After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

As night falls, the long streets of the imperial city are illuminated.

Thousands of lanterns bloomed one after another, with palace lanterns, revolving lanterns, and lotus lanterns hanging between the vermilion buildings and painted beams, forming a flowing galaxy.

The glass lamps illuminated the moonlight, making it pale in comparison, and their warm yellow glow cast long shadows on the bluestone path.

Street vendors set up their stalls, their shouts rising and falling, and sugar painting masters wielded their copper ladles, pouring out lifelike dragons and phoenixes.

The girl selling lanterns carried one rabbit lantern after another, and the smiles in the lantern light were even brighter than the lanterns themselves.

Colorful banners for solving lantern riddles hung at the alley entrances. Amidst the fluttering red silk, scholars and gentlemen stroked their beards in deep thought, while children chased and played around the lanterns. Their silvery laughter mingled with the sounds of string and wind instruments, spreading across the night sky.

Everyone was happy, except for the Seventh Princess. She felt disgusted that she was enjoying such a wonderful scene with someone she disliked.

"How do you want to shop?" she asked in an unfriendly tone.

Wei Zhaoning: "Anything is fine, just take a look around. If you get tired, we can head back early."

Pei Ran rolled her eyes. How could she possibly go back early? If she went back early, her brother would surely punish her when he returned!

"Stop talking nonsense."

The two walked up to a stall selling lanterns. "Master, one would be nice to you."

The Seventh Princess just wanted to complete the mission as soon as possible, buy more things, and then her brother wouldn't say anything when she returned.

"Okay!"

Wei Zhaoning said, "I'll take this rabbit."

"no problem!"

Pei Ran looked at the fluffy little rabbit on the lantern; it was beautifully drawn and so cute. But she was displeased with Wei Zhaoning, so she asked, "What are you doing with the rabbit?"

Wei Zhaoning said, "It's very beautiful. I think none of the others are as beautiful as this. If the Seventh Princess likes it, please take it back to the Prince's Mansion."

Looking at the rabbit lantern, Pei Ran couldn't help but feel sad, remembering the rabbit she raised when she was a child, which later ran away.

She was sad for a long time.

This little rabbit looked so much like the one she kept. Even though she hated Wei Zhaoning, she couldn't bear to put the lamp back.

Time has eased the sorrow, though it still aches faintly. But what she fears more is forgetting what the little rabbit looks like. Looking at this lamp, she recalls the beautiful memories she shared with the little rabbit.

Keep it as a memento, let it keep you company.

She gave a barely perceptible smile, then picked up the rabbit lantern and walked forward.

Wei Zhaoning knew that the Seventh Princess had lost her mother at a young age and that many of her subtle emotions had not been taken care of during her upbringing, which made her quite pitiful.

She wanted to be nicer to the Seventh Princess, not for any other reason than that the Seventh Princess had spoken up for her at a banquet.

She's the kind of person who, if someone does her a little kindness, will want to repay it a thousandfold, even without any reward.

Meanwhile, out of sight of the two, Xiao Mengxi, hidden in the crowd, secretly watched them, then a wicked smile crept across his face.

"Don't let either of them get away."

"yes!"

Although the Seventh Princess used to have a good relationship with her, it hasn't been long since then, and she's already out with Wei Zhaoning at the lantern festival. It's true that people's hearts change easily.

She didn't think there was any need for such a person to exist.

Wei Zhaoning and Pei Ran walked to the lake. "Master, let's rent a boat."

Pei Ran loved boating on the lake, and today was no exception. She figured that since she was already there, it didn't matter who she went boating with, and she should at least make sure she had a good time before going home.

Wei Zhaoning asked worriedly, "There are many ice shards in the lake. Won't we catch a cold?"

Pei Ran said, "Then why are you waiting for me here? Why are you being so delicate?"

Wei Zhaoning had no choice but to follow.

The boatman slowly steered the boat away from the shore and towards the center.

The weather was cold, and a thin mist had already risen in the middle of the lake, making it look like a fairyland.

Away from the crowds, her mind naturally calmed down. Pei Ran said, "Don't talk to me, don't disturb me, I need to rest."

I had just closed my eyes when suddenly the deck of the ship began to shake violently!

Before the two could recover from their shock, a hand reached out from the water, grabbed Wei Zhaoning's ankle, and pulled her down.

Before Wei Zhaoning could react, she heard the Seventh Princess scream. She had also been caught, and the two of them fell into the lake.

Just as Wei Zhaoning was about to fall into the lake, Pei Ran turned back and pushed her back up. "Quick, go get someone!"

After Wei Zhaoning shakily regained his footing, he saw that Pei Ran had already been pulled into the water and sunk, but those hands were still restless, constantly reaching up to grab her.

"Pei Ran!!!"

Wei Zhaoning drew the short knife he carried with him and plunged it into the water. He then whistled, and all the guards rushed over from the shore.

After a fierce fight, the guards subdued the assassin underwater, and Pei Ran surfaced to catch her breath.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I saved you because I was afraid my brother would cause me trouble. Don't be so presumptuous!"

Wei Zhaoning was both amused and exasperated. Just as Pei Ran was about to board the boat, suddenly, her ankle was forcefully pulled. There was an assassin underwater!

She was quickly pulled down.

The guards dived into the water, but they were surprised to find that the person they were dealing with was a highly skilled martial artist. He dodged them all, not only wrapping Pei Ran's ankle with water plants, but also swimming up and throwing a flying knife at Wei Zhaoning. Blood splattered everywhere.

The assassin immediately fled. Wei Zhaoning clutched her lower abdomen, yelling, "Hurry and chase after him!!!"

The guards all gave chase. When Wei Zhaoning saw that Pei Ran hadn't surfaced yet, she gritted her teeth and jumped into the water.

She endured the pain and swam to the bottom of the water. Pei Ran had already closed her eyes and fainted.

Her feet were tangled in water plants, and at that moment, Wei Zhaoning felt that she was about to lose her breath.

She struggled to untangle the water plants entangled under Pei Ran's feet and pulled Pei Ran's hand to swim upwards.

The problem was that she was a woman, not as strong or robust as a man, and it was very difficult for her to pull another adult woman upstream.

At this point, she was running out of oxygen and her lungs were about to burst. After enduring for a while, she helped Pei Ran onto the boat, but she could no longer hold on and sank into the water.

"Save the Princess!!!!"

*

Wei Zhaoning had been unconscious for three days and had not yet woken up, while Pei Ran woke up on the second day.

The imperial physician, still shaken, said, "Fortunately, we arrived in time; the water wasn't deep. If it had been any later, even Hua Tuo himself couldn't have saved him."

Pei Yi's expression was solemn, but he felt a little relieved when he saw that Pei Ran had woken up.

"The Seventh Princess suffers from a particularly severe case of coldness. The lakebed is icy cold, so her rescue should have led to a difficult situation. I'm puzzled as to why I can't sense any coldness in her pulse."

Pei Yi saw that the imperial physician wanted to ask questions, so he didn't stay there. He left the young Prince Rong to watch over things and rushed to Wei Zhaoning's room, sweating profusely with anxiety.

Pei Ran frowned in confusion.