Days passed since their meeting in the park. Aveline couldn't erase Yanzhi from her mind. There was something different about the young man; his speech was polite, his demeanor calm, and his way of viewing the world felt much deeper than an ordinary commoner.
Meanwhile, Shen Yuan, known as Yanzhi during his disguise, returned to his simple, commoner's dwelling on the city's outskirts. He never expected the girl sitting lost in thought at the park that day was a noble's daughter exiled from her realm. Yet, that was precisely what drew him in. Between the two of them, unspoken secrets lay hidden.
One windy afternoon, they met again at a small market on the edge of the city.
"You again?" Aveline said, smiling awkwardly while holding a rattan basket filled with vegetables.
"Is this destiny... or are you deliberately following me?" Yanzhi retorted, his tone playful.
Aveline chuckled. "If I were following you, why are you ahead of me?"
They walked together, navigating the market. Although they came from different worlds a noble daughter and a simple commoner they felt comfortable in their light conversation, shared laughter, and easy silences.
However, not far from them, an old servant from the Jing Palace recognized Shen Yuan from a distance. He quickly hurried back to the palace to report: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is wandering with a foreign woman..."
On the other side, the family of Aveline’s former friend, who had framed her, heard news that Aveline was still alive and now close to a mysterious man.
The two worlds were slowly drawing closer, and a collision was inevitable.
---
Aveline : "Sometimes I think... I don't belong anywhere. The nobles don't acknowledge my existence, and the common people suspect my past."
Yanzhi : "Perhaps... you just haven't found your place yet. But I am certain there is one place in this world that will accept you wholly without a title, without a past."
Aveline: "And you... where are you really from?"
Yanzhi (smiling gently) : "From a place I can't tell you about... not yet."