If the setting hadn’t been so inappropriate, Qin Xiyi would have loved nothing more than to hurl her wine cup right at Cheng Mozhi’s face.

Talk about having a death wish—this was taking it to a whole new level.

She gritted her teeth in secret, yet maintained a breezy, effortless smile on her face.

“It was my slip of the tongue. Earlier, Your Majesty asked if I recognized an old acquaintance. Lord Cheng is indeed not an old acquaintance, but what he just said wasn’t entirely out of line.”

“He is my young… my elder sister’s husband. It’s just that on their wedding day, I was already departing for Liang. My elder sister does indeed look very much like me.”

“Your Majesty, please forgive us. And to the ministers, please do not let this mar the harmony between our two nations…”

Cheng Mozhi watched her quietly as she racked her brains to bail him out. She looked much like she did when they first met—spinning lies out of thin air with practiced ease.

Ultimately, the Emperor of Liang didn’t press the matter, and the Liang ministers dared not say another word.

But Qin Xiyi couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer. She excused herself to the Emperor, citing a sudden malaise, and returned to her palace to rest.

She walked through the hall with her head held high, passing right before Cheng Mozhi’s eyes without sparing him a single glance.

The moment she returned to her chambers, Qin Xiyi ordered the doors and windows shut before collapsing onto the daybed, utterly exhausted in body and soul.

The young prince, Liang Ying, was already asleep. Qin Xiyi reached out to touch his adorable cheek, the uncertainty in her heart magnifying a thousandfold.

She couldn’t understand—what on earth was Cheng Mozhi trying to do?

She had deceived him back then, yes, but he had since risen through the ranks and found his place. He had even married the woman of his choice.

Qin Luoke—that was a marriage he had agreed to personally.

Qin Xiyi had never forgotten the scene in the garden pavilion, where they stood side-by-side, painting together.

Most importantly, Qin Xiyi suddenly realized that the fortress of forgetting she had spent three years painstakingly building—thinking she had moved on completely—had crumbled to dust the moment this man appeared.

But the abyss before her was fraught with danger. Cheng Mozhi’s madness still made her heart tremble with fear.

As clever as the Emperor was, fooling him for now didn’t mean he wouldn’t eventually find a trail to follow.

Qin Xiyi stayed by her child’s side all night, her mind a tangled mess, not closing her eyes for a second.

It wasn’t until dawn broke that a eunuch came to report.

“Due to issues with the renewal of the state treaties, the Zhao delegation will not depart for another month.”

Cheng Mozhi was going to be lingering before her eyes for an entire month…

Qin Xiyi immediately ordered her servants to pack her belongings.

“Someone, go tell His Majesty that the retreat to Taoyuan Temple I mentioned before—I shall be leaving today.”

“Also, the Crown Prince is old enough now; he should accompany me.”

It’s just one month, Qin Xiyi thought, letting out a long breath as a faint smile touched her eyes.

If she couldn’t afford to provoke him, she could at least afford to hide.

If the setting hadn’t been so inappropriate, Qin Xiyi would have loved to throw her wine cup right in Cheng Mozhi’s face.

There were limits to seeking death, and this was crossing them.

She gritted her teeth in secret, but maintained a light, breezy smile on her face.

「It was this concubine’s slip of the tongue. Just now, Your Majesty asked if I recognized any old acquaintances. Lord Cheng is indeed not an old acquaintance, but his words just now were not entirely reckless either.」

「He is actually the husband of my younger… my elder sister. It is just that on their wedding day, I was already departing for Liang. My eldest sister does indeed look very similar to me.」

「May Your Majesty forgive him. And to the ministers, please do not let this disrupt the harmony between our two nations…」

Cheng Mozhi watched her quietly as she wracked her brains to bail him out.

She looked very much like she did when they first met, spinning lies off the cuff.

In the end, the Emperor of Liang did not pursue the matter, and the Liang ministers dared not say another word.

But Qin Xiyi could no longer sit still. Excusing herself to the Emperor on account of feeling unwell, she returned to her palace to rest.

She walked through the grand hall with her head held high, passing right before Cheng Mozhi’s eyes without sparing him another glance.

The moment she returned to her bedchamber, Qin Xiyi ordered the doors and windows to be shut. Only then did she collapse onto the soft daybed, feeling thoroughly exhausted in both body and mind.

The young prince, Liang Ying, was already asleep. Qin Xiyi reached out to touch his adorable cheek, the uncertainty in her heart magnifying infinitely.

She couldn’t understand. What on earth did Cheng Mozhi want?

She had indeed deceived him back then, but now he had risen through the ranks, his heart belonged to someone else, and he had married the woman of his dreams.

Qin Luoke—that was a marriage he had agreed to with his own lips.

The scene in the imperial garden’s pavilion by the pond, where they leaned against the railing and painted together, was something Qin Xiyi had never forgotten.

Most importantly, Qin Xiyi suddenly realized something.

Over the past three years, the fortress of forgetting she had painstakingly built, believing she had completely let go, had utterly collapsed the moment this man arrived.

Yet the abyss before her was fraught with danger at every step. Just thinking about Cheng Mozhi’s madness still left her trembling with fear.

As clever as the Emperor of Liang was, fooling him for now did not mean he wouldn’t eventually sniff out a clue.

Qin Xiyi watched over her child all night, her mind in a chaotic tangle, unable to close her eyes even once.

It wasn’t until the sky grew bright that the eunuch at the door came to report.

「Due to issues regarding the renewal of the state treaties between the two nations, the Zhao delegation will not depart until a month from now.」

Cheng Mozhi was going to linger before her eyes for a whole month…

Qin Xiyi immediately ordered her palace maids to pack her belongings.

「Someone, go inform His Majesty that the trip to Taoyuan Temple for quiet prayer and fasting I mentioned before will commence today.」

「Also, the Crown Prince is older now; he should accompany me.」

It was only for a month. Qin Xiyi let out a long breath, a smile flickering in her eyes.

If she couldn’t afford to provoke him, she could at least hide from him.