Song Jinglan walked up to her but he did not speak. Instead, he took her hand and dragged her into the house.

The door behind him shut silently and the room was drowned in a sea of pitch black, the sole luminance coming from a sliver ray of moonlight.

Song Jinglan hugged her under this very light.

It was a very gentle yet possessive posture. He held Lin Feilu tightly in his arms, making her feel slightly suffocated.

She leaned on his chest and smelled a strange fragrance on him.

The scent was familiar, so Lin Feilu smelled it a bit more. She couldn’t remember what it was at first until he let go of her and she suddenly reacted, “Irises? Your Highness, why would you smell like Iris flowers? Don’t these flowers only grow in the Cold Palace?”

Although Song Jinglan had already let go of her, he still placed his hand on the back of her neck. He pinched the back of her neck with his fingertips and rubbed it lightly before making a ‘mm’ sound as a sign of affirmation.

Lin Feilu felt goosebumps rise on her skin inexplicably, “You…What were you doing in the Cold Palace?”

Under the moonlight, Song Jinglan smiled.

That smile of his still looked the same as it sported his gentle arc, but it revealed a coldness that she found unfamiliar and made her heart palpitate quickly.

He leaned closer and whispered, “Princess, this is the last thing I will do for you before I go.”

His words were spoken in her ear as Lin Feilu stammered and asked, “What… what is it?”

He didn’t say anything else; he merely held the back of her neck with his palm and tilted it upwards slightly. He then stroked the back of her head and pulled her closer to him.

Lin Feilu subconsciously grabbed the sleeves of his clothes, feeling a little weak in the legs. With that, he laughed and said softly, “After I leave, Princess, you should take care of yourself.”

Lin Feilu looked up at him.

Those eyes that were always smiling were now full of an intense depth that she had never seen before.

The Song Jinglan before her now was someone that she had never seen before.

Lin Feilu was speechless for a while as she didn’t know what kind of expression to make.

On one hand, she was sad that he was really going to leave; but on the other hand, she was glad that he didn’t leave silently without seeing him again.

For a long time, Song Jinglan looked up at the sky outside the window and finally brought the little girl in front of him into his embrace once more

He bent down and leaned towards her ear. Then, he said with a chuckle, “Princess, we will meet again.”

***

Lin Feilu had forgotten how she managed to return to the Mingyue Palace.

Just as she got back, she saw Lin Zhanyuan squatting in the yard playing with the Chang Er and Duan Er, so she squatted over and played with the pets for a bit.

Lin Zhanyuan had grown into a handsome boy, but his eyes were still full of innocence and clarity. He seemed to be able to sense that his sister was not happy, so he rubbed her head and coaxed her, “My little sister is doing good.”

He had been with Lin Wei for so many years, which is why it didn’t come off as surprising to know that his way of speaking was now very similar to hers.

Lin Feilu sighed in disappointment. She felt that her heart was suddenly really empty and she couldn’t help trembling when she thought of the hug and the unfamiliar look in that final parting look just now.