Gan Qiongying dismissed all her servants and bid farewell to Chen Wa at the entrance of Qingshan Temple.

“Princess, no, young lady, let me come along,” Chen Wa said. “My life has long been given to you, young lady. The journey will be fraught with difficulties and dangers. You cannot be without a bodyguard.”

Chen Wa lost to Princess Duanrong in what everyone thought was a joke at that time, and ever since then, he has been a loyal bodyguard to Princess Duanrong.

However, while that game could make someone like Chen Wa keep his promise, what truly made him loyal to Princess Duanrong was that the closer he got to her, the more he understood her helplessness and pain, and her isolation and helplessness.

Chen Wa personally helped her bring those so-called male lovers into the mansion one by one. It seemed that Princess Duanrong was bullying men and women, while Chen Wa was aiding and abetting the evildoer.

But how could Chen Wa not understand, how could Princess Duanrong not understand, that of all those people, very few were actually useful? Most of them were just pitiful people, alone and helpless, or even suffering in dire straits.

Among them was General Qu, the son of a disgraced official, who was once a good friend of Chen Wa. Princess Duanrong endured a lot of infamy to take this young general into her harem, but in reality, it was to preserve the brotherhood she once shared with Chen Wa.

Unfortunately, General Naqu always thought that Princess Duanrong liked his looks and never felt grateful to her. But Chen Wa, who understood all this, touched Princess Duanrong's true soul and could not help but be unfaithful to her.

Having witnessed firsthand her struggles and maneuvering against the officials in the court, including the regent, Chen Wa could do very little.

Someone told Chen Wa that Princess Duanrong coveted the Chen family army behind him and that she would one day reveal her true colors. However, Chen Wa always knew that although Princess Duanrong was not entirely kind, she was by no means an evil person either.

She may have indeed had such a plan in her heart, but she had always been fighting alone, giving it her all. From beginning to end, she never uttered a single word to Chen Wa, nor did she use Chen Wa as leverage to force the Chen family army to do anything for her.

Having followed Princess Duanrong for so many years, Chen Wa has always put her first and has completely accepted her as his master. Naturally, he has no desire to leave her side.

They didn't want Princess Duanrong to embark on this dangerous journey alone.

Just wait until tomorrow, when the regent has disappeared, the current emperor has disappeared, and the princess of the current dynasty has disappeared... Chen Wa cannot even imagine what kind of upheaval will occur in Yin City.

At this time, Princess Duanrong and the Emperor were alone outside, and Chen Wa could not imagine what they would rely on to escape.

"Princess!" Chen Wa became more and more frightened, unable to control himself, and even forgot Gan Qiongying's instructions not to call her princess anymore, but only young lady.

He knelt down before Gan Qiongying with a thud, gripped his sword with both hands, and said to Gan Qiongying, "Please, Your Highness, take me with you. I am willing to risk my life to escort Your Highness to any destination! I will do anything for Your Highness, even die for you!"

The snow fell heavier and heavier, turning from fine, scattered snowflakes into a dense, heavy blizzard.

The heavy snow fell thick and fast, and a gentle breeze blew on the master and servant, quickly covering them with a thin layer of snow.

Gan Qiongying breathed on her palm and suddenly laughed when she heard Chen Wa say that.

"What's wrong with you and Manyue? You even say the same things. You're always talking about sacrificing your lives for each other."

Gan Qiongying asked Chen Wa with great curiosity, "We are going to be separated eventually. We don't know if we will ever see each other again in this lifetime. Why don't you satisfy my curiosity and tell me if you have feelings for Manyue?"

"You two are both getting on in years. If you really have feelings for each other, don't delay. Man Yue is very powerful. No matter who she marries, she will be a virtuous wife."

Chen Wa was bursting with enthusiasm, almost ready to burst out to warm Gan Qiongying up, when Gan Qiongying suddenly said this...

Chen Wa's handsome face twitched slightly, and after a moment he said dejectedly, "Young Miss..."

"Tell me, is that true or not? You've never been married, and you've had opportunities to get married all these years by my side. Are you just thinking about our baby's one-month celebration?"

Chen Wa looked up at Gan Qiongying, the swirling snow blurring his vision. It was only then that he realized his master had changed at some point.

She was still herself, but now she stood there with her hands in her pockets, her face full of interest, clearly very curious about this matter.

It's as if the heavy shackles she wore back then, the suffocating oppression, the pain that even Chen Wa, an observer, found terrifying and made him want to share her suffering, are long gone.

Like the swirling snowflakes, though they landed on her, they could not linger for long.

Chen Wa took a deep breath, and the snowflakes, carried by the cool breeze, entered his lungs. At that moment, he realized with deep emotion that his master truly no longer needed him.

Chen Wa knelt there, sword in hand, his hands trembling slightly. A thousand words welled up in his chest and rolled down his throat, but he swallowed them all back down.

“No,” Chen Wa said. “There is no affair between me and Manyue.”

The reason they are so harmonious and complementary is because they both love the same person.

This intense emotion is not merely superficial love, but rather a deep respect for a person who, despite being in darkness and wielding power, still retains a shred of kindness, and pity for a woman who is both intelligent and courageous yet deeply entangled in a vortex of conflict.

Therefore, Chen Wa never thought of expressing his feelings. He even felt that these feelings had nothing to do with love. Although his eyes were always following Princess Duanrong, he did not have any fantasies about Princess Duanrong that went beyond the scope of master and servant.

This feeling is as pure as the snow falling right now.

“Alright, if there’s no one, then there’s no one,” Gan Qiongying shrugged. “Since neither of you had been looking for anyone, I thought there was something going on between you two. Maybe that’s what everyone in the manor was thinking.”

Who understands? A young but resourceful aunt who can control the entire princess's mansion, paired with a guard from a good family background but who is reckless and brainless. One teaches the other martial arts, and one often brainwashes the other. Their poor physique is also a good thing... What a pity.

The couple she shipped died tragically, damn it.

Chen Wa remained kneeling, staring at Gan Qiongying without moving, even though he realized his mistress no longer needed him. He still hoped she would change her mind and allow him to continue serving her.

Gan Qiongying met Chen Wa's persistent eyes and thought to herself that if she forced him to leave, he might secretly follow her.

There is no banquet that lasts forever; it's just that few people can leave calmly when the banquet ends.