Facing Chu Li’s gaze, Chu Qingyuan bit her lower lip and lowered her eyes. “I don’t have my eye on anyone. I was just making things up with Sixth Sister-in-law.”

Seeing Chu Qingyuan’s unnatural expression and recalling how animated she had been when talking with Mu Yunjin earlier, Chu Li knew she must be lying right now.

So without exposing her lie, he merely responded with a faint acknowledgment.

Chu Qingyuan thought she had successfully dealt with Chu Li and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Chu Li had returned, she didn’t want to stay any longer.

“Sixth Brother, I’ll head back to the mansion now.”

“Mm.”

……

Mu Yunjin lay sprawled on the soft couch in her room, her head buried in the blanket, feeling too lazy to move at all.

That wretched child, Little Nine, how could she speak so carelessly without any filter?

…

…

She had made her lose face so badly this time.

“Sigh.” Mu Yunjin let out a sigh, turned over, and lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling.

The door was gently knocked.

Hearing the sound, Mu Yunjin reflexively sat up with a jolt, frowning. “Who is it?”

“Miss, it’s your servant.” Zixiang’s voice came from outside.

Mu Yunjin let out a relieved breath and lay back down. “Come in.”

Zixiang pushed open the door and entered with a letter in her hand. She walked closer and handed it to Mu Yunjin. “This was sent by Aunt Zhang.”

“Aunt Zhang?” Mu Yunjin hadn’t thought of this person for a long time. She took the letter and read it.

After reading, Mu Yunjin put down the letter. Fortunately, it was just an ordinary letter catching up and sending regards. If more bad news had emerged, she wasn’t in the mood to deal with it lately.

“What did Aunt Zhang say?” Zixiang asked curiously.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips. “Just sending regards. Get me some writing materials later. I’ll write her back to prevent her from worrying.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Mm.” Mu Yunjin nodded, then seemed to remember something. “Has Qingyuan gone back?”

Zixiang nodded. “She returned a while ago.”

“What about Chu Li?” Mu Yunjin asked again.

Zixiang’s lips curved into a smile. “Sixth Prince is sitting in the courtyard outside. Should I go call him?”

“What? He’s right outside?” Mu Yunjin couldn’t help raising her voice, then instinctively covered her mouth as a blush quietly crept onto her face.

Feeling her cheeks getting hot again, Mu Yunjin cursed herself countless times in her heart. She had never noticed before that her face was so thin-skinned.

Now she couldn’t even take a small joke.

“Miss, what’s wrong? Did you disagree with His Highness the Sixth Prince?” Seeing her unnatural expression, Zixiang asked with concern.

Mu Yunjin shook her head and waved her hand at Zixiang. “Go prepare the paper and brush for me first. I’ll write back to Aunt Zhang.”

Zixiang nodded understandingly and walked toward the door. But then she seemed to remember something. “Oh, Miss, when washing your clothes this morning, I found this in your sleeve.”

Zixiang held a red ribbon in her hand.

Mu Yunjin looked and saw it was the red ribbon on which she had written “We are all fine” yesterday. She reached out to take it.

When she unfolded it, possibly due to being soaked in water, the ink on the ribbon had smudged into a mess, completely obscuring the original writing—just a chaotic black blur.

Mu Yunjin’s hand holding the red ribbon suddenly loosened, and the ribbon fell gently to the ground.

Zixiang also glimpsed the black ink smudge and, thinking Mu Yunjin didn’t want it anymore, bent down to pick it up, intending to throw it away.

“Hey, wait.” Mu Yunjin stopped Zixiang and held out her hand. “Give it back to me.”

Zixiang tilted her head and looked at Mu Yunjin, not quite understanding her strange behavior, and handed the red ribbon back to Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin smiled with delight, put away the red ribbon, and tucked it into her bosom.

A moment later, there was another knock at the door.

Thinking it was Zixiang with the writing materials, Mu Yunjin said, “Come in.”

The door was gently pushed open.

Without looking up, Mu Yunjin spoke to the visitor, “How long do you think that thousand-year-old tree can live? What if one day the tree suddenly dies? Wouldn’t all those wishes hanging on it be strangled along with it?”

“What strange things are you thinking about all day long in that little head of yours?” A cool voice came from above.

Hearing this voice, Mu Yunjin was strangely startled. Lowering her eyes, she could only see the hem of Chu Li’s clothes before her, so she mumbled, “Why are you here?”

“Don’t tell this Prince that you’re being shy right now with that look on your face?” Chu Li’s eyes revealed mockery as he thought of how Mu Yunjin had run away with a red face earlier and saw how she now dared not raise her head. Where was that fearless little fox now?

“Chu Li!” Mu Yunjin gritted her teeth, raised her eyes to glare at Chu Li, her eyes seeming to spit fire. “Who’s being shy!”

Chu Li smiled faintly, seeing her attitude return to normal. “This seems more like you.”

“Huh?” Mu Yunjin’s mind blanked, and she didn’t react.

“When you don’t act like a woman, that’s when you’re most like yourself.”

Mu Yunjin narrowed her eyes, scratched her head, and carefully savored this sentence. After a while, her face drooped. “You’re insulting me, aren’t you?”

……

Zixiang thought only Mu Yunjin was in the room, so she carried the writing materials and pushed the door open directly. Upon entering and catching sight of Chu Li inside, her eyes revealed a trace of panic.

“This servant has erred. Please forgive me, Your Highness and Princess Consort.” After speaking, she prepared to leave.

“What error? Quickly come back and let me write my reply first.” Mu Yunjin sat up, put on her shoes, and walked to the desk.

