Li Rоng galloреd bасk tо the manor оn hоrsebaсk, encоuntеring Реi Wеnхuan's men sеnt to meet her along thе wаy. Withоut asking furthеr quеstiоns, shе led thеm dirесtlу bаck tо the Princеss's Мanоr.
As soon аs she arrivеd, she saw реорlе bustling аbоut inside, seеminglу eхtrеmеly busу. Li Rong lеd hеr men into thе bеdroоm, where basins оf bloody wаtеr wеre bеing carried оut оnе aftеr аnоthеr. Shе liftеd the сurtаin and еnterеd, asking direсtly, "Whеrе is Рei Wеnхuаn? Нow is he?"
As shе spoke, she saw Рei Wenxuаn sitting on the bеd, a рhуsiciаn bandaging his wound. His face was somewhat pale, and when he saw Li Rong enter, a look of surprise crossed his features. "Your Highness? How did you return so quickly?"
Seeing that Pei Wenxuan was unharmed, Li Rong's expression softened slightly. She walked to the bedside and asked the physician, "Is he alright?"
"Your Highness need not worry," the physician replied respectfully. "The wound did not damage any tendons or veins, and there was no poison. He will recover after some rest."
Li Rong nodded and stood by, waiting for Pei Wenxuan's hand to be bandaged. Once the attendants withdrew, only the two of them remained in the room.
Pei Wenxuan looked up at Li Rong and smiled. "Standing for so long, aren't you tired?"
As he spoke, he patted the edge of the bed gently. "Sit."
Li Rong sat down beside him and sighed. "How did you get injured? You're not a child anymore—how could you be assassinated?"
"It was my fault," Pei Wenxuan said softly as Li Rong examined his wound. "On the way back, a child tried to present a grievance to the authorities, but it turned out to be an assassin in disguise. I was caught off guard for a moment. But don't worry, I've already sent people to investigate. Results should come soon."
Li Rong acknowledged with a hum. Pei Wenxuan saw her looking down and, after a moment, reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, saying gently, "I've worried Your Highness."
"Be more careful from now on."
Li Rong spoke softly, then remembered something. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet," Pei Wenxuan replied with a smile. "And you, Your Highness? Have you had your meal?"
"Not yet either," Li Rong stood up and naturally reached out to support Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan lowered his gaze, concealing the emotions in his eyes, and allowed Li Rong to help him up. As she assisted him out of the room, she couldn't help but ask, "Besides your hand, where else are you injured?"
"There are no other injuries," Pei Wenxuan smiled. "I was just frightened, a bit scared in my heart."
"You can be frightened?" Li Rong looked at him skeptically. "Shouldn't you be used to it by now?"
"Your Highness, matters of life and death are never something one gets used to," Pei Wenxuan shook his head. "It's just that one must face them, so we pretend to be accustomed."
Li Rong thought for a moment and felt that Pei Wenxuan made a valid point. She helped him to the table, seated him, and then ordered food to be served.
Li Rong asked Pei Wenxuan in detail about the entire assassination attempt, and Pei Wenxuan answered meticulously. When the food was served, Pei Wenxuan used one hand to pick up dishes, leaving the soup untouched. As he ate elegantly, he observed Li Rong, who was thoughtfully sipping her soup. Seeing her distracted while eating, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Don't overthink it. Many people resent me now, and such incidents are bound to happen. I can protect myself. Leave the investigation to me, alright?"
Hearing this, Li Rong snapped back to attention and nodded. "Alright, that works."As she spoke, her gaze fell on Pei Wenxuan's hand holding the chopsticks, then shifted to the untouched soup bowl beside him. She paused for a moment before setting down her own chopsticks.
"Your Highness?"
"Let me feed you."
Li Rong picked up the nearby soup bowl, gently blew on it, and brought it to Pei Wenxuan's lips. Pei Wenxuan was momentarily stunned, and Li Rong urged him, "Drink."
Prompted back to his senses, Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes and took the white porcelain spoon Li Rong offered into his mouth.
He always liked to have a bowl of soup before meals. He had assumed Li Rong never noticed such details, but it turned out she was aware all along.
She knew he preferred to start with a bowl of soup, and she also knew that in her presence, he didn’t want to appear improper. With one hand unable to hold the bowl, he had simply chosen not to drink the soup at all.
After Li Rong finished feeding him the soup, Pei Wenxuan smiled and said, "I can manage the dishes myself, Your Highness. Please don’t go hungry on my account."
Li Rong acknowledged with a soft sound, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and took a few bites herself.
