As the night descended, Mother Su emerged and waved a hand toward Chang Yuncheng, who was still standing at the doorway.

"She's asleep," she murmured. "My Lord, you should rest too. You've been traveling for so long to return..."

Chang Yuncheng hummed in acknowledgment but remained rooted to the spot.

"My Lord, you know the Mistress's temperament..." Mother Su hesitated before speaking again.

Chang Yuncheng hummed once more, it was unclear whether it was an agreement or simply an interruption of Mother Su's words.

Mother Su found herself at a loss for what to say next.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.

"Mother Su," just as Mother Su was about to turn and go inside, Chang Yuncheng spoke. He stared at the closed door, as if able to see right through it. "Tell me, Mother loves me the most, doesn't she?"

Mother Su startled.

"My Lord, that is a certainty," she hastily replied, even stepping forward in her eagerness.

"And Mother wishes for my well-being, doesn't she?" Chang Yuncheng continued, his gaze still fixed on the door.

Mother Su understood his implication immediately.

"My Lord, it is precisely because the Mistress wants you to be well that she insists so firmly..." she choked out.

"I feel I am well, so why won't Mother believe it?" Chang Yuncheng cut her off, or perhaps he wasn't truly listening to her at all, speaking more to himself than to her.

Mother Su could offer no answer to this question, for she could hardly say that what the Heir Apparent deemed well was, in fact, not good...

Chang Yuncheng knew he wouldn't find his answer here. He turned and walked away.

Mother Su instinctively started to follow him, stopping only after taking a few steps.

Chang Yuncheng stopped as well.

"Mother Su," he said, turning his head.

Mother Su quickly responded, "Yes, My Lord."

"My feelings for Mother are the same as her feelings for me. Only when she is well can I be well and happy. If anything were to happen to her, I would be sadder than if something happened to me," Chang Yuncheng spoke slowly.

"The Mistress feels the exact same way about you, My Lord..." Mother Su hurried to say, her voice thick with emotion once more.

"Then," Chang Yuncheng interrupted her again, "Mother must eat properly, take her medicine properly, and be well. If she is well, then I can be well, and if I am well, isn't that being well for her?"

Mother Su stood dumbfounded. Chang Yuncheng said no more, walking away at a gentle pace.

He pushed the door open lightly and entered the room. Two maids stood there, nervously holding a bowl of medicine.

"Give it to me," Mother Su sighed, extending her hand.

The maids were overjoyed, quickly handing over the volatile situation.

Mother Su carried the bowl of medicine into the inner chamber.

Madam Xie lay on the couch, facing the interior, seemingly asleep.

On a nearby table lay food that had already gone cold.

Mother Su sighed and sat down, calling out softly, "Madam."

"I won't eat it. If I die, they'll get their wish. Don't talk about kneeling; even if I knelt until dawn, they wouldn't see me eat it..." Madam Xie said coldly.

Mother Su sighed again.

"Madam, the Heir Apparent has left," she murmured.

"...If he truly wants me to be well, then let him just..." Madam Xie suddenly turned around, looking at Mother Su with utter disbelief. "What did you say?"

"The Heir Apparent has gone to rest," Mother Su said, unable to bear looking at her face, and lowered her gaze.

Silence descended upon the room, followed by a sharp, shattering sound.

Mother Su was drenched by the spilled medicine. She watched the bowl shatter on the floor, the shards multiplying until the tabletop was completely bare.

Chang Yuncheng did not rest. He walked out of the residence, not knowing where he was going, simply strolling slowly until he arrived in front of Madam Chen's residence.

He stared for a while, then simply sat down by the roadside, patting his robes and regretting slightly that he hadn't brought wine.

As he sat there blankly, the main door suddenly opened.

Chang Yuncheng stood up and moved into the shadows.

"My Lady is still going out so late?" the gatekeeper's servant asked, a hint of unease in his voice.

"Just going for a walk," Qi Yue replied, pulling the hood of her thin cloak up over her head.

The gatekeeper looked at the maids and guards following behind her.

"Take this lantern," they quickly offered the lantern marked with the insignia of Duke Deqing, Chen.

The guards did not take it, instead looking to Qi Yue.

Qi Yue gazed at the lantern, her concentration momentarily deepening.

It seemed like a long time passed.

"Take it," Qi Yue nodded and said, turning to step out first.

Cai Qing, hidden behind the trees in the courtyard, let out a breath, watching the guards take the lantern and surround Qi Yue as she left. Cai Qing then turned and hurried away.

"Mistress Qi accepted the lantern," she whispered to Madam Chen.

Madam Chen lowered her gaze, said nothing, and slowly closed her eyes.

A'ru and A'hao lit the lamps inside the room, and the Hall of Precious Gold brightened.

"Hu San said he'll hire a few more assistants in a few days. If a house remains empty, it loses its vitality. Business requires good renqi [human energy/atmosphere]," A'ru remarked.

Qi Yue nodded, settling into a chair.

"Oh, right," she suddenly remembered something, looking at A'ru. "Go call Hu San. I need to discuss something with him."

A'ru nodded without asking further questions and left with one guard.

Qi Yue immediately stood up from her chair.

"Xiao Qu, Xiao Qu, quickly go to the street corner and fetch any wine you can find," she urged breathlessly.

Everyone froze, and someone couldn't help but let out a stifled laugh.

The laughter came from outside the door. Xiao Qu and the others instantly became vigilant and alert.

"Just going for a drink, is that so serious?" Chang Yuncheng stepped in, smiling.

