Chapter 82 Fulfilling this wish, my lady, are you satisfied?

Through the misty tears welling up in her eyes, Jiang Geyun looked at him.

The man's features should have been blurry, but since he was showing his true face, she felt that this was one of the few times she had seen his face clearly.

but……

"Wait, I only said I wanted it brighter, I didn't say it had to be here..."

Jiang Geyun tried to grab Su Heng's clothes on his arm and sensed the change in his body temperature through the fabric, as well as the firm muscles beneath. Although he pretended to listen, he seemed to be focused on something else and wasn't really listening.

She hesitated for a moment because of this "other matter".

Jiang Geyun realized what was happening and, somewhat embarrassed and angry, slapped his empty arm.

Su Heng pretended to be deep in thought, then lowered his head and nestled his face in the crook of her neck, his breath tickling her skin. "It's not easy to carry you over with one hand, how about we do it after this is over?"

What ends?

This question only existed in her mind for a moment.

For the rest of the time, she didn't want to talk much, especially with him.

...

Once she recovered from her drunken stupor, Jiang Geyun glared fiercely at Su Heng.

Su Heng received the message, but remained composed and took out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his fingers in front of her.

Then he leaned down, picked her up, and carried her to the bed.

Jiang Geyun felt a sense of doubt. She looked up at the person holding her and thought to herself that asking or not asking would probably make no difference in front of him.

So she said, "Why aren't you using the camellia-scented handkerchief anymore?"

He tightened his grip on her arm a little, then looked down and asked with a smile, "Does my wife really like it? No wonder she once gave me camellias as a gift."

When did she...?

By the way, at the villa, in order to appease Pei Xuexiao, she casually picked a camellia flower, as a way of "borrowing a flower to offer to Buddha".

She herself had almost forgotten, yet he still remembered?!

Could it be because of this?! What a stingy person!

No, before wondering why he remembered, she should probably ask him how he knew.

Forget it, there's no point in asking this question now...

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Geyun had been placed on the bed.

Su Heng clearly shouldn't have misunderstood her silence. Even disregarding whether he had any special abilities, he knew perfectly well what her words and actions meant.

But he leaned over, brushed aside her slightly disheveled hair, and said, "It seems my wife really likes it."

Not to mention that she had said long ago that she didn't have anything she liked, the scent on her body had long since blended with his, a dignified and lingering woody fragrance, occasionally mixed with the scent of medicine, and she had long been used to this state.

There's no need to say these things in such a sour tone!

Jiang Geyun glared at him again, and her eyes and actions revealed his true feelings... In order to make things easier for her later, she decided to explain something that they both knew the truth.

Before she could even open her mouth, Su Heng lowered his head and kissed her, taking the opportunity to penetrate her deeply.

Jiang Geyun patted his back forcefully, but the other person didn't budge.

As she wished.

The lights in the room remained on all night.

...

Jiang Geyun knew that this person had completely stopped pretending.

He knew the anger in her heart and was prepared to bear it.

He knew she wanted to leave, and that her silence was a test of her limits, but he made no concessions. The entire Eastern Palace was sealed off, and the route Pei Xueyi had taken her away had been completely cut off without a word.

The only way Jiang Geyun could think of to lure Su Heng away was if she was seriously injured. He would sense her condition through the Life-Death Pact—she still couldn't figure out when she successfully formed the pact—and rush over, thus creating an opening in another place.

Unfortunately, it was she who wanted to run away.

Clearly, she didn't have a clone.

Jiang Geyun tapped her knuckles lightly on the table and said, "I once put up a notice on Mustard Seed Mountain to prevent passersby from getting hurt. I wonder what the situation is now. I want to go and see for myself."

The attendant who was waiting beside him turned and left. Soon after, he brought in a document and said respectfully, "His Highness the Crown Prince knows that Your Highness cares about the people. He has ordered us to closely monitor the follow-up of Your Highness's actions. Please take a look."

