“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Seeing his frozen expression, Feng Lezhen suddenly laughed.
Wenge snapped out of it, instantly flustered and annoyed. “You’re teasing me on purpose!”
“You’re the one with a dirty mind—how is that my fault?” Feng Lezhen shot him a look. Before he could protest, she continued, “Let me ask you again—shouldn’t you tell me everything you’ve been hiding?”
Wenge’s tone deflated again. “Yes…”
“Then that’s that.” Feng Lezhen lay down on the bed, glanced at him, and scooted inward, leaving a wide space for him. “Lights out. Come up and talk.”
Wenge pulled himself together and answered, then moved to act.
The light in the room went out. Amid the soft rustling in the dark, he groped his way onto the bed. In the process, he accidentally brushed against Feng Lezhen’s body, and his heart began to race again.
As the two laid side by side, the silence was broken once more.
“You and your group of friends—who exactly are you?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Wenge lightly touched her fingers. Seeing she didn’t pull away, he quietly took her hand. “We were men of the late emperor.”
“The late emperor?” Feng Lezhen’s tone rose slightly.
Wenge: “Your father.”
“Mhm. And?” Feng Lezhen prompted.
Wenge: “It was about ten or so years ago. The late emperor established a secret guard unit. He sought out gifted orphans and trained them in secret. That’s when my companions and I entered the palace.”
“Secret guards?” Feng Lezhen said slowly.
Wenge: “That’s what we were called, though we weren’t quite the same. The late emperor was kind. When he brought us into the palace, he said anyone who didn’t want to stay could leave. But most of us were between three and eight years old—many couldn’t even speak properly. We’d lost our parents. Leaving the palace would’ve been no different from dying. But in the palace, we had food, drink, and a place to sleep. After all the hardship, such a life felt like manna from heaven.”
“So none of you left,” Feng Lezhen said. It wasn’t a question.
Wenge thought of the past and couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Mm, we didn’t.”
“You lived in the palace, I lived in the palace… did we ever meet?” Feng Lezhen asked curiously.
Wenge paused, a little embarrassed. “N-no.”
If they were both in the palace, how could he not have seen the only princess? Feng Lezhen’s gaze shifted slightly but, seeing he didn’t want to admit it, she didn’t press further.
Wenge cleared his throat lightly. “Though we didn’t leave, the late emperor still granted us freedom to come and go. We were grateful for his kindness and couldn’t bear to leave easily. Later, when he fell seriously ill, he entrusted the new emperor to us. From then on, we served the current emperor—and many years have passed since.”
In the darkness, when she heard the words “entrusted the new emperor,” Feng Lezhen’s lashes fluttered lightly like butterfly wings.
After a brief silence, she slowly spoke. “If you were so loyal, how could you bear to leave now? It’s not because of me, is it?”
Wenge’s face warmed. “…It’s not all because of you.”
“Then what is it?” Feng Lezhen pressed.
Thinking of everything that had happened in recent years, Wenge’s brows furrowed slightly. “The current emperor… compared to the late emperor, he falls far too short. I already had thoughts of retiring a couple years ago, but I never made up my mind. Now that I have you…”
Now that he had her, he could no longer hesitate.
Feng Lezhen caught the meaning behind his words and smiled quietly. “Sounds like you’re not very pleased with the current emperor. Is it because he made you do a lot of terrible things?”
He had just poured his heart out, and yet she didn’t react much—only asked this. Wenge suddenly felt a twinge of doubt, but before he could think more, he let out a muffled grunt, grabbing her wrist in a panic.
“Wh-what are you doing?” he asked, his breathing quickening.
His hand gripped her wrist, but hers was still free. At his question, she grabbed his firm abdomen. “What do you think?”
Her slightly long nails scraped across his skin, the sting mixing with a tingling sensation. Wenge couldn’t think about anything else and quickly pulled her hand away in embarrassment. “Don’t mess around.”
“I’m not messing around—keep talking.” Feng Lezhen turned onto her side, resting in the crook of his arm, her breath brushing his ear like orchid fragrance. “I’m really curious—how many murders and arsons have you committed over the years?”
“…Why do you want to know that?” Wenge’s voice faltered as he felt her hand continuing downward.
Feng Lezhen chuckled and gently wrapped her hand around him. Wenge forgot how to breathe for a moment—his whole body stiffened.
Before long, the room was filled with suggestive sounds. Wenge’s mind was foggy, completely overwhelmed by the moment. But she didn’t let up—still pressing him to tell her everything he’d done over the years.
Unable to hold out, Wenge surrendered completely. She asked, he answered—about the first official he assassinated, why he had to be killed, and how the assassination was made to look like an accident. Whatever she asked, he answered, until finally, after everything was released, he lay there like a man pulled from the water, feeling as if he had just emerged from a long darkness into the light.
