The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

A few days later, Shen Qingruo's injuries had fully healed, and with Shen Wangxi's intervention, the matter was eventually dropped.

That afternoon, when Shen Wangxi stepped into Qingyi Palace, Shen Qingruo was leaning against the soft couch by the window, holding a volume of miscellaneous notes in her hands.

He walked over, sat down naturally beside her, took the book from her hand, and glanced at it: "What are you looking at?"

"Some folk customs and local products," Shen Qingruo replied softly, raising her watery eyes to look at him.

"It says that in a few days, the most lively lantern festival in the capital will be held, with lantern riddles, all kinds of exquisite lanterns, a lantern competition where craftsmen compete in their skills, and finally, you can go to the river to release lotus lanterns to make wishes."

Her tone was filled with longing, like a typical young girl talking about something new.

Shen Wangxi looked at her, her heart softening.

He reached out and brushed away a stray strand of hair from her cheek, his gesture natural and intimate: "I'm afraid you'll get bored staying in Qingyi Palace all the time."

"Since you want to go and see it, I will take you."

Shen Qingruo was taken aback, her eyes widening slightly: "Your Majesty, are you taking Aruo out of the palace?"

"Hmm." He nodded, watching the light gradually brighten in her eyes, and his tone softened. "Let's go out incognito, just the two of us, and see the lively scene of folk artisans."

Shen Wangxi paused, his gaze sweeping over the simple Qingyi Palace. He felt that the furnishings and utensils here were far too simple compared to Jiaofang Palace and Jingyang Palace.

He continued, "We should take this opportunity to have the people from the Imperial Household Department come and redecorate the Qingyi Palace, inside and out."

"These furniture and decorations are all old; let's replace them with some new ones."

"Tell Wu Tian what style you like, or what you need to buy, and he'll take care of it."

Shen Qingruo glanced around the room, her eyes full of innocence, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I think this place is quite nice, very elegant..."

"I don't think so," Shen Wangxi interrupted her, looking down at her with deep eyes. "My A'Ruo deserves the best."

He reached out, his fingertips brushing against her delicate cheek, his voice gentle: "Be good."

These two words carry an air of utter irrefutability.

Shen Wangxi wasn't trying to make up for anything, but seeing her living in such a simple place, and then thinking about the magnificent Jiaofang Palace, made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Shen Qingruo lowered her long eyelashes, concealing the emotions in her eyes, and nodded obediently: "Okay, thank you, Your Majesty."

She understood that she was now his new favorite, and this was not just a change of decoration, but also his silent surrender.

After all, Xiao Jiu's experience in love and romance taught her that as long as a man cares about a woman, he will take the initiative to plan for her in every way and give her the best, without her having to ask for anything.

Although his favoritism can only be hidden in the Qingyi Palace now, unable to see the light of day.

But soon, they should be able to show their true colors to the world, letting her see what Wu Lanyun and Shen Jingyan really looked like back then.

-

On the evening of the Lantern Festival, Shen Qingruo changed into a moon-white long dress, her black hair tied up with only a white jade hairpin, looking elegant and refined.

When she stepped out of the inner room and saw Shen Wangxi waiting in the outer room, she was stunned.

He had even changed out of his usual black casual clothes and was now dressed in white. His dark hair was tied up with a jade crown of the same color. He had lost his usual imperial majesty and gained a touch of the refined elegance of a young gentleman. He was truly a gentleman of unparalleled grace and elegance.

Wu Tian and Granny Yan stood to the side with their heads bowed, secretly exchanging a glance, both seeing the same sentiment in each other's eyes.

The two standing side by side looked like a match made in heaven, and no one who saw them would ever guess that they had once been father and daughter.