Though Li Ji was alive again, his body was very weak, so the Emperor let him stay in the palace to recuperate.

With Imperial Physicians in the palace available at a moment’s notice, it would be easier for him to recover.

During this time, Hua Qingqing visited Hanzhang Hall once.

Ostensibly, she came to deliver soup to the Emperor, but she was really there to see her younger sister.

The Emperor was aware of this, but he didn’t blame her. In fact, he grew to admire the affection between the sisters even more.

When Hua Qingqing arrived, Hua Manman was keeping Prince Zhao company while he fished.

The two were sitting under a weeping willow by the lake.

As he was just recovering from a serious illness, Prince Zhao’s body was still frail. He was dressed in exceptionally thick layers, with a heavy cloak draped over his shoulders and a woolen blanket covering his legs.

A fishing rod was propped up before him, its line disappearing into the water.

He didn’t seem to care whether he caught anything, maintaining a languid air. He leaned half his body against Hua Manman as if he were boneless.

Hua Manman reached out to push him off, trying to make him sit up straight.

But Li Ji refused.

"I’m still too weak. I can’t sit up properly."

’She’d be a fool to believe him!’

Others might not know, but she knew perfectly well that the damn man was just putting on an act.

He had recovered long ago. Right now, he was so healthy and full of life he could probably kill a tiger with a single punch.

Hua Manman wanted to tell him to stop his act, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Hua Qingqing standing in the distance.

She had no choice but to temporarily abandon her plan to expose the man’s charade. She whispered to him.

"My sister’s here. I should go say hello."

Li Ji glanced at Hua Qingqing before quickly looking away. His large hand roamed restlessly over her waist.

"Go on, but hurry back."

He sat up straight, and Hua Manman seized the chance to stand and walk over to Hua Qingqing.

When she stood before her sister, Hua Manman deliberately feigned annoyance.

"What are you doing here again?"

Hua Qingqing, still a bit stunned, stammered, "I came to see you."

Although she had prepared herself before coming, seeing Prince Zhao alive with her own eyes was still unbelievable.

The rumors were true.

Prince Zhao had truly returned from the dead.

A thought even crossed Hua Qingqing’s mind: ’If Prince Zhao could be revived, could her grandmother be brought back to life too?’

But she quickly dismissed the impractical notion.

Her grandmother had already been buried. After so long, her body must have already decomposed.

Even if her soul could truly be summoned back from the underworld, how could she possibly live again?

Hua Manman had no idea how many thoughts had flashed through Hua Qingqing’s mind in that fleeting moment.

She said haughtily, "Now that you’ve had your look, shouldn’t you be going back?"

Hua Qingqing said, "There’s something else I need to tell you."

Hua Manman feigned indifference, as if she had no interest in listening, but her ears were perked. ’What important matter could the female lead have come to find me for?’

Seeing this, Hua Qingqing couldn’t help but break into a knowing smile.

’My dear sister is still so difficult,’ she thought.

Hua Manman grew slightly irritated. "What are you smiling about?"

"It’s nothing. I’m just so happy to see you that I can’t help smiling."

Hua Manman scoffed. "Don’t think saying that will change how I feel about you."

Hua Qingqing smiled helplessly, as if she were at a complete loss with her sister.

She then took a small, light-pink sachet from her sleeve and asked.

"Do you remember this sachet? Eleven years ago, during the Lantern Festival, Mother handmade two of them—one for you and one for me.

This one is mine. Where is yours?"

At first, Hua Manman didn’t recognize the sachet; it only seemed familiar.

Only after carefully sifting through the residual memories of the body’s original owner did she recall the event. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Back then, their mother had first made a sachet for her. Since it was the Lantern Festival, she had specially embroidered several plump little sweet rice balls on it.

Worried about being accused of playing favorites, their mother later made another small sachet with the same pattern but a different color and gave it to Hua Qingqing.

Hua Qingqing had always kept the sachet with her, but Hua Manman’s was long gone.

Hua Manman recalled what her mother had said before and guessed her sachet had likely been lost when she went missing.

She feigned indifference and said casually.

"That was so long ago, how could I possibly remember? Why are you suddenly asking about it?"

Hua Qingqing explained, "Sometime ago, the Fourth Prince happened to see my sachet. He kept pressing me about its origin and asked if there was another one with the same pattern.

He seemed very tense, so he must care a great deal about it."

Hua Manman had long been suspicious of the Zitan Pearl and the small sachet. She sensed they were the prelude to some sort of clichéd drama.

Now, hearing Hua Qingqing’s words, Hua Manman was instantly on alert and pressed for details.

"You didn’t tell him the truth, did you?"

Hua Qingqing looked ashamed. "I didn’t want to, but he used the sachet to threaten me, forcing me to tell the truth."

Hua Manman’s heart skipped a beat.

"So the Fourth Prince knows the other sachet was mine?"

Hua Qingqing nodded. "Yes."

The more she thought about it after returning, the more she felt something was off. The Fourth Prince’s reaction had been far too strange.

Judging by his concern, he seemed to have some past connection with the sachet’s owner.

But Hua Manman was now Prince Zhao’s Princess Consort; she absolutely could not have any entanglement with a man other than her husband.

Hua Qingqing worried this would cause trouble for her sister, so she had sought her out to tell her everything. This way, if trouble did arise, Manman could be prepared.

Hua Manman had forgotten what happened after she went missing all those years ago.

She didn’t know why the Fourth Prince cared so much about the sachet.

Nor did she want to find out.

The best way to deal with melodrama was to not listen, not ask, and not be curious.

As long as she didn’t give the plot a chance to develop, it couldn’t drag her into the drama.

Hua Manman said calmly.

"Next time the Fourth Prince asks you about the sachet, just tell him I gave mine to Prince Zhao long ago. If he asks about anything else, like the Lantern Festival eleven years ago, tell him I didn’t go."

Hua Qingqing furrowed her brow slightly.

"But I remember you did go to the Lantern Festival eleven years ago. You were even abducted by kidnappers..."

Hua Manman cut her off. "That’s all in the past. Just pretend none of it ever happened."

A girl being abducted by kidnappers was never a good thing. If word got out, it would be ruinous to her reputation.

Back then, to prevent news of Hua Manman’s abduction from spreading, the Zhong’an Bo Mansion had ordered the entire household to keep their mouths shut and never breathe a word of it. Even the local government had been placated, and they had promised to keep the secret.

As a result, no one in Shangjing City knew that the second young lady of the Zhong’an Bo Mansion had once been kidnapped.

Seeing her sister’s grave expression, Hua Qingqing knew this was very important to her, so she nodded.

"Alright, I know what to do."

...