Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Her simple and easy words stirred a ripple in Jun Yanchen's stagnant eyes. He never expected that a young woman of sixteen, who was still inexperienced in the ways of the world, could say such a thing.

This time, Gu Nanzhi clearly noticed the slight change, and the other party's cooperative and easy-going behavior just now made her relax.

They couldn't help but joke around.

"So there are things that can affect you after all. Do you think what I just said is too far-fetched?"

"Um"

Indeed, it is whimsical and audacious.

Gu Nanzhi smiled sweetly.

"The world is vast, and life is short. As long as you dare to think and act, there is always a path to take. The imperial system only restricts those who abide by the rules. As long as you can accept the corresponding consequences, your life will no longer be confined to a visible circle, but will be in the vast world outside that circle."

She was all alone, with no ties to anyone else. At present, she only had a little girl named Xia He by her side. Whether she lived a life of seclusion as a local king, lived a life of hiding her identity, or traveled around, she had so many lifestyles to choose from in this life.

Jun Yanchen continued to look at her with his head turned to the side, and that smile caught his eye. It was as if a drop of water had fallen into a deep, stagnant pool.

Is this really her?

A broad mind, open-minded, and outspoken.

However, upon closer inspection, a hidden melancholy can be detected on her carefree face.

"People in this world carry too many shackles; few possess such breadth of mind and courage."

Butler Li, Cang Ling, and Zhou Cai had been watching the two closely. Seeing that they were having a good conversation, and that their master had even responded to the lady's request, they were quite pleased.

The lady, however, was so composed and relaxed in front of her master, and could even laugh so freely—she was the only person they had seen before they arrived.

The three men were all incredulous, filled with doubt and curiosity. What kind of person was this lady? She was neither intimidated by her master's imposing presence nor obsequious, and she didn't even look at them with suspicion.

Xia He over there had been keeping a close eye on things, worried that the prince might do something to harm her young lady, but judging from her young lady's expression, it seemed that she was worrying unnecessarily.

But that didn't make her look away. What if it was all an illusion?

Gu Nanzhi nodded in agreement with Jun Yanchen's words, and at that moment, the loneliness she had been hiding seemed to deepen.

Gu Nanzhi bent her left leg, rested her left elbow on her knee, leaned forward slightly, and rested her chin on her left palm. She then turned her head to the right, brazenly scrutinizing Jun Yanchen.

Tsk tsk tsk, what a pity. If we ignore everything else, just looking at his appearance alone, he's quite good-looking.

Those deep eyes remained unreadable, mysterious enough. The rumors about this person flashed through her mind; how could he be merely what she saw now?

How could someone who spreads such rumors be simple?

This was the first time a woman had dared to look him so openly. Those eyes, so familiar from the depths of his memory, held no fear, no disdain, no disgust... only curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

This caused Jun Yanchen to feel a slight unease, his back stiffened, and his fingers, hidden by his sleeve and resting on his knees, tightened slightly.

Gu Nanzhi still had a smile on her face, but she noticed his awkwardness. However, she didn't look away, and continued speaking in a slightly teasing voice...

"You're a little different from the rumors."

Jun Yanchen's fingers, hidden by his sleeve, clenched and unclenched silently. His back remained stiff, as if to say in silence, "You are different too."

But the words changed once they reached the tip of my tongue.

"What is the difference?"

"Rumors say you are sinister, ruthless, vicious, bloodthirsty, a jinx, a lone star cursed by heaven... etc. In short, you are a person who inspires fear just by hearing your name, and even the princess bestowed by imperial decree could not survive more than two days."

At this point, Gu Nanzhi raised an eyebrow, then changed the subject, "But so far, I haven't seen a single one of those adjectives in you."

After Gu Nanzhi finished speaking, she did not expect the person to be able to provide an answer. After all, although she did not see those adjectives in the person, how could the person really be so indifferent?

However, the other party countered with two irrelevant words.

"Afraid?"

Are you scared? Gu Nanzhi was puzzled for a moment, then realized that he was asking her if she was afraid of the rumors about him.

"Ah"

Gu Nanzhi chuckled softly, "What's there to be afraid of?"

After a two-second pause, he added, "You're about to die, so I probably don't need to say anything more!"

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Jun Yanchen's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, and at the same time, his hands on his knees tightened once more.

After another moment of silence, the hand slowly loosened.

"Um"

Gu Nanzhi heard a hint of resentment, self-mockery, resentment, and helplessness in that single "hmm."

She didn't know what emotion had stirred her, but she asked a question instinctively.

"Want to live?"

Upon hearing this, Jun Yanchen's gaze shifted, and he stared intently at Gu Nanzhi, seemingly scrutinizing her more closely. Did she want to live?

Those three simple words carried an undeniable certainty and allure, as if saying that if he wanted to live, he could live.

Do you want to live? No one has ever said those three words to him. There are too many people in this world who want him dead, and too many who want him to live.

Does he want to live?

You think so? Would anyone want to die?

After a moment of silence, he said calmly, "Can he survive?"

These three words sound more like a self-questioning;

As the other person scrutinized her, Gu Nanzhi didn't miss a single emotion that might appear in their eyes. At this point, she fell silent, returning her leaning body to its original position, and withdrawing her left hand as well.

She tugged at her sleeves, draped them in front of her, took out a piece of chocolate from her spatial storage, quietly tore open the wrapper, and gently pinched a corner between her right thumb and forefinger before offering it to Jun Yanchen.

"It's only fair to reciprocate, so let's try it. That's all for today. I'm very happy; I'll think about it carefully."

Jun Yanchen looked at the black rectangular object and could almost smell a peculiar odor emanating from it.

It seemed like this was what she ate when she set off, and I remembered the way she avoided my gaze back then.

Jun Yanchen had never seen this before. After a few seconds, he raised his hand and gently pinched it with two fingers, but did not put it in his mouth.

Gu Nanzhi didn't urge her. After receiving the chocolate, she immediately stood up and walked towards Xia He's location without pausing. After taking a step, she seemed to remember something and pointed lightly at the chocolate in Jun Yanchen's hand, offering a gentle reminder.

"By the way, don't leave it too long, it will melt in the heat."

After saying that, he turned and continued to leave.

To be honest, this man's hands are quite nice. Thinking this, she looked down at her own hands, and tsk...

Jun Yanchen watched her departing figure, then after a long while, he turned his gaze to the thing she had given him, finally pinching it between two fingers and taking a small bite.

A slight bitterness mixed with a unique sweetness, a silky smooth texture, and a distinctive aroma that lingers on the lips.

Although he didn't have a sweet tooth, he had tried some desserts, but none of them tasted quite like this.

Despite feeling quite puzzled, I still finished the small piece.

Although they hadn't heard a single word from the two throughout, the interaction between them alone left Butler Li, Cang Ling, and Zhou Cai speechless with astonishment for a long time.