Chapter 30: Celebrating the Qiqiao Festival Together

o discernible emotion in those equine eyes before death, and she suddenly closed her eyes. She swung her hand out and struck the secret guard’s sword away from his grasp, glaring at Ye Tianyi angrily,...Chapter 30: Celebrating the Qiqiao Festival Together

The heavy rain lasted half a day and one night. The next morning, the sky cleared up and was bright blue with sunshine.

Yun Qianyue had been listening to the sound of thunder and rain outside the window, her mind blank as she lay quietly in bed until the rain stopped. She then fell into a deep sleep that lasted for one day and one night.

Cai Lian, Zhao Mama, and others had already received her instructions not to wake her up. Everyone in Qianyue Hall moved around carefully, trying not to make any noise during this period. Qianyue Hall was peaceful and quiet without anyone disturbing them.

The third day, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, marked the annual Qiqiao Festival of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.

Early in the morning, the Yun王府 (Cloud Manor) was bustling with activity, with constant sounds and laughter coming from all directions.

The noise woke Yun Qianyue up. Opening her eyes, she found the familiar yet strange scenery around her. After a moment of hesitation, she pushed away the covers and got out of bed. When opening the door, Cai Lian, Ting Xue, Ting Yu, and other small maids in Qianyue Hall were all dressed brightly with painted eyebrows and powdered faces, looking delighted. Even Zhao Mama had put on new clothes for a change. Yun Qianyue looked at them curiously, puzzled, asking: "What happy event is happening to make you all so cheerful"

"Miss, are you awake" Cai Lian hurried over upon hearing the sound and looked at Yun Qianyue with joy, saying, "Miss overslept again! Today is the Qiqiao Festival. Everyone in this mansion is preparing for tonight's festival. We're getting ready too!"

"Oh," Yun Qianyue nodded, thinking how time flies.

"Miss, you've slept for two days and nights. You must be hungry! Old servant will go to fetch your breakfast right away." Zhao Mama looked at Yun Qianyue and rushed to the kitchen upon seeing her nod.

"Miss, I'm preparing items for today's festival as well. What do you like using for the Qiqiao Festival" Cai Lian asked.

"What is there" Yun Qianyue leaned against the door frame lazily and asked.

"There are many things, such as candle holders, incense burners, fruits, embroidery pieces, colorful ribbons, knot ties, sachets, etc. All can be used for the festival," Cai Lian replied.

Upon hearing "sachet", Yun Qianyue's thoughts stirred and she remembered half-finished sachet in her embroidery. A dull feeling suddenly arose within her. She didn't respond and turned back to enter the room.

Cai Lian was taken aback, quickly following her inside.

Upon entering the room, Yun Qianyue immediately noticed a package on the soft couch. Walking over, she opened it and saw half-finished sachet lying atop clothes. Staring silently at it, her gaze flickered unpredictably.

"Miss" Cai Lian looked at Yun Qianyue in puzzlement, then noticing the sachet on top of the opened package, exclaimed strangely, "There's actually a half-finished sachet here!" As she curiously picked it up, she was shocked to find, "This is even double-sided embroidery! How novel and exquisite! And this skill... Miss, who..."

Cai Lian stopped halfway through her sentence when she realized something was amiss. She looked at Yun Qianyue, who pursed her lips in deep thought with an expression Cai Lian had never seen before, as if shrouded in thick clouds. There seemed to be something unresolved around her eyes and brows. Immediately, she halted her words, cautiously asking, "Miss, are you alright"

Yun Qianyue shifted her gaze away from the sachet, twitched her mouth slightly, then shook her head saying, "Nothing."

Cai Lian though knowing Yun Qianyue was troubled did not press for details as she now knew better. Instead, she admired the sachet and said with admiration, "This sachet is only half done If it were completed, it would be even more impressive! Such craftsmanship is unparalleled in Heavenly Saint City or perhaps even the entire world. According to servant's estimation, even Qingxiang from Prince Jing wouldn't match this skill."

Yun Qianyue remained silent as her gaze drifted out of the window.

"This moon-white silk seems unique to Prince Jing!" Cai Lian examined the sachet curiously. "Miss, could Qingxiang have mistakenly packed it in your luggage when tidying up for you Otherwise, why would half-finished sachet be here"

Yun Qianyue stayed silent.

