The dream of this night was even clearer than the last time, except for the people, who remained blurry. Their clothes and actions were visible, but their faces were indistinct.

However, Bai Fanlu could still recognize Mo Jiuli, who was sitting alone on a stone bench. His silhouette was reflected amidst the pine and bamboo trees in the courtyard, quiet and clear.

“Ali!” A voice called out from somewhere.

Bai Fanlu looked over and saw that Qi Zhao had appeared in front of him in an instant. “Why are you sitting here all alone so late?”

As he spoke, he unfolded a robe and draped it over Mo Jiuli’s shoulders. “The night dew is heavy; don’t catch a cold.”

The moment this person appeared, it was as if the sun had driven away all the darkness, dispelling the loneliness that filled the entire courtyard.

Bai Fanlu tried to see his face clearly, but failed again. However, tonight, the sound of his voice seemed familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before.

Mo Jiuli lowered his head slightly, seemingly glancing at the robe on his body without saying a word.

“There are a lot of stars tonight,” Qi Zhao said as he sat down beside him.

Mo Jiuli responded, “Yes.”

“Do you like them?” Qi Zhao asked.

Mo Jiuli shook his head. “I wouldn’t say I like them, but with them in the sky, doesn’t it feel a bit more lively?”

“True,” Qi Zhao laughed heartily. “The view here isn’t broad enough. Let’s go to the rooftop to look.”

“The rooftop?”

Qi Zhao wrapped an arm around Mo Jiuli’s waist, “You’ve just been injured. Don’t move, I’ll take you up.”

With that, the two rose into the air. The trees around them swayed, as if stirred by a gust of wind.

The spiritual energy was strong, so strong that even in his dream, Bai Fanlu could sense something extraordinary.

The two landed steadily on the roof ridge.

It was as if the scene had completed a mysterious transformation. Bai Fanlu found that his perspective had also changed.

Late spring, the sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. The night sky was deep like a curtain, adorned with stars of various sizes, gleaming like scattered diamonds. The moon was a mere sliver, a faint crescent that appeared dim and insignificant compared to the stars.

This dream seemed to perfectly compensate for the regret of not seeing the starry sky that day. Bai Fanlu was searching the sky for some star, possibly Shen or Shang, when he heard Mo Jiuli say, “It’s said that all the stars in the sky are deities. If I made a wish to them, would it come true?”

Upon hearing this, Qi Zhao laughed proudly, “Why make a wish to something so far away? The most powerful deity in this world is right in front of you. Whatever your wish is, just tell me, and I will make it come true.”

“…Then I have no wishes,” Mo Jiuli replied indifferently, not giving him any face.

Qi Zhao was displeased. “What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?”

“I hold you in such high regard,” Mo Jiuli joked, adding, “I’m just an ordinary mortal. What big wishes could I have? I was merely asking out of curiosity. Don’t take it seriously, Divine Lord.”

Qi Zhao didn’t seem convinced, but neither of them spoke for a while.

After a long silence, Qi Zhao asked, “Ali, I often see you outside alone at night. You really don’t want to talk to me about it?”

Mo Jiuli gazed at the night sky and casually replied, “The room just feels stuffy.”

“But I heard from your maid that you sleep with the lamp on every night.”

“It’s just a habit,” Mo Jiuli chuckled softly. “Why, the great Divine Lord listens in on mortals?”

“You…” Qi Zhao was helpless. “If I wanted to know something about you, I wouldn’t need to eavesdrop.”

“True, the Divine Lord knows everything under the heavens…”

“Ali!” Qi Zhao interrupted him and, after a pause, asked, “Are you… afraid of the dark?”

Mo Jiuli suddenly froze.

Bai Fanlu felt as though he was also stunned.

The brilliant stars seemed to be swallowed by the spinning, distorted night, and in an instant, only darkness remained in his vision.

