On her way back to Liquan Pavilion, Mu Yunjin was extremely frustrated, walking and cursing Qin Munan all the way.

“Why are all the Qin family members so shameless?” Mu Yunjin gnashed her teeth in anger.

Zixiang, not quite understanding, followed beside her with concern and asked, “Miss, after what Young General Qin just did, won’t His Highness the Sixth Prince suspect your relationship?”

“An upright person fears no crooked shadow,” Mu Yunjin blurted out, though lacking some confidence.

After returning to her room, Mu Yunjin dismissed Zixiang and remained crouched by the door, opening a small crack to observe the activity outside Liquan Pavilion.

Shortly after, she saw Chu Li entering Liquan Pavilion.

Mu Yunjin observed Chu Li’s expression, noticing his calm demeanor was no different than usual. She felt inexplicably conflicted—why was this person so indifferent to everything?

Only after Chu Li entered the room diagonally across from hers did Mu Yunjin completely close her door. She sat on the floor with her back against the door and sighed softly.

After sitting for who knows how long, Mu Yunjin’s mood grew increasingly gloomy. She stood up, opened her door, and walked into the courtyard to enjoy the evening breeze.

…

…

At the same time, the door diagonally across from hers also opened.

Mu Yunjin instinctively wanted to retreat, but a figure was already walking slowly toward her.

“Mu Yunjin.” Chu Li approached, looking down at her with lowered eyes.

Mu Yunjin forced a smile, “What is it?”

“Look at this.” Chu Li opened his palm, revealing a crumpled note.

Mu Yunjin glanced at Chu Li, reached out to take the note, and slowly unfolded it. After glimpsing its contents, her eyes widened, and her expression changed dramatically.

“Damn it, Qin Munan dares to deceive me!” Mu Yunjin immediately tore the note to pieces.

The content of the note nearly made her spit blood from anger. Written in crooked characters was a single line filled with intimacy:

“The day after tomorrow is the Qixi Festival. Yunjin has sewn a sachet and will deliver it to Brother Munan at the back gate of the Marquis Mansion. Please make sure to come, Brother Munan.”

Chu Li glanced at the scattered paper fragments and smiled, “This prince didn’t realize you were so virtuous, making sachets.”

“I…” Mu Yunjin didn’t know how to defend herself. She couldn’t tell Chu Li that the original Mu Yunjin was already dead, and she had transmigrated here.

Qin Munan’s move was truly vicious.

Mu Yunjin rubbed her temples and sat down with a headache. After a moment, she had a sudden inspiration, pursed her lips, and looked at Chu Li.

“There’s something I’ve been hiding from you.”

Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin, waiting for her to continue.

“About my amnesia before…” Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes and sighed silently.

Chu Li’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise, gradually filling with deep meaning.

“It happened about three months ago. Someone didn’t want me, as the eldest daughter of the Marquis Mansion, to marry you, so they sent an old maid in the middle of the night to take my life. I was fortunate enough to survive, but when I woke up, I couldn’t remember anything from before.”

“Regarding the ‘useless’ Mu Yunjin they speak of from before, I don’t quite understand what that’s all about.”

“As for Qin Munan, I don’t even know him.”

After Mu Yunjin finished speaking, the night breeze blew past, leaving everything in silence.

Seeing Chu Li not uttering a word, Mu Yunjin pressed her lips tightly together, secretly thinking this explanation should be enough to muddle through.

Chu Li glanced at Mu Yunjin, digesting what she had just said. So this was the reason for her drastic personality change?

Amnesia, she had amnesia.

“If you regain your memory in the future, will you leave with Qin Munan?” Chu Li thought of their marriage in name only.

Mu Yunjin was startled, unsure if she was being conceited, but she seemed to detect a hint of jealousy in Chu Li’s words.

After thinking about it, she decided she must be overthinking.

“I don’t know about that.” Mu Yunjin carelessly raised her eyebrows, thinking that since she and Chu Li were fake spouses, there was no need to tell him everything.

However, after she finished speaking, Chu Li pressed his lips tightly together, seemingly very angry, and with a flick of his sleeve, he turned and strode away.

With a loud “bang,” the door slammed shut with earth-shaking force.

Mu Yunjin looked at this scene in bewilderment, pouted, and sat down, her expression tinged with loneliness.

……

The next day, Mu Yunjin woke up very early. She lay on her side with her hand cushioning her head, her gaze unfocused.

Everywhere was quiet, until shortly after, she quietly heard the sound of the door opening next door.

Almost reflexively, Mu Yunjin jumped out of bed, not even having time to put on her shoes, and ran to the door, opening it.

Outside in the courtyard, Chu Li, fully dressed, was walking out of Liquan Pavilion with a gloomy expression. Throughout the process, he didn’t glance at Mu Yunjin once.

Mu Yunjin closed the door somewhat dejectedly, looked down to play with her fingernails, and muttered, “Did I upset him with the amnesia story?”

“Knock, knock, knock.” There came a knocking sound from behind.

Mu Yunjin’s face immediately lit up with a smile, and she happily went to open the door, but upon seeing who stood at the door, her smile faded.

“Miss, what are you so happy about?” Zixiang, seeing Mu Yunjin eagerly opening the door, asked curiously.

Mu Yunjin shook her head, waved her hand, and walked back to lie down on the bed.

“Miss, aren’t you getting up yet?” Zixiang looked at the time and asked carefully.

“No, I don’t feel like moving today.” Mu Yunjin replied lazily, and then asked, “Where did Chu Li go?”

