Qing Dai pursed her lips, her emotions tangled.
On the one hand, she was relieved that he did not see her that way, but she also felt a little sad for Her Highness.
"Sir, Her Highness isn't that sort of person..."
"Heh, what sort of person?"
Lu Changfeng chuckled and picked up the sandalwood box. He had been about to examine it earlier when Jiang Mingwei came seeking treatment. Now that the man had left, he could take a proper look at the Snowfield Mysterious Crane Painting. He said casually, "She is our sovereign, and we are her subjects. We need only do our duty. Besides, this is the Princess's Residence. Rather than worrying about Gao Jian plotting behind our backs, we should worry about him staging a comeback someday. That would be real trouble! All right, no one should come calling at this hour. Go practice. I'll take a look at this painting..."
Seeing him absorbed in the painting, seemingly unconcerned about anything else, Qing Dai felt a hundred emotions mingle in her heart.
Even now, he still thought Gao Jian could return...
Her Highness's subtle feelings and changes seemed never to have been taken seriously by him, much less earned even the slightest additional expectation.
He placed no hope in any favoritism she might show him, nor did he care in the least.
Qing Dai opened her mouth, but ultimately could say nothing. She silently bowed and withdrew from the Quiet Chamber without a sound.
Inside, sandalwood incense curled through the air.
Lu Changfeng's gaze settled on the fully unfurled Snowfield Mysterious Crane Painting.
Across the scroll, rich washes of ink depicted a bitterly cold polar snowfield. In the background, heavy black clouds churned like ink, as though poised to swallow heaven and earth whole. Fierce winds swept