Volume 1: Gathering Winds of Splendor Chapter 21: The Princess of Chang'an

  An Su's words fell, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly solidified like glue.

  "Has Mother finally let go of the reason she left back then?" An Xin asked, her voice somewhat cold and calm, unable to discern any emotions.

  An Su's eyes widened in shock, the confusion at the bottom of her pupils almost overflowing from her eyes, even the air was tainted with some bewilderment.

  "Isn't that so? Did Mother want to return to the palace willingly?" An's calm and serene black eyes stared steadily at An Su Su's, not allowing her to retreat in the slightest, his gaze piercing through her defenses, wanting to see through to the deepest thoughts in her heart.

  Under such piercing gaze, An Su felt her thoughts were laid bare, completely captured without reservation. Thinking this way, she became somewhat irritated and broke through the overlapping bewilderment, asking in an extremely fast tone, "What if I'm willing? What if I'm not willing? Since your father has found his way here, I have no choice but to face it."

  Knowing she had been too out of line, she calmly lowered her eyelids, restrained the overly intimidating aura on her body, and apologized, "I'm sorry, Mother. It's my fault, but I just don't want to return to the palace."

  "Why? Be careful, the imperial palace is a place that many people dream of entering." An Su Su knew An Xin well and could sense her inner turmoil, the surging emotions suppressed beneath the surface, so she asked softly.

  "Mother, if the imperial palace was as good as you said, you wouldn't have come here back then." An's expression and tone were both calm and light, "I don't seek wealth or nobility, I only wish for a peaceful place to live out my days. I also don't like power, benefits and drawbacks have always been intertwined, what you gain is what you pay for." There's no free lunch in this world, the imperial palace gives you honor, but you must repay it with something of equal value.

  "Your father's means and strategies are all unconventional, except for admitting defeat, there is no other way." An SuSu's eyes were slightly blurred, with a hint of bitter smile at the corner of her mouth.

  "Do you still love Father?" An Xinyu's small face was calm as water, asking a question she had always wanted to know. Her relationship with her mother was both teacher and friend, so she rarely asked such serious questions.

  "The deeper the love, the sharper the hatred." An Su's eyes sparkled with joy, her words lingering.

  "Then let's return to the palace." An's eyes, which had always been clear and shallow, were now deep and mysterious like an ancient well. The bottom of her eyes was shrouded in a thick fog, and something was sinking down, hidden by the misty color.

  "Be careful, after you return to the palace, you will regain your identity as the beloved eldest princess of Chang'an County, most favored by the Emperor." An SuSu thought of An Xin losing her memory and quickly informed her of her previous identity.

  Be careful, this title is only called by her mother when they are heart-to-heart. An Xin's lips curled up, and a bright smile like the spring flowers in March overflowed. With a light tone, she said, "Yes, young lady, with power and influence, you can eat well, drink well, buy things without paying, bully people without being caught... my thoughts for many years have come true, I'm very happy! Since we'll be returning to the palace tomorrow, I'll go to the village first and say goodbye to our parents and relatives who have been with us for many years." After finishing speaking, she didn't wait for An Su Su's response and stood up and left the inner chamber.

  Ansu Ansu gazed at the departing figure, lost in thought. After a moment, she lowered her eyelids and let out a deep sigh. Her eyes lingered on the interior of the room, nostalgic for what could have been. Nine years had passed since their ten-year agreement, and they were only one year away from achieving their goal. But alas, it was not meant to be. Xiaoxin forced a smile, but she too was reluctant to return to that chaotic place where troubles brewed.

  Accelerate your pace with peace of mind, heading straight to the location of the hot spring. Occasionally meet villagers chatting and laughing by the roadside, greet each other kindly, and exchange a few pleasantries.

  Arriving at the destination, An Xin sat down on a large stone, closed her eyes, sank her breath into her dantian, and formed a complex hand gesture with her fingers. Suddenly, she felt as if her clothes were being pulled, but An Xin remained still, completing the action slowly and calmly, exhaling the turbid air from her mouth. Only then did she slowly open her eyes and glance sideways at the small beast beside her that was busy pulling at her hem.

  She smiled slightly, hugged the little beast tightly, stroked its smooth and soft fur on its back, and said softly, "Squeak, did you miss me? Your master will leave this place tomorrow, and you'll finally be free. Congratulations."

  The little beast understood the meaning of the comforting words and nodded its head in a similar manner, softly calling out "squeak squeak" to indicate that it knew.

  "You're really heartless, don't you see who's been working hard every day to feed you for years? I'm leaving and you're not even sad at all. What's the point of having you?" An Xin narrowed her eyes, held the small beast by its tail, raised her right hand, and with a flick of her wrist, sent it flying far away.

  The little beast somersaulted nimbly in mid-air, landed lightly and rolled over, getting its snow-white fur covered with dust all over the ground. It let out a "squeak" from its mouth, opened its small paws and crawled to An Xin's side.

  "This is really ugly." An Xin glanced at this strange creature with a hint of puzzlement on her face, and said in a clear voice, "You look 70-80% like a mouse, but why is your fur silver-white? I've seen white mice before, but a monster like you is the first time I've ever seen one."

  "Squeak, squeak, squeak," the little beast stood up straight, its two paws waving wildly.

  "There's a difference between humans and beasts, although you have some spirituality and are considered to be of higher intelligence in the animal kingdom, I still don't understand." An Xin rolled her eyes and helplessly spread out her hands.

  The little beast stopped its struggling with a dejected look, its two shiny black eyes staring blankly at An Xin.

  "Don't look anymore, I'll be leaving tomorrow anyway. You're all grown up now and won't starve to death." He said with a calm tone, standing up and dusting off his buttocks.

  After finishing speaking, An Xin took a last deep look at the hot spring, with infinite nostalgia and reluctance in her eyes, as if she wanted to carve this place into her heart.

  "Goodbye, maybe one day I'll be back." An Xin murmured to herself, unsure if she was saying it to Qi Qi who was taking off her shoes or to herself.

  On the second day, An Xin got up early and moved her beloved chaise longue to the small courtyard, waiting for her nominal father to come knocking on the door.

  It's either a stern interrogation or a tearful farewell, nothing more than these two possibilities.

  Lying comfortably in a rocking chair, memories of past life's romantic and humorous episodes float to mind. After a long time apart, when two people meet again, if they truly love each other, will they cry bitterly? The books all say so, it must be true.

  Just as he was deep in thought, the sound of horseshoes suddenly echoed in his ears, exactly like that day in town. A hint of amusement flashed across his eyes, and a smile played on his lips.

  Digression

  Hehe, these two chapters are quite deep, Xiao Xin's sharp tongue hasn't been used yet, and Duo Duo is also feeling suffocated.