Staring intently at the woman before him, Hongli subconsciously asked, "What's your name?"

The woman turned her peach blossom eyes slightly, her gaze towards him seemingly filled with boundless affection, a mixture of joy and a hint of loss. "Fourth Master, don't you remember my name?"

Judging from her voice, the two must know each other, but Hongli still found it unbelievable, "You are... Xiao Lan?"

She nodded and smiled with relief, "It's me, Fourth Master! So you still remember me!"

Xiao Lan was a palace maid who had served him in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Once, when Hongli was boating on the lake, he was suddenly attacked by assassins. Xiao Lan bravely shielded him and fell into the lake after being injured. Hongli ordered people to search for her. She was eventually rescued, but the imperial physician said that her injuries were too severe and her life was in danger.

Hongli had always thought that Xiaolan was no longer alive, but he never expected that she would appear in front of him today, safe and sound, and even become his concubine!

What exactly happened?

"The imperial physician said you had already died, so how are you still alive? What's the mystery behind this?"

Recalling the past, her thoughts drifted back to a few years ago. "At that time, I was indeed seriously injured and had a persistent high fever, but it was precisely because of my injury that I was fortunate enough to meet my biological father."

My mother and my father were deeply in love, but she was from a bondservant family, and my grandmother forbade my father to marry her. The two planned to elope, but they were captured while on a boat. In the chaos, my mother fell into the river, and my father was taken home. The two lost contact after that.

My mother was proud and unwilling to go to him again, because she knew very well that my father was already married, and even if she went back, she would only be a concubine. So she stopped contacting my biological father and raised me alone. Later, I entered the palace as a maid and met you. You know all of this.

When I was injured and rescued, my father happened to be in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. He recognized me because he saw the agate bracelet on my wrist, the very one he had given to my mother years ago.

Hongli had heard her say that she didn't know who her biological father was; little did he know that her background was so full of hardship.

"You found your biological father by chance, which should have been a good thing. Why did no one mention this to me? They only said that you were seriously ill and beyond medical help, and that you had stopped breathing and were taken out to be buried."

"That's because Father had ulterior motives. He wanted to take me away, but at the time I was a palace maid. He was worried that you wouldn't let me out, so he bribed the imperial physician and lied when I was seriously ill, saying that I was dead. Only then did he take me out of the Yuanmingyuan, let me return to my ancestral home, and gave me a new name. My name is now Lan Rong."

"So that's how it is." Upon learning the truth, Hongli couldn't help but sigh. Life is unpredictable, always so full of surprises.

“I always thought you were injured or killed because of me, and I felt very guilty. Now that I know you are still alive, I am relieved.”

Lan Rong beamed with joy, unable to contain her happiness. This was a scene she had long awaited. Ever since the Emperor had arranged her marriage, she had been imagining how surprised Hongli would be when he saw her.

After waiting for more than two months, this day finally arrived. Several years had passed since they last met, and as they recounted the events of those years, Lan Rong's eyes welled up with tears of joy.

"Fourth Prince, I always thought I would never have the chance to see you again in this life. I never expected that I would be selected as a concubine and even be appointed by the Emperor as your secondary consort. This is truly the greatest blessing Heaven has given me!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, she spontaneously stood up and ran towards him, embracing him tightly.

Hongli froze on the spot, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Lan Rong thought Hongli would hug her back, but he didn't. He just raised his hand to help her up and smiled to comfort her, "It is indeed a blessing that you survived and found your biological father. Heaven has not treated you unfairly."

After chatting for a while, Lan Rong said it was getting late and it was time to go to bed.

She had been his palace maid in the past, serving him in his daily life, so Lan Rong was not shy and took the initiative to help him unbutton his clothes.

While unbuttoning his shirt, Lan Rong smiled and said, "This scene feels like it's taken us back a few years ago, but I feel that you've changed a lot, Fourth Master."

"Oh?" Hongli replied casually, "What has changed?"

With her peach-blossom eyes slightly raised, Lan Rong carefully examined the man before her, comparing him to the one in her memory.

"You've grown taller. You used to be half a head taller than me, but now you're a whole head taller! Your appearance is no longer as childish as before; you've become more heroic, and your temperament is more mature and steady."

Hongli's lips twitched slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and he sighed softly, "Yes! People change."

After undressing, it was time to go into the tent. What followed was the most anticipated yet shy moment. Lan Rong lay down in the brocade quilt first, her heart pounding as she waited anxiously.

To her surprise, Hongli unfolded another brocade quilt at the foot of the bed and then lay down beside her. Each of them covered themselves with a quilt, neither touching the other.

Huh? What's going on? Lan Rong didn't understand Hongli's intentions for a moment, but seeing him lie down and close his eyes without saying a word, she couldn't guess what he was thinking. After hesitating for a while, she finally couldn't help but remind him.

"Fourth Master, tonight... is our wedding night."

Hongli, without opening his eyes, replied in a tired voice, "I drank too much today and I'm very sleepy."

Lan Rong said very considerately, "It's alright. If you're tired, just rest early. There's plenty of time in the future. You can do it another day."

Hongli fell asleep without paying any more attention, while Lan Rong turned over and looked at the man sleeping beside her. His profile was smooth and beautiful, showing off his high nose bridge and chin.

Long, thick eyelashes reflected on the lower eyelid are pleasing to the eye no matter how you look at them.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!