Morning sunlight spread across the capital of the Great Xu Empire, illuminating the bustling streets with warmth and life. Merchants called out their wares, carts rolled along stone roads, and the fragrance of freshly cooked food drifted through the air.
Yet within the lively city, one place remained calm and elegant.
Jade Lotus Inn.
Hidden behind carved wooden doors and delicate lotus-patterned screens, the inn had become a quiet refuge for travelers, scholars, and nobles alike.
And today—
It was the meeting place for two people who could not openly be together.
---
Xu Chen did not arrive as the Crown Prince.
Instead, he wore a simple dark robe and traveled with only one trusted guard who remained outside the inn. To the world, he appeared like a young nobleman enjoying a peaceful morning.
But the moment he stepped inside, the shopkeeper immediately bowed respectfully.
"Welcome, Young Master."
Xu Chen nodded slightly.
"Is she here?"
The shopkeeper smiled knowingly.
"She is waiting in the upper courtyard."
Xu Chen walked upstairs quietly.
The upper courtyard of Jade Lotus Inn was filled with blooming lotus flowers in small ponds, bamboo trees swaying gently in the wind, and stone tables placed beneath flowering branches.
And standing beside one of those ponds—
Was Yue Ning.
She wore a light blue dress today, her long hair tied simply with a jade pin. The sunlight reflected softly on her calm expression.
She looked peaceful.
But when she heard his footsteps, she turned.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Xu Chen smiled faintly.
"Yue Ning."
Her lips curved gently.
"You returned safely."
He walked closer.
"Did you doubt it?"
She shook her head softly.
"No."
"I knew you would return."
Xu Chen stopped beside her near the pond.
The lotus flowers swayed slightly as a breeze passed through the courtyard.
For a moment they simply stood together, enjoying the quiet.
Then Yue Ning spoke.
"You have grown taller."
Xu Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Is that the first thing you notice after eighteen months?"
She smiled lightly.
"It is difficult not to notice."
Xu Chen looked at her carefully.
"And you…"
"You are still the same."
"Only more beautiful."
Yue Ning looked away slightly.
"You flatter me."
"I do not."
He poured tea for both of them and sat at the stone table.
Yue Ning sat opposite him.
For a while they talked quietly.
They spoke about the capital.
About her family.
About small changes that had happened during the long months of war.
Xu Chen listened carefully.
He rarely allowed himself to relax in front of others.
But with Yue Ning—
Everything felt natural.
After some time, he finally spoke about something more serious.
"There is something I must tell you."
Yue Ning looked at him calmly.
"What is it?"
"My father wishes to meet you."
She blinked once in surprise.
"The Emperor?"
Xu Chen nodded.
"Yes."
"He mentioned it yesterday after court."
Yue Ning did not panic.
She simply thought quietly for a moment.
"That should happen only after my family knows."
Xu Chen nodded immediately.
"I thought the same."
She continued calmly,
"My fourteenth birthday is in two months."
Xu Chen listened.
"That day our entire family will gather together."
"After that… we can tell them everything."
Xu Chen smiled faintly.
"You plan everything carefully."
Yue Ning gave him a playful glance.
"Someone has to."
He leaned slightly closer.
"And after your family knows?"
She met his eyes.
"Then I will meet the Emperor."
Xu Chen looked satisfied with that answer.
The afternoon was quiet inside the private room of the Jade Lotus Inn.
Sunlight passed through the wooden window, falling softly on the table between Xu Chen and Yue Ning.
It had been a long time since they could sit like this without the noise of war or the pressure of the court.
Xu Chen leaned slightly back in his chair, quietly watching Yue Ning.
But today something felt different.
Yue Ning seemed to want to say something… yet she kept hesitating.
Several times she opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Xu Chen noticed immediately.
He placed his teacup down and looked at her with a faint smile.
"Yue Ning."
She looked up.
"You have been trying to say something since you came in."
Yue Ning blinked in surprise.
"Is it that obvious?"
Xu Chen nodded calmly.
"You have sighed three times, looked at me five times, and started speaking twice before stopping."
Yue Ning could not help but laugh softly.
"Since when did you become so observant?"
"Since the battlefield taught me to notice everything."
He leaned forward slightly.
"So tell me. What is it?"
Yue Ning lowered her eyes for a moment as if deciding how to say it.
"It is… something that happened in the capital."
Xu Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Something important?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
He waited patiently.
But Yue Ning still hesitated.
Finally Xu Chen spoke again.
"You are making it sound like the emperor issued an imperial edict."
For a moment Yue Ning looked at him silently.
Then she said softly,
"He did."
Xu Chen's calm expression finally changed.
"An imperial edict?"
"Yes."
He frowned slightly.
"And I did not hear about it?"
"You were on the battlefield."
Xu Chen crossed his arms.
"Then this edict must involve you."
Yue Ning slowly nodded.
"It does."
He watched her carefully.
"Tell me."
Yue Ning finally spoke clearly.
"Three months ago the emperor elevated the Yue Family to a noble house."
Xu Chen paused, then nodded once.
"That is deserved. Your family has served the empire loyally for generations."
But Yue Ning had not finished.
"And… the emperor granted me a title."
Xu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What title?"
Yue Ning looked at him directly and said calmly,
"I have been granted the title Princess Anhe."
For a moment Xu Chen said nothing.
The young man who had stood fearless in countless battles suddenly looked completely surprised.
Then he leaned back slowly.
"So while I was fighting a war… the court made you a princess."
Yue Ning smiled a little.
"You truly did not know."
"No one told me."
"War reports were more important."
Xu Chen shook his head slightly, still amused.
"So now I should address you as Princess Anhe?"
Yue Ning laughed softly.
"You may try."
Xu Chen looked at her for a long moment before speaking again.
"No."
He said it simply.
"You are still Yue Ning."
The title meant nothing to him compared to the person.
Yue Ning's smile became warmer.
Then Xu Chen asked another question.
"Why did the emperor suddenly give you such a title?"
Yue Ning hesitated again before answering.
"The empress spoke to the emperor about it."
Xu Chen looked thoughtful.
"The empress?"
Yue Ning nodded.
"Yes."
But she did not say anything more.
In truth, almost no one knew that the Empress Dowager had first raised the idea.
Only the Empress knew the real reason behind the edict.
To everyone else in the empire, it simply looked like the emperor had decided to reward the loyal Yue family.
Xu Chen did not question it further.
Instead he looked at Yue Ning with quiet amusement.
"So the girl who used to meet me secretly at this inn… is now Princess Anhe."
Yue Ning smiled playfully.
"Does that change anything?"
Xu Chen answered without hesitation.
"No."
He poured tea into her cup again.
"To me… you are still the same Yue Ning."
Outside the window, the capital continued its busy life, unaware that the Crown Prince and the newly titled Princess Anhe were quietly sitting together inside the Jade Lotus Inn.