Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Qi Xiao ordered Tang Ling to leave, so she could no longer stay. She walked out of the tent, and the sky outside was covered with dark clouds again. As soon as Tang Ling raised her eyes, heavy rain began to pour down, soaking her through without a trace of hesitation.

Tang Ling walked slowly in the heavy rain, not knowing where he was going. The heavy rain hitting his face hurt, very painful, so painful that he could hardly hold back his tears.

Ye Huai suddenly appeared and held an umbrella to shield Tang Ling from the rain.

"No need." Tang Ling waved her hand and gently pushed Ye Huai away. Perhaps he would wake up after being drenched in the rain.

Ye Huai didn't dare leave Tang Ling and let him get wet like this. Tang Ling was frail and emotionally unstable at the moment. If things went wrong, her old illness might relapse. If Qing Lan knew that he had let Tang Ling get wet, she would have torn him apart.

***

Qi Xiao spent a day and a night to hunt down the night heron. The hunting in Baiyan Mountain ended abruptly in everyone's astonishment. A heavy rain came down, and the night banquet could only be arranged in the tent, which lacked the bold and unrestrained feeling of the vast sky and land.

The royal wine in the palace was very mellow, and people kept coming and going to congratulate him or pretend to congratulate him. No matter who was in front of him or what they said, Qi Xiao just kept drinking, but he just couldn't get drunk after drinking cup after cup. It was not until late at night that the emperor was too lazy to watch their fun, and Qi Xiao staggered out of the tent. Standing under the starry sky, he realized that the rain had stopped. The night sky washed by the rain was shiny black, and the moonlight was as thin and soft as satin.

Qi Xiao laughed inexplicably and leaned to the side. Zong Sheng came over to support Qi Xiao: "Master, His Majesty has given you some hangover soup. Go back and drink some."

"What a beautiful night."

"Master, go back."

Qi Xiao pushed Zong Sheng away: "Hunting at Baiyan Mountain...what are we going to do back? It's too boring."

Qi Xiao seemed to be drunk and stumbled as he walked, but he also seemed not drunk and knew very well where he was going.

Zong Sheng knew that he was feeling upset, but he didn't dare to say much. He couldn't find any words to comfort him, so he could only follow him.

Qi Xiao went to the stable, led out a horse, jumped on the horse, kicked the horse's belly and started running.

Tang Ling had watched Qi Xiao drinking non-stop all night, and when he left the table, she couldn't help but follow him out. She'd been following him from a distance when she suddenly saw Qi Xiao galloping towards her on horseback. She was startled. But before she could react, Qi Xiao passed by, leaned over, reached out, scooped Tang Ling up, and carried her to his horse's back, holding her in his arms.

"what!"

"Young Master!" Qinglan's scream was thrown far away, and Zong Sheng and Ye Huai hurriedly led the horses to catch up.

"Qi Xiao! What are you doing?" This is Baiyan Mountain, not Yongcheng. Qi Xiao is so reckless and willful. Is he really not afraid of what others will say or His Majesty's punishment?!

"Gamble."

"Qi Xiao! Stop! Let me down!"

Qi Xiao held the reins with one hand and galloped out of the camp. He put his other arm around Tang Ling's waist, holding her in his arms. "Tang Ling, make a bet with me. If I win, at least give me another chance. If I lose, it's God's will, and I'll accept my fate."

After saying this, Qi Xiao found it ridiculous. He was born with the bad omen of Sirius, and he never thought of accepting it. But this time he actually said that he accepted his fate. He was really crazy.

"Okay, I bet you, you turn around and go back to the camp first! I bet you!" Tang Ling was shocked and scared. Qi Xiao drank so much, what on earth was he going to do?

Qi Xiao stopped talking, but slowed down his horse. He relaxed and slacked off, pressing his chest against Tang Ling's back, hugging him tightly, as if doing something naughty, trapping Tang Ling so that she had nowhere to escape.

"Qi Xiao!"

"It'll be there in a moment," Qi Xiao rested his head on Tang Ling's shoulder, whispering softly in his ear as if to act coquettishly, "We'll be there in a moment."

Tang Ling felt the warmth of Qi Xiao's chest and suddenly calmed down, but a voice in her heart screamed, "I like him. I like his arrogance, his willfulness, and I like being held in his arms at this moment." Having nowhere to escape became his only chance.

While Qi Xiao was talking, the horse had run for more than an incense stick of time and was almost running to the other side of Baiyan Mountain.

The horse ran slower and slower, and finally stopped. Tang Ling's heart was shocked, and she unconsciously retracted her hand and pressed Qi Xiao's hand around his waist, as if begging him not to let go.

Qi Xiao was startled for a moment, then said softly, "We're here."

Qi Xiao helped Tang Ling off his horse and then carried him on his back: "It's late at night, and it's hard to walk in the woods."

Tang Ling was unexpectedly obedient and let Qi Xiao carry her on his back for a while.

Not far away was a pool of water, shimmering silvery white in the moonlight. Qi Xiao didn't go near the pool, but instead carefully placed Tang Ling on a large rock and sat down, as if afraid of disturbing the water.

"Why are we here?"

It had rained heavily before and there was nothing flammable in the forest. Qi Xiao struck a tinder and Tang Ling saw a ray of light. Qi Xiao sat down next to Tang Ling and reached out to move the tinder a little further away. The light illuminated the area in front of Tang Ling, revealing a bunch of Epiphyllums, whose buds drooped but seemed about to bloom.

"Tonight, if I can see the flowers bloom, I'll win, okay?"

Tang Ling turned her head to look at Qi Xiao, but he was staring at the Epiphyllum.

It's late at night and the forest is quiet. The bright moonlight spreads out, but only a few tiny white streaks fall from the dense branches and leaves, like the sigh of the moon goddess, caressing all things in the forest to sleep peacefully.

After the heavy rain, the forest was wet and cold. There were still a few drops of rain hanging on the branches, leaves and buds of the Epiphyllum, which were reflected by the firelight, like the tears of a beauty, which made people feel pity.

Last night, Qi Xiao was here, waiting for the night herons to emerge after the rain. The moment he saw the Epiphyllum, he wanted to bring Tang Ling with him. The buds, though still drooping, were already plump, like a shy girl slightly raising her chin before her beloved. The flowers must be beautiful when they bloom.

Epiphyllum, also known as the beauty under the moon, blooms for only two hours a year. Some people spend their entire lives waiting for it to bloom.

Why should the night-blooming cereus bloom for him? Could he just pick them all because they didn't bloom?

Qi Xiao smiled bitterly. If he couldn't wait, he would just think of it as a dream that ended in vain. There were too many wishful thinking in this world. Since he couldn't get what he wanted, why should he force it?

"Qi Xiao, if the flowers don't bloom tonight..." are you willing to wait a little longer?

"Don't worry, I'll accept the loss."

Tang Ling was speechless. That wasn't what he meant. He longed for the flowers to bloom, yet he was filled with fear. Was he really going to leave it to fate? If the flowers didn't bloom, would Qi Xiao give up? But wasn't that all due to him? Qi Xiao was a proud man, unable to be humble or persistent. Without his response, she naturally understood his uneasiness. If not for the help of an Epiphyllum, how could Qi Xiao convince himself to give up? How could he convince himself to persevere?