The afternoon sun drifted behind tall trees while clouds morphed into countless tales. Yan Shen, the eldest prince of the Yan Region, awaited news in his study, gazing through the door leading to the garden. He slowly twirled a jade ring on his thumb, thinking of his younger sister who had volunteered for her first and ultimately last battle. He was angry at himself for not having opposed her more strenuously. He should have pulled her down from her horse and tied her up with her sister-in-law until the war was over.

    His thoughts circled futilely. Now that the great war had quieted down, leaving only minor skirmishes that didn't affect the overall situation. No matter how hard he thought, Yan Shen couldn't understand. Li Wang had cooperated with Lian Wang to besiege Yan Region from all four directions, escalating the risk until Yong An was held captive. Upon hearing this, Yan Shen feared she would be used as leverage by the enemy. However, Li Xuan Long unexpectedly did not seize this opportunity and withdrew his troops from the battlefield immediately, confusing everyone as if it were a military strategy. But as time passed, it proved not to be. Li Xuan Long turned his back on the battlefield the moment he had Yong An in his hands.

    When one army stopped its assault, the balance among the remaining three armies was disrupted, and the allied plan of the two regions collapsed. The question was why... What happened to Yong An? Why did Li Xuan Long abandon the advantageous battle? Was Li Xuan Long severely injured, leading to the withdrawal, or did both sustain near-fatal injuries? No news progressed any further.

    "Eldest Brother," Yan San Qi, the second prince of Yan Region, entered the room slowly, kicked a chair, and heavily sat down beside the charcoal basin. His body was the largest among the three brothers, causing the chair to creak loudly. Yan Shen moved his leg off the table and sat up to ask impatiently about any updates.

    "What's the news? Is there anything?"

    "She is still alive," Yan San Qi delivered the good news, though his expression remained tense. "It's highly likely that she is now a captive, serving as a soldier’s concubine."

    Yan Shen’s shoes thudded against the floor, his veins throbbing with rage. "I will make them suffer the same pain! Have Third Brother sent news back yet?"

    "Still quiet," Yan San Qi said with a headache, thinking of their younger brother. "That mad dog is probably mimicking Li Xuan Long."

    The two brothers glared at each other before Yan Shen's gaze drifted to the garden. Yan San Qi followed his gaze and saw his sister-in-law, her black hair flowing down her back, making her look youthful and fragile. Her dress was slightly bulged at the stomach, indicating she would be due in a few months. Her eyes still sparkled, though faintly.

    Yan Shen craned his neck, hoping she would meet his gaze, but she looked away and walked off, causing him to rub his temples and sigh deeply.

    Yan San Qi looked between his brother and sister-in-law, smiling wryly. His own wife was also pregnant, experiencing similar mood swings, but he handled it better since it was his wife’s ninth pregnancy, whereas it was only the second for his eldest brother. "Is sister-in-law still mad at you?"

    "Do you see she has stopped?" Yan Shen was irritated, grabbing a warm fur coat from the rack. "More stubborn than a horse, harder headed than anyone, hardly eats anything. If she's not complaining, she's crying."

    "What else is sister-in-law upset about?"

    "This morning, I didn't finish my rice."

    "You didn't finish your rice?"

    "Yes," he grumbled incessantly but hurried to catch up with his wife to give her an extra coat, not forgetting to issue a stern command before stepping out of the room, "Tell them to warn Third Brother. If he continues to delay, I'll have him removed and deal with her myself."

    The relentless journey left Fang Ning feeling exhausted, sore, and increasingly melancholic. She said nothing, but her eyes were pensive, and he behaved like a fool, just staring at her, foolishly using her health as an excuse to slow down the journey.

    He didn't want to be here. Yan Shi Jin told himself as he led the convoy on horseback. The army's scout hawk sent urgent news for the last time, setting the attack point and planning a retreat to the Yan Region. It was supposed to be an easy task, like flipping his hand, but it was excruciatingly difficult for him.

    To buy time for his men to prepare for the ambush at the rendezvous point.

    He had been telling himself that since last night, lying wide awake in the dark, listening to her soft sobs. Fang Ning, fearing of disturbing her own attendants, tried to cry as quietly as possible. No matter how much she suppressed her voice, it couldn't escape the keen ears of the young man. Yan Shi Jin lay nearby, just a few steps away from her tent, aware of everything. She was in pain, and so was he. He had been close to death often enough to be numb to it, but he was scared to impart death to a small woman.

    "Today the weather is truly fine, but the wheel just had to break,"

    Jiu Qiang sighed wearily. The weather was bright, the sky a deep blue without clouds. Although it was bone-chillingly cold, everything else was conducive to smooth travel, but then the hub of the princess's carriage wheel came loose. They had to take time to find wood to make a new pin and wedge, even though they changed to another carriage, that too broke down.

