Аftеr Li Rоng finishеd sрeaking, shе rаisеd hеr hаnd to pour wаtеr into Pеi Wenxuаn’s mоuth. Реi Wеnхuan neаrly choked to deаth, struggling tо push thе cuр аwау as hе ехсlаimed urgеntly, “What arе уou dоing!”
“Feeling morе energеtic now?”
Li Rоng stооd uр with а smilе аnd said to thе рeорlе besidе her, “Неlp him up, wе’rе leаving.”
With that, Li Rong boаrded the cаrriаgе first, while оthers helpеd Реi Wenхuаn insidе bеfоrе steррing baсk.
Thе carriаge sеt оff, сlip-сlоррing away. Li Rоng sat on the seat, drеssed in a danсer’s attirе and drарed in Рei Wenxuan’s robe, her posture poised and elegant. In her every movement, there was an indescribable, subtle charm.
When Pei Wenxuan entered the carriage and saw Li Rong’s appearance, his expression steadied for a moment before he averted his gaze, pretending not to have noticed anything. He went to sit opposite Li Rong, closed his eyes, and lay down.
“Aren’t you going to ask where I’m taking you?”
Seeing Pei Wenxuan feigning death, Li Rong asked with a smile. Pei Wenxuan didn’t open his eyes and replied calmly, “You won’t be taking me to my death, at any rate.”
“So confident?”
Li Rong chuckled softly. “You seem to trust me quite a bit now.”
“You could kill me right now, then go off to marry tomorrow. Maybe you could wear this Persian dancer’s outfit for a long, long time.”
Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s disdain for the outfit, Li Rong couldn’t help but glance down at herself before saying, “I think this outfit looks quite nice. Why do you have so many opinions about it?”
Just as Pei Wenxuan was about to speak, Li Rong immediately reminded him, “Don’t you dare mention vulgarity to me. I remember when I was young and wore this outfit, you told me it suited me well and had a unique charm.”
These words left Pei Wenxuan speechless, unable to spit out or swallow his words. After holding back for a long while, he finally said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate now.”
Li Rong sneered mockingly. “Pei Wenxuan, you were quite the dashing young man in your youth, but now you’re no different from those old fuddy-duddies.”
In their youth, Pei Wenxuan wasn’t like Su Rongqing, who was widely known as a refined and charming gentleman. The outside world often described him as somewhat taciturn, dull, and even rigid.
But in truth, he would accompany her to see the lanterns during the Lantern Festival, watch her dress up as a Persian dancer, veil her face, and join the crowd to dance. At such times, he would even smile and praise her, saying no one looked more beautiful than she did. After the dancing, when the cold wind blew, he would quietly place his hand on her shoulder, using his wide sleeves to shield her from the chill.
Then she would blink and ask him, “Aren’t you angry?”
Pei Wenxuan would glance sidelong at the person in his arms with a half-smile. “Seeing the peony in full bloom in Huajing, I’m overjoyed. Why would I be angry?”
Li Rong raised an eyebrow, and Pei Wenxuan knew this was a warning not to tease her. So he straightened his expression and said gently, “I was a little unhappy at first, but seeing you happy, I find I’m not unhappy at all. And, to be fair,” Pei Wenxuan said seriously, “everything belonging to Your Highness is yours. I shouldn’t comment on it; I should just be here to accompany you.”
Pleased by these words, Li Rong asked, “Everything of mine is mine, but what about you?”
Seeing the joy dancing in Li Rong’s eyes, Pei Wenxuan twirled his fan, held the girl close, and walked through the bustling streets of Huajing, shielding Li Rong from the surrounding crowd as he smiled and said, “Aside from duty, family, and old friends, everything of Pei Wenxuan belongs to Your Highness.”"Morality, family, old friends," Li Rong recited, somewhat displeased. "Apart from these, what else do you have left?"
"If none of these are removed," Pei Wenxuan said helplessly, "then my life would consist only of Your Highness. Wouldn’t that make me disloyal, unfilial, and unjust? Would Your Highness like such a person?"
Li Rong thought about it and realized she wouldn’t like that either. Deep down, she also understood that if such affection truly existed, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.
She had spoken in jest, but Pei Wenxuan was always earnest in his words, so she didn’t press further and simply halted her steps.
Seeing her stop, Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her. Li Rong spread her arms and lifted her chin slightly. "Fine, since you can give so much of yourself to me, I’ll reluctantly be a little nicer to you."
Then, glancing at Pei Wenxuan’s coat, she said, "Give me your coat to wear."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan paused, staring blankly at Li Rong as if lost in thought. Seeing him frozen, Li Rong couldn’t help but urge him, "Hurry up."
