Yes, I like you.

"Alright, alright, it's heated to a high temperature."

Gu Jinning suddenly nudged Xiao Heng'an and exclaimed excitedly.

Xiao Heng'an came to his senses and saw that the mountain-shaped mound of earth was completely red, with flames shooting out from the cracks in the mound, as if it was gathering power for the kiln, ready to explode at any moment.

Gu Jinning stopped adding firewood, took a wooden stick, handed one to Xiao Heng'an, and said, "Let's knock it down."

Gu Jinning gave the order, "I'll count to three, then we'll push together. One, two, three!"

The earthen kiln collapsed, burying the chickens underneath completely. Gu Jinning tossed aside the wooden stick, clapped her hands, and went down to the corridor.

"Now, let's wait for it to simmer until it's done."

Xiao Heng'an followed her into the corridor to wash her hands, and casually asked, "It seems the injury on your arm has fully healed."

Gu Jinning praised, "It's all thanks to Cousin Li's medicine; it cured the illness instantly."

The two sat down side by side, and Gu Jinning handed him a piece of melon.

Xiao Heng'an said, "Most of them are medicines used for military campaigns and battles. They are quite potent. I'll ask her for some and send them to you another day."

"Okay, I'm clumsy, but I might actually find this useful."

While the two were chatting, Qinglian and Lühe brought over the second chicken from the kiln.

Gu Jinning said, "Take these away and share them. Give one to Song Ming and Song Hui. Also, prepare some good wine; I want to have a good drink with His Highness Prince Jin."

Soon, the food and wine were prepared in the pavilion. Gu Jinning told everyone to disperse, leaving only Xiao Heng'an in the pavilion.

Gu Jinning changed into a dress and came out, inviting, "It's been a long time since we drank together. How about we have a good time today?"

Xiao Heng'an gladly accepted the invitation, saying, "Today we'll just drink wine and not talk about anything else."

The two sat facing each other in the pavilion, drinking and chatting happily. Gu Jinning loved to hear the fierce battles at the border, something she hadn't heard before, but now she pestered Xiao Heng'an to tell her as much as she could.

Xiao Heng'an picked out a few thrilling and interesting stories to tell, avoiding mentioning his own injuries.

Gu Jinning listened intently. She longed for the battlefield, for fighting enemies, and for building her own empire with her own hands. Whether it was the martial world or the battlefield, as long as she could escape the struggles for power, she was happy.

"Xiao Wangshu, you must be suffering a lot." Gu Jinning rested her chin on her hand, her starry eyes looking at Xiao Heng'an, suddenly filled with sorrow.

Xiao Heng'an looked into her eyes, smiled, and shook his head. "In this world, who doesn't suffer?"

"Actually, I was going to find you," Gu Jinning said guiltily. "But I took the wrong turn and wandered into another world. I thought it was pretty good, so I stayed."

Xiao Heng'an knew perfectly well. No sooner had he accepted the order to go to war than Gu Jinning caused trouble, had a huge argument with Gu Weiju, and stormed off from home, vowing to make a name for herself at the border. She only took Qinglian with her.

The Gu family, including the Emperor, sent more than a dozen groups of people to search for her, but no one could find her.

No one knows what she went through, only that a year later, she returned looking disheveled and had no desire to go to the border again.

After that, she liked to go out every now and then. When she didn't go out, she would cause trouble in the capital and make enemies with many young men. As soon as Gu Weiju scolded her, she would go out again.

Even though she was caught by the Crown Prince's tutor in the palace before the New Year and forced to study at the academy, she did not change her ways in the slightest.

Gu Weiju was initially angry, but later he stopped caring and let her go wherever she wanted, as long as no one came looking for her.

Gu Xueshu asked Qinglian, "Why isn't Gu Jinning going to the border?"

Qinglian told them that they had gone astray and gotten lost halfway, accidentally entering a local gang and making enemies. They had a great deal of effort to escape. That gang had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and they had been put on the wanted list. Unable to withstand the pressure, they had no choice but to return home.

Xiao Heng'an knew that this story was only half true and half false, just to fool the Gu family. In reality, Gu Jinning encountered bandits on the way, and the bandits suffered a loss.