    "It's as if someone is messing with us. Could this be an omen?"

    "Shush, don't talk nonsense," Jun Yi scolded her younger sister, then turned to look at the princess with a worried expression. "I'm starting to feel like you that someone must be sabotaging us for sure."

    The two siblings turned and glared at Jia Wu, who glared back. At the moment, the princess was riding a horse, surrounded by her attendants. Behind her was the military convoy, and Cheng Xi and a few soldiers stayed back to fix the carriage before hurrying after them.

    Fang Ning didn’t have much opportunity to riding horses—the last time she had been on horseback was about eight or nine years ago. Since then, she had sat only at weaving looms or embroidery frames, making riding in rough terrain particularly challenging for her. Yan Shi Jin looked back at her several times, then decided to slow the convoy when he noticed her discomfort.

    Jia Wu also rode on horseback, controlling her horse to stay close to the princess. Since the incident with Dong Yang, she had been silent and suspicious, wondering if Dong Yang would confess or had already confessed. Jia Wu glanced nervously at the well-armed cavalry nearby; whenever a horse came too close, her face would blanch, and she moved her horse closer to Fang Ning, making it difficult for her to control her mount.

    The warhorse snorted irritably, its ears pricked up, as if annoyed because if the rider was not skilled enough, it would begin to act stubbornly. The sound of its hooves pounding the gravel blended with its breathing, still not as loud as the moans and groans of the court ladies who, after just half a day on horseback, were already massaging their waists incessantly.

    Fang Ning was at the center of the procession, her gaze fixed forward, one hand holding onto the saddle, the other gripping the reins and stretching her body upright with dignity. Yet Yan Shi Jin could see that she was extremely fatigued. The weight of her ceremonial attire was taking its toll, almost too much for her to balance herself, but she didn’t complain even a word.

    Her weary expression did not diminish her beauty. Fang Ning sighed deeply, her small shoulders shivering with cold. Soon, she swept her hood aside to soak up the warmth of the sun. Her dark eyelashes rested against her fair cheeks, and her lips, tinted a sweet red, parted slightly in the golden sunlight, creating a mesmerizing image that lasted only a moment before she pulled her hood back down, allowing the fluffy fur that lined the edges to caress her cheeks.

    Yan Shi Jin couldn’t help but reflect; there were countless ways to deal with her along with these soldiers. His men were ready, with archers disguised as soldiers from the Lian Region poised in ambush on the hill ahead. With just a signal from him, it would all be over. He would spare Cheng Xi and a few other soldiers at the rear fixing the carriage, letting them be the survivors to return and declare the princess’s death, breaking the trust between the enemy regions and avenging his younger sister. But could he harden his heart to kill her?

    As the procession neared the hill, a mirror flashed a signal ready to fire.

    The horses seemed to sense the hidden men, their ears perked up and they neighed. Yan Shi Jin spoke briefly with the soldier leading the convoy, who nodded and then shouted for his men to be alert.

    If his eldest brother knew he was obstructing their own, he would have a heavy account to settle... Yan Shi Jin sighed before pulling his horse to a stop, letting others in the procession move ahead until Fang Ning’s horse dragged its hooves to him. Her face clearly showed exhaustion and it looked pitiful.

    “What’s happening?” she forced herself to ask.

    “Nothing, my lady, but if you continue to be slow like this, I’m afraid Cheng Xi will drive the carriage past us to the rendezvous point first. Remember, we have allies ready to ambush at any moment.”

    “I apologize, I promise my riding will improve soon... ah, wait,” his strong hand scooped her up to sit on the same horse as him. Everyone disapproved of the brusque behavior of the lowly hunter, but they agreed that if a skilled person helped control the horse, the princess would be more comfortable.

    “Let me go, I will ride on my own.”

    "You can take a nap and then be stubborn, I won't mind,"

    Jun Yi and Jun Qiang saw his small smile, and he clearly made himself a comfortable support for the princess by stretching his muscular body. They felt a jolt of surprise and kept their horses close to watch over them, but they were soon left far behind by Yan Shi Jin as he sped up.

    He intentionally delayed the journey to buy time. He tried to resolve himself to take action but ended up pulling her into his arms for protection instead, his mind overwhelmed with confusion. As they reached the hill, Yan Shi Jin looked up sharply, causing his men to abandon their plans.

    After Fang Ning leaned back and took a deep breath, she snuggled in and slept for about an hour. When she felt much more comfortable, she began to converse with him about various topics.

    "I usually prefer going places alone."

    "Why is that?"

    "I don't like the fuss and all the formalities. So, I often get scolded," he shared tales of his mischievous childhood, pleased that his embarrassing stories made her laugh. The sharp, cold wind blew her sleek black hair against his face. Though it should have been annoying, he found joy in it.