Sensing that this sachet might be related to Miss, Cai Lian gently placed it down and watched Yun Qianyue’s back in contemplation. She asked again carefully, "Miss, have you decided what items you’ll use for the festival Will Prince Jing accompany you today"

"I won't participate in this festival today. You all go get ready," Yun Qianyue turned around to wash her face at the basin.

Cai Lian was taken aback, "Miss, today is the annual Qiqiao Festival of Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Every woman across the dynasty participates on this day, including Empress and other ladies in the palace. Some pray for love, some seek protection and fulfillment, others wish for peace and prosperity, still others pray for descendants' fortune. This year you've reached adulthood. How could you not participate"

"I don't want to celebrate it, plus I have nothing to ask for," Yun Qianyue replied.

Cai Lian looked at Yun Qianyue and hesitated before asking softly after a while, "Did you quarrel with Prince Jing"

The contradiction Yun Qianyue covered her face with a handkerchief and thought to herself that it would be good if they really had a conflict. The issues between them were not something that could be resolved by simply having a disagreement. The frustration she had previously dispelled rose up again in her chest, and she waved her hand, saying, "Do what you need to do, I said I won’t beg for skill and there’s no need for any more talk!"

Cai Lian immediately stopped talking and turned to leave. After taking a couple of steps, she added, “I still have to comb your hair!”

"I’ll do it myself!" Yun Qianyue said as she stood in front of the basin with her face covered.

Cai Lian was surprised for a moment and nodded before leaving. Although she often chattered, she also had a meticulous nature and believed that Miss’s worries must be related to Viscount Jing.

Yun Qianyue stood there for a while, then put down the handkerchief and turned around to sit in front of the dressing table. Her delicate face was reflected in the mirror; usually it was bright and cheerful, but today it seemed somewhat gloomy. She frowned, turned her head away from the mirror, and picked up a comb to gently brush her long hair. Uncontrollably, she thought of someone tying her hair for her every day, looking at herself in the mirror, enjoying the scene...

Her hand stopped moving on its own, then suddenly she couldn't comb through her three-foot-long hair anymore.

"Miss, please eat first! I’ll comb your hair later," Aunt Zhao said softly as she came in with a tray of food.

Yun Qianyue didn’t answer and continued to look at the mirror. After a while, she picked up the comb again and quickly tied her hair into the same style that Rong Jing did daily for her. She inserted jade pins and head ornaments, then got up and sat down at the table. Looking at all the dishes and soups on it, none of them could match what was prepared in Purple Bamboo Courtyard. She sat still with a heavy heart.

"Miss What’s wrong Is my food not to your liking today" Aunt Zhao saw Yun Qianyue sitting there without moving and asked cautiously. "I thought you hadn't eaten for two days, so I made some soft foods in case you didn’t have an appetite."

“No need! It’s fine!” Yun Qianyue picked up her chopsticks.

Aunt Zhao saw that Yun Qianyue had started eating and was immediately relieved. She turned around and left.

Yun Qianyue ate a few bites, then suddenly got up and threw down the chopsticks in anger, "Is this never going to end Can you stop hovering before me"

"Little girl, don’t scare me. I haven’t seen you for days, how did that turn into constantly being around you" Ye Qingran walked in from outside, smiling as he saw Yun Qianyue’s sullen face.

Yun Qianyue was startled and looked at Ye Qingran blankly, "Why are you here"

"I haven’t seen you for a few days, so I came to check on you." Ye Qingran walked in, the jade curtains behind him swaying with a crisp sound. His voice as light as always, he raised an eyebrow and looked at her, "Just now when I arrived, I heard you shouting! What’s gotten into you this morning Who upset you"

Yun Qianyue tugged the corner of her lips in a forced smile, "No one!"

"No one" Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue suspiciously and snorted, "Is that weak beauty bullying you"

“No!” Yun Qianyue sat down again and picked up her chopsticks. She asked, “Have you eaten If not, eat with me.”

