In his past life, Pei Rusong hadn't met many people from "Deep Forest." Besides "Partridge," who was responsible for intelligence relays in Dunning Commandery, and "White Egret" and "Red Eagle," who held key positions, there was "Crow." She had served in the Princess Manor ever since the Princess married and established her own household. She was the top combatant by the Princess's side. Normally, she disliked the sun, didn't talk much, and would always cover her face with a conical hat when she went out.

It was said she covered her face to prevent crows from pecking her eyes. She used to use the skull of a dead person dug up from the ground, but when the Princess found her, she gave her her own conical hat, which she had worn ever since.

"A beautiful rescue!" Pei Rusong shouted decisively. "Capture them alive! I'll set up a separate table for you at the wedding banquet today!"

Like a divine soldier descending from heaven, Crow shattered the assassins' first wave of attack with lightning speed and ruthlessness. With the buffer she provided, the Imperial Guard finally reacted. Some formed a circle to protect the wedding carriage, while the rest split up to capture the assassins. The crowded street gradually dispersed, the agitated horses were restrained by the combined effort of many men, and the wedding carriage finally came to a steady halt.

Pei Rusong spurred his horse and rushed forward. He couldn't be bothered with any etiquette at a time like this and directly asked, "Is Your Highness injured?"

A palace maid from the dowry entourage stumbled forward to block him. "Prince Consort, please step back! A new bride must not speak on her wedding day! We mustn't break the taboo!"

Pei Rusong didn't retreat an inch, thinking to himself that there was probably no greater taboo than being assassinated on the way to one's own wedding. There was no answer from within the carriage. A cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, terrified that something had really happened to Wen Chan. He raised his voice and asked again. But all he heard was a "thud" as something flew out through the thin bamboo curtain.

Pei Rusong snatched it out of the air. Looking down, he saw it was a plump, round, yellow apricot.

What did an apricot mean? To report she was safe, wouldn't one normally toss an apple?

Wait, apricot... its name is a homophone for ‘proceed’?

Pei Rusong suddenly looked up at the motionless wedding carriage and let out a sharp sigh of relief. He urged his horse closer again and confirmed, "Does Your Highness mean for the procession to continue forward? If so, please knock once on the carriage wall, and this subject will obey your command."

A single knock came from within the carriage.

Pei Rusong nodded. "This subject accepts your command."

Although the Princess was one of the main figures of this wedding, she was not in charge. However, at a moment when everyone was in chaos and at a loss, Pei Rusong's ability to step forward with the Princess's command and stabilize the situation brought a sense of relief to all. The Prince of Dan and the various officials in the escorting party were also seasoned veterans who had seen their share of storms. Once they had a pillar to rally around, they immediately took action, ordering the escort team to reorganize. At the same time, they sent someone to report to the palace. Apart from the Imperial Guard pursuing the assassins, the rest continued to escort the procession forward.

Although everyone's heart was in their throat, the rest of the journey was fortunately calm and uneventful, and the procession arrived smoothly at the Prince Consort's Manor. This residence was a gift from the Emperor before the wedding, located just a street away from the Princess's own residence. In his previous life, Pei Rusong had only lived here for the first few days of their marriage before moving into the Princess Manor with her. After the Princess passed away, the New Emperor, perhaps to console him, did not reclaim the Prince Consort's Manor and let him keep it. But Pei Rusong would rather have lived in a mountain temple outside the city than spend another day in that exquisite yet unfamiliar residence.

He had never thought he would one day set foot in this place again, and even felt a sense of relief upon arriving, like a bird returning to its sheltered nest.

Amidst high-burning red candles and flowing green silks, and to the loud announcements of the master of ceremonies, the Princess and Prince Consort bowed to each other as husband and wife, performed the rite of sharing a meal and drinking nuptial wine, and entered the bridal chamber hand in hand.

Pei Rusong had been incredibly relaxed during the ceremony, thinking that as long as they completed the main rites, everything would be fine. But now, he suddenly grew tense again. While reciting the fan-removing poem, he felt his throat tighten, and for a moment, he even experienced a sense of detachment, suspecting that all of this was just a wishful fantasy.

After all, it had been many years since he had last dreamt of her.

Rebirth, reunion, wedding, assassination... only in a dream could there be such absurd and bizarre plots.

Wen Chan moved aside the round fan covering her face and immediately saw Pei Rusong standing dazedly a step away. Those eyes, especially beautiful under the lamplight, were filled with a smoky melancholy, like a visitor from another world, isolated from all this splendor.

"What's with that look?" She extended a hand and beckoned to him as if calling a lost puppy. "Were you frightened just now?"

Thin tassels hung from the flower-and-tree-shaped golden hairpins, shimmering with brilliant, fine specks of gold in the firelight. Paired with her magnificent makeup and splendid robes, her face possessed a hazy and unfamiliar beauty. Only that calm air of hers, which treated even the sky falling as a trivial matter, remained unchanged no matter when or where, so familiar it almost brought tears to one's eyes.

