Song Ci, driving the carriage from outside, tells Zhongli Zhengzhen inside that Princess Duanrong's carriage has just passed by.

Zhongli Zhengzhen lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the carriage that had sped away, his expression inscrutable.

He thought Princess Duanrong would at least apologize to him. He looked at the wound on his waist, and his face paled even more from the pain.

When Song Ci saw Gan Qiongying's carriage, he subconsciously touched his waist, which had been pinched and bruised.

Also watching Gan Qiongying's carriage was the Regent, who was traveling not far from Zhongli Zhengzhen's carriage.

He pushed open the carriage window and stared intently at the departing carriage, his eyes sharp as swords; if they were to materialize, they would have already pierced through the carriage.

Gan Qiongying was unaware that so many people were secretly watching her. At that moment, she was sitting comfortably in the carriage, her head resting on Li Hua's lap, lying there without any regard for appearances, eating candied fruit, feeling utterly content.

She was recalling the plot. This birthday banquet was completely different from the plot description. Ever since Wen Xueling failed to amaze the world with her dance, the Regent and Zhongli Zhengzhen did not seem to have any admiration for Wen Xueling.

Otherwise, if Wen Xueling had gone out to mediate the fight, she wouldn't have almost been stabbed.

The remaining husbands of Wen Xueling did not fight desperately to protect her as they did in the original story.

Since the son of the Vice Minister of Revenue was not injured, no one discovered that he was hiding Wen Xueling's handkerchief. However, at least the entanglement between him and Gan Huiyue was over, and he was unable to take Wen Xueling's virginity by breaking off the engagement.

As for his future prospects and whether he would end up with Wen Xueling, that was no longer of concern to Gan Qiongying.

Gan Qiongying enjoyed the coolness of the ice in the carriage, unaware that Wen Xueling was standing in the crowd, watching her carriage the whole time. She sat in the carriage wringing her handkerchief, feeling as triumphant as she had come, and as dejected as she had returned.

Today she was also questioned by the Dali Temple. Those people were really fierce. She told them that Princess Duanrong pushed her into the crowd last night, but the people from the Dali Temple did not react, which made Wen Xueling feel very aggrieved.

Princess Duanrong stole the show this time. Unlike before when she became famous for chasing after Zhongli Zhengzhen, even the people's impression of her has changed drastically.

Someone spread the rumor, embellishing it with exaggerated details, saying that last night a group of people were fighting and no one could stop them, but Princess Duanrong turned the tide and saved many people.

After spending the last few days at Haoyue Manor, Li Hua finally found a way to balance the interests of Gan Qiongying and Jin Chuan, and willingly decided to stand on the same side as Gan Qiongying.

For so many years, the Jinchuan royal family has never trusted Li Hua, always on guard against him, threatening and suppressing him at every turn, and even trying to keep him on by using kinship and the wealth and glory that Zhongli Zhengzhen would enjoy after ascending the throne.

Li Hua never had any hope for them. His original plan was to fake his death and escape, living in anonymity as an ordinary businessman for the rest of his life.

Li Hua watched as Gan Qiongying closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze from the ice. His hand, which was fanning her, paused slightly, and a subtle smile appeared on his lips that he himself didn't even notice. He didn't plan to leave for the time being.

Gan Qiongying still had an ice cube in her mouth, and now she felt refreshed both physically and mentally.

After thinking it over, I still feel that the plot is just too good to be true.

Having successfully placed someone by Princess Hui'an's side and secured Princess Hui'an's help in looking after Gan Lin, she could temporarily put her mind at ease with Gan Lin's situation. The next step was... to devise a plan to secretly advance her plans.

Gan Qiongying became more and more excited as she ate her delicious food. Lost in thought, she unknowingly fell asleep in the swaying carriage.

Gan Qiongying rested her head on Li Hua's lap, removing all the hairpins from her long hair. Her soft hair draped over his knees like a fine net, easily capturing Li Hua's entire mind.

Li Hua lowered his head and at first simply ran his hand through her long hair, stroking it repeatedly as he had the night before, feeling the strands of hair entwined in his palms. It was as if, as the hair flowed through him, his emotions would also become compliant.

But this was clearly no longer effective today. He looked at Gan Qiongying's sleeping face, at her curled up like a lazy cat, clinging to him, rolling on his lap with the rhythm of the carriage.

For the first time in his life, Li Hua experienced what it meant to have insatiable desires.

He felt that holding her all night wasn't enough, looking at her like this wasn't enough, and running his fingers through her long hair still wasn't enough.

He stared intently at Gan Qiongying, then slowly lowered his head, gradually approaching her face and brushing aside the stray hairs at her temples.

He couldn't imagine how such a gentle and lovely person could have drawn a bow and shot an arrow last night, single-handedly stunning all the crazy people in the audience.

Li Hua was also in the crowd at the time, but unlike those young masters from noble families who were afraid of the rockets in Gan Qiongying's hands, when Li Hua saw Gan Qiongying standing in front of the raging fire and firing the rockets at full speed, he was not afraid at all, and even had an impulse to rush to the front.

Even in her anger, she was so dashing and heroic. When the rocket, wreathed in flames, shot from her hand, Li Hua felt that it shouldn't be Zhongli Zhengzhen who was pierced, nor should it be the Regent—it should be him.

Li Hua knew his illness was getting worse and worse, and he even felt jealous that others could be hit by Gan Qiongying's arrows.

He wished that all the arrows from last night had pierced him.

He was indeed pierced through, and his chest is still burning, having burned all night without going out.

The flames were still roaring, leaving Li Hua parched and his fingers trembling.

He clenched his fist to hide his trembling fingers.

The rounded nails couldn't scratch his palm, but they could bring him pain that brought him back to his senses.

But it was no use; Li Hua couldn't regain her senses.

He lowered his head further and further until it was right next to Gan Qiongying's cheek, holding his breath and staring at her at extremely close range.

Then he slowly closed his eyes, resignedly leaned forward, and pressed his burning lips against her cheek.

How despicable!

She knew absolutely nothing.

After being pressed down, Li Hua felt a tingling sensation spreading from his lips like a spider web, making his whole body stiffen as if it were about to peel off his scalp.

Li Hua had never been kissed by anyone, and had never kissed anyone else.

The last time they were in the carriage, Gan Qiongying accidentally kissed his face. At that time, their relationship was still very bad, and Li Hua was full of resistance.

Things are different now, completely different.

Li Hua's heart pounded so hard his chest ached. When the tip of his nose touched Gan Qiongying's soft cheek, the hairs on the back of his spine stood on end uncontrollably.

So this is what kissing feels like.

Li Hua felt that his illness had worsened again.

He knew he should get up and stop this thieving behavior, but he simply couldn't control himself.

His lips moved quietly and slowly across Gan Qiongying's cheek, his nose brushing against her soft skin. He felt as if he were falling into the clouds and plunging into a swamp.

Unable to extricate oneself.

As his long hair fell down, Gan Qiongying felt a slight itch, and she groggily frowned and opened her eyes.