Liu Zixuan sat in silence, her head bowed. Her tears began to flow again as she listened to Li Jie’s words. She could no longer count how many hearts she had hurt with her terrible behavior.“How long can a person live in this world? Will they live forever?”Liu Zixuan slowly shook her head.“If you’ve come to your senses, then change your attitude and behavior. And now, I’ll take you home,” Li Jie concluded.Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes watched them from afar. A faint smile formed on the face hidden beneath a bamboo hat.After helping Liu Zixuan mount Ireng’s back, Li Jie leapt up with ease. He then spurred his horse forward, following the path toward the palace of the Tang Dynasty.Liu Zixuan, struggling to sit in front, eventually moved to the back. She wrapped her arms tightly around Li Jie as the horse galloped swiftly.On the third day, they finally arrived at the gates of t

The silence between them lingered for quite some time. Li Jie had nothing to say, while Liu Zixuan was overwhelmed by the feelings she had for the young man beside her.The atmosphere grew even more solemn as a gentle drizzle slowly began to wet the earth that night.In his mind, Li Jie suddenly remembered the moments before his wife’s death—those quiet evenings when he and Mei Lian sat together on the front porch after a long day of farming. Without realizing it, Li Jie reached out and held Liu Zixuan’s hand tightly. His emotions swept him away, as if the girl beside him was Mei Lian.Liu Zixuan was startled and confused. She looked at Li Jie’s face, but there was no expression—his handsome features were flat and cold, his gaze blank, staring straight ahead.From a distance, behind the wall, Empress Li Meifang watched the scene with a joyful smile. She had been looking for her daughter but held herself back upon seeing Liu Zixuan alone with Li Jie. She decided to simply observe from

"You'll find out soon enough," answered Li Jie.Not long after, their food arrived. Liu Zixuan, who had never eaten outside the palace except during her abduction, hesitated to touch the food served on the table. But after some persuasion from Li Jie, the beautiful girl finally took a small bite.Her expression immediately changed, and her eyes lit up the moment the food touched her tongue."This is delicious, Prince," she whispered. "Even better than the palace food," she added."There are many more delicious dishes out there. And today, I’m taking you on a journey," replied Li Jie.Usually so mindful of her royal image, Liu Zixuan now devoured the food before her with great appetite. She didn't even mind getting her hands dirty from the delicious grilled chicken.Almost every pair of eyes in the food stall stared in disbelief at what Liu Zixuan was doing. No one expected that the daughter of Emperor Liu Zuan could change her demeanor so drastically.Their curious gaze also fell on L