Far away in the capital city, thousands of miles away, Qi Yuan was far from being as giddy with triumph as Qi Wang had imagined.
She had never been the kind of person to lose herself in pride or excitement—she simply didn’t understand the meaning of those words.
After the Feng family fell from grace, even Zhou Wang’s residence noticeably cut back on visits to the Feng household. But Qi Yuan didn’t take any particular joy in that.
Instead, it was Old Madam Qi who keenly noticed that the Imperial Grandson had been climbing over their courtyard wall much more frequently lately!
She couldn’t help but bring it up with the Old Marquis Qi.
It wasn’t that they thought the Imperial Grandson wasn’t good enough, but… shouldn’t he at least show some proper intention?
Like, go make a formal request to Emperor Yongchang and the Empress to grant a marriage decree?
At the very least, ask for an imperial edict first!
What’s with sneaking over the wall into their home every day?
Old Marquis Qi was practically ready to build the wall even higher!
As if he needed Old Madam Qi to point it out—he had been keeping watch near Mingyue Pavilion more diligently than anyone, and of course he noticed Xiao Yunting coming by more and more frequently.
If Xiao Yunting knew what the Old Marquis and Madam Qi were thinking, he’d probably cry out that he was being wronged—like Dou E herself.
He was wronged!
It’s not like he wanted to climb walls—it was only because Qi Yuan was just too unpredictable!
If he couldn’t get Qi Yuan’s approval, how could he dare go to Emperor Yongchang and Empress Feng to officially propose?
Even Babao was sighing constantly, more worried than Xiao Yunting himself.
When Xiao Yunting finally managed to sneak in again, Babao couldn’t help but say, “Is Miss Qi ever going to say yes? At this rate, His Highness is going to wear down the wall with all this climbing!”
Liujin shot him a fierce glare. “Back at the Eldest Princess’s residence, His Highness was doing just fine—who was it that made so much noise eavesdropping and ruined everything?”
Babao scratched his head awkwardly.
Every time that got brought up, he felt guilty.
Sigh, what could he do? His Highness really was in love with Miss Qi.
Oh well. Climbing a few more walls was no big deal—it only strengthened the bond, right?
Xiao Yunting gently knocked on the window.
By now, Baizhi was very used to opening the window, and as soon as she did, she saw a large bouquet of blooming camellias—and right behind it, the Imperial Grandson’s devastatingly handsome face.
She coughed lightly, a smile already tugging at her lips. “Your Highness is here again?”
Xiao Yunting nodded, slipped in through the window like he’d done it a hundred times, and held the large bouquet of camellias out to Qi Yuan.
The flowers were still dewy—who knew where he’d gotten them from?
She suddenly remembered the azaleas that never failed to appear in her past life. Her heart softened. She reached out to take the bouquet and asked softly, “Is this the Huaheling variety?”
This type of camellia was considered one of the rarest treasures among its kind.
Even cultivating one plant took immense effort—who would be willing to cut off so many blooms at once?
But Xiao Yunting, of course, had picked a whole armful without a second thought—such wasteful extravagance.
Seeing her smile, Xiao Yunting lit up too. He sat across from her and said softly, “Beautiful flowers are meant for beautiful people. If you like them, then it wasn’t a waste for them to bloom.”
Qi Yuan placed the camellias into a porcelain vase on the windowsill.
The moonlight was just right. A gentle breeze drifted through the room. She didn’t look back, only spoke softly: “Xiao Yunting.”
She had merely called his name in a quiet voice, yet to him, it was like hearing the most glorious music in the world—his hair practically stood on end.
It felt like he had waited so long—so long—just to hear that one line.
He stood up and replied, “Mm?”
“I’m selfish,” Qi Yuan said even more quietly. “I want these flowers to bloom only for me.”
In that moment, Xiao Yunting felt like every flower in the world had burst into bloom.
The phrase ‘heart blooming with joy’ had finally taken form.
Holding back the rush in his chest, he replied slowly and clearly: “Out of all the waters in the world, I only draw one ladleful.”
After a pause, he added, “Ah Yuan, I’m like these camellias—you don’t have to do anything. I’ll fall on my own.”
The camellia leaves fluttered in the wind, gently swaying.
Outside the courtyard, the grapevines rustled in the breeze. Summer, it seemed, could be so gentle.
Qi Yuan turned to smile at him. “Alright, then. I agree.”
She could afford to lose, and she could afford to love.
The future could wait. If Xiao Yunting ever betrayed her, she would have no hesitation slicing him down herself.
But for now, she could feel his love and sincerity.
Life is short. One must seize joy where it comes, do what one wants, love whom one loves.
True love isn’t just a fleeting crush. It’s knowing how rare it is to meet you, and how regrettable it would be to miss you.
Xiao Yunting gave a low laugh, then strode forward and pulled her tightly into his arms.
He had loved this girl for so long, and now he could finally hold her openly and proudly.
The world was too bitter—but having someone you loved who also loved you back made everything feel a bit more bearable.
Baizhi’s heart was pounding—she quickly turned away.
Only to see Babao standing tall on the wall—and nearly screamed in fright.
Babao jumped nearly three feet high on the spot.
Heavens above!
His Highness finally got the girl!
A day for celebration across the land!
His Highness has a fiancée!
Even Liujin, for once, didn’t hit him. He just stood to the side, grinning as well.
All those years at Mount Longhu, when His Highness had seemed to drift idly by—they had never truly been carefree.
For him to make it this far, to finally win the girl—Liujin felt overwhelming happiness, and also an unexpected sting in his nose.
That same night, Qi Yuan went to the courtyard of Old Marquis Qi and Old Madam Qi.
The Old Marquis had been anxious like a cat on a hot roof. After all, Xiao Yunting climbing their wall every day wasn’t a long-term solution!
But when Qi Yuan arrived, he forced himself to look calm and composed, sipping his tea with an air of serenity.
Old Madam Qi gave him a glare, then turned to Qi Yuan with a smile. “Yuanyuan, what brings you here?”
Qi Yuan got straight to the point: “I want to become the Imperial Grandson Consort.”
PFFT—the Old Marquis choked hard on his tea, coughing violently, nose burning.
Old Madam Qi was a mix of shocked and amused, quickly tossing him a handkerchief.
He widened his eyes and held back another cough as he asked, “This…”
Becoming the Imperial Grandson Consort wasn’t something they could just say—even the Crown Prince himself couldn’t decide this alone. This had to go through Emperor Yongchang!
Luckily, Old Madam Qi recovered quickly. She stared at Qi Yuan with wide eyes and asked,
“Yuanyuan, you agreed to His Highness?”
She didn’t believe for a second that Qi Yuan had proposed this on her own—throughout this whole ordeal, it had always been the Imperial Grandson who had fallen deeper and deeper.
Qi Yuan had remained elusive all along—always holding the thread.
Now, for her to say these words, the meaning was clear.
Xiao Yunting had finally moved her.
What a feat.
Old Madam Qi couldn’t help but sigh—with a touch of pride in her voice.
Her Yuanyuan really had grown into someone remarkable.