    "I was bored of being nagged to study, so I used to escape to a big tree and tie a hammock up there, trying to hide from my older brothers and tutors. As a result, I got scolded terribly." He spent the day lying on his back, hands behind his head, watching the clouds and sleeping comfortably while everyone else frantically searched and scolded him when he came down.

    "Other than needlework lesson, I never skipped the class," Fang Ning laughed and shared her passion for arts and crafts, spending all day absorbed in her needlework, which she found enjoyable. "A good embroiderer must separate twelve threads within half an incense stick burnt, each thinner than a hair and extremely delicate. An embroiderer must have a high level of concentration."

    "I never knew women's embroidery and weaving were so intricate."

    "Becoming an embroiderer isn't easy; each stitch requires pulling and stretching the thread. If you use too little force, the stitches won't be even; too much, and the thread might break. The thinner the thread, the harder it is," Fang Ning pulled out a strand of her hair and wrapped it between his fingers. "Try pulling it."

    Yan Shi Jin gasped from the moment she took his hand, her small hands so soft. He sincerely said, "I'm sorry for your hair."

    "What a weirdo," she giggled. Jun Yi and Jun Qing, trying to keep up behind them, looked at each other, realizing the princess seldom smiled this often. Fang Ning looked up at the clear sky with a refreshed expression. "The sky today is the brightest since I started this journey. I guess the heavenly weaving maiden has taken a break."

    "Such clear skies are not a good sign; there will be a storm tonight... Wait, what heavenly weaving maiden?"

    "The clouds in the sky are all the work of the heavenly weaving maiden. She weaves day and night in heaven, waiting for the day she can meet her lover on the seventh day of the seventh month. Isn't it amazing? She does everything just to meet her lover for a single day. I still don't quite understand why she would devote so much, but I think love must be something grand."

    Yan Shi Jin listened to her story about the heavenly weaving maiden as she narrated with eyes that sparkled like a child's, and he couldn't help but smile.

    "So it seems, love must indeed be grand."

    "You speak as if you don't believe in love."

    "Not exactly. I just haven't wanted to get to know it yet." He was indifferent to love... perhaps because love was a tremendous force that he did not know how to control. Yes… it was overpoweringly intense, too overwhelming... and she was the cause of the tremors that appeared as deep caverns in his heart. Yan Shi Jin looked straight ahead, toward the horizon that merged with snow-covered lands. The air was cold, but his heart felt warm.

    "Every seventh day of the seventh month, I pray for skillful hands," she trailed her fingers in the air. "My mother used to tease me that I was a spider spinning webs. Then, she would give me a special kind of needle."

    "What’s special about it?"

    "The needle is special because it has seven eyes. If you thread it successfully all the way through, it's a sign that the heavenly weaving maiden has blessed you with the skills of embroidery. I’ve been threading this special needle seven times over. And this year..."

    Fang Ning sighed worriedly, oblivious to her glossy black hair fluttering across the face of the man behind her. He kissed the strands of her hair as they brushed past his lips. Fang Ning seemed to realize, turning just as he bowed his head down.

    Their lips were dangerously close, eyes locked, each feeling the other's warm breath.

    Yan Shi Jin swallowed hard, feeling his pulse race and something throbbing painfully. Such natural reactions were uncontrollable. Fearing it might startle her, he moved carefully, which was a hell he had dived into himself as the friction made him groan. Fang Ning gasped, feeling him.

    The young woman froze, not knowing what to do, which made him turn his head away.

    Too dangerous.

    That thought emerged in both of their minds. He fell silent, she too fell silent.

    Snow began to fall... Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, gradually thickening, and soon the air would turn bitterly cold. Fang Ning sat stiffly, her mind in turmoil, unable to control. This man stood out like a warrior, his muscular, bronzed arms bathed in the bold sunlight, strong and unyielding like forged steel. Fang Ning closed her eyes to dismiss the images from her heart, but eventually, she had to admit she was increasingly drawn to him, which made her confused and overwhelmed. Then, her shoulders jolt as the rhythm of the ride made her feel him more noticeably.

    Was it growing?

    Yan Shi Jin held the reins tightly enough to chafe his gloves. Initially, he thought not to care, but now he truly couldn't ignore his feelings anymore. He forced himself to look straight ahead, not to be distracted, not to inhale the sweet scent from her body, ignore the soft warmth leaning against his chest. He tried to ride normally but was so stiff it was almost pitiable.

    "It's nothing. It'll calm down soon."

    "Mmm."

    "Is there something wrong, Your Highness?" Jun Yi approached, staring at Yan Shi Jin warningly. Fang Ning looked down modestly and chose not to speak. After a moment of silence between them, she gathered the courage to ask.

    "What is it?"

    Yan Shi Jin, hearing her inquiry, inwardly groaned. May patience still cling to his mind.