At that time, there were many bandits in Xiao State, reaching the point where there was one bandit for every three routes.

In her letter to Xiao Heng'an, Gu Jinning suggested that if the bandits were to join the army, it would not only increase the number of soldiers but also guide the bandits onto the right path and give them a place to live.

She then changed her appearance and stayed in the area, recruiting bandits from all over to join her army. Gu Jinning played a crucial role in the growth of Xiao Heng'an's army.

No one knew that it was Princess Jin Ning from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion who recommended them to join the army.

Gu Jinning has a heart full of love and has helped him so much without expecting anything in return. How can you say that she has no feelings for him?

Xiao Heng'an's gaze softened even more as he looked at her. "You've done very well."

Gu Jinning seemed a little drunk. She quietly looked at him for a moment, then suddenly waved her hand and laughed, "Let's not talk about that. Let me tell you some interesting stories about my life in the martial arts world over the years."

"You know, the accents are different in every part of Xiao Kingdom. Some people have such heavy accents that they're all swaggering around with big swords, ready to fight, but when they open their mouths, they're laughing so hard I almost died, oh my god..."

Gu Jinning slapped the table and laughed loudly at the thought. Xiao Heng'an laughed along with her.

As the sun gradually disappeared behind the mountains, a long trail of evening glow remained on the horizon, gentle and serene, making the people under the crabapple blossoms appear even more vibrant.

The last batch of roasted chickens is ready.

Xiao Heng'an took the chicken, plated it, cut it up, and handed it to Gu Jinning on the table.

Gu Jinning tilted her head and looked at him quietly, her eyes glazed with drunkenness.

"Xiao Wangshu, do you like me?" she asked, her voice trembling with drunkenness.

Xiao Heng'an paused slightly, looked up to meet her smiling face, and replied earnestly, "Yes, I like you."

Gu Jinning's smile widened until it turned bitter, and the stars in her eyes began to twinkle as she asked with a wronged expression, "You like me, so why can't you grant my wish?"

Xiao Heng'an countered, "Do you really think your act of making amends can change reality? Have you thought about what will happen afterward?"

Gu Jinning had considered this. Break off the engagement, then what? Even if she did, could she really escape?

She will be forced to marry the Crown Prince by her Empress aunt, she will be schemed against by people like Xiao Liao, she will keep making concessions and compromises for the sake of her family, and then continue to become a pawn that everyone is fighting over.

But Xiao Heng'an has extricated himself from the situation. As long as he doesn't get involved with the Gu family and returns to the border on his own, he can remain uninvolved.

Gu Jinning moved to Xiao Heng'an's side, propped her elbows on the edge of the table, and held her flushed face in her palm, staring at Xiao Heng'an shakily.

As she gazed at him, tears slowly welled up in her eyes. Suddenly, her lips trembled, and tears spilled from her eyes.

"But I don't want you to get involved."

Xiao Heng'an was momentarily stunned, his heart churning with indescribable emotions. He had never dared to hope for Gu Jinning's confession, nor had he ever imagined that their relationship would put her in such a difficult position.

“Slender and condensed”.

Xiao Heng'an uttered their unique nicknames, gently pulled her into his arms, and softly comforted her, "Trust me, there's always a solution."

Gu Jinning buried her face in his chest and wept uncontrollably. “No, one of us has to step down. If you step down, I have my own way of dealing with it.”

Xiao Heng'an asked, "How do we deal with this? Continue running away from home, or cause trouble under the guise of being a little tyrant? How long can your methods last?"

Gu Jinning cried even harder, "I'm already so heartbroken, and you still want to question me? Don't you have any conscience?"

Xiao Heng'an had no choice but to take out a handkerchief and wipe away the tears that had covered her face.

Gu Jinning snatched the handkerchief, wiped her face haphazardly, and grabbed a chicken leg to gnaw on.

"I won't admit defeat. No one can make me admit defeat, not even you."

Gu Jinning angrily tore into the chicken leg, drank heavily, and complained to Xiao Heng'an.

"Everyone says that those who achieve great merit overshadow their ruler, and no monarch is willing to relinquish power to others. The Gu family has enjoyed glory for so many years, and their daughter has held the position of Empress for so many years. Who wouldn't be wary of them? Ultimately, it's because the Gu family is too greedy and unwilling to relinquish power. If I were the monarch, I would also have to be cautious."

