Hearing Shuo Ling's words, he thought that he worried too much.

Then, Chushi Youtian asked again, "When will you set off to Beiling?"

"Today." Shuo Ling answered.

But Chushi Youtian frowned and asked, "Today? Is it a bit hasty to rush to Beiling right after you came back from the border areas?"

"Your Majesty, I've thought about Qingcheng all the time. I promised her to go to Beiling with her. But to finish the task you assigned to me, I had to let her go there alone. Now, we have already won the battle, so I want to keep my promise to keep her company." Shuo Ling explained with his hands cupped.

Chushi Youtian still knitted his eyebrows and stood up to walk around the table. He said, "I'm glad that you care much about Qingcheng, but I hope you won't give An Qin the cold shoulder because of this."

"I understand." Shuo Ling nodded.

Then, Chushi Youtian smiled and continued, "Alright, I was going to throw a banquet for you to welcome you back. But it seems that I don't have to do so now."

"Your Majesty, I really appreciate that." Shuo Ling replied.

Afterward, Chushi Youtian frowned again and said, "Stay careful on your journey. You can leave now."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Shuo Ling responded and then left.

When Shuo Ling walked away, the smile on Chushi Youtian's face faded. Somehow, he felt that Shuo Ling already knew what happened that year. He kept sounding him out but found nothing yet.

In the Mansion of Shuo, well-dressed An Qin sat in her room and looked out of the window from time to time.

"Sicha, go out to check whether Shuo Ling is back." An Qin looked at Sicha who was napping and ordered.

Sicha opened her eyes and replied, "Your Highness, I just went out a few minutes ago and he hadn't come back yet."

"But maybe he's arrived now. Fine... I'll do it myself." An Qin was about to stand up and walk out of the room.

Seeing that, Sicha stood up quickly and said, "Your Highness, it's windy outside."

"It's fine." said An Qin who directly walked out.

Sicha rushed back to An Qin's bed, carried her cloak, and ran out, too.

"Your Highness, please put it on or you may catch a cold." Sicha said and helped An Qin put on the cloak at the same time.

Then, they walked to the gate.

Waiting in front of the mansion gate, Zhou Ji saw Shuo Ling heading towards the mansion on a horse. So he quickly moved forward with his hands cupped and greeted, "My Lord, you're finally back."

As Shuo Ling got off the horse, Zhou Ji took over the rein.

Then, Shuo Ling walked into his mansion.

Zhou Ji frowned and asked Mo Li, "Why is Marquis in a hurry? Is anything wrong?"

"He's in a hurry to look for Madam." Mo Li answered while slightly lifting his eyebrow.

"Madam?" Zhou Ji asked with doubt.

At this time, Mo Li patted him on his shoulder and walked into the mansion, too.

Only Zhou Ji was left outside and he scratched his head. Wasn't Madam in Beiling now? Or Mo Li was talking about Infanta An Qin? No way. He knew that Marquis Shuo didn’t love her.

Thinking of that, Zhou Ji suddenly realized something. So, Marquis Shuo was going to head to Beiling?

Then Zhou Ji handed over the rein to the guard before the gate and ran into the mansion.

At the corner

"Sicha, hurry up. I feel I already heard somebody talking." An Qin walked and looked back to talk to Sicha at the same time.

Sicha knitted her eyebrows and answered, "Your Highness, you must have misheard. I heard nothing."

While speaking, Sicha saw Shuo Ling appearing at the corner. At An Qin's walking pace, she would definitely run into Shuo Ling if she didn't stop now. So Sicha shouted, "Your Highness, watch out."

Hearing Sicha's cry, An Qin looked back quickly. But it was late and she ran right into Shuo Ling.

However, Shuo Ling frowned and dodged. As a result, An Qin fell to the ground.

Seeing that, Sicha rushed to support her. "Your Highness, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." An Qin took a look at Shuo Ling and answered with her head shaking.

Then, Sicha helped her stand up. She touched An Qin's hand by accident and the latter couldn't help but withdraw her hand.

"Your Highness, you told me that you were fine. But look, your hand is bleeding." Sicha looked at An Qin's hand and said.

An Qin shook her head with a smile. It really meant nothing compared to the pain brought by Shuo Ling's dodge.

If he hadn't dodged, she wouldn't have fallen to the ground. It seemed that Shuo Ling really hated her.

Supporting An Qin to stand up, Sicha looked at Shuo Ling and questioned, "My Lord, how could you push Her Highness away?"

"Or what should I do?" Shuo Ling looked at Sicha coldly and asked.

Sicha didn't expect Shuo Ling would say that, so she became speechless for a while. Then she continued, "It's cold outside. But do you know Her Highness has waited for you since early in the morning, just because she knew you would come back today?"

"Really? If so, just don't bother to do that anymore." Shuo Ling squinted at An Qin and commented.