Seeing that she was about to write, Chu Li followed her to the desk with interest.

Zixiang ground the ink for Mu Yunjin. Watching as Mu Yunjin earnestly took out white paper and a brush, dipped it in ink, and prepared to write, Zixiang felt nervous for her.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips. Her hand holding the brush trembled slightly as she slowly wrote the first character.

It must be said that Mu Yunjin’s handwriting was truly ugly.

But in a short while, she had filled a whole page with characters. Although Zixiang couldn’t understand these characters, seeing Mu Yunjin write so fluently, she realized that her mistress knew how to write.

Chu Li was no longer surprised by any skill Mu Yunjin demonstrated. He only wondered why, since she was capable of so much, she had allowed herself to be branded as an incompetent for so many years.

“Done.” Mu Yunjin put down the brush and blew on the ink.

Zixiang took the letter from Mu Yunjin’s hand and exclaimed, “Miss, when did you learn to write?”

“Hmph, since I was three.” Mu Yunjin made up an answer as she stood up and poured herself a cup of tea.

Hearing her words, the corner of Chu Li’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Learning to write at three, yet still writing so ugly—only you could accomplish that.”

“…”

Mu Yunjin put down her teacup and flexed the phoenix-tail whip on her wrist. “Chu Li, are you looking for a fight to the death with me today?”

Chu Li spread his hands, indicating he felt no pressure at all.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin immediately deflated, pouting slightly. In her heart, she secretly sighed that she probably really couldn’t beat Chu Li…

……

The dinner table was exceptionally harmonious.

Mamma Shen and Ding Xian leaned against the wall, watching the two people before them eating their meal methodically, both with gentle expressions on their faces, occasionally suppressing smiles.

Mamma Shen tugged at Ding Xian’s arm and whispered, “Earlier, when I heard that Third Miss Mu was to marry our Prince, I was quite worried about His Highness. Now it seems all that worry was for nothing.”

Ding Xian nodded and made a “shh” gesture, pointing at the two people in front.

Mamma Shen immediately understood.

“Hey, why aren’t you eating any carrots? No wonder your eyes haven’t improved.” Mu Yunjin noticed that as Chu Li ate, his chopsticks always steadily avoided the plate of carrots. She frowned as she spoke.

If this guy’s weak eyes couldn’t be cured, she would be stuck carrying a lantern for him in the future. That lantern was dead heavy and cumbersome—she didn’t want to carry it.

Seeing Mu Yunjin’s apparent displeasure, Chu Li frowned slightly, glanced at the plate of carrots, and unusually obediently extended his chopsticks.

“That’s more like it. I’m only thinking of your well-being.” As Mu Yunjin spoke, she took the plate of carrots and deliberately placed it in front of Chu Li.

Chu Li chewed the tasteless carrots and glanced sideways at Mu Yunjin, speaking coolly, “You just don’t want to carry a lantern, right?”

“…” Mu Yunjin pursed her lips and tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Despite saying this, Chu Li still ate nearly half the plate of carrots, his expression growing more sour with each bite.

“Miss, Miss…” Zixiang’s panicked voice came from outside.

Mu Yunjin took a sip of water and spoke slowly, “What is it?”

“It’s about Fourth Miss. They say she’s critically ill. Princess Rong has sent someone to the mansion saying that Miss, as her sister, should go see Fourth Miss.”

Mu Yunjin was unconcerned. “Why are Rong Prince’s affairs again? If Mu Lingzhu is critically ill, let Princess Rong prepare for her funeral. I’m not a deity—will seeing her make her better?”

“Besides, didn’t we already send medicinal soup and ointment over? How could she still be in critical condition? Is that old witch surnamed Qin trying to trick me again?” Mu Yunjin spoke angrily.

Zixiang pursed her lips and shook her head, looking confused.

“The people from Rong Prince’s mansion are still outside. What should I tell them, Miss?” Zixiang asked timidly.

Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li, letting him make the decision.

But Chu Li’s expression remained indifferent, as if he didn’t care about this matter. “It’s up to your mood.”

“If anything happens, remember to blow the jade whistle to summon the guards.” After speaking, Chu Li walked out of the dining hall.

Mu Yunjin bit her lip, took another sip of water, and waved at Zixiang. “Come on, follow me to Rong Prince’s mansion.”

“After all, Mu Lingzhu is from the Prime Minister’s mansion. The Prime Minister’s mansion and the General’s mansion are currently in such an intense covert struggle; we can’t let them gain the upper hand.”

“Yes, Miss.”

By the time they left the mansion gate, the sky had already darkened. The night breeze blew past, bringing a chill.

Mu Yunjin got into the carriage sent by the Rong Prince’s mansion. To prevent Zixiang from suffering any mistreatment outside, she pulled Zixiang along to sit in the carriage with her.

The carriage swayed all the way, and Mu Yunjin felt like the dinner she had eaten was about to be jolted out. Her eyes showed disdain as she looked at the broken-down carriage sent by Rong Prince’s mansion.

Princess Rong, Qin Shuning, was not a good person.

A moment later, the carriage stopped. After Mu Yunjin got out, she saw that the surroundings were pitch black, with only a lantern hanging by a small door.

“The back door?” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow and looked at the coachman driving the carriage.

The coachman was inexplicably frightened by Mu Yunjin’s cold gaze, trembling as he spoke, “The Prince’s mansion has rules. After dinner, no lights are left at the main gate. The Princess was concerned about propriety, so she had me bring the Princess Consort to the back door, where a light was specially left.”

“So I should thank her, shouldn’t I?”