"Not yet! I just returned from the imperial palace without going back home; I came straight here." Ye Qingran shook his head and unceremoniously sat down. He studied Yun Qianyue’s somewhat gloomy face carefully before asking, "What happened I’ve never seen you angry before. Are you sure it’s not that weak beauty bullying you"

“He is at the Honored Prince Manor; how can he bully me” Yun Qianyue gave Ye Qingran a look and placed a set of bowls in front of him, asking, “Where’s Ye Qian”

"She’s in my residence." Ye Qingran picked up his chopsticks and pondered over the words Yun Qianyue had spoken when he arrived. He couldn’t figure out anything and so stopped probing.

“How is her injury Can she get out of bed now” Yun Qianyue asked.

"Not only can she walk, but she’s jumping around like a kid! South Lingrui was right; that woman brings trouble wherever she goes. She’s quite tough," Ye Qingran snorted. "In the middle of the night, she started pestering me to beg for skill and stirred up everyone in my residence. Now I’m sure she’s still causing chaos!"

“The King of a Thousand Curses is destroyed; didn’t she feel sad when she woke up” Yun Qianyue was surprised. She had heard her anguished cries at the moment of explosion. Yet now, she was pestering to beg for skill

Ye Qingran paused in his actions and snorted, "That woman is devious! When she woke up, she didn’t mention anything about the King of a Thousand Curses. When Uncle Emperor visited her, she said it was because of her poor curse skills. I’m not blind; I clearly saw that just before its explosion, the King of a Thousand Curses turned purple – it’s obviously purple grass poison."

Yun Qianyue thought to herself that Ye Qian didn’t talk about the King of a Thousand Curses, which means she must know something. As the person who cast the curse and witnessed everything firsthand, only she would know what exactly happened at the time. Back then, there were just four people on stage: her, Ye Qingran, Qin Yuning, and Night Tianqiong – all of whom had extraordinary statuses. This kind of matter requires evidence; without it, one can’t speak casually. Now that she’s been unconscious for days, any possible evidence would have been destroyed by the fire. It’s not surprising that she didn’t say anything.

“If I find out who put poison in, they’ll be punished.” Ye Qingran’s face darkened and he looked up when he saw Yun Qianyue had no surprised expression on her face. He was taken aback and asked, “Little girl, did you know about the purple grass Did you see everything clearly”

“I didn’t know; Rong Jing told me! He saw it clearly at that time.” Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"You're truly a weakling!" Ye Qingran muttered angrily.

Yun Qianyue didn't speak and ate in silence, thinking that some things would eventually come to light sooner or later.

Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue. Noticing that she seemed different from usual, appearing unusually composed with proper posture, unlike her usual boneless sprawl over the table, he frowned but didn't say anything.

The room fell silent as both of them ate in silence.

After the meal, Ye Qingran glanced out the window and saw Cai Lian and others arranging the courtyard with items for Qiqiao Festival. He softly asked Yun Qianyue, "Little girl, do you have anything to do today"

"No!" Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"Then shall we go celebrate the Qiqiao Festival together" Ye Qingran asked.

Yun Qianyue was taken aback, looking at Ye Qingran and wondering if men also celebrated the festival.

Ye Qingran's face reddened slightly, somewhat awkwardly lowering his voice. "Um... I want to celebrate it with you. We can start by horse racing and then release lanterns at Moon River outside the city."

"Horse racing Releasing lanterns" Yun Qianyue tilted her head to look at Ye Qingran.

Ye Qingran nodded, "What do you think of it"

"This... I didn't plan on celebrating the festival today!" Yun Qianyue said, looking at him.

"You're not planning to celebrate Women all over the kingdom are supposed to do so on this day. Men just join in for fun." Ye Qingran looked at her and asked, "Why don't you want to celebrate"

"I don't feel like it's particularly meaningful, so I didn't plan to," Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"How can it not be meaningful The Qiqiao Festival is as important as the Lantern Festival. While the Lantern Festival celebrates lanterns of flowers, today we celebrate star connection lanterns. There are various kinds of these star connection lanterns, little girl—have you made one" Ye Qingran asked.

Yun Qianyue shook her head; she didn't even know what a star connection lantern looked like, let alone had she made one.

"How do you celebrate the festival each year Why are you looking so clueless" Ye Qingran wondered and asked Yun Qianyue, "Do you not celebrate it every year"

"Yes," Yun Qianyue answered. She had no memories of how she celebrated before.

"How is that possible" Ye Qingran stared at her as if looking at a stranger.

