The Return

Only now did all her brain cells fire up. She hurriedly pushed Qing Yan away, looking at the young girl in front of her in astonishment. "Really?"

Qing Yan nodded, looking at her with a bewildered expression, not understanding what was happening.

Wan Ru stared into empty space, thinking: *Heaven indeed has eyes to let me return to the past. I will not make the same mistakes again. This time, it is my turn to protect everyone.*

She smiled. Seeing her princess smiling, Qing Yan asked curiously, "Does the Princess have some happy news?"

She turned and said excitedly, "It's nothing. Let's go see my royal father."

She tossed the blanket aside. Although her entire body was sore and aching, she still wanted to see her father.

Qing Yan panicked, spreading her arms to block her. "Princess, please forgive this servant, but you are not yet well. You don't know that you have been asleep for twenty hours!"

Afterward, Qing Yan tucked her back in. She suddenly remembered that when she was ten, she had accidentally fallen into a pond during the freezing winter. She had suffered from a severe cold for a whole week before finally recovering. She thought: *To think I would return to this exact moment?*

She gently lifted the blanket and got out of bed, saying, "Qing Yan, prepare my clothes. I need to request something of my father."

Qing Yan felt a bit conflicted, for if the princess went out, she might be punished. However, she couldn't resist the princess's bright, large, and mesmerizing eyes, so she prepared her attire.

The pure white robes were replaced with a set of pristine jade-green ones. Although her face looked pale, her steps were firm and steady, without a hint of weakness or frailty.

She inquired with her father's personal maid and learned that he was at Ji Xia, releasing some rare birds. Just as she arrived, her father ordered his men to grab her by her arms and legs and carry her away. She said in bewilderment, "What are you doing to this princess? Let me go!"

The imperial guards carrying her said, "Pardon our offense, Princess, but this is the Emperor's command. He wishes for you to return and rest. Knowing you are highly active, he ordered us to carry you back and keep watch over you."

Only now did she remember how she used to run wild throughout the city in her childhood, being almost impossible to discipline. She often played recklessly, and as a young lady in the palace, her body was prone to weakness, leading to frequent minor illnesses—which became an excuse for others to scold her for being too playful. Even when sick, she would still run out to play no matter what.

Every time her father saw this, he had no way to discipline her. If he confined her, she would trick the guards and sneak out of the palace; as for caning, he couldn't bear to do it.

Not only that, she was extremely lazy in her studies, barely wanting to memorize even ten of the palace rules. She had no talent for the four arts of zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. After endless practice, she could only play a single tune and paint nothing but a chicken.

Her Nanny, Qing Qiying, had trained her from childhood until she turned sixteen, finally molding her into a woman of both talent and beauty, worthy of the name Princess Wan Ru, the beauty of the Palace City.

She thought about how childish she had been back then, causing her Nanny so much grief.

Thinking of this, she recalled the scene where her Nanny once blocked the guards to protect her, only to be pushed aside by them, accidentally striking her head against the corner of a table and dying instantly.

Snow fell, dusting her long eyelashes. Her gaze drifted toward the empty sky as she murmured, "Yun Bai Xiao."

***

*Flashback to when she was ten, before her rebirth.*

Wan Ru was climbing an apple tree. Having picked an apple, she slipped and fell while climbing down. She thought she was done for this time. But a pair of cool, gentle hands caught her. She froze, unable to do anything but stare at the person who had saved her.

"So beautiful."

His handsome face kept her mind wandering for a while, until the youth set her down. Seeing her standing frozen, he waved his hand in front of her and asked, "Are you alright, Princess?"

She snapped out of it, her mind finally returning. "I am fine."

The youth smiled gently and said softly, "It's good that you are fine."

Having said that, he turned to leave, but her small hand grabbed his sleeve. "Young master, why are you leaving so soon? I haven't even thanked you yet."

The youth turned his head and waved his hand. "No need."

Seeing him prepare to leave again, she pulled his sleeve once more. "Then at least tell me your name."

Only then did the youth turn around and say, "My name is Yun Bai Xiao."

Her eyes sparkled under the setting sun, her small mouth parting slightly. Yun Bai Xiao cupped his hands and bowed slightly, saying, "Farewell."

Waiting until Yun Bai Xiao disappeared from her sight, she finally dared to whisper, "I wonder when I will meet him again."

That was her first meeting with him. It marked the beginning of her story of deceit, painful hatred, and tragedy.

Back in the present, as she was still being carried away, Qing Yan followed anxiously, saying, "Please be gentle with the Princess. Her skin is very delicate and easily bruised."

The guards remained silent, except for a rather young man who seemed to be a new recruit. He smiled at Qing Yan and said, "We know."

She turned to Qing Yan and whispered, "Help me."

Qing Yan bowed in embarrassment. Seeing her initial success, she smiled and added a pleading look. This was her ultimate weapon against Qing Yan.

Just a moment later, while the Emperor was admiring a lavender flower, a small foot stepped right onto it.

The Emperor raised his head to see his daughter staring at him. Qing Yan stood in a corner, not daring to approach. She then bowed her head in greeting, "Greetings, Royal Father."

Her father paid her no mind, walking over to look at some birds, and went straight to the point: "What are you asking of me? Speak."

Having waited for this exact cue, she said, "I want to become a cultivator."

He immediately looked her up and down in shock, even lifting her up.

"Usually, you have no interest in studying. Why the sudden change today?"

She said, "This daughter simply wishes to. Does Royal Father mean you won't let me study?"

"Ah, no, that is not what I meant. But have you finished learning the zither, dancing, etiquette, and all the palace rules before wanting to study to become a cultivator?"

"If this daughter has mastered them all, Royal Father must remember to let me go."

"Very well."

"Royal Father, a gentleman's word is his bond."

Without another word, she clapped her hands a few times. Qing Yan swiftly brought forward an ancient zither. She began to play. The Emperor froze in utter astonishment, staring at her intently.

At first, the melody was gentle and somewhat lingering, but it grew increasingly rapid, like a cascading waterfall, full of power. Once the piece ended, Qing Yan presented the stack of palace rules to the Emperor for inspection. She recited them flawlessly, without missing a single word, leaving the Emperor wide-eyed. He stepped forward and said, "Alright, alright, that is enough reciting."

He approached her, touching her forehead and then his own.

"I feel your head is a bit warm. Could it be that the cold has completely altered your personality?"

She gently pushed her father's hand away and said, "That is not important. What matters is that this daughter wishes to practice cultivation with my brother."

Her royal father rubbed his temples and said, "Very well, I agree."

She beamed and raised her hand to celebrate with Qing Yan, but her hand accidentally swept the ancient zither off the table, causing it to crash to the ground and break in two. She looked up at her father, giggled, and ran off.

On the way back to her palace from Ji Xia, Qing Yan kept staring at her, seemingly wanting to ask something but not knowing where to start. Seeing this, Wan Ru said, "Is there something on your mind?"

"This servant truly does not understand why the Princess has changed so much since falling into the pond."

She fell silent for a moment, then said, "I want to become stronger."

Her gaze drifted into the distance as she fell quiet.

*If I am not strong enough, if I do not have the power to protect, then who can I save? He is truly dangerous.*

Lost in thought, she bumped into someone.

"Ah."

She swayed slightly before regaining her balance, looking at the person she had bumped into.

"Nanny."

*Could Nanny be planning to stop me from leaving?*