She spotted Evan Xiao's carriage parked right by the avenue outside the Spirit Alliance.
He stood by the roadside, smiling at her.
Grace grinned wide and ran over to him.
"How did it go?" Evan Xiao asked.
"Got another 'Excellent'! One foot's already in the door!" Grace said cheerfully.
Evan Xiao reached out and patted her head. "Hop in! Let's eat at my place. I've already told your father."
"Okay!" She bounced happily into the carriage.
"Oh? Isn't this the great General?" Suddenly, a sour voice rang out.
They turned to see Sophie Sun stepping out.
She stared at Evan Xiao, her gaze complicated.
The kind of look that's all tangled up with love and hate.
Evan Xiao's expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing.
"General, what are you doing here?" Sophie Sun asked. "Don't tell me... you came to pick up Grace?"
"Of course not!" Grace denied instantly. "It's just a coincidence."
"A coincidence?" Sophie Sun chuckled. "Then General, what brings you to the Spirit Alliance? Surely you didn't come here for me?"
Suddenly, Evan Xiao stretched out his long arm, pulled Grace into his embrace, and said, "I came to pick her up."
Sophie Sun's face changed, and she gritted her teeth. "General! Grace is the High Kingdom's woman! She's destined to be a royal consort there! Aren't you afraid this public flirting will bring disaster?"
"Shut your mouth." Evan Xiao shot her a cold look. "Or disaster will come for you first."
With that, he pulled Grace into the carriage.
Louis Lin flicked the whip. "Hyah!" The carriage sped off toward the General's Manor.
"General, how could you say that to her? Don't you know she loves to run to Wendy Zhu and gossip?" Grace frowned. "If Colin Gu finds out, he'll give you trouble."
"It's fine."
"...He is the emperor of the Blue Moon Kingdom. If he wants to trouble you... that's real trouble!"
"She won't say anything."
"How do you know she won't? Do you think one little threat from you will scare her?"
"Isn't my threat scary enough?"
"...Is it scary?"
"Not scary at all." Evan Xiao hugged her. "What do you want for dinner tonight?"
Grace huffed, "...I want to eat you!"
Evan Xiao: "Okay."
Grace was stunned for a moment. "Okay?"
Evan Xiao murmured, "I'll let you eat."
Grace shot him a cool sidelong glance. "How do you plan to let me eat you?"
"However you want."
"Braised."
"Hmm... Sure."
So that night, he bathed in Moon Peony petals, then came out wearing only a white inner robe, his long hair cascading down like a waterfall. He stretched his arm under her nose. "How do I smell?"
Grace: "..."
...
While they were eating together, Grace suddenly noticed something.
"Why do I suddenly notice that your favorite dishes are exactly the same as my Antler Serpent's!"
"Really?" Evan Xiao picked up another bite. But this time, it was something the Antler Serpent didn't like.
"Uh... Maybe I'm overthinking it," Grace said, stroking her chin. "Just a coincidence."
Evan Xiao: "Mm."
"Oh right! Has Cutie Pie come over to your place again? It's been gone for days and hasn't come home."
"Nope." He didn't want her running off to the pond to look for him again.
"No?" Grace was surprised. "Then where did he go?"
"He's an Antler Serpent. He has his own world. You don't need to worry too much."