Jiang Geyun accepted it without a word, and after a moment said, "Very good, but there are some places that are inconvenient for you to go to, so I will go instead."

She said this both to create opportunities and out of genuine concern, as some places were extremely dangerous for them, and even she had to be very careful.

The servant said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The matters concerning this special place will be handed over to the other Night Watchers. Your Highness need not worry."

Jiang Geyun remained silent.

Can't she find one thing that she absolutely has to go out and do herself?

It seems so.

Jiang Geyun said, "When I was on a mission before, I went to the temple of the God of Fate to draw a fortune stick, but I was unable to fulfill my vow. This—"

"Shouldn't I go there myself?"

The servant stopped abruptly.

Jiang Geyun rested her chin on her hand, smiled at the servant, and said, "I know you can't answer that, go ask."

The servant felt as if he had been granted a pardon, thanked him, and left.

In recent days, apart from the time he had to deal with necessary matters, Su Heng spent almost every moment with Jiang Geyun. She could try to get information out of the servants, but when it came to the big villain... he had plenty of ways to make her speechless.

Her idea was indeed plausible.

After all, there could be real danger if we didn't go to fulfill our vow.

According to the path to becoming an immortal or a god in this world, the more one is in one's own domain, the more powerful one becomes. According to folklore, the Heavenly Lord of Destiny, who is in charge of cause and effect, is not a good person to owe debts.

Even the biggest villain is no ordinary person; he is still human. It's understandable that he couldn't go against the current immortal. If she were to be punished for this, it would be quite difficult to save her. It would be better to let her go and fulfill this vow.

—Although she had actually fulfilled her vow, she didn't make a fuss about it at the time. Now, as long as she doesn't say anything, who would know?

After a long while, the servant returned and said to her, "His Highness the Crown Prince said that, as Your Highness wished, he has instructed us to prepare everything. When would Your Highness like to depart?"

"Is he busy right now?"

The servant said, "His Highness the Crown Prince said that if Your Highness wishes to go to the temple with him, he will make time to accompany Your Highness tomorrow."

Jiang Geyun said, "Let's set off immediately."

*

The scenery before the temple steps remains unchanged.

Jiang Geyun lifted the curtain and looked outside.

Whether it was because she had successfully rejected the calming incense, or because Su Heng no longer needed to pretend, everything she saw was gradually becoming more and more real.

However, having faced the unreal for so long, she has no way of confirming whether what she sees is real or just another embellished image, and she doesn't know how long it will take for her to break free from her deep-seated doubts.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Don't lose to love, don't lose to habit. If falsehood arises from him, and freedom is restricted by him, then all she needs to do is escape.

Jiang Geyun gently touched her heart.

She glanced at the worshippers around her.

Just as she thought.

The temple is special, and the people cannot be easily driven away. Understanding the people's situation and not making exceptions is in line with the villain's usual approach. In addition, her request was made suddenly, leaving the servants little time to prepare, and it was impossible to clear the area.

After all, he was the upright and virtuous Third Prince Su.

Therefore, this will be an excellent opportunity for a breakthrough.

Now that she's out here, she has to leave.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual, Jiang Geyun was about to lower the sedan curtain and wait for the sedan to continue its journey when she noticed a person wandering aimlessly, looking anxious.

She gently knocked on the sedan chair door, and the sedan chair stopped immediately.

One of the attendants lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, while another bowed to her and asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

I feel like she's heard this sentence countless times.

Suppressing her inner complaints, Jiang Geyun pointed to the person who looked panicked and said, "She seems troubled, and I want to help her."

I also wanted to take advantage of the situation...

The servant did not give him a chance and replied, "It is inconvenient for Your Excellency to get out of the sedan chair. I have asked someone to handle this matter."

It wasn't that easy after all.

Jiang Geyun sighed and said, "Never mind, it's inconvenient for me to get out of the sedan chair, but surely someone can come up?"

The two servants exchanged a glance.

