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Meng Yuning was taken aback. She looked toward Qi Jingyan and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, this cloak is yours, isn't it?"

Qi Jingyan, who was gently patting Yi'er, didn't turn his head. "Yes."

Meng Yuning had guessed that it was likely meant for her to use as bedding. However, recalling the cold and ruthless man described in the original book, she felt a flicker of doubt and decided to tentatively confirm: "Your Highness, shall I put it away for you? I’m planning to take a nap, and I'm afraid I might crease it if I leave it here."

Qi Jingyan turned his head, his tone gentle. "The bedding has not been purchased yet; you may use this cloak for now."

They had left in such a rush that Mu Feng had only grabbed the blanket from his carriage, which had been laid out on his own bed the night before. It was spring, and as he was naturally warm-blooded, he didn't feel the cold and hadn't thought to look for anything extra to cover himself. Yi'er was curled up beside him, tucked under his own little tiger-head quilt, and hadn't been cold either.

Yet, last night, he had noticed her shivering, curled up tightly in her cape. At the time, he assumed it was just her sleeping habit, but seeing her drying wild grass today to make a mattress, he realized she must have been cold. Upon entering earlier, he had ordered Mu Yun to fetch the cloak for her.

Hearing his response, Meng Yuning was surprised and felt a stir of genuine gratitude. In a world where human life was treated like mere grass, encountering such a considerate boss was truly a stroke of immense luck. Providing positive emotional value to a good boss to secure future promotions and raises was a principle she had always upheld in her career.

With this in mind, Meng Yuning pressed her palms together, her eyes curving into crescents as she bowed piously toward Qi Jingyan. "Thank you, Your Highness. You truly are a wonderful person. Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely prepare a variety of dishes for you and the little prince."

Of course, she kept the last part to herself, lest she appear overly sycophantic.

Qi Jingyan: "...Go to sleep."

Meng Yuning didn't dawdle. She sat on the edge of the bed, took off her shoes, and lay down on the cloak. She slept on one side, pulled the other side over herself, and only then realized how large the cloak truly was; she didn't even need to curl up her legs to cover herself from head to toe.

She lay on her side, sneaking glances at the prone Qi Jingyan to gauge his height. The book said he was nearly nine feet tall. By the measurements of this dynasty, how tall was that, exactly? Meng Yuning pondered for a moment but couldn't quite figure it out. She remembered a description in the book: "Standing among the guards, Qi Jingyan stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens, towering and uniquely distinguished."

The tallest guard, Mu Shan, appeared to be about one meter eighty-five or eighty-seven. If Qi Jingyan was even taller than him, could he be one meter ninety? That would be incredibly tall.

Seeing that Yi'er was asleep, Qi Jingyan stopped his movements and lay still. Inadvertently, he noticed the woman on the adjacent bed, nestled in the cloak, her eyes darting around as she sized him up from head to toe. Fearing there might be something unusual about his appearance, he tilted his head slightly to look down, but found everything to be in order.

Recalling her previous antics—like wrapping a handkerchief around her mouth to sleep or kicking the bed frame in her dreams—he figured her current surreptitious staring was nothing to be alarmed about. He was only worried that her eyes would get tired from moving so frequently, so he spoke up: "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Caught in the act, Meng Yuning felt a jolt. She quickly pulled the cloak up over her head, closed her eyes, and said, "I'm sleeping."

Qi Jingyan: "..."

Looking at the curled-up bundle, several distinct scenes flashed through his mind:

At the palace banquet, she was dignified and elegant, her every gesture perfectly according to protocol.

When sent to his carriage, she was filled with terror, cowering in the corner and not daring to look at him, desperate to avoid him.

Later, outside the camp, she leapt from her horse, dragging two bundles of wild vegetables toward him, clearly anxious yet audacious enough to lie to his face with her eyes wide open.

Standing by the stove, wielding a kitchen knife to chop vegetables and a spatula to stir-fry, she was completely in her element, as if she were glowing.

And then there was the way she talked in her sleep with her mouth bound, the way she stumbled into door frames while lugging a wooden tub bigger than herself, and the way she clung to the window frame, coaxing him like a three-year-old child not to turn around while she bathed...

So, what kind of woman was she, really?

Meng Yuning had a habit of napping. Huddled in the cloak, in the pitch-black darkness, she soon fell asleep.

Qi Jingyan watched for a while. Hearing her breathing become slow and steady, he reached over and pulled the cloak down slightly, exposing everything from her nose upward. He stared for a few moments, and a sudden thought occurred to him. He reached out and gently probed behind her ears, her chin, her forehead, and her cheeks, but found nothing unusual. It was her original face; no artifice had been applied.

