She never expected they would meet again.
"Guards, take these gamblers to the cells!"
By a twist of fate, Wen Shihe was chosen by the Empress to go undercover in the Eastern Palace.
"There are so many ways to make money in the capital." Tempted by the prospect of earning a fortune, Wen Shihe agreed.
From then on, Wen Shihe became Qinghe, lying low in the Eastern Palace day after day.
"Money's hard to earn, and life is hard to stomach!"
But with so much gold beckoning her, Wen Shihe dreamed of a future filled with lavish spending and swallowed all her complaints.
Xie Linyuan looked coldly at the unruly woman the Empress had foisted on him, his face full of disdain.
Qinghe, however, didn't care in the slightest. She followed Xie Linyuan around all day, chattering nonstop.
Just as Xie Linyuan was beginning to get used to her presence, Shen Qinghe vanished on the Ghost Festival.
Riding in a carriage, Wen Shihe watched the city gates grow smaller in the distance, unable to stop the ache in her heart.
But she had never belonged here, and Xie Linyuan would be only too happy to see her go.
At the thought, Wen Shihe's expression darkened. Still, at least she had a heavy pile of gold in her hands.
Three years later
The emperor fell ill and sent the crown prince on an inspection tour of the south.
The dog in the carriage suddenly started barking, leaped down, and ran into a brothel.
With a handful of sunflower seeds, Wen Shihe lounged as she watched the gamblers wager fortunes.
Just as she was getting into it, she suddenly felt a prickling sensation, as if someone were staring straight through her.
Wen Shihe turned around. The instant their eyes met, she was stunned, but the fury in Xie Linyuan's eyes looked ready to burn a hole through Qinghe's back.
