It was still snowing heavily outside.
Inside Hanning Palace, the air was warm and humid, creating a drowsy atmosphere. But every so often, a soft question would cut through the haze, keeping one alert.
"Does this stitching look alright?"
Pei Qing held the amulet close, her voice gentle as she explained, "With this stitching, the thread won't show, and it matches the pouch better. What do you think?"
Xiao Yuan, looking at her stunningly beautiful face so close to his, uncharacteristically replied, "It's fine."
Pei Qing was slightly surprised but then smiled. "Alright, I'll sew it this way."
After all this time, her smile hadn’t changed—it was just as lovely, just as gentle and obedient as before. She always listened carefully to what he said, and whatever he wanted to do, she was always there to help. When he was in a playful mood, he would tease her with bad news, watching as she worried, and he’d think to himself, she’s so easy to fool, she mustn’t be deceived by others.
But little did he know, it wasn’t her who had been fooled—it was him, Xiao Yuan.
He was the one who believed her gentle reassurances, who believed her when she said she would be a general’s wife. Even when she left him, he still wondered if she had a reason. He’d secretly gone to see her, only to witness her grand and glorious phoenix escort. After that, all he heard were stories of how the young Empress Pei was favored, how she and her emperor husband would pray and laugh together, their love harmonious and unwavering.
Until that plea for help arrived in Nanchuan.
When Chu Li handed him the letter, the delicate handwriting on the envelope felt like a heavy blow to Xiao Yuan’s heart. He even thought she regretted it—regretted marrying into the palace, regretted marrying a man whose health was deteriorating day by day.
Did she want him to come for her? The thought made the Nanchuan King, who had ridden for over a decade, fall off his horse, frightening his generals.
He didn’t care to find a doctor, nor did he care about the pain in his leg. His heart, which had been a dead sea, suddenly surged with waves at the sight of the words “To Xiao Yuan.” But the moment he opened the letter, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on his burning heart.
She was begging him to save her husband and stepson, even willing to pay any price.
As he read, he laughed at himself, realizing he had been cut by the blade of her gentleness once again. Xiao Yuan sat with the letter in hand for an entire night.
The next morning, Chu Li reported the imminent threat of a coup in the capital. Nanchuan was far away, and without direct involvement, they might not have heard about a new emperor taking the throne until after the fact.
However, the news Chu Li brought was far more severe than what Pei Qing had described in her letter. All the high-ranking generals of the Nanchuan army were astonished when Xiao Yuan immediately ordered them to march.
Though the situation in the capital was urgent, it wasn’t urgent enough to justify immediate action. The Nanchuan army already had a notorious reputation in the court; why involve themselves in this mess?
"All done."
A soft voice brought him back to the present.
The person before him held up the amulet, now with a strap sewn on, and gave it a little shake. "It won’t fall off anymore."
Her beautiful eyes, clear and expressive, were just as captivating as when they first met—innocent and vulnerable, stirring his heart. Now, her smile was enough to easily enchant any man.
Xiao Yuan stood up, and Pei Qing quickly averted her gaze, only to hand him a clean cloth and fresh clothes in the next moment.
For some reason, Pei Qing felt that Xiao Yuan was different tonight. Since returning, he had been much quieter. He wasn’t losing his temper, nor was he mocking or humiliating her. She placed the amulet back on the small table by the bed, beside the belt Xiao Yuan had removed.
When she turned around, she found Xiao Yuan watching her.
Pei Qing was reminded of the previous night. She instinctively stepped back, fear evident in her eyes. She was afraid of how he had been yesterday, and even more afraid of the suffocating, choking feeling, of having to swallow everything down.
"Are you going to rest?" she asked.
He sat down on the bed.
"Then I’ll blow out the candle." She moved to extinguish the light, then quietly walked over to the small cot nearby, pulled back the blanket, and lay down.
The only sounds left in the room were the faint breaths. Perhaps it was because she had sat by the hot water for too long, but Pei Qing felt warm and quickly drifted off to sleep. However, in her drowsiness, she suddenly felt a chill, and the cot shook slightly.
Strong arms wrapped around her slender waist, and Pei Qing awoke with a start, meeting a pair of extraordinarily beautiful eyes in the darkness.
Before she could react, a kiss pressed against her lips.
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