“It’s late. Rest.” The dark, turbulent light that had filled Mu Mu’s eyes was gone. In this moment he was calm — even serene.

“I can’t sleep in the same bed as you.” Under ordinary circumstances, back in the twenty-first century, sharing sleeping space with companions wasn’t anything unthinkable. Sometimes, when resources were limited, a whole crowd of people crammed in together was entirely normal — but tonight’s Mu Mu was far too dangerous. Jiu’er naturally wouldn’t dare be careless.

And besides, this was ancient times, not the modern era. Who knew — if she slept beside him for one night, might this fellow become even more convinced about her?

So from this point on, as many misunderstandings as could be avoided should be avoided, and those that couldn’t be avoided had to be sidestepped somehow.

“I’ll sleep on the long bench — is that all right?” Given the state he was in tonight, how could she let him sleep in a separate room? Not watching over him would leave Jiu’er uneasy.

“The autumn night is cold and damp. I’ll sleep on the bench.” He was a man — how could he let his woman sleep on the bench while he slept soundly in the bed?

“You’re still injured. I said, stop tormenting me, all right? Besides, I’m smaller than you — the bench is perfectly fine for me.”

He was so tall and broad. Lying on the bench, he wouldn’t even be able to stretch his legs — of course that would be uncomfortable.

“Then take the quilt over there.” Mu Mu had no desire to make her suffer. He simply couldn’t bear the thought of her being so uncomfortable.

“There seems to be a spare one in the cabinet.”

Feng Jiu’er climbed down from the bed and found a spare quilt in the cabinet, just as she’d expected.

And so she lay down on the long bench, closed her eyes — yet the moment her mind turned to what Mu Mu had done tonight, no matter how exhausted and drowsy she was, sleep refused to come.

Mu Mu, on the other hand, had barely closed his eyes before his breathing fell into a steady, even rhythm.

His body had not yet recovered — he truly could not afford to exert himself. True to form, the moment he lay down he was asleep. Worn to this point.

Feng Jiu’er opened her eyes and lay there studying the man asleep in the bed. Despite what he had done to her tonight — she couldn’t bring herself to be angry. Couldn’t bring herself to resent him.

She simply didn’t know what road lay ahead.

If he could still be as he was before — suppressing his own feelings, keeping them contained — perhaps none of them would feel so burdened.

But how much pain and grief had Mu Mu endured before, in those days of suppression? Suppressing oneself is the hardest burden to carry. She was no longer troubled — but had she ever thought of how troubled he was?

It turned out that the peace and calm of those quiet days had only existed because he was carrying the weight of it all.

Jiu’er felt she owed him something. And yet feelings — feelings simply could not be forced.

Her heart already held the Ninth Imperial Uncle. How could she harbor thoughts of yet another man?

The Ninth Imperial Uncle…

Her heart gave a lurch, and her head — as though something had seized hold of it — began to ache.

In the past it had only hurt when they were close. Now, even the simple act of longing for him was painful.

This Gu Poison without feeling — when would it ever be fully driven from her mind?

Feng Jiu’er tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She suddenly threw off her covers and sat up, cast one last glance at Mu Mu, then turned and slipped out the door.

Elder Stone and Ye Luosha were in adjoining rooms — she knew how to get there.

She had expected to disturb Ye Luosha, but what Jiu’er hadn’t anticipated was that Ye Luosha, at this hour, would actually be in Elder Stone’s room.

She didn’t approach. She had heard Elder Stone mention her own name at just the right moment.

Jiu’er held her breath, pressing herself flat against the wall. If her name hadn’t come up, she wouldn’t have lowered herself to something like eavesdropping — but she knew full well in her heart that these two harbored no particular goodwill toward her.

“She cannot be allowed to see Wu Ya.” Ye Luosha’s voice was flat and cold.

“But, Palace Mistress — from here to Phoenix City, we are now only five days’ journey away. The Young Palace Master, he…”

Elder Stone was genuinely conflicted. If they did something to Feng Jiu’er at this point, would it cause problems on the Young Palace Master’s end?

“From what we witnessed tonight, Mu’er’s injury seems to have started healing on its own. At this point, even without Feng Jiu’er, a capable enough physician could look after him.”

So as far as Ye Luosha was concerned, Feng Jiu’er had very little remaining use to her.

She had no desire to do something so ruthless — but if she wasn’t ruthless now, then once Feng Jiu’er reached Phoenix City and came face to face with Wu Ya, Feng Jiu’er would be the ruthless one.

“But the Young Palace Master’s memories have not yet returned. If Feng Jiu’er were to come to harm at this point, I’m afraid the Young Palace Master might…”

“That is precisely why Feng Jiu’er must be dealt with before his memories return. Otherwise, once Mu’er remembers the bond he had with Feng Jiu’er in the past, and then learns what happened to her — he will bear it even less.”

Ye Luosha simply could not believe that a Mu Mu who had completely lost his memories could develop any deep attachment to a Feng Jiu’er he had only known for a matter of days.

At most, with Mu’er unfamiliar with everyone right now, he had simply grown somewhat closer to Feng Jiu’er because she had been at his side caring for him all this time.

If Feng Jiu’er were gone, and she herself took over caring for Mu’er, Mu’er would naturally grow familiar with her, and forget Feng Jiu’er altogether.

“Look at what Mu’er did tonight. With him being so overbearing — once they reach Phoenix City, how could he possibly be willing to give Feng Jiu’er back to Wu Ya?”

She could not afford to take that risk. Between Wu Ya and Mu’er, she could lose neither.

“By then, I’m afraid the two brothers would turn against each other over Feng Jiu’er. After all, they have been separated for so many years — there is very little bond between them.”

So even as brothers, fighting each other over a woman was entirely possible.

And if, by some chance, another decisive battle broke out — what then?

Ye Luosha was genuinely frightened. Surely others were frightened too? Emperor Ji must be frightened as well. It was simply that the old fool was always too soft-hearted — too weak to be that ruthless.

Elder Stone had also come to see it clearly. The Palace Mistress was absolutely set on eliminating Feng Jiu’er. He let out a quiet sigh and asked, “Then, Palace Mistress — what do you intend to do now?”

“I intend to…”

The voice suddenly dropped, and no matter how intently Jiu’er focused, she could hear nothing more.

She instinctively tried to step forward — but she had barely lifted her foot when the sound of her own footsteps alerted the people inside.

Ye Luosha’s heart lurched. She immediately burst out — but outside was perfectly still and silent, not a single figure in sight. Yet she had clearly heard footsteps just now.

“Perhaps it was only the wind.” Elder Stone had also come out, apparently having heard something as well, but not entirely certain.

“No — those were definitely footsteps. Someone was eavesdropping on us!” Ye Luosha’s expression was iron-grey. “Could it be Feng Jiu’er?”

If it was Feng Jiu’er, this would be difficult. If she told Mu Mu what she had heard — or if she fled and made straight for Phoenix City on her own…

“No! I cannot let her see Wu Ya!” Ye Luosha’s five fingers clenched tight, and she immediately set off at a swift pace toward Feng Jiu’er’s sleeping quarters.