Chapter 16: The Weight of Affection

In ancient times, husband and wife were considered lifelong partners, with the husband being supreme and the wife respected. A concubine was merely beneath them in status. No matter how esteemed Cold...Chapter 16: The Weight of Affection

Yun Qianyue was taken aback, looking at Rong Jing. Wasn't the Prince Consort Rong poisoned by the Purple Grass

She recalled that during their time at Lingtai Temple, Cailian mentioned Rong Jing's father and said he had gone to suppress a rebellion in Northern Frontier ten years ago but got trapped there instead. Later, it was rumored that the prince consort fell ill due to being poisoned by an obscure poison while on his way back home; by then, he had already passed away from the illness. His wife committed suicide after hearing the news of her husband's death. The Prince Consort Rong only married one wife in his lifetime and only fathered Jing Shizi. After that incident, Jing Shizi fell ill as well and didn't leave the palace for a decade.

Wasn’t it said to be an obscure poison Was that not the case" Yun Qianyue asked.

"No." Rong Jing shook his head. "Although my father was indeed poisoned by an obscure poison, what killed him was actually Purple Grass."

Where does this Purple Grass grow Tell me about it; I didn't find any mention of it in the book," Yun Qianyue said.

"Purple Grass grows in a place steeped in dark and toxic energies, where it’s nourished by these poisonous vapors. Thus, every part of it is highly venomous, even more so than cinnabar—it's considered the most lethal poison in the world. There's only one such place on earth where Purple Grass can grow: at the peak of Toxin Peak in Northern Frontier," Rong Jing replied.

Northern Frontier Yun Qianyue thought to herself. She knew about Toxin Peak. It was said that it was always shrouded in poisonous vapors, making it uninhabitable for most people, and very few ventured near or climbed up the peak due to the danger of poisoning themselves from the toxic air. If someone could enter Toxin Peak and reach its summit while picking Purple Grass, they must be incredibly skilled, not something ordinary people can do. However, there are plenty of crazy individuals in this world. Someone might indeed be able to reach Toxin Peak and collect Purple Grass to harm others.

"Your father died ten years ago, right Since you know he was poisoned by Purple Grass, did you find out who used it" Yun Qianyue asked.

"No." Rong Jing shook his head again.

"With your abilities, couldn’t you figure that out" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

At first, I thought my father was poisoned by an obscure poison. But when preparing for the funeral, I noticed there was a purple glow on his palms and only then did I know he had been poisoned with Purple Grass. Before I could investigate further, I was hit with a passion-inducing drug and struck down afterward. Grandpa Yun gave me one of the few Immortal Restorative Pills in existence to save my life. Master Lingyin used half of his lifetime's cultivation to keep me alive. After that incident, it took another five years for me to recover. By then, there was no trace left to follow up on. All those who were close to father back then had died," Rong Jing said with a grim expression.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to find any leads but unexpectedly encountered Purple Grass again today."

"That’s how it is!" Yun Qianyue nodded, "What are the characteristics of this Purple Grass other than its lethality For example, under what circumstances can someone get poisoned"

"Touching the grass results in poisoning; being poisoned means death," Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue was startled. She thought that such a poison indeed was ruthless. Looking at Rong Jing, she asked, "Does this mean that the toad must have come into contact with Purple Grass right before the explosion This would imply that it wasn’t Qin Yuceng's blood that was toxic but rather her Blood Toad touching Purple Grass"

"That’s correct," Rong Jing nodded, his expression unchanged.

"Let’s get off and go back to check again." Yun Qianyue suddenly reached out to grab Rong Jing's hand, trying to leave the carriage.

At that time on the execution platform, besides those corpses, only Night Tianqing, Ye Qian, Qin Yuceng, and Liang Qing were present. No one else could get near the toad. If this is true, then among these four people, there must be someone carrying Purple Grass. She ruled out Ye Qian and Liang Qing first; given that Ye Qian had the Demon King of Ten Thousand Curses in her hand, which fears Purple Grass, it was impossible for her to carry it with her. And as for Night Tianqing, she trusted him after spending so much time together—he might dislike Ye Qian verbally but would never harm such a person using Purple Grass to kill the Demon King. Therefore, only two people remained: Night Tianqing and Qin Yuceng.

