Hah…

Mu Yunjin felt certain she had just rolled her eyes again. She crossed her arms and gazed at Imperial Advisor An with a mischievous look.

“Why don’t you say that fate has told you where treasure awaits for you to dig up!”

Hmph, past life? Who knows what you were in your past life!

Imperial Advisor An wasn’t surprised by Mu Yunjin’s sarcastic attitude. He simply pointed at her with a helpless expression in his eyes. “Ah, you…”

“Materialistic.” After thinking for a while, Imperial Advisor An could only come up with these two words.

Mu Yunjin snorted with laughter, increasingly convinced that this Imperial Advisor An was nothing but a charlatan. She shouldered her bundle and prepared to leave.

Imperial Advisor An called out to her again.

“What?” Mu Yunjin looked back.

…

…

“Never mind, it’s nothing. You may go.” Imperial Advisor An waved his hand after performing a divination, seemingly concluding the time wasn’t right yet.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips and walked out of the courtyard with the ancient tree.

After walking a few steps, she saw Chu Li hurrying toward her, with Ding Xian beside him carrying two large lanterns to light Chu Li’s way.

Chu Li also spotted Mu Yunjin approaching and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly walked to her side, grabbed her shoulders, his tone carrying a hint of anger, “Where have you been?!”

“After I finished packing, I just wandered around…” Mu Yunjin felt somewhat scared under Chu Li’s gaze, guessing that he had been frightened when he didn’t find her at Anxin Hall.

With this in mind, Mu Yunjin remembered that Master Kong Shi was still in the courtyard with the ancient tree. She immediately took Chu Li’s arm and walked in the opposite direction, occasionally stealing glances at him. “Are you angry?”

Chu Li pressed his lips together without speaking.

“I didn’t know your meeting would end so quickly. I was afraid that if I went to find you after packing, I might disturb you all, so I just wandered around.” Mu Yunjin knew she was in the wrong and explained to Chu Li.

Chu Li stopped walking, lowered his head to gaze at Mu Yunjin, then reached out to pull her into his arms, embracing her tightly.

Mu Yunjin smiled and wrapped her arms around him as well.

Standing beside them, Ding Xian held the two large lanterns, feeling that his presence was rather intrusive as he watched the embracing couple.

After a while, Chu Li released Mu Yunjin and took her hand as they walked out of Shuiyun Temple.

In the carriage returning to the city, Mu Yunjin had napped that afternoon and wasn’t particularly tired. “What did you discuss with Master Huaiyuan?”

“We talked about the circumstances of your recent confinement,” Chu Li said flatly, his face expressionless.

Mu Yunjin nodded and leaned against Chu Li. “Do you have any ideas for Empress Dowager Zheng’s birthday gift? I really can’t think of anything special, since I don’t like her and don’t want to waste brainpower preparing a special gift for her.”

“We’ll see later.” Chu Li was equally disinterested in the matter.

Mu Yunjin couldn’t help but smile, teasing him, “Are we going to show up empty-handed on her birthday?”

Chu Li tugged at the corner of his mouth.

…

After returning to the residence, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li each returned to their rooms.

Mu Yunjin flopped onto her bed in a spread-eagled position. Her drowsiness was quite strong, but when she closed her eyes to sleep, her mind was filled with Imperial Advisor An’s words: “Your past life was extraordinary.”

Past life…

Her past life was as a special agent in the twenty-first century, living daily on the dangerous edge of death—quite extraordinary indeed.

Mu Yunjin smiled self-mockingly, trying not to think about such matters as she drifted off to sleep.

That night, Mu Yunjin had a dream—

In the dream, she wore a fiery red glazed brocade dress, dazzlingly bright, like a phoenix about to spread its wings and soar. But just as she prepared to fly into the sky, her body became smaller and smaller, gradually turning into a tiny white dot before disappearing completely…

When she awoke, Mu Yunjin felt a dull pain in her chest, and the image of herself in that brilliant red dress seemed to still hover before her eyes.

Was that a dream?

Why did it feel so real…

Mu Yunjin sat up in bed, feeling a throbbing pain in her lower abdomen as something trickled out. She rubbed her belly and mocked herself silently, guessing her monthly period had arrived with unusual force, causing her to dream in shades of red.

After thinking for a while, Mu Yunjin still felt tired and lay back down to sleep a bit longer.

When she next opened her eyes, it was already noon. Mu Yunjin called for Zixiang to prepare hot water for her bath. After bathing and grooming herself, she finally left her room.

During her previous return to the residence, she had been confined and had to sneak around, not daring to venture into other areas of the prince’s residence. Now, after leaving Liquan Pavilion, Mu Yunjin deliberately walked to the front dining hall for her meal.

Mamma Shen was directing several young maids cleaning the front hall when she caught sight of Mu Yunjin and exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my! When did the Princess return? This servant didn’t even see you.”

“Last night, around midnight,” Mu Yunjin smiled.

Hearing this, Mamma Shen nodded repeatedly, smiling as she spoke, “These past days, this servant has been worried about the Princess eating and sleeping poorly outside. I’ve sewn several pairs of cotton shoes for you, fearing you might catch a cold at Shuiyun Temple. Please go eat first, and I’ll bring them to you shortly.”

After speaking, Mamma Shen hurried toward the back garden.

Just as Mu Yunjin was about to enter the dining hall, she saw Chu Li, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, stepping into the residence, presumably having just returned from court. Mu Yunjin waited for him.