Seeing him arrive, Qi Yue was overjoyed.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "No, wait, how did you know I was coming out?"

Chang Yuncheng smiled but didn't answer.

"Xiao Qu, go fetch the wine," he simply said.

"Let's go out and drink," Qi Yue said, tugging his arm. "I was already planning to go out; it wasn't convenient alone. Now it's perfect." She then turned to instruct a guard, "You stay here and wait for A'ru and the others. Just say something plausible to cover it up."

Qi Yue looked at the water surface, shimmering under the sway of lamplight, moonlight, and starlight, rubbing her slightly tired legs.

"You traveled all this way just to catch the river breeze!" she laughed. "I thought you were taking me to some high-class, luxurious entertainment spot."

Chang Yuncheng had already sat down.

"The ground is cold," Qi Yue said, reaching out to pull him. She glanced around. "There's a small tea stall over there; we can go there, and still catch the river breeze."

Chang Yuncheng pulled her hand and made her sit down.

"Right here," he mumbled.

"How romantic," Qi Yue chuckled, sitting beside him, opening the small wine flask in her hand, taking a sip, and letting out a breath while looking at the starry sky.

Chang Yuncheng remained silent, also taking a sip, watching the starry sky alongside her.

"Did you see your mother?" Qi Yue asked proactively.

Chang Yuncheng hummed yes.

"Did Lord Zhou tell you everything?" he asked.

Qi Yue shook her head.

"No, I haven't seen my sworn father yet," she replied, shaking the flask lightly before smiling.

Not seeing Zhou Maochun today had already made things complicated enough.

She didn't ask what it was about, and Chang Yuncheng didn't say.

They each took another sip of wine.

"I feel incredibly sorry for you," Chang Yuncheng said, gazing at the rippling river.

"Don't say that," Qi Yue replied. "No one's life can be perfect; there are always dissatisfactions and bothersome things. That's what life is. Otherwise, if it were all carefree, wouldn't we be immortals?"

Chang Yuncheng smiled, turned to look at her, and put his arm around her.

"That's why I feel even more sorry for you. You are such a good person."

Qi Yue chuckled.

"We'll see who owes whom," she laughed, pursing her lips at the end and taking a sip of wine.

"It's me, undeniably," Chang Yuncheng emphasized. "If you hadn't married..."

"If I hadn't met you..." Qi Yue interrupted him.

Chang Yuncheng paused, sensing a strange tone in her voice.

"...Where would I be?"

"How would my life be?"

"...Should life be cherished?"

"...Perhaps I'd know someone, living an ordinary life, and I wonder if that life would also... have love as sweet as honey..."

Qi Yue leaned against his shoulder and sang softly, stopping there to take a sip of wine.

"Don't stop, keep going," Chang Yuncheng pinched her ear and said.

Qi Yue laughed, amused.

"You like hearing me say sweet nothings, don't you?" she teased.

Chang Yuncheng smiled and agreed.

"I want to listen for a lifetime," he said.

"Then listen for a lifetime," Qi Yue laughed, sitting up straight. "Hey, hey, I forgot to tell you, since you're leaving first this time, I probably won't be able to visit you until the second half of the year, going with the second batch of supplies."

"That's fine; I can come see you," Chang Yuncheng replied.

Qi Yue smiled at him, brought the wine flask closer, and Chang Yuncheng happily clinked glasses with her.

"Cheers," he said.

They each took a sip, and Chang Yuncheng reached out and took the wine flask from Qi Yue's hand.

"Hey, hey, I haven't finished yet," Qi Yue quickly tried to snatch it back.

Chang Yuncheng smiled and held it high.

"That's enough. A sip or two to satisfy the craving is fine," he said.

"Don't disgruntled people only reveal themselves when they're drunk?" Qi Yue joked, reaching out to poke his cheek. "Shouldn't the two of us be hopelessly drunk, weeping on each other's shoulders?"

Chang Yuncheng burst into laughter.

"You know me, I know you; where is the disappointment?" he laughed. "I am quite pleased right now."

Saying this, he pulled Qi Yue to stand up.

"We can just make it to the East Suburb Night Market now," he said. Thinking of something, he patted his waist. "However, I didn't bring any money..."

Qi Yue burst out laughing and patted his arm.

"Don't worry, Big Sister will pay," she laughed.

"You paying is fine; you are certainly richer than me," Chang Yuncheng laughed, lightly tapping her forehead and stepping out first.

Qi Yue covered her forehead.

"Hey, shouldn't you be a little more polite to your benefactor?" she said, smiling as she followed, linking her arm through Chang Yuncheng's.

Watching the two walk away side by side, A'ru let out a sigh of relief.

"I told you not to worry, you insisted on coming to check," Hu San said. "With the Heir Apparent watching, how could he let her drink too much? The Heir Apparent is actually very thoughtful, not like..."

"Shut up," A'ru turned and glared at him.

Hu San immediately clamped his mouth shut obediently.

The guard behind them let out a muffled chuckle.

"Why don't you two go for a stroll yourselves?" he teased.

Hu San nodded eagerly upon hearing this.

"Yes, yes," he said, then looked at A'ru with apology. "I've just been too busy. I haven't taken you out since we arrived in the capital..."

"Who cares," A'ru shot him a look and hurried in the direction Qi Yue had gone.

Hu San stood there momentarily stunned.

"Hurry up and go, are you so busy you've gone foolish?" the guard laughed.

Hu San smiled and quickly chased after her.