The next morning.
Nan Banruo stared in astonishment at the small mountain of gift boxes piled up in the courtyard.
She turned back in a daze and saw Lin Qingyang leaning against the windowsill, a smug smile playing at the corner of his brow.
“Didn’t you say we’d just bring lotus roots for the homecoming visit?” she asked. “What’s all this?”
Lin Qingyang replied with utmost seriousness, “Gold, silver, pearls, jade, fine silks, rare treasures—how would it look if I, a lord of the land, let my wife return home with nothing but lotus roots?”
Nan Banruo blinked. “It wouldn’t look good.”
After much searching through the stacks of chests and ornate boxes, she finally found the small sack of lotus roots.
She pulled it out and hugged it to her chest.
Lin Qingyang walked over with a grin, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
Nan Banruo tried her best to stay composed, but her bright, dark eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. “Are we leaving now?”
“Unless you’d rather not?”
Without another word, he tilted his head, signaling her to follow him outside and mount the horse.
She reached out to stroke the coarse mane of the white stallion.
Then, with a firm grip around her waist, Lin Qingyang lifted her onto the horse’s back, took the reins in one hand, and gave a sharp command: “Hyah!”
The waiting servants swiftly followed, loading the dazzling array of gifts onto ox carts adorned with red silk ribbons. The procession set off grandly toward the capital.
As the horse’s hooves clopped rhythmically, Nan Banruo’s heart raced unevenly.
They passed Xuanwu Tower, then Zhuque Street.
The closer they got to her family’s estate, the more erratic her heartbeat became.
“Ah—look!” someone on the street clapped and shouted. “The bride’s returning home!”
In no time, crowds of townsfolk poured out from the alleys, eager to catch a glimpse.
Lin Qingyang held the reins with one hand, basking in the moment, casually cupping his hands in greeting left and right.
His attendants scattered handfuls of prepared gold and silver fragments into the air, filling the sky with a glittering shower of celebration.
The crowd erupted in even greater excitement.
Amid the bustling, cheering throng, the procession pressed forward.
“Congratulations, Lord of the East! Joy to the newlyweds!”
“The bride is stunning! Like a fairy descended from heaven!”
With guards clearing the way, they soon arrived at the gates of the Nan estate.
Nan Banruo’s heart pounded so hard it ached in her throat. She swallowed repeatedly, afraid her heart might leap out of her mouth.
“Creak—groan—”
Beneath the estate’s grand plaque, the vermilion-lacquered, gold-inlaid doors adorned with beast-headed bronze rings swung open.
Holding her breath, Nan Banruo watched as figures darted past the screen wall and over the threshold.
“It’s our young lady!”
“She’s really back!”
The Nan household surged out, eyeing Lin Qingyang’s entourage warily.
Nan Banruo instinctively leaned forward, only for a large hand to press down on her shoulder.
She turned sharply, eyes flashing with alarm and impatience.
Lin Qingyang narrowed his eyes slightly and said coolly, “What’s the rush? Fall off the horse, and you’ll be bedridden again.”
His gaze remained fixed ahead, wary.
Nan Banruo bit back her agitation, took a deep breath, and followed his line of sight.
Seventh Fairy, Uncle Tianquan, Uncle Steward…
Her eyes swept the crowd, but her parents and elder brother were nowhere in sight. Her body stiffened inch by inch.
Where were they? Why weren’t they here?
Lin Qingyang dismounted, then reached up to grasp her waist and carefully lowered her to the ground.
Her legs wobbled, and when he let go, she nearly stumbled.
Lin Qingyang chuckled. “Go on.”
He gave her back a gentle push.
She staggered slightly, her feet leaden—desperate to rush forward yet terrified of plunging into an unending nightmare.
Unconsciously, she glanced back, lips trembling wordlessly.
Lin Qingyang sighed in amusement. “It’s just half a day apart. Go.”
He nudged her again, teasing her as if they were an inseparable young couple reluctant to part.
Seventh Fairy rushed forward, pulling Nan Banruo protectively behind her and drawing her sword with a metallic ring.
