In that fleeting moment of yearning, Li Ce sealed Ye Jiao's soft, tender lips with his own. Her skin was warm and supple, while his kiss was possessive—stealing away the heat, seizing the tenderness. Ye Jiao felt him rise to a half-kneel, cradling her in his arms. Her delicate head tilted back, cascades of thick black hair spilling down like a silken waterfall. An unfamiliar tremor swept through her entire being.
So, this… is what a kiss feels like.
In response, Ye Jiao gently kissed him back. But that soft reply was met with a tidal wave of passion—a kiss so deep it made her face flush crimson.
"Breathe, Jiaojiao. Breathe."
Ye Jiao inhaled deeply, her senses filled with Li Ce's scent. It was like snow resting on pine—clean, cold, yet bracingly alive. She wrapped her arms around him gently.
"Li Ce…" she whispered his name with more affection than ever before.
"Jiaojiao," he replied, "Thank you."
Thank you for existing in this world—warm, kind, passionate, and delightfully unpredictable. You are the sun that banishes the night, the totem that wards off misfortune, the rarest of blessings, the gift of destiny. Because of you, all the suffering, pain, and years of illness mean nothing. If only I had known that beyond the thorns lay endless radiance—if only I had known—I wouldn't have felt so alone, so afraid. I would have run, barefoot if I must, to this very moment where I met you.
There were no more tears in Li Ce's eyes—only overwhelming gratitude and the quiet stirrings of love.
If only this carriage would never stop, if only this kiss could last forever.
After escorting Ye Jiao home, Li Ce returned to the palace for the banquet. He had barely sampled a few dishes when he excused himself, claiming ill health.
The grand Linde Hall rose magnificently, its platform standing nine feet high. As Li Ce descended with a light step, a voice called from behind.
"Where do you think you're going? You're not allowed to leave!"
He knew the voice—Prince Zhao, Li Jing.
Turning back with an easy smile, Li Ce said, "Didn't you say you'd stay till the end, Fifth Brother?"
At the mention of "Fifth Brother," Li Jing's stiff face twitched into a smile before hardening once more. Clearly, today's displeasure could not be appeased with a simple fraternal term.
"Do you know which day of the year I love the most?" he asked in a low voice.
"I don't."
Li Ce replied honestly, his sleeves hanging low and heavy.
"Mid-Autumn! Mid-Autumn!" Li Jing emphasized. "There are dances, mooncakes, osmanthus wine, a purse from Mother, and I get to mock those ugly brothers of ours. Most importantly, the sisters-in-law sit together, so no one cares what I do. Father and Mother are always in good spirits—if I want to take another concubine, they usually agree. But today, you ruined it!"
"How did I ruin it?" Li Ce frowned. "I saw you eating mooncakes, drinking wine, groping a dancer's hand, and mocking the Eighth Brother for his short legs and receding hairline until he ran crying to the Empress. You could take a hundred concubines and still not learn how to speak properly."
"You said you were unwell and left!"
"I truly wasn't feeling well."
"Then go back now!"
"I can't." Li Jing trudged down the steps, glaring at Li Ce like he wanted to kick him. "Father told me to watch over you. Now I'm banned from rejoining the banquet!"
On the verge of tears, but not daring to defy imperial orders, he trailed after Li Ce all the way out of the Daming Palace.
This made Li Ce slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't returning to the Zhao residence—he had other plans.
"I don't care!" Li Jing raised his chin. "Even if you're off to murder someone, I'm going with you!"
He climbed into Li Ce's carriage, flopping down with legs crossed, the very picture of a rascal. But the moment he heard a woman's voice outside, he sat bolt upright, smoothed his robes, and opened the curtain with a dignified cough.
A young maid stood outside—Ye Jiao's.
They had arrived outside the Duke of Anguo's estate. Li Ce first asked the gatekeeper to summon Shuiwen. Only after seeing her did he request that she inform Ye Jiao—carefully preserving her reputation.
Shuiwen nodded with a cheeky grin and darted off.
Li Jing pointed at him. "So! This is why you lied to Father! Sneaking off for a secret rendezvous!"
"Now that you know, can you go back on your own?"
"Nope!" Li Jing tucked his hands into his sleeves. "If you're going to ruin my fun, I'll ruin yours too."
Tonight's tryst had a third wheel more radiant than the moon.
With no curfew that evening, they wandered the neighborhood, admiring the lanterns outside each residence. Later, they strolled into the Western Market, where lights blazed and dragons danced in the night air.
From his sleeve, Li Ce took out the osmanthus cakes he'd stolen from the palace banquet. "Try one."
Ye Jiao picked up a piece; Li Jing grabbed another.
"Delicious," Ye Jiao said.
"Too bland," Li Jing muttered.
"She doesn't like overly sweet things," Li Ce explained.
"And you don't care what I like?" Li Jing snorted, then bypassed Li Ce and approached Ye Jiao directly.
"What do you like?" Ye Jiao asked curiously, her petite nose tinged red by the autumn wind, gazing at him with wide eyes.
The sight softened Li Jing instantly.
"Me? I like food paid for by someone else."
Li Ce extended his arm and shoved him aside.
"Who was it that called Miss Ye a lioness and a she-demon?"
"Who said that?" Ye Jiao stood by a tree, munching on the cake, then bent down, hugged the tree, and began to pull it out of the ground.
Li Jing turned pale and dove behind Li Ce. "She's using trees as weapons now?! Beat me and you'll go to jail! Think about who my father is!"
Li Ce burst into laughter, his narrow eyes gleaming as he took Ye Jiao's hand.
"Enough, enough. The trees belong to the Jingzhao Office. Liu Yan finally got a break; let's not give him another headache."
"Jingzhao governs everything," Ye Jiao muttered reluctantly, letting go. "Still, I know all the patrolmen—they greet me when they pass."
The trio strolled from the Western Market to the Eastern one, until the streets were deserted. Their hands could no longer hold all of Ye Jiao's purchases, and only then did Li Ce send her home.
Naturally, Li Jing followed.
"Why are you still here?" In the cramped carriage, Li Ce looked at him.
Li Jing lay limp in the corner, groaning, "I don't want to be with you two—I can't feel my legs…"
He closed his eyes. "Do whatever you want. Pretend I'm blind."
Not that he needed to—Ye Jiao had bought so much that the packages made a wall between them.
When Ye Jiao finally left, Li Jing muttered, "She's not a demon. I misjudged her. She's… a spendthrift! How can one woman buy so much?"
"She bought it all for her family," Li Ce replied. "Even the servants received gifts. That's kindness."
"She is kind," Li Jing's face twitched. "You'll be broke before the wedding night."
Li Ce did not argue about whether Ye Jiao was suitable to be his wife. Treasures too bright draw thieves. It's enough that he knows her worth.
As the carriage arrived at Prince Zhao's residence, Li Jing spotted someone at the corner of the street—dressed in a servant's mourning garb, with white cloth around the head and hands.
"Pah, pah!" Li Jing spat, pulling down the curtain. "Who's delivering bad news in the middle of the night? How unlucky."
"Stop the carriage!"
For some reason, Li Ce suddenly spoke.
Pale-faced, he leapt out just in time to see the figure approaching.
The servant dropped to his knees with a thud, held up the white cloth in both hands, and finally spoke.