Qi Shuo slowed his pace as he approached the gates of the General's Manor.
The familiar tin rings with beast masks on the gates, the familiar pair of stone lions, the familiar blue walls—everything before him was no different from when he had left the capital, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of trepidation upon returning home.
"The Heir has arrived!" Seeing Qi Shuo standing still, the gatekeeper greeted him with a smile.
Qi Shuo regained his composure and replied with a polite smile, "I have come to visit the Old Madam and my mother-in-law."
"Please, come in, Heir." The gatekeeper warmly welcomed Qi Shuo inside.
Upon returning from the street, Lin Hao had changed into a beautifully tailored new dress and gone to the main courtyard to chat with the Old Madam.
Madam Lin had joined them, not forgetting to tease her daughter, "Look at how anxious you are. The Heir of Prince Jing must have many matters to attend to after returning from the banquet at the palace; he might not arrive until tomorrow."
Lin Hao pursed her lips and smiled. "He will definitely come to pay his respects to Grandmother and Mother."
Seeing her silly, joyful expression, Madam Lin shook her head. "You're dressed more festively than for the New Year; aren't you afraid the Heir will laugh at you?"
Having suffered enough from women who lacked reserve, she felt a lingering unease seeing her daughter like this.
Lin Hao looked down at her pink-green dress embroidered with roses and said beamingly, "That's exactly why I dressed up beautifully—so he can see it."
Madam Lin was about to speak further when she was dismissed by the Old Madam. "Stop trying to lecture A-Hao; A-Hao has far more sense than you do."
Her silly daughter was reserved when she shouldn't be and awkward when she shouldn't be; if her granddaughter actually listened to her, she would be led straight into a pit.
As the three of them were talking, a maid entered to report, "The Heir has arrived."
"Quickly, invite him in."
Soon, the gauze curtain was lifted. The Old Madam and Madam Lin looked at the young man walking in and couldn't help but smile.
Qi Shuo respectfully greeted the Old Madam and Madam Lin, then shifted his gaze slightly, landing on Lin Hao's face.
The exceptionally beautiful young girl, wearing her lovely new clothes, smiled at him; she was like a flower in full bloom in early summer, filling his entire vision.
He restrained himself and looked away, answering the questions of the two elders. "It wasn't too arduous, and I didn't find it difficult to adapt. Being able to win the battle was the most important thing..."
The Old Madam and Madam Lin asked many questions, all of which received earnest and patient answers.
The Old Madam was extremely satisfied with this grandson-in-law and, sensing the moment, decided not to delay the two young people any longer. "It is enough that you returned safely; your mother-in-law and I are relieved. A-Hao, accompany the Heir for a walk in the garden."
"Mm." Lin Hao stood up and walked to Qi Shuo's side, a sweet smile hanging on her upturned face. "Let's go."
The garden in April was at its most beautiful, with clusters of blossoms everywhere and lush greenery. It seemed as if space had been intentionally cleared for the two young people who had been apart for so long; as they walked leisurely, they didn't encounter a single servant on the path, save for Baozhu following behind Lin Hao.
Unconsciously, they walked to that particular boundary wall.
Qi Shuo stopped, and Lin Hao stopped with him.
Having been quiet the whole way, the two looked into each other's eyes, both filled with joy.
"I'm back," Qi Shuo spoke.
Lin Hao curled her lips. "I knew you would definitely come back."
The worries, the anxiety, and the fear of loss—on this day of reunion, these were things that didn't need to be mentioned.
Qi Shuo recalled Lin Hao's reaction at the teahouse. "A-Hao, why did you hide when you saw me?"
"Oh, I dropped my handkerchief," Lin Hao explained nonchalantly.
This excuse didn't fool the little County Princess, but Qi Shuo believed her and laughed relaxedly, "I thought you were angry at the time."
"Why would I be angry?" Lin Hao asked back with a smile.
Qi Shuo lowered his eyes slightly, his gentle gaze enveloping the girl's porcelain-white face. "Angry that I lied about being seriously injured, making you worry."
Lin Hao nodded. "I was indeed worried, but I knew the news sent back was exaggerated. The so-called serious injury was likely for the sake of the subsequent plan."
Rationally she thought so, but the worry had been real.
"A-Shuo, come sit." Lin Hao pulled Qi Shuo behind a flower trellis covered in roses. There sat a table and two chairs, identical to the little sanctuary in the Prince's garden just one wall away.
When Qi Shuo first left the capital, Lin Hao couldn't help but be anxious. When her emotions accumulated too heavily, she would take Baozhu and climb over the wall to daze for a while in that little sanctuary behind the trellis, returning only when she felt better.
After climbing the wall a few times, Baozhu had asked, "Miss, why don't we put a set of table and chairs behind our own trellis? That way you wouldn't have to climb the wall."
Although she supported whatever her mistress did, the Heir of Prince Jing wasn't around, so why did her mistress climb the wall to daze in the Prince's garden when the scenery on both sides was practically the same?
Mainly, she didn't want to keep using the excuse of looking for shuttlecocks or beanbags to fool that silly page; it felt like bullying him.
Reminded by this, Lin Hao had set up this arrangement, yet for some reason, when she sat dazing in her own garden, she still felt the urge to climb the wall.
Qi Shuo sat down. In front of him were numerous flowers and branches that blocked the glaring sunlight. Although it was almost the same as the Prince's side, he felt somewhat uneasy.
He felt like a rogue...
"What's wrong?" Lin Hao asked with a smile.
Qi Shuo stared intently at the girl sitting opposite him. "It just feels unreal, as if a moment ago I was fighting on the battlefield, and this moment I'm chatting with you under a flower trellis. I thought—"
He paused, the smile on his lips deepening. "I thought we would be separated for a long time."
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow. "Has it not been long enough?"
This blockhead!
"I didn't mean it that way—"
A fair hand reached out in front of him, making him forget the rest of his sentence.
"I heard there are many specialties in the North. Did you bring me any gifts?"
Qi Shuo's expression visibly stiffened, and he shook his head honestly.
"I knew it." Lin Hao sighed, but there was no blame in her eyes; instead, they held a fragmented, gentle light. "A-Shuo, I prepared a gift for you."
"What gift?" The guilt in Qi Shuo's heart was further stirred.
The girl opposite him suddenly leaned forward. That face, more delicate than a rose, approached instantly, and a pair of soft lips pressed against him.
She kissed his sharp brow, the upturned corners of his eyes, the bridge of his high nose, and then his slightly cool lips.
His lips were thin and pale in color; because of surprise, they parted slightly, welcoming the other's clumsy, head-on collision.
After a brief moment of stupor, the man's powerful arms wrapped around the girl's slender body.
The pink-green skirt embroidered with roses spread out, like ripples undulating on the surface of water.
Qi Shuo noticed a change occurring in his body. The hands encircling the girl's waist moved up to hold her shoulders, pushing her back a short distance.
Confusion flashed in Lin Hao's eyes, and her voice was no longer its usual crispness, but carried a hint of huskiness. "What's wrong?"
Qi Shuo shifted his gaze to the rose branches swaying gently in the breeze. Only after his eyes regained their clarity did he look at the girl before him.
"A-Hao, our wedding date should be arriving very soon."
Lin Hao took a step closer, asking in confusion, "So, I can't kiss you now?"
Qi Shuo completely forgot how to react.
(End of Chapter)