He was aware that Hong Chun wasn't famous in the noble circle but he knew that if some other man got to know her, they would also be trapped just like him.

He couldn't afford to let her be taken away.

When Mao Zhen came back to the booth, she saw her brother looking like an idiot and her friend calmly fixing her hair.

There was an addition of a narcissus pin on her head. In her heart, she lit a candle for her gege.

It was clear who was going to be under who once they were married.

She slipped to her seat and Mao Zhu still hadn't taken notice of her. Mao Zhen sighed. This brother of hers was hopeless.

Should she laugh or should she cry?

Biting on a pastry, she remembered something worthy of gossip.

"A'Chun, do you know gege was recognized by that Sui Commander something? I heard that he'll be promoted again very soon!"

Mao Zhu sobered up by this piece of information. Was it right for his sister to gossip right in front of him?

Hong Chun turned to the girl beside her.

Commander Sui?

"The esteemed leader of the royal guards?"

Mao Zhen got excited as she knew that her friend was well-educated when it came to the people in court.

"Yes! There's more! Brother was even invited by his Majesty himself to go to the banquet prepared by Commander Sui! When Grandma heard this, she almost fainted on the spot!"

"Zhen-zhen, if you don't lower your voice, we'll attract unnecessary attention." Mao Zhu tried to nag his sister.

"Okay, young sis is just proud, you know?" She replied with a wide smile.

Knowing her brother, he wouldn't boast in front of A'Chun so it was her duty to make her friend be amazed at her brother's achievements.

Hong Chun didn't fail her expectations as she urged, "How did Zhu ge meet bi xia?"

The young man sat straighter while recounting the events of that day. His manner was akin to reporting to his superior.

Hong Chun felt her lips twitching because of his story.

Out of all the days his Majesty would stroll around the palace, it had to be the same day that Mao Zhu had business inside.

Was this a red flag?

She disguised her unease with eagerness. "What happened at the Commander's banquet then?"

"Brother briefly talked with the old man and the old man said to visit him in a few days. Even the ignorant me smelled the scent of promotion!" Mao Zhen exclaimed.

"Don't call the commander old man." Her brother scolded.

She pouted at him.

Hong Chun sided with Mao Zhu. "I agree. The commander was once a great general of our nation. If he wasn't badly injured that year, he could be the Grand Marshall now. And instead of choosing the rewards offered by the last emperor, he opted to tutor the princes in martial arts and became our current Emperor's honored master."

Mao Zhu looked at her in awe. "Commander Sui is indeed deserving of respect. I'm amazed you also know these things."

The miss smiled, "Father likes giving us quizzes on important figures and events during meals. How can I forget?"

She didn't like the hint of watchfulness in his eyes.

After taking a sip of her now cold tea, she spoke again. "To be recognized by Commander Sui, it's almost the same as being acknowledged by His Majesty. I fear Zhu ge will have more admirers lining up soon."

The lieutenant colonel became serious when he heard this.

"Even if that happens, nothing will change."

Mao Zhen giggled. "A'Chun, stop kidding with my gege or else, he might really marry you right here and now."

She laughed along but didn't forget to ask the scarlet-cheeked lieutenant.

"I wonder what great deed Zhu ge did to pique the interest of the dragon?"

Mao Zhu scratched the back of his head.

"It's too small to mention..."

She nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"The barbarians from the south captured a few of the villages and our regiment was assigned to recover the outermost one. It wasn't a large battle but we won in the end. Only now have I learned that among the captives that we freed was her Majesty, the Empress' old nurse."

"Eh? How come?" The story got her hooked now.

"I only remember a blind old woman among the captives. We asked them where they wanted to be evacuated and the old woman said that she could be dropped off at the nearest town to the capital."

Hong Chun was dumbfounded by this tale.

What kind of coincidence would lead Mao Zhu to save the female lead's nurse?

This was the original Nuo Ying Su's nurse who was part of her mother's dowry.

But when her mother died, the new madam of the Nuo clan found a way to snatch this nurse from the young di miss.

The madam made it appear that the nurse stole something from her master and was beaten to death.

Who would have known that she tortured her first just to hide the fact that she was the one who poisoned the original Nuo Ying Su's mother?

By the end of the first book, this nurse wasn't mentioned anymore.

The main leads already had their happy ending and that was what mattered.

It was a joke that this nurse would suddenly appear now and Mao Zhu became the instrument to find her.

It was significant merit for the Empress.

No wonder the Emperor took notice of him.

Hong Chun wanted to cry as she observed Mao Zhu's harmless face.

Would he look at her the same way when he meets the Empress?

She couldn't help but think of the possibilities.

Being the female lead, Nuo Ying Su's charisma was uncontested. Hong Chun, on the other hand, was a mere pitiful author who was demoted to a small character.

Sighing in her heart, she wondered if it was a good idea to marry this man.

"Is something the matter, Chun mei?"

"Uhm, I'm just thinking if Zhu ge met his Majesty, then did you also meet her Majesty?"

The hand that was holding his teacup shook. It was too small of a movement that Mao Zhu thought no one noticed.

Hong Chun pretended that she didn't.

"How could someone lowly like me meet the dragon and phoenix on the same day?"

The miss' lips faintly curved. She had the answer she needed.

Soon after, the three of them decided to go home.

As she was walking out of the teahouse, her eyes met with the unnamed soldier again. But she had no time to be interested now.

---

Hong Chun sighed for how many times since she went home from playing.

She could accurately imagine what happened in the palace and at the banquet.

Emperor Yi Xiao1 caught sight of Mao Zhu and became interested without a logical reason. He told him his name and he learned that he was part of the Mao family.

Then, he conveniently remembered this same person was the one who saved his darling's old nurse.

He, of course, had a good impression of him. Long Yi Ran wouldn't feel threatened at all for who was he? He was the Son of Heaven and this was a soldier of his empire.

How broad was his mind to even let a second male lead get close to his wifey?

It just spoke of how confident and at ease he was with himself.

Hong Chun couldn't help scoffing. It wasn't her business that the male lead was this bored that he was letting another wolf in his den.

But it was certainly her business that this harmless wolf was her little fiancé.

Drumming her fingertips on the stone table, she basked under the setting sun here in the Hong fu garden.

Autumn was coming so the winds were not as hot as it was when the Hong couple went to Mei Le.

She could guess that it wouldn't reach winter before she moved into the Mao residence.

Before, she had no reason to fuss over this wedding. But now that the relationship between the characters was unraveling right before her eyes, she wanted to flee even before it was complete.

It was fine to call her a person with no backbone. She never cared about a blackened reputation.

A memory stirred in her mind so she lowered her gaze.

This wasn't good. Her unruffled mindset was starting to get chaotic and it was because of something that hadn't happened yet.

Hong Chun was the type who procrastinated but didn't want to admit it. She still wanted to assure herself that there was a plan although there wasn't.

But now that there was a potential threat, the alarms in her brain started blaring. Even if it was a slight indication, she couldn't sit still and wanted to eliminate everything that could harm her.