Qin Yuceng was sick at just the right moment to avoid coming, and after arriving she couldn’t even stand steadily and fell off the execution platform; these actions made her highly suspect. As for Night Tianqing, he would do anything to be crowned Crown Prince. If the person behind the assassination of Rong Jing and herself was indeed him, then it’s possible that he used Purple Grass to blow up the Demon King of Ten Thousand Curses so Ye Qian couldn’t continue solving the case.

Anyone who acts leaves traces behind; therefore, I must go back and check!

"There won't be any clues left. You’ve forgotten that the execution platform is burning right now. Any trace would have been burned away," Rong Jing sat still and reminded Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue's body froze in place. Yes! She had forgotten that all those bodies on the execution platform were burning at the moment of the Demon King’s explosion, turning into ashes as the carriage moved away for a long time now. Fuming inside, she said with a cold smile: "What a clever plan and strategy! To pull off such an intricate trick right under our noses. I'd like to know who this person is. Such ingenuity and scheming."

Night Tianqing seemed shrewd but every time he acted it was so foolish—could it be him

Earlier, I might have suspected it was him, but now I think it’s unlikely to be Night Tianqing!

There's only one person left! Qin Yuning!

She remembered the silk thread Nan Lingrui had given her. Her heart sank—the person who secretly targeted Rong Jing and her with hidden weapons could be Qin Yuning If it were her, wouldn’t that mean Qin Yuning has martial arts skills

"By now, there’s only ashes left at the scene. Even if we go to look for clues, they won't be found anymore, which would actually alert them unnecessarily. Besides, even if you knew about the purple grass and managed to figure out when the curse king exploded, wouldn’t you still rush out You’d quickly suppress yourself just like I did back then. Although the fire burned away all traces, some things can’t truly disappear. For example, Nie Qingran, Ye Qian, Qin Yuning, and Nie Tianqiong are still here. As long as they’re around, their actions will have tracks, and sooner or later we’ll find out who did it." Rong Jing used his intact arm to hold Yun Shangyue, speaking gently, "Be good, don’t be angry anymore. We have plenty of time to figure this out."

Yun Shangyue nodded in agreement with Rong Jing’s words; if they went now, they wouldn't find anything and would alert them unnecessarily. Her urgent heart instantly calmed down, but her face turned dark when she heard the latter part of his words. She pushed away his hand irritably and said, "You’re just lying to kids!"

How long had it been since someone called her 'good' This man!

Rong Jing chuckled softly, leaned down to kiss Yun Shangyue's lips, but stopped when he smelled the powder fragrance. He said in annoyance, "You need to wash this powder off as soon as we get back!"

"No!" Yun Shangyue thought that this powder was a good thing; she would use it every day from now on. It can protect against wolves.

"No" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Yun Shangyue nodded.

Rong Jing looked at Yun Shangyue, seeing her smug look. Suddenly he let go of her and took out a water pot from the carriage, twisted open the lid, and before Yun Shangyue could react, had already poured all the water on her face.

The water was warm but anyone would be uncomfortable with it being splashed all over their face.

Yun Shangyue instantly became furious. "Rong Jing, what are you doing"

Rong Jing slowly put down the empty pot and took a silk handkerchief to gently wipe Yun Shangyue's face, washing away the powder. Her clean, unadorned face was revealed; he met her angry little face with a gentle voice: "I’m helping you wash!"

"Who asked for your help" Yun Shangyue angrily said; this was to wash her face She now had water in her neck and clothes that were completely soaked.

"If you use powder again, I’ll wash it off like this. Every time you apply it, I'll wash it once." Rong Jing smiled at Yun Shangyue's angry little face, turned her around with a hand and bent down to kiss her lips.

