Within a few days, the torrential downpour arrived exactly as predicted.
Bean-sized raindrops hammered against palace tiles and bluestone slabs, crackling incessantly. A continuous curtain of rain enveloped the entire imperial palace in a damp, chilly mist.
Sitting inside her hall, Tang Jinyan gazed out at the churning rain beyond the window. Even though she had already arranged for repairs to the library pavilion, a thread of unease still weighed on her heart, impossible to fully settle. In the end, she simply couldn't rest easy.
She rose and smoothed her gown, her voice low as she instructed, "Xiaoxi, prepare an umbrella."
Xiaoxi hurriedly fetched an oil-paper umbrella and followed closely at her side, holding it aloft to shield her from the sweeping wind and rain.
The two of them hurried through the accumulating puddles, making their way swiftly toward the library pavilion.
Arriving before the pavilion door, Tang Jinyan lifted a hand and pushed open the slightly ajar wooden door. A few stray raindrops still clung to her shoulders, and water dripped from the rim of the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, not yet shaken off. As she looked up, her eyes immediately fell upon Chu Moqing inside the hall.
He seemed to have arrived not long ago himself. The hem of his dark blue official robe was already dampened by the rain, and fine droplets clung to his hair—clear signs he had rushed here through the heavy downpour.
"Your Highness the Princess?"
Tang Jinyan was snapped out of her thoughts by this exclamation. "Minister Chu is here as well."
Chu Moqing bowed with hands clasped. "This humble official saw the ferocity of the rain and feared the library pavilion, being old and poorly maintained, might suffer water damage and ruin. I hurried here in the rain to check. I hadn't expected… just now, the pavilion's archivist mentioned that some time ago, Your Highness had already advised His Majesty and arranged for the repairs to be completed."
Tang Jinyan lowered her gaze, gently wiping the water droplets from her hands. "It was merely that some days ago, I happened to notice cracks in the pavilion's gable walls. Thinking how these ancient texts have been passed down through generations with difficulty, I casually mentioned it to Imperial Father. It was hardly a taxing matter."
Chu Moqing looked at her, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. He bowed solemnly once more. "If not for Your Highness's prior arrangements, today's storm would surely have destroyed countless works of painstaking effort by our predecessors. On behalf of these ancient texts and paintings, this humble official thanks Your Highness."
A tremor passed through Tang Jinyan's heart. She quickly sidestepped, unwilling to accept his bow. "You overstate the matter, Minister. Protecting these ancient works is simply a duty."
As her words fell, she subtly swept her gaze over the area by the pavilion door. On the ground, only the outlines of her own and Xiaoxi's oil-paper umbrellas were visible. The surroundings were empty, with not a trace of anyone else's umbrella.
This fool. He truly cared for these ancient texts, so anxious he hadn't even bothered to take an umbrella, rushing all the way here through the pouring rain.
No wonder he stood before her now, his blue robe soaked through, droplets beading in his hair—all from his frantic dash through the storm.
Tang Jinyan concealed the emotion in her eyes and turned to Xiaoxi beside her. Her tone was calm yet brooked no refusal. "Xiaoxi, go back and fetch another umbrella. And bring a thick cloak as well."
Xiaoxi immediately acknowledged the order. Holding her umbrella, she dashed back into the curtain of rain, her figure quickly becoming a blurry silhouette in the distance.
For a moment, only the two of them remained in the library pavilion. The sound of wind and rain outside the window grew more distinct, making the interior seem especially quiet by contrast.
"While your heart is set on protecting the ancient texts, Minister, you should also take care of yourself. To come out in such heavy rain without even an umbrella…"
Chu Moqing was taken aback for a moment, instantly understanding that her earlier instruction to the maid to fetch an umbrella and cloak was intended for him.
His fingertips curled almost imperceptibly. Across his usually calm and proper features flashed a rare hint of embarrassment. He replied softly, "This humble official was momentarily too anxious and overlooked it. I have made Your Highness laugh."
Tang Jinyan lowered her gaze slightly, her tone carrying a sincere note of admonishment: "It is admirable that you cherish ancient texts, but if you harm yourself in the process, the loss would outweigh the gain."
