For the next while, Mu Yunjin remained sitting on the bed, one hand resting on her knee. Only after she heard the person on the roof fly away did she fully light the candles in the room.

With the candles illuminating the room, Mu Yunjin had lost all sleepiness. She lay down flat, propping her head with her hand.

Indeed, some people were beginning to stir with ulterior motives.

……

Early the next morning, when Mu Yunjin dressed and walked out of her room, her dark circles had almost drooped to her chin. With the harsh light outside, Mu Yunjin squinted her eyes, walked to the pavilion in the garden, and sat down, hugging a pillar as she napped.

Zixiang looked at this scene with curiosity and couldn’t help asking, “Miss, why are you sleeping here instead of on your soft couch?”

“My room is a bit dirty. Go find a few people to help me clean it thoroughly, inside and out,” Mu Yunjin mumbled.

Zixiang seemed to understand yet not understand, but she nodded and immediately summoned several young maids, repeating what Mu Yunjin had just said.

Those few maids, upon hearing this, immediately ran off to prepare for the task.

…

…

Mu Yunjin yawned, leaned against the pillar, and continued to close her eyes.

“Miss, you didn’t eat anything last night. Shall I bring your breakfast?” Zixiang asked.

Mu Yunjin shook her head and waved her hand at Zixiang.

Zixiang didn’t say anything more. She walked out of the pavilion to get a palm-leaf fan, then sat on the railing of the pavilion, fanning Mu Yunjin.

……

When Chu Li entered the mansion, he saw Mamma Shen busy in the front hall, and almost blurted out, “Where is Mu Yunjin?”

Mamma Shen was startled, not expecting Chu Li to return early, and replied, “She probably hasn’t gotten up yet. Zixiang hasn’t gone to the kitchen to get breakfast, and it seems she didn’t eat dinner last night either. She’s probably tired.”

Chu Li’s expression remained calm as he nodded slightly and walked inside.

When he reached Liquan Pavilion, he saw that Mu Yunjin’s door and windows were all open, with several young maids standing inside and outside, mopping the floor and wiping the windows. Looking inside, he didn’t see Mu Yunjin.

Ding Xian, standing nearby, noticed Chu Li’s presence and, with a twinkle in his eye and a smile, called over a young maid standing at the door, “Where is the Princess?”

The young maid respectfully bowed to Chu Li, lowering her eyes, “The Princess instructed us early this morning to clean her room. She should be in the pavilion in the garden right now.”

“Hey, the hot summer is over, why are there insects in His Highness and the Princess’s room?” A young maid with a broom and dustpan walked out from inside, muttering with surprise.

Seeing Chu Li in the courtyard as she exited, she was startled and immediately ran over to bow to him.

“What insects did you mention?” Chu Li asked coldly.

The young maid, hearing his cold tone, couldn’t help but tremble. She instinctively held out the dustpan, “Just these two small insects. I don’t know what kind they are.”

Chu Li’s gaze shifted to the dustpan. After glimpsing the two dead insects, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he strode quickly out of Liquan Pavilion.

……

After Zixiang had fanned Mu Yunjin for a while, she wanted to pour her a cup of water to cool down, but the teapot on the stone table was empty.

Zixiang put down the palm fan, picked up the teapot, left the pavilion, and walked toward the kitchen.

When Chu Li arrived at the pavilion, he saw Mu Yunjin leaning against a pillar, her eyes tightly closed, her face somewhat pale and haggard, looking almost lifeless.

“Mu Yunjin! Mu Yunjin!” Chu Li hurriedly approached, placing his hand on Mu Yunjin’s shoulder and giving her a gentle push, his voice hoarse in a way he hadn’t even noticed himself.

Mu Yunjin, leaning against the pillar, didn’t respond immediately.

A sense of panic and loss surged in Chu Li’s heart, his brows furrowing. Before his eyes flashed images of her usual bright smile. Without realizing it, Mu Yunjin seemed to have already occupied a position of great importance to him.

“Yunjin…” Seeing her not moving, Chu Li called again, his hand gently caressing her cheek, his emotions almost uncontrollably losing control despite his gentle motion.

When Ding Xian followed him into the garden and saw this scene, his mouth fell open. Since he had been following Chu Li, he had never seen him so panicked.

At this moment, he was afraid of losing something dearly beloved.

“Mmm…” A soft mumble gradually sounded.

Mu Yunjin, still in her dream, opened her eyes hazily. Having slept leaning against the pillar, her entire body felt sore. She moved her neck, took a small breath, and slowly raised her gaze.

What met her eyes was a slightly pale face. Chu Li was staring at her intently, with beads of sweat on his forehead and a worried expression in his eyes.

“Oh, it’s you.” Mu Yunjin spoke weakly. No wonder she’d been sleeping soundly and then heard someone calling her.

Chu Li’s thin lips pressed into a line. Seeing her slowly open her eyes, his heart still sank, his eyes tightening as his voice softened, “How are you feeling?”

“So tired…” Mu Yunjin didn’t understand the meaning behind Chu Li’s words and just answered truthfully, following with a yawn.

Mu Yunjin wanted to continue sleeping, her body softly leaning back. Before she could reach the pillar, she was suddenly pulled away and fell into a warm embrace. Her head spun, and before she could react, her sleepiness had largely cleared.

