Lu Changfeng emerged from the Ten Directions Secret Prison into the bright sunshine outside.
Above the secret prison stood the Golden Scale Pool Pavilion, a place of serene and secluded beauty.
Beside a pool of emerald water, the familiar suspended waterside pavilion stood in silence.
Sheer gauze danced around it, offering glimpses of a figure of peerless elegance seated within.
Princess Taiping had clearly taken great care with her appearance that day.
She wore a long court dress of Rosy Cloud Brocade, its skirts embroidered with intricate, subtle phoenix patterns in gold thread that shimmered delicately in the sunlight. Her cloudlike hair was swept high and adorned with a Gilt Gold and Kingfisher Hairpin, and an exquisite floral ornament rested on her forehead. Her brows and eyes were painted to perfection, preserving the stately splendor of the Princess Who Guards the Nation while adding a dazzling radiance.
She had clearly come specifically to wait for him, rather than on a passing whim.
When Lu Changfeng emerged from the stone path through the artificial rockery, Princess Taiping did not have Jinghong announce him. Instead, she naturally lifted her hand and gave him a gentle wave, a faint but genuine smile touching her lips.
She looked less like a princess summoning a subject than a close friend spotting someone she had arranged to meet, casual and familiar.
"..."
Lu Changfeng had already grown accustomed to such oddities.
It had only been a few days, and this woman changed her attitude every single day.
When he first began treating her injuries, she had been quite reserved, even seemingly prone to self-pity. A few days later, much of that reserve had faded, though she still observed proper decorum and maintained the basic courtesies.
Then, two days ago, some knot in her heart seemed to