The Eldest Princess's carriage rolled slowly toward the mansion gates. A Li stepped down first and stood respectfully by the side, ready to assist the Eldest Princess.
Just then, Lang Huan suddenly stepped forward and gently nudged A Li aside. Giving her a mischievous grin, she planted herself in front of the carriage. A Li could only shake her head at Lang Huan's antics, used to her playful behavior by now.
When the carriage curtain was lifted, the princess was about to step down—but her eyes immediately caught Lang Huan standing in front of the carriage with her arms wide open, as if she wanted to carry her down.
Feng Yao shot her a fierce glare. Caught in the act, Lang Huan grinned sheepishly, dropped her arms, and instead politely offered one hand to help her down.
"Why haven't you gone home yet?" Feng Yao asked as she took Lang Huan's hand and stepped down gracefully.
Lang Huan didn't answer. She just smiled. Feng Yao narrowed her gaze, then grabbed her sleeve and pulled her inside the reception hall.
Once inside, she waved off the maids and guards with a flick of her sleeve. When the room was quiet, she turned to Lang Huan and carefully checked her arms and hands.
"Are you hurt?" she asked calmly. Her face relaxed when she found no injuries on Lang Huan's body.
"How could I get hurt?" Lang Huan said with a grin. "Your Highness's people are amazing—they protected me very well."
She reached into her robes and pulled out a military token, handing it back.
Feng Yao accepted the token, but her gaze remained fixed on Lang Huan. "You still haven't answered me. Why haven't you gone home yet? The Duke of Huguo will return soon."
Lang Huan paused, then lifted her chin confidently. "I'm not going home until I see Your Highness. Don't you owe me a reward for catching them?"
Feng Yao raised a brow and let out a soft snort. "Reward? I helped you get revenge. You should be the one giving me a reward."
Lang Huan let out a low chuckle, her eyes twinkling as she nodded. "You're right," she said with a teasing smile. "I should be the one rewarding Your Highness."
She stepped closer, gently holding Feng Yao's arms, her expression turning tender.
"Is Your Highness ready to receive the reward?" she whispered, her voice low and full of meaning.
Feng Yao frowned, confused. "What?"
Lang Huan didn't answer. Instead, she gave a sly smile and suddenly leaned in—landing a soft kiss on Feng Yao's cheek.
As soon as she did it, Lang Huan held her breath. Her heart pounded. She couldn't believe she had been that bold. But even though she was the one who kissed, blush spreading from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears.
Feng Yao stared at her, eyes wide. For a long moment, the two of them just stood there in stunned silence.
Then, Feng Yao snapped out of it. Without a word, she reached out and pinched Lang Huan's ear hard.
"You little hooligan…!" She muttered, her cheeks also slightly pink.
"Ow! That hurts… Your Highness, I'm sorry… please!" Lang Huan whined, wincing in pain as she tried to escape.
But Feng Yao ignored her. She kept pulling Lang Huan by the ear, dragging her down the hallway toward guess room.
"Hisss—okay, okay! I'm sorry! Please let go!" Lang Huan kept begging in a low voice as a few passing maids lowered their heads, pretending they didn't see anything.
Once they reached Lang Huan's room, Feng Yao finally let go and said firmly, "Get ready to go home. People from the Duke's mansion will come to pick you up."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away, her robe swaying behind her.
Lang Huan stood still, rubbing her sore ear. But instead of being angry, she just smiled like a fool.
"It hurts… but totally worth it," she muttered, chuckling to herself.
---
Finally, a maid informed Lang Huan that people from the Duke's mansion had arrived to pick her up. She also mentioned that she didn't need to say goodbye to the Princess.
Is she mad at me? Lang Huan wondered silently. She bit her lower lip, a flicker of worry crossing her heart. Then, she turned and walked toward the front gates.
As soon as she stepped outside the Princess Mansion, she spotted Zhou Ming and Zhou An waiting beside the carriage.
The moment she saw them, a big smile lit up her face. She ran toward them and gave each of them a light punch on the arm. Her eyes filled with tears, and a small sob slipped out before she could stop it.
Zhou Ming gently patted her back. "It's alright, Young Master," he said with a soft smile. "The nightmare's over now."
Zhou An stepped forward and added, "Young Master, Zhou Xun told us everything. We got our revenge. Oh, and by the way… you're famous now." As he spoke, he draped a warm fur cloak over her shoulders to protect her from the snow.
Lang Huan blinked in surprise. "Famous?"
She wasn't sure what he meant, and honestly, she was too tired to ask. Instead, she just nodded and climbed into the carriage without another word.
Before leaving, she had intentionally left Xiao Bai behind at the Princess Mansion—so she'd have a reason to come back. As the carriage began to move, Lang Huan touched her lips, recalling the moment she kissed the Princess's cheek. She couldn't stop herself from chuckling softly.
The carriage rolled through Luo City slowly, snowflakes drifting down from the gray sky. Lang Huan opened the window, letting the cold breeze touch her face. A few minutes later, she heard noise up ahead—cheers, clapping, and loud voices echoing through the street.
Curious, she leaned out the window. "Stop for a second," she called to Zhou Ming before hopping out of the carriage.
She walked toward the crowd and saw people gathered around an old storyteller standing on a wooden crate. The man was animated, his voice clear and full of excitement.
"With unmatched courage," he declared, "the young warrior—son of the Duke of Huguo—rode a white wolf and stormed into the bandits' villa! With swift strikes of his sword, he freed every single captive girl!"
The crowd cheered wildly.
"And listen to this," the storyteller continued, leaning in as if sharing a great secret. "Do you know who was behind it all? The Second Prince himself! He built the villa and ordered the kidnappings. Dozens of girls vanished because of him!"
Gasps spread through the crowd. People cursed under their breath. One woman even spat on the ground.
"But here's the worst part," the storyteller went on, his voice rising again. "After the rescue, instead of punishing his son, what did the Emperor do? He burned the entire villa to the ground—to destroy the evidence and silence the scandal!"
Boos and furious shouts erupted all around. Someone threw a snowball at the ground in anger.
Lang Huan stood frozen, stunned by the story. Zhou Ming leaned in and whispered proudly, "There've been a lot of storytellers talking about your heroic deeds lately, Young Master. You're a legend now."
Lang Huan's face turned bright red. She quickly covered her face with her sleeve and rushed back into the carriage. Zhou Ming chuckled quietly behind her.
Back inside, Lang Huan sat quietly. Her mind wandered to the night of the rescue.
The Emperor burning the villa? That didn't sound right.
She remembered Qiu Yue urging her to leave early, and Commander Chang staying behind. If someone had really burned the place... it must've been part of the Eldest Princess's plan.
She felt embarrassed by the storyteller's exaggerated version.
If it weren't for Feng Yao... there's no way I could've done it all alone.
That rescue wasn't my victory—it was hers.
She turned to look out the window, watching snowflakes land gently on her fingers. Slowly, a soft smile returned to her lips.