Chapter 139: A Lingering Embrace, Lost and Found Again

"A-Heng..." Shen Qianmo gazed blankly at the man in black standing before her, his body taut yet his face softened by a smile. The warm sunlight filtered through the surrounding canopy, casting an oblique glow upon him and turning his striking silver hair into a soft, pale gold.

Though the light was warm and harmonious, it still pierced Shen Qianmo’s eyes with a sharp, unavoidable pain.

She reached up, her hand resting on his handsome face, which looked even paler and more gaunt than before. His sharp, well-defined features were now deeply hollowed. For some reason, a bitter ache welled up in her heart, and crystalline tears spilled uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.

Since they had parted that night at the Prince Xuan estate, more than two months had passed. When she fell from the cliff at Snow Ridge, she had believed they would never meet again in this lifetime. Later, after she miraculously survived, she spent sixty-odd days and nights imagining their reunion, rehearsing all the longing she would pour out to him.

But now, as he stood before her in the flesh, she felt a lump in her throat, unable to utter a single word.

She had always considered herself resilient, never one to shed tears easily. Yet, seeing Meng Yuanheng’s silver hair fluttering in the breeze and his bloodless, pale face, she felt as though her heart had been pierced by a silver needle. A piercing pain radiated from her heart through her entire body, and her tears fell like broken beads.

"Mo'er, what is it? Are you blaming me for arriving too late?" It was the first time Meng Yuanheng had seen Shen Qianmo in such a state, and he panicked, hurriedly raising his hand to wipe away the tears falling from her eyes, asking in confusion.

Only then did Shen Qianmo seem to realize she was crying. She reached up to brush away the remaining moisture, shook her head slightly, and curved her lips into a familiar, gentle smile.

Though the smile was faint, it was like the warm winter sun, instantly melting the icy coldness in Meng Yuanheng’s heart. He pulled her small, slender frame into a tight embrace, unwilling to let go for even a second, as if releasing her would cause the woman he had missed for over two months to vanish once more.

Meng Yuanheng held her slender waist with one hand and gently cupped her chin with the other. The streaked tear marks on her face had washed away the plain, unremarkable disguise, revealing glimpses of her original, beautiful, and delicate features. He took a white silk handkerchief from his robes and carefully wiped away the traces of the disguise, until at last, the familiar, beautiful face he had missed so deeply—the one etched upon his very heart—appeared before him.

"Mo'er..." Meng Yuanheng gazed infatuatedly at the delicate woman in his arms, his eyes filled with tenderness and love. "Mo'er... from now on... I will never let you leave my side again."

Shen Qianmo suddenly remembered that she was still wearing her disguise. She smiled lightly, having thought she might be able to fool him, but to no avail.

Feeling the depth of Meng Yuanheng’s tenderness, the fear and trepidation she had lived with these past few days vanished into thin air. At this moment, she only wanted to rest against his broad chest.

Meeting his infatuated gaze, Shen Qianmo wrapped her arms around his firm waist and let out a sigh of contentment from the depths of her soul. She nodded softly and said, "Yes, we will never be apart again."

Meng Yuanheng’s eyes brightened with ecstasy. He tightened his hold, pulling her firmly against him, and rubbed his chin gently against the soft hair on the crown of her head, smiling, "Good, Mo'er, it is a promise. We shall never be apart again."

***

The surroundings fell into a sudden, profound silence, as even the mountain breeze seemed to soften, unwilling to disturb the hard-won intimacy of these two lovers. After their long separation, they poured out their hearts to one another, oblivious to the world around them. It felt as though much time had passed, though it had only been a brief moment.

Meng Yuanheng did not want his peaceful time with Shen Qianmo interrupted, but a certain mischievous little fox was not so tactful. As Shen Qianmo felt a furry sensation against her hand, Xiao Guai had already squeezed through the gap between them, whining incessantly.

It was Xiao Guai!

Shen Qianmo’s face lit up with joy. She broke free from Meng Yuanheng’s embrace and looked down.