Only then did Pei Wenxuan snap out of it. He took off his robe and draped it over Li Rong’s shoulders. Just as he pulled the garment in front of her, the Lantern Festival fireworks burst into the sky. The crowds on the street, men and women alike, all looked upward. Li Rong was no exception—she quickly raised her head, and the fireworks seemed to fall into her eyes. At that very moment, Pei Wenxuan quietly took her hand and, as everyone gazed at the fireworks, leaned down and kissed her lips.
The kiss was fleeting, vanishing like the fireworks, but it left Li Rong standing there, stunned for a long time. After all, Pei Wenxuan was always cautious and somewhat old-fashioned—she had never imagined he would do such a thing in public.
Yet he remained composed, holding her hand and smiling as he said, "Your Highness, let’s go."
Li Rong didn’t speak. She let him lead her, walking ahead while she followed in his footsteps. After a long while, she whispered, "With so many people around, why did you kiss me?"
Pei Wenxuan walked ahead, and she couldn’t see the blush that had spread across his face. She only heard his usually elegant and upright voice, tinged with an indescribable tenderness, softly reply, "Rongrong, I’m very happy."
He didn’t explain further, only saying that one sentence—he was very happy.
As for what he was happy about, what delighted him, or why he had lost his composure in that moment, even he couldn’t quite put it into words.
Recalling that version of Pei Wenxuan, Li Rong looked at the man now lying stiffly with his eyes closed and couldn’t help but sigh, murmuring, "Time ages us all."
"As if you aren’t old yourself," Pei Wenxuan grumbled, turning away irritably at her mention of the past. "Old woman."
Li Rong let out a soft "hmph." "Old geezer."
Pei Wenxuan fell silent. He didn’t know if it was because he had drunk too much, but hearing Li Rong say these things made his heart ache.
If they didn’t reminisce about how beautiful the past was, they wouldn’t realize how wretched they had become now.
Only when Li Rong reminded him did he remember that it had been many, many years since he had felt the same state of mind as in his youth—that calm, gentle, open, hopeful, and fearless heart.
He remembered that in his younger days, he had many interests. He could paint, compose poetry, and when the mood struck him, play the qin or dance with a sword—a perfectly accomplished young nobleman.On clear days, he would hike up the mountain or drift along rivers and lakes in a boat, feeling that everyone in the world was good and everything was beautiful—especially Li Rong. Whenever she smiled with her eyes curved, he felt as if winter would never come again.
But he himself didn’t know what had happened. Li Rong argued with him, they parted ways, his mother passed away, Li Rong got together with Su Rongqing, Qin Zhenzhen died in the inner palace, Li Chuan’s temperament changed drastically, and as his power grew and his position rose higher, everything became stranger.
Every day, he felt exhausted, weary of everything. After finishing his official duties each day, his greatest wish was to find a place, quiet and undisturbed, where he could close the door and be alone. He dreaded seeing the people around him because every encounter meant either arguments, cautious flattery, or constant vigilance. Even with Li Rong, their meetings were filled with endless mockery and insults.
Day after day, year after year, this cycle repeated itself. The more exhausted he became, the more irritable he grew, and the more irritable he was, the more exhausted he felt. Trapped in this vicious cycle, he lived like a caged beast, thrashing about aimlessly until now, looking back, he realized he had already battered himself bloody and beyond recognition.
Hearing Li Rong speak of such beautiful memories, he could no longer sleep. He simply lay there with his eyes open, staring at the swaying carriage wall in silence.
Li Rong sipped her tea and, thinking he had fallen asleep, picked up an account book from the side to flip through. After a while, she suddenly heard Pei Wenxuan say, “I’m really hateful, aren’t I?”
Li Rong paused her movements. After a moment, she replied softly, “Aren’t I hateful too?”
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong lowered her gaze and turned a page of the book, speaking calmly, “Always arguing with you, always criticizing you. We’re all the same; you don’t need to feel inferior.”
Pei Wenxuan listened to her words, momentarily at a loss for a response. Sensing he might be dwelling on something, Li Rong advised, “You’ve been drinking, and your mind isn’t clear. Don’t overthink it; just go to sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll go to Nine Lu Mountain to find Qin Lin. According to the timeline, news of the Yang family’s siege will soon reach the front lines. When that happens, the Yang family members there will surely cause trouble. Chuan’er will likely have to go soon. Before that, we need to persuade Qin Lin to accompany Chuan’er to the front lines.”
