Under the bright white light, even the fine downy hairs on a person’s face were clearly visible.

Feng Qi’s face was extremely close to Jiang Zheyu’s. As his dark, ink-black eyes opened, he could see the fine hairs on her face under the bright light, as well as her fair, delicate skin.

His throat felt dry, and he swallowed subtly.

Just then, Jiang Zheyu opened her eyes as well, and was caught off guard as her gaze met Feng Qi’s dark, intoxicated eyes.

"Jiang Yuyu, you’re so beautiful." Feng Qi stared at her, dazed. He felt an impulse to pull Jiang Yuyu into his arms and kiss her, his eyes rippling with deep desire.

He unconsciously followed his instincts, leaning in to kiss Jiang Zheyu.

But before he could, his collar was suddenly yanked from behind, and his entire body was dragged back onto the bed.

A hand pressed Feng Qi’s head down, burying his face in the blankets.

"Since the healing is complete, you can leave." Su Yan really couldn’t control himself. The moment he saw Feng Qi lean in to kiss his Yu Yu, he couldn’t stop himself from yanking the man away.

Su Yan withdrew his hand. Feng Qi sat up on the bed, his expression grim. His black hair was a total mess. He raised a hand, sweeping his hair back from his sharp brow, and looked at Su Yan with an unreadable expression and a smirk that wasn’t quite a smile.

He quickly got off the bed, slung a long arm around Su Yan’s shoulder, and started dragging him out. His voice was low, carrying a distinct chill. "Commander Su, let’s go have a chat."

Su Yan knew what Feng Qi’s words implied. He didn’t refuse and went out with him.

"You two..." Jiang Zheyu got off the bed, worried.

Feng Qi turned back and flashed a brilliant grin. "Jiang Yuyu, don’t worry. I’m just going to catch up on old times with Commander Su. We’ll be back soon, so you should get some rest."

Jiang Zheyu: ...

’I have a bad feeling about this.’

"Don’t you two fight," Jiang Zheyu said quickly.

"Don’t worry, Yu Yu. We won’t fight." Su Yan glanced back, his tone and voice perfectly calm.

Hearing Su Yan say that, Jiang Zheyu relaxed a little.

"Yes, you should get to sleep. Don’t wait up for me." Su Yan gave Jiang Zheyu a faint, gentle smile.

"You’re not coming back tonight?" Jiang Zheyu asked, surprised.

"That’s right. We’ll be talking all night." Su Yan’s voice was incredibly convincing, as if he were talking about something completely mundane, like they were genuinely just going for a chat.

Although Jiang Zheyu was a little doubtful, she didn’t say anything more.

And so, Su Yan and Feng Qi left.

The two of them even left the Imperial Palace.

Soon, they reached a deserted, empty lot.

"It’s been years since we’ve fought. Let’s see if you’ve gotten rusty." Feng Qi sneered, his tall, slender form lunging nimbly toward Su Yan. "I’ve been wanting to punch you for a long time."

"The feeling is mutual." Hostility surged within Su Yan.

Their fists met flesh, blow for blow. But they had a tacit understanding not to hit each other’s faces or anywhere else obvious. Instead, they aimed for hidden spots that were still excruciatingly painful. The point was to make sure Jiang Zheyu wouldn’t find out, but also to make sure the other guy didn’t get off easy.

...

Jiang Zheyu had no idea that while the two men had promised they wouldn’t fight, they were already outside, beating each other up.

With this interruption, Jiang Zheyu forgot what she had wanted to ask Feng Qi.

So, after washing up, she changed into her pajamas, lay down blissfully in bed, and settled in for a good night’s sleep.

In the middle of the night, as she slept, the large, floor-to-ceiling window was slightly ajar. A breeze blew in, lifting the gossamer-thin curtains.

BANG!

A loud noise suddenly crashed into Jiang Zheyu’s ears.

AHHHH!

Startled awake, Jiang Zheyu heard a shriek like that of a banshee.

Jiang Zheyu’s face was blank. ...

’Why does this middle-of-the-night wake-up call feel so familiar?’

Her expression still blank, she remembered. The first night she had stayed here, before being captured, she had also been jolted awake in the middle of the night by a loud noise.

’This damn familiar opening scene.’

’I haven’t slept here in so long, I forgot to close the window. Then again, I only ever slept here for one night.’

Jiang Zheyu silently threw back the covers and slipped on her soft slippers. Dressed in a plain white nightgown, she padded slowly over to the floor-to-ceiling window. She narrowed her eyes, peering out into the garden below.

’Does the Little Princess of the Empire go crazy every single night?’

In the garden below, the Little Princess of the Empire stood in a pink nightgown, her black hair disheveled, a whip in her hand.

Kneeling around her were numerous servants, as well as the man in the white shirt—the one who was some kind of Commander, she recalled.

The ground around the man in the white shirt was littered with shards of glass and covered in blood from an unknown source. The man’s white shirt was stained with blood, and his hands were covered in it, too.

’How is this scene so similar to the last one? The only difference is that it seems even more brutal this time.’

Jiang Zheyu looked closer and realized all the blood was flowing from the Little Princess of the Empire’s wrist. Her view had been partially blocked before, so she hadn’t seen it clearly.

Her eyelid twitched violently. ’What in the world happened?’

Human curiosity kept Jiang Zheyu at the window, watching.

Down in the garden.

The man in the white shirt knelt, looking up at the Little Princess of the Empire, his expression calm and detached. "Your Highness, your hand is injured. Let’s go get it bandaged."

His voice was matter-of-fact, devoid of any excess emotion, making them sound like a sham couple.

"Go away! Go away! Go away!" the Little Princess of the Empire shrieked. "Bring my Beast Father here! Bring my brother here!"

Her sharp voice sounded as if it could pierce eardrums.

Upstairs, Jiang Zheyu heard every word clearly.

Hearing the Little Princess of the Empire’s words, she paused. ’Why would she say that? Is it difficult for her to see her Beast Father and her brother?’

Jiang Zheyu recalled Su Yan telling her how the Little Princess was ready to die for a Star Thief. ’Could it be that she’s confined to the Imperial Palace by the Star Emperor because she’s always trying to find that Star Thief?’

’I feel like I’m getting close to the truth.’

After hearing the Little Princess of the Empire’s demand, the man in the white shirt simply fell silent, offering no reply.

And so, the Little Princess began to wail like a banshee again. "AHHHHHHHHHH!"

As she wailed, she began lashing out with the whip, sweeping it across the garden. The beautiful flowers were instantly shredded and scattered.

Watching from upstairs, Jiang Zheyu felt a chill run down her spine.

’She’s really acting like a madwoman.’