An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

It was the first time Jing Chunxi saw such a magnificent conference hall and he couldn't help but hold his breath.

This spacious hall has three openings. A golden plaque with the words "Yunchou Weiwo" hangs on the vermilion lacquered carved lintel, and bronze tiger candlesticks stand on both sides.

The hall is divided into three rooms by two rosewood screens. The screens are intricately carved with maps of mountains, rivers and territories, and they glow dimly in the candlelight.

When you step into the main hall, the most eye-catching thing is the huge sand table in the center.

The fine yellow sand shapes the undulating mountains and rivers, the winding blue silk simulates the flow of rivers, and even the city walls and passes are accurately restored using miniature models.

The sand table was densely covered with small red and green flags. The red brocade flag trembled slightly in the breeze, while the green silk flag was as steady as pine and cypress.

Jing Chunxi noticed that there were several miniature chariots made of fine iron scattered around the edge of the sand table, and their axles could actually rotate flexibly.

The ebony door of the side room on the left was closed tightly, and a large brass lock with intricate coiled dragon patterns engraved on it hung on the door knocker.

The golden cloud pattern on the Prince of Yan's dark brocade robe flickered as he moved. He led the two men toward the side room on the right. As they pushed open the carved wooden door, the hinges creaked deeply, as if revealing the countless secrets this room had witnessed.

A long nanmu table, so long that it took three or four people to hug it, stretched across the entire room. Its surface was polished to the point where a person's reflection could be seen. Jing Chunxi's fingertips accidentally touched the edge of the table, and he immediately felt the cool touch of the wood.

The silk map on the wall took up almost the entire wall. The yellowed paper was marked with cinnabar on the fortresses and passes, and there were annotations written in tiny calligraphy next to the ink-outlined boundaries. She noticed the bright red seal in the lower right corner of the map.

Jing Chunxi lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes, her tense figure reflected on the blue brick floor. Xu Zize calmly tugged at her wide sleeves, the brocade fabric making a subtle friction sound in the quiet room.

The rosewood armchairs across from the table below the map groaned slightly as they sat down. They found this position perfectly positioned for a clear view of the map, their seats either side of the main seat, yet not directly facing the main seat—clearly a carefully planned seating arrangement.

As the Prince of Yan sat down at the head of the table, the jade pendant at his waist clashed with the bronze ornament on the back of the chair, making a resounding sound. "Tell me, what's the important matter?" His voice was like a blade piercing a cold pond, and his eyes flickered between the two children.

Jing Chunxi noticed that the jade ring on his right thumb was gleaming with a faint green luster in the candlelight, and there was an old arrow scar on the knuckle.

She suddenly tried to lift the hand held by Xu Zize, and this movement caused the silver bracelet on her wrist to slide down to her forearm. But he increased his strength, making her hand unable to move. She could even feel the thin calluses on his palm rubbing against her skin.

Xu Zize's brows knitted together, his always smiling peach blossom eyes now cold as ice. The teardrop mole at the corner of his eye made his tense face look particularly sharp. "Father, wait a minute," he said, his voice forced through his teeth. "Qingfeng should be delivering the things by now."

As he stood up, he exerted force, and Jing Chunxi's skirt swirled in a sharp arc. Xu Zize practically lifted her arm and pulled her up, and the silver bracelet suddenly jingled.

Xu Zize looked at her, his voice lowered with unprecedented severity: "Let's go wait for Qingfeng." His Adam's apple rolled violently as he spoke, and the pale blue veins on the side of his neck were clearly visible.

In fact, when Xu Zize grabbed her with his knuckles turning white, Jing Chunxi suddenly realized her recklessness. She almost took something out of the space.

The cold sweat from his palms soaked her sleeves, and the cold touch made her shudder belatedly. He dragged her through the corridor quickly, and the dull sound of his black leather boots on the wooden floor was like a hammer hitting her heart.

His taut jawline showed a sharp curve, and the tassels of the jade pendant on his waist shook violently, drawing messy tracks in the moonlight.

"Brother Xiaokang, I'm sorry!" Jing Chunxi had never seen him like this before. The dandy young man on the road to exile now exuded a terrifying aura of hostility, like the low pressure before a rainstorm, even the air was stagnant and suffocating.

Her voice was trembling, and the tail end of the tone was almost swallowed up by the oncoming draft.

Xu Zize suddenly stopped and turned around with his black hair flying, with a few strands of hair sticking to his forehead where beads of sweat were oozing out.

"But he's your father," Jing Chunxi said, her voice weak. The collar of her dress, embroidered with twined branches, obscured half her face as she lowered her head. She stared at the pearl dangling from the tip of her shoe, her throat clogged with a ball of wet cotton.

Xu Zize sneered, his eyes gleaming with danger: "No one can do this, do you understand?"

He emphasized each word, as if he wanted to carve these bloody truths into her bones. "For the sake of supreme power, even brothers can shed blood like a river." As he said this, he unconsciously stroked the gilded sheath of the dagger at his waist.

"You~are nothing?" Compared to those princes who have powerful maternal families behind them and court officials who have defected, Xier, you are just an ant, Xu Zize said to her with pain.

"I..." Jing Chunxi was about to speak when he pinched her wrist and pressed her against the pillar, hitting her back. "Don't use your sincerity to guess people's hearts," his voice was terribly low and hoarse, and the hot breath he exhaled brushed past her ears. "People's hearts can't stand temptation." After saying this, he suddenly let go of her hand, and when he turned around, the corner of his robe brushed against her embroidered shoes.

After passing through the moon-shaped gate, Jing Chunxi realized that they were not heading towards the main gate of the mansion, but instead turned into a courtyard. Xu Zize kicked open the carved door of the wing room with such force that the copper bells on the eaves jingled.

"For the sake of brother Xiaokang, Xier, don't reveal your supernatural powers again." As soon as he stepped over the threshold, Xu Zize pushed the door against it with his knees and hugged the person in his arms.

His taut chest heaved violently, his heartbeat was as fast as a drum, "Also for Xier's mother and brother, and ~ the entire Jing family." The last few words were almost whispered, but they were heavy as a thousand pounds, and then he rested his head on her shoulder.

Jing Chunxi could clearly feel the tremors coming from beneath his clothes. His arms, wrapped around her, trembled slightly, as if he were holding a fragile glass vessel. This tremor, transmitted through their touching skin, made her truly feel his suppressed fear.

"Xier was wrong. Apart from the family members who already know about it, Xier will never reveal it to anyone else." Her voice was muffled in his chest, making him feel a little painful.

Xu Zize suddenly let go of her, turned around, and expertly lit the candle. Then, amidst the light and shadows that filled the room, he extended his pinky finger: "That's good to know. Xi'er, promise Brother Xiaokang that you won't do it again."

This childish gesture contrasted strangely with his red eyes. The light gilded his eyelashes, but the shadows cast by them could not hide the lingering anger in his eyes.

Jing Chunxi's unintentional word "family" was like a good medicine, which slightly melted the ice between the boy's brows and slowly loosened them.

He was secretly annoyed, his Adam's apple rolling up and down as he swallowed the unfinished words.

In a hurry, he had forgotten to make thorough preparations - if the girl had to take something from the space in the middle of the meeting, under the watchful eyes of those hawks, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Even though he trusted his father very much, he could not guarantee that he would always be harmless to Xier.

He looked at the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window and suddenly realized that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Only at this moment did he deeply realize how deeply he loved her.