After Li Rong finished speaking, she raised her hand to pour water for Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan almost choked to death. He struggled to push the cup away and asked anxiously, "What are you doing!"

"Feeling more energetic?"

Li Rong smiled and stood up, saying to the person next to her, "Help him up, and let's go."

As she spoke, Li Rong got on the carriage first, and the others helped Pei Wenxuan onto the carriage, and then they stepped out.

The carriage started off and drove away. Li Rong sat on the seat, wearing a dancer's dress and Pei Wenxuan's clothes. Her posture was calm and elegant, and every move she made exuded an indescribable charm.

Pei Wenxuan entered the carriage and saw Li Rong's appearance. He looked calm for a moment, then looked away, pretending that he saw nothing. He went to the opposite side of Li Rong, closed his eyes, and fell down.

"Don't you even ask me where I'm taking you?"

Seeing Pei Wenxuan pretending to be dead, Li Rong asked with a smile, but Pei Wenxuan didn't blink and said calmly, "Anyway, they won't drag me to die."

"So confident?"

Li Rong chuckled: "You trust me very much now."

"You could just kill me now, and then go to marry the princess tomorrow. Maybe you can wear this Persian dancer's clothes for a long time."

Hearing Pei Wenxuan's dislike for the dress, Li Rong couldn't help but glance down at it herself, and then said, "I think this dress is pretty, why do you have so many opinions?"

Pei Wenxuan was about to speak, but Li Rong immediately reminded him: "Don't mention vulgarity to me. I remember when I was young and wore this dress, you told me that it suited me very well and had a unique style."

Pei Wenxuan was speechless after hearing these words. He could neither utter nor swallow them at once. After holding them back for a long time, he finally said, "I feel like this is not okay now."

Li Rong laughed sarcastically: "Pei Wenxuan, you were a playboy when you were young, but now you are almost like those old men."

When they were young, Pei Wenxuan was not as well-known as Su Rongqing, a gentleman. People said he was taciturn, dull, and even old-fashioned.

But in fact, he would also accompany her to visit the lanterns during the Lantern Festival, watching her dress up as those Persian dancers for fun, wearing a veil and joining the crowd to dance. At this time, he could still smile and praise her, saying that no one was prettier than her. After the dance, when the cold wind blew, he would quietly put his hand on her shoulder and use his wide sleeves to keep her warm.

Then she blinked and asked him, "Aren't you angry?"

Pei Wenxuan glanced at the person in his arms with a half-smile: "Seeing the peonies in full bloom in the capital, I am so happy that I can't wait to be angry."

Li Rong raised her eyebrows, and Pei Wenxuan knew that this was a warning, not allowing him to tease her, so he straightened his face and spoke gently: "I was a little unhappy in my heart, but seeing you happy, I am not unhappy at all. Moreover, speaking of reason," Pei Wenxuan said seriously, "everything of your Highness belongs to your Highness, and I should not interfere. I just need to accompany you."

This made people happy, so Li Rong said, "Everything I have is mine, what about you?"

Pei Wenxuan saw the joy in Li Rong's eyes. He twirled his fan, held the girl in his arms, and walked on the prosperous streets of Huajing, blocking the people around Li Rong. He smiled and said, "Except for morality, family, and old friends, everything Pei Wenxuan has belongs to your highness."

"Morality, family, old friends," Li Rong thought, feeling a little unhappy. "Besides these, what else do you have left?"

"If these are not removed," Pei Wenxuan said helplessly, "I only have Your Highness in my life, wouldn't that make me a disloyal, unfilial, and unrighteous person? Does Your Highness like such a person?"

Li Rong thought about it and didn't like it. She also knew in her heart that if there really was such a relationship, she couldn't afford it.

She said it was joking, but Pei Wenxuan was used to speaking seriously, so she stopped asking and just paused.

Pei Wenxuan saw her stop and turned to look at her. Li Rong opened her hands and raised her chin slightly: "Forget it, since you can give me so much of yourself, I will be reluctant to be nice to you."

As she spoke, she looked at Pei Wenxuan's coat and said, "Put the coat on me."

Pei Wenxuan paused when he heard this. He stared at Li Rong blankly, not knowing what he was thinking. Seeing him in a daze, Li Rong could not help but urge him, "Hurry up."