“You really sweated a lot,” Feng Lezhen said as she wiped her hand, casually commenting.
Wenge had finally caught his breath, though his voice was still hoarse. “You already knew that.”
Feng Lezhen was quiet for a moment, then smiled. “Still just a young one—can’t take a little teasing.”
Her tone was calm, but Wenge somehow felt like she was looking down on him. Blood stirred in his veins, and he suddenly rolled over, pinning her beneath him. Feng Lezhen hadn’t expected the sudden movement. Before she could ask what he was doing, his lips silenced her.
Yingguan was remote—other places had already entered summer, but here it was still lush and full of spring, as if time moved more slowly than elsewhere. The night air of late spring was teasing and tender. Ahead was the warmth of summer, behind the frost and snow of winter. The seasons joined smoothly together, and within that moment, it felt like a dream.
The bed in the inn wasn’t exactly sturdy. Before long, it began creaking and groaning. Feng Lezhen looked up at the roof beams above her—they were swaying like waves. She felt as if she were drowning in the night air of late spring—until a sweat-slicked hand suddenly interlocked with hers, gently pulling her out of the darkness.
It felt like being reborn. Feng Lezhen vaguely heard Wenge mutter in frustration, “This bed’s way too flimsy.”
Half-asleep, she was about to suggest resting, when he suddenly proposed with delight: “Let’s go to the wall. I’ll hold you.”
Feng Lezhen: “……”
It turned out young men really couldn’t take provocation—like a greedy young beast, endlessly hungry, full of energy even after half a night of exertion. After it was finally over, he still wanted to cuddle and chat. Feng Lezhen didn’t bother replying, just gave an occasional hum from her throat, which was enough to get him talking again.
After fantasizing out loud about their future of farming and weaving clothes, Wenge finally closed his mouth, still reluctant, only to realize Feng Lezhen had already fallen fast asleep.
She wore nothing, nestled in the crook of his arm, her entire body like a piece of white jade—now marked all over by him. Even the corner of her lips bore a faint red mark.
Wenge stared at her for a long time, finally hugging her with deep contentment.
When Feng Lezhen woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Wenge was lying on the bed beside her, staring intently at her. Their eyes met suddenly. After a moment of silence, she asked, “What are you looking at?”
“You,” Wenge replied, kissing her on the cheek.
Feng Lezhen gave a helpless laugh and started to sit up—only to fall back from the soreness in her body. Wenge panicked and quickly moved to rub her shoulders and back.
She thought he was just messing around, but to her surprise, his touch was skilled and well-measured. After a silent pause, she asked, “Where did you learn this?”
“The Minister of Works often serves his wife like this,” Wenge replied. Then, remembering Feng Lezhen had lost her memory and probably didn’t know who the Minister of Works was, he added helpfully, “His wife is famously fierce in the capital. She often beats him black and blue. But every time he massages her like this, she gives him a good face for a day.”
Feng Lezhen’s eyelid twitched. “So you spy on imperial officials regularly?”
“Not really… only sometimes, when duty demands…” Wenge felt strangely guilty, and quickly added, “It’s not like I want to watch—so clingy and gross, it’s not pleasant at all.”
After all, not everyone in this world was as pleasant to look at as the person in his arms.
Feng Lezhen tugged the corner of her mouth into a half-smile, not quite sure what to say for a moment.
The room fell into a strange silence. After a while, Wenge asked cautiously, “So… did you like it?”
Feng Lezhen was quiet for a second, then looked up at him.
Wenge’s lips curled, revealing a row of neat teeth.
And so, they settled into life at the post station. According to Wenge, they had to wait for the Emperor to read the memorial and send back a document allowing them to return to the capital and officially report back.
“Doesn’t that make things complicated?” Feng Lezhen frowned.
Wenge said, “I think so too. But His Majesty wants us to wait until there’s no chance of suspicion before returning—it’s safer that way.”
“So… basically feeling guilty like a thief.” Feng Lezhen mocked.
Wenge had no rebuttal.
Yue City neighbored Yingguan. Even with an express courier, the memorial would take at least half a month to reach the capital—so one month round trip. That meant they’d be stuck at the post station for another month.
With Yue City’s soldiers guarding the area, they weren’t worried about people from Yingguan coming after them. And since Wenge didn’t want Feng Lezhen to constantly wear yellow powder on her face in disguise, he simply cleared out the whole post station—now it was just the two of them and their sworn comrades. Feng Lezhen could finally let her guard down a bit, and life was relatively peaceful.
Only… a whole month felt too long.
Wenge, worried she’d get bored, went to the market and bought two packs of vegetable seeds. He brought her to the small garden they’d cleared out at the post station and began planting.
