Hearing the laughter, Mu Yunjin coldly swept a glance toward Bei Tang Wenfeng.

Bei Tang Wenfeng stopped laughing, but still slightly curved his lips, “Your method is excellent.”

Mu Yunjin didn’t respond.

Bei Tang Wenfeng and Jiang Qingxue weren’t offended. The two simply sat at Mu Yunjin’s table, their gaze never leaving her, observing her closely.

Mu Yunjin kept her head down, copying the scripture. Though she knew the two people opposite were watching her, she didn’t ask them to leave. If these two wanted to linger, let them.

Bei Tang Wenfeng, seeing Mu Yunjin’s swift writing pace and messy handwriting, slightly furrowed his brow, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise.

Wasn’t it said that Yunjin couldn’t read?

If so, she shouldn’t be able to write either, but watching her now, glancing at the scripture and hastily putting brush to paper, she hardly seemed illiterate or unable to write.

Moreover, after several interactions with this daughter, she hadn’t shown any signs of timidity or weakness. Could the rumors be false?

Or perhaps this child had been pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?

If that were the case, he would feel somewhat better.

…

All morning, Mu Yunjin copied the scripture without stopping. The originally thick stack of scriptures had, after two or three days of copying, only half its content remaining.

Mu Yunjin put down her brush, stretched, and stood up, ignoring the two people in front of her as she walked outside the hall.

Bei Tang Wenfeng and Jiang Qingxue followed.

“Yunjin, you’ve been copying all morning, you must be hungry? Vegetarian dishes have been prepared at Quiet Heart Garden. You took your mother there last time, and she said the food was good,” Bei Tang Wenfeng said with a smile.

After hearing this, Mu Yunjin turned around, leaning her back against the doorframe, “Do you two find this amusing?”

“Minister Mu’s body is barely cold, and you’re busy recognizing family. Have you considered what caused his death?”

“Instead of wasting time with me, you should spend more time paying respects to him. The entire Minister’s Mansion has fallen apart. You are like me, all culprits. Think about how to compensate the remaining people of the Minister’s Mansion!”

Mu Yunjin’s words froze the smile on Bei Tang Wenfeng’s face. The enthusiasm in his eyes instantly dimmed.

“Yunjin, do you truly not want us to make amends to you?” Bei Tang Wenfeng sighed softly, his gaze falling on Mu Yunjin.

“I don’t need parents,” Mu Yunjin said coldly.

Whether as the modern special agent Mu’er or the current Mu Yunjin, she didn’t need cold-blooded creatures like parents.

“Ah.” Bei Tang Wenfeng sighed, “Since that’s the case, this King won’t force you. Tomorrow, this King will depart for Northern Ming, and your mother will return to the Southern Court. Take care of yourself.”

“By the way…” Bei Tang Wenfeng paused, then added, “You are now Princess Jinhua of our Northern Ming. Northern Ming will always welcome you home.”

With those words, Bei Tang Wenfeng looked toward Jiang Qingxue.

Jiang Qingxue pressed her lips together, looking at Mu Yunjin. She opened her mouth, but still didn’t know what to say.

Seeing this, Bei Tang Wenfeng didn’t say more. He took Jiang Qingxue’s hand and left.

After they left, Mu Yunjin took a deep breath, feeling an indescribable sensation in her heart.

She suddenly realized that being confined in the Water Cloud Temple was quite a good punishment. Outside must be chaotic now, while she was here copying scripture, spending her days with Buddhist teachings. The days were peaceful—truly a pleasant assignment.

…

Bei Tang Wenfeng and Jiang Qingxue walked on the path leading out of Water Cloud Temple. Seeing Jiang Qingxue’s gloom, Bei Tang Wenfeng asked, “Yunjin’s temperament doesn’t match what’s rumored in Butterfly Flower City. She not only can read, but also has her personality, hardly a timid person.”

“I asked Yunhan, and he told me that before he left for battle, Yunjin was indeed as rumored. But after he returned from the campaign, Yunjin’s temperament changed,” Jiang Qingxue sighed softly, unable to explain the reason.

“Yunhan? Mu Liangzheng’s eldest son?” Bei Tang Wenfeng frowned. “How do you know him?”

Logically, they shouldn’t have had any connection.

Jiang Qingxue nodded, stopping in her tracks, raising her eyes to look at Bei Tang Wenfeng, “Actually, it’s quite a coincidence.”

“How so?” Bei Tang Wenfeng raised an eyebrow and asked.

“The current Mu Yunhan isn’t truly the eldest son of the Mu family,” Jiang Qingxue sighed.

“When the Southern Court held the grand feast for the new emperor’s ascension, Western Yuan sent Prime Minister Mu Liangzheng to attend. Mu Liangzheng brought his wife Su Biqing and eldest son Mu Yunhan with him.”

Later, on the journey, the eldest son, Yunhan, experienced symptoms of being unaccustomed to the local environment, and then mysteriously fell into a coma. Mu Liangzheng, fearing his wife Su Biqing would worry, carried Yunhan to my Holy Maiden Residence for help.”

“After I diagnosed the child, I discovered he had been bitten by poisonous insects, likely having been bitten accidentally while passing through the border region.”

“When Mu Liangzheng brought him, it was already too late. The toxin from the insect was too much for a young child to bear. By then, the poison had already penetrated the child’s heart and lungs—there was no way to save him.”

Hearing this, Bei Tang Wenfeng felt somewhat frightened and couldn’t help but ask urgently, “What happened then?”

