Ji Feiyu's days in the North Cold Palace weren't actually that hard. The Second Prince came to see her every day, trying his best to make her happy. Ji Feiyu watched as the Second Prince showed her excessive kindness and gladly accepted it, just waiting for him to lay out his plan to her.
In fact, after Ji Feiyu finished learning the court etiquette, she had nothing much to do. The Second Prince had arranged a place for her to live in the palace, where few people bothered her. The people in the palace didn't know her real identity either.
One day, the Second Prince came to find Ji Feiyu again. His first words upon seeing her were, "I'll take you out of the palace to have a look today."
Ji Feiyu was greatly surprised. Then he grabbed her arm through her clothes and dragged her out. Ji Feiyu quickly tried to break free and asked curiously, "Can I go out after entering the palace? And don't we need to avoid suspicion, Second Prince?"
The Second Prince immediately let go of her. His narrow eyes were full of smiles. "The people in this outer part of the palace all think you're my woman. Do we still need to avoid suspicion? Since that's the case, it's naturally okay for me to take you out."
Seeing this, Ji Feiyu stared into his eyes and asked, "So am I your woman?"
The Second Prince raised his eyebrows. "You can be if you want to."
Ji Feiyu immediately rolled her eyes at him. "I don't want to."
But the Second Prince said, "After these days of getting along, I think I've been quite good to you, right? I've found whatever you wanted and done all kinds of things to amuse you."
Ji Feiyu laughed. "You were the one who trapped me in this cage in the first place. Moreover, you still have something to ask of me. It's only natural for you to do these things. Do you still want to take credit for them from me?"
The Second Prince said, "I don't understand. How did you manage to take the initiative even when you're in trouble?"
Ji Feiyu laughed. She was wearing a red dress today, looking extremely charming. She said, "Because I found that I'm very important to you."
The Second Prince was helpless. Looking back, he realized that he had basically been under Ji Feiyu's control these days, which was completely different from what he had imagined at first.
As they were talking, they had already left the palace. The Second Prince led his horse, Jingyun, over. Jingyun was tall, strong, and good-looking. It was obviously a fine horse. Ji Feiyu couldn't help but touch it. The Second Prince thought Jingyun would get angry, but unexpectedly, Jingyun didn't show any repulsion towards Ji Feiyu at all. Instead, it rubbed its head against the back of her hand comfortably. The Second Prince laughed and said, "It really likes you."
Ji Feiyu looked around and said, "What? We're not taking a carriage out today?"
The Second Prince said, "Naturally, it's because the place we're going to is not very convenient for a carriage."
"You're so stingy, only having one horse." Ji Feiyu sized him up with interest.
The Second Prince laughed. "I can't let you ride a horse alone. I don't want to play a chasing game with you."
Ji Feiyu teased, "Why are you so unconfident in me? Do you think I'm the kind of person who would run away? I'm all alone. How could I escape your sphere of influence?"
The Second Prince laughed. "With your cunning tricks, I've been tricked several times. I won't be tricked again. You should give up these unnecessary thoughts too."
"Annoying!" Ji Feiyu said in a coquettish tone to express her dissatisfaction. The Second Prince really couldn't stand it. He got goosebumps all over.
Ji Feiyu walked to Jingyun's side. "But it'll be so tired carrying the two of us."
The Second Prince walked to her side and helped her onto the horse, explaining, "It won't be that tired. You're as light as a swallow. The two of us together probably don't weigh as much as a general from the North Cold. Instead of feeling sorry for the horse, you should feel sorry for me more."
Ji Feiyu got on the horse and asked curiously, "Why should I feel sorry for you?"
Just as she was speaking, the Second Prince also flipped onto the horse and sat behind her. Hearing this, he leaned forward and said, "Naturally, it's because I have a beauty in my arms but still have to act like a gentleman. I'm really having a hard time."
After saying that, he leaned back and kept a distance from Ji Feiyu, but the playfulness in his words was very obvious.
Ji Feiyu laughed when she heard this.
The Second Prince said, "Hold on to the handle of the saddle tightly." Then he started to urge the horse forward.
Although they were riding on the same horse, they kept a certain distance between their bodies. Obviously, this was deliberately done by the Second Prince. He let Ji Feiyu sit on the saddle, which could be regarded as a sign of respect for her. He himself sat on the horse's rump. The saddle automatically created a distance between them. But to outsiders, this distance might not seem to exist. Especially the way the Second Prince held the reins with both hands. It was as if he was encircling Ji Feiyu in his arms. Even though his arms didn't touch Ji Feiyu, this posture was already very ambiguous.
The Second Prince didn't urge the horse very fast. Jingyun trotted all the way towards the destination. Sitting on the horse, Ji Feiyu seemed to feel a pair of eyes staring at her intently. She looked around for a while but found nothing. Then she sat upright again.
Sometimes Ji Feiyu even admired herself for being able to deal with others with the most relaxed attitude. It wasn't that she could let go of her prejudices. She just knew what kind of state was most beneficial to her. Would things be solved if she had a gloomy face every day while being imprisoned? Of course not. It was better to figure out the pros and cons and greet each day with her best attitude. Maybe God would take pity on her and the difficult situation would be resolved soon.
Yong Yaxuan saw such a Ji Feiyu in the crowd, confident, affectionate with others, and with a smile on her face. This was the person he had been yearning for day and night, the person who hadn't changed in his memory, and the person who was still strong after experiencing countless hardships. He watched as she sat so openly in another man's arms, smiling brightly. His eyes couldn't help but turn red. Thinking of their past entanglements, his heart ached unbearably. Yong Yaxuan couldn't help but clench his fists tightly. His voice was even trembling when he gave the order, "Follow them."
Yong Yaxuan's confidant hesitated a bit and said, "The Queen doesn't seem to be imprisoned."
Yong Yaxuan said, "That's just her. She'll never let you see her vulnerable side no matter what. She's just acting."
Hearing this, the confidant didn't say anything more and quietly followed.
God knows how happy and how painful Yong Yaxuan was when he saw Ji Feiyu. He really wanted to rush over and hug her directly, but he was also afraid that she would dislike him.
He was so hesitant and missed her so much. This longing made his heart restless. He didn't dare to step forward, but he couldn't help it either. He really hoped that they could go back to the past.
The Second Prince took Ji Feiyu trotting all the way to a yellowish-green grassland. The sun shone through the clouds, making the colors on the grassland vary in depth and look very layered. At this time, the sky was a pure blue, clean and clear. Looking at the scenery on the grassland, Ji Feiyu couldn't help but sigh, "The North Cold grassland in autumn is really beautiful..."
Hearing this, the Second Prince said, "But I didn't bring you here today to enjoy the scenery."
"Then what are we here for?" Ji Feiyu was a bit curious.
"You'll know later!" The Second Prince smiled mysteriously.