Chapter 6 Kiss

He finally sighed, took his wife's hand, and bowed deeply to Xiao Jingzhan: "Your Highness... Your Highness's kindness is so great, this humble subject... this humble subject is deeply grateful! I only hope that my daughter... will not fail Your Highness's expectations."

His words contained helplessness and worry, but in the end, they turned into blessings for his daughter's future and a faint hope.

Su's mother was already sobbing uncontrollably and could only follow her husband in bowing.

Xiao Jingzhan nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Su Jingyu again: "Yu'er, what do you think?"

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on her.

Su Jingyu raised her head, her face still flushed, but her eyes no longer darted away. She looked at her parents and saw the worry and reluctance in their eyes, then looked at Xiao Jingzhan and saw her own reflection clearly in his phoenix eyes, and that determined focus.

She recalled every detail of the past few days, his vulnerability when he was seriously injured, the occasional tenderness he showed, and his domineering words just now, "Wherever I am, that is where her rules lie"...

The lake of my heart is like a stone that has been thrown into it, with ripples spreading outwards in layers.

She stood up, walked to her parents, and bowed gracefully: "Father, Mother, your daughter... is willing to follow Your Highness into the Eastern Palace." Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unprecedented firmness.

Su's mother hugged her daughter tightly, and the two of them burst into tears. Su Mingyuan turned his face away and quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Watching this scene, a corner of Xiao Jingzhan's heart softened. He didn't urge them, but simply waited quietly.

After a long while, Su Jingyu finally got up from her mother's arms, walked to Xiao Jingzhan, looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears, yet surprisingly bright: "Your Highness, I will remember your words today. I only hope that Your Highness... will never break your promise."

Xiao Jingzhan reached out and gently took her slightly cool hand in front of her parents. His palm was warm and strong, carrying a comforting power.

"My word is as good as gold."

Outside the window, the moonlight, like water, quietly filled the courtyard and illuminated the couple inside the hall who had just pledged their future to each other.

On the day of departure, before dawn, the gates of the Su residence were already brightly lit, and carriages and horses stood in solemn silence. The Crown Prince's guards, their armor gleaming, exuded a chilling aura in the cool morning mist, a stark contrast to the sorrow and melancholy that permeated the Su family's residence.

Su Jingyu wore a brand-new light blue brocade dress with a moon-white cloak over it. Her mother had made it overnight using the best materials, hoping that her daughter would not be too shabby in the capital.

She wore only a simple jade hairpin in her jet-black hair, and without any makeup, she appeared even more beautiful and ethereal. However, her bright almond-shaped eyes were now swollen and red like peaches, clearly indicating that she had been crying all night.

“Yu’er… my Yu’er…” Mother Su held her daughter’s hand tightly, tears streaming down her face, sobbing uncontrollably, “You are going to the capital, the mountains are high and the road is long, you must… you must take good care of yourself…” Countless words of advice stuck in her throat, turning into sobs.

Su Mingyuan's eyes were also red-rimmed. He suppressed his grief and stuffed a small brocade pouch into his daughter's hand, whispering, "Inside are some loose silver coins and amulets that your father and mother prayed for your safety. Yu'er, when you get to the Eastern Palace, be careful in everything you do, and be cautious in your words and actions... If... if things really get difficult, then... then think of your father and mother..." He couldn't finish his sentence. How could one come and go from the imperial palace so easily?

"Father, Mother..." Su Jingyu threw herself into her mother's arms, tears streaming down her face again, "Your daughter is unfilial, unable to serve you both at your feet..."

Xiao Jingzhan had already finished preparing and stood by the carriage, quietly watching the scene unfold. He didn't urge them, but his deep gaze paused slightly when it fell on Su Jingyu's trembling shoulders.

He was used to decisive action, and this scene of tender farewell between family members felt strangely unfamiliar and helpless, yet deep in his heart, a subtle emotion stirred within him. He realized that the separation of family members in ordinary households could be so heart-wrenching.

After a long while, General Lu stepped forward and whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, it's getting late, we should set off."

Xiao Jingzhan then slowly stepped forward.

Upon seeing this, Su Mingyuan and his mother quickly released their daughter and were about to kneel down to pay their respects.

"No need for formalities." Xiao Jingzhan offered a slight helping hand, his gaze falling on Su Jingyu's face, whose tear tracks were still wet. His voice was a little gentler than usual. "Is everything ready?"

Su Jingyu wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, trying to calm herself down, and nodded gently: "Your Highness, everything is ready."

Seeing her struggling to suppress her grief, Xiao Jingzhan suddenly reached out and, with remarkable ease, used his fingertips to wipe away a single tear that was about to fall from the corner of her eye. This intimate gesture not only froze Su Jingyu, but also stunned her parents and the surrounding guards.

"Don't cry." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange, comforting power. "It's not like you're never coming back. Once things are stable in the capital, I can allow your parents to come and visit you."

These words were like a ray of light in the darkness, and hope was instantly ignited in the eyes of Su's parents. Su Jingyu also looked up at him in disbelief.

"Your Highness...is this true?"

“I never lie,” Xiao Jingzhan said calmly, then turned to Su’s parents, “Rest assured, I will take good care of her.”

With this promise, Su Mingyuan and his mother felt a great weight lifted from their hearts and bowed in gratitude with tears in their eyes: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness!"

Xiao Jingzhan nodded slightly, turned his gaze to Su Jingyu, and extended his hand to her: "Let's go."

Under the watchful eyes of her parents and many others, Su Jingyu blushed slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then gently placed her small hand in his warm palm. His hand immediately closed, completely enveloping her slightly cool fingers, and he led her towards the magnificent and imposing carriage.

The carriage curtain fell, shutting out the outside world. Su Jingyu couldn't help but lift a corner of the window and look back. She saw her parents supporting each other standing at the door, their figures growing smaller and smaller in the morning light until they disappeared from sight. Tears streamed down her face silently once more.

The carriage was spacious, with thick cushions and exquisite furnishings. Xiao Jingzhan sat in the main seat, looking at Su Jingyu, who was curled up in the corner opposite him, silently shedding tears like an abandoned kitten. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He is not good at comforting people.

After a moment of silence, he picked up a warm, damp cloth that had been prepared on the small table and handed it over.

"Wipe your face."

Su Jingyu took the handkerchief and thanked her softly, but she just held it in her hand without making any move.

Looking at her red and swollen eyes, Xiao Jingzhan suddenly spoke, his tone devoid of emotion: "Do you regret it?"

Su Jingyu shook her head vigorously: "This subject has no regrets." She just couldn't bear to part with it.

“Since you have no regrets,” Xiao Jingzhan gazed at her intently, his eyes deep, “then look up at me.”

Su Jingyu looked up as instructed, her eyes blurry with tears. She saw him lean over, reaching out to support the back of her neck, his touch brooking no refusal yet carrying a strange tenderness. The next moment, his cool, thin lips pressed against her slightly parted lips, which were parted in surprise.

Su Jingyu's mind went blank for a moment, as if a buzz had gone off.