Chu Moqing looked up, quietly gazing at the woman before him.
Outside the palace, rumors had long circulated that Princess Zhaoyuan had been spoiled and willful since childhood, arrogant and ignorant of propriety, acting entirely on her whims without ever sparing a thought for others.
Yet now, braving the rain to care for the library, concerned with the preservation of ancient texts, and showing such thoughtful consideration for his well-being—she was completely different from the person described in the rumors.
A faint, almost imperceptible surprise flickered in his eyes as his gaze settled on her calm and gentle features.
Tang Jinyan felt flustered under his intense stare. She cleared her throat softly, turning her face away unnaturally to avoid his gaze, and deliberately shifted the topic with a casual tone: "Although the ancient texts in the library have been properly arranged, we should still check them one by one to ensure none have been missed and damaged by moisture."
Upon hearing this, Chu Moqing nodded immediately, withdrawing his gaze from her. "Your Highness is absolutely right."
With that, the two of them walked slowly, one after the other, deeper into the library.
Outside the hall, the rain poured down in torrents, the clamor of the downpour mingling with the howling wind that beat against the window frames. Inside, however, only the soft rustling of pages and the gentle sound of footsteps remained.
Chu Moqing bent down to inspect the lower shelves, his fingertips lightly brushing over the yellowed spines as he carefully examined each volume for any signs of moisture or water stains.
Tang Jinyan stood to the side, checking the upper shelves, occasionally reaching out to straighten a tilted ancient text.
Noticing that the highest shelf had yet to be inspected, Tang Jinyan quickly stepped onto a nearby wooden ladder and slowly climbed up.
The higher she went, the more she felt a chill on her shoulders. Leaning in for a closer look, she discovered faint water stains on the corners of the books on the top shelf. She immediately looked upward and indeed spotted a small leak in the corner of the roof beam, where rainwater was slowly dripping through a crack.
"Lord Chu, there's a leak up here!" Tang Jinyan called out urgently, momentarily forgetting she was on the ladder.
As she raised her hand, her foot suddenly slipped. The already unsteady wooden ladder wobbled slightly, and she lost her balance instantly. Her hands grasped at empty air in panic as she slid straight down.
Tang Jinyan’s heart leaped in alarm. The moment she closed her eyes, a warm, strong hand suddenly wrapped around her waist, followed by a powerful force pulling her into an embrace.
She crashed heavily into a cool yet firm chest, her nose filled with the faint scent of ink and the light dampness of rainwater. She was caught securely, suspended in mid-air.
In the next moment, Chu Moqing’s tense jawline came into view. His brows were tightly furrowed, and the calmness in his eyes was replaced by lingering alarm. Even the fingers wrapped around her waist held a subtle, almost imperceptible tension.
Tang Jinyan froze completely in his embrace, utterly stunned.
This was a look of panic and urgency she had never seen in him during the decades they spent together in her previous life.
Back then, in the Gongzhufu, as the Fuma, he had always maintained a gentle, composed, and detached demeanor—like an immortal descended from the heavens, free from sorrow or joy, anger or resentment. No matter what happened, his eyes remained unruffled, never revealing such raw, almost undignified concern.
She had never imagined that one day she would see alarm in his eyes, born solely for her.
Tang Jinyan remained motionless in his embrace, her nose nearly pressed against his robes, her heart still clinging greedily to his warmth.
Chu Moqing suddenly snapped back to reality and hurriedly set her down with great care, his hands hastily withdrawing. His throat tightened slightly as he asked in a low voice, "Is Your Highness alright?"
Tang Jinyan also just managed to regain her composure, forcefully suppressing the fluttering palpitations in her chest. She took a small half-step back, lowered her gaze to steady herself, and replied softly, "This princess is fine. Thank you for your rescue, my lord."
Chu Moqing looked up toward the leaking roof beam, his brow slightly furrowed, then promptly ascended the ladder. He retrieved the waterproof felt prepared in the loft, tightly plugging the gap to keep the rainwater out.
When he descended the ladder, he looked down to see Tang Jinyan steadily holding the ladder with her hand, her brows and eyes still carrying a trace of lingering tension as she watched him intently.