“Asshole!” Yun Shangyue angrily cursed, seeing through his intentions. She waved her hand to hit him, "Get away! Don't touch me."

"You just bandaged my arm up for me; do you really want it to become useless" Rong Jing held out the injured arm in front of Yun Shangyue, successfully making her stop hitting him. He smiled and kissed her on the lips.

Yun Shangyue thought he was taking advantage enough. When had she gotten used to his nasty habit She could no longer hit him and only pushed him away with her hand, "Are you done yet My wound is still bleeding! If you do it again, I won't be able to see anyone!"

Rong Jing’s lips just touched Yun Shangyue's when he heard this. He had to leave; looking at the place where his bite on her lip was, there was a hint of annoyance in his eyes: "Didn’t you apply medicine Why isn't it better yet If I knew that, I wouldn’t have bitten."

Yun Shangyue was speechless. "Is your medicine a miraculous cure How am I supposed to be healed after just such a short time"

"Then let's apply the medicine again!" said Rong Jing.

Yun Shangyue harrumphed.

Rong Jing released her, took out that jade bottle from his pocket, and opened it. He used his fingertips to gently dab the medicine on Yun Shangyue's wound at the corner of her mouth. His movements were gentle; she could clearly feel his care in every touch. The anger from being splashed with water dissipated as she looked into his handsome eyes and serious expression; her heart suddenly felt a warmth it had never experienced before.

Does this mean she likes him

Falling for someone makes one's heart as warm and gentle as the spring water in March...

When one falls for someone, they don't resist any of their actions, such as hugging, kissing, or touching them...

If one falls for someone, their gaze can't help but follow them; would they feel jealous and uncomfortable when seeing him save others and get injured

...

She recalled the unfinished words that Rong Jing had said, "Falling in love is too light a feeling..."

But why did she think that falling for someone was such a weighty matter Heavy enough to make her heart tremble whenever she thought of her feelings for Rong Jing.

"What are you thinking about" Rong Jing paused his actions and, seeing Yun Qianyue's unusual expression, asked her softly.

Yun Qianyue tugged at the corner of her mouth and replied, "Nothing!"

Rong Jing looked deeply into Yun Qianyue’s eyes for a moment before placing the white jade bottle he had in his hand into hers. He then said warmly, "Go back and take a hot bath so as not to catch a cold."

Yun Qianyue lowered her head to glance at her wet clothes and retorted angrily, "It’s all your fault for splashing me with water! Don’t pretend to be kind!"

"Otherwise you wouldn't learn from experience. Next time I’ll have to use powder again," Rong Jing said without a hint of regret.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that she certainly would not get splashed with water next time; it was such an uncomfortable feeling. She was about to say something when the carriage suddenly stopped and Xiang Ge’s voice rang out from outside, "Young Master, we have arrived at the Yun王府!"

Yun Qianyue looked over at Rong Jing who nodded in response. Glancing at his injured arm, she hesitated before saying, "I’ll come to the Hong王府 tomorrow to change your dressing."

Rong Jing's lips curved into a smile as he answered, "Alright!"

Yun Qianyue reached out and pulled back the curtain. With a light leap, she jumped down from the carriage. Just as her feet touched the ground, she heard Rong Jing mutter something inside the carriage; however, she couldn't make it out clearly. She asked him, "What did you say"

"Nothing. Remember to come see me tomorrow for my dressing change," Rong Jing instructed.

“Got it!” Yun Qianyue thought that what he had said couldn’t be good words. Nevertheless, she didn't bother asking and glanced at Xiang Ge who now wore a rather unhappy expression after the joy on his face when his master splashed her with water earlier. She thought to herself that surely he must have felt happy seeing his master splash her! Recalling how he had thrown a shoe at her yesterday because of his temper, she stepped forward and asked him playfully, "Your hand throwing shoes is quite skilled, isn't it"

Xiang Ge's expression froze.

"If you can teach me one day, would that be alright" Yun Qianyue laughed while asking.

