It was the peak of the Lunar New Year holiday. Families everywhere were celebrating, and the streets lacked their former bustling vitality, feeling exceedingly desolate instead.
Especially after a light dust of snow fell, the already sparsely populated city suburbs appeared all the more bleak.
“This desolate place is practically no different from Bianyang Pass.”
Xie Ning had long since scrubbed away half her body’s blood using the snow scattered across the ground, yet she could not cleanse it fully; terrifying bloodstains remained, particularly over her wounds. Fighting for her life earlier, she had felt no pain, as if her body were whole and sound. Only on her way back did she discover that the fox-fur coat on her body had been torn in several places by the coarse bristles of the boar. The cold wind whipped straight inside, freezing her wounds until they were numb.
The originally thick, light-persimmon-colored riding attire no longer offered much protection against the wind. The bone-chilling cold drove straight into her body; her wounds could not even register pain only her head felt dizzy, a sensation growing heavier by the second.
Sensing that something was wrong, Xie Ning hurriedly quickened her pace, needing to find a place to rest before she collapsed unconscious.
She had originally intended to return through the night, but now that seemed impossible. She could not allow anyone to discover that she and Xie Yuanshan had been in Wild Boar Forest at the exact same time.
After weighing her options, the only place nearby that was both accessible and secluded was perhaps Xiao Rong’s private villa located in the outskirts.
That place… Xie Ning felt a wave of complex emotions; she was reluctant to head toward that villa.
For most of her past life, she and Xiao Rong had spent their time together in that very estate.
After all, the Eldest Princess’s Manor was filled with eyes and ears, and Xie Ning had been set in stone as the Crown Princess. Resenting Xie Yuanshan and harboring bitterness toward the late Li Wan, she was unwilling to reside in the General’s Manor; out of ten days, she would spend eight living in Xiao Rong’s villa.
Now that time had moved on and circumstances had changed, Xie Ning did not know with what frame of mind she should face it. Though she hesitated in indecision, her steps never halted, unknowingly bearing toward the direction of the villa all the same.
The sky grew increasingly dim.
Arriving at the city outskirts, Xie Ning could vaguely spot the fork in the road leading to the villa. The conflict in her heart intensified; she did not want to go, yet if she did not, she could only force herself to trudge further away. As the fork gradually came into full view, she halted her steps. After repeated hesitation, she finally made up her mind, gritting her teeth: “What is there that I cannot endure? I shall simply keep walking forward!”
Her mind made up, her footsteps did not turn; instead, she pressed straight ahead.
Soon, the faint sound of horse hooves echoed through the air. Amidst the dead silence, the sound drew closer and closer.
Xie Ning’s heart tightened, fearing it might be the City Patrol searching for her. She hurriedly picked up her pace, stepping into a secluded corner. She reasoned that Xie Yuanshan’s corpse should not have been discovered so quickly; even if it had been found, it should be in total chaos. How could they have tracked her direction so swiftly?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the hoofbeats drew even closer. Acting decisively, Xie Ning ducked behind a wild knoll beside the official road, only then daring to peek quietly in the direction of the visitor. With a single glance, Xie Ning involuntarily let out a low gasp, “Xiao Rong!”
Xiao Rong was draped in a crimson crane-fur cloak embroidered with a white base and gold patterns, its collar trimmed with premium white fox fur. She was mounted upon a jet-black Ferghana horse. Even as the rapid hoofbeats caused the jade ornaments on her person to clatter and jingle, her posture remained remarkably steady; even the conical hat on her head was merely blown open on one side by the cold wind without tilting in the slightest.
Gazing from afar, one’s eyes were filled with elegance, grace, and noble splendor what a grand royal lady!
Reflecting against the snow covering the ground, she resembled the bright moon hanging high in the sky amidst the boundless night, or an exquisite snow lotus atop a mountain peak across a vast snowy plain. Elegant and dignified throughout her entire demeanor, speaking solely of her physical appearance, she was truly one of a kind in this world—one glance alone was enough to leave an unforgettable impression for a lifetime!
For a brief moment, Xie Ning stared at her, almost forgetting what year it was and who she herself was!
“Whoa”
Xiao Rong was nearly about to brush past her, but fortunately, amidst the silence, that soft gasp traveled through the twilight straight into the Eldest Princess’s ears. After all, no matter how faint the sound, calling the Eldest Princess directly by her name echoed like thunder.
The Eldest Princess hesitated for a moment, yet she hurriedly pulled the reins to bring her horse to a stop. Turning back toward the sound, she indeed spotted Xie Ning standing beside the low knoll.
Beneath the dim night sky, complete darkness had not yet fallen, yet the faint twilight seemed to drape itself over Xie Ning.
The filthy, chaotic fur coat wrapped around Xie Ning’s thin, frail body. A swollen red bump bulged on her forehead with bloodstains still wet; her naturally dry and soft hair was now covered in snowflakes. Yet her pair of eyes shone with extraordinary brilliance, as if a precious treasure lay hidden within this withered body, revealing a trace of deep-seated magnificence solely through those clear pupils.