Pleased by Nan Banruo’s apparent reluctance to leave, Lin Qingyang let the disrespect slide.
He leaped back onto his horse and waved. His servants stepped forward, unloading the precious gifts from the ox carts and carrying them to the doorstep.
“Official duties call, so I won’t stay for the feast,” Lin Qingyang said with a smile. “I’ll return at dusk to fetch you. Give my regards to your parents.”
With that, he turned his horse and rode off.
For a long moment, Nan Banruo couldn’t speak.
Clutching Seventh Fairy’s hand tightly, she stepped over the cloud-patterned stone threshold and forced herself to ask, “Where are Father, Mother, and Eldest Brother?”
Seventh Fairy hesitated. “They’re not here…”
Nan Banruo’s vision darkened.
Seventh Fairy hurriedly added, “They’re not in the estate—they went to attack the Eastern Lord’s residence!”
Nan Banruo fixed her with a deadpan stare.
“Quick, send someone to call them back.”
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply to steady her churning emotions.
Until she saw them, she couldn’t relax.
“What about Taiwei?” she asked.
Seventh Fairy sighed. “Taiwei’s injured! After you were taken by Lin Qingyang, we knew it was bad. We tried to force our way into the Forbidden Zone to find the master, and Taiwei shielded me from the barrier’s backlash—don’t worry, she’s mostly recovered after resting these days. She’s asleep after taking her medicine.”
Nan Banruo nodded. “Inside the Forbidden Zone, what exactly—”
“Banruo!”
She turned at the voice to see Nan Nianyi striding swiftly across the gallery toward her.
“Eldest Brother!”
He reached her in moments, gripping her shoulders, his eyelids already tinged with red before he could speak.
The familiar scent of bamboo leaves enveloped her.
Her long-suspended heart finally found its anchor.
Nan Nianyi took a steadying breath, his voice low and controlled. “Don’t worry. Father and Mother are on their way back. They’re safe—I just got here first.”
Nan Banruo nodded rapidly. “Mm!”
Her brother was the best—his first words settled her frantic heart.
Nan Jihe and Tianshu returned swiftly.
At the sight of Nan Banruo, the couple froze in disbelief.
Tianshu stepped forward silently, seizing her and inspecting her from head to toe with meticulous care.
Nan Nianyi winced, hesitating to comment.
This was practically an autopsy…
Nan Banruo obediently let Tianshu maneuver her—tilting her head up, down, opening her mouth wide, even pulling at her ears and cheeks.
Finally, Tianshu nodded in satisfaction. “It’s our Banruo. Just…”
Nan Jihe and Nan Nianyi tensed. “Just what?”
Tianshu: “Just a bit plumper.”
Nan Banruo: “…”
She turned toward the bright sunlight outside, blinking hard.
She was really home. Her family was safe. It all felt surreal, like a dream.
Nan Banruo was seated by the window.
She knew her family was worried but didn’t dare ask, afraid of upsetting her.
“I’m fine. Really.”
She mentally tallied Lin Qingyang’s offenses: scaring her with paper effigies, wrapping her in thick cloth as a makeshift veil, carving the character for “death” on her face with a golden knife, consummating their marriage while drenched in blood, serving wax-made dishes at the wedding feast, and setting their chamber on fire to torment her.
Aside from these matters, everything else was fine.
"Really, it's nothing. Everything's good," Nan Banruo said with a cheerful laugh.
The three of them exchanged skeptical glances. "That scoundrel Lin Qingyang… could he really be so kind?"
Nan Banruo asked curiously, "What exactly happened in the Forbidden Domain?"
This was a question she had pondered for three days and nights without finding an answer.
"The Seventh Fairy and Taiwei forced their way into the Forbidden Domain to deliver a message," Nan Nianyi told her. "Only then did we realize that the person wearing the gilded demon mask, who had been fighting us for so long, wasn’t Lin Qingyang at all."
This detail Nan Banruo also remembered—before the battle began, Lin Qingyang had indeed donned a demon mask.
So it was all a switch?
