25: I just want you... to care more about us.

"It's been so many years, and Yingqi's archery has become even more refined."

Watching Mo Yingqi hit the red bullseye every single time, Luo Yongning looked very comforted.

Back then, it was she who had taught Mo Yingqi archery hand-in-hand. Originally, the two sisters had hoped that he would join the Shen Family's army in the future; with the two of them there to support him, Mo Yingqi's future would certainly be boundless.

But this feeling was ultimately rejected by the sisters, because... they were no longer willing. It was not that they were unwilling to grant Mo Yingqi glory and wealth; if he wanted it, they could give him mountains of gold and silver, they could give him anything.

But they, they only had him. Regardless of his official rank, even if he were only a Captain in the Pacification Bureau for the rest of his life, they wouldn't care, nor would they mind.

It would even be best if he could be more sensible and stop working for the Pacification Bureau altogether... Although they understood why he had joined the Pacification Bureau and why he wanted to be in the Flying Fish Guard, there was no need for that; they could do it for him.

"Forget it, whatever he wants is fine; we just need to help him from the shadows." Luo Yongan ultimately gave up. "Yingqi's happiness is more important than anything else, and furthermore..."

Furthermore what? Luo Yongan didn't say, and Luo Yongning didn't ask. Because just by seeing the irrepressible madness and inexplicable excitement in her sister's eyes, she knew her sister must have already made a plan.

"Yingqi, why don't you take a break?" Luo Yongan took a handkerchief and gently wiped his forehead, although... there wasn't really any sweat. "Oh, right, Yingqi, I have good news to tell you. Luo Yongning and I have already moved into the Princess's Residence, so you can come over anytime now, right?"

"Ah, no, Sister Yongan..."

The bow in Mo Yingqi's hand nearly dropped to the ground. You just mentioned it yesterday, and today you've already moved? This speed is a bit too fast, isn't it?

"We would have moved sooner or later anyway; our things were prepared a long time ago. What we brought from the Anning Palace was just what the Empress Dowager prepared separately later on. After all, Luo Yongning and I are princesses, and it is necessary to occasionally return to the palace for short stays."

Luo Yongan gazed at Mo Yingqi with incomparable tenderness, but for some reason, her peach-blossom eyes seemed to possess a kind of magic, and Mo Yingqi felt as if... he was about to fall into her pupils!

"So, Yingqi, you will come to visit us every day, won't you?" Luo Yongan leaned closer to him again. "You will come to visit us tomorrow, won't you?"

Every word, every sentence—even though the words were gentle, Mo Yingqi felt that something... made him unable to catch his breath. The Luo Yongan before him was still Luo Yongan, and even her expression was the same as usual.

Actually, Mo Yingqi had faintly sensed this feeling when he first reunited with them, but at the time, he always thought it was because they hadn't seen each other for five years and were a bit estranged.

But that feeling was fleeting, passing so quickly that Mo Yingqi thought it was just his imagination. Driven by some impulse, he couldn't help but ask: "Sister Yongan, Sister Yongning, did you... at night, did you dream of anything?"

"Dream of what? Which aspect are you referring to?" Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning exchanged a glance and looked at him in confusion. "Yingqi, would you like to elaborate?"

"No, it's nothing..."

Mo Yingqi felt his own thought was incredibly absurd. It was shameful enough that he was having such spring dreams; what was he thinking, actually asking them if they had the same dreams?

"What's wrong, Yingqi?" Seeing his hesitant expression, Luo Yongning hurriedly walked over and touched his forehead. "Are you not feeling well? I've felt you've been absent-minded these past two days. A few days ago, I heard you stayed up late to capture the Rebel Prince's descendant; you must be exhausted, right?"

Speaking of this, Luo Yongning's eyes suddenly turned cold for a moment, then she asked with a hint of playfulness: "Yingqi went to capture the Rebel Prince's descendant. I heard you captured the person without much of a fight; can you tell me and my sister how you did it?"

"It was just some methods commonly used by the Flying Fish Guard, nothing else."

Mo Yingqi thought for a moment, but still didn't mention the fact that he had threatened that official, saying he would send the man's daughter to the Bureau of Music and Dance. After all, Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning were women too; it was better not to tell them about such things.

But clearly, this wasn't what they cared about at all. When the Pacification Bureau raided homes and made arrests, nine out of ten women in the Bureau of Music and Dance were from the families of disgraced officials, and of those ten, at least eight were sent there by the hands of the Flying Fish Guard.

Moreover, in the Daxing Dynasty, the Bureau of Music and Dance mostly involved selling talent rather than bodies. Of course, if these young women were willing, the Bureau wouldn't interfere too much. Sometimes, if a girl was lucky in the Bureau of Music and Dance, some official's son might take a fancy to her and take her back to be a concubine, allowing her to shed her lowly status. She wouldn't have to sell smiles for a living every day, and at the very least, she could count on having some support and hope.

Even if they were unwilling to do so, after their term expired, the Bureau of Music and Dance would arrange their future lives, finding families that didn't mind that they had been singers or dancers for them to marry as legitimate wives. Although they might not be wealthy, they would at least have a place to settle down for the rest of their lives.

If they were unwilling to marry, the Bureau of Music and Dance would also provide a sum of money. There were not a few women in the Daxing Dynasty who did business; they could go out, run a small shop, or buy some land. Compared to the previous dynasty, the Daxing Dynasty treated these women from the Bureau of Music and Dance much better.

What they truly cared about was that Mo Yingqi had complimented the girl... saying she was pretty.

"Oh, is that so?" Luo Yongning nodded, but her hands were already clenched tight. "Sister, I want to change my clothes. Will you and Yingqi wait for me?"

"Go ahead. Aunt Ying Hong, send someone to follow her." Luo Yongan nodded, a smile on her face that Mo Yingqi found difficult to decipher. "Luo Yongning, don't take too long."

"Don't worry, Sister, nothing will happen."

Watching Luo Yongning leave, Mo Yingqi felt a bit uncomfortable. Then, he carefully asked Luo Yongan: "Um, Sister Yongan, I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"No, Yingqi, why would you think that?" Luo Yongan looked at him in confusion. "Yingqi, in our eyes, you can do no wrong. If there is... the fault must be someone else's."

"So Yingqi, promise Sister, from now on, only care about us, okay? I know these years you've lived very unhappily on your own. Luo Yongning and I truly want to compensate you, and we only hope... that you will cherish us more."

A dignified Legitimate Princess, now acting as humble as a child who had made a mistake in front of him—the impact of this on Mo Yingqi was simply too strong.

"Sister Yongan, I never really blamed you. Perhaps there was some before, but you should know that's only human nature." Mo Yingqi sighed. "I have seen everything you've done these days. To be honest, I really don't deserve you..."

"Don't say that, Yingqi, you deserve it." Luo Yongan hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't always care about what worldly people think about being 'worthy' or not. Yingqi, you are the future husband of Luo Yongning and me, the Imperial Consort of the Legitimate Princess of the Daxing Dynasty. That will not change."

"No, I mean, what virtue or ability do I have..." A wave of bitterness rose in Mo Yingqi's heart. In this world, besides his mother, only they had treated him with such heartfelt sincerity. "I… it's not that I care about these things, Sister Yongan. You know I've never been a person who follows the rules, it's just that I... never thought I would have you treat me this way."

"Silly..." Luo Yongan's hand rested gently on Mo Yingqi's chest. "You deserve it, Yingqi. In this world, no one has ever sincerely risked their life for Luo Yongning and me, but you have done it more than once..."

"Yingqi, the wounds on your body, do they still hurt?"