Against the stark white backdrop, those eyes paired with the dark red bloodstains struck Xiao Rong with an indescribable shock—a scene that seemed instantly etched into her heart! Gazing back from atop her horse, a peculiar sensation arose spontaneously, like a spark brushing against her heart, giving birth to a brief yet intense emotion. The frail young girl before her was clearly just a scruffy little girl, yet time and again, she left an unprecedentedly deep impressionfrom the dream to this very place. Facing each other now gave the Eldest Princess an illusion of disrupted time and space.
Xiao Rong quickly dismounted from her horse, stepping swiftly up to Xie Ning. Her breathing was slightly hurried, unable to conceal her pleasant surprise: “Xie Ning?!”
The Eldest Princess had indeed not gone to Wild Boar Forest, which was crawling with City Patrol personnel. She was merely passing through to her private villa. She did not know why the urge to visit the villa had suddenly struck her, but heading there did indeed mean passing by the Gate of Supreme Peace. Yet absentminded along the way, she had ended up walking past her turn.
Xiao Rong felt she had not deliberately sought out Xie Ning; she was simply out for a casual ride. Yet encountering this person so unexpectedly brought a surge of immense surprise to the Eldest Princess. Like surviving a narrow escape, the night amplified the Eldest Princess’s emotions, allowing her a moment of self-indulgence. She approached Xie Ning quickly, her urgency unmasked, like recovering a lost treasure.
Xie Ning felt her head growing even dizzier, her heart throbbing uncontrollably: “You… did you come specifically to look for me?”
“I heard that both you and General Xie entered Wild Boar Forest” The eighteen-year-old Xiao Rong was not yet as composed as she would be in later years; her speech carried an imperceptible light panting that betrayed her urgency, “Since I mentioned that you could seek me out if you faced difficulties, I naturally had to come and take a look.”
Xiao Rong’s panting was extremely soft, brought about by the bumps of riding a horse all the way here. Yet that faint panting, mingling with her orchid fragrance in the crisp, cold air, was enough to evoke memories of past sweetness within Xie Ning. She involuntarily gazed at the person before her, feeling a burning warmth in her chest: “I am grateful for Your Highness’s concern. I did not enter Wild Boar Forest; upon hearing strange cries, I abandoned my horse and fled.”
Her words were spoken politely, yet her breath burned hot. Especially thinking that Xiao Rong, knowing full well the danger, had actually come out alone to find her, Xie Ning felt her entire body growing scalding hot.
She did not realize her gaze carried a searing heat that, even across fluttering snowflakes, penetrated the cold air bit by bit, falling imperceptibly onto Xiao Rong’s heart. Struck by her gaze, Xiao Rong’s eyes flickered, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable. Raising her eyes, her gaze rested on the wound on Xie Ning’s forehead as she sighed softly, “You have just arrived in the capital, unfamiliar with the people and the land. Where are you heading?”
“I don’t know,” Xie Ning pursed her lips, “but the capital is vast; there will always be a place where my father cannot find me.”
She did not tell the truth, yet the sharp-witted Eldest Princess seemed entirely oblivious this time around, pressing no further. It was as if this single sentence from Xie Ning was enough for the Eldest Princess to verify what she held in her heart.
The daylight gradually faded away, and darkness completely enfolded the land.
Large flakes of snow gathered under the cover of night, fluttering down in abundance.
Xie Ning’s dizziness grew worse; she felt neither cold nor hot, knowing full well something was wrong with her body. Daring not to delay any longer, she spoke, “Thank you for Your Highness’s concern. Xie Ning is endlessly grateful and will surely pay a visit to express my thanks in person in the future!”
She bowed to Xiao Rong, intending to press on while she was still conscious.
Xiao Rong stopped her: “Since you are merely hiding for a while, let me make the arrangements.”
“No” Xie Ning declined, “The capital has many eyes and ears. Your Highness came out with so many eyes watching; even if others do not know right now, word will spread sooner or later. I will handle my own affairs and must never bring trouble to others.”
“Heh” Xiao Rong was almost infuriated. She found Xie Ning’s foolish words amusing, yet felt displeased by the distance implied in them: “You belittle me with those words! Making arrangements for you might pose a minor trouble, but do you think I am incapable of handling even a slight inconvenience?” She possessed ambition and aspirations, but she was by no means all ambition without capability; quite the contrary, the Eldest Princess possessed patience and breadth of mind in abundance.
Xie Ning stared at the spirited brows and eyes of the person before her, momentarily dazed.
Was she not originally drawn to Xiao Rong’s spirited nature back then? When Xiao Rong disguised herself as a man, she had already stirred her heart. Yet when Xiao Rong confessed her identity and met her as a woman, Xie Ning’s once subtle affection became almost impossible to suppress!
Before Xiao Rong, Xie Ning had never imagined that one day she could fall so infatuated with any woman! Her possessiveness over Xiao Rong reached a point she herself had never anticipated. She loved Xiao Rong too deeply loving her every move, her every breath. The more she loved, the deeper the desire grew. With a slight twitch of Xiao Rong’s brows, she longed to stroke them tens of thousands of times, holding her like a precious treasure, like fine jade, refusing to stop until Xiao Rong panted and sobbed, sipping even Xiao Rong’s teardrops into her own mouth.