Chu Li now held Mu Yunjin tightly in his arms, almost using all his strength, as if wanting to meld her into his body. Seeing that she was unharmed, his brow gradually relaxed, but his emotions were on the verge of rage.

“Mu Yunjin, are you an idiot?!”

With her face pressed against Chu Li’s chest, Mu Yunjin could hear his rapidly beating heart. Her mind was in a daze, completely unable to comprehend what was happening.

But a sweetness gradually welled up in her heart. Suddenly, on impulse, she wrapped her arms around Chu Li’s waist, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat, her lips slightly curving upward, experiencing a sense of security she had never felt before.

Sensing the hand around his waist, Chu Li’s stern eyebrows gradually changed to hold a different kind of thought. Usually disliking anyone touching him, at this moment he didn’t dislike this feeling at all.

His eyes softened even more.

When Zixiang returned carrying the teapot, just about to speak, Ding Xian made a “shh” gesture toward her, raising his eyebrows and pointing toward the pavilion.

Following his gaze, she saw the two people embracing tightly in the pavilion. Zixiang instantly felt as if struck by lightning.

This, this, this…

Too shocking.

……

At noon, at the dining table.

Everyone felt that the atmosphere at the dining table today was particularly peculiar. Mu Yunjin’s face remained flushed, her head bowed as she ate, her eyes occasionally stealing glances at Chu Li, yet not daring to look directly.

Chu Li’s expression was also extraordinarily awkward. He ate by himself without a word, though his peripheral vision would occasionally meet Mu Yunjin’s quietly sent glances.

In the dining hall, undercurrents stirred.

After finishing the meal and returning to Liquan Pavilion, the room had already been cleaned thoroughly.

Mu Yunjin stood at the doorway, pursed her lips, looked at Chu Li, and slowly spoke, “Last night in my room, a pair of mother and child insects entered in the middle of the night. If I’m not mistaken, these should be what’s known as the mother worm charm…”

As Mu Yunjin finished speaking, she had been observing Chu Li’s expression the whole time. The mother worm charm was brought by Qin Muyue from the border. If Chu Li knew that Qin Muyue intended to harm her, what would his reaction be?

Would he choose to turn a blind eye, or would he… avenge her?

Chu Li’s eyes flickered slightly. Upon hearing the words “mother worm charm,” his expression completely cooled. He reached out to brush aside a strand of hair from Mu Yunjin’s forehead, his motion gentle, “This Prince will resolve it for you.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin’s heart settled down. She slightly curved her lips, her eyes tinged with a hint of pride, “Then I’ll await your good news.”

“Mm.” Chu Li nodded, his lips tinged with a slight smile.

……

Back in her room, Mu Yunjin sat in the rocking chair, raising her gaze to stare blankly at the ceiling, her mind filled with the memory of that warm embrace just now, her lips unconsciously curving upward.

A moment later, Mu Yunjin came back to her senses, placing her hands on her burning cheeks, silently cursing herself for becoming increasingly lovesick.

“Miss…” Zixiang’s voice sounded from outside the door.

“Come in.”

Zixiang pushed open the door, put away the washed clothes for Mu Yunjin in the cabinet, and after tidying up, turned around to look at Mu Yunjin with a smile, “Miss seems to have grown much closer to the Sixth Prince recently…”

“Not at all, don’t talk nonsense.” Mu Yunjin pointed at Zixiang, her expression somewhat unnatural.

Zixiang giggled, “Miss is embarrassed.”

“I’m not embarrassed! You naughty girl, are you asking for a beating?” Mu Yunjin, full of embarrassment, made a gesture as if to hit her.

Zixiang wasn’t afraid of Mu Yunjin at all, her eyes continuing to reveal a mischievous smile, “Hahaha, Miss, you are embarrassed. I’ve been with you for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen you like this!”

“You girl, really asking for a beating. Come here and let me hit you a few times!”

“Hahaha, Miss would never really hit me.”

Giggles and laughter emanated from the room. Outside the room, at the stone table, there was a similarly teasing atmosphere.

“Your Highness, I often used to wonder who the lady by your side would be in the future—Miss Qin, or perhaps some princess from another country. I never expected it would be this Third Miss Mu. Life is truly marvelous,” Ding Xian couldn’t help but remark.

Chu Li gave Ding Xian a cool sideways glance, “If you’re that idle, why don’t you take care of that matter ahead of time?”

Ding Xian immediately covered his mouth and scratched his head, “I just remembered I still have some things to do. I’ll go attend to them first.”

With those words, Ding Xian ran off as if his feet were greased.

“Wait,” Chu Li called to Ding Xian, who had already reached the door of Liquan Pavilion.

Ding Xian ran back.

“Go investigate whose hand was behind the mother worm charm last night,” Chu Li said.

Ding Xian nodded, then bent down and spoke with some difficulty, “What if it was Miss Qin who set the mother worm charm?”

“There are still many matters for which we need to use her…” Ding Xian hesitated.

Chu Li lowered his eyes, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of the cup on the table, his handsome face hardening, “So what?”

With these simple four words, Ding Xian immediately understood. Finally, gathering his courage, he added, “Your Highness, once a person truly falls in love, they are indeed not rational.”

With those words, Ding Xian walked away.

Chu Li took a sip of tea, listening to the laughter coming from the room across, his cold eyes gradually softening, though with a hint of deep thought.