The letter the man in black presented with both hands was very thin. There was no wax seal on the envelope, only a slender golden thread wrapped around it.
Qin Yao took the letter and lightly pinched the thread between his fingers. It slipped away without a sound.
He unfolded the paper. The handwriting was graceful, yet carried a sharp edge—it was unmistakably Qian Renxue's.
The letter contained only a few concise lines, recounting Ning Fengzhi's visit to the Crown Prince's Residence that afternoon with his daughter.
Qian Renxue had noted everything: Ning Fengzhi's reason for coming, his account of the conflict between Tang San and Spirit Hall, and his vague remarks about his daughter Ning Rongrong's experiences at Shrek Academy.
At the end of the letter, there was just one brief sentence.
"Meet me at our usual place tonight."
There were no unnecessary greetings, nor any words of endearment.
Yet from those six stiff, matter-of-fact characters, Qin Yao read an entirely different meaning.
The lines of his face softened without his realizing it. His taut jaw relaxed a little, and a smile quietly appeared.
It was faint, but it dispelled the chill that usually clung to him.
Nearby, Dugu Yan had been listlessly flipping through the Poison Scripture. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Qin Yao's change in expression and paused mid-page.
She pursed her lips without a word and lowered her head to her book again, though she didn't turn a single page for a long while.
Ye Lingling noticed as well.
She stopped meditating and quietly watched Qin Yao.
His Highness the Holy Son was usually so composed and solemn. This was the first time she had seen him smile so genuinely.
It seemed that only that Crown Prince could bring about such a