"Mama, mama, mama," the noisy little bundle of joy kept calling. The mother and son were on their way to the administration office; the boy had just turned five and needed to be registered as her son and as a citizen. They arrived at the capital with the child chewing blackberries, his face stained red. She bent down and wiped the juice from his hands and mouth on the inside of her pink skirt.

"Yue-er, why must you be so messy? Didn't I teach you to eat without making a mess?" she scolded.

"You did," Xinxi replied in a childish voice.

"Then why are you still so messy?"

"Mama, it's not me!"

"Then is it the fruit's fault?" she asked. Xinxi frowned, trying to process the complicated question. After thinking hard for a moment, encouraged by his mother's patience, he said, "I'll eat one fruit at a time."

"Ho ho, the young master understands," she said approvingly. Nodding, she took his hand and led him into the administration office. After paying the fees and successfully registering Xinxi, the two of them stepped out of the building after two hours and forty-five minutes. As they walked down the road, something caught her eye. She tightened her grip on Xinxi's hand and turned to see what it was. He looked up at his mother, about to ask what was wrong, when he was picked up and they entered a shop. Holding him tightly against her chest, she hid to the side and looked out the window. When he turned his head toward it, he saw five men on white horses. Four wore black robes with characters embroidered in red silk on their backs; the fifth, a young man, wore a lilac robe and gold jewels in his hair and ears. Once they were out of sight, Yue Mian's grip on her son softened. He reached up, placed his hand on her cheek, and asked, "Mama, what's wrong?" Her gaze softened as she turned to him, and she saw she had startled the customers and workers in the store. Bowing slightly to them, the pair slipped out, took a few back alleys, and entered the forest. Taking the back streets to avoid prying eyes had lengthened the route home. She picked Xinxi up and put him on her back so as not to strain his little legs, and the road home was silent. Xinxi wanted to ask what had frightened her, but he was scared himself; he rested his head against her back and closed his eyes. Yue Mian's mind wandered as she gave a bitter smile at her own foolishness—she had been so absorbed in a carefree life that she had forgotten her past. She would have forgotten it if she hadn't seen that familiar face—the one who had pledged his life to her—and suddenly remembered the promise to her mother. She had vowed to send letters whenever she could, but those letters were never written; the memories she cherished had been eclipsed by the one she loved, Ye Xinxi Yue. Looking back at the bundle of joy asleep on her back, she couldn't help but smile—he truly lived up to his name. She was almost terrified that Xinxi had made her forget that he was, in truth, her heart's joy. When they arrived home, she placed him on the bed. Night fell, and Xinxi was sent to sleep with the others. Yue Mian sat at the table under candlelight with five sheets of paper, an inkstone, and a brush. Dipping the brush in ink, she moved it over the first sheet and began to write. Aunty Fei stood by, ready to blot the ink with a sheet at her side. She had known this day would come, but had not expected it so soon. Aunty Fei was fond of Yue Mian and often said that if she could give birth she would want a daughter like her. The sad part was that Yue Mian would be leaving her joy behind and becoming the person she had been five years ago; this pained her deeply. Aunty Fei asked, "YuMi, will Yue-er lose his mother once more?" The brush paused in her hand, then started once more. Answering her question, she said, "When I do leave, I will be leaving my son here. It would be troublesome to have someone with me who will hold me back, and Xinxi is my weakness. No one is to know that he exists, because if I must lose him, I will break. My Xinxi knows that he has a mother, and I will definitely keep myself alive until the day he marries the one he loves," her voice calm and determined. "Then I will do my utmost and accept my responsibility. I will look after Her Highness's joy and raise him to be a fine man, able to stand by your side with pride," Fei Rou pledged.