After a long while, just as the lost traveler was about to be swept away by the crowd and disappear without a trace, the servant finally obeyed and left.

Jiang Geyun looked into the distance from inside the sedan chair.

The servant stepped forward and explained the purpose of the visit. The lost person went from being confused and flustered to being surprised and grateful, and finally followed the servant to the sedan chair.

The lost man said cautiously, "Thank you, madam."

Jiang Geyun neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply nodded to her.

The lost traveler boarded the sedan chair, and the sedan chair set off again.

At least the boring journey had some company.

The lost man chattered on, explaining to her where he came from. He said that his whole family was extremely devout to the God of Fate, and that they had come to the capital to pay their respects at the local temple. However, he was unfamiliar with the place and there were too many people, so he had become separated from his companions. Now he didn't know where his companions were or how to get to the temple.

Jiang Geyun patiently comforted her for a while and promised to help her find the person until she completely calmed down and began to introduce the local customs and scenery of her hometown to Jiang Geyun.

The lost woman spoke with a hometown accent, her tone rising slightly at the end of each sentence, which sounded like she was being coquettish to Jiang Geyun. Jiang Geyun was immediately charmed by her cuteness and chatted with her for a long time with a smile.

The servants accompanying the sedan chair were also pleased to hear this, and they exchanged smiles.

The Crown Princess is very approachable, and she and His Highness the Crown Prince are truly a perfect match. They are also very affectionate in their daily lives. I wonder why His Highness is like this...

I suppose everyone has an endless possessive desire when faced with something they love.

Upon reaching the temple, everyone, regardless of who they are, must proceed on foot, and both individuals must dismount from their sedan chairs.

The sedan chair stopped, and the lead attendant leaned close to the curtain and reminded her, "Madam, it's time to get out of the sedan chair."

The one who first lifted the curtain was the lost soul.

She thanked the servant again with gratitude, then, still in the same position, lifted the curtain to let the person inside out.

The group had come incognito, so the lost person did not know that Jiang Geyun was the Crown Princess.

After the Crown Princess alighted from the sedan chair, the lost person cheerfully thanked her. Upon seeing a familiar figure, she exclaimed happily, "Ah! That's my family! I'll take my leave now!"

The person standing beside her smiled and shook his head, watching her leave.

Soon, the lost person disappeared from sight.

It wasn't because she walked fast, but because four servants had already stepped forward and surrounded the Crown Princess from all sides, completely blocking her view.

The Crown Princess seemed to be used to this scene, and she did not show any expression. She let the servants surround her and walk step by step from the front of the temple to the front of the shrine.

Next comes the most dangerous part.

The four servants exchanged another glance.

The four of them did not need to fulfill their vows. According to the rules, they had to wait at the entrance of the temple until the Crown Princess completed her vow-fulfilling ritual and left the temple before they could take her away.

During this time, the Crown Princess was left unattended. Given her abilities, she was likely to cause some trouble.

However, the claim that "no one is watching" is only superficial. There must be secret guards mixed in with the crowd in the palace. If the Crown Princess wants to take this opportunity to leave, she has made a mistake.

The four stopped in front of the hall and watched as the Crown Princess entered the temple.

Waiting is always incredibly boring.

The four remained silent, focusing their attention on the people coming in and out of the door.

After an unknown amount of time, a series of exclamations suddenly rang out in the hall. The four immediately looked into the temple and saw a wisp of smoke, neither thick nor thin, swirling inside. Many people were hurriedly leaving the temple.

Seeing several people of different appearances about to squeeze out of the palace gate, the four immediately became alert and signaled to the guards to step forward.

Several battle-hardened warriors surrounded the palace gate, scanning each person leaving the temple to confirm that the Crown Princess was not among them.

That's not enough.

As soon as the commotion began, someone handed a message to the mob waiting in the temple, instructing them to guard the temple gates and to carefully check everyone, whether they were ordinary worshippers or temple officials, before letting them out.