It wasn’t just a darkness that came from his eyes, but something that emerged from deep within his heart, engulfing him completely in a suffocating oppression—the kind of “darkness” that made it hard to breathe.

It was as if the whole world had disappeared, leaving him alone, accompanied by the dark, unable to see any light.

“Don’t be afraid… Ali, don’t be afraid…”

Bai Fanlu heard Qi Zhao’s voice, as if it was cutting through the boundless darkness.

Gradually, he could see again. He saw Mo Jiuli being held by Qi Zhao, standing silently, his figure still tall as always. Yet Bai Fanlu, for some reason, could faintly sense the turmoil in this person’s heart at that moment.

“I’m not afraid,” Mo Jiuli shook his head.

“Still putting on a brave face in front of me?” Qi Zhao asked him.

Mo Jiuli smiled wryly, “Yes, you, the great Qi Zhao Emperor, are the mightiest in the world. In your eyes, everyone is but an ant. You’ve seen me at my most pathetic, so what right do I have to pretend in front of you?”

“You’re deliberately twisting my words…” Qi Zhao was speechless. “With that mouth of yours, I really…”

“Really what?”

Qi Zhao stared at Mo Jiuli for a moment and then released his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have thought that you needed comforting, although that’s what I tried to do. Hmph, my good intentions were taken for nothing. You’re the only one in this world who dares to treat me with such disregard.”

Mo Jiuli chuckled lightly, “Indeed, it’s me who’s ungrateful.”

Qi Zhao raised his hand as if in anger, and Bai Fanlu thought he was about to take his frustration out, but instead, he pulled Mo Jiuli closer by the back of his head, saying, “I told you before, don’t stay so far away from me!”

“Understood, Divine Lord.”

“That mouth of yours is getting harder to control… I’ll have to deal with you properly today…”

Qi Zhao firmly pressed down on Mo Jiuli’s rebellious head, and suddenly, the two were leaning close together.

What had been a sharp exchange of words turned into something different. The sound of a passionate kiss caught Bai Fanlu off guard, and the atmosphere around them instantly became incredibly intimate.

The kiss went on for a long time, and even included the sound of labored breathing. Bai Fanlu was suddenly reminded of his previous spring dream, but this time they were on a rooftop. Surely they weren’t about to… here?

Crash! The sound of tiles falling, several large pieces, as if someone had kicked them down on purpose.

“Assassins! Protect the Ninth Prince!” someone shouted from below, and Qi Zhao was forced to let go.

Mo Jiuli’s light laughter still carried a tremor, sounding particularly alluring. He sat upright, and called out leisurely to the people below, “The assassin is here. Come and catch me, and there’ll be a reward for capturing me alive!”

Qi Zhao seemed quite annoyed. “Ali, you did that on purpose, didn’t you!”

“The great Qi Zhao Emperor doesn’t mind sneaking into the human world to act like a roof-walking thief, so I’m just handling things fairly. How is that on purpose?”

The guards, torches in hand, began gathering toward them. Seeing the situation, Qi Zhao whispered into Mo Jiuli’s ear, “You just wait. I’ll come back tomorrow to settle this with you.”

Mo Jiuli laughed, “I’ll be waiting, Divine Lord.”

With a flick of his robe, Qi Zhao vanished.

Mo Jiuli was about to jump down from the roof when a hidden force gently supported him, allowing him to land safely.

This energy was distinctive, and even Bai Fanlu could feel it. He recalled Qi Zhao’s words when they had gone up to the rooftop. Even as he left, Qi Zhao was still concerned about Mo Jiuli’s injury?

Naturally, the guards couldn’t catch the so-called assassin. Mo Jiuli casually gave them a reason to search elsewhere, and after standing quietly outside the courtyard for a while, he turned and walked toward his sleeping quarters.

Reaching the door, he paused, staring inside without entering.

Bai Fanlu stood behind him and suddenly heard a sigh, “Does fear make a difference? As for wishes… if I truly made one, you’d probably be the first to want to kill me.”