Hearing that, An Qin felt frustrated. What did he mean? He thought she was meddlesome?

Even Sicha was shocked by what Shuo Ling said. She asked, "My Lord, what do you mean? Her Highness is..."

"Mo Li, run a bath for me. I am dirty." Shuo Ling interrupted before Sicha finished. Then, he headed to his bedroom.

Mo Li took a glance at An Qin and followed Shuo Ling to walk away after nodding at her.

Seeing that, Mo Li couldn't help but feel sympathetic to An Qin. But she asked for this because she shouldn't marry Marquis Shuo and try to win his love. No. The reason should be that Marquis Shuo had already lost his heart to Infanta Qingcheng, so he wouldn't fall for her at all.

That thought drove Mo Li to shake his head and walk more quickly to catch up with Shuo Ling.

Seeing Shuo Ling walking away, An Qin was in a trance. Why did Shuo Ling treat her like that? He didn't show up at their wedding night and set off to the border areas right after the wedding. She was worried about him every day, and now he has finally come back. But he should treat her like that.

Right at this time, Zhou Ji followed to walk into the mansion. Seeing An Qin and her maid standing there, he frowned and stopped to greet her with his hands cupped, "Your Highness."

An Qin wore a poker face. But when Zhou Ji passed by, she looked up and called him, "Wait."

Hearing that, Zhou Ji stopped and turned around to ask, "Your Highness, what can I do for you?"

"Your Lord just came back. I think he hasn't had lunch yet. You should go to prepare some food for him." An Qin said while forcing herself to put on a smile.

Zhou Ji paused for a while after hearing that. Later on, he replied with a smile, "Don't worry. Servants will take care of that."

An Qin nodded at him.

After cupping his hands towards An Qin, Zhou Ji walked away.

An Qin closed her eyes. Now that she got married to Shuo Ling, she had to stick this out.

She just married him so he might not know much about her yet. But they still had much time and she would try to fit herself into his life.

Sicha flew into a rage when seeing that. If they had been in the Liao City now, no one would dare to treat Her Highness like that. Or she would teach them a lesson.

But they were in Dongling's capital now. She couldn't do that. Sicha walked to An Qin and whispered, "Your Highness, let's go back. It's cold outside and I hope you won't catch a cold."

An Qin nodded and let Sicha support her to walk back to her bedroom.

Walking into his room, Shuo Ling saw things Yang Zijin left and couldn't help but walk to them and stroke them.

Then, he closed his eyes and said to himself, “Zijin, wait for me.”

Then, Shuo Ling walked to the folding screen, behind which he took off his clothes and stepped into the bathtub.

In the meantime, Zhou Ji arrived at Shuo Ling's room. Seeing Mo Li guarding before the door, he walked to him and asked in a low voice, "Where is Marquis?"

"Taking a bath in the room." Mo Li lifted his eyebrow and turned to the room.

Then Zhou Ji posed another question, "What did you mean by saying that he was in a hurry to look for Madam?"

"He will set off to Beiling." Mo Li explained.

But Zhou Ji frowned and asked again, "Beiling? When?"

"Maybe after his bath." Mo Li speculated.

Right when he finished, Zhou Ji who got shocked shouted, "What?"

"Could you keep your voice down?" Mo Li first took a look at the room and then reminded Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji lowered his voice, "Marquis will leave for Beiling right now? Is it a bit hasty?"

"He cares much about Madam. How come he will think it's hasty?" Mo Li lifted his eyebrow and explained.

Hearing that, Zhou Ji nodded and added, "Alright, I'll go to pack up things needed for his journey."

"That's good." Mo Li nodded.

Then, Zhou Ji walked away.

Right after he left, Mo Li heard Shuo Ling calling him.

Mo Li rushed in and answered with his hands cupped, "My Lord."

"Give me the robe." said Shuo Ling who sat in the bathtub.

Mo Li responded and walked to the wardrobe nearby.

Taking out the robe and hanging it over the folding screen, Mo Li said, "My Lord, here you are."

Shuo Ling nodded and walked out of the bathtub.

He walked out from behind the screen after putting on the robe.

The robe he wore was baggy. But thanks to his tall figure, he didn't look plump at all.

Unlike other places, Dongling's capital wasn't freezing in winters. Moreover, Zhou Ji knew Shuo Ling would come back, so he had asked people to set up a furnace beforehand.

It was warm in the room.

Right when Shuo Ling walked to the table and sat down, Zhou Ji stood outside and said, "My Lord, your meal is ready."

Hearing his voice, Shuo Ling turned to Mo Li who understood him immediately and walked to open the door.

Zhou Ji walked in with dishes in his hands. After putting the tray down on the table and stepping back, he said, "My Lord, you must feel tired from traveling a long way. Please have some bites while the meal is still hot."