Nan Nianyi continued, "We stopped fighting immediately, and the other side didn’t press the matter either."
"That doesn’t make sense," Nan Banruo mused. "If it wasn’t Lin Qingyang, how could anyone withstand my parents fighting together?"
That fierce battle had lasted from dawn until sunset, with no clear victor.
Nan Jihe and Tianshu also shook their heads, equally baffled.
"That person wore the Donghuang Robe and wielded the Xuanyuan Sword," Tianshu said. "His strength was extraordinary, no less than your father’s. That’s why we never doubted his identity."
Nan Nianyi looked at Nan Banruo. "Are you sure the one who took you away was Lin Qingyang himself?"
Nan Banruo nodded. "Absolutely."
He had taken her away, and then came the wedding ceremony and the consummation—such things couldn’t possibly be left to a stand-in.
So who was that masked man in the Forbidden Domain?
Nan Banruo murmured, "Lin Qingyang is inherently distrustful. He would never hand over his two life-bound artifacts to someone else." She added calmly, "Especially not to someone as powerful as himself."
How could that be?
There were only three warriors of that caliber in the world. Apart from the late Grand Commander Wu Baiyu, who had been killed by Wu Xiaoyu, only Nan Jihe and Lin Qingyang remained.
Nan Banruo slowly shook her head. "There’s no way Lin Qingyang has a subordinate like that."
Unless he had mastered the art of cloning himself?
Lost in thought, she couldn’t help but reach out to touch her father, mother, and brother, confirming they were all alive and well beside her.
The three pretended not to notice, subtly leaning closer to let her reassure herself.
"Banruo," Nan Jihe sighed, "I’ve failed you as a father, letting you suffer like this."
Nan Banruo quickly shook her head. "Father, I’m really fine. With all of you here, Lin Qingyang wouldn’t dare harm me. Didn’t he return me safely?"
Nan Jihe frowned. "What exactly is that bastard plotting?"
"He wants to form an alliance with us to help him achieve his ambitions," Nan Banruo recalled Lin Qingyang’s words and repeated them verbatim. "He said Xuan He is incompetent and that you shouldn’t remain blindly loyal. If he takes power, he’ll bring peace and prosperity to the land."
Hearing this, Nan Jihe, Tianshu, and Nan Nianyi couldn’t help but scoff.
"He wants to ascend. He promised not to touch the throne—at least until Xuan Heng bears the Child of Destiny," Nan Banruo said softly. "He sent me back as a gesture of goodwill."
"Goodwill my ass!" Even the usually composed Nan Nianyi couldn’t hold back a curse.
Nan Banruo giggled and leaned against her mother, mimicking her brother’s tone. "Goodwill my ass!"
Nan Nianyi sneered. "He’s living in a damn fantasy."
Nan Jihe abruptly stood up. "Tianshu, come with me to reinforce our defenses."
They would tighten security around the estate, setting up an impenetrable net.
Even if two Lin Qingyangs showed up, they wouldn’t set foot inside the Nan residence!
Half a day passed in a flash.
Nan Banruo felt like she had just returned home, sat for a while, chatted, nibbled on some food, and sipped sweet drinks.
Yet outside the window, dusk had already fallen.
Just as the family of four was about to gather around the hearth for tea, a steward hurried in to report: "Lin Qingyang is outside the estate. He’s sent a request for an audience, saying he’s here to fetch someone."
It was already the Hour of Xu?!
Even with her parents and brother protecting her, the moment she heard Lin Qingyang was at the gates, Nan Banruo’s breath hitched, her fingers digging unconsciously into her palms.
Tianshu’s knuckles tightened, and Nan Nianyi’s eyes narrowed.
The steward waited for Nan Jihe’s response, hands clasped respectfully. "My lord?"
After a pause, Nan Jihe slowly straightened, raising a hand to signal his family to stay calm.
He turned his head, casting a piercing glare through the side window, his gaze sharp as a hawk’s.
With a cold laugh, he spoke, each word deliberate and heavy:
"Tell him to get lost."
