In the middle of the night.
In the back garden of the Prince’s mansion, Shen Tinghe, who should have been sound asleep in her chambers, was currently moving about stealthily. The tassels of the buyao hairpin at her temples swayed with every movement.
A low stool, brought over by Qing Yu, was placed at the base of the wall.
Stepping onto the stool, Shen Tinghe gripped the cracks between the blue bricks atop the wall with both hands and kicked off with her toes to climb up.
Though she was a pampered lady raised in the inner chambers, her movements while climbing the wall showed a certain litheness. After all, she had studied dance and basic martial arts under famous masters since childhood; a wall of this height was not particularly difficult for her.
Qing Yu and Qing Xu stood behind her, supporting her worriedly, their faces tense with nerves.
Qing Yu whispered, “Miss, perhaps we should go back. If the Crown Prince finds out, he will surely punish you…”
With great effort, Shen Tinghe finally scrambled onto the top of the wall. Just as her bottom hit the surface, she turned back and glared at the maid. “Pah, pah, pah! Don’t you dare jinx me!”
She raised a hand to wipe the tip of her nose, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “This was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Even if Xie Yanzhao were an immortal, he wouldn’t be able to catch me.”
“But Miss…” Qing Xu still wanted to persuade her, but Shen Tinghe reached down and took the bundle from her hands.
“Alright, you two should head back quickly.”
Shen Tinghe waved them off, turned around clutching the bundle, and leaped lightly off the wall.
As she landed, her toes touched the ground first, and she steadied herself perfectly, a triumphant smile lighting up her face.
Just as she was about to turn and run toward the mouth of the alley, she spotted a heavy, dark shadow.
Standing quietly under the shade of a nearby tree was Xie Yanzhao’s personal guard, Jing Cang.
Expressionless, he cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward Shen Tinghe, his voice deep and devoid of emotion. “Miss, His Highness is waiting for you in the carriage.”
He raised his hand to gesture, and only then did Shen Tinghe notice a carriage hidden in the darkness.
The carriage’s exterior was plain and unadorned, its paint even appearing somewhat dull. Yet, under the moonlight, it exuded a faint, inviolable majesty.
Shen Tinghe’s heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously swallowed hard.
She gave a forced laugh and took half a step back. “I… I just ate too much for dinner and came out for a stroll. It’s so late, I won’t disturb Brother Crown Prince…”
As she spoke, she turned to run back, but after only two steps, a tall figure blocked her path.
Yuan Chi stood with his arms crossed, evidently having been ordered to wait there long ago.
The carriage curtain was lifted by the driver, and warm yellow candlelight spilled out from the cabin, illuminating the man sitting inside.
Xie Yanzhao looked up slightly, his gaze falling on her. His voice was deep and magnetic. “Yuanyuan, come here.”
Shen Tinghe scrunched up her face in frustration and resigned herself to her fate, boarding the carriage.
Though the carriage looked modest from the outside, the interior was an entirely different world.
The floor was covered with thick carpets, the four walls were draped in silk embroidered with cloud patterns, and an aloeswood lamp burned in the corner, its smoke curling up with a crisp, clear fragrance.
On the small table sat exquisite tea cups and fresh fruit, and there was even a hand warmer. Every detail screamed luxury.
And the man sitting in the center of the cabin was even more eye-catching than the carriage itself.
Xie Yanzhao wore a dark silk robe embroidered with golden mang patterns that shimmered under the candlelight, making his tall, straight figure seem even more imposing.
His face was as fine as jade, but it wasn’t a gentle paleness; it was a cold, sharp elegance. His phoenix eyes were as deep as a frozen pond, the outer corners slightly upturned, carrying an innate air of nobility.
The candlelight traced the sharp contours of his profile. Between his brows resided the dignified aura of one who ruled over mountains and rivers, and a faint, phantom-like smile played upon his lips.
However, that smile did not reach his eyes, instead inspiring a sense of awe and trepidation.
Shen Tinghe sat as far away from him as possible.