Once Li Rong had finished the meal with Pei Wenxuan, she heard that Shangguan Ya had arrived. She helped Pei Wenxuan back to bed, told him to rest, and then returned to the main hall.
Shangguan Ya was waiting for Li Rong in the hall. Seeing her enter, she bowed and said, "Your Highness."
"Any leads?"
"I’ve verified Su Ronghua’s whereabouts. At the time of the incident, he hadn’t yet returned to the Su residence, so he likely couldn’t have acted so quickly."
"It wasn’t him," Li Rong affirmed. "The Su family wouldn’t do something like this. Su Lin was only demoted, and no other members of the Su family were implicated. They wouldn’t attempt to assassinate Pei Wenxuan over such a minor matter."
"Is the Imperial Son-in-Law alright?" Shangguan Ya glanced toward the rear courtyard. Li Rong nodded. "The blade wasn’t poisoned. They were merely warning me. If they had intended to kill Pei Wenxuan, they would have coated the blade with poison, and he likely wouldn’t have survived."
Hearing this, Shangguan Ya couldn’t help but frown. Li Rong closed her eyes, sitting in the chair for a moment to steady herself. "We interrogated people this afternoon, then they used a kite to intimidate me, and tonight they attempted to kill Pei Wenxuan. There must be someone within the Supervisory Department leaking information. Investigate everyone who entered or left this afternoon and re-examine their backgrounds."
"Yes."
Shangguan Ya fell into thought, and Li Rong looked up at her. "You seem to have something to say?"
"Your Highness," Shangguan Ya said slowly, weighing her words, "at this point, what they’re really after is simply to save their own lives. This was just a warning, but it was directly aimed at the Imperial Son-in-Law. If they were truly determined, he might not have survived today..."
"Speak plainly," Li Rong said, her tone calm. Shangguan Ya pursed her lips. "I fear that being too rigid may lead to breaking. Perhaps... we should take a step back?"
Li Rong remained silent, her eyes fixed on Shangguan Ya. Shangguan Ya was still only around twenty years old—it was only natural for her to feel apprehensive in such a situation.
"If they hadn’t taken action, I might have spared their lives."
Li Rong stood up and said simply, "Now, either I die, or they die."
Shangguan Ya was taken aback for a moment before understanding Li Rong’s meaning. She offered no further advice and simply asked, "Then what does Your Highness plan to do?"
Li Rong pondered for a while before replying slowly, "They are in the shadows, while we are in the light. That’s not a sustainable strategy."
"Then what is Your Highness’s plan?" Shangguan Ya tilted her head, awaiting Li Rong’s instructions.
After a long silence, Li Rong finally said, "First, continue the investigation. If no results emerge, we’ll have no choice but to lure the enemy in and trap them."Shangguan Ya listened to these words, showing some confusion. "Lure with what?"
Li Rong raised her eyes and said calmly, "Me."
"Your Highness," Shangguan Ya immediately responded upon hearing this, "That's not acceptable. It's too risky."
"Isn't it risky for them to kill me?" Li Rong scoffed. "If they have the courage, shouldn't I?"
"Are they the same as you?" Shangguan Ya grew anxious. "What status do they hold, and what status do you hold? Your Highness, the Imperial Son-in-Law would never agree to this idea either."
"Did I tell you to discuss it with him?" Li Rong shot her a cold glance. "Are my affairs any of his business?"
Shangguan Ya was momentarily speechless. Li Rong couldn't be bothered to deal with her further and waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, you may leave now. Investigate first. If you find evidence, it's best to handle it directly. If not, we'll discuss it later."
Shangguan Ya said nothing. After a moment of silence, she turned and walked out, saying impatiently, "I must inform the Imperial Son-in-Law."
"Stop!" Li Rong called out to Shangguan Ya. "Why would you tell him?"
"Since he can't control you anyway," Shangguan Ya smiled, "can't I just chat with him?"
"Shangguan Ya," Li Rong chuckled, "I dare you."
Shangguan Ya stared at Li Rong. After a moment, she grew somewhat irritated and waved her hand. "Forget it, forget it. Do as you please. It's not my life on the line anyway."
With that, Shangguan Ya walked out, waving her hand dismissively. Li Rong stayed in the hall, drinking tea to calm herself for a while. After bathing, she finally returned to her room.
In the room, Pei Wenxuan was still awake. He wore a white inner robe and a blue outer coat, sitting upright by the desk, looking down as he reviewed reports.
Li Rong walked to the doorway but didn't enter. She stood at the threshold, quietly watching Pei Wenxuan. When he was silent, he resembled a painting, a serene landscape, waiting there gently and quietly, giving her the courage to return.
