Chapter 395: Is Your Highness planning a surprise? (2/2)

“Then…where could they have gone?” Eunuch Luo asked thoughtfully. Emperor Tianhui glared at him, too angry to speak. He dares to ask me? Who am I supposed to ask, then?

When Eunuch Luo met Emperor Tianhui’s eyes, he drew back in fright and shut up. Emperor Tianhui smacked the table and roared, “Search! Scour the lands and find them for Zhen! Otherwise, nobody needs to live past the new year at this rate!”

A terrified Eunuch Luo scrambled away to pass on the decree.

Just where was Long Feiye and Han Yunxi? Emperor Tianhui had been spying on them, but Long Feiye hadn’t left to avoid him–rather, he was getting away from the Tang Clan. Only ten more days remained until the lunar New Year’s Eve. Long Feiye had gotten news ahead of time that Tang Zijin had already taken care of affairs related to Tang Li’s escape from his marriage. He was preparing to come to South Ning Prefecture personally to invite him and Han Yunxi to spend the New Year’s at the Tang Clan.

The distance between South Ning Prefecture and the Tang Clan wasn’t very far at all. The very next night after getting the news, Long Feiye took Han Yunxi and left. He could’ve found an excuse to turn down the invitation if he stuck around, but he was too lazy to think of any.

“Your Highness, just where are we going?” Han Yunxi was still in the dark and had no idea what had happened.

“To celebrate the new year,” Long Feiye said simply.

“So back to the capital? But we won’t make it in time,” Han Yunxi was surprised. According to the traditions of the Tianning imperial clan, all imperial sons, qinwangs (princes of the first rank), and the kings of various prefectures were supposed to report to the capital during this time–to say nothing of the most respected of qinwangs, the Duke of Qin. But Emperor Tianhui had spent so much effort dispatching them to the disaster regions that he’d never let them back so easily.

There were ten days left until the new year, so they wouldn’t be able to make it back in time anyways. Long Feiye was going to tell her, but changed his mind and said, “Sleep. You’ll know when we get there.”

Over the past two months, he’d been busy researching the fates of the Seven Noble Families and their clansmen in the present. Han Yunxi had been occupying herself in the detox system dimension, researching the hundreds of poisons present in Baili Mingxiang’s system. Both of them had cast aside the grain situation completely. To outsiders, they looked like they were on vacation, but they were quite busy with their own tasks.

Because Han Yunxi had been spending all her time in the detox system, she wasn’t very lively. Moreover, the cold weather only strengthened her habitual drowsiness.

“Could it be that Your Highness is planning a surprise for chenqie?” Han Yunxi asked in amusement.

A surprise for her? Would this count as one? Long Feiye didn’t understand how to ingratiate himself with women, much less give them surprises.

Maybe it does.

“You’ll know when we get there,” he said again.

“Then chenqie shall be…anticipating it,” Han Yunxi stole a peek at him at the same time Long Feiye looked back. When he caught her glance, he immediately averted his gaze. Wrapped in a robe lined with white fox fur, Han Yunxi resumed curling up in a corner and shut her eyes to rest. This man was probably the only person in this world capable of moving her calm heart, leaving her agitated for ages afterwards. Celebrating the new year was a big event. Traditionally, families were supposed to spend it together.

Since it was impossible to return to the capital, was this fellow planning to take her to see his family instead? At the Tang Clan? He’d mentioned that his parents were from there. Although Han Yunxi greatly disliked the disagreeable Aunt Ru, she’d still be happy to spend the holidays with Long Feiye back at the Tang Clan. It would almost be as serious as taking her home to see his parents, and meant that he fully accepted her into his world. But since he wouldn’t say, she didn’t ask him. All she did was anticipate and hope for the day he’d tell her more of his secrets.

He said that birth origins were a thing of the past that belonged to the previous generation, and that they should be looking ahead to the future. But how was she to understand, dote, safeguard and love him if she didn’t know his past? Baili Mingxiang had started nurturing the Beauty’s Blood when she was just a child. But what about him? When did he get the ambition to rule the world? Did he ever get tired of it?

Long Feiye, my past belongs to the Han Yunxi whose soul has already die. I don’t care about it at all. But your past is something you personally experienced, step by step. Why wouldn’t I care about something like that?

Han Yunxi secretly opened her eyes and saw Long Feiye reading a book again, steadily turning the pages. He was dressed in snow-white robes and covered in a luxurious fox-fur robe. Everything was white and free of dust from the mortal plane, making him seem ethereally noble and airy. Such a serene scene carved itself into Han Yunxi’s heart like an eternal painting.

Long Feiye, I only hope…that I can grow ever more closer to you.

I’ll definitely finish walking those 100 steps.

Their carriage took nothing but the small paths at a slow and sedate pace. By the time they reached their destination, there were only two more days until New Year’s Eve. For some reason, they’d gotten into a habit of him getting off the carriage first before helping her down himself. This time, she felt for the doorframe with her eyes closed and nearly tumbled off the carriage until he caught her in time.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Is it the surprise?” she smiled back. She’d kept his words in her memory even though it’d slipped his mind. Han Yunxi was waiting for his answer, but Long Feiye didn’t speak for a long time. When enough time had passed, Han Yunxi couldn’t help but feel her happy mood fade. Fine, she’d done something unnecessary. This iceberg was so bad at jokes that he’d never be interested in things like surprises.

Since he wouldn’t answer, she answered for herself. “Heheh, I’ll know when I open my eyes!” She was about to do so when Long Feiye suddenly covered them with his own hands.

“Wait!”