Xiang Ge immediately lowered his head and apologized, "Xiang Ge acknowledges his mistake. Please forgive this subordinate!"

Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow and said to Rong Jing in the carriage, "Rong Jing, your bodyguard is a fool if he can't understand me"

Xiang Ge’s face darkened; he did not expect Miss Yun to hold such a grudge!

"Mm! When you're free one day, he won’t be stupid anymore!" Rong Jing chuckled.

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue agreed readily. She glanced at Xiang Ge’s now gloomy face and turned around in high spirits, stepping towards the inner residence of her estate.

String Song stared at Yun Qianyue's retreating back, feeling that there was indeed one sentence that was right: it’s better to offend a gentleman than a villain, and even worse to offend a woman! He had offended a woman, and this woman happened to be his master's highly cherished woman!

"String Song, what are you looking at Do you really want her to strip you naked Drive the carriage back home!" Rong Jing said with a smile as he gave an order.

"Yes, Young Master!" String Song flicked his whip, and the carriage left the entrance of Yun王府門口。

Yun Qianyue entered the Yun王府. Just as she was wondering why she hadn't seen Yun Meng today, she saw him rushing out to meet her. When he noticed that she was looking behind her, he asked, "Miss Qingyue, where's Prince Jing"

"He went back home," Yun Qianyue thought about how Yun Meng always seemed happier when he met Rong Jing than when he met her.

"Why did Prince Jing go back Are you not on good terms with him yet" Yun Meng looked at Yun Qianyue's face and found it more comfortable to see Miss Qingyue without makeup.

"He got hurt while saving Qin Yuning; he went home to recover!" Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. Had she and Rong Jing had a fight Even if that could be called a fight, hadn't they been on good terms before the fight

What did "good terms" mean Seeing that Yun Meng was about to ask again with a worried expression, Yun Qianyue preemptively said lightly, "He only broke one tendon in his arm; it's nothing serious!"

"That's good!" Yun Meng seemed relieved and told Yun Qianyue, "Old King knows that Prince Jing sent you back. He originally wanted me to intercept Prince Jing and invite him over for a visit with you at his place. Now that Prince Jing is home, Miss should go there right away!"

Yun Qianyue thought about the events of today; she figured that Old King would want to understand what had happened. She nodded in agreement, "Yes, I'll head over to Grandpa's place right now."

Yun Meng nodded and said nothing more.

As Yun Qianyue walked towards the courtyard of Old King Yun, she suddenly felt that something was off and turned around to ask Yun Meng, "Uncle Meng, why is it so quiet in the mansion today"

"Answering Miss Qingyue, Princess Qingwan arrived earlier. She's currently at Prince Jing’s place," Yun Meng replied.

Yun Qianyue thought to herself that it was indeed Princess Qingwan who had come; no wonder the mansion was so quiet! With a princess visiting, naturally everyone kept their voices down and made little noise. She had originally been heading over to Old King Yun's place but changed her mind. To Yun Meng she said, "Uncle Meng, are you busy"

"Is there anything Miss needs Since Prince Jing hasn't come back in yet, I was just about to get the things ready and head over to Honor王府to visit Prince Jing!" Yun Meng replied.

"Prepare his stuff later. Take me to see my brother first," said Yun Qianyue.

Yun Meng was taken aback, "Miss wants to go to Prince Jing’s place"

"Huh Is there something wrong with that Can't I go there" Yun Qianyue asked when she saw the surprised expression on Yun Meng's face.

"It's not that you can't! It’s just that Miss hasn’t stepped into Prince Jing's courtyard for ten years, and I got excited at the thought of it," Yun Meng hurriedly shook his head. "I’ll take Miss there right now!"