Pei Wenxuan came back to his senses after hearing this. He took off his clothes and put them on Li Rong. The moment he pulled the clothes in front of Li Rong, the fireworks of the Lantern Festival bloomed, and the people on the street, men and women, all looked up at the sky. Li Rong was no exception. She raised her head in a hurry, and then saw the fireworks falling into her eyes. At this time, Pei Wenxuan quietly held her hand, and at the moment when everyone looked up at the fireworks, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

The kiss was fleeting, dissipating in an instant like fireworks, but it shocked Li Rong so much that she stood there, unable to recover for a long time. After all, Pei Wenxuan was a cautious and somewhat old-fashioned person, and she never dared to think of doing such a thing in front of others.

However, he remained calm, holding her hand and saying with a smile, "Your Highness, let's go."

Li Rong didn't say anything, she just let him pull her, he walked in front, she followed his footsteps. After a long time, she whispered: "There are so many people around, why did you kiss me?"

Pei Wenxuan walked in front. She couldn't see his blushing face. She could only hear his usual clear, elegant and upright voice, which was tinged with an indescribable charm. He said softly and quietly, "Rongrong, I'm very happy."

He didn't explain much, just said that he was happy.

As for what he was happy about, what he was pleased about, and why he lost his composure at that moment, even he himself couldn't explain it clearly.

Recalling Pei Wenxuan at that time, Li Rong looked at the man who was now lying with his eyes closed. She couldn't help but sigh and said, "Time makes people grow old."

"You talk as if you're not old."

Pei Wenxuan turned aside in annoyance when she mentioned the past, muttering, "Old woman."

Li Rong chuckled softly, "What an old man."

Pei Wenxuan didn't say anything. He didn't know if he had drunk too much. He felt uncomfortable listening to what Li Rong said.

If you don't mention how good the past was, you won't realize how miserable you are now.

When Li Rong reminded him, he remembered that he had not had the state of mind he had in his youth for many, many years, a state of mind that was calm, gentle, frank, full of hope and fearless.

He remembered that when he was young, he also had many hobbies. He could paint, write poetry, and when he was in the mood, he could even play the zither and dance with the sword. He was a perfect young man from an aristocratic family.

He would climb the mountains on sunny days or take a boat to enjoy the mountains and rivers. At that time, he felt that everyone in the world was good and everything was beautiful, especially Li Rong. Every time she smiled with her eyes curved, he felt as if there would never be winter in this world again.

But he himself didn't know what was going on. Li Rong quarreled with him and broke up. His mother passed away. Li Rong and Su Rongqing were together. Qin Zhenzhen died in the harem. Li Chuan's temperament changed drastically. The more power he held and the higher his position, the weirder everything became.

He felt tired every day, and everything was tiring. After finishing his official duties every day, his biggest wish was to find a quiet place, without anyone around, so that he could close the door and stay alone. He was afraid to see people around him, because every person he met every day either wanted to quarrel, or to be cautious and flatter, or to be vigilant. Even Li Rong, when they met, would mock and scold him endlessly.

Day and night, year after year, this repeated cycle became more and more exhausting, and the more exhausted he became, the more exhausted he became. After repeating this cycle over and over again, he lived like a trapped beast, running around everywhere every day. Only now, when he looked back, did he realize that he had already bruised and bloodied himself, leaving himself unrecognizable.

He couldn't fall asleep again as he listened to Li Rong talking about the beautiful past. He just stared at the shaking wall of the car without saying a word.

Li Rong sipped her tea and saw that he seemed to be asleep, so she took the account book from the side and looked through it. After a while, she suddenly heard Pei Wenxuan say, "I am disgusting, am I not?"

Li Rong paused, and after a moment, she said slowly, "Don't I hate it too?"

Pei Wenxuan didn't say anything. Li Rong lowered her eyes and turned the page of the book. She said calmly, "I always quarrel with you and always say you are not good. Everyone is the same. You don't need to feel inferior."

Pei Wenxuan was speechless for a moment after listening to Li Rong's words. Li Rong knew that he might have thought of something and was upset, so she advised him: "You have drunk wine, your brain is not working well, don't think too much, go to sleep quickly. Tomorrow we will go to Jiulu Mountain to find Qin Lin. According to the time, the news that the Yang family is besieged will soon reach the front line. By then, the Yang family members on the front line will definitely cause some trouble. I am afraid Chuan'er will have to go there soon. Before that, we have to persuade Qin Lin to accompany Chuan'er to the front line."

Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong calmly discussing the situation with him. He listened to Li Rong's words almost instinctively and responded, "I know Qin Lin well. What I'm most afraid of is Cui Qinghe... Let's go to Jiulu Mountain tomorrow to see the situation. Don't worry."

