Who put the yellow robe on me?

The sixteenth prince Jiang Chen and He Xiaowei slowly turned around and saw several figures walking on the gravel road under the lights not far away.

The moonlight was like water, reflecting on the brocade clothes of the two beauties beside them, emitting a faint luster.

There were Mu Zhengyi and Situ Yongrui, each accompanied by a person with fragrant sleeves - Mu Zhengyi was accompanied by the most beautiful courtesan Liu Ruyan of Tianxiang Pavilion, whose eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, but with a bit of loneliness; Situ Yongrui was standing shoulder to shoulder with the legendary peerless beauty Bai Fengxian. Fengxian's thin gauze sleeves were blown by the breeze, and the fragrance on her body mixed with the night, with the faint aroma of osmanthus and sandalwood.

A sly glint flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes, and he secretly rejoiced that he would never miss any opportunity to slander Mu Zhengyi in front of He Xiaowei, so he said, "Hey, isn't this Liu Hua Kui? Under Mr. Mu's 'training', she has become even more plump - ouch -"

Before he could finish his words, he felt a sudden forceful impact from an arm, slamming hard into his waist. Jiang Chen felt a jolt in his chest, and his eyes slanted slightly—the Thirteenth Princess, Jiang Sirou, glared at him, her bright eyes flashing with reproach.

The lights on the banks of the Lianghuai River danced in her eyes. The faint candle smoke carried a faint scent of cardamom, making her face slightly red. However, she still pushed Jiang Chen back half a step.

The Thirteenth Princess Jiang Sirou said softly, "Sixteenth brother, don't talk nonsense here."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, her eyes brimming with smiles, yet revealing a hint of sarcasm: "Of course, Master Mu is truly much more formidable than His Highness the Sixteenth Prince. Tsk tsk..."

Her voice was as clear as spring water, yet with a deliberate frivolity, as if she was reminiscing about something.

He Xiaowei just watched quietly in the dim light, his face as calm as still water, even his breathing became exceptionally slow, as if all this had nothing to do with him.

"Shut up!" Mu Zhengyi's voice suddenly rose, and a vicious cold air instantly enveloped the surrounding lanterns.

His face, which was once as handsome as jade, now looked a little ferocious. Liu Ruyan was immediately pulled behind him by Situ Yongrui.

Situ whispered something in her ear, his voice so low that only she could hear it, as if he was secretly blaming her for causing trouble again.

A cold light flashed in Liu Ruyan's eyes. She turned around and glared at He Xiaowei fiercely, as if she wanted to see through her to the core.

However, He Xiaowei remained calm, as indifferent as a mountain spring, with no ripples on her face.

"Miss He, you guys are releasing lanterns too?" Mu Zhengyi saw that He Xiaowei didn't move, but he didn't want to miss this delicate moment. He coughed and became polite again: "What wish did you make?"

There was a hint of pretentious frivolity in his voice, as if it was a chilly winter night, but he still wanted to use the bustle of fireworks to hide his inner anxiety.

He Xiaowei turned her head and looked at the paper lantern in her hand that was about to be lit.

The candle wick trembled slightly, and the light flickered in her eyes: "Of course, I wish us a happy marriage..."

But Mu Zhengyi seemed not to hear it, his expression was still stiff, and he forced a smile: "Haha, haha..." He hugged his sleeves, and the cold wind blew past him, and the corners of his clothes seemed to be lifted by cold wind.

In the silence, He Xiaowei remained silent, the light flickering in her eyes. The night and the light intertwined, as if every flicker was a test of everyone's feelings.

The air is filled with the sweet fragrance of candied haws, the slightly burnt aroma of roasted glutinous rice, and the cool water vapor from the Lianghuai River, making people shiver slightly.

Mu Zhengyi thought that as long as he brought out the arrangements made by their parents, he could suppress He Xiaowei, so he continued, "Miss He, my father said that Prime Minister He has agreed to our marriage--"

He Xiaowei frowned slightly, remaining silent. Suddenly, all the noise in the crowd seemed to fade into silence. She felt the warmth of the lanterns and the coolness of the night breeze across her fingers.

Seeing this, Mu Zhengyi became even more anxious and hesitated to speak: "My father even prepared a betrothal gift for me..."

Before he could finish his words, He Xiaowei suddenly turned around, her eyes fixed, and she suddenly blurted out a sentence in a voice as loud as silk: "Your father! Your father! Your father! Mu Zhengyi, when will you be able to act like a man and ask for your feelings instead of asking your father for everything?"

These words struck like thunder, shattering the night sky. Mu Zhengyi stood there in shock. He had originally intended to use his father's orders to pressure the other party, but now, being publicly accused by He Xiaowei, he was speechless.

He Xiaowei took a deep breath and said lightly, "Forget it, I'm tired." She pulled her long skirt, and the ribbon fluttered gently in the wind.

Mu Zhengyi was like a startled bird, and hurriedly chased after her: "Ms. He, I'll take you home!" His voice was flattering, but it made him look even more pitiful.

Jiang Chen snorted coldly, with a flash of disdain in his eyes: "Why don't you ask your father first if he is willing to let you send him off?" There was a sharp sarcasm in his words.

Mu Zhengyi was stunned by this and took two steps back, but ultimately did not immediately fight back. In the night, his shadow was stretched out by the lights, making it look ferocious, like a wounded beast.

He Xiaowei turned around and rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, saying softly, "Sixteenth Prince, don't talk nonsense." Her face was slightly red, but she looked rare calm.

The night was slightly chilly. He Xiaowei folded her arms gently and rubbed her shoulders. Her breathing was a little rapid, but she seemed to be trying to calm herself down.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen took off his cloak.

Though the cloak's material was light, it carried a hint of warmth and the fragrance of its folds—the lingering aroma of the medicinal herbs he'd brought back with him on his first western expedition. He stepped forward and draped the cloak over He Xiaowei's shoulders, his sleeves brushing the side of her neck, bringing with them a faint touch of his body warmth.

He Xiaowei symbolically refused, but just waved her hand gently, and the cloak fell steadily on her shoulders, exuding a hint of warmth.

She lowered her head and sniffed the cloak, as if she could taste the scent of wine and battle dust mixed on Jiang Chen's body - this scent made her heart tremble slightly, but she couldn't hide the sense of security of being protected.

At this moment, Jiang Chen half-supported He Xiaowei, holding her slender waist, and slowly walked out with her. The light reflected behind them, casting two long shadows, like a vow to walk side by side.

Jiang Chen turned around, and in the semi-darkness, he raised his eyebrows and smiled at Mu Zhengyi. That smile was full of the arrogance of a winner and a sense of superiority in comparison.

In public, He Xiaowei, Mu Zhengyi's fiancée, had left with the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Chen. This not only made Mu Zhengyi feel humiliated, but if the news got out, he would even become the laughing stock of the public.

Thirteenth Princess Jiang Sirou saw this and just shook her head slightly, with a trace of regret in her eyes.

She knew that in this confrontation, Jiang Chen won his dignity, but also made Mu Zhengyi lose face.

Mu Zhengyi still stood there in a daze, his eyes burning with desire and hatred. The flames danced in the night, as if they would devour everything at any time.