Such infatuation, with only this single person in her eyes and heart, made her forget even who she was.
The deeper she fell and lost herself, the more agonizing the pain became.
And the more she pulled herself back and was reborn from the depths of pain, the more capable she was now of remaining sober and self-controlled.
“In that case, I shall trouble Your Highness!”
Stepping back slightly, she bowed to Xiao Rong once more. Suppressing her deafening heartbeats, she calmly maintained the distance of a subordinate—kneeling, lowering her head, and bowing. Every movement was filled with respect and gratitude toward the Eldest Princess, yet her heartbeats were forced back with absolute resolve.
Before passing out, Xie Ning thought to herself that the Eldest Princess was indeed generous, considerate, and wholehearted toward her subordinates, which was moving and admirable. For Xie Ning, maintaining such a distance was already very good.
Xiao Rong had not expected this person to faint on the spot. One second she was about to express anger, and the next second, Xie Ning was already on the verge of falling over.
Fortunately, her hands were quick and her eyes sharp, catching Xie Ning immediately.
Xie Ning’s head tilted, falling right into her arms and resting upon her shoulder.
At that moment, sensing the hot breath puffing from Xie Ning’s nose and mouth, Xiao Rong felt her heart skip a beat. She hurriedly checked the temperature on her forehead, utterly amused by her anger: “Running on pure stubbornness with a fever this high, you really are”
Xiao Rong did not even know what to scold, yet she dared not delay her movements, immediately intending to lift her onto the horse. Holding her by the waist, she realized Xie Ning was far thinner than she appeared scrawny to the bone, virtually weightless in her arms.
With her eyes tightly shut, Xie Ning’s face was deathly pale; those bright eyes were closed firm, as if stripped of all vitality.
Involuntarily tightening her arms, Xiao Rong whipped her horse forward to rush back.
The closest location to this spot was her private villa.
That was a residence she had purchased privately not very large, and known to very few. Even her personal attendant, Suhexiang, had never set foot there.
This was her private domain, a sanctuary belonging to her alone; Xiao Rong had never intended to allow anyone inside.
Yet right now, there was no alternative.
After repeated deliberation, Xiao Rong gritted her teeth, deciding to bring her to the villa saving a life was what mattered most.
The sound of horse hooves grew increasingly hurried, quickly vanishing into the fork in the road.
The empty villa had only an old servant guarding the door, who barely managed to help hold the horse. Xiao Rong exerted her strength to carry Xie Ning off the horse and into the room.
Dazedly opening her eyes, Xie Ning caught sight of her beautiful and noble beloved.
Her fever made her muddled, resting almost her entire weight upon Xiao Rong while mumbling under her breath, “Xiao Rong, how long do you plan to keep me hidden in a golden house as your secret lover?”
Xiao Rong’s movements paused. She glanced at her, seeing her unfocused eyes, and knew she was talking nonsensical gibberish. Yet this nonsense was quite intriguing, starkly different from Xie Ning’s polite distance when conscious. Struggling to support her, she found it amusing, “Hidden in a golden house? Credit to your imagination.”
With great effort, she dragged the girl into the room. Just as she placed her onto the bed, Xie Ning suddenly reached out to hook her arms around her neck. Caught off guard, Xiao Rong fell right over Xie Ning, feeling her scorching body heat even more intensely.
Yet she saw Xie Ning’s eyes snap wide open, her gaze fixed straight ahead as if looking at her, yet also as if looking at nothing at all, mumbling incoherently, “Chang… Changyi…”
The moment the two words “Changyi” were uttered, Xiao Rong’s pupils dilated in shock.
Xie Ning was still speaking slurredly
“There are words… I have always wanted to ask you” Her tone was affectionate and intimate, “…you, what on earth did you…”
Xie Ning’s voice grew lower and lower, her mumbled words becoming increasingly indecipherable, broken and intermittent: “It was because of you… that I…” She grabbed Xiao Rong’s hand with force, pressing it tightly against her own chest, “…Changyi”
With her palm pressed against Xie Ning’s heart, Xiao Rong felt as if half her arm had gone numb in an instant, her heart fluttering violently with panic. The Eldest Princess, who had always considered herself steady and composed, had never heard anyone speak from such close proximity it felt as though she had been infected by Xie Ning’s fever and turned muddled herself! Though Xie Ning’s gibberish was chaotic and rambling, the way she uttered “Changyi” carried an alluring intimacy. When those two words rolled off her tongue, they seemed to coil around Xiao Rong’s heart, throwing the princess’s heartbeats into total disarray!
Unsure if her head had been scorched dizzy by the heat radiating from Xie Ning, Xiao Rong felt utterly bewildered why… why did she address her as “Changyi” with such familiarity and intimacy? It was as if she had called it out countless times before!
One must know that her surname was Xiao, her given name Rong, and her title Changyi she was the Eldest Princess Changyi!
Given her exalted status, the only people in this world who could address her in such a manner had to be those closest to her. By right, aside from her Imperial Father and her late mother, no one else was permitted to call her like that…