“You’re here, Your Highness.” Qingyu’s eyes lit up when she saw the tall figure walking in from the gate of the courtyard. She immediately went over to greet him. It was currently Ning Xueyan’s nap time.

“Where’s your master?” Ao Chenyi asked lazily.

“She’s taking a nap. Please wait for a moment, Your Highness. I’ll wake her immediately,” Qingyu said, respectfully saluting him.

“It’s all right. I’m feeling pretty tired myself.” Ao Chenyi shook his hand, indicating for Eunuch Zhu to wait outside. He entered Ning Xueyan’s room by himself.

Qingyu hesitated briefly, not knowing if she should go in with him.

“Don’t go in. His Highness needs neither tea nor a servant right now,” Eunuch Zhu said gently, smiling at Qingyu. As the prince’s personal attendant, he understood very well who the prince liked. It was obvious judging by how the prince had rushed to the Pear Flower Garden straight after returning from the palace.

“Thank you for your advice, Eunuch Zhu,” Qingyu thanked him in a low voice for dispelling her doubts. She stood in the corridor outside with Eunuch Zhu, waiting to be summoned.

Ning Xueyan was napping inside the room. Her long and black hair was scattered all over her lake-colored pillow. She slept so well that her snow-white jade-like skin was flushed with a faint red. Under her long, curled lashes, her beautiful and bright eyes were tightly closed. Her hands were placed on her chest, giving her a quiet and detached sense of beauty.

She made the entire room seem peaceful.

Ao Chenyi stood by the bed and watched quietly for a moment before reaching out to take off his robe and sitting on the bed. After lying down, he pulled Ning Xueyan into his arms and closed his eyes.

She frowned, seemingly uneasy after being moved in her sleep, and even twisted her body. Upon finding a more comfortable position in Ao Chenyi’s arms, she calmed down again and slept peacefully.

Ao Chenyi’s eyes flickered with emotion as he watched her cuddle in his arms like a little animal. He reached out and patted her back gently, making her feel even more comfortable. She groaned softly in her sleep and tugged at the lapel of his clothes. Her sleep deepened.

Watching her sleep so peacefully, Ao Chenyi began to close his eyes as the sound of her breathing caressed his ears like the teasing of a feather…

Ning Xueyan slept quite well at first, but she gradually began to feel more restless in her sleep…

Tall buildings and large halls fell from the sky one after another as fires soared and formed huge pillars of flames. All she could hear was the sound of running feet. Someone was dragging her in a desperate attempt to flee. From afar, she could see a woman in a gorgeous robe jumping into the fire and someone else screamed, “Em… Empress!”

“The Empress has chosen to die for her country!”

She was crying hard, with tears flowing from her eyes nonstop. She knew that woman was her mother. Earlier there was a report that her father had died protecting the country. Was that why her mother was dead as well? No, she didn’t want this. She wanted her mother.

Pulling her hand away from the person holding her, she wanted desperately to run back and throw herself into the sea of fire.

Her mother, her most doting mother, was there. Her father was gone now. If she lost even her mother, what could she do on her own?

Someone pulled her back with force and clapped a hand over her mouth so firmly that she was almost out of breath. “Princess, Princess, don’t be scared. The Empress is fine. She’s fine.”

The voice in her ears was quite familiar. The scene before her eyes seemed to have turned ever so slightly, allowing her to see a familiar-looking face. Even so, she couldn’t remember who it was. It was a palace maid. The young palace maid looked pale as she held onto herself with one hand while hugging her with the other. Under the protection of several palace maids, the maid quickly led her down a path.

Behind her was complete chaos with constant screaming. From afar, someone was shouting, “Find the Great Elder Princess and you’ll be rewarded with 100,000 gold and the title of marquis!”

“Find the Great Elder Princess and you’ll be rewarded with 100,000 gold and the title of marquis!”

“Find the Great Elder Princess and you’ll be rewarded with 100,000 gold and the title of marquis!”

The voice was so loud that it felt like it was right next to her ears. It reverberated throughout the palace. One of the maids stopped in hesitation, looking as if she wanted to run back. She opened her mouth and cried, “Grand Elder Princess…”

Her voice stopped abruptly as another maid stabbed her fiercely in the heart. The maid’s voice, along with her life, eventually ended.

When blood splashed on her face, she screamed. She sat up abruptly with cold sweat on her forehead…

“What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” A lazy voice reached her ears. Before Ning Xueyan could turn her head, she found herself in a familiar embrace. “It’s okay. Don’t be scared.”

“Why… Why are you here?” She rubbed her eyes and stared at the magnified handsome face above her head. She looked around in confusion. This was undoubtedly her room!

Ao Chenyi smoothed her long hair languidly and said matter-of-factly, “Even though it has nothing to do with you, I’ll still have to come and reprimand you for such a major incident! After all, I have a bad temper.”

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What… What a forceful reason! His “logical” reason rendered Ning Xueyan momentarily speechless.

“Then, how are you going to reprimand me, Your Highness?” she couldn’t help but ask with a curious smile.

“A harsh scolding, of course. I’ll smash a few porcelain vases before leaving, too. Yan’er, tell me which of the porcelains here aren’t to your liking. I’ll help you smash them on my way out. Then you can pick new ones yourself,” Ao Chenyi replied naughtily, touching her head.

