The night was whirling and the thin moonlight shined on the ground through the dead wood and flower branches. The light and shadow were mottled.

As soon as Qinger entered Gu Yunxi's room, she saw the untouched food on the table. She couldn't help frowning, with a worried expression on her face.

"You don't have an appetite, right? How can you stand it like this!"

The world is like a fleeting show. It had been more than a year and a half since the girl was forced to leave Leng's Mansion until she returned to the Eastern Depot. Now she was safe and sound, but wore a stranger's face.

This astonishing change was like a myth. Qinger didn't dare to think about it when she opened or closed her eyes. If she cut off her living skin and replaced it with another one, the pain she would have to endure was huge.

At the moment, the only thing she had to do was to get used to the strange and ordinary face as soon as possible. Moreover, even facing such facial features, she was always suffering from regret and sorrow. Qinger also wore a submissive and sweet smile all day long.

Naturally, her kind forbearance could not cheat Gu Yunxi. She knew that people who knew her, like Qinger, Xiaoshen, captains, and Chiliarch Cheng were deliberately forbearing and pretending when now they met her again. They were not willing to show the pain of regret on their faces.

What Gu Yunxi wanted was not everyone's sympathy. The more they concealed, the more uncomfortable Gu Yunxi felt. She simply stayed in the room alone all day without coming out.

In a twinkling, Gu Yunxi's expression was as stagnant as she was immersed in her own world. Her eyes were straight and silent. Qinger let out a light sigh, neatly packed the dishes and chopsticks, put the cold food into the tray, and brought it out.

Leng Qingtang came towards her and Qinger saw him. She stood in the middle of the courtyard and whispered, "Master."

Leng Qingtang rolled his eyes slightly to look at the tray and asked,

"Is she unwilling to have a meal again?"

Qinger looked embarrassed,

"She's back, but her soul is lost in the Palace. She sat in a chair in a daze, talking to me not as cordially as before. Master, are you sure of her identity?"

The sharp light in Leng Qingtang's eyes was transient and it instantly faded into the original silence. He looked at the window of the house with fire swaying, staring deeply and pitying,

"Don't talk nonsense. She has gone through too many things and now she has grown up like this."

Qinger's bright and clear water eyes flickered with unknown luster and her mouth narrowed with anxiety,

"But she always refuses to eat food and even a man made of iron can’t hold it!"

Leng Qingtang thought about it seriously, raised his eyebrows, and smiled with an idea,

"Don't worry. Take me to the kitchen."

At this time, Gu Yunxi was sitting quietly at the table. Her eyes were empty and plunged into memories. She lost her wits.

The day before yesterday, she was taken out of the Palace by the Master. The moment when she stepped out of the gate of divine prowess, she turned her head back, very excited. She cast her incredibly bright eyes on the Fourth Princess and Prince Chen in the gate, watching them stand in the straight and bleak. They waved to her on the palace road that seemed to be endless, silently conveying their feelings of farewell.

Afterwards, the studded vermilion door slowly closed. The figures of that man and that woman gradually narrowed before Gu Yunxi's blurred vision until they were completely isolated behind the closed door.

At that moment, Leng Qingtang held her hands, full of joy. His voice couldn't stop trembling when he spoke,

"My girl, you are free now!"

She faintly raised her head to look at the sky and took a deep breath against the worry-free white clouds on the clear blue sky.

She was really free. She really wanted to say goodbye to the four-sided besieged city built with red walls. This forbidden court had witnessed her too much joy and sorrow, blood and tears.

However, the tragic memory of the ups and downs that she had experienced in the desolate Palace for half a year was deeply rooted in her heart. As time went by, it would not disappear like a fleeting cloud.

At first, Gu Yunxi was not awakened by the movement at the door. Until a mellow sesame oil breath rushed into her nasal cavity, her eyebrows moved slightly and she gained a bit of energy.

When she looked up, she saw Leng Qingtang standing on one side, wearing a dark green robe with bamboo shadows and silk. His body was bound by a jade-inlaid indigo ribbon, neither loose nor tight, showing a dazzling and straight figure.

He pinched the bamboo chopsticks with white fingers and he smiled warmly at her,

"I'm afraid you will be hungry at night if you eat little. I bring you some desserts to grab a bite."

