Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

After shaking off the Oirat pursuers, Jia Lian and his two companions headed south, intending to return to their camp.

To replenish their food and water supplies, the three stayed at a farmhouse.

As night fell, Jia Lian suddenly saw a figure flash past the window. Worried about the safety of Zhao Yang and the other two women, he drew his sword and chased after them.

Under the silvery moonlight, a woman's figure stood at the gate of the courtyard.

She glanced back at Jia Lian; her beautiful face, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared even more radiant and full of vitality.

Her smile was both elegant and playful.

It was like a tease, yet also like an invitation.

She strolled out, facing the moonlight, and walked into the night.

Jia Lian lowered his head and pondered for a moment, but then followed after him.

Princess Zhaoyang seemed completely unaware that someone was following her. She strolled across the withered grass with light and leisurely steps, like a nimble wild rabbit.

Suddenly she stopped, as if she had found her destination.

She sat down on the spot, rested her chin on her hands, and gazed at the clear spring below the slope, its surface rippling with white waves under the moonlight.

After a while, Princess Zhaoyang noticed someone sitting down next to her, and a smile appeared on her face.

"I thought you would still stand behind me like before, too afraid to come close."

As Princess Zhaoyang spoke, she gently lifted her hips, moved closer, and then tilted her head slightly, resting it lightly on the cool shoulder of the person beside her.

The movements were so coordinated and natural.

After leaving Yanmen Pass, as she toured the scenic spots outside the pass, the person beside her remained with her.

At that time, however, the other party was truly like a loyal knight, silently standing by her side, protecting her, and daring not to overstep his bounds in the slightest.

Jia Lian sat still, but all his senses were fully engaged.

Feeling the delicate body of the beautiful woman beside him, he could smell the cool, peony-like fragrance emanating from her.

There is something else that is hard to describe but can make your heart race.

Like Miaoyu. She was a young woman in her prime, possessing a unique virginal aura.

Jia Lian, whose body and mind were numbed by tenderness, could not bring himself to say, "It's cold at night, Your Highness, please return early."

He glanced sideways at Princess Zhaoyang beside him, who was squinting her eyes and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Jia Lian sighed inwardly and reached out to embrace the person next to him.

She was dressed too thinly. Underneath her cloth skirt, there was probably only a thin garment covering her body; if you touched it, you could feel her delicate and passionate body underneath.

Princess Zhaoyang shuddered, then readily leaned her body closer and wrapped her arms around Jia Lian's waist.

Just as she was secretly delighted that she had finally melted steel into softness, she heard Jia Lian's deep voice: "Your Highness, are you truly not going to regret this?"

Princess Zhaoyang gave a slight hum, as if in response, or perhaps unwilling to answer Jia Lian's question.

"Perhaps I can't give the princess what she wants; maybe, what I'll give her more of is disappointment and resentment."

Jia Lian's voice became increasingly earnest and sincere.

Princess Zhaoyang frowned slightly, propped herself up, looked up at Jia Lian, and then leaned back in his arms, saying, "When you like someone more than you like yourself, perhaps nothing else in the world matters."

Princess Zhaoyang understood Jia Lian's concerns. He feared that she would take advantage of her status and position to make demands of him in the future, thereby destroying his family and causing his wife and daughter to leave him.

This was her response. It was also what she hadn't finished saying by the campfire last night.

"After experiencing all these things, I realized that many things in the world, and the things that society makes me care about, are meaningless."

The purpose of living is only what you truly desire in your heart.

You know what? I now know exactly what I'm going to do next.

Princess Zhaoyang placed her ear against Jia Lian's chest, listening to his gentle heartbeat as she spoke.

"The first thing is to serve the Empress Dowager and ensure she can live out her remaining years in peace. The second is to protect Xiao Ling; he's really an unreliable fellow, and I'm worried about leaving him alone in the capital."

third……"

Princess Zhaoyang paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Just like now, you can quietly tell the person you want to hear what's in your heart."

Upon hearing Princess Zhaoyang's explanation, Jia Lian was deeply shaken.

If there is truly something in the world that is most difficult to bear, it is probably the favor of a beautiful woman.

He had always believed that only Baochai, a hermit in the mountains, and Daiyu, a fairy maiden in the secluded world, could move his heart.

That was the guiding light in his heart, the spiritual pursuit that led him to climb higher in this world.

Even for the celestial concubine Wang Xifeng, the relationship was mostly just about the affection between husband and wife, day and night.

However, in the end, he and Xue Lin, especially Xue, have had very little interaction. What is so moving is perhaps merely his own one-sided yearning and obsession.

I never imagined that there would be another person, a woman of noble birth, who would value him so much, so deeply.

So intensely that, without her realizing it, she had become the purpose of her life; so deeply that the other person was willing to abandon their noble bloodline and set aside their pride to express their goodwill and affection to her time and time again.

Recalling everything Princess Zhaoyang had done for him since he left the capital, he felt as if the world had turned upside down.

It was as if the other person had become him, and he had become Daiyu.

No, he himself didn't care for Daiyu as much as Princess Zhaoyang did for him!

Thinking about it, Jia Lian couldn't help but tighten his arms, not wanting to lose too much in this romantic relationship.

Princess Zhaoyang was unaware of Jia Lian's thoughts; she remained absorbed in his response to her.

Noticing that Jia Lian remained silent for a while, she suddenly thought of a witty and amusing remark, so she sat up straight, gazed at Jia Lian, and smiled, "As for the resentment and disappointment you mentioned..."

I can only answer you that I have no resentment, because you never gave me any hope from the very beginning.

However, I still hope that you will be more affectionate towards me in the future, and not let me feel too much disappointment.

As she spoke, she tucked a strand of hair, which had been blown away by the night wind, behind her ear and gave Jia Lian a teasing smile.

What else could Jia Lian say? He could only look down at the woman in his arms.

The night wind was cold, and she was dressed in very thin clothes.

A nearly new cloth dress, treasured by a farmer's daughter and too precious to wear, did not at all reflect Princess Zhaoyang's royal status when she wore it, but it did add a touch of elegance and refinement to her.

Under Jia Lian's gaze, Princess Zhaoyang could no longer laugh. The blush that had just appeared on her cheeks was forcibly suppressed by rolling her eyes at Jia Lian.

Then, meeting Jia Lian's gaze, she tilted her head forward and slowly closed her eyes.

Jia Lian smiled wryly. This woman was indeed very shrewd.

He lowered his head and gently kissed the other's lips, which were cool from the night breeze. The feeling was unique, just like that night at Gan Ning Pass when the other had stolen a kiss from him.

However, the roles of host and guest have been reversed.