.

After some thought, I stopped being polite. Using my condition as an excuse, I moved the Phoenix Come Pavilion's headquarters to the capital, setting up its entrance on Xuanwu Avenue—less than five hundred steps from the Forbidden Palace, sandwiched between government offices and imperial workshops. For a time, it was the talk of the town, to the point where even the elderly women in the capital's alleys knew about the Phoenix Come Pavilion as a place full of formidable people.

Time flew by, and everything remained peaceful. The Martial World was free of turmoil, the court was as noisy as ever, and though nothing seemed to change, it felt as if something had quietly shifted.

Before I knew it, it was the bright days of March. The crabapple blossoms in the imperial garden bloomed in full, and a single night's wind left the ground strewn with fallen petals. That morning, with nothing to do, I moved a chair outside the Crimson Snow Pavilion to read and bask in the sun.

In January, I had occasionally felt fatigued and nauseous, but later my energy and appetite improved dramatically. I developed a particular craving for greasy food, so while reading, I had Xiaoshan order a plate of ham from the Imperial Cuisine kitchen to snack on.

Pale pink petals drifted onto the pages now and then. Halfway through the ham, Jiao Yan approached with a letter, looking puzzled. "Your Majesty, a young eunuch just ran up and shoved this letter into my hands, telling me to give it to you."

I set the book aside and licked my fingers. "Hand it over."Jiao Yan stammered hesitantly, "This seems a bit odd. There's nothing strange in the letter, is there?"

I chuckled, snatched the envelope, and pulled out the letter. "Poisoning the letter paper is such an old trick. Your mistress is, after all, the Pavilion Master of Phoenix Come Pavilion. Do you think I'd be afraid of that?"

The pure white letter unfolded, revealing only a few sparse words: "Care to meet outside the palace?" Signed: "Zhong Lin, Leader of the Azure Jade Sect."

I gently ran my fingers over the line: "Zhong Lin, Leader of the Azure Jade Sect."

Jiao Yan interjected anxiously, "Mistress, mistress, there really is something strange in this letter, isn't there?"

I raised my hand and gave her a light knock on the head. "If there were really something strange, would you have time to shout about it?"

Jiao Yan clutched her head with an "Ow," while Xiaoshan snickered beside her.

I stood up, dressed in a light white gauze and ruqun, which saved me the trouble of changing. I headed straight for the Xuanwu Gate. "I'm going out of the palace. Don't tell Mr. Li."

Jiao Yan and Xiaoshan clamored behind me, but I ignored them and left them at the gate.

The on-duty Imperial Bodyguard officer was the familiar Sun Dingkuan. I smiled at him, and he saluted before ordering the guards to let me pass.

After crossing the long city gate and the bridge over the moat, I spotted Zhong Lin in the distance, sitting atop a stone lion across the street. She wore a nearly white, light green gauze robe, her feet resting on the lion's face, swaying slightly.

As I approached, she jumped down and smiled. "Do you know any good teahouses nearby? Let's find a place to talk."

My favorite teahouses weren’t on this street, and while I could leave the palace, I didn’t want to wander too far and worry Li Mingshang and Xiao Qianqing. So I pointed in the direction of Phoenix Come Pavilion’s main hall. "How about we sit in the pavilion and have some tea?"

She nodded with a smile, unable to hide her travel-worn expression. "Sure."

We walked slowly together, chatting and laughing. Upon entering, disciples greeted me with clasped fists and smiles along the way. Perhaps because of their deep affection for the previous Pavilion Master, I—a nominal successor who had done little—was still quite popular, having been "appointed" to the position.

Like the branch in Jinling, this hall was also converted from a garden. Leading Zhong Lin inside, we sat by a stone table near a lotus pond. Li Mingshang had warned me against sitting on stone stools, so disciples quickly brought over two wooden chairs.

After we sat, a maid served tea brewed with fruit in a porcelain pot. I smiled apologetically at Zhong Lin. "Sorry to drag you into being scolded along with me."

Zhong Lin also smiled, sipped her tea, and remained silent.

After a pause, I spoke first. "So, you're the sect leader now?"

Zhong Lin nodded. "The previous leader passed away, so I took over."

I nodded. "Ah, so that’s what happened."

Zhong Lin gently traced the rim of her teacup and smiled. "Cang Cang, let me tell you an old story from long ago."

"Whatever you like," I replied with a smile.

It was a long story—some parts I already knew, others I didn’t. So as Zhong Lin spoke slowly, I listened quietly.