"In the past, I liked Night Tianqiong. Since he never accompanied me to celebrate the festival, what was there for me to do" Yun Qianyue thought it made sense this way.

"That's true!" Ye Qingran nodded, his eyes suddenly brightened as he whispered, "Let’s go horse racing first and then make star connection lanterns to release at Moon River. You haven't made one before; I'll teach you. My skills are quite good. With such a bustling day like today, staying in the mansion悶著有什麼意思？”

雲淺月舒展了一下筋骨，想著從靈台寺回來之後就一直冇動過，活動一下也不錯，遂有些心動，“那就去玩玩？"

"當然要去玩玩！而且今日天氣多好，我們就去西山賽馬，西山上也有湖水，我再給你烤魚吃怎麼樣？”夜輕染問。

“好！”雲淺月點頭。話落又問，“那葉倩呢？也一起去嗎？”

“她不去！就我們兩個人去！”夜輕染搖頭。

“把她一個人扔下不好吧！”雲淺月總覺得這樣不大對勁。她和夜輕染一起乞巧，男女一起乞巧可是代表著互許心意的，而她對他可冇有這個意思，於是又看著他猶豫起來。

“怎麼不好？那個女人太煩人了，我看到她心情就不好，帶著她還怎麼玩得儘興？”夜輕染似乎看出了雲淺月神色中的猶豫，眸光微微黯了一瞬，笑著道，“而且她纔去七分病還剩三分，怎麼能賽馬？她在府裡和一幫子小丫頭們玩得很開心呢，你放心吧，悶不著她的。”

“可是……”雲淺月依然猶豫。

"Why not That woman is too annoying. My mood gets worse when I see her. How can we have fun with her around" Ye Qingran seemed to notice Yun Qianyue's hesitation, his clear eyes dimmed for a moment as he smiled and said, "Besides, she has only recovered seven-tenths from her illness; how could she go horse racing She is having a great time playing with the little maids in the mansion. Don't worry, I won't leave her bored."

“But...” Yun Qianyue still hesitated.

"But what is it Did I eat you or something It's just for fun. Why are you being so hesitant and nagging You're not at all straightforward. On that day when I returned to the capital and saw him in the imperial palace, full of pride after our horse race, where did he go Now he looks like a proper lady from a wealthy family. It's really unpleasant to look at." Ye Qingran suddenly stood up, somewhat unhappy. "If you don't want to go, then forget it. I'll go by myself."

With that said, he took a step towards the door.

"Wait, didn't I say I won't go" Yun Qianmo immediately called out to Ye Qingran. She thought it was just for fun and there's no need to take it so seriously. Although the implication of the Begging for Skill Festival is that men and women wish each other happiness together, who said friends can't celebrate the festival together Thinking this way, her concerns were dispelled from her mind, and she decided to go.

"So you're going" Ye Qingran turned around and looked at Yun Qianmo.

"I'm going!" Yun Qianmo nodded.

"That's right!" Ye Qingran immediately became delighted, reached out his hand to grab Yun Qianmo. "Let's go now!"

"Just like that No preparation" Yun Qianmo raised her eyebrows.

"I've been prepared long ago! I knew you would agree for sure, so when I came over, I already had the horses tied up at the door. You just need to follow me. We'll leave the city now." Ye Qingran smiled.

Yun Qianmo laughed and looked at Ye Qingran in amusement. "You've been scheming all along! Even arranging for me to give you a cold shoulder!"

"If I hadn't given you a cold shoulder, wouldn’t you have still nagged at me" Ye Qingran blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He pulled Yun Qianmo out of the room and said, "Let's go see the horse I got for you, though it may not be as good as the Persian Horse, but it is much more agile than your own."

"You’re giving me a horse" Yun Qianmo followed Ye Qingran.

"Yeah! A few days ago I got a fine horse, so I thought you would definitely like it and decided to give it to you today." Ye Qingran nodded.

Yun Qianmo's interest immediately piqued. She felt lighter on her feet as she followed his pace. Her own stallion had been sent by her grandfather to a horse farm in the courtyard, so if there was another fine horse now, she would definitely take good care of it and make sure that old man wouldn't take it away.

"It's tied up right outside the Cloud Manor gates. Once you see it, you'll know." Ye Qingran teased.

Yun Qianmo smiled and didn’t ask any more questions.