Pei Rusong awoke as if from a dream. He took a step forward, half-knelt on one knee, leaned forward, and hugged her tightly.

The palace maids standing in attendance were all very perceptive. They lowered their heads in unison, staring intently at the floor tiles beneath their feet.

Wen Chan: "Eh? Were you really frightened?"

In her past life, she had, after all, forcefully obtained the Prince Consort. Their relationship at the beginning could not be called intimate; describing it as mutual respect between strangers was not an overstatement. Later, they gradually opened their hearts to each other, but they were often apart, with few opportunities for intimacy. They didn't even get to see each other one last time before her death. It was only after Pei Rusong took the initiative to appear before her in this life that the first sparks of romance finally began to kindle between them.

Wen Chan had never expected Pei Rusong to fall in love with her. She was well aware that she was more like his benefactor than his wife, fated to have a shallow connection and die young, leaving him a glittering future. The world would only pity him, not demand he remain celibate; perhaps even the Emperor would urge him to remarry. It would be perfectly natural for Pei Rusong to forget her. People always choose the more comfortable way to live; there was no need to torture oneself for a lifetime just for the worthless reputation of being 'deeply devoted'.

Even in this new life, he possessed the memories of his past and had enough power to protect himself. He no longer needed to depend on anyone.

There was no reason for them to mend their broken mirror, yet he still came back for her—to repay a debt of gratitude, or for something else.

Wen Chan could, with some effort, resist his handsome looks, but she absolutely could not refuse a quality like "loyalty."

Pei Rusong held her completely in his arms, feeling a drafty hole in his heart finally being sealed up perfectly. Ten thousand words seemed pale. He could only murmur, "Your Highness."

Wen Chan freed a hand to pat his back, comforting him in a gentle voice, "No one could have predicted something like this. It's a great fortune that you weren't injured, and the rest of the ceremony was completed safely. You all handled it very well."

Pei Rusong evasively buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck, not looking comforted at all. Wen Chan gave a look to a maid, and Xianyun, understanding, led the other palace attendants out. She lowered her head and whispered teasingly in Pei Rusong's ear, "Prince Consort, lift your head. There's no one else here. Let me see if you were frightened to tears."

Pei Rusong: "..."

Just as he was about to defiantly raise his head and retort "I was not," a flash of inspiration struck him. He lowered his posture slightly and, instead, looked up at Wen Chan from below, appearing utterly pitiful. "If I admit that I was indeed afraid, will Your Highness protect me?"

From this angle, his eyelashes were astonishingly long, fluttering and trembling like the fragile wings of a butterfly. Her reflection filled the depths of his eyes, tinged with a hint of hope and trust. No one could resist such a gaze. Faced with such supreme beauty, Wen Chan also found it difficult to remain rational and think through the hidden meaning behind his words.

"As long as I can." Wen Chan gently brushed his temple. "It was just an assassination attempt. Although it was a damper on things, you really don't need to mind it too much. You've been through so much; you wouldn't be frightened by a few assassins. What are you truly afraid of?"

Pei Rusong: "For such a thing to happen at our grand wedding, His Majesty will surely be furious. I'm afraid he'll think I'm unlucky and order Your Highness to divorce me and remarry, to find a more auspicious Prince Consort."

Wen Chan's hand froze mid-air. "...Ah?"

"It's not like this is uncommon," Pei Rusong said, worriedly taking her hand. "Not to mention distant examples, wasn't there a Prince Consort in the previous dynasty who was ordered to divorce because lightning struck during his wedding procession? Seeing blood during a wedding is far more ominous than lightning. His Majesty will definitely use this as a reason to take his anger out on me..."

His voice grew softer as he spoke, his brows knitted with worry, like a wilted Little White Flower. At first, Wen Chan found it ridiculous, but then she realized he was genuinely and earnestly worried. She couldn't help but follow his line of thought and ask, "Then what do you want me to do?"

He looked at Wen Chan with some uncertainty and said slowly, "I want... Your Highness to only ever like me. No matter what happens, no matter what others say, don't abandon me. Can you do that?"

Wen Chan: "..."

She was finally certain that the incident in their past life had truly left Pei Rusong with a trauma that couldn't be brushed aside with a few words of comfort. A startled Little White Flower might have to be coaxed slowly over a lifetime before it could heal.

"Pinning your hopes on others is a last resort, a very dangerous strategy." She traced her fingers in his palm and said slowly, "To solidify your position, you only have a chance of winning if you actively strive for it. If you become so strong that even His Majesty is wary of you, no one will dare mention the word 'divorce' in your presence."

Pei Rusong repeated, "Actively strive?"

Wen Chan nodded affirmatively.

As if receiving some kind of encouragement, Pei Rusong suddenly propped himself up with a hand on the edge of the bed and pushed himself up, instantly closing the distance between them. He lowered his head and kissed her.

Since the Princess said he could strive for it, then he would start from this moment, making her see only him in her eyes and heart.