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Zhao Huangpu raised a hand to untie the ribbons of his fur robe, and before hundreds of eyes, slowly removed the White-Fox-Fur Grey Cloak draped over his shoulders. With a gentle shake, he wrapped Zhu Bafu entirely beneath the Cloak, lowering his head to earnestly tie the fur ribbons for her. That intimate gesture drew sidelong glances from the crowd, yet no one dared to utter a word.

She knew that the more affection and regard Your Majesty displayed toward her, the safer she would be along the way. However... Your Majesty did not know that the safer she was, the less safe her dear Father became.

While tying the fur robe ribbons, he gritted his teeth and whispered low by her ear, "Do you think you aren't annoying enough yet? Do you need to cook up some more rotten tricks to make Zhen hate you even more?"

"..."

"If I could hate you, I don't know how happy I'd be!"

The Carriage procession slowly headed toward Chengshou Temple, accompanied by over thirty officials. Inside the Carriage, Zhu Bafu lifted the curtain to look out the window as the urban scenery gradually transformed into suburban mountain views. Amidst fluttering yellow leaves, the mountain gate of Chengshou Temple came into view. She stepped out of the Carriage, stood firm, and looked at the mountain steps, which she was visiting for the first time. Her fingertips twitched, letting a trace of heat escape. The first time she climbed these mountain steps, Young Master had still been around, stubbornly insisting on holding her hand to lead her up.

She ascended the mountain steps. Your Majesty's grey cloak was clearly ill-fitting on her, dragging long upon the mottled, leaf-strewn stone slab staircase. Not wanting to soil it, she had no choice but to pick