In her sleep, Meng Yuning dreamed that the three-month-old Corgi she had raised was licking her face, which tickled. She retracted her neck, reached out, grabbed the warm little Corgi, and pressed it against her face, muttering, "Little Corgi, don't disturb your sister's sleep."

Qi Jingyan’s expression stiffened as he felt his hand being pulled against her cheek. She was a young girl who had just come of age, her skin smooth and delicate; he was terrified that the calluses on his palms, formed from years of gripping weapons, would scratch her. He tried to withdraw his hand but couldn't; instead, she hugged it tighter and rubbed her face against it.

At this touch, Qi Jingyan’s expression grew even more rigid. He used a bit of force to pull his hand away and quickly retracted it.

This movement startled Meng Yuning awake. She opened her eyes, saw no furry Corgi, and after a moment of confusion, realized she had been dreaming. Right, her little Corgi—she had only raised it for a month before leaving it with a pet-loving friend while she went on her trip. How could it be here?

*Sigh. Goodbye, little Corgi.* Meng Yuning sighed inwardly and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.

Qi Jingyan had expected her to look at him upon waking, but she didn't; she just stared blankly for a moment and went back to sleep. He felt an inexplicable sense of relief and closed his own eyes as well.

---

When Meng Yuning finally woke up, she found that Yi'er was still asleep, but Qi Jingyan was lying on the bed with his eyes wide open. He had been awake while she slept, and he was still awake now. She had a lingering suspicion that he had been awake the entire time, so she asked in a whisper: "Your Highness, have you not been sleeping at all?"

Qi Jingyan gave a slight nod. "Indeed. I am not sleepy."

*So he really hadn't slept. This man has quite a lot of energy.* Meng Yuning put on her shoes, got up, and carefully folded the cloak, placing it beside her white-furred apricot cape. She then said, "Your Highness, please rest a while longer. I’m going outside to see if the laundry is dry."

Qi Jingyan glanced at the two garments placed together and nodded. "Go ahead."

Meng Yuning walked out. The sun was beginning to dip toward the west. Aside from Dr. Tang, who was dozing on a pile of bamboo, the courtyard was empty; everyone else was likely still asleep. She walked over to the laundry on tiptoe and, finding it fully dry, gathered the items one by one and carried them back into the room.

Back inside, she turned her back to Qi Jingyan to block his view, carefully folding each piece before placing them into her bundle. Realizing that everyone else was quiet—likely out of consideration for the two Highnesses—she didn't want to make any noise either. She sat on the edge of the bed, idly gazing out the window.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, spilling onto her delicate cheeks, making the fine peach fuzz on her skin clearly visible, as if coated in a layer of gold. Qi Jingyan was reminded of a fruit: a peach.

Just as Meng Yuning was lost in thought, Qi Jingyan spoke from behind her: "Go call Mu Yun in."

"Oh, right." Meng Yuning came to her senses, stepped outside, and walked a few paces away before calling out, "Mu Yun? His Highness is calling for you."

"Coming," Mu Yun replied, leaping down from the roof of the newly constructed bamboo hut. He called for Mu Shan, and the two men entered the wooden cabin.

Seeing them go in, and mindful of the cramped space, Meng Yuning didn't follow. She walked over to the pile of half-dried grass, flipping it over, thinking she might weave two mats out of it later.

Mu Yun entered the room and bowed. "Does Your Highness wish to get up?"

Qi Jingyan reached out. "I’m tired of lying down. Help me up to sit for a while."

The two men stepped forward, one on each side, carefully lifting him and settling him into his wheelchair.

Without the familiar warmth of his embrace, Yi'er stirred in his sleep. Feeling uneasy, the little boy’s mouth puckered, his small hands grasping at the air, and he began to whimper, "Mother... Brother!"

Mu Yun quickly gathered the boy along with his small quilt and carefully placed him into Qi Jingyan’s arms. Qi Jingyan patted him gently. "Brother is here."

The little boy settled back into a peaceful sleep.

Mu Yun asked in a low voice, "Does Your Highness wish to go outside for some fresh air?"

Qi Jingyan nodded. "Let us wait until Yi'er wakes up."

The two men nodded, bowed, and prepared to withdraw. Before they could even turn around, Qi Jingyan spoke as if it were a casual thought: "In that Meng family, is there anyone called 'Little Corgi'?"

Mu Yun and Mu Shan exchanged a look, their faces full of confusion. "Might we ask Your Highness, which 'Little Corgi' are you referring to?"