"Miss, where are you going with Prince Regent Ran" Cailian saw Yun Qianmo leave hand in hand with Ye Qingran. She cautiously asked. In her heart, she always thought that the Imperial Son Jing was the best, so it wasn't good for Miss to be this close with others.

"I'm going horse racing and wishing for skills. You can just do whatever you want today," Yun Qianmo said without turning around.

“Miss, y-you're just going to the Begging for Skills Festival with Prince Regent Ran…” Cailian pulled at Yun Qianmo's sleeve, her voice tense and worried. "If it’s discovered…"

"What nonsense are you talking" Yun Qianmo shook off Cailian's hand and said with a serious face, “Don't say anymore! Otherwise, you'll stay in the manor all day without going anywhere!”

Cailian immediately shut up.

Ye Qingran glanced back at Cailian. With casual indifference, he remarked: "Little girl, isn’t it said that your personal maid is replaced every half year Why hasn't this one been replaced yet She's chattering away like a magpie, noisy and unceasing, I can't see where the good in her is that makes you unwilling to replace her."

Cailian’s little face turned pale.

"How come you’re starting to care about my maids too" Yun Qianmo gave Ye Qingran a look of reproach.

"Who cares like that timid coward!" Ye Qingran snorted.

Yun Qianmo smiled, then after they moved past the topic, she remained silent. Ye Qingran also fell into silence, and soon both of them left Shallow Moon Pavilion.

The Cloud Manor was already decorated with items for Begging for Skill Festival at all corners – colored cloth ropes, silk threads, sachets, etc., some hung on branches, some from roof eaves, others from pavilions or artificial mountains. Everywhere they passed was filled with colorful decorations and splendid scenery.

Seeing Ye Qingran and Yun Qianmo walking out hand in hand, the servants of the Cloud Manor were all surprised, their eyes wide open. Ye Qingran walked forward boldly, as if he didn't notice anything; at this moment, Yun Qianmo remembered that she was holding his hand and quickly pulled it away. Ye Qingran turned to look at Yun Qianmo but said nothing.

The two of them rode in silence until they arrived at the main gate of the Cloud王府 (Cloud Mansion).

As soon as Yun Qianyue saw the two horses tied up at the main entrance, she immediately recognized the black stallion as Nie Qingran's horse. The other one was a pure white horse with shiny fur that glistened in the sunlight and had very spirited eyes; she instantly took to this horse and tilted her head to ask: "Is this the white horse you were talking about You're giving it to me"

"Hn, how is it Do you like it" Nie Qingran asked with a smile.

"Like it!" Yun Qianyue stepped forward and reached out to touch the horse. The horse tilted its head to look at her but didn’t move away. She then stroked its mane, and the horse rubbed its head against Yun Qianyue's hand. Seeing this, she immediately smiled brightly and turned to Nie Qingran: "It likes me!"

"Hn, it looks like it does! It took me a whole day to tame it," Nie Qingran said as he saw the innocent smile on Yun Qianyue’s face, which was like a lotus blossoming through the clouds. His mind wavered for a moment before he nodded.

"Does it have a name" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Tashui!" Nie Qingran replied.

"Tashui! It fits its beautiful fur," Yun Qianyue said as she stroked Tashui’s coat and nodded with a smile. Seeing that the horse's saddle and accessories were the same as those on Nie Qingran’s horse, she asked: "What is your horse called"

"Blacknight!" Nie Qingran answered.

Yun Qianyue nodded and looked at the two horses. It was clear that they were of the same breed and height; one black and one white, like a natural pair. She untied their reins and lightly pressed her toes to be seated on the saddle, raising an eyebrow at Nie Qingran.

"Little girl, have you recovered your martial arts" Nie Qingran asked in surprise.

"Hn!" Yun Qianyue nodded.

"Good! Then this time I won't hold back for you!" Nie Qingran untied the reins and lightly pressed his toes to mount the horse smoothly. He raised an eyebrow at Yun Qianyue: "Off"

"Who needs your holding back Off!" Yun Qianyue replied with a raised eyebrow.

With that, they spurred their horses forward simultaneously, leaving the Cloud Mansion's main entrance.