Preparations were complete, and people were stationed in front of the hall and the temple.

Two servants rushed into the hall, silently apologizing. One went to ask the priests in the hall what had happened, while the other searched for the Crown Princess in the crowd.

The priest explained that the prayer flags inside the temple had spontaneously combusted, which caused the smoke, and that she had already sent someone to deal with it.

Only one prayer flag was burning, so the fire didn't spread too far. By this time, the smoke had gradually dissipated, and the attendant who had questioned the priest looked more relaxed, wanting to meet up with the other person.

She looked up and saw her companion.

Her companion was also looking at her at that moment.

His companion was deathly pale, and there was no one beside him.

—The Crown Princess has disappeared.

...

Both of them took a deep breath.

One person stayed in the hall to continue observing, while the other went out of the hall and whispered to the other companions waiting in front of the hall that the Crown Princess had disappeared.

The rest of the companions understood, and the message quickly reached the temple. Fortunately, during this time, only people entered the temple, and no worshippers or clergy left.

A question arose in everyone's mind: how could the Crown Princess disappear into thin air from such a timely response and airtight surveillance?

No, it's not time to confirm that the Crown Princess is missing.

Who knows, the Crown Princess might be hiding in some corner of the temple, or mixed in with the other people in the temple.

Strict monitoring and traffic restrictions began silently.

The attendant had already revealed his identity to the priest, saying that he was looking for someone in the temple and asked for the prince's assistance.

Even though the Heavenly Lord is efficacious, he is still far away. Given his personality, he probably wouldn't mind. The priests reached a consensus that the people of the Eastern Palace would guard all the gates of the temple. In an instant, the temple was under the control of the people of the Eastern Palace.

...

Before long, a commotion was heard in front of the temple; some people were unwilling to get out of their sedan chairs for inspection.

The people guarding the temple naturally refused, and only after much persuasion and bribery were they allowed to get out of the sedan chair for inspection.

If the attendants were in front of the temple, they would surely be astonished by the coincidence. The person in the sedan chair was the same lost person from before. She had been separated from her companions once, and was therefore still fearful. She did not want to stray too far from her companions, which is why she refused to get out of the sedan chair.

After confirming that no one else was hiding in the sedan chair, and that the lost person and their companions showed no signs of disguise, they asked some questions to verify the group's identities before letting them pass.

...

By this time, the hall had been thoroughly searched.

After all the worshippers in the temple were checked and it was confirmed that the Crown Princess was not hiding among them, they were all released. The temple officially closed to visitors and would no longer accept new worshippers.

The hall was empty.

Even so, the group still couldn't find the Crown Princess's hiding place. They searched every nook and cranny, from the beams to the corners, whether it was a place where someone could hide or not.

Nobody's here.

Everyone looked serious.

A sudden realization flashed in someone's eyes, and then the gazes of all the investigators in the hall slowly focused on the giant statue in the hall.

The statue looks quite spacious.

...

In front of the temple, another group of people was about to leave.

The leading clergyman explained that the statues being carried were for repairs and asked for leniency.

The people guarding the temple did not readily believe it.

Despite their reluctance, the group couldn't resist the powerful's demands, and they were also worried that the person being searched might be a dangerous individual. In the end, they cooperated and allowed the statue to be inspected.

Fortunately, this statue is not the real Yuantian God, but a secondary deity enshrined in the auxiliary hall. He is gentle and should not mind.

However, the statue was empty.

...

The statues inside the hall were empty.

Whether it was the worshippers or the temple, both had been thoroughly searched, and everyone was certain that the Crown Princess was truly gone.

This message must be sent to the Crown Prince in a timely manner.

In addition, everyone in the temple did not dare to relax their vigilance and guarded various parts of the temple. If the Crown Princess was still hiding in the temple, she would definitely be discovered if she wanted to leave.

...

The sky began to darken.