“I asked the vendor—this kind grows really fast. We’ll be eating them before we even return to the capital,” he said, clapping the dirt off his hands. “We’ll try planting some. It’ll pass the time, and count as practice for the future.”
Under the sun, his smile revealed his white teeth, eyes full of youthful energy. They’d been in and out of Yingguan three times by now. After this last ordeal, all his walls seemed to have crumbled—gone was the cold, distant boy. Every time he looked at her, he looked cheerful, like he wished he had a tail to wag.
Feng Lezhen looked at him for a long time before smiling softly. “Alright.”
Wenge was deeply invested in the vegetable plot. After sowing the seeds, he carefully watered them just as the vendor had instructed. He diligently tended the soil every day. Feng Lezhen wasn’t that interested in gardening, but she still sat by the garden to keep him company. Life was almost too leisurely.
After five or six days of care, green sprouts finally poked up from the soil. Wenge, ecstatic, immediately scooped Feng Lezhen up and spun her around three times, his gaze brimming with joy.
“Is it really that exciting?” Feng Lezhen asked, laughing.
“It is,” Wenge nodded earnestly. “I’ve always worried I couldn’t grow anything, that I couldn’t feed you. But it turns out I’ve got a knack for it. From now on, you can eat vegetables I grow every day.”
Feng Lezhen smiled and gently wiped the dirt off his face.
Wenge was in great spirits—until that night, when a heavy rain began to fall.
Worn out from fooling around, Wenge slept deeply. Feng Lezhen, on the other hand, was kept awake by the sound of rain. She sat up and listened for a long while before suddenly remembering Wenge’s vegetable plot.
With this much rain, would the sprouts even survive? Bored and lost in thought, she was startled when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” he mumbled drowsily.
Feng Lezhen smiled and lay back down. “I’ll sleep now.”
Wenge grunted twice and drifted off again.
By the time he realized it had rained all night, the sky was already bright. He rushed out to the garden and saw that his sprouts were still standing tall and firm, fluttering in the wind.
He let out a relieved laugh, then frowned. “Why do they look so much taller overnight?”
Feng Lezhen stepped forward calmly. “Heaven watered them for so long—of course they grew.”
“But the leaves are different,” Wenge said, fiddling with the sprouts. “They were round before, now they’re needle-shaped.”
Feng Lezhen: “…” Was there a difference? She honestly hadn’t noticed.
Seeing her expression, Wenge gradually pieced it together. His brows furrowed. “You switched my vegetables?”
“Your friends did.” Feng Lezhen immediately shifted the blame.
Brother Yu, who had just finished being ordered to help with the planting, happened to walk by. He stiffened at her words and turned around to leave. Wenge stared after his back for a moment before walking out the gate himself.
Feng Lezhen hadn’t meant to disappoint him—but apparently, she had. As she was wondering how to comfort him, he returned carrying a new pack of seeds.
“I’ll plant them now! You’ll definitely eat my vegetables before we leave!” he declared with bright excitement, the disappointment from earlier nowhere to be seen.
Feng Lezhen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “But your friends went through all the trouble to replant those sprouts, and you’re just throwing them away?”
“We can keep them. I’ll plant these in another patch.” Wenge insisted.
They weren’t supposed to stay long at the post station, and with all the delays, Feng Lezhen was worried his efforts would go to waste. She tried to reason with him, “Honestly, you don’t need to. Just take good care of the ones already growing. If they mature, that still counts as yours.”
“How could that be the same? I promised I’d grow vegetables for you to eat. If I didn’t raise them from seed, it doesn’t count.” Wenge’s tone was always gentle with her now, but that stubborn streak remained—sometimes surfacing like this. “This is something I promised you.”
Feng Lezhen looked at him for a while and gave up trying to argue.
From that day on, Wenge became even more devoted to his garden. Even when it rained at night, he’d get up in a panic to cover the crops. After all his effort, he finally let Feng Lezhen eat vegetables he had truly grown himself.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Wenge finally received the document from Feng Ji, permitting his return to the capital to report back. But at that very moment, Feng Lezhen fell ill. She laid in bed all day, weak and spiritless, clearly in no condition for the rigors of travel.
After much internal struggle, Wenge finally made a decision. “I’ll find a house for you here in Yue City. You can stay and recover for now. Once I’ve reported in at the capital, I’ll come back to get you.”
Feng Lezhen looked up at him. “I want to go with you.”
“You think I don’t want that?” Wenge laced his fingers through hers, his voice heavy. “But your body’s too weak right now. You can’t handle the journey. Besides…” he hesitated, “The closer we get to the capital, the more people who might recognize you. That means greater danger. Rather than take that risk, it’s better for you to stay here and recover. Wait for me—I’ll come back.”
