Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

"Since you're so reluctant to let the Crown Princess leave, why not just keep her here? Once she goes to Night City, she probably won't be back for at least three to five months..."

"I'm about to leave myself, so why should I keep her confined in the palace?"

Xiao Ce's robes fluttered in the wind, his tone was nonchalant, and his gaze remained fixed on the north, never wavering.

"Where are you going? Are you really going to the border?"

Qin Qi turned around abruptly, his face full of surprise.

"Um."

He nodded slightly, his expression calm and composed. He slowly withdrew his gaze from the distance and took a step to turn around and walk down the city wall.

"Hey Yizhi, don't go! Tell me, why did you go to the border...?"

It was past midnight, and dusk was falling. Xiao Ce slowly stepped into the Chuixing Courtyard, his steps heavier than usual.

This was much earlier than when he returned home a few days ago. Perhaps he was afraid he would regret it. In the past few days, he had deliberately avoided her and always found something to do to procrastinate until late at night.

The bedroom was already lit. He stood on the steps for a long time, looking at the bedroom, his throat tightening for no reason. After a moment of silence, he still took a step up the steps and went inside.

The furnishings in the outer room remained unchanged, probably because he stayed there at night. Her personal belongings were never in this room, except for the pot of black orchid on the low cabinet, which she had moved from Yuehua Courtyard. He slowly approached, gently brushing his finger across a cool orchid leaf, a sudden pang of bitterness rising in his heart.

She always loved these orchids the most, but now that she's gone, she doesn't want them anymore. Did she find them a burden?

He silently withdrew his hand and walked into the inner room. The scene inside made him pause slightly. The inner room was clean and tidy, and he could no longer find a single item that belonged to her.

The plain-colored cloak that used to hang on the carved clothes rack has long since disappeared.

The dressing table he had specially ordered to be prepared for her is now empty, devoid of her usual jade comb ornaments, rouge, and perfume.

He walked slowly to the wardrobe, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and opened the door. She hadn't brought many clothes from Yuehua Courtyard to begin with, and now the wardrobe was empty; not a single one of her clothes remained.

Xiao Ce slowly closed the cabinet door and looked around the entire bedroom. The candlelight flickered, casting dappled shadows in the room, and as far as the eye could see, there was no trace of her.

The evening breeze wafted in through the window, bringing with it a faint, delicate fragrance that belonged to her. He suddenly felt a tightness and pain in his chest, turned around, and quickly left the room.

"Where is the Crown Prince going?"

Lu Ming, who was waiting outside the door, saw him walk out quickly with a gloomy expression, completely baffled.

"I'm going to the study; you don't need to come with me."

His voice was indifferent and aloof, conveying a sense of detachment that kept people at arm's length. Over the years, Lu Ming had long since become familiar with his temperament and knew that when the young master spoke in this tone, it meant he did not want to be disturbed by others, nor did he need anyone to serve him.

He watched the Crown Prince's lonely figure disappear into the distance, then stood there scratching his head. Could it be... that the Crown Prince was so melancholy because his wife had left and he was reluctant to let her go?

Xiao Ce stayed in the study for a full hour.

He carefully reviewed the Jin Dynasty maps, border defense documents, and classics piled on the table from beginning to end before finally feeling dizzy and throbbing in his head.

He slowly raised his hand, gently massaging his throbbing temples. He looked out the window; the night was deep and silent. The courtyard was so quiet that even the wind could barely be heard. Only a solitary lamp in the room illuminated his lonely profile.

"Someone come here..."

He called out softly, and waited for a moment, but there was no sound or movement outside the door. He then remembered that he had instructed that no one else was allowed to follow.

He slowly got up, moved to the table, poured himself a full cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. The coolness in his throat slightly eased the lingering annoyance in his heart.

He sat at the desk for a while before getting up and returning to his bedroom. As soon as he stepped into the room, a unique fragrance wafted towards him.

He frowned slightly, thinking he was just drowsy from reading for too long, but he felt that her presence in the room was even stronger than before.

As he was pondering this, the door to the inner room was suddenly pulled open, and the person standing by the door was none other than her.

Ling Xi was wearing a lotus-colored soft satin nightgown, her long hair loosely draped over her shoulders, with a wisp of hair on her forehead still damp with water droplets, clearly indicating that she had just finished bathing.

His eyes suddenly narrowed, a surge of intense surprise welling up inside him. He stared at her blankly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Are you... done with your work?"

Her gentle voice rang out, but he remained frozen in place. He had clearly seen her carriage leave the city gate that morning, so why was she here? He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if he was hallucinating.

"I heard from Lu Ming that you were busy in your study, so I didn't dare disturb you..."

Before she could finish speaking, he had already taken a step, moving as fast as the wind, and in an instant he stood in front of her.

He remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on her face, his deep eyes swirling with urgency and doubt, his entire being tense.

Xiao Ce's sudden approach made her feel a little nervous. She looked up at him, wondering what he was thinking or if he didn't want to see her come back at all.

Today, as soon as she stepped out of the manor and into the carriage, her heart felt heavy. This feeling persisted until they rested at the ten-mile pavilion on the outskirts of the city. Her brother immediately saw through her troubled state and pressed her for the reason. In a moment of impulsiveness, she blurted out that she didn't want to go to Ye City. Her brother didn't ask anything, only saying he would come to pick her up when they returned from Ye City.

"Why did you come back?"

He spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone filled with undisguised astonishment.

Under his intense gaze, she lowered her eyes and avoided his burning eyes.

"Um... you got injured because of me, I can't just leave like this..."

Before she could finish speaking, he took a half step forward, suddenly reached out, and firmly grabbed her slender waist.

She placed her hands on his firm chest, her heart pounding in her chest from his sudden action.

The thin nightgown she wore couldn't keep out their warmth at all, and the delicate, soft touch of her palm made Xiao Ce's already tense mind completely lose control.

"You... um..."

Ling Xi's panicked exclamation was immediately silenced by him. He lowered his head and kissed her relentlessly, without the slightest hesitation, with a long-suppressed urgency and an intensely possessive desire. Her lips were completely enveloped by his, allowing her no room to flinch, as if trying to soothe the panic and lingering fear of regaining what she had lost over the past few days.

By the time Ling Xi realized what was happening, she was already completely under his control, and her feeble resistance was utterly useless to him.

He held her tightly around the waist, locking her firmly in front of him without leaving any gap, his fingertips almost digging into her soft waist.