Chu Li naturally saw Mu Yunjin as well. The ice in his expression gradually melted into tenderness. “You’re up?”

“Yes, I’m hungry.” Mu Yunjin took Chu Li’s arm as they entered the dining hall together.

Perhaps because the two hadn’t dined together in the hall for a long time, the table was laden with dishes. Mu Yunjin sat beside Chu Li and ate at a leisurely pace.

Chu Li occasionally picked up food for her.

Soon, Mamma Shen entered the room, her face full of smiles. “Princess, look at these. Do you like them?”

Mamma Shen presented several embroidered cotton shoes to Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin put down her chopsticks and looked at the cotton shoes in Mamma Shen’s hands. Her heart warmed at the thought that in this prince’s residence, though she lacked for nothing, someone had personally made cotton shoes for her. The realization moved her.

“Thank you, Mamma.” Without empty pleasantries, Mu Yunjin happily accepted the cotton shoes from Mamma Shen.

Seeing Mu Yunjin accept them, Mamma Shen’s mood brightened further. “I’m glad the Princess likes them. I won’t disturb you and His Highness during your meal.”

After Mamma Shen left, Mu Yunjin turned her gaze back to Chu Li, giving him a sweet smile.

Seeing her happy, Chu Li’s mood naturally improved as well. He reached out to ruffle her hair. “Eat your meal.”

“Mm.”

…

After lunch, Mu Yunjin wasn’t idle. She insisted on dragging Chu Li to the storeroom to select a birthday gift for Empress Dowager Zheng.

“You see, most of what you have here are antiques and treasures. I don’t know what to choose.” Looking around the large, well-organized storeroom, Mu Yunjin walked in circles, playing with a jade ruyi scepter in her hand.

Chu Li glanced around, his lips pressed tightly together. Then, as if struck by an idea, he said, “Let’s give her a living creature.”

“Huh?” Mu Yunjin exclaimed in surprise.

Next, Chu Li led Mu Yunjin out of the storeroom toward an unused courtyard in the back of the residence. Looking at the courtyard, Mu Yunjin suddenly recalled when she first arrived here, Zixiang had mentioned this place might house Chu Li’s future concubines.

At the time, she hadn’t taken it seriously, but now she thought that if Chu Li dared to take concubines, she would burn down the entire Ning Prince Residence!

Entering the courtyard, Mu Yunjin was surprised to see Qingmeng brewing medicine.

This meant Yellow Flame was recovering from his injuries here.

Seeing Chu Li and Mu Yunjin, Qingmeng bowed to them and reported on Yellow Flame’s condition. “His body is no longer in danger.”

Chu Li nodded and walked toward Yellow Flame’s room. Mu Yunjin and Qingmeng followed.

Inside Yellow Flame’s room, the air was filled with the smell of medicine. Yellow Flame, who had been sitting up in bed reading, heard the faint footsteps outside and immediately pulled up his blanket and lay down, moaning pitifully.

When Chu Li pushed open the door, Yellow Flame was squinting, his mouth slightly open, mumbling, “Cough… cough cough, Master, you’ve come… cough cough cough.”

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, thinking that this fellow was getting carried away with his act.

Qingmeng curved her lips, stepped forward, and said to Chu Li, “Your Highness, Yellow Flame’s injuries are severe. I fear they will be difficult to treat in the short term…”

Yellow Flame cast an appreciative glance at Qingmeng.

Hearing this, Chu Li unusually played along, putting on a regretful expression. “If that’s the case, this prince will arrange for someone new to take over Yellow Flame’s duties today.”

“Let me do it. I’m free anyway. After all, Yellow Flame’s main job is collecting profits from Zhangzhou’s black market. I can handle that,” Mu Yunjin volunteered.

On the bed, Yellow Flame clutched the sheets under his blanket, thinking he couldn’t outdo these cunning people. Then, with a quick flip, he jumped up from the bed. “I was just joking with you all. Young Master Yellow is perfectly fine!”

“How about that? Surprised?” Yellow Flame’s smile widened as he looked at the three people in the room.

“Childish,” Mu Yunjin muttered with crossed arms.

Yellow Flame immediately deflated, lying back down and whimpering a few times.

“By the way, bring one of those cats you raise, a gentle one,” Chu Li suddenly said to Yellow Flame.

Cats? Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li. Could it be that Chu Li wanted to give a cat to Empress Dowager Zheng?

Yellow Flame, hearing Chu Li mention cats, also widened his eyes. “What do you want a cat for?”

“As a gift,” Chu Li said flatly.

“A gift?!” Yellow Flame practically shouted. “Master, those cats are my precious darlings! How could you be so extravagant as to give them away?”

Mu Yunjin scratched her head, unable to resist chiming in, “Yellow Flame, you raise cats as well?”

“I’ve raised them since I was little. My precious cats are treasures among treasures, priceless,” Yellow Flame said with pride when speaking of his cats.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin vaguely felt that giving a cat to Empress Dowager Zheng might be wasting these cats.

But then a cool voice came from the side, “This prince has never seen treasures among treasures raised in a chicken coop.”

Pfft—

Qingmeng couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing confusion on Mu Yunjin’s face, she explained, “Yellow Flame has raised many cats since childhood, but he’s afraid they’ll wander off and get lost if left free, so he keeps all his cats in a chicken coop with a formation set up outside…”