Shen He stopped before the Rabbit Clan girl, in front of the glass box. Their figures, one tall and one short, cast shadows that seemed to face off on the ground.
Yu Zhizhi held her breath. She looked up at the man standing against the light, his silhouette veiled in shadow. A faint, yet anything but gentle, smile touched his deep gray eyes:
"Prince You Sen rarely visits the Royal Palace, so you must keep him good company. Tonight, remember to return to Bishui Pavilion to take care of the Little Prince."
With that, Shen He left the Political Hall.
Buli hurried after him.
He saw that his master’s expression was grim. Recalling Lord Shen He’s earlier words, it seemed he was dead set on giving Miss Rabbit to the Prince Merfolk.
Buli started to second-guess himself—
’I must have been stationed undersea for too long, completely out of touch with the outside world. Miss Rabbit and Prince You Sen must know each other; they probably even used to be very close.’
Soon, two guards appeared at the door and carried the glass box away.
They were to take the Little Prince to Lord Shen He’s residence in the Royal Palace.
Yusen rose as well and headed outside.
Yu Zhizhi followed him.
The man behind Yusen wanted to stop her, but he held his tongue at the thought of Lord Shen He’s words.
Lifting her long skirt, Yu Zhizhi had to jog just to keep up with Yusen.
Just as he was about to board his carriage, she finally summoned her courage and grabbed his sleeve—
"...Sensen."
She panted softly. When she saw him stop, she called out again, "Sensen, it’s me."
Yusen glanced to the side. His gaze fell to the hand clutching the hem of his tunic. Seeing that she had gotten a reaction, the young female took another step closer.
Yu Zhizhi steadied her breathing. She was truly happy to see Yusen again.
"I... I was captured by Lord Shen He..."
She murmured, "I was just wondering how I could possibly contact you... I never thought we’d meet again so soon. Sensen, have you been well these days?"
Outside the Political Hall, on the wide pathway beside the ornate, classical carriage, the girl’s snow-white rabbit ears were strikingly conspicuous in the sunlight.
Yusen’s gaze slowly traveled upward, landing on her porcelain-white face. It was just as he remembered: limpid eyes, a delicate nose, and lips like flower petals. Her smile was so sweet... so sweet that every time he woke, a bittersweet ache would surface in his heart.
His light-blue eyes were like flawless sapphires, all emotion buried deep undersea, leaving behind what seemed to be an empty shell.
"You were looking for me? What for?"
The young man’s voice was light and faintly cold, like the first snow of early winter blanketing the branches.
Yu Zhizhi saw a faint smile grace his handsome face, though his eyes remained devoid of warmth. "Do you need me to send you back to Varolan, for old times’ sake?"
Beside them, a flash of astonishment crossed the man’s eyes.
He instinctively took two steps back.
’The young Rabbit Clan female kept calling him "Sensen"—what an intimate name.’
’And Prince You Sen himself had spoken of "old times’ sake." Connecting that to his past in the Moon Rising Empire, could it be—’
’—that the one who bought him back then was none other than this very Miss Rabbit?’
’If so, everything would make sense!’
’It would explain Prince You Sen’s unusual behavior, and why Lord Shen He was pushing this young lady on him again and again.’
’Go back... to Varolan?’ Yu Zhizhi froze. ’I did want to go back before, but now... I’m not in such a hurry.’
’Before the main quest begins, I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to do.’
Seeing her hesitation, a corner of Yusen’s mouth twitched. "So you only think of me when you need something? What about your Duke? Isn’t he supposed to be all-powerful? Go have him save you."
His tone was light, as if he were just chatting with a friend, but his words were incredibly sharp.
Yusen averted his gaze and stepped onto the carriage stairs, his clothes still clutched tightly in the little rabbit’s hands.
Yu Zhizhi brought her other hand up as well, gripping his sleeve even tighter. It was as if she believed that if she didn’t hold on, Yusen would be blown away by the wind.
"That’s not it."
Yu Zhizhi protested softly, "I’m not—I’m not asking for your help. I just wanted to see you, to know how you’ve been. Sensen, I have so much I want to tell you... About back in the Divine City, that day... I..."
"There’s no need to apologize," Yusen cut in. He pulled his sleeve from her grasp, his blue eyes cold and deep. "Your choices are your own. You don’t owe me anything. Let the past be the past. There’s no need to dredge it all up again. It’s pointless."
’There was no need to remind him that he was the one who had been abandoned.’
’The Divine City was a wound in his heart that would never heal.’
’Yusen didn’t allow anyone to mention that place.’
’He didn’t want to hear it.’
Yu Zhizhi stared at him, stunned.
Nearby, the Black-clothed Steward held his breath, not daring to make a sound. ’If I had known,’ he thought, ’I would have stood much farther away.’
’Sensen seems to have put up heavy walls around his heart. He won’t let me get close...’ A light flickered in Yu Zhizhi’s eyes. She wasn’t ready to give up. But just as she was about to speak again, she heard footsteps approaching from behind her.
A court maid approached the carriage and bowed. "Prince You Sen, His Majesty the King is awake. He requests your presence."
The old King was gravely ill, his condition dire. He spent most of his time in a coma.
Waking up this time, he had specifically asked to see the Prince Merfolk.
Yusen glanced at Yu Zhizhi. "If you need my help, just say so. If only for the sake of those eyes of yours, I won’t refuse you."
’So there’s no need to bring up the past.’
’He had decided long ago to forget.’
’To forget her, and to forget everything that happened in Paradise and the Divine City.’
Yu Zhizhi silently watched him walk away.
’We haven’t seen each other in so long, and Yusen has become a bit of a stranger.’
’She still thought of their time in Paradise, of the pure smile on his face, of his warm embrace... He always carried the fresh, salty scent of the sea.’
Yu Zhizhi pressed her lips together. They had only just reunited after so long; she couldn’t bear to part like this with so much left unsaid.
’Besides, Lord Shen He told me to keep Yusen company.’
With that thought, her spiritual power stirred, and she transformed into a fluffy little rabbit. She hopped lightly up the stairs, one by one, then bounced onto the carriage and dove behind the curtains without a moment’s hesitation.
The Black-clothed Steward witnessed the entire scene. He lowered his head and chanted to himself—
’I see nothing, I see nothing, I see nothing...’
Yu Zhizhi ducked into the carriage. In her Beast Form, she was small enough to hide beneath the drapery hanging over the seat.
She waited obediently for Yusen to return.
And as she waited, she drifted off to sleep.
When Yusen returned from the King’s chambers and boarded the carriage, he immediately spotted the little white rabbit "hiding" beneath the drapery.
He couldn’t quite name the feeling that stirred in his chest. His fingers trembled slightly as a flicker of anger kindled in his eyes—
’Why is she still here?’
’He had already resolved to put the past behind him, so why did she have to reappear now?’
’The little rabbit would never know how much strength, how much resolve, it had taken him to even briefly forget Paradise, forget Zero Star Street... forget her.’
Yu Zhizhi sensed a sudden drop in temperature.
She groggily opened her eyes to see the young man sitting in the carriage. Her rabbit ears twitched, and her voice was soft and thick with sleep. "Sensen..."
Yu Zhizhi wriggled out from under the red drapery. Gathering her strength, she leaped directly into his lap—
The fluffy little rabbit flopped onto her back in his lap, exposing her soft, snow-white belly. With her paws curled, she nudged her head against him. "Sensen, don’t be angry, okay?"
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