This must have been over twenty years ago. There was a couple who loved each other and were fortunate enough to marry and live together. The husband loved his wife deeply, and the wife loved her husband just as much. Yet neither ever expressed their love to the other.They lived together in a quiet, detached manner, their interactions always subdued. Sometimes misunderstandings arose over trivial matters, yet neither spoke of them, simply carrying on with their lives. Then one day, a young woman deeply in love with the husband appeared. Consumed by her love and knowing he only loved his wife, she committed a desperate act—she kidnapped the wife and took her to Tianshan Mountain. There was a pool on the mountain that never froze, and anyone who soaked in it for three days and nights would be poisoned by something called the Glacial Love Tribulation, the coldest toxin in the world, with no known antidote. Those afflicted could only wait for a slow death.

After bringing the wife to Tianshan, the young woman submerged her in the pool. But that wasn’t enough. She then sought out the husband, who had nearly gone mad with worry over his wife’s disappearance, and told him his wife was in her hands. If he wanted her back safely, he would have to obey her every command. Though the husband was resourceful and capable, against someone who had hidden his wife away, he was powerless and had no choice but to agree.

The young woman then took him to an ice-walled chamber and commanded him to engage in frenzied intimacy with her. No words were exchanged beyond this—just the act itself, repeated for three days and nights. They rested when exhausted, ate when hungry, and resumed once recovered. All the while, the wife, still submerged in the icy pool, watched her husband and the young woman entwined through a hidden mechanism in the wall.

After three days, the young woman opened the chamber’s concealed door, allowing the husband and wife to see each other. Without a word, the wife dragged her poisoned body away. The husband, in a fit of rage, crippled the young woman’s martial abilities before collapsing by the pool, his heart and strength spent.

Fortunately, the husband was saved by a skilled physician who arrived in time, sparing his life. Months later, the wife, who had left alone, gave birth to a son. The child had absorbed most of the Glacial Love Tribulation’s toxins from his mother’s body in the womb, allowing her to survive as well.

Yet from then on, the wife never returned to her husband. That incident became a knot between them—something neither could forget but neither wished to speak of. Over the years that followed, misunderstandings piled up, but most of all, it was that unyielding knot that fueled their endless resentment, slander, and strife.

Zhong Lin’s story ended there. I took a deep breath, recalling the profound look in Gui Wuchang’s eyes when he spoke of the past. At the time, I had felt that gaze was somehow familiar.

Now I remembered where I had seen it before.

Back at Shanhai Pass, after entering the fortress, I had returned to the Jurchen camp and forced Xiao Huan to duel Kumoer. In that moment, Xiao Huan had looked at me with that same gaze—the gaze of a man whose love would never be known, who would die for her, yet whom she would never believe.

A sharp pang struck my chest. I lowered my head and lifted the teacup from the table. The steam rose, blurring the corners of my eyes.Zhong Lin paused for a moment, smiled, and then continued, "The old story ends here. What comes next isn't a story anymore—it's a person's plan. Someone you know. Some call him Bai Chi Fan, while others know he has another name and another identity."

"This person wanted to stop his own mother from doing certain things. But he couldn't harm her, nor could he let her continue making mistakes that would cause suffering for too many people. He couldn't stand by and do nothing. So in the end, he chose what seemed like a foolish method."

"He knew that because he had repeatedly opposed his mother, she had already resolved to kill him and had even placed a hefty bounty on his head in the Martial World. But he couldn't just let himself be killed. If he had to die, he would force his mother to do it herself. He knew all the ugliness of human nature, yet he still believed his mother wasn't someone who had lost all conscience. He knew hatred and misunderstanding were stronger than any other emotion, yet he still believed his own blood could win back his mother's forgiveness and wash away all the old grudges." Zhong Lin smiled, his brows lifting slightly. "A proud and dignified way to die, don't you think? Of all the people I've met, his chosen death was the most honorable."

I set the teacup in my hand down on the stone table, my body trembling uncontrollably as I struggled to steady my voice. "That's... wonderful. So, did this person succeed?"

"He did." Zhong Lin's voice was light and cheerful. "Despite his illness, this person traveled thousands of miles to the Tianshan Mountains, where he found traces of his mother and also the one person who might be able to unravel the knots in her heart—the former Tianshan Sect leader, Yun Zixin. After having her martial arts crippled, she had become a pitiful woman, her mind and body stuck in the state of a young girl."

"With Yun Zixin in tow, this person traced his mother's footsteps, evading relentless pursuit as he crossed the Tianshan Mountains, traversed deserts and plateaus, enduring hardship all the way. While others sought survival, he sought death. Finally, at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where the Azure Jade Sect's headquarters lay, he cornered his mother into a position where she had no choice but to kill him with her own hands. He succeeded."

