When Mu Yunjin quietly flew into the Ning Prince Manor’s garden using her lightness skill, she had only taken a few steps when she saw Prince Chu Li sitting with his back to her in a nearby pavilion. Beside him stood Qin Muyue, who was smiling with her head lowered.

Qin Muyue seemed to be telling him something delightful. After she finished speaking, she looked at Chu Li with eyes full of expectation.

Mu Yunjin’s brow turned cold. She narrowed her eyes and stopped in place, her clear pupils becoming cool as water, their depths filled with darkness.

Hmph…

Childhood sweethearts are hard to separate…

Mu Yunjin smiled self-mockingly and, before the people in the pavilion discovered her, flashed away toward Liquan Pavilion and entered her room.

…

In the pavilion.

After hearing the promise Qin Muyue made, Chu Li coldly laughed, “In this lifetime, this prince will only grant you one wish.”

…

…

“What wish?” Qin Muyue’s eyes brightened, and she spoke eagerly.

“To leave your corpse intact.”

Qin Muyue froze, her eyes burning with rage. “How am I inferior to Mu Yunjin? All these years I’ve been by your side, everyone thought we would be a couple. Did you never have feelings for me?”

“Brother Li, I can be willing to be your concubine, or even without any status, but you cannot deny the feelings we’ve shared all these years!”

Chu Li suddenly laughed lightly, his laughter filled with icy coldness. “You will never compare to her.”

“Ding Xian, throw her out!”

Ding Xian understood and walked reluctantly to Qin Muyue’s side. “Miss Qin, please leave.”

“Hmph, someday you’ll understand everything.” Qin Muyue was furious. Today, she had already lowered herself so much to beg Chu Li, yet he remained so stubborn.

Mu Yunjin, you stole my man, just you wait!

…

Mu Yunjin quietly entered her room without lighting any candles. After changing into clean clothes, she lay down on the soft couch.

After pulling the brocade quilt tight around her, Mu Yunjin’s water-like eyes froze over.

Was this the reason Chu Li wasn’t at Shuiyun Temple tonight?

Because he was meeting Qin Muyue…

Mu Yunjin didn’t want to think further. The night made one sensitive and suspicious, and she feared that thinking more would erase all the good Chu Li had done for her.

She should trust Chu Li.

Having comforted herself this way, Mu Yunjin felt much better. Tonight had been truly exhausting, and before long, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

…

The next day.

Mu Yunjin felt she hadn’t slept this well in a long time, until a sharp scream woke her from her dream.

“Miss!”

Zixiang, holding a cleaning cloth, had originally intended to clean Mu Yunjin’s room, but upon pushing open the door and seeing the person on the bed, she was so shocked she couldn’t help but scream.

When Chu Li heard Zixiang’s scream, he immediately walked out of the bedroom and headed toward Mu Yunjin’s chamber. When his gaze fell upon the person rubbing her eyes on the bed, he seemed to freeze for a moment.

“You go out first,” Chu Li said to Zixiang.

Zixiang nodded.

Chu Li walked closer to the bed. By now, Mu Yunjin had also been awakened by the scream. Seeing him approach, her expression became somewhat unnatural.

“When did you return?” Chu Li sat on the edge of her bed and reached out to gently stroke her hair.

“At the hour of Zi (midnight),” Mu Yunjin replied, pursing her lips.

Chu Li made a sound of acknowledgment, looking at her for a moment before speaking again. “How did you avoid the imperial guards?”

This time, she was confined. Father Emperor had specially sent a group of royal guards who had followed him for years to monitor Mu Yunjin. Those hidden guards were well-trained and highly skilled in martial arts. It would be impossible for her alone to escape from under their watch.

Mu Yunjin sat up in the bed, rubbing her slightly aching head. She glanced at Chu Li, seeing that he was also wearing light clothes for sleeping, and suddenly laughed coldly.

“That girl Zixiang is making a fuss over nothing. I hope we didn’t disturb Your Highness’s pleasant affairs?”

Hearing this, Chu Li’s gaze became somewhat evasive. Connecting it to her mention of midnight, he couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Jealous?”

Mu Yunjin was strangely dispersed of some of her gloominess by these two words. Her small face remained tense as she put on her shoes, got out of bed, walked to the wardrobe, and chose an outfit to wear.

After dressing, she headed for the door.

Chu Li had been watching her the whole time. Seeing her walk out, he followed.

As soon as she stepped outside, Mu Yunjin prepared to use her lightness skill to leave. Chu Li stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”

“Back to my confinement, of course. I’m not like Prince Ning, who’s free to do whatever he wants…” Mu Yunjin spoke with a sinister tone.

Chu Li sighed, pulling her back into the room.

He suddenly realized that although he had been angry with her yesterday, when she stood before him, any displeasure or anger dissipated like smoke. He was afraid that his negative emotions would affect her and make her unhappy too.

Back in the room, Chu Li reached out to hold her shoulders and looked down at her. “Did you see Qin Muyue last night?”

“Didn’t see her,” Mu Yunjin said, pouting.

After she spoke, Chu Li tapped her head, deliberately using some force. “Are you jealous of this prince and Qin Muyue?”

Mu Yunjin didn’t answer.

Seeing her silence, Chu Li took it as agreement and laughed lightly, his tone mixed with helplessness. “Being jealous is fine, it’s a good sign.”

“But, it would be better if you helped this prince select a better candidate.”

Mu Yunjin’s anger completely dissipated.

After sighing slightly, Mu Yunjin wondered if she was too easily coaxed. Each time, Chu Li only needed a few words to make her completely submissive…

…

During breakfast, Mu Yunjin specifically asked the kitchen for a bowl of chicken soup. After eating vegetarian food for several days at Shuiyun Temple, her mouth had lost all taste.