Now it was Yun Qianyue's turn to be surprised. Hadn't she entered Cloud Muhan's courtyard in this body for ten years She frowned and smiled, "So it’s been ten years since I’ve entered my brother’s courtyard! I had forgotten that; why haven’t I gone there"

"Since Prince Jing returned from his great misfortune, Miss hasn't stepped into his courtyard. At first, Old King and the king hid this from you so as not to make you worried about him. Even when you found out later on, you didn't visit. Back then, after he woke up, Prince Jing was cold and distant for three months without saying a word. Later on, since Miss followed behind Crown Prince Liang all the time, you also treated Prince Jing coldly. The timespan is so long that I can’t remember clearly, but it’s likely what happened!" Yun Meng explained.

"At that time, being young and ignorant of everything, I finally understand now," Yun Qianyue thought to herself that something must have happened that made her in this body refrain from entering Cloud Muhan's courtyard for ten years. However, things were different now; Cloud Muhan was kind to her, so she couldn't treat him as coldly and distantly as before. Besides, Princess Qingwan had arrived today, and she definitely couldn’t miss the opportunity to find out why the temple of Lingtai Temple had put the aphrodisiac on her.

"Yes, Old King also said that Miss started to understand things after hitting your head at the Lotus Pond. But you’ve been even more troublesome than before," Yun Meng chuckled and nodded.

Yun Qianyue was stunned; she stopped walking and looked at Yun Meng, "Uncle Meng What did you say You said... Grandpa knows that I hit my head How does he know about it I didn’t tell him!"

"Miss Qingyue, we have our own eyes and ears in the palace!" Yun Meng stopped walking as well.

"So Grandpa knows that I don't remember many things" Yun Qianyue hesitated and asked again.

Yun Meng sighed and comforted her, "As long as Miss is fine, the old王爺 knows you don’t want him to worry, so he pretended not to know..."

Crap! She was hiding things for fear of being found out that she wasn't Yun Qianyue. It turned out they thought she had amnesia and were pretending not to know. Yun Qianyue looked up helplessly at the sky, suddenly feeling something was wrong. She recalled Rong Feng's words and Rong Jing’s assertion that she was herself. A shiver ran down her spine as she averted her gaze and asked seriously, "Uncle Meng, did I change a lot after hitting my head"

Yun Meng looked at Yun Qianyue in confusion, then suddenly laughed and shook his head, "Miss has changed somewhat, but not drastically. Except for cutting ties with the Crown Prince, there haven't been other changes. You're still as you were before, without a lady's demeanor."

Yun Qianyue asked again, "What about other things For instance, have you ever felt that I became unfamiliar"

"How could it be so People who know you well can recognize you at first sight," Yun Meng immediately shook his head.

"Then my way of speaking Haven't you thought sometimes it’s strange" Yun Qianyue asked again.

"You used to speak strangely too, occasionally others couldn’t understand. I really didn’t find any differences in you compared to before. Oh yes, there is one thing: You used to be distant with everyone from the Shallow Moon Pavilion except for your wet nurse, and also with people from our王府. Now you’re close with them, but you killed the wet nurse. Especially regarding your personal maidservant, every half year a new one was appointed before, while Cailian has already been here for more than six months and hasn’t been replaced yet. This is a change indeed. I’ve been wondering when Cailian will be replaced! But I haven’t seen you move."

"Is that so" Yun Qianyue tugged at her lips, trying to force out a smile but found it impossible. She asked again, "The wet nurse's death was indeed because someone killed her to cover up my attempt to get rid of her. This I know. But I don’t remember why I used to replace my personal maid every half year before. Do you know"

"Miss Shallow Moon... have you really forgotten a lot of things" Yun Meng looked at Yun Qianyue with concern.

"Not much, just small details," Yun Qianyue shook her head. She couldn’t say she had forgotten everything, as Yun Meng was not Rong Feng and Rong Jing whom she could fully trust.

“So it’s true! It's good that you've forgotten some things. Since the Young Master suffered a great misfortune, I’ve been worried about Miss being unhappy. Now that Prince Jing treats you so well, you’re happy every day. That’s great,” Yun Meng sighed in relief. "As for why you replaced maids every half year, I once asked the ones dismissed by you privately, and several of them said you no longer liked them or had seen through their faces, wanting fresh ones."