Zhong Lin let out a long sigh. "You didn't witness the battles of wits and courage along the way, but now I'm convinced. Forget that he built Phoenix Come Pavilion in half a year—I'd believe it if he built another one in the same time. This person truly lives up to the phrase 'awe-inspiring talent.'"

My fingers dug into the wooden armrests of the chair, my ears ringing incessantly. I forced a smile, but my vision blurred as if something had obscured it. "Is that so... That's wonderful..."

Zhong Lin sighed. "Yes, it is. I just took over as sect leader and haven't gotten the hang of anything yet. I really wanted to keep him around to help me for a while. Who knew that as soon as his health showed the slightest improvement, he insisted on rushing back to see you? These days, people who prioritize romance over friendship are becoming more and more common."

I froze, widening my eyes to stare at Zhong Lin. "What did you say?"

Zhong Lin narrowed his eyes and smiled. "I said he insisted on traveling day and night to come back and see you. The person you've been thinking of—Xiao Huan."

I raised a hand to wipe the tears from my face, struggling to steady myself as I looked at Zhong Lin. "But you just said..."Zhong Lin blinked her eyes: "I meant he forced his mother into a position where she had no choice but to kill him with her own hands, but I didn't say she actually did." She paused and smiled. "Uncle Xiao eventually went—he and the sect leader fell off the cliff together."

I fell silent for a moment. Gui Wuchang and Chen Jiaozhu—could they be considered a pair of star-crossed lovers? So sincerely in love, yet resentful all their lives, ending in mutual destruction.

"Before the sect leader fell off the cliff, she entrusted me with a message for you," Zhong Lin suddenly said with a smile. "She told me to tell you..."

A message from Chen Jiaozhu? I was stunned, staring at Zhong Lin.

Zhong Lin stroked her chin and smiled. "The sect leader said, 'Treat Huan'er well—his health is fragile.'"

I paused, then immediately straightened my expression. "I understand. I'll make sure to do so."

Zhong Lin also smiled and waved her hand. "Alright, enough small talk. I came here in a hurry mainly to see you first and pass along that story and message. Your beloved is currently in the auxiliary capital, Daiyu City. He pushed himself too hard on the journey, and if he doesn't rest soon, I'm afraid he might collapse the moment he sees you." She winked. "If you don’t want him to worry, wait here for his return—it should only be a day or two. But if you can’t wait, go find him. The crabapple blossoms in Daiyu City are at their finest now..." She trailed off mysteriously. "You should be able to guess the place."

I let out an "Oh," then stood up to leave.

Behind me, Zhong Lin chuckled, her voice tinged with melancholy. "Cang Cang, I'm sorry. That day at Tianshan, I shouldn’t have said such cruel words. I didn’t mean it—I just... It's good now. At least you can still find him, unlike me..."

I stopped and turned to look at her. "Zhong Lin, you’ve been busy at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain lately, haven’t you?"

She froze. "Yes, why?"

"You didn’t actually think Mu Yan was dead, did you?" I asked, watching her.

Her beautiful eyes widened, her voice trembling. "Wasn’t he...?"

I burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. "You fool! Such a fool! I was just saying that in anger... And you—you didn’t even bother to check afterward."

Clearing my throat, I suppressed my laughter and pointed to a room across the lotus pond. "Mu Yan is right there. He’s been drowning in paperwork these past couple of days, grumbling nonstop. You can go help him sort some of it out."

Zhong Lin’s eyes grew even wider. Suddenly, she lunged forward and bit my hand hard. "You can’t joke like that! Do you know I almost killed myself?!"

I yelped in pain. "I’m pregnant! Don’t be rough... Ouch!"

A few teardrops fell onto the back of my hand. Zhong Lin sprang up and dashed toward the lotus pond like a rabbit, her usual dignified demeanor as the leader of the world’s greatest sect completely forgotten. I snorted, rubbing the red teeth marks on my hand. "That wretched woman, she deliberately played me just now... Well, I’ve been playing her for over three months—fair’s fair."

After checking that no one was watching, I hurried to the stables, saddled a horse, and galloped toward Daiyu City.

The thirty-li journey took only half a shichen. Zhong Lin was right—the crabapple blossoms in Daiyu City were in full bloom, and the streets were crowded with visitors admiring the flowers, weaving beneath the canopy of blooming branches.

A gentle breeze sent petals fluttering down like rain. Lovers walking side by side paused beneath the trees, exchanging sweet smiles—a picture-perfect scene.

