In the small hours before dawn, the sky had not yet begun to lighten when sounds of movement arose outside the Night Rasha’s door.
Elder Shi strode quickly to the door of Night Rasha’s room and was just about to knock when the door was suddenly pulled open from within by the person inside.
“Elder Shi, what is it?”
“The Ninth Prince will likely find this place very soon.” The situation was urgent, and Elder Shi spoke directly: “Palace Mistress, if you still wish to keep this location, we must leave immediately.”
“I’ll have our people split into two groups to draw their attention. We’ll take Feng Jiu’er with us and leave the imperial city first.”
“Very well.” Elder Shi’s foresight was uncanny, and Night Rasha had always heeded his counsel. If he said the Ninth Prince would arrive soon, then it was certainly true — Elder Shi’s words were never empty.
“Have Mu’er take Feng Jiu’er on the road immediately.”
“Understood.”
The commotion outside grew louder. Mu Mu was the first to stir awake. Beside him, Feng Jiu’er was still lost in sleep, those delicate brows of hers pressed tightly together the entire time. Even in her dreams, she was tense and uneasy — here at his side, she could not find even a moment of peace.
A chill swept through Mu Mu’s heart. As the sound of Elder Shi’s and Night Rasha’s approaching footsteps grew swift and near, he reached out and yanked off his own outer robe, then pulled the dreaming Feng Jiu’er into his arms.
“Ninth Imperial Uncle…” Feng Jiu’er murmured softly, then jolted awake with a start of fright. After a full night’s sleep, the bone-softening powder — a drug that would leave an ordinary person incapacitated for at least three days and three nights — had almost entirely worn off in her body. The moment she came to her senses and saw Mu Mu’s face clearly before her, she immediately moved to resist.
This time, Mu Mu did not let her. He seized her wrists and tore away his outer robe.
“You—”
“Don’t move. Otherwise, I’ll make sure what’s between us becomes real.” Mu Mu’s tone was somewhat cold this time.
Feng Jiu’er bit her lip and finally went still.
Outside the door, footsteps drew closer. Mu Mu held Feng Jiu’er in his arms. The covers had slipped, exposing one of her feet — and something appeared to be tied around her leg.
In truth, Mu Mu wasn’t sure he’d really seen clearly what it was, but something about it seized his attention: why did the pendant on that chain catch his eye so jarringly?
His heart lurched violently. He instinctively reached toward her ankle — but at that very moment, the door was flung open from outside by someone’s hand.
Elder Shi remained standing guard outside the door — after all, there was a young woman inside, and it wouldn’t have been proper for him to enter. Night Rasha, however, had no such scruples. Moreover, she wanted to verify once more whether or not things between the two of them had actually come to pass.
The moment the door was thrown open, Mu Mu drew his gaze back from the chain around Feng Jiu’er’s ankle. He found himself inexplicably curious about it, but there was no room for that now. He pulled the blanket over and wrapped Feng Jiu’er in it snugly, though one smooth shoulder still peeked out.
“Master, what is it?”
Night Rasha’s gaze swept across Feng Jiu’er’s slightly exposed shoulder. On it were faint traces of crimson, as though they were the marks left behind by the intimacy between a man and a woman. She felt somewhat reassured, yet still carried a trace of doubt, and stepped forward toward the bed.
“The Ninth Prince will likely find this place soon. Take the girl and leave immediately — we need to get out of the city.”
“Understood.” Mu Mu scooped Feng Jiu’er up into his arms.
Ninth Imperial Uncle… This time, Feng Jiu’er struggled with all her might. The Ninth Imperial Uncle was about to arrive — she had to escape on her own, she couldn’t let him come all this way for nothing!
A sharp sting flared suddenly at her neck. She looked at Mu Mu, but he turned his face away, then gathered up the now-limp Feng Jiu’er — who had lost all ability to resist — and carefully helped her into her clothes.
