When An Zi yuan's lips touched hers, Yun Rao was momentarily stunned. The constant rocking of the horse made her instinctively clutch at An Zi yuan's garments to steady herself, and her movements only intensified his passion—his kisses grew fiercer as he pressed her waist, drawing her closer to him with strength, his tongue forcing deep into her mouth. The motion of the horse now prevented her from being as completely absorbed as she had been in the previous two instances. She remembered him releasing the reins earlier; now, as the horse galloped faster and the jolts grew more pronounced, her body felt increasingly unsteady. The fear of falling from the saddle surpassed the impact he had brought to her. Though her hands were firmly gripping his clothes, she desperately turned her head to avoid his lips. Her twisting and struggling caused the horse beneath her to grow restless, and with a long, startled neigh, the animal seemed to go wild, galloping wildly and tossing her so that Yun Rao's face grew pale. Yet suddenly, An Ziyuan released his hands that had been cradling her face, reached out to grasp the reins, and with a firm pull, instantly calmed the startled horse, slowing its pace. An Ziyuan's kisses softened, and at some point, his arms that had been encircling her waist had slipped over her shoulders, supporting the back of her head, so that she lay in a deeply intimate and tender posture, resting fully against him, allowing him to take and give as he pleased. The tenderness in his lips unraveled all her defenses. The hand that had been clutching at his garments gradually slipped around his neck, unconsciously responding to his kisses, their young lips and tongues gently entwining, igniting the deep black of his eyes. As he pulled the reins and hooked his arms around her waist, pressing her firmly against him, the tender kisses grew fierce and urgent, forcing her body to keep arching backward, nearly bending into a bow. Amidst the intertwining of lips and tongues, she could clearly feel the heavy breaths brushing across her face. Finally, after a while, he released her with a faint gasp, her cheeks flushed, eyes misty, lungs nearly emptied of air, only able to breathe unconsciously against his chest. His delicate fingers traced her cheek, smoothing her disheveled hair, said nothing, merely gently embracing her as they rode forward. Yu and Qu Xiaoman had already arrived on horseback, slowly recovering from the initial shock and awkwardness, and deliberately ignoring this scene. Although the composure of Wu Chang had gradually settled from initial shock, his heart remained deeply astonished. His son—the refined, detached young lord of his household—how could he have done such an unprecedented and startling thing? Fortunately, no one had passed by on the official road at that moment; otherwise, the reputation of the Light Dust Lord would have been utterly ruined. He still cherished the memory of his son, always calm and composed, with a quiet, serene expression, indifferent to all things and people—this was truly the celestial lord of his family, untouched by the mundane. He kept his hands warm, gently pressing them against her waist, cradling her close so she rested her back against his chest, then tilted his head to look at her, still asking the same question, "How could you just leave like that?" Yun Rao lowered her gaze, speaking softly, "I said goodbye to the lord when I left yesterday." As she finished speaking, she felt her waist grow heavier—his grip on her waist had tightened slightly—yet his voice remained calm and composed. "When exactly did you say goodbye to me? I didn't know." With these words, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't formally bid him farewell; she had only informed him of Su Chan's whereabouts. But this seemed to no longer matter. "Why would the lord be here?" she asked. An Zi yuan glanced at her with a steady gaze. "Did you really think I would be here by chance?" Yun Rao held her gaze silently. An Zi yuan only looked at her once, then said nothing. "Are you going to follow me?" she asked suddenly, after a while, noticing that he seemed determined not to stop. "Not exactly." "A straightforward answer, An Zi yuan looked at her," Yun Rao, you could bid Xiao Run farewell so formally yesterday—why then hesitate to give me even a single glance?" Yun Rao pressed her lips together, remaining silent. An Zi yuan's expression remained unchanged, still gazing down at her," Yun Rao, what position does Xiao Run hold in your heart? Where do you place him?" Yun Rao unconsciously twisted her hands together, pressing her lips, hesitating for a long time before responding. An Zi yuan did not urge her, merely quietly riding on ahead. "He... is in my heart." After a while, Yun Rao finally spoke, but the words caused a sudden stillness in his dark eyes. He reached up, gently cradling her jaw, lifting her face so she had to look into his. "He is in your heart?" he asked, his tone soft and deliberate, yet attentive. Yun Rao kept her gaze lowered, unwilling to meet his eyes, merely nodding, "Yes." "Why do you avoid him?" he inquired. "He is getting married." "Yun Rao answered slowly, still only gazing down at her own hands," The man I married is not me." A slight ache in her lower jaw forced her to look up at him again. His deep, calm eyes and steady voice said, "Then where does the noble and refined young lord stand? Where would you place him?" Yun Rao looked at him. "A man of such grace and dignity would willingly be compared to another man by a woman—especially when that woman still harbors feelings for others?" He swiftly released his grip on her jaw. "Yun Rao, I've traveled all the way to find you—just to hear these?" "It was the young lord who asked these questions." "If you have feelings for Xiao Run, then why do you often lose control in my arms?" he asked, his voice remaining calm. "Beauty and allure," Yun Rao murmured, pressing her lips together. An Ziyuan gave a slight smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Such a pairing of beauty and allure." Yun Rao remained silent, her lips pressed together. An Ziyuan said nothing further, merely riding on steadily, holding her close, until they reached the next city—Yong After dismounting at the gate of Yongzhou, An Ziyuan held the reins in his hand and turned to her, "Yun Rao, since you have feelings for Xiao Run, why haven't you gone and taken him back?" Yun Rao took a deep breath, "He is someone she absolutely must marry— I don't want to cause him any trouble." An Ziyuan offered a quiet smile, "You truly care for him deeply." Yun Rao tugged at her lips, "He has been by my side for ten years, protecting me through all of them—I simply can't forget him." An Ziyuan lowered his gaze and smiled gently. Yun Rao didn't understand the warmth in his smile, only feeling a tightness in her chest, her voice catching in her throat, yet unable to break free. She managed a smile, "Your Grace, I... I'm truly sorry." She hadn't meant to trouble him at all. An Ziyuan looked at her, "You truly should have apologized to me." His eyes grew slightly cold as he withdrew his gaze, climbed onto his horse, called out to Wuxiang, and rode away. Unchanging stood in stunned silence, utterly unprepared for the situation that had unfolded when she had encouraged the young lord to come. A man of such lofty demeanor as the young lord could not bear the truth that his beloved loved another—such a situation was both deeply painful and easily reversible. With a quiet sigh, Unchanging bowed politely and said her farewells to Yun Rao. “You’re doing this for what, exactly?” Curly Xiao Man couldn’t finish her sentence, her heart growing restless. Seeing tears streaming down the other woman’s face, she felt helpless, unsure of what to say next. They had grown up together in the valley—Yun Rao was the lady of the household, and she was the maid. Xiao Ruo protected Yun Rao, and Yun Rao protected her.