The dream ended with this deeply helpless statement.

When Bai Fanlu woke up this time, he was already used to it—not just the dreaming, but also the person holding him in their sleep.

Thinking of Mu Yunhe, Bai Fanlu had a vague guess. Perhaps Mo Jiuli and Qi Zhao in the dream were connected to Yun Zhan.

After all, after Yun Zhan gave him the human soul, it was then that he first dreamed of Mo Jiuli and heard him say, “I died with regrets.”

Later, he had little contact with Yun Zhan, and such dreams ceased.

But now, ever since entering the chess game, he began dreaming of Mo Jiuli again, and the dreams were becoming more frequent, with the scenes in the dream clearer each time.

The most obvious thing was that every dream seemed to be related to what had happened during the day. He suspected that because of Mu Yunhe, their souls were linked, affecting each other’s dreams.

Mu Yun he dreamed of Yun Zhan and Bai Fanlu, while Bai Fanlu dreamed of Qi Zhao and Mo Jiuli.

Was there some connection between them?

Bai Fanlu pondered this as he reached under the pillow and felt for the jade ring. Ever since the two halves of the jade had merged, they hadn’t separated again. Now, at Bai Fanlu’s insistence, Mu Yunhe carried it with him at all times.

It was because of his fear of the life-or-death tribulation, thinking that since it was a token, it might actually have protective powers.

The life-or-death tribulation…

The more Bai Fanlu thought about it, the more awake he became. The warmth of the body behind him was becoming unbearable. He gently got up, trying to extricate himself from Mu Yunhe’s embrace.

“Shixiong…” A sleepy murmur came from behind, and a long leg suddenly draped over his waist.

Bai Fanlu held his breath, waiting for a moment. When there were no further movements, he tried to remove the arm over his body, and then worked to free himself from the leg’s grip.

“Mm… why are you up so early?”

Mu Yunhe had been roused after all and pressed Bai Fanlu back down. “Stay with me a little longer.”

Bai Fanlu pushed him away. “You sleep. I’m getting up.”

Mu Yunhe sat up reluctantly. “So heartless.”

Bai Fanlu ignored the complaint. Since he was sleeping on the inside of the bed, he had to climb over Mu Yunhe to get out. But just as he lifted one leg, the other person intercepted him, pulling him into his lap.

With his mouth close to Bai Fanlu’s ear, Mu Yunhe whispered, “You’re so full of energy, and I’m feeling quite ‘energized’ myself. Can you feel it?”

Clearly, the two “energies” weren’t the same thing.

And in this position, how could he not feel the “energy” that was pressing against him?

Bai Fanlu’s face flushed instantly. With all his strength, he shoved Mu Yunhe onto his back. “You go die.”

“If I die, you’ll be a widow.”

“I’d be happy to.”

Mu Yunhe chuckled, “So you’re admitting I’m your husband?”

He had never seen anyone with such thick skin.

Bai Fanlu quickly climbed out of bed, with Mu Yunhe following closely behind. When Bai Fanlu reached for his clothes by the bedside, Mu Yunhe snatched them up first. “This one’s a bit complicated. Let me help you put it on.”

A sudden realization struck Bai Fanlu. “The three outfits you picked… Are they all complicated?”

Mu Yunhe laughed, “Of course! The more complicated, the better they look.”

Ah, he’d fallen right into the trap.

But Bai Fanlu couldn’t exactly run around in just his undergarments, so he said, “Fine, then help me put it on, Prince Mu.”

“Not a bother at all. I’m happy to.”

And so the grand Prince Mu became responsible for helping Bai Fanlu dress in the morning. If this bedroom secret were to spread, who knows how much his friends would laugh at him.

In addition to helping with the dressing, Mu Yunhe also took on the task of combing Bai Fanlu’s hair.