“Later, I took matters into my own hands. To spare Mu Liangzheng and Su Biqing from heartbreak, I secretly used secret techniques to transform a scholar boy from my residence to look like Yunhan, and let him follow Mu Liangzheng back to Western Yuan, incidentally to watch over Yunjin for me…”

“So, for all these years, the eldest son of the Mu family was a person from our Southern Court, and he has been protecting Yunjin for me.”

Bei Tang Wenfeng found it incredible, never imagining that such a relationship existed between Jiang Qingxue and Mu Liangzheng.

“Now Yunhan has accomplished his mission and returned to Southern Court,” Jiang Qingxue said.

“Let’s go find Chu Li. Yunjin is right—we need to compensate the remaining members of the Mu family.” Bei Tang Wenfeng took Jiang Qingxue’s hand and walked toward the temple exit.

…

That night, Mu Yunjin stood at the entrance of Peaceful Heart Hall with her arms crossed, feeling the night breeze, surveying the darkness dotted with starlight around her.

Like the previous two days, Chu Li slowly walked toward Peaceful Heart Hall.

When he reached the entrance, he saw Mu Yunjin standing on the steps, thinly clothed, her black hair swaying slightly in the night wind.

Chu Li approached and reached out to grasp a strand of her hair. “What are you thinking about?”

“You come to accompany me every day. Aren’t there any urgent matters at the mansion?” Mu Yunjin turned around to look at Chu Li.

Chu Li smiled faintly, “Nothing is more important than you.”

After speaking, seeing the strong wind outside, he took her hand and walked into Peaceful Heart Hall.

After entering, Mu Yunjin glanced at the table where the scriptures were being copied, pressed her lips together, and then walked toward the small room.

“I’m a bit tired.” Entering the room, Mu Yunjin took off her shoes and lay on the bed, looking at Chu Li.

Chu Li nodded, sitting beside her. Seeing her poor mood today, he didn’t say much, just gently patted her back, coaxing her to sleep.

Soon, Mu Yunjin seemed truly tired; her soft breathing could be heard.

Seeing she was asleep, Chu Li, like the previous days, adjusted her quilt and walked out of the small room.

After Chu Li left, Mu Yunjin slowly opened her eyes on the bed. After lying there for a while, she got up without even putting on her shoes and tiptoed to the doorway of the small room, looking out into the hall.

Inside Peaceful Heart Hall, Chu Li sat at the desk, holding three brushes in his hand, quickly helping Mu Yunjin copy the remaining scripture. Perhaps unable to see clearly, Chu Li bent over, his head lowered deeply.

Standing at the door of the small room, seeing this scene outside, Mu Yunjin’s thoughts drifted, suddenly recalling the first time she met Chu Li.

Back then, she saw him under the Appreciation of Literature Tower. He seemed so lofty and unreachable, his entire being emanating an aura that kept people at a thousand miles’ distance.

But now, he was quietly doing so much for her.

Master Huaiyuan was right—in this lifetime, she must not fail to cherish Chu Li’s deep affection.

Mu Yunjin carefully returned to the bed, her back to the door of the small room, facing the wall, without any trace of sleepiness, blinking as she looked at the empty wall.

Chu Li remained outside without coming in, and Mu Yunjin also remained awake. The two stayed like this until the sky began to lighten.

At daybreak, Mu Yunjin heard footsteps approaching from outside.

Chu Li walked to her bedside, saw she was still sleeping, slightly curved his lips, bent down to her, placed a kiss on her cheek, then turned and left Peaceful Heart Hall.

After the sound of the hall’s door closing, Mu Yunjin sat up in bed, touched her cheek, and smiled while pressing her lips together.

Chu Li, oh Chu Li, you are becoming more and more endearing.

Mu Yunjin walked out of the small room, sat at the small table, and examined the content Chu Li had helped her copy. She sighed softly. For three consecutive days, he had stayed up late to help her. This guy wasn’t tired?

After washing her face by the small stream, Master Huaiyuan’s reflection appeared in the water.

“Master, good morning,” Mu Yunjin raised her hand and splashed some water on the reflection.

Master Huaiyuan nodded, smiling at Mu Yunjin, “I heard that today the distinguished guests from the three kingdoms who came for the investiture ceremony will be leaving. Their carriages will pass by the entrance of Water Cloud Temple around noon.”

“Oh,” Mu Yunjin responded, without further comment.

“With Jiang Qingxue’s secret of having a child as a Holy Maiden being exposed, the situation is serious. I don’t know what punishment awaits her after returning to the Southern Court. Although she has the Northern Ming King’s protection, there are laws of the country and rules of the family. As a Holy Maiden, she has her responsibilities and mission. I fear the outcome may be mostly unfortunate.”

Mu Yunjin naturally knew what Master Huaiyuan was hinting at, and couldn’t help but laugh dryly, “Each person has their fate, just like Minister Mu, who, on the day he went to attend the Crown Prince’s investiture banquet, didn’t know his life would end there.”

“Sigh…” Master Huaiyuan sighed lightly, “You hold too deep an obsession in your heart. If you let go of some of it, you would feel much better.”

“Has the Master received favors from them to act as a mediator?” Mu Yunjin joked with a smile.

Master Huaiyuan shook his head, his gaze unfocused, “There are some things you don’t understand now, but when you truly understand in the future, it may already be too late.”

The future…

Hearing these two words, Mu Yunjin’s expression was momentarily dazed. Recently, she had become somewhat afraid to hear these two words.

Vaguely, she always felt that a bloody storm awaited her in the future…

“Standing on the steps at the entrance of your meditation courtyard, can one see the scenery outside Water Cloud Temple?”