Ji Muqing’s maid, Cailan, just happened to witness the entire scene.

Ji Wanxin and Prince Rong?

When did they establish a connection?

Cailan wore the haughty expression of a superior maid!

Then she turned back to Ji Muqing’s courtyard.

Ji Muqing was sitting in front of the mirror, applying rouge to her face in a haphazard manner. Before long, her entire face had turned as red as a monkey’s bottom. She then took up a comb and began styling her hair with great enthusiasm.

Ever since being sent out of the palace, Ji Muqing had not left her courtyard. Apart from her personal maid Cailan, she saw no one.

The red swelling on her body had long since faded.

Now she was completely fine!

But she still stayed holed up in her courtyard pretending to be ill, waiting for Consort Xiao to fulfill her promise!

Cailan came over and told her what she had just witnessed.

Ji Muqing’s hands stopped their movements. She slammed the comb down on the table hard.

Thud!

Huffing angrily, she said, “Who would have thought she’d have such ambitions—actually trying to seduce Prince Rong?”

“Miss, Second Miss is trying to climb up the social ladder!” Cailan chimed in.

“With her qualifications? She overestimates herself. Father arranging her marriage to the Shen family is already her greatest honor, and she still hopes to become Princess Rong?”

Her face was full of disdain!

Cailan also said with contempt, “This servant saw that Prince Rong didn’t seem to like Second Miss much. He wasn’t warm toward her at all. But Second Miss kept fawning over him.”

Hmph!

Where Ji Muqing’s anger came from, who could say?

In any case, if Ji Wanxin or Ji Yunshu married a beggar, that would suit her just fine.

By rights, Ji Muqing should have run to find Ji Wanxin at this moment and then thoroughly humiliated her, but right now, she didn’t have the energy to deal with such matters.

The Crown Prince was dead, which made her extraordinarily happy. After all, since she had no chance to marry him, it was just as well that Jinghua died.

Before long, she would be able to marry Jing Yi and become Princess Yi.

Moreover, Jing Yi might become Crown Prince in the future, and she herself would ultimately still be Crown Princess, wouldn’t she!

Thinking of this, Ji Muqing was in excellent spirits.

She turned and said to Cailan, “By the way, if anyone from Prince Yi’s residence comes these next few days, inform this miss immediately.”

“Yes.”

Cailan acknowledged.

“As for Ji Wanxin and Ji Yunshu, once this miss becomes Crown Princess, there will be plenty of time to deal with them.” Arrogant and domineering!

Hearing this, Cailan felt something was off!

Unable to hold back, she blurted out, “Miss, the Crown Prince is already dead. How can you still take the position of Crown Princess?”

In return, she received a fierce cold glare from Ji Muqing, who demanded, “Say that again?”

“This servant just… just…”

Slap!

Before the stammering words were finished, Ji Muqing raised her hand and delivered a slap.

Cailan immediately knelt down, hastily begging for mercy, “This servant was wrong. Please spare this servant, Miss.”

“Hmph!” Ji Muqing glared at her angrily, lifting her chin in a domineering and arrogant manner. “Even if the Crown Prince is dead, His Majesty will establish a new Crown Prince. This miss will still be Crown Princess. No one can take this position away. Listen carefully—there is only one Crown Princess, and that is me.”

“Yes, yes, yes. This servant understands.”

This time Ji Muqing waved her hand viciously like a demon, dismissing Cailan. She then sat down to continue her grooming.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she was satisfied no matter what.

It was as if what just happened had never occurred!

A woman’s heart is truly an unfathomable needle at the bottom of the sea.

…

After leaving the General’s Residence, Jingrong went to Zhuxi Garden.

Ji Yunshu had been examining bone paintings, staying in her room for the entire day. If the maids hadn’t reminded her that it was getting dark, she probably wouldn’t have glanced outside even once.

On the desk, many sheets of white paper were scattered messily.

All of them were paintings she had drawn—of all sorts of things. Others couldn’t make sense of them…

She twisted her stiff, aching neck, put down what she was working on, washed her hands, and after finishing her evening meal, she had just stepped out of the courtyard when she saw Jingrong strolling toward her.

Seeing the smile at the corners of his mouth, he looked exactly like someone paying a casual visit.

“Have you eaten?” Jingrong asked.

“Yes.”

“What did you eat?”

“Abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw!”

“What did you drink?”

“Plain boiled water.”

Question and answer.

Just like two neighbors greeting each other.

They were one step away from saying “eating and drinking well”!

Ji Yunshu held a white cloth strip in her hand. She walked to a tree in the courtyard, stood on tiptoe, and struggled to hang the white cloth strip on it.

Jingrong was completely confused. Standing behind her, he asked, “What are you doing?”

“Qingming Festival!”

“What?”

“A day to commemorate deceased relatives.”

Ji Yunshu answered without turning her head.

In fact, Ji Yunshu didn’t understand why Dalin had no concept of Qingming Festival. Dalin only had the Year Sacrifice, which was equivalent to commemorating the deceased on New Year’s Day.

Precisely because there was no Qingming Festival, Ji Yunshu was tying a white strip on the large tree in her courtyard.

Treating it as a memorial grave-sweeping!

Jingrong stepped forward a few paces, took the white strip from her hand, and easily tied it to a branch.

While doing so, he said, “Qingming Festival? This prince has never heard of it. Does Dalin have this festival?”

“We have it where I’m from. Every year on this day, we return to our hometown and go to the graves of our relatives to sweep and pay respects. We also hang some white paper strips and burn incense and paper offerings.”

“The Year Sacrifice?”

“Not quite! But, it’s similar.”

The white strip was tied. Jingrong clapped his hands and asked her, “So, are you commemorating your third brother or your grandmother?”

“My mother.”

Ji Yunshu looked at the gently swaying white strip, her eyes filled with longing.

Jingrong then asked, “Have you ever seen your mother?”

She shook her head. “No. When I was born, my mother died in childbirth. My father said that when my mother died, she held me tightly. I could only see her photograph—well… her portrait.”

Of course, she was talking about her mother from the modern world, not the one here.

After hearing this, Jingrong’s brow furrowed with heartache. He tightly grasped her hand, fingers interlocking.

Then—

He looked at the white strip before him and said earnestly, “Madam Ji, I promise that in this life and this world, I will always stay by Yunshu’s side. I will take care of her, protect her, and will not let her suffer grievances or harm. If you have spirit in heaven, please also bless us so that no matter how difficult the road ahead, we can overcome every obstacle.”

Ji Yunshu turned her head to look at him, quietly listening as he finished these words.

Indeed, very touching!

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Ji Yunshu’s mouth as she threw herself into his comfortable embrace.

Jingrong’s chin gently rested on the top of her head as he tenderly called out.

“Yunshu.”

“Mm?”

But Jingrong hesitated, and in the end—

Shook his head. “It’s nothing. I just want to quietly hold you. That’s enough.”

He held her even tighter!

That evening, Jingrong didn’t return to Prince Rong’s residence. He stayed and even shamelessly sprawled across Ji Yunshu’s bed.

He even said with enjoyment, “Comfortable!”

Ji Yunshu shot him a look. “Go rest quickly. It’s already very late.”

“Mm.” As he spoke, Jingrong pulled the quilt and rolled himself up in it, monopolizing Ji Yunshu’s bed.

Brother, I meant for you to sleep in your own room!