The clear voice was like silver millet being scattered on the ground and jade knocking against each other. There was a smile on the side of his lips and his eyebrows were light and gentle like water.

Gu Yunxi turned her eyes to look at the table faintly. On the small plate were two fried poached eggs. The surfaces were brown and covered with cane sugar frosting. The egg yolks inside were full and attractive, beautiful and delicious. There was a little gleam and it was appetizing to look at.

However, her mind was filled with a mess of thoughts, which seemed like a swarm of bees rushing disorderly. She still didn't have any mood and wanted to eat nothing, so she only responded with a smirk to the Master.

Leng Qingtang sat down, held her cold hands, and asked patiently in a soft voice,

"What did you think about just now?"

Gu Yunxi tilted her head slightly,

"It's okay to lose the errand in the Palace, but I was misunderstood by Concubine Xu and couldn't explain it clearly. I only felt frustrated."

Leng Qingtang embraced the girl and comforted her,

"Isn't it good to come back to me?"

"Concubine Xu was kind to me and I will miss Yunyao."

Gu Yunxi pursed her mouth and felt dull. She suddenly felt cold in her palm. When she looked down, she saw a golden casting waist card in her hand.

In her ear, the man's voice was low, tactful, and strangely intriguing,

"This is the gold medal for free access to the Palace. Take it, but you should try not to provoke Chuxiu Palace anymore. You can visit Concubine Yu with the Fourth Princess."

"I understand. Thank you, Master!"

Gu Yunxi was overjoyed in an instant, holding the gold medal in her hand and grinning.

With it, she could access the Palace at will.

She looked at Master with great gratitude and the little stars in her eyes flickered at him.

After all, it was her own Master who loved her!

Leng Qingtang laughed reluctantly,

"Now that the problem has been handled, come to eat something quickly."

"OK, I will eat!"

Gu Yunxi smiled and took the porcelain plate.

Suddenly, Leng Qingtang asked,

"Girl, did Prince Chen often go to Chuxiu Palace when you were on duty?"

Gu Yunxi picked up a poached egg and dipped half of it in sugar, chewed and swallowed, and replied in a serious manner,

"Yes, he went to Concubine Xu's palace to eat and drink at intervals and he often praised my cooking skill. Concubine Xu was not enthusiastic but generous, and she didn't care about him being stupid and pitiful."

"...Do you think Prince Chen is really stupid?"

Leng Qingtang's endless questions aroused Gu Yunxi's curiosity. She quickly swallowed the last bite and cast a surprised look at him，

"When Prince Chen was seven years old, he fell ill and became silly. This is something everyone in the Palace knows. Master, why do you ask?"

Leng Qingtang relieved his solemn eyebrows on his own and smiled lightly,

"It's nothing... How about the taste of fried poached eggs? Are they not worse than boiled ones, right?"

"Naturally," Gu Yunxi said happily with a satisfying aftertaste,

"I've tried fried poached eggs, but the one that can be dipped in sugar is my first try."

Leng Qingtang looked at her with deep love,

"Knowing that you have no appetite lately, I wonder how to coax you to eat more. However, I'm not good at cooking and the raw eggs are always scattered in the boiling water."

Gu Yunxi was shocked,

"The sugared poached eggs were cooked by yourself!"

Leng Qingtang nodded, took out his veil, and slowly moved closer,

"There is something on your mouth. Don't move..."

Gently squeezing the girl's chin with two fingers, he wiped the sugar from the corner of her lips.

Leaning slightly, he carefully looked at the girl's blush face. He squinted and chuckled and his thoughts lighted.

In the next moment, the body pressed close. His thin lips locked the girl's greasy mouth and his kiss was soft.

The candlelight was dimly yellow and beautiful scenery was born in the silent space for no reason.

After the kiss, the two of them reached each other's heads and Leng Qingtang suddenly laughed.

Gu Yunxi lowered her eyes shyly, thinking that he was going to make fun of her again. She was a little shy, a little embarrassed, and muttered,

"Why do you laugh?"

Leng Qingtang rubbed her nose lightly and whispered,

"Your breath reeks of eggs..."

Gu Yunxi couldn't help but laughed. Leng Qingtang took the opportunity to continue again, but there was a knock on the door outside,

"Master, Wu Yong wakes up."