The courtyard was silent, and even outside the house, things felt cold and deserted. You could hardly see any maids or matrons around.
Because Prince Nolan disliked it, the flowerbeds outside had long been cleared by the servants. Now only a few waist-high saplings remained as decoration, making the place look bleak—almost a little desolate and decayed.
Those few saplings must have been transplanted recently. Their leaves drooped in exhaustion, radiating a sense of lifelessness and gloom, as if they were half-dead—truly hard to like.
With such a rundown courtyard, even someone in a good mood would feel a little down after entering—let alone someone already upset. Prince Nolan paused for a moment, then slowed his steps and walked inside.
Two maids stood guard outside Serena’s door. When they saw Prince Nolan approaching and were about to greet him, he cut them off, signaling with his eyes for them to 'get lost.'
They weren’t mistaken—Prince Nolan really did want them to leave, preferably by rolling away, so they wouldn’t be an eyesore.
The two girls were left in tears. Who had they offended? Why was Prince Nolan glaring at them so coldly? They hadn’t done anything—certainly hadn’t dressed up or tried to crawl into his bed like some of the other servants in the past.
With no outsiders present, Prince Nolan dropped some of his restraint. The frost on his face eased a little. He stepped lightly, pushed open the door, circled the screen, and entered the inner chamber—where he found Serena indeed sleeping soundly.
For a moment, Prince Nolan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He’d worried for nothing—Serena was perfectly fine. But as soon as he stepped closer, he realized something was off.
Serena’s eyes were red and swollen—clear evidence she’d been crying.
"Is it really this much grievance?" Prince Nolan sat by the bed, his fingertip gently sliding across Serena's cheek, with a hint of doubt he himself couldn't quite understand.
"If you're hurting, then so am I." His finger paused on Serena's slightly pale lips, gently rubbing them for a moment. Seeing she didn't react, Prince Nolan sighed softly, tucked in her quilt, and said, "Sleep well."
Prince Nolan leaned down and gave Serena a gentle kiss on her lips, then turned and walked out. When she heard the door close, Serena didn’t open her eyes—instead, she reached up and touched her lips, a tear sliding from the corner of her eye.
Prince Nolan—he just doesn’t understand a woman’s heart. She admits he’s handled everything perfectly, left no detail undone, but he hasn’t cared about her feelings.
She could accept Prince Nolan’s scolding, but she couldn’t accept his coldness. She hated when he acted so high and mighty, making her feel like some plaything to be summoned or dismissed at will.
She’d come here full of joy, hoping for nothing more than a glance from Prince Nolan, a hug, or even just a simple "I'm glad you're safe." If he’d scolded her after that, even punished her, she would’ve accepted it.
But there was nothing—no concern, no greeting, just a room full of coldness.
Serena’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. She rolled over, curled herself up like a shrimp, and—thinking and thinking—actually fell asleep.
Serena slept straight through to nightfall. After dinner, she went to see Master Wenyuan and Yana Zhan to put their minds at ease. By the time she returned, it was late. Since they’d be traveling again tomorrow, Serena decided to rest early so she wouldn’t be exhausted the next day.
But after sleeping so much during the day, Serena couldn’t fall asleep at all. She tossed and turned in bed for ages, and just as she was about to get up, she heard the door open.