The crabapple blossoms in Daiyu City were indeed at their finest... but the most beautiful ones bloomed at the foot of Daiyu Mountain.

Standing beneath the endless rows of flowering trees that stretched across the city, I let go of the horse’s reins and strolled forward. Every street was bustling, but I kept walking until I gradually approached the heart of the city—Daiyu Mountain.Petal after petal of crabapple blossoms drifted past my eyes and brushed against my sleeves, settling onto the bluestone pavement. The endless pink seemed to flood my vision as the surroundings grew quiet, step by step, as if walking through a dream.

From deep within the dense woods came the sparse sound of a zither. The thick floral grove gradually opened up to reveal a clearing at the heart of the crabapple forest, where a white-canopied carriage stood. The horses had already been taken away by the coachman to graze, leaving the shafts empty, resting against a large rock in the woods. A figure in green robes reclined lazily by the open carriage curtain.

His head leaned against the carriage wall, loose strands of hair cascading over his shoulders, reflecting a faint golden sheen in the sunlight. One hand extended casually to pluck the strings of the ancient zither resting on the shafts, his slender, pale fingers dancing lazily under the sun.

I walked over and stood before the carriage, sighing. "You play the zither like you're plucking cotton."

His pale pink lips curled slightly as he opened his eyes, amusement flickering in his dark, double-pupiled gaze. "Oh?"

I nodded, squeezing onto the shafts to sit beside him. "You've never learned to play, have you?"

He chuckled, stopping his idle strumming. "No."

I gasped. "You mean you're not skilled in music?"

He laughed softly, straightening slightly against the carriage wall to make more room for me. "Is that so strange?"

I nodded solemnly. "Very strange." Then I looked at him. "Do you know Zhong Lin talks about you like you're some legendary figure? She made me almost afraid to meet you."

He smiled. "Ah, Zhong Lin. That girl insisted on going ahead to the capital to inform you. I couldn't stop her."

I nodded. "She said your health couldn't take any more strain." Taking his slightly cold hand in mine, I wrapped an arm around his waist. "Tell me honestly, how are you feeling now?"

He smiled. "Not bad?"

I glared at him. "Details."

He paused, thinking for a moment with a faint smile. "When I was in the Tianshan Mountains, I prepared medicine to counteract the Cold Poison..."

I gasped. "But if the Cold Poison is gone, won't your Inner Force run wild? Isn't that dangerous?"

He chuckled, continuing, "Later, when the Inner Force backlash came, Zixin didn't understand and gave me medicine for internal injuries. By sheer luck, it worked—about seventy or eighty percent recovered."

I quickly said, "That's wonderful, isn't it?"

He smiled. "Then later, at the summit of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, I played a game of chess with someone. We played for two days and nights in the snowstorm, and now I'm like this."

I gasped again. "You pushed yourself again!" I pressed, "How are you now?"

He smiled. "About the same as before, I suppose."

I sighed. "After all that strain and trouble, if only it were as simple as you make it sound."

He smiled but said nothing.

Still, this was the first time he'd ever been so open about his condition. Thinking this, I wrapped my other arm around him. "I've heard the message from your mother. From now on, I'll take good care of you and nurse you back to health. After all, you're my Male Concubine, aren't you?"

He chuckled softly with an "Mm," but still didn't speak.I thought for a moment, then grabbed his hand: "Such beautiful fingers—it'd be a waste not to learn the qin. I can play, come, I'll teach you." As I spoke, I guided his fingers to touch the strings: "For the right-hand techniques, there's mo, tiao, gou, ti, da, di, as well as lun, suo, shuangtan, ruyi, diejuan..."

He laughed: "Why are you in such a hurry? We've only just met."

I bared my teeth at him: "It's rare I find something I can do that you can't—let me show off a little. Come, let me educate you, you tone-deaf..."

He chuckled softly: "Who told you I was tone-deaf? I'm just not skilled with the qin... I can play the xiao..."

I fell silent. When Xiao Huan said he could do something, it usually meant he was—exceptionally proficient.

I could only roll my eyes: "Fine, since you can't play the qin but can play the xiao, why are you sitting here plucking at this thing..."

"Because it looks nice." A crisp child's voice answered before Xiao Huan could. Yun Zixin crawled out of the carriage, still a bit drowsy. "Even if he's just sitting here like he's plucking cotton, it still looks very elegant."

I stared wide-eyed at Yun Zixin: "What are you doing here?"