"Yes, indeed, I find Cailian rather irritating now," Yun Qianyue nodded.

“Then does Miss want to replace Cailian That girl is too noisy. If you want her replaced, that’s good. Old servant will go and look for someone with better eyesight on your behalf,” Yun Meng hurriedly said.

Yun Qianyue thought about how Cailian had grown up a bit, wasn’t as talkative as before, but still didn’t meet her expectations or seem close. Listening Snow and Listening Rain were also children at heart, not practical for important tasks. These three indeed weren’t satisfactory; having servants like Qing Shang would be ideal, but unfortunately she was Rong Jing’s person! Replacing one might not be better than Cailian. Besides, remembering that Cailian had saved many orphans from Cold Shaozhuo's hands and that she once accompanied her there, now with her memory gone, it relied on Cailian to locate the place again. She shook her head, "Let’s use her for now! That little girl might be talkative but is quite close to me, warming up to my needs."

"Then Miss will keep using her. When you don’t want her anymore, inform old servant and he’ll find another," Yun Meng said.

“Alright!” Yun Qianyue nodded.

“The day is getting late. Let’s hurry to the Young Master’s place! If it gets dark, I won’t be able to go to Cloud Manor with gifts for Prince Jing,” Yun Meng added.

Yun Qianyue glanced at the sky; it was already the time of Shenshen (6 PM). She nodded, "Alright!"

Yun Meng led the way as they walked towards Cloud Muhan’s courtyard.

While walking, Yun Qianyue mulled over what Yun Meng had just said, repeatedly questioning herself inwardly. Could she really be Yun Qianyue Only losing her memory and forgetting some things When one person says you are who you say you are, it surprises; when two people affirm it, there’s doubt; by the time three people confirm it, there's contemplation about your true identity; when everyone around says you are, could that mean you might not be

If she really was the body's owner, then what about Li Yun's memories in her mind

Yun Qianyue felt a dull ache starting at her head again. She dared not think further. Just as Rong Jing had said, it would all be revealed eventually; there was no need to rush. She rubbed her forehead and dismissed the thoughts from her mind. Regardless of who she really is, she must act like Yun Qianyue now.

"Before the Young Master suffered a great misfortune, you used to spend most of your time in his West Maple Garden for half a year each year, not returning to Shallow Moon Pavilion at all! Then eating and living together with him, even stealing his quilts at midnight which would make him catch cold frequently. The Young Master got so angry each time he wanted to kick you out but you wouldn't go, still staying in West Maple Garden. In the end, seeing no solution, the Young Master let it be. Back then, how close were your relationship with the Young Master..." Yun Meng seemed reminiscent as he laughed.

"Is this what happened I was so shameless back then!" Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue paused in her step and asked casually with a smile.

"Yes, His Excellency said that you were shamelessly persistent at that time. But from the old servant's perspective, he seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. Each time he told you to leave, he wasn't serious about it. There was once when you destroyed his favorite fan, and in anger, he threw you out of the room, but you left lightly without any trouble. Later on, after you didn't visit His Excellency for half a month, he couldn't stand it anymore and went over to Qianyue Courtyard himself..." Yun Meng opened up about their past conversations with a smile.

"What happened next" she asked with a laugh. She wondered if her relationship with Yun Muhuan had been this good in the past

"Back then, you shut yourself away in Qianyue Courtyard for half a month without coming out or even visiting the Old Grand Duke to pay respects. The Old Grand Duke couldn't help but ask what was wrong when he came over to check on you, but you refused to let him inside your courtyard. He could only stand there and feel frustrated until His Excellency couldn’t take it anymore and went looking for you at Qianyue Courtyard himself..." Yun Meng continued with a smile: "That time you were the most argumentative! However, after that incident, His Excellency learned to give in to your whims. He stopped fighting with you."