This was quite a difficult thing to respond to.

“I think the ones in my room are bestowed by the palace.” Ning Xueyan couldn’t help but giggle. She raised her chin ever so slightly and nudged at the porcelains on the shelf outside the screen.

“So what? There are many similar or better ones in my private coffers,” Ao Chenyi replied nonchalantly. He picked up the handkerchief she placed next to her pillow and gently wiped the cold sweat on her forehead. A trace of tyranny and darkness flashed in his eyes when she couldn’t see them.

He woke up when Ning Xueyan started to struggle and watched as she wrestled in her sleep with her fair and tender forehead covered in sweat. She waved her hands helplessly in the air twice. She looked so fragile at that moment that it was as if she would be broken with the slightest touch.

Although she was weak, she was tenacious. The extent of the bullying she suffered in the Lord Protector’s Manor was obvious from how panicked she looked.

If she didn’t need Ning Zu’an’s title backing her, he would have taken action against the Lord Protector’s Manor a long time ago.

Ning Huaiyuan was gone, leaving Ning Huaijing as the only heir to the Lord Protector’s Manor. Ao Chenyi had ordered his men to keep an eye on Ning Huaijing and found out that despite being the heir, Ning Huaijing held no affection whatsoever for his father. This might have something to do with his biological mother, the current Concubine Yu.

His mother had been ruthlessly thrown out of the manor while she was still pregnant. They were neglected for more than a decade, with the only concern shown being few silvers sent every year. He and his mother were completely dependent on each other as they lived in the dark. Thus, even though Ning Zu’an had acknowledged him as his son, Ning Huaijing still disliked his father. On the contrary, he treated Ning Xueyan who had once helped him quite decently.

This was precisely what Ao Chenyi needed. Ning Zu’an must not lose his title as the Lord Protector or it would only hinder his Yan’er. He would feel more at ease having Ning Huaijing inherit the title. At least, Ning Huaijing looked pretty smart and was nice to Yan’er too.

Ning Huaijing would be it then!

Ao Chenyi looked down at the fragile woman in his arms and said with a chuckle, “It’ll be the Hundred Flowers Festival in a few days. Let’s walk in the streets and check out the lanterns.”

The Hundred Flowers Festival, also known as Flower Tide Festival, was said to be a celebration of the God of Flowers.

It was one of the liveliest festivals in the capital, where the street would be packed with lanterns. Many would even bring lanterns to the lake, make their wishes, and release them to the lake. The farther the lanterns could go, the likelier their wishes would be fulfilled.

Ning Xueyan had only experienced the festival once in her previous life when Xia Yuhang accompanied her in the first year. Of course, Ning Ziyan had tagged along as well. Although lanterns were also a thing in Jiangnan, her mother had never allowed her to release any. That had been the first time Ning Xueyan had released lanterns, so she was very happy then. She had excitedly followed Xia Yuhang and Ning Ziyan to celebrate the Hundred Flowers Festival.

But that day, she went home alone because she ended up separating with Xia Yuhang and Ning Ziyan.

Only Lanning was with her when she lost track of them both, and fortunately so. Lanning protected her as she led her back to the manor. She had been so scared and panicked that she didn’t find the festival fun anymore. The crowd squashed her so much that her lantern fell to the ground and shattered!

Ning Ziyan came over the next day, telling her of the fun places and things she experienced with Xia Yuhang last night. She could only listen bitterly, forced to fake a smile out of fear that Ning Ziyan would notice her jealousy and sorrow.

Judging from what Ning Ziyan said, Xia Yuhang seemed to have asked about her only when they noticed that she was missing and didn’t pursue it further. It was as if he didn’t know that it was her first time to the capital and she would feel afraid because she didn’t know anything or anyone in this place…

She should have realized at that moment how little Xia Yuhang cared for her!

“What’s wrong? You don’t like the festival, do you?” Ao Chenyi asked, his voice seductive as he took her hand and kissed it.

“Yes, I do. I just don’t know what to do since it’s my first time attending it.” She wasn’t lying. The only thing Xia Yuhang told her was to carry the lantern. She learned the rest from a happy Ning Ziyang later on.

The only feelings the festival left her were jealousy and sorrow. After such a traumatizing event, she refused to celebrate the Hundred Flowers Festival with Xia Yuhang and Ning Ziyan in the following two years.

“It’s all right! You can count on me!” Ao Chenyi smiled.

“But if you take me but not the Princess… It’s not appropriate, is it?” Ning Xueyan reminded him, blinking her beautiful eyes at him.

Although she wanted to go to the festival with him, Commandery Princess Xianyun was nonetheless his princess.

“I’m the most self-willed Prince Yi. Do I have to inform her just to take someone out to the festival? Besides, she’s pretty anxious now…” Ao Chenyi smiled with a cold glint in his eyes.

Grasping his intention, Ning Xueyan asked after a moment, “What should I do?”

“Just watch your back.” Ao Chenyi looked at the woman in his arms with a faint expression. Xianyun was getting more and more defiant. She actually attempted to arrange a marriage for him.