Suddenly, news arrived at the temple that someone had noticed traces of the Crown Princess's natal fire, which seemed to be mixed in with the previous sedan chair. The head servant was skeptical, so he sent a group of people to investigate, while the rest of the group was still able to keep an eye on various parts of the temple.

If the Crown Princess was deliberately creating a diversion to lure some people away so she could leave, then she was mistaken.

Although the servants and guards did not often deal with situations where they had to search for people but could not harm them—which prevented them from using extreme measures—they were experienced and familiar with many methods, including luring the tiger away from the mountain.

It's anyone's guess what tricks the Crown Princess will pull next.

Does the attempt to distract everyone with false information suggest that she is currently hiding in the temple, waiting for her opportunity?

Upon hearing news from outside the temple that the previously repaired statue was suspicious and seemed to bear traces of the Crown Princess's natal fire, the leading servants were almost certain that the Crown Princess was in the temple. They tightened their guard even further, not daring to relax their vigilance in the slightest.

At the same time, they did not forget to send people to investigate.

They feared that the information inside the temple was a ruse, while the information outside was genuine.

We are taking multiple measures simultaneously and dare not slacken our efforts.

How long can she hold out under such an impenetrable net?

*

At the ferry crossing, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

It was dark all around, but even so, Jiang Geyun did not carry a lantern.

She looked up at the moonlight and thought to herself that the sky had clearly shown signs of rain last night, but today it had been sunny all day without a single drop of rain.

As expected, celestial phenomena are not very accurate.

The moonlight was bright, but there was no light pollution in Da Zhou. Even after nightfall, the road was still not very bright, and she was unsure whether the road she was on was the right one or the wrong one.

Normally, she could easily summon her natal fire for illumination, but now...

She obviously needs to be careful.

A cat's meow came from not far away.

He sounded listless and weak; you could tell he was the store manager.

Jiang Geyun walked over quickly.

The ferry crossing was far from the temple, but if she lingered any longer, by the time the people in charge of the temple realized she wasn't there, the ferry crossing and the city gates would likely be sealed off quickly.

This was a "window" she had painstakingly created, and she couldn't let it all go to waste.

Seeing that Jiang Geyun had arrived at his side, the old cat glanced at her slowly and turned away gracefully.

The store manager, having completed the task, is going back.

Jiang Geyun said to the old cat's retreating figure, "Thank you!"

Not just for this time.

The old cat casually flicked its tail without turning around.

Jiang Geyun no longer lingered and turned to board the boat that Zheng Yi had prepared.

The boatman bowed to her, and she returned the bow before entering the cabin.

She took out the Spirit Rhinoceros from her clothes near her heart; it already had Zhengyi's message on it.

"Was it successful?"

Jiang Geyun smiled silently and casually tapped the Lingxi key as a response.

Yes, Zhengyi.

He was based in the capital and had enough influence; at the same time, he was one of the few people she could contact while she was confined to the Eastern Palace.

Lingxi has limited functions and cannot transmit messages to just anyone, but Zhengyi is different. Jiang Geyun was worried that she would have trouble persuading Zhengyi, but unexpectedly, Zhengyi was very willing to help her, even to the point of being overly cooperative.

Whether it's a deity or a lost soul, the various things happening in the temple today are not solely the work of Jiang Geyun.

The ship has left the shore and is traveling by waterway in the dead of night.

A new message came through Lingxi: "How did you get away? All the things I prepared were useless! Those people are still looking for you, they haven't even realized what happened yet!"

Even though the person wasn't there, the gloating in their tone still reached me.

Jiang Geyun wrote: "It was just a fluke."

She wasn't going to answer Zhengyi; letting anyone know would only increase the risk. Since she had already escaped, she would keep it a secret.

In reality, everyone got the timing wrong.

—When the lost person got into the sedan chair, she switched identities with her.

The lost person was indeed an ordinary person. She subtly controlled him, and he didn't show any unusual behavior, but he also couldn't make any response.

