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After he finished speaking, he ignored me and turned to walk slowly outside. The white figure walked out of the garden and disappeared from my sight.

I was eventually carried back to Zuiyue Palace, which naturally alarmed the old man, the old empress, old man Yun, and a large group of people. I know how everyone sees me; perhaps starting tomorrow morning, I will become the laughing stock of the palace, with all sorts of speculations and comments. But in front of the old man and old man Yun's stern faces, I still calmly and firmly defended myself, saying, "When Yue'er was in Tianqing, she was saved by the envoy many times. Now that he is on a mission to Xiuruo, I haven't seen him for several months. Yue'er knows that with her current status, she can't possibly have the opportunity to meet the envoy alone, but she really wants to greet him and thank him for saving her life. So, dressed like this, she secretly went to Lingfeng Pavilion, only to find out that the envoy had already gone to the celebration banquet."

"Then what happened to your injuries?" Old Man Yun's face was gloomy, and he was full of anger. His eyes were sharp and piercing as he looked at me.

"Yue'er sneaked away, afraid of being discovered, and wanting to wait for the Imperial Physician to return, so she climbed the ginkgo tree in the garden. She waited and waited, then fell asleep and fell off." After being carried back, before Physician Jiang arrived, Yan'er quickly changed my clothes. Now, after Physician Jiang finished taking my pulse and examining my injuries, he went out to write a prescription. Although my dislocated right hand had been put back in place, my arm had a minor fracture and was tightly bandaged. The pain in my buttocks was actually more severe, so I can only speak from bed now.

"Your Majesty, although what the girl did was against the rules, it was understandable. Besides, I feel sorry for her just looking at her like this. She has learned her lesson, so please forgive her, Your Majesty." The old empress sat on the edge of the bed, looking back and forth at my body and hands, and said with a look of pity.

"Do you wish to meet with the Azure Envoy alone again?" The old man looked at me, his expression softening slightly, but his eyes still held a hint of inquiry and deep thought.

"Yue'er wouldn't dare. Although I didn't see the Imperial Envoy this time, I reckon he should know about my situation by now. I'm just sending my greetings, and he should understand my intentions by now, so there's no need for Yue'er to make another trip."

"In that case, you should stay in seclusion for ten days to reflect on your mistakes. With so many people watching, we can't break the rules. You should stay obediently in the Drunken Moon Palace for the next few days."

"Thank you, Your Majesty and Your Majesty, for not punishing me." I tried to get up to express my gratitude, but as soon as I moved, I gasped in pain. I could only barely prop myself up with my left hand, nod, and that was my way of expressing my gratitude.

Being confined to my room for ten days to reflect on my mistakes is practically no punishment at all, because I can only lie in bed now. Even if I can get out of bed within ten days, I won't be able to walk more than a few steps.

"Don't move, don't move, just lie there quietly." The old man couldn't bear it any longer and walked a few steps to the bed. Seeing that the old empress had gotten up before him and helped me lie down again, he sighed and said, "Girl, you should rest well."

After saying this, he gestured for Old Man Yun to leave with him. When they were disturbed, the banquet in the Imperial Garden to welcome the envoys of the two countries was still going on. They probably still had to go back now, because even after the banquet ended, they would have to formally inform everyone who had attended.

"Grand Empress Dowager, please don't punish those people in my palace." Only the old Empress Dowager and I were left in the room. I glanced at her, my eyes brimming with tears, and begged her, "Yue'er knows this is the rule, but they are servants. This was my idea. I lured them out one by one. Even if I had given them a clear order, they wouldn't have dared to disobey me. So the fault doesn't lie with them. Please, Grand Empress Dowager, spare them."

"You keep talking about rules, but since you know the rules of the palace, why do you still knowingly break them?" The old empress neither agreed nor disagreed, but sighed and said this.

"The moon knows it was wrong."

“Ever since you fell ill that day, I knew that you must be troubled by the matter of the marriage alliance. Today’s events must be because of this.” She looked at me, paused, and continued, “Now that you are the princess of Xiuruo, some things are already destined. You should understand these things and believe that your royal grandfather will arrange a good marriage for you.”

I didn't speak, and I held back my tears.

"Alright, you're exhausted and in pain today, so get some rest. Focus on recovering these next few days and don't think too much."