Yun Zixin gave me a sidelong glance, neither feigning innocence nor pretending to be refined. The childishness she displayed now seemed entirely natural: "I'm following Huan'er. What's it to you?"

Xiao Huan sighed beside us: "Her standards for male concubines are higher than yours. I have to occasionally indulge in some cultured pursuits."

Suddenly overcome with jealousy, I wrapped my arms around Xiao Huan and planted a firm kiss on his thin lips, then looked up at Yun Zixin: "Brother Xiao is my male concubine! Don't you dare try to take him!"

Yun Zixin gave me a cool look: "Oh, please. Don't be so petty. Who wants to fight you for him? This old lady just came out for a walk because listening to you two flirt was making me nauseous... Do whatever you want."

Hearing someone who looked like a young girl refer to herself as an "old lady" was indescribably bizarre.

After speaking, Yun Zixin nimbly jumped down from the carriage and started to walk away, but suddenly turned back to say: "Huan'er told me my Xiaoqian is now under you in that Phoenix Come Pavilion or whatever. Take good care of her."

I was stunned, unable to recall anyone by that name: "What Xiaoqian? Who's Xiaoqian?"

Yun Zixin pouted impatiently and muttered under her breath: "So stupid." Then she raised her voice: "The one who goes by Su Qian. Her real name is Yun Xiaoqian. She's my daughter."

I was even more confused: "But weren't you stripped of your martial arts and turned into a child? How could you have a daughter..."

Yun Zixin cursed again: "So stupid." She raised her voice: "What about before I turned small?"

Without another word, she turned and skipped away, hands behind her back. From behind, she looked no different from an ordinary twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl.

I shook my head and sighed: "It wouldn't be so bad to be like Sect Leader Yun, forever twelve years old."

Xiao Huan wrapped an arm around my waist and smiled: "Isn't it just as good to grow older year by year?"

I turned and threw my arms around his neck, suddenly remembering: "In the two years we've been married, we haven't spent either of your birthdays together. Next year, we absolutely must celebrate together!"

He nodded with a smile: "Alright, next year for sure."After some thought, I suddenly felt indignant: "Why is it always you who silently leaves me behind, and then I have to chase after you? Are you really that great?"

He chuckled softly and nodded: "Yes, yes, I'm not that great."

I glared at him: "If you're not that great, then does that mean I'm foolish for always chasing after you?"

He smiled, then suddenly reached out both arms to wrap around my waist, his voice still gentle: "Cang Cang, I'm sorry."

To my embarrassment, my face flushed red. I mumbled a response, kissed his forehead, and quickly changed the subject: "Anyway, there are so many things I need to tell you. Listen carefully, and don't you dare get impatient."

He nodded with a smile: "Alright."

"While you were away, the court officials have been causing such a ruckus. My father can't keep them in line anymore, and Xiao Qianqing can't be bothered to deal with them... I bet the moment you return to the capital, Xiao Qianqing will drag you back and force you onto the throne again."

"Hmm, we'll talk about it when we return to the capital."

"Also, I took over Phoenix Come Pavilion, and with Su Qian's help, everything's been going smoothly. I've already moved the headquarters to the capital—makes work much easier."

"Very good."

"And... and also, I'm pregnant. The morning sickness isn't too bad, and I can still run and jump around, but Mr. Li treats me like some fragile goddess—it's driving me crazy."

"Hmm, you should still be careful."

"Ah... I'm pregnant, and you don't even seem happy!"

"Hmm? I am happy."

"You're not showing it!"

I don't know how much of what I said was useful and how much was nonsense, but I kept talking until my throat was dry and I didn't feel like speaking anymore. I rested my head on Xiao Huan's shoulder and looked up at the flowering crabapple tree overhead, its blossoms piled like pink clouds. Smiling lazily, I said, "Brother Xiao, do you know the legend of Daiyu City?"

He wrapped his arm around my waist, leaning his shoulder against the carriage wall, and replied, "Hmm?"

"It's that one—people who meet under a blooming crabapple tree, if they fall in love, will be happy together for life."

He smiled but didn't say anything.

I chuckled. "We didn't meet under a crabapple tree, though."

Then I turned to face him directly, gazing seriously into his deep, dark eyes. "My name is Ling Cangcang. 'Ling' as in the morning glory, and 'Cangcang' as in the vastness of the sky. Nice to meet you, sir."

He paused, then slowly smiled, his dark eyes reflecting the sea of pink blossoms above. "My name is Xiao Huan. Nice to meet you."

I laughed softly. I thought to myself that I should tell him next—no matter how many times, let's start over. No matter how many times, I will always love him.