Pei Wenxuan wrote two lines with his brush before sensing someone at the door. He looked up and saw Li Rong standing at the entrance, the courtyard's night light obscured behind her, silently watching him.
Pei Wenxuan gazed at Li Rong for a moment before setting down his brush. He beckoned to her softly and said, "Your Highness, it's cold at the door. Come sit here."
Upon hearing this, Li Rong walked over to Pei Wenxuan's side. She sat down as he gestured and smiled gently. "What are you writing?"
"Just casually looking at some reports from informants," Pei Wenxuan observed her. "Did you argue with Shangguan Ya?"
"When will you ever change this habit of exposing people's secrets?"
Li Rong sat down, leaning lazily against the table, and turned her gaze to Pei Wenxuan's hand. "Does your hand still hurt?"
"If I say it hurts, will Your Highness help blow on it?"
Pei Wenxuan raised his hand. Li Rong smiled and lifted her fan, pretending to hit him. Pei Wenxuan didn't move, simply looking at her with a smile. Li Rong's fan stopped half an inch above his wound, unable to strike down. Pei Wenxuan then extended his hand toward her and continued, "If Your Highness blows on it, it won't hurt anymore."
"Are you a child?"
Li Rong found herself torn between laughter and tears. Pei Wenxuan sighed. "Ah, Your Highness truly doesn't care for your humble servant."
As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan withdrew his hand. Li Rong glanced at him and, seeing his aggrieved expression, burst into laughter. She raised her hand and said, "Give me your hand."Pei Wenxuan extended his hand, and Li Rong placed it in her palm, examining it carefully before looking up at him. "You worldly man, your hands are so beautifully shaped they carry a touch of ethereal grace."
Pei Wenxuan smiled without speaking. Li Rong hesitated for a moment, and just as he was wondering what she was hesitating about, he saw her lower her head and gently blow on his hand.
Her breath was warm, brushing against his palm and then traveling upward to the wound on his hand. The sensation tingled and spread, and Pei Wenxuan’s gaze deepened. He watched quietly as Li Rong lowered her head for him, and after blowing on his hand, she looked up at him with a hint of innocence, asking, "Does it feel better?"
Pei Wenxuan didn’t answer. His gaze first fell on Li Rong’s eyes, then slid to the tip of her nose, and finally lingered on her lips.
Li Rong looked puzzled. "Pei Wenxuan?"
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan laughed softly. "I thought Your Highness wouldn’t take it seriously." As he spoke, he withdrew his hand from Li Rong’s grasp. Li Rong straightened up casually and said, "When I was little and bumped myself, my mother would blow on it like that. After blowing, it really felt less painful."
"Naturally," Pei Wenxuan replied.
Seeing Li Rong stand up, Pei Wenxuan followed suit. Hearing him rise, Li Rong turned and offered him a hand to steady him.
Pei Wenxuan had never been cared for like this by Li Rong before. Though he showed no expression on his face, he followed behind her and said softly, "When someone is willing to blow on your wound, it means they care. Whether the wound hurts or not, your heart is always gladdened."
"You make it sound so pitiful," Li Rong glanced back at him sideways. "As if I treat you poorly on ordinary days, and you’re lacking in care and affection."
"Your Highness treats this humble official exceptionally well," Pei Wenxuan replied as they reached the bedside. Li Rong helped him remove his outer robe before climbing into bed first. Pei Wenxuan watched as Li Rong slipped under the covers, then walked to the bedside to extinguish the lamp and got into bed as usual.
His left hand was injured, but his right hand remained unharmed. After Li Rong lay down, a moment later, Pei Wenxuan spoke up. "Your Highness, sometimes I can’t help but wonder what you would be like as a wife."
Li Rong remained silent. Pei Wenxuan continued on his own, "Your Highness would likely be a virtuous wife and mother. Though you appear decisive and formidable, you are actually very gentle. Just now, when Your Highness took care of me, I felt as though I had a home of my own."
As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan stole a glance at Li Rong.
Li Rong listened to his words for a long while before responding slowly, "There probably wouldn’t be much difference."
She spoke while staring at the bed curtains with open eyes. "I don’t like things that affect me. Whether I’m someone’s wife or not, I’d likely be much the same as I am now."
"How could that be?" Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her. "Your Highness, if you love someone, everything should be different."
Hearing this, Li Rong let out a soft laugh after a long pause. "But I don’t understand what love is, and I don’t know how to love someone. Of course," she turned over, facing away from Pei Wenxuan, and lowered her voice, "I don’t expect anyone to love me either."
