"Do you think these begonia flowers are beautiful?" Nangong Yu asked abruptly, staring at the sea of begonias below.
Ye Yichen looked at the layered begonia flowers, rippling like waves, and he couldn't deny that the begonias here were indeed breathtakingly beautiful.
"Beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. If Your Highness were playing the zither here, it would be even more perfect."
Nangong Yu immediately plucked a leaf and sent it flying towards the begonias in the flower sea. However, before the leaf could touch the begonia flowers, it was pulverized.
"What is going on?" Ye Yichen asked in shock.
"The Begonia Killing Formation," Nangong Yu said faintly. "Did you really think she was just out for a stroll?"
"Then Your Highness, are you simply here to ask someone to return for treatment?"
Xiao Man had left the city with very few people. Not only did several princesses harbor murderous intent, but some court officials who held grudges against Xiao Man also wished her dead. If they could kill Xiao Man, and the princess they supported inherited the throne, it would be beneficial for them. However, if Xiao Man ascended the throne, it was uncertain whether they could retain their positions.
Although Nangong Yu had secretly resolved some threats, there were always those who were not afraid of death, stepping into this beautiful yet deadly begonia sea.
People entered one wave after another, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea. They saw people go in, but no one came out, nor was there any sound from the begonia forest, as if these people had entered another dimension and were lost within.
Xiao Man and Wen Mohan were in the begonia forest, playing chess and drinking. As Xiao Man was not skilled at drinking, they were drinking fruit wine, which was not intoxicating. Even so, Xiao Man's face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with a tender glow.
Feng Moran brewed her a cup of tea. "You shouldn't drink anymore, have some tea instead. You might get drunk later."
"If I get drunk, won't you still be here?"
Wen Mohan heard this, and the corners of his mouth widened into a smile. "This is outside the city; it's not like being in the manor. If you get drunk and assassins attack, I, a weak scholar, would be of no use."
"Different positions call for different styles of action," Xiao Man said, placing a chess piece. "You are the strategist, devising plans and achieving victory from afar. I am the vanguard, charging into battle and conquering territories."
Wen Mohan picked up a chess piece, pondered for a moment, and then slowly placed it down. "Feng Moran must be suspicious by now, right?"
Xiao Man smiled guiltily. "Ye Qing is my sworn elder brother, and he treats me very well. I cannot stand by and do nothing. Besides, I haven't done anything, I'm just holding Feng Moran back."
Wen Mohan pushed the pastries towards Xiao Man. "I understand. But your actions are really not advisable. If you fail to hold him back, won't you put yourself in danger too?"
"I naturally only acted when I was sure," Xiao Man said slowly. "Moreover, I also want to know how much my disciple truly matters to him."
Wen Mohan really wanted to speak the truth, but he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Someone like Feng Moran simply didn't know how to love. Even if he did, he would only love himself. To Feng Moran, Xiao Man was like a possession. It wouldn't be a pity if it were lost, but if it were snatched away by someone else, he would become restless and agitated.
Simply put, it was his pride at play. He felt that his possession had been taken, and he must get it back, even if this possession was insignificant to him.
"Man'er, how much does Feng Moran occupy in your heart?"
"He doesn't occupy any space in my heart," Xiao Man said slowly. "If it were in the past, parents, lover, friends, he might have occupied two parts, but now, he is no longer within that scope."
"Then how much space do I occupy?" Feng Moran asked Xiao Man seriously.
Xiao Man smiled and replied truthfully, "Three parts."
"Three parts? That's more optimistic than I imagined," Feng Moran said, smiling and nodding. "In your heart, parents and family occupy three parts, friends three parts, lover three parts, and the remaining one part is for yourself. In fact, you should love yourself more."
Xiao Man's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "Mohan, you are mistaken. I love myself for four parts, and the remaining six parts are given to others."
"Very good," Wen Mohan agreed with a nod. "This way, I won't worry about you neglecting yourself."
"Aren't you afraid I'll neglect you?"
"You won't," Wen Mohan said with a beaming smile. "I received a letter from my father. He already knows about our wedding. On our wedding day, he and my mother will travel to Bianjing to attend our wedding."
"Do you need me to send someone to pick them up?" Xiao Man asked, worried about the elder couple encountering danger.
"Don't worry, my father is accompanied by the Wen family's hidden guards." Wen Mohan suddenly heard a scream and couldn't help but turn to look at the begonia forest, but his gaze swept over it without seeing anyone. "Man'er, did you hear anything?"
"It sounds like I heard someone talking," Xiao Man said nonchalantly. "Perhaps they are like us, here to admire the flowers."
"Anyone who can find this place must be someone with great intention," Wen Mohan withdrew his gaze. "Let's go back soon."
"It's still early, no rush," Xiao Man said slowly, moving a chess piece. "When dusk falls and the afterglow illuminates these mountains of begonia flowers, it will be a magnificent sight. I invited you out today precisely to see the sunset."
"Man'er, this is outside the city, and your current status is unusual..."
"Don't worry, I have it all arranged," Xiao Man said with a smile. "Since I dared to bring you out, I can naturally guarantee your safety."
Upon hearing this, Wen Mohan no longer mentioned going back and peacefully enjoyed this rare moment of solitude. Moreover, Xiao Man was willing to make an effort to accompany him out, which was progress and deserved praise.
"I never imagined that one day you would take me out to admire flowers," Wen Mohan said softly. "Today, it's quite surprising."
"Once things here stabilize, you can go out whenever you want and go wherever you please." Xiao Man's sharp eyes noticed Wen Mohan placing a wrong move and quickly picked up a chess piece to counter it. "A move cannot be regretted!"
Wen Mohan quickly looked at his chess piece and slapped his thigh. "Mistake, I made the wrong move!"
"Mohan, you cannot be distracted when playing chess with me, or you will lose very quickly!" Xiao Man said with a smile. "You lost this game."
Wen Mohan conceded the game. Xiao Man was already skilled at chess. On the chessboard, one wrong move led to a cascade of errors, and he had missed the best opportunity to salvage the situation. In this round, he lost.
"I concede."
"Not going to struggle a bit more?" Xiao Man teased.
"Losing to you is not shameful, so why struggle?" Wen Mohan got up and broke off a begonia flower. "Here, this is your reward for winning."