Fortunately, it was almost impossible to fool Su Heng's eyes, but it only took a little visual misdirection and a bit of courage to fool those servants who were only focused on the symbol of "Crown Princess".

Considering the impact on the lost person's body, it is inconvenient to maintain control for too long. In fact, even with strict control, the lost person would not be able to hold out for very long.

In any case, once you enter the temple, it will be time to restore everything to its original state.

However, before entering the temple, Jiang Geyun had already turned around and descended the mountain, heading towards this extremely remote and desolate ferry crossing.

Making people misunderstand the timing of events is a pretty effective tactic.

The light above the Spirit Rhinoceros dimmed.

If you can't find out how to escape, you won't even offer a word of blessing?

Jiang Geyun lowered her head, stared at Lingxi, muttered to herself for a moment, then put the document away again. When Lingxi's hand touched the pass letter in her bosom, she felt a little more at ease.

Xuandujian is confirmed by the original work, confirmed by the actions of the main villain, and confirmed by Zhengyi. It does not belong to the power of the main villain. In the past, she made an attempt, but the main villain could not monitor Lingxi, which led to today's scheme.

The boat rocked gently.

As she left, Jiang Geyun felt a slight pang of sadness.

It would be impossible for her to have no feelings for Su Heng, but those feelings were not enough to make her someone else. As long as she was in the relationship, she would definitely choose freedom and take full control of herself, not letting anyone touch her.

After traveling for some time, a reminder came from outside from the boatman.

"Young lady, the journey is long and will take a long time. The host has prepared food for you to fill your stomach. It is in the cabin at the back of the boat."

Jiang Geyun responded and got up to go over.

It was unexpected that Zhengyi had such a delicate side.

Jiang Geyun bent down and came to the stern of the boat.

A small stove with a small pot on it, simmering porridge.

A lamp was lit at the stern, casting a warm yellow glow. From the small bowl, a bubbling sound came from inside, and a sweet aroma wafted through the air.

It should have been a very reassuring scene.

Jiang Geyun suddenly felt a chill run through her body.

The taste of the porridge seemed somewhat familiar.

She stepped forward in disbelief, trying to calm herself, and lifted the lid of the small cup—

Inside was clearly the milk porridge that Su Heng often cooked for her.

Jiang Geyun seemed to have realized something.

She pulled out a gift from the spot near Lingxi on her chest; it was a gift that Zhengyi had prepared for her to pass through the checkpoint.

That's what she used to think.

Expand.

It bore handwriting she knew all too well—

"My wife, did you enjoy yourself?"

A single raindrop fell, followed by a downpour.

Large and small beads fell in an instant, dense and fine, yet with immense force, pressing her down into the small boat on the dimly lit waterway.

After a long while, she lifted the curtain at the stern of the boat.

The deep blue night sky meets the deep blue water, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the sky and the water. A sudden summer rainstorm obscures the view, leaving only a single light on the shore in the utter darkness.

Her boat was heading towards the light.

-----------------------

Author's Note: I tested the censorship again at the beginning, but I hope there won't be any problems. There are no dangerous words! It's just a craft project! Making incense seals! Really!

To be honest, writing about these things now is more about the thrill of outsmarting and outmaneuvering people than about improving traffic; surviving brings a unique sense of satisfaction, like winning.

Also: I took leave before not only because of overtime, but also because... I hadn't figured out this part of the scheme. I was so busy from waking up until bedtime that I really couldn't squeeze out any time to think! To heal from a week of being a corporate slave, I rested for a long, long time today, just sleeping and spacing out. I finally feel like I've regained my energy (my IQ is 95% like this).

I came up with a bunch of discarded ideas: hiding behind a statue, hiding in a sedan chair, disguising myself, or hiding in the main hall until everyone had left? None of them felt quite right. In the end, I only used it as a red herring. I hope the adults find this answer "unexpected yet perfectly logical."

Hiding behind a statue would actually be interesting in many ways, but unfortunately it's too simple.