Seeing Ye Qingcheng, who was now disheveled and significantly thinner, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache and guilt.
He had always worried she would escape, so he maintained a light, shallow sleep whenever they shared a bed. Yet, on the night she left, he had slept so soundly.
As a result, he hadn't noticed her departure, and it took him some time to find her.
Xiao Wangye was unaware of the sleeping aids, so he blamed himself entirely.
"Do you know how worried I was about you when you were gone?" he took a step closer.
"Your Highness..." She involuntarily retreated, dodging him.
"Ye Qingcheng!"
Seeing her avoid him, a fire ignited in his heart. He dropped the wild fruits he held, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
He warned her, word by word, "Ye Qingcheng, if you dare to leave me again, I will make your life worse than death! Who gave you the courage to leave me?"
Ye Qingcheng shrank back, biting her lip, unsure of what to say.
He held her tightly, unbothered by her dirtiness or smell. He simply held her as if afraid she would break free and escape at any moment.
Ye Qingcheng found it difficult to breathe in his arms. She frowned and gently pushed him away, "Your Highness, I can't breathe."
Xiao Wangye loosened his grip slightly, but his stance remained possessive.
"Um, Your Highness," she seemed to realize something significant, "are you planning to hold me like this and stand here forever?"
Since Xiao Wangye had embraced her, two or three farmers had passed by, glancing at them several times.
And from his demeanor, he didn't seem prepared to let go. Was he planning to hold her until nightfall? Or until the end of time?
If that were the case, it would indeed be a striking sight.
Xiao Wangye remained silent, turning his head to kiss her forehead. "Come home with me. If you try to escape again, you won't have your legs anymore."
Though his words were a threat, the kiss was lingering and full of tenderness.
The fear that had been accumulating in Ye Qingcheng's heart vanished instantly.
He scooped Ye Qingcheng into his arms and walked towards the carriage parked outside the woods. All the accompanying guards were accustomed to this, none showing any surprise.
Ye Qingcheng held onto his neck, burying her face in his chest.
It had always been this way; as long as he was present, she felt an infinite sense of security.
In the carriage, leaning against Xiao Wangye, Ye Qingcheng remained lost in thought for a long time.
Xiao Wangye did not proactively ask why she had chosen to leave or why she had fallen into such a state. He simply held her, finding peace in knowing she was truly by his side.
"Your Highness, I encountered many strange things."
Ye Qingcheng broke the silence first.
Xiao Wangye looked down at her, "Hmm? What did you say?"
She furrowed her brow and raised her head to look at him, "Your Highness, first the woman in the restaurant died mysteriously, then the female ghost on Wolf Food Ridge who allegedly stole children, and the young servant who suddenly died in the teahouse... I don't know why, but all these incidents seem to be attributed to me."
Although she hadn't mentioned them proactively, he was actually aware of everything she was saying.
Hearing her speak, he remained silent and did not offer any immediate comfort.
"Your Highness, do you know? On the night I left the manor, the horse also died, and in the one household I managed to find, everyone inside had died."
Ye Qingcheng's eyes reddened, and her voice held a hint of a sob.
Seeing her appear so wronged, Xiao Wangye's heart stirred. He pulled her into his embrace, "Don't be afraid, I am here."
"Your Highness, I didn't do those things before," she said, sobbing.
"I believe you," he said, gently stroking her back.
"As for this later incident, the deaths of the horse and people, I also don't know why they happened, but these things just happened to me, I, I..."
Ye Qingcheng couldn't continue.
Finally, after days of fear, Ye Qingcheng sobbed in Xiao Wangye's arms.
She had never told anyone these words, not even her friends of several years had heard a single syllable.
But in front of Xiao Wangye, she let down her guard.
This was a trust that could not be explained by any words.
Xiao Wangye held her, and after listening to her, his brow furrowed deeply, "Those incidents were indeed unrelated to you; it was merely someone deliberately causing trouble."
He paused and then said, "First, return to the manor with me. Don't leave unnecessarily from now on. I will ensure your safety and prevent you from suffering any harm."
Ye Qingcheng returned to the manor with Xiao Wangye.
At first, Steward Zhang and the maids and servants in the manor couldn't recognize her.
After bathing, changing clothes, and a simple tidying up, she transformed from a disheveled little beggar back into the "Princess Qingcheng" she was before, thus regaining some of her recognizability.
Ye Qingcheng found it strange and asked Xiao Wangye, "Your Highness, why is it that even in that state, others couldn't recognize me, but only you could?"
He looked at her deeply, "What do you think?"
"I don't know, which is why I'm asking Your Highness," she said with a smile.
He raised his eyebrows and replied, "What state of yours haven't I seen? Dressed, undressed, I've seen it all."
Her cheeks blushed involuntarily.
He continued with a smile, "So, even when you were so dirty, I could still recognize you at a glance."
For him, even if she turned to ashes, he would be able to find her instantly. It was simply because she was Ye Qingcheng, the woman in his heart.
Ye Qingcheng ate a hearty meal and, feeling too full, went for a solo walk around the manor to aid digestion.
In reality, under the guise of aiding digestion, she made her way to the place where the maids did their laundry. She knew very well that this was where the most gossip in the manor originated, as it was where most of the women were.
As expected, as soon as Ye Qingcheng found a good spot to squat outside the wall, conversations began inside.
"I have something big to tell you all. It's all the rage outside, and if I hadn't heard it while buying groceries, I doubt our entire manor would even know."
"Why aren't we hearing about these major events in our manor?"
"You fool, what kind of person is our Regent King? These things are about that Princess Qingcheng, and they're not very flattering. Do you think the King would allow such rumors to enter the manor, or for Princess Qingcheng to know?"
"That makes sense."