I nodded. The old empress got up, went out, scolded Yan'er a few times, and instructed her to take good care of her. She told me to report to the Empress immediately if anything happened before she went back. I closed my eyes and let my tears flow freely. Yao Yao, who had been guarding behind the bed, finally rushed to the bedside, put her two front paws on the edge of the bed, stuck out her tongue, and licked away the tears from the corners of my eyes again and again, whimpering softly.

Fox, fox, what should I do? I can't escape this golden cage, and you've been out of touch with me. Are we destined to miss each other? And Xi Lan, I've told myself countless times, and said to him more than once, that I can't let Xi Lan become someone else because of me. But now, the thing I least wanted to see has happened. Xi Lan has become like this because of me. How can I atone for my sins and bring you back to your original self?

Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Asleep (Revised Edition) Volume Four: A Hidden Melancholy and Resentment Arise, How Unbearable!

Chapter word count: 2950 Update time: 08-12-24 12:56

How could I bear this?

For several days, I lay in bed, needing Yan'er to feed me and administer my medicine. The palace maids and guards of Zuiyue Palace were ultimately not implicated, and given my punishment, which wasn't considered a real penalty, the matter was dropped. The Empress sent a large quantity of precious medicinal herbs, including the Tian Shan Purple Snow Lotus presented by the Tianqing envoy. My sudden rise to power as a princess has been so favored, likely exceeding everyone's expectations.

Speaking of the Tianshan Purple Snow Lotus, a pang of sorrow rises in my heart again. Only now do I understand how incredibly rare the Tianshan Purple Snow Lotus, which I once described as resembling a cabbage, truly is. It blooms only once every hundred years, growing atop the perpetually snow-covered Tianshan Mountains. Not only is it rare, but it's also incredibly difficult to find and harvest. Last time, disappointed and preoccupied, I carelessly tossed it aside after returning to Zhilan Palace and never paid it any more attention. Now I know that the Purple Snow Lotus only grows on towering ice cliffs, and even the most skilled hunters could easily slip and fall. What I owe Xilan is far greater than I imagined. Xilan said I should spend the rest of my life repaying her, but even then, I fear I will never be able to repay her.

Wang An told me everything that happened outside Zuiyue Palace. I heard that Ye Cang's envoy departed for his country today. Regarding the marriage alliance, Ye Cang originally chose me, but I don't know how the old man managed to negotiate it, and in the end, the bride was changed to Xiu Ruoyao, the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince, who is a year younger than me. During dinner, I heard that Xi Lan will also be returning tomorrow, but the marriage alliance is still unclear. Moreover, Wang An said that the old man and Xi Lan really get along well; after Ye Cang's envoy left today, the two of them actually played chess in Xiuming Hall for the entire afternoon, and even had dinner brought in for them.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps the old man wouldn't marry me off immediately after I rejected Ye Cang's envoy. Otherwise, Ye Cang would definitely not be happy.

I went to bed early that night as usual. Although the pain had lessened considerably over the past few days, this fall was truly severe, and I still couldn't get out of bed and walk freely. Furthermore, I was feeling depressed and confined to my home, which further discouraged me from getting out of bed.

In my hazy state, I felt someone watching me; the feeling was strong and seemed to be growing stronger. Although I was unable to move easily, only Yaoyao remained in the room, with Yan'er waiting in the outer room. She would come in to serve me at my call. Who could be guarding me? With Yaoyao there, if any unfamiliar presence approached, it would surely roar and pounce on the person.

With difficulty, I opened my eyes. In the dim light of the palace lanterns outside, I was startled to see the white figure standing before the bed. My first impression wasn't fear; I knew at a glance it was Xi Lan! I didn't speak, turning my head to look for Yao Yao. I knew Xi Lan was highly skilled in martial arts. He was returning to Tianqing tomorrow, and coming to find me under the cover of night wouldn't be difficult if he didn't want to be discovered. Besides, he'd never liked following the rules, and sneaking into my room like this showed that his nature hadn't changed.

After my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw Yao Yao crouching not far from the bed, her golden eyes fixed on Xi Lan. Xi Lan entered, and although Yao Yao clearly saw him, she didn't make a sound! I initially thought Xi Lan might have acupunctured Yao Yao or knocked her unconscious, but I never expected this. Isn't Yao Yao supposed to roar and attack whenever a stranger approaches? This should be the first time she's seen Xi Lan, so why is she so quiet?