A bowl of delicious and savory chicken soup was quickly emptied.

Chu Li, sitting nearby, saw that she had finished a bowl of soup and laughed softly. “Want more?”

Mu Yunjin shook her head. Her gaze fell on Chu Li, and she remembered why she had been so desperate to leave Shuiyun Temple to find him last night. For a moment, she froze.

The Tianshen Token…

Mu Yunjin hesitated whether to bring this up proactively, but feared that Chu Li might not know about the token’s existence at all, making it unnecessary.

Her thoughts once again became tangled.

Chu Li saw her lost in thought, and deep meaning surged in his eyes. Then he pushed a bowl of her favorite red bean porridge in front of her. “Have some porridge.”

“Mm.” Mu Yunjin nodded, grasped the spoon, and lowered her head to eat slowly and methodically.

After a few bites, Mu Yunjin stopped, raised her head, and said, “By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Hmm?” Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

“Prince Rong Min of East Neighboring Kingdom is at the General’s Mansion. He comes with ill intentions.” As Mu Yunjin finished speaking, she lowered her head to take a sip of tea, and thus didn’t see Chu Li’s expression suddenly darken.

“This prince knows.”

Seeing Chu Li’s lack of interest, Mu Yunjin didn’t know what else to say. She suddenly lost her appetite. “Then I’ll head back to Shuiyun Temple first.”

With that, she stood up and walked toward the exit of the dining hall.

“Yunjin…” Chu Li called out to stop Mu Yunjin, his tone unusually gentle and solemn.

Hearing Chu Li call her name, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow and turned around, waiting for Chu Li to continue. When they were alone together, Chu Li never called her this way.

Chu Li walked closer to her, his handsome face bearing a smile, his eyes deep. “Whatever you want, this prince will give you.”

“So, be good and know how to protect yourself.”

Looking at Chu Li’s water-like tenderness before her, Mu Yunjin thought he was referring to her sneaking out of Shuiyun Temple, so she nodded. “I understand.”

Chu Li smiled. “This prince will escort you back.”

…

In the carriage.

Mu Yunjin leaned her head against Chu Li’s shoulder, one hand grabbing his right hand, playing with his long, well-defined fingers. After playing for a while, Chu Li held her hand in return, enveloping it in his palm.

“Thank you for copying the sutras for me.” Mu Yunjin remembered this and smiled, curving her lips.

Chu Li wasn’t surprised, his eyes showing teasing. “Your method was good, saved a lot of trouble.”

“Right?” Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows, showing some pride in her expression. She wanted to tell Chu Li that this was invented by elementary school students in modern times, but Chu Li would certainly not understand what elementary school students were.

After joking around for a while, the carriage drove into Shuiyun Temple and stopped behind a secluded rock. Chu Li wrapped Mu Yunjin in a black cloak he had prepared in advance and led her behind the rocks.

…

Meanwhile, Qin Muyue was leading a large contingent of soldiers through Anxin Hall. After walking around and finding it empty, she coldly smiled at Master Huaiyuan.

“Master, this Mu Yunjin is a prisoner confined here. Please tell me, where has she gone?”

This morning, upon hearing reports from hidden guards that Mu Yunjin had disappeared from Shuiyun Temple, she immediately requested permission from Emperor Ximing to bring troops to thoroughly investigate. When it came to Mu Yunjin, she didn’t want to miss a single detail.

Especially after Chu Li coldly rejected her last night.

Master Huaiyuan was also at a loss for words. This morning, after discovering Mu Yunjin was missing, he had already searched the entire Shuiyun Temple without finding her whereabouts.

Unexpectedly, shortly after, Qin Muyue brought soldiers to search for the person.

“Report, we’ve searched throughout Shuiyun Temple and haven’t found any trace of Princess Ning.” Another large group of soldiers ran in from outside.

Qin Muyue was satisfied with this result. She then looked at Master Huaiyuan with an innocent expression. “Master, you see, this time it’s truly not Muyue deliberately framing Sister Yunjin.”

“It’s just that the Emperor previously decreed that Sister Yunjin be confined here for forty-nine days. Now Sister Yunjin has disobeyed the imperial edict by leaving secretly. Muyue has a responsibility and must handle this impartially…”

Master Huaiyuan’s face showed difficulty.

“Come, immediately report to the Emperor and let him decide on this matter.” Qin Muyue waved her hand, just about to leave with her troops, when a cough came from behind the Guanyin statue in Anxin Hall.

Hearing the cough, Qin Muyue’s heart chilled. She immediately turned around and walked toward the Guanyin statue.

Everyone followed.

Mu Yunjin was currently lying beside the window behind the Guanyin statue. As people approached her, she rubbed her eyes and yawned. “No wonder it’s so noisy, it’s Miss Qin…”

“Who were you just… saying disobeyed the imperial edict?”

Qin Muyue was shocked. She looked into the window again, but it was pitch black and nothing could be seen. “How are you here?”

“Confined!” Mu Yunjin called out oddly, raising her voice. “Didn’t the Emperor decree that I be confined here? If I’m not here, where else could I be?”

Beside them, Master Huaiyuan lowered his head and smiled.

Qin Muyue’s face turned purple. She had thought this was a sure thing, but didn’t expect it to be so easily resolved by Mu Yunjin. She clenched her fists and stormed out.

Mu Yunjin watched Qin Muyue’s gradually receding figure with playful eyes, then turned to look at the wooden house, her eyes showing contemplation. She truly hadn’t expected that not just one, but every floorboard there was hollow, and beneath each floorboard was a different passage…