"Practicing calligraphy?" he asked casually.

"Yes, I just copy some calligraphy works to pass the time when I have nothing else to do," Xin Jiuwei replied.

Xiao Xun walked over, picked up the paper she had just finished writing on, and looked at it. Xin Jiuwei's handwriting was neat and elegant, but the strokes lacked strength, and the sharpness was restrained. He looked at it for a while, made no comment, and simply put the paper down, his gaze falling on Xin Jiuwei's face: "Tomorrow, I need to leave the capital for a few days."

Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened slightly: "Where is Your Highness going?"

"Routine inspection of the capital's military camp." Xiao Xun's tone was calm, as if it were just a routine official business. "And to check on the new army's drills. It will take about four or five days round trip."

The Imperial Guard Camp… Xin Jiuwei knew that it was the elite force protecting the capital, so it was normal for Xiao Xun to personally inspect it. But for some reason, upon hearing that he was leaving the capital, she felt a faint, almost imperceptible sense of loss…?

"Your Highness... please be careful." She lowered her eyelashes and said softly.

Xiao Xun looked at her lowered eyes and remained silent for a moment. The only sound in the warm room was the crackling of charcoal. He suddenly spoke, his voice low and direct: "Is there anything you want? There are several markets near the capital's military camp, with some furs from the north or trinkets from the south."

Xin Jiuwei paused, then looked up. Was he... asking her what gift she wanted? She shook her head somewhat helplessly, "No, Your Highness, there's no need to trouble yourself..."

Xiao Xun didn't press further, only humming in response, as if his earlier words had been casually mentioned. He stood there for a while, warming his hands, and then said, "Get some rest." With that, he turned and left the warm pavilion.

Xin Jiuwei stood there, watching his departing figure, and the subtle sense of loss in her heart seemed to become clearer.

In the few days since Xiao Xun left the capital, the Prince's residence seemed much quieter and emptier. Xin Jiuwei continued her routine, reading, practicing calligraphy, and visiting the old lady at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. But she always felt something was missing. Without that silent figure in the warm pavilion, even the sound of the burning charcoal seemed particularly monotonous.

On the evening of the fourth day, Xin Jiuwei had just returned from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence and was having dinner in the warm pavilion. Suddenly, the door to the warm pavilion was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind swept in. Xiao Xun's tall figure appeared in the doorway, travel-worn, his black cloak seemingly still stained with unmelted frost and snow.

"Your Highness? You're back?" Xin Kui exclaimed in surprise. Wasn't it supposed to be another day or two?

Xiao Xun grunted in acknowledgment, strode in, and removed his cloak. His gaze immediately fell on Xin Jiuwei, and seeing that she looked well, he seemed to breathe a barely perceptible sigh of relief. He walked to the table and casually placed a square object wrapped in oiled paper on the table in front of Xin Jiuwei.

"I gave it to you on the way." His voice was slightly hoarse from the long journey, and his tone was flat and indifferent, as if he had just casually tossed aside something insignificant.

Xin Jiuwei stared in surprise at the oiled paper package. She put down her chopsticks, hesitated, and reached out to untie the hemp rope binding it, peeling back the oiled paper. Inside was an inkstone with a warm, delicate texture and a rare, lustrous rouge color. The inkstone was small, with a simple and elegant design. A natural rouge-colored blush, like a sunset, formed on its side. It felt warm to the touch, and it was clearly a valuable treasure.

“This…” Xin Jiuwei raised her head and looked at Xiao Xun. He was facing away from her, warming his hands by the brazier, his profile cold and hard, revealing no expression.

"It came from a new batch of stones acquired in the North. It looks alright, you can use it." Xiao Xun's voice came from beside the brazier, still without any inflection.

Xin Jiuwei's fingers gently traced the smooth, warm, rouge-colored inkstone, a delicate, slightly cool sensation spreading through her fingertips. An indescribable warmth quietly flowed through her heart. He remembered. He remembered her practicing calligraphy, which was why he brought this inkstone back. He said it was "on the way," but where could one find such fine inkstone material near the capital's military camp? It was clearly something he had specifically sought out.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xin Jiuwei's voice was very soft, with a hint of gentleness that was barely perceptible.

Xiao Xun didn't turn around, only humming in response. Inside the warm pavilion, the charcoal fire crackled, its warmth enveloping the two. A silent, warm feeling quietly permeated the air. The cold, hard beginning of their contract was long gone. Between the two standing side-by-side now flowed a deeper, more complex bond. It began with the oath of "fellow travelers" entrusted with life and death, forged in blood and revenge, quietly growing in silent companionship and clumsy care, now intertwined and inseparable. The road ahead might still be long, but some things, once sprouted, can never be turned back.