Sure enough, Xiao Guai was clinging to her arm with its short legs, its large, emerald eyes misty and filled with excitement. In its mouth, it held a small, exquisite piece of translucent blood-red jade. It whined, showing the jade to the two of them as if seeking praise.

So that was why Xiao Guai had been scouring the mountains—it was looking for the Linglong Blood Jade.

"Xiao Guai, you are amazing!" Shen Qianmo was overjoyed, her face blooming into a wide smile. She took the blood jade, picked up the little fox, and kissed it on the nose.

She was truly happy to have the Linglong Blood Jade back. Perhaps, subconsciously, she had been influenced by Lou Xinyue’s words—that the jade was the token of the Princesses Xuan throughout the generations, and without it, one could not be a legitimate Princess Xuan.

Pleased by its master’s praise, Xiao Guai chirped even more happily, nuzzling Shen Qianmo’s face and kissing her repeatedly, while casting smug, sidelong glances at Meng Yuanheng, whose expression was growing increasingly dark.

*Look,* the fox seemed to say, *this is the benefit of being a pet—I can kiss her whenever I want, but you can't! And with so many people around, she wouldn't let you anyway.*

Having spent so much time with Xiao Guai, Meng Yuanheng understood its meaning perfectly. His face turned black as he glared at the arrogant, smug little fox—who had become insufferably cocky now that it had found its master—and felt that familiar, long-suppressed urge to crush the creature once and for all.

*Hmph,* he thought, *if I hadn't ordered you to go find the jade, would you even have had this chance to show off?*

When Yun Yi and Yan Mo arrived with the Shadow Guards and Secret Guards, they were met with the sight of two people and a fox lost in their own world of affection, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers who were either embarrassed, stunned, or resentful.

Corpses lay scattered across the ground. Ye Qinglan and Baili Xiao were holding Lou Xinyue captive, locked in a standoff with the remaining eighty-plus guards of the Tuba tribe; it was clear a fierce battle had just taken place.

Seeing Shen Qianmo standing there alive and well, Yun Yi and the others were overcome with excitement. Yun Yi was the first to wave at her, shouting enthusiastically, "Qianmo, it is so good to see that you are alright!"

The rest of the Secret Guards, led by Yan Mo, knelt in unison. "We pay our respects to the Prince and the Princess."

Seeing so many familiar faces, Shen Qianmo was also deeply moved. With so many people watching, she felt shy about lingering in Meng Yuanheng’s arms and stepped back slightly to smile and greet Yun Yi and the others.

Meng Yuanheng, however, was clearly in a foul mood now that his arms were empty, his handsome face dark as a pot. Yun Yi, being the closest, received countless icy glares from Meng Yuanheng, which sent a cold shiver down his spine.

He had wanted to look back with righteous indignation—after all, Qianmo wasn't his property alone; they were friends, and it was only natural to offer greetings after such a long time! But the moment he met the sharp, warning gaze of the Prince, he lost his nerve.

This heartless man was capable of truly heaven-shaking, earth-shattering cruelty if he decided to torment someone. Yun Yi still had a life to live—he wanted to marry, have children, and enjoy his future; he had no desire for an early death.

With that thought, Yun Yi immediately wiped the affectionate expression from his face, cleared his throat with feigned solemnity, and asked, "Your Highness, how shall we deal with these people?"

Hearing this, Baili Xiao cast a look of gratitude toward the dashing, white-clad gentleman, nearly moved to tears.

*Finally, someone remembered we were here!*

The Prince and Princess Xuan had been lost in their own little world, while he and Senior Sister Qinglan had been stuck in a tense defensive posture for ages. It was exhausting, you know!

Meng Yuanheng acted as if he had only just noticed the crowd of people around them. Without changing his stance of keeping Shen Qianmo close, he finally spared a glance at the surroundings. When he saw Lou Xinyue sitting on the ground with Ye Qinglan’s sword pointed at her, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

"So, it was you."