Lu Yan’s departure for Yangzhou had been set for the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month. Shen Zhen could not believe it until she got into the carriage. He was actually taking her with him! He wanted her to go to Yangzhou with him! Yangzhou! Yangzhou! She would be able to see her beloved Hong’er soon! The carriage jerked forward, …

In the evening, Lu Yan returned to Chengyuan as promised. As Yang Zong was preparing to lead the horses to the stables, his master suddenly turned around and abruptly addressed him. “I’m going back to the Estate later.” Yang Zong was left surprised. He stepped forward shyly and whispered tentatively: “Will the Young Master not rather stay the night?” Lu …

When Shen Zhen woke up, she was welcomed by the strong rays of a winter sun, filtering through the curtains, coloring the beams of the ceiling in a golden hue. There was no one lying by her side. Shen Zhen raised her hand to rub at her painful temples. At once she remembered what that man had told her the …

The night was getting darker and the snow rustled as it floated down. The temperature was dropping quickly. Lu Yan made his horse fork off, clamping its stomach with his heels. As his impatient master disappeared on the horizon, the little steward who cared for the stables turned his wide eyes towards Yang Zong, bowing in fazed respect. “Is the …

—— “She is sincere and passionate.” As soon as Lu Yan’s words sliced through her mind, the Princess Royale was left frowning, blinking, opening her mouth, closing it again. She only managed to say a few obfuscated ‘you’ in succession. Her eyes were so beautiful. But as they stared at him, they were very like those of a confused deer. …

The carriage drove along. Shen Zhen, pressed against Lu Yan’s chest, did not move back immediately, letting the scent of sandalwood enter her nostrils. Seeing as he furrowed his eyebrows, she sat up, her fingers pulling at her skirt in mortification. Lu Yan was most unhappy and his whole body exuded an air of supreme coldness. Since Shen Zhen was …

The night wind blew through the barely opened window, caressing the candle light. When the wind was soft to it, it flickered gently. When the wind conquered it fiercely, it twitched in response. The gust of air passed through Shen Zhen’s hair. It licked the palm of her hand. And lost itself into the skirt that was piled around her …

Lu Yan went out with Judge Zheng that day. First, he drafted a list of missing people. Then he went to the Penal Department. It was past noon when he finally returned to the Supreme Court. As soon as he passed the door, he was welcomed by the sight of Official Sun throwing an ivory brush onto the table in …

A faint fragrance filling his nose, Lu Yan gazed at her with burning eyes. They were like the sun in winter, both hot and cold. The contradictory emotions they triggered in Shen Zhen oppressed her to the point she bit her lower lip, overcome with an indescribable feeling. Raising his hand, he slowly caressed her crimson earlobe, pinching it lightly …

In Fuxue Pavilion. The night wind was freezing. But Meng Suxi’s heart was colder. Much colder. When she had come to live at the Zhen Ducal Estate, she had only taken one servant with her. However, her third aunt had fearing she would be short on maids, there were two more maids serving in Fuxue Pavilion. When Meng Suxi went …