Feng Lezhen was quiet for a moment, then gave a faint smile. “You’ve really thought it through.”
Wenge sighed and brought her hand to his face, rubbing against it. “I’ll hire a maid to take care of you. I won’t feel at ease leaving you alone.”
“Alright.”
“Once I’m gone, take your medicine on time. Don’t be willful.”
“Alright.”
“And don’t go out too much. If you get bored—”
“Wenge,” Feng Lezhen interrupted, her expression calm. “I’m not a child. I know how to take care of myself.”
Hearing her say that didn’t reassure Wenge—it made him uneasy. As though, the moment he left, something beyond his control would begin to unravel.
That uneasy feeling stayed with him, growing stronger the closer the departure came. It got so bad even Feng Lezhen noticed.
The night before he left, Wenge clung to her for a long time. Feng Lezhen, exhausted, finally kicked him off the bed to end things. Wenge didn’t get mad. He sullenly climbed back onto the bed and wrapped himself around her again, refusing to let go.
“What exactly are you so worried about?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Wenge said nothing, just hugged her tighter.
That last kick had taken all her remaining strength—she couldn’t even lift her arms now, so she let him hold her. “I’m already feeling much better. There’s no need to worry.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Wenge finally said.
“Then are you afraid Ah Ye and the others will find me? Don’t worry, I’ll hide myself well. They won’t find me.”
“That’s not it either,” Wenge sighed.
Feng Lezhen chuckled. “Then what are you worried about?”
Wenge didn’t answer again.
Feng Lezhen didn’t understand the melancholy of young men. Seeing him stay silent, she simply closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Just as she was dozing off, Wenge suddenly spoke. “Everything happening now… feels like a dream.”
Feng Lezhen slowly opened her eyes.
“Do you think… we’re really together now?” Wenge’s voice was low. “After I go back to the capital and settle everything, can we really stay together forever?”
“So long as you’re willing—of course,” Feng Lezhen said.
Wenge brightened a little, nuzzling against her neck. The tips of his hair brushed her skin, tickling in a not-unpleasant way.
“This is so good,” he murmured with a smile. “It really feels like I’m dreaming.”
Feng Lezhen gently stroked his head, saying nothing.
They slept peacefully. Morning came, and with it—parting.
Wenge had never understood before why some men changed so much after getting married—clingy and annoying, constantly talking about their wives. But when he held Feng Lezhen’s hand and couldn’t bear to let go, he suddenly understood those men.
“Maybe…” He hesitated, then looked toward his companions. “You go back and resign for me. I won’t return.”
“Sure,” said Brother Yu flatly. “I’ll tell His Majesty you didn’t kill the Eldest Princess and want to marry her instead.”
Wenge immediately put on a serious face and turned back to Feng Lezhen.
“This time when you go back, be extra careful,” she said. “Don’t trust too easily. Keep your guard up, even with people you used to trust.”
Wenge paused for a moment, then said, “I thought you’d try to make me stay.”
Feng Lezhen smiled. “We’ll see each other soon. What’s there to hold on to?”
“‘Soon’?” Wenge frowned. “Once I finish everything, it could be two months!”
Two months long? Feng Lezhen met his unhappy gaze and wisely didn’t ask aloud. “Even if it’s two years… or twenty… I’ll still wait.”
Everyone behind Wenge grimaced at the sweetness. Wenge, on the other hand, was delighted. “I won’t make you wait that long. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“You remembered everything I told you?” Feng Lezhen repeated.
Wenge nodded. “Yes. Don’t trust too easily.”
“Watch people’s expressions. If something seems off, run. And don’t eat random food from others—especially during serious talks. Stay sharp. If anything seems suspicious, don’t take it lightly.”
Wenge stared at her for a long while, then spoke with a little pride. “You’re really worried about me, aren’t you?”
“Did you hear me?” Feng Lezhen said seriously, for once.
Wenge pressed his lips together. “I did. Don’t worry. I’ll return safely.”
Feng Lezhen smiled and nodded. She kept smiling, all the way until Wenge rode off, turning to look back every few steps. Only then did the smile slowly fade from her eyes.
“Come out,” she said softly into the quiet.
Ah Ye emerged from the shadows. “Your Highness.”
“Follow them,” Feng Lezhen ordered. “Once you reach the capital, split into two teams. One follows them. The other meets up with Wanwan. I already sent her a letter—she knows what to do.” Her tone was calm, but her presence commanded the room.
Ah Ye lowered his head in agreement—just in time to see Qi Jingren himself driving the carriage forward.
“Had your fun, Your Highness? I’ve come to take you home,” Qi Jingren tugged on the reins, speaking in a teasing tone.
Feng Lezhen cast a glance at her, the corners of her lips lifting into a faint curve once more.