Even though Yun Qianyue had lost her memory, she was not as disoriented as when she returned from the imperial palace. While reading in Rong Jing’s study, she deliberately reviewed the map of Diansheng territory, especially the capital city. Although she hadn’t been to Xi Mountain before, she knew roughly which direction it was in. Thus, without hesitation this time, she spurred her horse and raced side by side with Nie Qingran towards the west gate.

As they passed by the Seventh Prince’s residence's hot gold signboard, Yun Qianyue suddenly looked back and stared at the Seventh Prince's residence next to Cloud Mansion in disbelief. She hadn't expected that the Seventh Prince's residence was right beside Cloud Mansion, thinking it must be her eyes playing tricks on her, she turned to Nie Qingran: "The Seventh Prince’s residence is next to Cloud Mansion"

"Yes!" Nie Qingran didn’t slow down as he nodded at Yun Qianyue’s question. Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he said curiously: "Little girl, you can't be unaware of this The Seventh Prince's residence was granted to him many years ago."

"No idea, I never paid attention," Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"That’s not right. Back then when Grandpa Emperor awarded the residences to the princes including Crown Prince, Fourth Prince and Seventh Prince, you were present too. The Crown Prince chose beside the Chancellor's residence, the Fourth Prince picked next to my mansion, while the Seventh Prince selected beside Cloud Mansion. You insisted on swapping it with the Crown Prince’s choice back then, but he refused so you gave up," Nie Qingran said as he held the reins and spoke while galloping.

"Is that how it was" Yun Qianyue also slowed down and frowned: "When did this happen I don't remember!"

"Your memory is truly poor! Ten years ago," Nie Qingran recalled after a moment.

Ten years ago" Yun Qianyue thought about it; it seemed that many things had happened ten years ago. Why did every event she remembered happen exactly ten years ago Her affection for Ye Tianqiong started from around that time too, as if she was pretending to like him.

"Hn, yes, ten years ago," Nie Qingran said with certainty.

"That's such a long time ago. It’s not strange that I don’t remember!" Yun Qianyue thought that Nie Qingran didn't know she had lost her memory yet. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.

"I just can’t figure out why you ever took an interest in Ye Tianqiong back then Was it because he was the Crown Prince You wanted to marry him due to your ancestor’s will and that's why you chased after him" Nie Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue with a puzzled expression.

"I made a mistake!" Yun Qianyue replied tersely.

Nie Qingran was speechless.

"Later, when I insisted that the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince exchange residences, did the Seventh Prince say anything at the time" Yun Qianmo recalled Ye Tianqing with disgust. She wanted to know about the Seventh Prince's attitude back then; had she known him then

"You were so unpleasant back then, crying and throwing a tantrum like a crybaby, making the Crown Prince thoroughly annoyed. As for the Seventh Prince! He didn’t seem to have said anything at the time either, but I suspect he was also displeased. Back then, seeing you like that made me think this little girl is too annoying." Ye Qingran thought about it and seemed reluctant to recall those times.

Yun Qianmo tugged at her lips. "Was I really so annoying back then"

"How could there not be" Ye Qingran rolled his eyes at Yun Qianmo. "Back then, when Great Uncle was celebrating his forty-fifth birthday, you were making your first visit to the palace, weren’t you You were five years old. I saw you for the first time back then—you and Qin Yuning were sitting together, both little girls looking like miniature adults, quietly composed with straight backs. I thought this one will likely be another Empress in the future, but unexpectedly, you really opened my eyes when you threw a tantrum again after hearing that the Crown Prince had chosen the Chancellor’s Manor. You grabbed onto the Crown Prince and demanded he exchange residences with the Seventh Prince; your tears even smeared on his clothes. The Crown Prince was both angry and frustrated, unable to do anything about it, but Great Uncle didn’t stop you either, letting you run amok as you pleased. In the end, it was the Empress who couldn’t bear it anymore and stopped you."

"Is that so I guess Ye Tianqing started disliking me from then on," Yun Qianmo said with a smile.

“Yeah! Roughly speaking!” Ye Qingran nodded, smiling. "After that, he avoided seeing you as much as possible, but you were like an obsessed person; the moment you saw him, you stuck to him. He went wherever you followed, annoying him endlessly. No one else could catch your attention."

"Past events are too painful to recall!" Yun Qianmo pretended to sigh.

