Throughout dinner, the two of them didn’t speak further.

Mu Yunjin kept her head down while eating, feeling that Chu Li beside her had a somewhat low-pressure air about him. She guessed he might be in a bad mood because someone had caused trouble at Consort Rong’s secret chamber.

Thinking this way, Mu Yunjin bit her lip and turned to look at Chu Li, searching for a topic. “Your Uncle Prince Rong is going to take Mu Lingzhu as his concubine.”

Chu Li nodded slightly, seemingly unmoved.

Seeing he wouldn’t engage, Mu Yunjin found it boring. After quickly finishing the food in her bowl, she put down her chopsticks. “I’m done eating.”

With these words, without waiting for Chu Li to speak, Mu Yunjin stood up and walked out of the dining hall.

Chu Li watched Mu Yunjin’s retreating figure, his brow slightly furrowed.

……

Leaving the dining hall, Mu Yunjin walked back to Liquan Pavilion with her arms crossed. Looking at Zixiang beside her, she asked, “Do you think Chu Li took the wrong medicine again?”

…

…

“He asked me to wait for him at the mansion, but once we meet, he’s cold as ice again.”

Zixiang bit the corner of her lip. “This servant doesn’t understand the Sixth Prince’s temperament. Did Miss perhaps upset the Sixth Prince somehow again?”

“I don’t think so.” Mu Yunjin tried to recall but couldn’t think of anything she might have done to offend Chu Li.

After returning to her room, Mu Yunjin asked Zixiang to prepare hot water for bathing.

Soon after, Zixiang had prepared the hot water. Mu Yunjin removed her outer clothes, placing them on a nearby chair, then sat at her dressing table and began to undo her hair.

“Oh! Miss, why is there blood on your clothes?” Zixiang held up Mu Yunjin’s outer garment and walked in front of her with a surprised face.

Mu Yunjin froze, putting down the comb in her hand and taking the clothes from Zixiang. Indeed, there were several drops of blood on the collar, bright in color—fresh stains.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin figured it must be either Wen Yuan’s or Ming Yuan’s blood that had splashed onto her.

Mu Yunjin felt alarmed, biting her lip with a slight frown. She hadn’t noticed the blood stains earlier and had gone to dine with Chu Li. She wondered if Chu Li had noticed.

If he suspected her, it would likely mean big trouble.

“Miss, this blood…” Seeing that Mu Yunjin wasn’t responding, Zixiang worriedly asked again.

Mu Yunjin took a breath and forced a smile. “I probably killed a few mosquitoes while sleeping.”

“So that’s it. You gave this servant quite a fright.” Zixiang immediately relaxed. “Then Miss should bathe first, and this servant will go wash Miss’s clothes.”

Mu Yunjin nodded.

As Zixiang walked out with Mu Yunjin’s discarded clothes, she happened to meet Chu Li, who was returning to Liquan Pavilion.

“Greetings to His Highness the Sixth Prince.” Zixiang bowed to Chu Li.

Chu Li made a sound of acknowledgment, his gaze falling on Mu Yunjin’s outer garment in Zixiang’s hands. The collar was facing upward, and those few drops of blood were perfectly visible to Chu Li.

Zixiang also seemed to notice Chu Li’s expression. Glancing at the garment, she explained with a smile, “Miss was bitten by some annoying mosquitoes during her afternoon nap. She killed a few, leaving these blood stains. It gave this servant quite a fright as well.”

After speaking, seeing that Chu Li didn’t respond, Zixiang bowed again and left, carrying Mu Yunjin’s clothes.

Behind her, Ding Xian looked back at Zixiang, then stepped closer to Chu Li and spoke in a low voice, “If the Princess Consort was taking an afternoon nap, why would she be wearing outer clothes?”

“Hmph…” Chu Li suddenly gave a soft laugh.

“Your Highness?” Ding Xian seemed puzzled, looking at Chu Li with curiosity in his eyes.

Chu Li smiled without answering. His gaze swept over Mu Yunjin’s room, which was lit with candles. This woman was even more interesting than he had imagined.

After enduring humiliation for years in the Xiang family, she had secretly developed such a clever and sharp personality. How interesting.

……

After bathing, Mu Yunjin lay on the soft couch, leaning against the headboard, and pulled out the True Scripture of Mystic Spirit from under her pillow.

Turning to the first page and looking at the energy cultivation method described there, Mu Yunjin was suddenly filled with playfulness and began to practice cultivation following the steps.

When gathering all her energy at her dantian, Mu Yunjin took a deep breath and suddenly felt the sensation of true energy flowing through her dantian.

Mu Yunjin was surprised, but then thought that since she could now control lightness skills, it probably meant she had some true energy within her. Perhaps it was time to learn to master internal energy?

Raising an eyebrow, Mu Yunjin turned another page and began to learn the moves depicted in the illustrations.

Just as she had practiced a few movements, there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was Zixiang, Mu Yunjin put the True Scripture of Mystic Spirit back under her pillow and called casually, “Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and Mu Yunjin turned to look. Seeing who had entered, her heart trembled. “Why is it you?”

“Is this Prince not allowed to visit you?” The visitor was Chu Li.

Mu Yunjin tugged awkwardly at the corner of her mouth, pulling her collar closer together. Having just finished bathing, she was wearing only a light sleeping robe, and facing Chu Li, she felt somewhat embarrassed.

Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin, seeing her dressed in a white light robe, her dark hair flowing down to her waist without any ornaments, her appearance exquisite—she truly had the air of a celestial maiden descended to earth.

But on second thought, comparing this little fox Mu Yunjin to a celestial maiden seemed inappropriate.

With this thought, Chu Li lightly curled the corner of his lips.

Mu Yunjin didn’t understand Chu Li’s purpose in coming, but seeing his smile, she felt her heart waver. This man was usually so cold; she had never imagined he would look so handsome when he smiled.

“Why have you come to find me? What’s the matter?” Mu Yunjin recovered first, looking at Chu Li with curiosity.

Tomorrow, this Prince will go to Zhangzhou City. Will you go?” Chu Li raised his eyes to look at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin was stunned, her instinctive reaction being that she didn’t want to go, but after thinking, she still asked, “What are we going there for?”

“To get gold.” Chu Li replied.

“Gold?” Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows, showing some interest. “How do we get it?”

“You’ll know when the time comes,” Chu Li raised an eyebrow, his words still cool. “If you don’t go, you won’t get any.”

Mu Yunjin glared at Chu Li, sitting cross-legged on the soft couch, her gaze wandering. Gold—this was all currency for survival in this world. Although she already had thirty thousand taels of gold, who would ever complain about having too much money?

“If I go, how much gold can I get?” Although she still didn’t know the method, Mu Yunjin particularly trusted Chu Li.

Chu Li smiled faintly. “At least five thousand taels.”

Mu Yunjin’s eyes brightened as she counted on her fingers. Five thousand taels of gold was no small amount, and Chu Li had even said this was the minimum. How could she not be tempted?

Just as she was about to agree, another thought occurred to her, and she frowned. “Will Qin Muyue be going?”

If Qin Muyue was going, she wouldn’t go—not for any amount of money!

“She won’t go. Only the two of us.” Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin and added, “Ding Xian won’t be going this time either.”

Originally happy to hear that only the two of them would be going, Mu Yunjin became curious when she heard that Ding Xian wouldn’t be going either. “Isn’t he your guard? Why aren’t you bringing him?”

“For this mission, the fewer people, the better.” After speaking, Chu Li teased, “Or do you want to share the gold with others?”

“Of course not! Then let’s just the two of us go!” Mu Yunjin couldn’t hide her excitement. Just thinking about having all that gold, even after leaving the Sixth Prince’s mansion, she would at least be a small, wealthy lady.

Having reached an agreement, Chu Li was just about to leave Mu Yunjin’s room when a commotion arose outside Liquan Pavilion—

“Oh my, Consort Qin, please walk slowly!”

“Get out of the way, I want to see Chu Li and Yunjin. Which room are they in?”

Hearing Consort Qin’s voice, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised. Then, the door was gently knocked.

“Li’er, Jin’er, it’s me. May I come in?” Consort Qin’s inquiring voice sounded from outside.

Mu Yunjin paused, turning to look at Chu Li, who said calmly, “Grandmother, come in.”

The door was pushed open, and Consort Qin entered Mu Yunjin’s bedroom with Mamma Qu’s support.

Upon entering, she saw Mu Yunjin sitting on the soft couch and Chu Li standing beside it. She smiled, “I was afraid I might be interrupting something when I knocked. It seems I’ve arrived just in time.”

Hearing the suggestive tone in Consort Qin’s words, Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes, somewhat embarrassed. “Grandmother, why have you come so late?”

“Ah, don’t mention it.” Consort Qin sat down in a chair, glaring reproachfully at Chu Li. “I heard that the Qin girl clung to Li’er all day today. It’s outrageous!”

“Knowing Li’er is now a married man, yet still sticking by his side all day. She has no sense of propriety at all. How could she be raised in a noble family?”

“So, I’ve decided to stay at your mansion for a while to keep a close eye on that Qin Muyue. I won’t let her dare get near Li’er even half a step, or I’ll immediately have her beaten to death!”

Mu Yunjin’s lips twitched. Seeing that the target was Chu Li and Qin Muyue, she said nothing, leaving this difficult situation to Chu Li.

Chu Li looked at the furious Consort Qin and said languidly, “Grandmother, your grandson will be going out with Yunjin tomorrow for some recreation. We won’t be in the mansion for several days.”

“Oh? Truly with Yunjin?” Consort Qin seemed somewhat disbelieving, glancing sideways at Chu Li.

Chu Li nodded. “Truly.”

“That’s more like it. You can play around with that Qin Muyue for a day or two, but you can’t be together every day. That girl is not a sensible one! I disliked her from the first moment I saw her!”

After speaking, Consort Qin gestured for Mamma Qu to help her stand up. “It’s late today, so I’ll stay at your mansion for the night. You two should rest early as well.”

Finally, Consort Qin winked at the two and added, “It would be best to let me hold a great-grandchild soon.”

With those words, Consort Qin leisurely walked out of the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

Mu Yunjin rubbed her temples in frustration, looking at Chu Li, who was still standing by the couch. “It’s late. You can go back to rest now.”

“Go check the door.” Chu Li spoke with rare gentleness.

“Hmm?” Mu Yunjin didn’t understand Chu Li’s meaning. She got off the bed, put on her shoes, and walked toward the door.

After carefully opening a small crack in the door, Mu Yunjin saw that the entire Liquan Pavilion was filled with imperial guards brought from the palace.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin let out a small gasp, then closed the door. Leaning against it, her brow furrowed into a knot. “So, will you sleep here tonight?”