My left hand unconsciously went to my chest, lightly touching the small chain pendant under my clothes. It was the little gold lock that Xiaobai gave me, which made Yaoyao treat me differently. So what about Xilan? Could Yaoyao's unusual reaction be because Xilan also has something similar?

"Don't you find it strange?" He had obviously noticed that I was awake. His voice was soft, but still clear in the quiet night. I looked outside with some trepidation, but he smiled nonchalantly and said, "Don't worry, the person outside is sleeping soundly and won't hear you."

I remained silent, wondering why Xi Lan had come to visit in this way under the cover of night.

"You seemed to have so much to say that day, so why are you speechless now when you try to speak?" He bent down and sat on the edge of my bed, reaching out to touch my face.

I unconsciously turned my face away, but his hand followed suit and lingered by my ear.

"Xi Lan, don't be like this. It's not what you heard." I reached out my left hand and grabbed his right hand tightly, stopping it from wandering behind my ear. I gripped it hard, my palm pressed against the scar on the back of his right hand. The warm, clean, and smooth touch that used to feel was now marred by a hard scar.

"Then tell me, what is the situation?" He grabbed my hand in return, asking casually.

How should I put it? Should I say that my acquaintance with him was purely coincidental? Should I say that I didn't intentionally get close to him, that I used him but didn't want to hurt him? Or should I say that I didn't even know I was originally a member of the Xiu Ruo royal family until I returned from Tianqing, and that my inability to reciprocate his feelings wasn't because he was a prince, but because I already had someone else in my heart?

"Xi Lan..." she began, but remained silent.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Why aren't you explaining?" He suddenly raised my injured left hand high above my head. I gasped and groaned in pain, but he leaned down and pressed himself against me. His voice was icy, as if it carried the chill of the Tianshan Mountains. "Does it hurt? Actually, this little pain is nothing. Yunyue, Princess Xiyue, Princess Zuiyue, that day you said you were Weimian. What's going on here?"

I didn't speak, but struggled to push him away with my other hand. Suddenly, he released my left hand, reached into his robes with his right, and held something out to my eyes. I stared wide-eyed at it—it was the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant! I frantically searched around; when had the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant fallen? Could it have been when I fell from the tree that day? I hadn't noticed!

"Give it back to me." In my panic, I reached out to take it, but he flicked his right hand, putting the jade pendant back in his robes. He then quickly pressed my left hand above my head. I struggled desperately, but with a slight exertion of his body, I couldn't move. This shouldn't be happening, it shouldn't be happening. This jade pendant is so important to the fox. Even if I can never return to Longyao Kingdom or see the fox again, I must return this Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant to him. I pleaded, crying, "Xi Lan, please give me back the jade pendant, please."

He seemed startled, a flicker of pain and reluctance flashing in his eyes. His hand loosened, then clenched again in an instant, his expression a mixture of confusion and embarrassment, yet his eyes blazed with anger: "Who are you shedding these tears for? Aren't you even curious why I've come?"

"Xi Lan, I beg you." The last time she saw Fox, his already thin face appeared before her eyes. Fox, Fox, why have you been silent for so long? Have you really abandoned me?

"Alright, ask me why I'm here first." His expression seemed to soften slightly, but only for a moment.

"Why did Xilan come so late? Is it because you're going back to your country tomorrow?" Tears still wouldn't stop, and the thought of the fox filled me with even more desolation. But I still went along with him and asked. As long as I could get the jade pendant back, anything was fine.

He suddenly let go, placing my right hand back at his side. Another sharp pain shot through me, but I seemed oblivious. His hand then slipped behind my back, holding me tightly. With his other hand, he gently wiped away my tears, his voice suddenly returning to its usual gentle tone as he said, "I miss that kiss from that night. I've realized that even though I've forgotten you, even though I know I should hate you, I still love the feeling of kissing you."

My eyes widened in shock, but he lowered his head and kissed my lips deeply. He didn't allow me the slightest resistance; he held me firmly on the shoulder with one hand and used the other to hold me behind my head through my hair, preventing me from escaping.