Return to the Princess's Mansion

Lang Huan gently stroked the guardian wolf's fur, smiling softly. "From now on, your name is Xiao Bai."

Lin Ruochen frowned in confusion. "What are you planning?" she asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me you're going to take it with us?"

"Of course!" Lang Huan replied without hesitation. "Xiao Bai is my baby now!" She hugged the wolf's face affectionately.

Lin Ruochen stared at her in disbelief, as if Lang Huan had just said something outrageous. With a deep sigh, she turned and walked toward the door. But before she could open it, Lang Huan quickly grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" Lang Huan asked, looking at her seriously.

"I'm leaving," Lin Ruochen said firmly.

Lang Huan sighed and shook her head. "Hey, don't be reckless. We don't even know the way out." She continued. "Xiao Bai can lead us, but we need to wait until nightfall. It's not safe outside right now."

Lin Ruochen rolled her eyes in frustration. But after thinking for a moment, she realized Lang Huan had a point. With a reluctant sigh, she gave up on her plan and sat back down.

---

The situation at Duke Mansion...

Su Qing sat in Lang Huan's room, her eyes swollen from crying. She didn't understand why she felt so emotional—was this love or just family affection? The uncertainty left her deeply confused.

Lying on Lang Huan's bed, Su Qing could still smell the familiar scent that sometimes made her feel at ease. Yet, every time she closed her eyes, she saw Lang Huan's mischievous smile, making it even harder to clear her thoughts.

At times, she couldn't help but blame Feng Yao. Indirectly, this was all connected to the Eldest Princess.

A Cai had tried to comfort Su Qing, but nothing worked. The longer they waited without news of the Young Master, the more anxious everyone in the mansion became. A Cai didn't even want to imagine what would happen if the Duke of Huguo found out his only son was in danger.

Zhou Ming and Zhou An couldn't sit still any longer. They exchanged glances before making a firm decision. "If we don't hear anything in two days, we'll go out and search," Zhou Ming said seriously. Zhou An nodded in agreement. They couldn't just wait while the Young Master's fate remained unknown.

 Meanwhile, Wang Hu was still weak, unable to move as he recovered from his injuries. At the same time, Zhou Xun's whereabouts remained a mystery. With so much uncertainty, the atmosphere in Duke Mansion grew heavier with each passing day.

---

Lang Huan jumped onto Xiao Bai's back, followed closely by Lin Ruochen. Once they were both steady, she gently patted Xiao Bai's stomach.

"Alright, let's go," she said.

Xiao Bai moved swiftly, carrying them out of Ling Xiao Palace and into a dark corridor. As soon as they entered the darkness, Xiao Bai's eyes began to glow, lighting up the rocky path ahead.

Lin Ruochen and Lang Huan were stunned, realizing that Xiao Bai was no ordinary wolf. Without hesitation, Xiao Bai continued forward, moving confidently as if he knew every corner of the passage. He even pressed hidden buttons on the stone walls, revealing secret pathways.

After a while, they entered another cave. The walls shimmered faintly, reflecting the glow of natural crystals embedded within the rocks. A light breeze brushed past them, and Lang Huan knew they were close to the exit.

The tunnel widened, and soon, a faint moonlight appeared in the distance. Xiao Bai quickened his pace until they reached a tall stone door. Without hesitation, he tapped his paw three times on a unique-looking stone tile. Moments later, the heavy door slowly slid open, revealing the outside world.

As they stepped out of the cave, a blast of cold air hit them. Snow was falling heavily, covering the ground in a thick, white blanket. Lin Ruochen shivered, her teeth chattering from the freezing temperature.

Noticing this, Lang Huan didn't hesitate to take off her robe and give it to Lin Ruochen.

She hesitated for a moment but was too cold to refuse. Meanwhile, Lang Huan gazed at the falling snow with a calm expression. Since arriving in this strange world, she had never felt cold. It seemed like her body temperature was naturally higher than most people's.

Like a dream, they had finally escaped the cave. Lang Huan looked around but didn't recognize the area. The towering trees and the damp air told her they were still deep inside Shang Yue Forest.

Not far from where they stood, a grand villa loomed in the middle of the quiet forest. Lang Huan frowned in suspicion. Why would such a large building be in such a remote place?

Lin Ruochen's expression changed the moment she saw the villa. She said in a serious tone. "We need to leave quickly. Take the path with the densest trees."

Without waiting for a response, Lin Ruochen took charge and pointed the way. Lang Huan glanced at her before deciding to follow. Luckily, Xiao Bai was much faster. In no time, they dashed through the dense forest, moving swiftly and silently.

Soon, they reached the edge of Shang Yue Forest.

Lang Huan smirked slightly. "You seem to know this place well," she said, half-joking, half-serious. She was sure now—Lin Ruochen was hiding something.

"Let's go to the princess's mansion," Lang Huan said firmly.

Going back to Duke Mansion wasn't a safe option. Her face was likely already recognized by the kidnappers, and she didn't want to put her family in danger. Right now, the only person who could help her was Feng Yao.

Lang Huan and Lin Ruochen rode swiftly on Xiao Bai, the guardian wolf, heading straight for princess's mansion. With impressive agility, Xiao Bai leaped high over the mansion gates, landing boldly inside.

The gate guards were stunned, unable to believe such a massive beast had entered so suddenly. But their shock didn't last long—within seconds, dozens of shadow guards dressed in black appeared out of nowhere, surrounding them from all sides.

Lin Ruochen panicked and quickly raised her hands. "It's me, Lin Ruochen!" she shouted.

From the crowd, Qiu Yue suddenly jumped forward, her face lighting up with joy as soon as she saw them.

"Ruo Chen!" she called out excitedly.

Just that afternoon, Qiu Yue had nearly lost hope. Seeing how deep the cliff was, she had thought survival was impossible. But now, they were here—alive and safe.

Lang Huan handed Xiao Bai over to the gate guards. They all froze, their faces pale, too afraid to approach the giant wolf.

Seeing their reaction, Qiu Yue smile faintly. Just from Xiao Bai's presence, she could already guess that Lang Huan and Lin Ruochen had been through a lot.

Without asking too many questions, Qiu Yue quickly took control of the situation. She gestured for Lang Huan to follow her.

"Wait here…," she said politely. "I'll take Ruochen to see the Eldest Princess."

Lang Huan nodded and sat down calmly, while Qiu Yue took Lin Ruochen's hand and led her inside.