Ye Qingran burst out laughing. "I reckon Ye Tianqing regrets it so much now that his intestines must be turning green, not realizing how adorable you would become as a little girl today. Qin Yuning was stiff and wooden like a puppet; even if she had some talent, it’s boring and could never match up to yours."

“You just keep praising me! I’m far from Miss Qin!” Yun Qianmo said.

"Hmph, wouldn’t be any different without the weakling’s machinations. If he hadn’t called ‘Miss Qin a great talent worthy of becoming Empress,’ I don’t believe he would have chosen her over you even if beaten to death," Ye Qingran snorted coldly.

When Yun Qianmo heard Ye Qingran mention Rong Jing, she fell silent for a moment. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Was Rong Jing present at the emperor’s birthday celebration ten years ago"

"How can you have such poor memory You really forget everything!" Ye Qingran glanced at Yun Qianmo and snorted. “How could it be without him on that day! The Heavenly Saint’s Outstanding Talent title was conferred by Great Uncle then too. But after the banquet, I don’t know how this weakling managed to offend you; you actually pushed him into the Mandarin Ducks’ Pond, nearly drowning him. What a Heavenly Saint’s First Wonder—turns out he couldn’t even swim!”

"Huh" Yun Qianmo raised her eyebrows. There was such an incident

If not for my kindness in telling you that he can’t swim and asking you to save him, he would have long since gone to the afterlife to be reborn somewhere else; how could he still be living it up now Had I known this guy’s heart is black as coal, I wouldn’t have told you." Ye Qingran recalled what had happened back then with a look of regret.

Yun Qianmo fell silent. She was indeed already familiar with Rong Jing at that time. So the scene where she suddenly remembered after receiving a letter from Seventh Prince Yang Ye and being kissed by Rong Jing in his rage must have been real, her body’s memories no doubt. Unfortunately, it was just a fragment.

"After you pulled him out of the water, you even kissed him!" Ye Qingran's voice showed some resentment.

"What" Yun Qianmo was startled.

“You’ve forgotten! But that weakling surely remembers every detail!” Ye Qingran glared at Yun Qianmo.

“Did he faint” Yun Qianmo thought it must have been mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; five-year-old children wouldn’t kiss each other, would they

"Yes." Ye Qingran nodded.

Yun Qianmo recalled the past and found that indeed painful to recall. But what kind of childhood did she have back then It must have been lively as well; unfortunately, all those memories are now sealed away.

The two arrived at West Gate while chatting.

As soon as they got there, Yun Qianmo was stunned by the sight before her eyes. She saw familiar people waiting outside the city gate on horseback, their eyes fixed on them when she and Ye Qingran came into view; it seemed they were deliberately waiting for them. Turning to look at Ye Qingran, she noticed his expression had clouded over. She thought today would certainly be lively!

Interlude

...Probably around tomorrow o(∩_∩)o~

Ladies who have accumulated votes…~（⊙_⊙）

Thank you to the following for sending diamond gifts and flowers!

Meng Luo Zhi Fan Hua (52,000), I Am Li TaoTao (50 diamonds), Dan Mo Ru Yan (10 diamonds & 10 flowers), QiGai123 (10 diamonds), Lv Nainai (3 diamonds & 30 flowers & 188 gift), 95xyjs (188 gifts × 2), Qing Ye Hua ZhenZhen (2 diamonds & 10 flowers), 499415104 (200 gift), Hu Yu Ting NSK (2 diamonds), zjybzk (1 diamond), an593594 (1 diamond), 971176827 (5 flowers), A Ruo (5 flowers), mmt12 (1 diamond), Qing Si Qingsi (10 flowers), Feng Yun San Shi (1 flower × 2), Fangyun5222 (1 flower), Hao QiQi NSK (1 diamond & 1 flower), 15962944660 (4 flowers), Bing You Ruo Ru (3 flowers), Cao Mo Ling Yan (2 flowers), Lu Chen (2 flowers), Bao YiFan (1 diamond), Zhisai (1 diamond), Arielh256 (1 flower), Feng Yun San Shi (1 flower). Kissing you o(∩_∩)o~t recently, a hundred imperial guards almost took my and Rong Jing's lives, and now these poisoned needles nearly killed us. Even if I had ten lives, they wouldn’t last long enough for such hidden enm...