"Really What kind of fan was it I must have been pretty capable then! Was I really able to make a fan myself" Yun Qianyue asked with a smile.

"Old servant didn't see the fan either; you refused to show anyone. After making it, you gave it directly to His Excellency. He cherished it very much and even kept it hidden from the Old Grand Duke when he wanted to see it. I haven’t seen him use that fan since then. It seems only you two know what that fan looks like. No one in our household has ever laid eyes on it," Yun Meng said as they arrived at a courtyard. He stopped talking and asked Yun Qianyue, "Is this the place Shall old servant accompany you inside, Miss Qianyue The princess seems to still be here."

"No need, go ahead and do your work," she replied with a shake of her head.

Yun Meng answered and turned back to return.

Yun Qianyue didn’t immediately enter the courtyard but waited until Yun Meng’s figure disappeared from sight before walking in. She looked at the courtyard named Xi Feng Yuan (Western Maple Garden). It was indeed full of maple trees, with a faint fragrance of maple leaves. She never imagined that her relationship with Yun Muhuan had been so good back then, and she had made him a fan herself. She smiled to herself as she stepped in.

The courtyard was quiet, without any servants or maids around. She walked straight towards the main residence.

Just as she arrived at the main house of the courtyard, faint sobs and complaints could be heard inside: "Cloud Muhan, you said you would play with me! You don’t keep your word. I demand that you play with me now... If you won't play with me, I'll stay here forever..."

Yun Qianyue stopped in her tracks; the voice was clearly that of Princess Qing Wan. However, this wasn’t something she expected to hear from the princess. It sounded like a child’s complaints. She frowned but didn’t proceed further. Instead, she listened.

"Father said you don't like me, mother also said you don't like me, even the eunuchs and maids in the palace say that they won’t play hide-and-seek with me anymore... I don't believe it! You must love me, right Please promise to play with me, okay You haven't visited for days, and nobody in the palace wants to play hide-and-seek with me..." Princess Qing Wan sobbed.

Hide-and-seek Yun Qianyue frowned again.

"Cloud Muhan, will you play with me I promise to be obedient. Will you promise it These few days without seeing you made me very lonely... Today I secretly escaped from the palace because mother wasn't around..." Princess Qing Wan pleaded.

Yun Qianyue thought that this explained why Yun Muhuan hadn’t managed to get any information about what happened at Lingtai Temple from Princess Qing Wan for such a long time. She must have regressed to the age of a child. So she wouldn't be able to learn anything useful even if she met her today. With this thought, she turned and left.

Just as Yun Qianyue exited Xi Feng Yuan, she saw Nan Lingrui walking in with an open fan, looking dashing and graceful in his silk robes and jade belt. It was indeed him. She stopped and watched him, her gaze fixed on the fan he held. As the sun set, the white background of the lady painted on the fan shone with a golden-red glow that dazzled the eyes. Yun Qianyue looked away, wondering what Nan Lingrui was doing here instead of visiting Ye Qian at De Qin王府 (Duke's Manor). Suddenly, she felt something amiss and turned back to look at his fan again. Upon seeing the familiar strokes and style of painting on the fan’s surface, her face changed.

She hadn't paid much attention to Nan Lingrui's fan in the past; however, because of Yun Meng's words, she had become overly sensitive about fans recently and thus noticed his carefully. She recalled the two sketches she made for Ye Qingran at Lingtai Temple that were later burned by Rong Jing but still vividly remembered. The techniques used in those sketches were exactly identical to what was on Nan Lingrui’s fan.

Even if her memory wasn’t perfect, she would never forget the brushstrokes and pencil lines she had learned as a child since they were unique to herself. She didn't believe that anyone else in this world could use both calligraphy and sketching techniques so perfectly together without any discrepancies.

The figure of the lady on Nan Lingrui's fan was done with her own style...

Out-of-Story Notes:

A weak plea for votes, my lovely readers. Don’t hold back your precious votes! (⊙_⊙)

Thank you to the following dear readers who have sent me diamonds and flowers.

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