Pei Wenxuan was taken aback, finding it difficult to comprehend. "Why don’t you expect others to love you, Your Highness?""I'm a person with a peculiar temper when it comes to matters of the heart," Li Rong closed her eyes. "It's difficult to like me, and even harder to keep liking me. I know my own limits, so I don't dwell on it too much."
"Your Highness, why would you think that way?" Pei Wenxuan comforted her. "This humble subject... in my previous life, didn't I like Your Highness very much?"
"My liking and yours are different," Li Rong said calmly. "The word 'like' carries too much weight for me. For you, perhaps that kind of feeling is enough to be called liking. But for me, to truly like someone is too difficult."
Pei Wenxuan listened quietly. In that moment, he seemed to grasp some of the differences between himself and Li Rong. For some reason, he recalled the year they married, when Li Rong was only eighteen.
Back then, Li Rong was much more expressive, rarely concealing her emotions. Now, over thirty years had passed, yet hearing her speak of these matters, he somehow felt that Li Rong was no different from that eighteen-year-old girl.
She still seemed like that young girl, walking with him through the palace, telling him about her past.
"Everyone in the palace calls me princess, but I know they all say I have a strange temper and don't like me."
"But I don't care for their liking either. If they don't like me, so be it. Do I, as the princess, need to care about them?"
"Do you see that Northern Yan Tower? My father built it for my mother. They say it's because my father loved my mother deeply, but I think otherwise. That was merely a fleeting moment of affection between a man and a woman, unable to withstand any storm. How could it be called liking or love?"
...
When Li Rong said these words, he was only in his early twenties. He didn't truly understand the real meaning behind her words. He simply followed behind her, listening quietly as she spoke, occasionally smiling and offering a few comforting words: "Your Highness, it's all in the past now."
He thought Li Rong simply enjoyed telling him about her past, but looking back now, he realized this was actually Li Rong reaching out to him for help.
The eighteen-year-old Li Rong was telling him what kind of affection she wanted, what kind of person she was. She was carefully offering herself, saying to him, Pei Wenxuan, please learn how to love me.
It might sound somewhat demanding, but to entrust one's most vulnerable self to another—this was already Li Rong's greatest sincerity.
But he didn't understand.
Thirty years of life taught him to understand people's hearts. Looking back now, he felt a piercing pain.
He thought that after all these years, Li Rong truly didn't care about anyone anymore, as she had said in prison. But as he slowly grew familiar with her, made contact, and touched her, he came to understand that her phoenix-like arrogance and indifference were merely another form of abandonment born from extreme disappointment.
After all, in her previous life, Li Rong had never received a complete, wholehearted affection.
Whether it was him or Su Rongqing, they had both ultimately failed her.
And she had never shown the slightest trace of it—neither love nor hatred had she truly directed at him or Su Rongqing.
Realizing this, Pei Wenxuan's heart suddenly surged with immense pain and bitterness. Unable to help himself, he moved closer to her, gently placing his hand on her, disregarding the pain from his wound as he pulled her into his embrace.
Li Rong lowered her eyes at his embrace and chuckled softly. "Is the winter too cold, Lord Pei, that you're using me as a heater? You keep hugging me from time to time—I don't see the restraint you used to have."Pei Wenxuan held her without speaking. After a long while, he finally said, "Your Highness, it's not difficult."
Li Rong was taken aback, then heard Pei Wenxuan murmur softly, "Your Highness, having someone who likes you wholeheartedly—it's not difficult."
Li Rong remained silent. Hearing his words, she first found them laughable, then felt an indescribable regret, which eventually turned into confusion and a faint, almost unconscious glimmer of hope.
She instinctively wanted to speak.
She desperately wanted to ask: How could something she had never obtained in a lifetime, someone she had never encountered, be "not difficult"?
But she did not speak. In her youth, she might have asked such questions, but now she no longer did.
It wasn’t important.
She didn’t care.
Li Rong’s silence felt to Pei Wenxuan like a delayed execution by a thousand cuts—one that had been thirty years in the making.
It wasn’t because he had been rejected by Li Rong, but because he had only just realized that he had allowed Li Rong to walk alone, in solitude, for thirty years.
A sudden, overwhelming impulse surged within him. He should tell her, just as she had told him that Pei Wenxuan was good, that Pei Wenxuan could like someone else.
He also wanted to tell her, whether she refused or accepted, he wished to say it to her.
Li Rong, there is someone who likes you, who likes you very, very much.
OpenNovel