"Well." Li Rong heard this and flipped through the account book, "Go to sleep. I'll call you when we get to the princess's mansion."

Seeing that Li Rong didn't want to continue talking, Pei Wenxuan didn't say anything more. He closed his eyes and fell asleep in a daze.

He dreamed of the three years of mourning in Luzhou. Although he had no official position at that time, he was carefree. On warm days, he would take a pot of wine and a flute, go down by boat, find a cool place, sleep on the lake for an afternoon, and when he came back, he would take some lotus seeds and give them to the children he met on the way. If the lotus was in full bloom, he would also take a lotus flower and give it to the little girl he met on the way that day.

He couldn't help laughing in his dream, and then he heard fireworks blooming in his dream, and then the eighteen-year-old Li Rong, dressed in a Persian dancer's costume and with a veil, mixed in the crowd and learning the moves from those people.

She had a slender waist, nimble as a snake, and when she moved, the sequins hanging around her waist swayed gently, outlining a kind of elusive seduction. Her eyes were bright, and she looked at him across the crowd. Even with half of her face covered, one could still make out her proud and lively smile like a cat.

He looked at the girl from a distance across the crowd and couldn't help laughing.

Somehow, the girl walked up to him, wearing his clothes and looking at him with a smile.

"Pei Wenxuan." She called his name, but said nothing after that. She just looked at him quietly.

Then a young man appeared beside her. He had a gentle expression and stood quietly with her. He had the same eyebrows and eyes as Pei Wenxuan, but a completely different temperament.

"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong laughed, "I'm leaving."

As he spoke, Li Ronghe held hands and slowly disappeared. Pei Wenxuan vaguely heard people calling him, "Master Pei? Master Pei? Pei Wenxuan? Pei dog!"

Pei Wenxuan slowly opened his eyes as he was called out, and saw Li Rong looking down at him. She patted his face and said, "Are you dizzy or asleep? Hurry up and get up. We're leaving."

Pei Wenxuan came back to his senses from a trance. He pretended to be calm, nodded, and slowly stood up.

Li Rong looked at him and saw that he was awake, so she said, "I'll go down first, you take your time."

Having said that, Li Rong got off the carriage. Pei Wenxuan paused for a moment, then also stood up and got off the carriage.

Then the two of them raised their heads and saw the plaque of the Princess's Mansion.

This was the place where they had lived for many years, and both of them were very familiar with it. However, after experiencing life and death and coming back, standing in front of the door again, they felt a sense of old age.

The two looked at each other, and Li Rong smiled: "I'm back."

Pei Wenxuan also smiled, lowered his head, and said gently, "Go in."

Li Rong seldom came to the princess's mansion. When she came, the lights in the whole mansion were immediately lit up and there was a lot of noise.

Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan went to the backyard together. Pei Wenxuan was assigned another room. Pei Wenxuan looked at this familiar yet unfamiliar place and listened to Li Rong's skilled instructions: "Plant a peach tree here, move the red maple over there to the east garden, and replace all the incense in the house with the Luo family's orchid wood, and that vase..."

Li Rong had many plans to change. She walked all the way to the backyard door, and the attendant said to Pei Wenxuan, "Sir, please come this way."

Pei Wenxuan nodded and said goodbye to Li Rong: "Your Highness, I will go to rest first."

"Okay," Li Rong nodded casually, then turned to the housekeeper and said, "And the rose over there..."

Pei Wenxuan listened to Li Rong's words, turned around and walked on the corridor. He looked at the moonlight falling on the corridor, listened to Li Rong's chattering, took a few steps, and then stopped. He turned around and saw Li Rong still wearing the dancer's clothes and his robe, but she was ordering people around in a very imposing manner.

It looked very different from when she was young, yet it seemed the same.

Pei Wenxuan watched quietly for a moment and couldn't help laughing.

He suddenly said, "Your Highness!"

Li Rong turned around and saw Pei Wenxuan standing in the corridor.

He looked at her and suddenly said, "Actually, your clothes look pretty good."

Li Rong was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then she saw Pei Wenxuan put his hands in front of him, bowed, and said gently: "Your Highness, sleep well."

At that moment, Li Rong was in a trance for a moment, and felt as if she saw the 20-year-old Pei Wenxuan, but also as if not.

She couldn't help but pat her face gently.

"I have to go to bed early."

She murmured.