He wasn’t very skilled, combing from the top to the bottom repeatedly. Bai Fanlu thought Mu Yunhe might be pretending to know what he was doing but was actually clueless about how to style a woman’s hair.

Jokingly, Bai Fanlu said, “Looks like I’ve finally stumped the young prince.”

Mu Yunhe asked, “Have you ever heard this saying?”

“What?” Bai Fanlu didn’t understand.

As he gently held Bai Fanlu’s hair, Mu Yunhe ran the comb through it again. The strands were smooth and silky, flowing like water through his fingers.

As he combed, Mu Yunhe recited, “One stroke combs to the end, two strokes for white hair together, three strokes for wings in unison, four strokes…”

Bai Fanlu’s heart trembled, fearing Mu Yunhe would continue with the recitation, so he hurriedly interrupted him.

However, the young prince was clearly not cut out to be a poet. He got stuck on the fourth line but was not the least bit frustrated. Instead, he laughed, “When I was little, I once secretly watched my father comb my mother’s hair, and he only said these few lines, so that’s all I remember.”

What had been a somewhat sweet moment now turned unexpectedly funny.

Bai Fanlu thought to himself that it was no surprise that Mu Yunhe inherited these cheesy pickup lines from his father, the great General Mu.

In the end, Mu Yunhe did manage to complete a simple woman’s hairstyle. He had watched closely yesterday when Liu Xin had styled Bai Fanlu’s hair, not for nothing but in preparation for today.

Once he finished helping Bai Fanlu get ready, Mu Yunhe dressed himself and then attached something to Bai Fanlu’s waist. Upon feeling it, Bai Fanlu realized it was a sachet.

“I don’t wear this,” he said, thinking it would make him smell overly fragrant, like a woman.

But Mu Yunhe responded, “It’s not filled with fragrance.”

“Then what’s inside?”

Mu Yunhe opened the sachet and took out two small objects, placing them in Bai Fanlu’s hand. He realized they were the two little grass-woven rabbits.

“Why do you have these?”

Bai Fanlu had thought he’d lost them. He had been bathed and dressed the night Mu Yunhe brought him into the palace, and after that, he couldn’t find the two little rabbits. When he asked the maids, they hadn’t seen them either, which had puzzled him.

However, because he couldn’t remember where the rabbits had come from, he hadn’t considered them particularly important. He couldn’t exactly ask the entire palace to search for them, so he had just accepted their loss.

“I found them in the new room last night. Is this what you were looking for?”

Bai Fanlu had never mentioned it to Mu Yunhe, so the maids must have told him. Bai Fanlu nodded.

Mu Yunhe said, “Then it’s safer to keep them in this.”

It turned out that the sachet had a practical use, and Bai Fanlu felt around it again. It seemed relatively plain, without any fancy embroidery.

Seeing how much Bai Fanlu cherished the two little rabbits, Mu Yunhe asked with a slight frown, “Judging by your expression, these weren’t given to you by a lover, were they?”

“Hmm…” Bai Fanlu caught the tone in his voice, and with a small smile, he teasingly responded, “And what if they were?”

“!” Prince Mu was enraged but didn’t dare to speak further.

Finding the two little rabbits put Bai Fanlu in a good mood. He checked his veil to make sure everything was in place, then turned to leave.

The bitterly regretful Prince Mu, who had carefully dressed up his beautiful wife, was now rueful.

They were still two days away from their destination, Qingying. As Bai Fanlu got into the carriage, he overheard Mu Yunhe talking to the coachman, and realized that the coachman had been replaced.

He found this odd but trusted that Mu Yunhe had his reasons for the arrangement. Such matters were not his concern, nor did he feel the need to ask. After this long journey, they arrived at the next inn, and the next morning, the coachman had been changed again.

On the third day, after waking up, Mu Yunhe helped Bai Fanlu get dressed and did his hair as usual. But by the time they were done, Bai Fanlu realized something was off. He finally understood Mu Yunhe’s true intention behind bringing only three sets of clothes.