Su Yaogeng nodded.

After finishing lunch, tidying up a bit, Su Yaogeng and Han Jing, along with Xiao Xue, instructed someone to prepare a carriage to enter the Imperial Palace.

Lianwu naturally prepared to follow, but Han Jing ruthlessly stopped him: "You cannot go."

Lianwu...

What are you saying, woman? If it weren’t for you being Xiao Xue’s mother, I’d rather not deal with you, okay?!

Han Jing looked at Lianwu speechlessly: "As the Ghost King, don’t you have even a bit of common sense? In a place like the Imperial Palace, do you think you can enter unscathed?"

Lianwu...

"Hmph," Lianwu was extremely displeased, but indeed, he couldn’t go to that place.

Because he was just a smidge away, but now he was still a ghost spirit, not human.

He could go to most places, but unfortunately, human Imperial Palaces and temples were places he could not go. It’s not that he couldn’t go, but going there was pure torment. Although it wouldn’t cause him substantial harm, it was still very painful. Those boring humans, to deal with anomalies like them, constantly liked to place things specifically to counter ghosts in Imperial Palaces and large temples. Truly...so boring!

Lianwu was very displeased.

Han Jing waved her hand: "You stay here, wait till we return, then we’ll go to Prince Yu Mansion together."

Lianwu snorted lightly and turned around to leave.

Xiao Xue watched Lianwu’s back eagerly, curiously asking Han Jing: "Mother, why can’t Brother Lianwu go to the Imperial Palace with us?"

Han Jing explained to her: "Because the Imperial Palace is a very special place, your Brother Lianwu would get hurt if he went."

Upon hearing Han Jing say this, Xiao Xue sighed regretfully: "Oh~ What a pity~"

Han Jing and Su Yaogeng exchanged a glance, and after a moment, Han Jing suddenly said: "Mother, I finally understand the feeling of a grown child not obeying their parent~"

Su Yaogeng laughed out loud: "What nonsense are you saying?"

When they arrived at the palace, it was just afternoon, Su Xingqiao was still in the Imperial Study Room dealing with memorials. Upon hearing someone report that Su Yaogeng had arrived, he quickly commanded someone to invite her in.

Then he continued looking at the document in his hand, and when the footsteps outside the door grew nearer, before he could put down the document and lift his head, he was unexpectedly greeted by a clear, bright voice: "Brother Qiao!"

The document in Su Xingqiao’s hand fell onto the table with a "snap", he raised his head somewhat slowly, Han Jing’s bright and smiling face fell into his eyes.

He was momentarily flustered, even reaching to press his forehead, wondering if it was because he hadn’t rested at noon, causing him to hallucinate?

Until Han Jing walked over to him, gently raising an eyebrow: "Brother Qiao, you wouldn’t have... forgotten me, right?"

Su Xingqiao stood up with some panic, accidentally bumping into the corner of the table as he circled around it. He even stood slightly unsteadily before Han Jing, surprised so much that his voice quivered a bit: "Jing’er? You, you are back?"

Han Jing smiled and nodded at him: "Brother Qiao, it’s been a long time."

Su Xingqiao gazed at Han Jing with a few traces of daze; yes, it had indeed been a long time.

Since their first parting for six years, and this time, another five years had passed.

From when they first met until now, the passing of over ten years had been swift, catching one off guard, yet seemed endlessly long.

It left him momentarily unable to regain his senses, fearing it was truly just a dream.