The grand procession journeyed from the capital to the hunting grounds, taking ten days.
This hunting ground was unlike the smaller venues of the winter hunt or the previous royal clan encirclement—it stretched vast and boundless. The campsite bordered a grassland on one side, where the vitality of spring burst into view as a vivid green, captivating everyone’s gaze.
By the time they arrived, night had fallen.
Xiao Hanjin busied himself arranging matters outside, while Di Ronghua had hot water prepared for a bath.
She bathed slowly and deliberately, as if performing a ritual.
Juye watched in awe as she changed into a red gown, her eyes sparkling as she asked, “Prin… Princess, is tonight some special occasion?”
Di Ronghua glanced at her. Perhaps because there was no one else to talk to, she considered it and answered honestly, “Not tonight, but tomorrow is your Crown Prince’s birthday.”
“Oh?” Juye blinked, “Then why change now? Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“No.” Di Ronghua smiled, “I can’t sleep now. In another hour, it’ll be tomorrow.”
Juye nodded, her face brimming with emotion, “If the Crown Prince knew you’d prepared a gift so thoughtfully, he’d surely be delighted!”
The smile on Di Ronghua’s lips deepened, “Would he?”
Whether he’d be delighted was uncertain, but it would at least shock him.
…
When Xiao Hanjin finished handling affairs outside and returned to the tent, Di Ronghua wasn’t there.
Juye pointed him toward the northern peak beyond the campsite, a suggestive smile on her face, “Your Highness, the Princess is waiting for you up there.”
The terrain around the hunting grounds was intricate. While the forested side was flat, the northern face rose into a sheer cliff—the summit of a tall mountain.
As Xiao Hanjin approached, he spotted a figure in red standing at the cliff’s edge from afar.
Perhaps due to the light attire, the woman’s graceful form traced delicate curves, illuminated by the pristine moonlight. Her fluttering sleeves, hem, and cascading black hair made her seem as though she might ride the wind away.
*Ride the wind away*—the moment those four words flashed through his mind, Xiao Hanjin felt an instinctive jolt.
He started toward her, but the woman slowly turned around.
Her porcelain face glowed with delicate charm under the bright moonlight, a faint smile playing on her lips, “Stop.”
His steps faltered.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s almost your birthday. Stay where you are.”
Xiao Hanjin raised an eyebrow, “You remembered?”
A barely audible laugh drifted over with the cold mountain wind, faint and emotionless, “Of course.”
Xiao Hanjin’s lips curved, the warmth in his eyes softening as his long legs resumed their stride, “What gift are you giving me that requires standing in such a dangerous spot?” He reached out, “You’re always so reckless—come here.”
“I told you to stop!”
Her voice turned sharp, the smile vanishing from her face in an instant.
Xiao Hanjin’s expression shifted, “Ronghua, what’s wrong?”
Di Ronghua didn’t answer. Seeing his legs still edging forward slightly, her red lips parted softly, “If you dare take another half-step, I’ll jump from here right now.”
A tremor ran through the man’s chest, and his legs froze in place.
“What’s gotten into you?” Xiao Hanjin’s brows knitted tightly, “I don’t need any gift—just come over here, alright?”