Pei Wenxuan listened as Li Rong calmly discussed the situation with him. Almost out of habit, he processed her words and responded, “I know Qin Lin well. The one I’m most worried about is actually Cui Qinghe… Tomorrow, we’ll assess the situation at Nine Lu Mountain. No need to worry.”
“Mm,” Li Rong acknowledged, flipping through the account book. “Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive at the Princess’s Manor.”
Seeing that Li Rong didn’t wish to continue the conversation, Pei Wenxuan said nothing more. He closed his eyes and drifted into a hazy sleep.
In his dream, for some reason, he found himself reliving the three years he spent in mourning in Luzhou. Back then, though he held no official position, he lived freely and unrestrained. On gentle, sunny days, he would take a jug of wine and a flute, board a boat, and drift downstream to find a shady spot, sleeping on the lake all afternoon. On his return, he would gather some lotus seeds and give them to children he met along the way. When the lotus flowers were in full bloom, he would also pick one and casually gift it to a young girl he encountered that day.He couldn't help but smile in his dream, then heard fireworks blooming in the distance, followed by eighteen-year-old Li Rong, dressed in Persian dancer's attire, wearing a veil, mingling among the crowd and learning the movements from them.
Her waist was slender, agile as a snake. When she moved, the shimmering sequins hanging at her waist swayed gently, outlining a subtle, alluring charm. Her eyes were bright, gazing at him through the crowd. Even with half her face covered, one could still see that cat-like, proud and lively smile.
He watched the girl from afar across the crowd and couldn't help but smile.
Somehow, the girl walked up to him. She was draped in his clothes, looking at him with a radiant smile.
"Pei Wenxuan," she called his name, but after saying it, she remained silent, simply gazing at him quietly.
Then a young man appeared beside her. His expression was gentle, standing calmly with her. The man had the same eyes and brows as Pei Wenxuan, yet his demeanor was entirely different.
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong smiled, "I'm leaving."
As she spoke, Li Rong and the young man held hands, their figures slowly fading away. Pei Wenxuan faintly heard someone calling him: "Lord Pei? Young Master Pei? Pei Wenxuan? Pei, you dog!"
Amidst these calls, Pei Wenxuan slowly opened his eyes and saw Li Rong looking down at him, lightly patting his face as she said, "Are you unconscious or asleep? Get up quickly, let's go."
Pei Wenxuan snapped back to reality, feigning composure as he nodded and slowly rose.
Li Rong examined him briefly and, seeing he was awake, said, "I'll go down first. Take your time."
With that, Li Rong stepped out of the carriage. After a moment, Pei Wenxuan also got up and descended.
Then the two of them looked up and saw the plaque of the Princess's Manor.
This was the place where they had lived for many years, both of them all too familiar with it. Yet after experiencing life and death and returning, standing before the gate now carried a sense of indescribable melancholy.
The two exchanged a glance, and Li Rong smiled. "We're back."
Pei Wenxuan also smiled, lowering his head gently as he said, "Let's go in."
Li Rong rarely visited the Princess's Manor. As soon as she arrived, the entire manor immediately lit up and grew lively.
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan went to the rear courtyard together. Pei Wenxuan was assigned to another room. Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar place, he listened as Li Rong skillfully gave orders: "Plant a peach blossom tree here, move that red maple over to the east garden, replace all the incense in the room with Luo family's orchid wood, and that vase..."
Li Rong had quite a few changes in mind. As they walked to the entrance of the rear courtyard, a servant said to Pei Wenxuan, "Young Master, this way, please."
Pei Wenxuan nodded and bid farewell to Li Rong: "Your Highness, this humble servant will retire first."
"Alright," Li Rong nodded casually before turning back to the steward. "And that rose over there..."
Listening to Li Rong's words, Pei Wenxuan turned and walked along the corridor. He gazed at the moonlight falling on the veranda, listening to Li Rong's incessant chatter. After a few steps, he paused and looked back to see Li Rong still wearing the dancer's clothes, draped in his robe, yet commanding people with great authority.
Her appearance was both different from her younger self and yet somehow unchanged.
Pei Wenxuan watched quietly for a moment, unable to suppress a smile.
Suddenly, he called out, "Your Highness!"
Li Rong turned around to see Pei Wenxuan standing in the corridor.He looked at her and suddenly said, "Actually, this outfit of yours looks quite nice too."
Upon hearing this, Li Rong was momentarily stunned. She then saw Pei Wenxuan place his hands in front of him, bow respectfully, and say gently, "May Your Highness sleep well."
In that instant, Li Rong felt a brief moment of daze, as if she had glimpsed the twenty-year-old Pei Wenxuan, yet not quite.
She couldn’t help but lightly pat her own face.
"I should go to bed early," she murmured to herself.
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