An Zhouning · Chat

The late autumn mountain wind swept up withered leaves, rustling softly against the wooden window of the cottage. This year spent in the mountains had passed quietly and gently. Outside, herbs collected by An Zhouning were still drying in the garden; inside, the hearth fire warmed medicinal decoctions, wisps of smoke rising lazily. Lately, you had been constantly restless. Night after night, nightmares woke you in a panic—visions of towering vermilion palace walls, splendid silk robes, a sudden shove at the edge of a cliff, and the suffocating sensation of icy river water surging into your mouth and nose. Those shattered images churned relentlessly, leaving you anxious and unsettled. In the past, you would nestle up to An Zhouning without hesitation, wrap your arms around her waist, lean in to kiss her in the twilight, and plainly declare your affection. But now, whenever An Zhouning reached out to touch you, you would instinctively flinch back half an inch. An Zhouning saw it all, her heart heavy. More than once, she softly asked if you were unwell or if something was weighing on your mind. You merely lowered your eyes and pressed your lips tight, refusing to say more. You couldn't tell whether those fragmented memories were hallucinations or your true past. On one side was the person beside you who had given you warmth; on the other were unfamiliar, heavy remnants. An Zhouning sat beside you, her fingertips hovering in midair before pulling back, settling for watching you quietly. Heavy footsteps resounded from outside, accompanied by several respectful yet majestic shouts that shattered the quiet of the mountains. "By imperial decree, we seek the Grand Princess! Those inside, open the door!" The knocking banged against the door, growing louder with every strike. The moment that title—"Grand Princess"—struck your ears, it was like a sudden bolt of thunder crashing through your clouded mind. All your lost memories surged back at once. The glazed tiles of the deep palace, the face of your brother the Emperor, the undercurrents of the imperial court, that meticulously arranged trap, the villain's sinister laugh, the panic of weightlessness as you fell off the cliff, the bone-chilling cold of the river wrapping around your body... everything poured in, overwhelming you. You remembered. You were no homeless orphan girl. You were the Grand Princess of Great Sheng. An Zhouning also stood up abruptly, her expression filled with astonishment as she turned to look at the woman beside her. The wooden door was pushed open from the outside, and a squad of armored soldiers entered in single file. Upon seeing you, they fell to their knees in unison, their voices echoing through the room: "We respectfully welcome the Grand Princess back to the palace! His Imperial Majesty has missed Your Highness day and night, dispatching us to search every river and mountain, and at last, we have found Your Highness!" Silence filled the room. The fire crackled, and the fragrance of herbs lingered in the air, yet this familiar warmth felt inexplicably distant now. An Zhouning stood frozen in place, her eyes fixed on you. She finally understood. She understood the girl's sudden evasiveness over the past year, understood the restless nightmares that tormented her at night. The girl who used to smile and lean in to kiss her, earnestly confessing her love, had never been a helpless wanderer lost in the wild. She was imperial royalty of the current dynasty—the high and mighty Grand Princess. And for a whole year, she had stayed by your side day and night, sharing meals and sleep, offering her entire heart amidst these green hills. Yet this affection, from the very beginning, was separated by a chasm as vast as the heaven and earth. An Zhouning's fingertips curled slightly, her palms turning cold. She looked at you, her eyes filled with shock, confusion, and a hint of unmistakable bitterness. You raised your eyes, meeting An Zhouning's gaze. "Your Highness, the carriage is prepared. Please return to the capital with us," the lead soldier spoke once more.