"No matter how kind and benevolent my cousin the Crown Prince is, he is still not tolerated by my uncle. He can barely protect himself, let alone his family. He can't even decide who to marry. How pitiful he is."

"Thinking it over, I'm surrounded by family, yet everywhere I go there's calculation. Life is truly exhausting. I don't even know what I'm striving for."

Gu Jinning drank no less than ten more cups of wine, her face flushed, already nine-tenths drunk.

Xiao Heng'an supported her swaying body with one hand and took the wine glass from her hand with the other, advising, "You're drunk, don't drink anymore."

Gu Jinning dropped her wine glass, waved her hand, placed her delicate hand on Xiao Heng'an's neck, shook her head to examine him carefully, and said with a pained frown:

"Xiao Wangshu, I'm so tired of everything here. I'm leaving, I must leave, fly far away and never come back. You come with me."

As she spoke, she pulled Xiao Heng'an to get up and leave, but as soon as she took a step, her legs went weak and went limp.

Xiao Heng'an quickly steadied her by the waist and coaxed her gently, "Okay, you should get some sleep first, and then you can leave."

Gu Jinning hooked her arms around Xiao Heng'an's neck, letting him carry her into the house, but then she realized something was wrong. "No. You can't come with me. You have to go by yourself. Go as far away as possible and never come back."

The sandalwood bed was covered with a soft mat, cool and supple. Xiao Heng'an gently laid Gu Jinning down, and as soon as she touched the bed, Gu Jinning rolled over comfortably, "Hey, we're home."

Xiao Heng'an said, "You go to sleep first, I'll go and have Qinglian make some hangover soup."

Hearing voices, Gu Jinning turned her head and looked around. As if she had just noticed someone, she stared at him with her round eyes, then suddenly reached out and pulled Xiao Heng'an, who had already turned to leave, onto the bed.

"Whose young master is this? So handsome. Are you here to keep me company in bed?"

Gu Jinning cupped Xiao Heng'an's face in her hands and rubbed it repeatedly. "It feels alright, a bit rougher than before, but your face has matured. I like Xiao Wangshu like this."

Xiao Heng'an let her torment him, his voice low, "You recognized me?"

Gu Jinning nodded, then suddenly remembered something and chuckled foolishly, "Xiao Wangshu, Xiao Wangshu, you said you like me, right?"

Xiao Heng'an's eyes, reflecting her face, were overflowing with love. He replied very solemnly, "Yes, I like her very much."

"Ha ha."

Gu Jinning was overjoyed. She grabbed Xiao Heng'an's collar with her right hand and touched his lips, which smelled of wine.

Xiao Heng'an suddenly came to his senses, clearly seeing the provocation in her eyes, and then willingly succumbed to it, finding it sweet.

A bright moon quietly hung on the branch, and Gu Jinning fell asleep contentedly, drifting into a deep dream.

Xiao Heng'an pulled his hand away from her tight grip, stepped off the footstool, put down the mosquito netting, and quietly closed the door and left the room.

Without being summoned, Qinglian couldn't enter the pavilion without permission. But seeing that half a day had passed and she still hadn't heard a sound, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

At this moment, Xiao Heng'an came out, and Qinglian breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Highness, what about the Princess?"

Xiao Heng'an said, "She's drunk. Give her more hangover soup tomorrow."

Qinglian responded with a "yes" and instructed Yuliu to lead the way and see the guests off.

After taking a few steps, Xiao Heng'an turned back and instructed, "Tell her to drink less alcohol in the future."

Qinglian smiled and replied, "Don't worry, whenever the princess drinks alcohol for social occasions, she always adds a hangover cure and never drinks too much."

Xiao Heng'an nodded before leaving.

Song Ming and Song Hui followed, unaware of Xiao Heng'an's unusual behavior, and only praised the kiln chicken.

Song Hui asked, "Your Highness, did you ask for the secret recipe? Let's bake it like this next time."

Xiao Heng'an was still immersed in the unexpected sweetness she had just experienced, her steps light and quick, automatically ignoring Song Hui's chatter.

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, a deafening scream came from Wangning Pavilion.