Hearing this, Zixiang pursed her lips, “Just now when His Highness passed through the front hall, he said he was going out of the city for a few days, so he won’t be in the mansion for a while.”

“Out of the city, huh…” Mu Yunjin sighed, her mind suddenly flashing to Qin Muyue’s face. Could he have gone out with Qin Muyue again?

“Miss, Miss, what’s wrong? Did you upset His Highness? When I saw His Highness in the front hall just now, he didn’t look happy,” said Zixiang.

Mu Yunjin pouted, “How could I have made him angry? He’s moody and unreasonable.”

As she spoke, there came a snort from the doorway, followed by a low laugh.

Mu Yunjin looked toward the door and saw Chu Li standing there with a cold face, and beside him, Ding Xian had his head lowered, his shoulders trembling, trying to hold back laughter.

Mu Yunjin’s mouth twitched. Had Chu Li heard her say “moody and unreasonable”?

“Didn’t you go out of the city? Why are you back?” Mu Yunjin asked with little confidence.

Chu Li narrowed his eyes, his lips pressed into a line, seemingly controlling his anger with great effort. After a while, he spoke coolly, “Change your clothes and come out.”

With that, the door was slammed shut again with a bang.

Mu Yunjin scratched her head, lazily got up from the bed, opened the wardrobe, and instinctively wanted to take out a plain white dress. But when her peripheral vision caught a pink gold-threaded brocade dress in the corner, she inexplicably pulled it out and put it on at a leisurely pace.

Zixiang looked at this scene as if she had seen a ghost. Since the day that dress had been placed in the wardrobe, she had never seen her young miss wear it.

Instead, those simple, plain clothes were worn repeatedly.

After dressing, Mu Yunjin also had Zixiang help her style her hair in a neat and prettier way, and specifically chose two hairpins for Zixiang to accessorize with.

By the time Mu Yunjin had finished dressing and walked out, Chu Li seemed to have waited impatiently in the courtyard. Turning around to see a figure in pink emerge from the door, he slightly frowned.

Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li, “Why did you call for me?”

“Imperial Consort Qin is critically ill. We’re going to the palace to visit.”

“Why are you dressed up like a peacock?”

……

Mu Yunjin returned to her room, took off the pink brocade dress, resisting the urge to tear it to pieces, and as she changed into plain clothes, she processed what Chu Li had said.

Imperial Consort Qin was already failing?

Indeed, the worm-mother curse that Qin Muyue had placed on her wasn’t supposed to let her live much longer.

Sitting in the carriage heading to the palace, Mu Yunjin felt indifferent deep down. The news of Imperial Consort Qin’s critical condition didn’t stir much emotion or distress in her.

Since leaving the mansion, Chu Li hadn’t spoken a single word to her.

Mu Yunjin felt that Chu Li was angry with her, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he was angry about.

When the carriage stopped at the palace gate, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li alighted from the carriage, coincidentally encountering Prince Rong’s carriage also stopping at the same time.

The figure of Prince Rong’s wife descended from the carriage.

Mu Yunjin and Princess Rong’s eyes met almost simultaneously, and then they each rolled their eyes and looked away, perfectly in sync.

Without even exchanging greetings, they each went their way into the palace.

Along the way, Mu Yunjin walked slowly, and soon Princess Rong was walking ahead of her. Eyeing the dignified figure in front, Mu Yunjin wished she could throw a dagger at her.

In Plum Garden, Imperial Consort Qin’s bedchamber was already filled with people.

Mamma Qu stood at the door crying, and upon seeing Mu Yunjin, she cried even louder, “Sixth Prince Consort, Imperial Consort has started vomiting blood these past two days. Imperial Consort has always favored you the most, please accompany her and talk with her.”

Mamma Qu’s words drew sidelong glances from those in the room.

Mu Yunjin looked toward the bed and saw Princess Rong, Qin Muyue, Chu Qingchang, and Empress Dowager Zheng—not one was missing.

These people probably all wished to send Imperial Consort Qin off to her death.

“Yunjin is here. Let’s make room for her. Xiangxian has always favored her the most. Let her come and say a proper goodbye to Xiangxian.” Empress Dowager Zheng moved to the side, her tone full of satisfaction and barely concealed excitement.

Mu Yunjin walked slowly toward the bed, and only when she reached the bedside did she realize that Imperial Consort Qin looked even more haggard than the last time she saw her. Her eyes were now fixed on Mu Yunjin, seemingly mumbling something.

Chu Li watched the scene silently.

“Jiner, cough cough, come closer to this Empress…” Imperial Consort Qin struggled to speak.

Mu Yunjin slowly bent down, leaning closer to Imperial Consort Qin.

Imperial Consort Qin weakly spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, “This Empress… won’t live long, but, but even in death… this Empress won’t let you live peacefully… as you wish.”

“Water Cloud Temple… under the peach tree, remember… to go see.”

Mu Yunjin listened to these words, straightened up, looked at Imperial Consort Qin, and curled her lips into a mocking smile.

“Grandmother, please rest assured, Yunjin and His Highness will carry on your beautiful wishes and live well!” Mu Yunjin raised her voice, her words filling the entire bedchamber.

Imperial Consort Qin’s throat caught, she coughed a few times, then struggled to turn her head to look at Chu Li, smiling mournfully.

“Sister-in-law Yunjin, what did Imperial Consort tell you? Let us hear it too?” Qin Muyue’s eyes flashed with a cunning light.