When the blanket was disturbed in the struggle, what was revealed on the bedsheet was a dark crimson stain, and only then did a glimmer of satisfaction wash through Night Rasha’s eyes.
Feng Jiu’er had not known what Night Rasha was looking at, but when she glanced back, she saw it — on the bedsheet she had slept upon the night before, there was a dark red bloodstain, like the faded impression of a plum blossom.
Her cheeks grew hot, and she understood at once why Night Rasha was satisfied.
But where had that bloodstain come from? She and Mu Mu last night hadn’t actually…
Mu Mu didn’t dwell on it. The Ninth Prince was nearly upon them, and they could not remain — though… “Master, there are many useful things here.”
“Elder Shi has already made preparations. We’ll go to the other base first and let the Ninth Prince’s people believe we’ve been there all along.”
Night Rasha looked at Feng Jiu’er again, her expression cooling slightly: “Since you are already Mu’er’s woman, from now on, you ought to follow Mu’er wholeheartedly. Stop thinking about the Ninth Prince.”
Could a woman who had already lost her virtue return to the Ninth Prince’s side? Feng Jiu’er surely understood this herself — even if she went back, the Ninth Prince would no longer want her.
Feng Jiu’er bit her lip and said nothing.
Mu Mu, afraid her stubbornness would ultimately cause her to suffer, could only speak on her behalf: “Feng Jiu’er just needs a little time to come to terms with it. Master, please don’t worry — she will listen to me.”
“Mm.” Night Rasha gave a nod and turned to walk toward the door. “Get ready quickly. We set out in the time it takes half a stick of incense to burn.”
Half a stick of incense — that was only a matter of minutes!
Feng Jiu’er had not yet figured out how to escape when Night Rasha abruptly turned back, fixing her eyes on the bedsheet beneath them. “Mu’er, step aside.”
Mu Mu didn’t know what she intended, but he could only stand and hold Feng Jiu’er in his arms.
“Hand me that girl’s clothes.” Night Rasha walked to the bedside and swept her palm through the air. The bedsheet bearing the dark crimson stain fell directly into her hand.
“Master…” Mu Mu hesitated, glancing at Feng Jiu’er — she already looked ready to explode.
“Quickly!”
Mu Mu had no choice. He tore away Feng Jiu’er’s outer robe and tossed it to Night Rasha.
“You—” The words barely left Feng Jiu’er’s lips before she felt that sharp sting at her neck again. This time, she couldn’t even speak. Not only had her pressure points been sealed to prevent her from moving — now her mute point had been sealed as well, robbing her even of her voice.
Mu Mu didn’t look at her. He couldn’t bring himself to. He already knew what his master intended to do.
Night Rasha took the bedsheet and the clothes and walked briskly out the door, handing them to Elder Shi: “Find a brother to deliver these to the Ninth Prince of their Bei Mu Kingdom.”
“Understood.”
Feng Jiu’er’s eyes went red with urgency! When these things reached the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s hands — how enraged would he be?
How dare they!
She glared furiously at Mu Mu, her large, watery eyes gone entirely crimson with fury.
Mu Mu merely gave her a brief, calm look, then set her back down on the bed and rummaged through a nearby chest for his own clothes, which he set beside her.
“If you want to dress yourself, do so properly. I’ll be standing here watching. If you don’t want to do it yourself, then I’ll do it for you.”
“Mmm! Mmm!” Feng Jiu’er shook her head vigorously.
Mu Mu’s long fingers brushed lightly through the air, and Feng Jiu’er’s hands could move again.
She shot him a fierce glare, then looked at the clothes on the bed, then at the disheveled state of herself. However much fury and grievance she carried, Feng Jiu’er could only pick up the clothes and slowly, deliberately put them on.
“I’ll count to ten. If you’re not dressed by the time I finish, I’m coming over to help.” Mu Mu — with his back to her — began counting. “Ten, nine, eight…”