Xie Yanzhao looked at her “ostrich with its head in the sand” behavior, and a very faint smile flashed in his eyes, though he did not call her out on it.
He simply reached out a hand toward her and raised an eyebrow. His meaning was clear.
Since childhood, there were few people who could keep Shen Tinghe in check. Xie Yanzhao was one of them.
Now that she had been caught red-handed, there was no escaping. She could only resign herself to extending her small hand and placing it in his broad, warm palm.
With a slight pull, Xie Yanzhao hauled her over and settled her firmly onto his lap.
Shen Tinghe didn’t struggle. Instead, she took the opportunity to find a comfortable position to lean against him.
After all, when she was learning to write and read scriptures as a child, he had mostly taught her while holding her like this. She had long grown accustomed to the crisp scent of ambergris that clung to him.
Xie Yanzhao’s palm rested lightly over her flat belly. “Overate again?”
Shen Tinghe buried her head in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled as she stubbornly insisted, “Mhm. I just overate and came out for a walk.”
“Oh?” Xie Yanzhao chuckled softly, his voice tinged with teasing. “The last time you tried to sneak off to Mount Jiuhua, you used the same excuse.”
Shen Tinghe paused for a moment, then looked up with watery, almond-shaped eyes, her face full of sincerity. “Did I? My maternal grandmother called for me to stay with her for a few days then.”
“You used that one, too,” Xie Yanzhao said slowly.
Shen Tinghe didn’t give up and switched to another excuse. “Then I was going to find A Xi to play. She said a few days ago that she got some interesting new toys…”
Xie Yanzhao’s voice remained calm. “Used that as well.”
Shen Tinghe completely deflated. Her face fell as she slumped back against his shoulder, refusing to say another word.
“Done making things up?” Xie Yanzhao looked down at her, the amusement in his voice deepening.
“Hmph!” Shen Tinghe, both annoyed and exasperated by his teasing, opened her mouth and took a bite out of the soft skin on the side of his neck.
A glint of humor flashed in the depths of Xie Yanzhao’s eyes. In all the world, the only person who dared to bite and cause a fuss like this was the one in his arms.
He raised his hand and gently patted her head. “You try to run away and yet you think you’re the one in the right?”
Shen Tinghe let go, and seeing the shallow ring of teeth marks on his neck, she felt a bit guilty.
She pressed her soft lips against the spot, giving it two careful kisses as if to appease him.
Feeling the warm touch on his neck, Xie Yanzhao’s body stiffened slightly. He then tightened his arm around her waist, his voice low and tender.
“Tell me, why did you want to run?”
These words seemed to strike Shen Tinghe’s weak spot. Her face, which had been full of playful stubbornness, instantly crumbled, and the rims of her eyes turned slightly red.
She hugged Xie Yanzhao’s firm waist and buried her face in his neck. “Brother Crown Prince, I’m afraid…”
Xie Yanzhao knew exactly what she was afraid of. He lifted her by the shoulders, looked into her eyes, and spoke solemnly.
“You are the only precious darling I cherish. You were in the past, you are now, and you always will be. There will only ever be you by my side.”
“Yuanyuan, don’t be afraid.”
It would be a lie to say Shen Tinghe wasn’t moved.
From the time she could remember, she was the person Xie Yanzhao held in the palm of his hand.
When she was mischievous and got into trouble, he was the one who covered for her.
When she was sick and scared, he was always there with her.
Whenever there were novel or precious treasures, he would always be the first to send them to her.
Shen Tinghe had enjoyed this favoritism for twenty years; there had never been a hint of falsehood in it.
How could she not know he loved her? That love was intense and blatant.
But Xie Yanzhao was the Crown Prince, the heir designated by the late Emperor on his deathbed, the sovereign who would surely possess the vast lands of the empire in the future.
How long could an Emperor’s love last? Three palaces, six courtyards, and three thousand beauties were the norm for the imperial family.
Today he promised to love only her. In the future, when he sat in that high position facing the glittering temptations of a flourishing court, would he still remember today’s vow?