Qin Zhaoyue seemed neither drunk nor sober, and let out a soft sigh, her voice slightly unsteady:

"Young Master Yan wants to travel to all places and survey the world like your father. That must be very difficult, right?"

“Difficult…” Yan Zhibai’s voice was filled with deep bitterness.

If it weren't for this fortuitous opportunity to join the Second Princess's group, he might never have been able to set foot on the land of Daqian in his entire life.

However, along the way, they were treated like prisoners, under extremely strict guard, and rarely had the opportunity to enter towns and experience local customs and culture.

Most of the time was spent on tedious travel or staying in the imperial post stations; even going out was a luxury.

Now that they have arrived in Fengjing, the imperial heir must personally accompany them when they travel.

This canary-like tour was far removed from his imagined dream of free exploration and verifying his father's notes.

Unable to witness the true beauty of the magnificent landscape of Dagan, and the southern frontier that even his father had never set foot in, Yan Zhibai felt a bitter taste in his mouth and a tightness in his throat.

Qin Zhaoyue suddenly stopped again and turned to look at the man.

Because of his momentary lapse in attention, Yan Zhibai slowed down a beat.

The two nearly collided head-on; although they managed to stay upright, they were extremely close together.

Qin Zhaoyue raised her hazy, drunken eyes, staring intently into the depths of Yan Zhibai's flustered gaze. Her cherry lips parted slightly, and she softly recited:

"I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, then suddenly turning around... I found him where the lights were dim." (Note: Adapted from Xin Qiji's poem)

Yan Zhibai trembled violently. These lines of poetry... He stared at Qin Zhaoyue in shock, his mouth slightly agape, his mind blank.

Before he could react, Qin Zhaoyue, seemingly emboldened by the alcohol, moved even closer, as if trying to cling to him, her breath sweet as orchids.

"Yan Zhibai, I'm telling you I like you..."

Yan Zhibai's mind went completely blank with a "boom," and his face instantly turned so red it looked like it could bleed!

"I like you, but that doesn't mean I have to be with you." Her tone suddenly became gentle and ethereal, like a dream.

"I just hope that... in the future, when you encounter a low point in your life and feel discouraged and desperate, you will not give up easily."

At least one person was deeply attracted by your talent, your ambition, and the light in your eyes.

She paused, her eyes seemingly unfocused, yet revealing a strange seriousness:

"If I could, I would like to help you fulfill your dream and take you to see the mountains and rivers you want to see..."

Yan Zhibai was completely dumbfounded!

He felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest, his blood was rushing wildly through his limbs, and his cheeks were burning hot, almost as if they were steaming!

My mind was in complete chaos, with only those few words echoing repeatedly like a curse.

He stood frozen in place like a wooden statue, forgetting even to breathe.

Meanwhile, the little voice inside someone's head is gloating with its hands on its hips:

Straight shot! Full marks! I've got it!

Little brat, this innocent young scholar, watch me seduce him fiercely.

Tsk tsk tsk... His face is as red as a monkey's bottom, and his ears are completely red too.

Judging by this, she's definitely still a virgin, hehehe...

Immersed in the satisfaction of a successful hunt, his eyes darted around, and he inadvertently looked up...

At the dark end of the alley ahead, a figure stood silently in front of the carriage.

The dim light outlined her familiar, cool, and slender figure.

It was none other than her head maid, Suimo!

The alley was deep and secluded, and the dim light cast a halo around the figure of Sui Mo Qing Leng.

She stood there quietly, like a fleeting ephemera under the moon.

Those eyes, like obsidian immersed in a cold pool, were fixed on Qin Zhaoyue and... the man who was almost touching her.

Her lips parted slightly, but in the end she simply pressed them together silently.

Qin Zhaoyue: ……

Broken Ink: ...

The master and servant, separated by the bewildered handsome scholar, seemed to be simultaneously frozen in place, their bodies as stiff as two stone statues.

At this moment, the hustle and bustle of the city outside the alley becomes distant background noise.

No one moved, no one made a sound; only their gazes clashed in the dim light.

Qin Zhaoyue felt a surge of scalding blood rush from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

The flush on her cheeks, which had been tinged with the smell of alcohol, now spread like the most intense cinnabar, instantly reaching her ears and neck, and even her small earlobes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed!

The heat was incredibly intense, as if it would burn her entire body at any moment.

So embarrassing! Ugh!

She could flirt with men in private without any problem, but now her personal maid had caught her in the act.

Did you hear that? With her fourth-grade cultivation level, she must have heard everything, right?

Her toes curled and clenched frantically inside her embroidered shoes, single-handedly carving out a brand new princess's residence from beneath the bluestone slabs of this alley!

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by scalding sand. At that moment, she wished the ground would crack open so she could crawl into it.

Yan Zhibai wasn't much better off. He felt all the blood rush to his head, his cheeks burning like hot irons, and even breathing became difficult.

He instinctively wanted to back away and create some distance, but he was afraid that making too big a move would seem more deliberate, so he could only stand frozen in place.

She stared intently at the tips of her shoes, her eyes lowered, even her eyelashes trembling slightly.

He finally mustered up his courage and timidly raised his head, only to see... that the other person's face was even redder than his!

The vibrant crimson was strikingly bright in the dim light, and her gaze seemed somewhat dazed as she looked over his shoulder into the depths of the alley.

Yan Zhibai instinctively turned to look, but in that split second...

Qin Zhaoyue suddenly jolted awake and, with lightning speed, reached out and precisely cupped his cheeks.

"Hmm!"

Yan Zhibai felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his entire body instantly froze into a real stone sculpture.

The moment he touched her, an indescribable warmth, a mixture of a woman's fragrance and the smell of wine, surged from his soft palm throughout his entire body!

A loud "buzz" went off in my head, as if a thousand fireworks were exploding at once.

Everything around me—sound, light, and sight—began to spin wildly, blur, and fade...

My field of vision narrowed rapidly... until finally, all my senses were focused on one point with unparalleled clarity.

Those lips, so close yet slightly parted, were as red and full as rose petals glistening with morning dew.

Thump...thump...thump thump thump!