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"Miss, you seem very happy today."

Xun Qingqing couldn’t hide her smile as she said, "Of course."

Thinking about what Chu Zhao had said earlier, Cai Xia couldn’t help but remind her, "Miss, do you know the meaning behind the gift Master Jun gave you? Especially since he gave it to you on the Double Seventh Festival."

Xun Qingqing paused for a moment and looked down at the gift in her hands, puzzled, then turned to Cai Xia, "What meaning?"

Seeing that her young mistress was clueless, Cai Xia brazenly hinted, "Miss, do you think there’s a possibility that it’s a Love Token or even a betrothal gift?"

Xun Qingqing stopped in her tracks, recalling that Jun Wuxian had said before leaving that during the Double Seventh Festival, young men and women would exchange Love Tokens to express their affection. But, they did not have that kind of relationship...

Jun Wuxian had also never mentioned it, even just now, he hadn’t alluded to it at all.

Cai Xia continued, "Miss, I heard Chu Zhao say that it’s a betrothal gift. I believe there’s an eighty percent chance it’s true."

Xun Qingqing’s heartbeat suddenly quickened, filled with a faint hope. She asked uncertainly again, "Did Chu Zhao really say that?"

Cai Xia nodded vigorously, "Indeed, Chu Zhao said it, but he also mentioned that it’s his own guess. I think there’s a good nine out of ten chance it’s true."

Hearing Cai Xia’s words, Xun Qingqing lay in bed, unable to fall asleep, her mind filled with the thought that the hairpin could be a betrothal gift from Jun Wuxian.

But Jun Wuxian had said nothing about it.

The more she thought about it, the harder it was to sleep.

This night was destined to be a restless one.

The next morning, at the breakfast table.

They say a mother-in-law sees her son-in-law in an ever more favorable light, and this saying is truly spot-on.

The General’s wife was originally fond of Jun Wuxian, finding no fault with his looks or demeanor. Now, seeing him as her son-in-law, she kept urging him to eat more, tenderly caring for his well-being.

Jun Wuxian, who was easy-going and untroubled by small details, handled the General’s wife’s enthusiastic hospitality with ease.

Xun Qingqing sensed something amiss in the atmosphere, feeling as though her mother and brother kept looking at her. She raised her head to look at her mother and brother sitting across from her.

As she turned her gaze towards them, the General’s wife and Xun Changfeng had already bowed their heads and continued with their breakfast.

A flash of puzzlement crossed her eyes. Had she imagined it?

After breakfast, Xun Qingqing took Jun Wuxian for a walk in the garden. Although the General Residence was large, they had already toured it during his previous stay, so this was just a rerun.

Yet, the mood was quite similar, possibly because of the person beside her.

The old Xun Qingqing was irritable and liked to pick fights, and she enjoyed showing off.

The current her seemed to have matured a bit with age.

They reached the Pavilion by the lotus pond without realizing it, a place that provided cool shade and relief from the sun.

Xun Qingqing stood at the railing, gently waving the handheld fan in her hand.

Jun Wuxian stood beside Xun Qingqing, gazing at the scenery in the lake. Before he left, the Lotus Camp had been full of midsummer lotuses. Now, the lotuses were gone, and autumn was approaching.

He lowered his gaze towards her and said, "Qingqing."

"Hmm?" Xun Qingqing lifted her head to look at Jun Wuxian and noticed that he had changed how he addressed her. He had never called her Qingqing before, and this sudden change in nickname felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Jun Wuxian’s gaze fell on the veil covering her cheek; ever since she injured her face, he had never seen her true appearance.

He folded the fan in his hand and reached out with his slender fingers towards her ear.

Xun Qingqing wasn’t sure what he was trying to do and just looked at him with confusion until his hand touched her earlobe. That’s when she realized Jun Wuxian was going to take off her veil.

Instinctively, she grabbed his hand, her eyes flashing with panic as she said, "It’s not pretty."

Jun Wuxian spoke softly, "Is there anything about you I haven’t seen before? It’s just a few scars."

Xun Qingqing held tightly to his hand and looked down at the fan in his hands, speaking faintly, "Even when I see them, I feel disgusted. You better not look."

Jun Wuxian thought back to when she had first been disfigured and spent her days in gloom and sorrow. She said that the most important things for a woman were her appearance and chastity.

He deeply regretted not having rescued her sooner; perhaps then she wouldn’t have gone through all this.

"You just care too much about your appearance, and that’s why you can’t accept their presence. In my eyes, there’s no difference between the you now and the you before."

Xun Qingqing was taken aback by his words and then smiled, thinking he was comforting her. "You used to say I was getting too old to marry off easily, and now you’ve learned to soothe me with words. How can the past and present be the same?"

At the mention of this, Jun Wuxian paused, "Did I ever say that?"

Xun Qingqing emphasized, "Of course, you did."

Jun Wuxian tried to recall for a moment; he had been with Xun Qingqing for over three years. Then, to his astonishment, he realized that he consistently sneaked into the Imperial Palace late at night, and his destination was always Yixiang Hall.

He might have, perhaps, truly said that phrase—

"People always change."

Xun Qingqing deeply understood this sentiment and nodded in agreement, "People do indeed change. Now I can even reflect on my own and realize how foolish I was before."

Jun Wuxian was intrigued, "Why do you say that?"

The old her, entranced by the Crown Prince’s unparalleled beauty, had insisted on entering the palace despite her mother’s objections and had learned to employ every tactic to gain favor.

Relying on her family’s power, she was arrogant and haughty, disregarding everyone else.

If not foolish, then what?

But later, after she became close with Shen Chuwei, she lost any desire for rivalry and discovered the carefree joy of not competing for attention.

It was also around that time when she first met Jun Wuxian. He always donned a night outfit and showed nothing but his eyes.

"Let’s not talk about it." It was all a black history she wouldn’t share with Jun Wuxian.

With a light laugh, Jun Wuxian lifted her veil while she was distracted. The lightweight veil fell away, revealing the long-unseen cheeks beneath.

The scars on her cheek were clearly visible.

Xun Qingqing was first startled and then covered her face with her hands, afraid that he had seen her. She glared at Jun Wuxian, annoyed and angry, "How could you do that?"

Jun Wuxian chuckled at her reaction, "Do you plan to hide your face from me for the rest of your life?"