The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Meanwhile, on the palace road, Xiao Yu followed the eunuch to Yilan Palace, where Shen Jingyan was already waiting outside.

"Have you been waiting long?" Xiao Yu stepped forward, his voice gentle.

Shen Jingyan shook her head, looking at his handsome profile, her heart warming slightly: "No, I just didn't expect you to come today."

"Since we are engaged, it is only right that I come to see you." Xiao Yu smiled, but his gaze subtly swept over the surroundings.

He asked, feigning nonchalance, "It seems the Imperial Concubine is not in the palace?"

Shen Jingyan, unsuspecting, went along with it and said, "That's right, Father Emperor took the Imperial Concubine to the Peach Grove."

"It's quiet there. I heard that Father Emperor went there to teach her chess." Her voice trailed off, tinged with envy.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged: "A peach grove? How elegant."

"To be honest, although I often visit the palace, I have never had the honor of walking around the palace properly, let alone paying my respects to His Majesty."

"Now that we are here, shouldn't we go and pay our respects to His Majesty? That way we won't be impolite."

Shen Jingyan thought it made sense.

She was confined to a side hall of Yilan Palace to learn etiquette and rarely saw her father. If she could borrow Xiao Yu to go and pay her respects, perhaps her father would notice her more and remember her as his daughter.

"Alright," she nodded. "I'll take you there. I know the way to the peach grove well."

The two walked side by side, and Shen Jingyan softly recounted amusing anecdotes from the past, trying to recapture some of the carefree and bright feeling she once had.

Xiao Yu listened patiently, occasionally chiming in, but his gaze always involuntarily drifted towards the peach grove.

What came to mind was Shen Qingruo's delicate face.

I wonder what kind of grace she would have been when she played chess with His Majesty in the peach grove?

He is also very good at chess and can play against her.

The closer they got to the peach grove, the more heavily guarded they became.

From afar, they could see Wu Tian with several eunuchs guarding the entrance to the forest.

"Manager Wu." Shen Jingyan stepped forward.

Upon seeing her, Wu Tian's face broke into a smile, and he bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, the Eldest Princess, Prince Xiao. What brings you here?"

"I've brought Prince Xiao to pay his respects to the Emperor," Shen Jingyan said. "Is the Emperor inside?"

Wu Tian's smile remained unchanged, but his body stood firmly in front of the entrance:

"Your Highness, His Majesty is currently studying chess with the Imperial Concubine in the woods and has specifically instructed that no one is allowed to disturb them."

Xiao Yu was a martial artist with good eyesight, and he could vaguely see the depths of the peach grove hidden by the light gauze. He felt a sense of loss.

He didn't even have a chance to glance at her from afar.

Disappointment flashed across Shen Jingyan's face. She bit her lip and said, "Can't I even give an announcement? I and Prince Xiao are just paying our respects; it won't take long."

Wu Tian looked troubled and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, it's not that this servant is unwilling to make an exception."

"Your Majesty, it is truly inconvenient at this moment."

"How about you two come back later? Or, I'll report back on your behalf as soon as His Majesty has a moment to spare?"

Having said that, Shen Jingyan couldn't press the matter any further.

She lowered her head dejectedly: "Never mind."

Xiao Yu spoke up at the right moment, his tone gentle and considerate: "It's alright, Your Majesty has important matters to attend to, so we shouldn't disturb you."

"Princess, let's go back."

Looking at his understanding gaze, Shen Jingyan felt even more wronged, yet also somewhat moved.

She nodded and said in a muffled voice, "Okay, let's go back."

The two turned and left.

After walking a few steps, Xiao Yu couldn't help but turn back and glance at the tranquil peach grove again.

The light gauze swayed slightly in the wind, and one could vaguely see figures moving about in the pavilion, but they were not clearly visible.

His hand clenched slightly inside his sleeve.

Such stunning beauty, such delicate grace, she deserves to be cherished and protected by a man.

Unfortunately, the man who possesses her now is the most noble man in the world.

Seeing him turn around, Shen Jingyan followed his gaze, but couldn't see anything clearly. She asked疑惑地问道, "Xiao Yu, what are you looking at?"

Xiao Yu quickly looked away, smiled at her, and concealed the emotions in his eyes: "It's nothing, I just thought the peach grove was a beautiful sight, it's a pity I didn't get to see it."

Shen Jingyan, unsuspecting, sighed:

"Now, Father only has eyes for Consort Yang. We, his children, see him much less often."

Seeing her dejected expression, Xiao Yu felt little emotion, and simply said:

"Your Highness is of noble birth, and His Majesty will always remember you."

His words of comfort were dry and unconvincing, but Shen Jingyan took them seriously.

Inside the peach blossom pavilion, Shen Qingruo leaned softly against the long bench with an outer robe covering it.

Shen Wangxi moved closer from behind, his fingertips tracing the black hair that fell across her back.

"Want to hear another story?" His voice was deep, with a languid hoarseness from the aftermath.

Shen Qingruo gave a soft hum, her voice slightly nasal: "Your Majesty hasn't finished telling the story yet. What happened to the gardener afterward?"

Shen Wangxi chuckled softly: "Seeing the young lady's sincerity, the gardener led her to the most precious Jade Pavilion Spring tree."

He told his daughter that this flower was delicate and required patience. He first had to gently stroke the branches to feel whether the life force inside was abundant.

Shen Qingruo frowned: "Hmm, then, how do you feel it?"

"The force must be even and gradual, until you feel the flower branches swaying, then the time has come."

"The time has come, and then what?" Her voice was weak, tinged with curiosity and a hint of impatience.

"Then, we need to find the most delicate buds, graft them, and cultivate new varieties."

"You can't rush this process, or the flower buds will be damaged. You have to wait for them to adapt on their own."

"Is this how the gardener makes the flowers bloom?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"Yes, he was very patient, grafting each peach blossom in this way."

His free hand, without him noticing, reached out and landed on her hip.

"There are even those who, after the petals bloom, take extra care of them, providing shade and watering them in order to help them survive longer."

Shen Qingruo involuntarily leaned towards him.

"Will the flowers bloom then?" Her eyes were hazy as she gazed at the indistinct peach blossoms outside the gauze curtain.

"Not only that." His voice grew deeper and more seductive. "The gardener also needs to guide the young lady to make a wish herself before the late-blooming peach blossoms will bloom."

……