After asking the question, Mu Yunjin realized she had been speaking nonsense. With Consort Qin’s imperial guards stationed outside, if Chu Li were to return to his room, wouldn’t it expose the fact that they weren’t truly husband and wife?

After thinking for a moment, without waiting for Chu Li to respond, Mu Yunjin rolled up the bedding on the soft couch and tossed it onto a nearby rocking chair. Then she took out a new brocade quilt from the wardrobe and placed it on the couch.

“You sleep on the couch, and I’ll sleep on the chair,” Mu Yunjin said with a pout, glancing at Chu Li before settling into the rocking chair.

Chu Li’s eyes lingered on Mu Yunjin, then looked at the brocade quilt on the couch. The corner of his lips curled upward. “You truly are carefree.”

“What?” Mu Yunjin raised her eyelids upon hearing Chu Li’s words and spoke with displeasure, “It’s late. Are you going to sleep or not? I’m going to extinguish the candles.”

“Mm.” Chu Li responded, and without waiting for Mu Yunjin to reply, he waved his hand and extinguished the candles.

The room immediately plunged into darkness.

In the faint light coming from outside, Mu Yunjin could see a figure slowly walking to the edge of the couch and lying down.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin’s lips curled into a sly smile. She hadn’t expected that Chu Li would ever be in a situation where he couldn’t return to his room to sleep.

…

…

Consort Qin was truly formidable.

Whether it was because Chu Li was in the room or because she was lying in the rocking chair, Mu Yunjin stared at the ceiling without a trace of sleepiness.

She turned her head to look in Chu Li’s direction, but it was pitch black, and she couldn’t make out anything.

After a moment, Mu Yunjin suddenly frowned, her eyes fixed on Chu Li’s direction. She silently cursed—the True Scripture of Mystic Spirit was still under the pillow!

What if Chu Li discovered it?

Now Mu Yunjin had lost all trace of sleepiness. Biting her lip, she frowned and stared unblinkingly at Chu Li.

“Chu Li, are you still awake?” After a long while, Mu Yunjin finally couldn’t help but speak.

“Mm.” Chu Li’s indifferent voice came back.

Seeing that Chu Li was still awake, Mu Yunjin immediately sat up and lit the candles in the room. The entire room instantly brightened up again.

Mu Yunjin walked to Chu Li’s bedside, biting her lip and glancing at the pillow. Fortunately, the scripture was still underneath, and Chu Li hadn’t discovered it.

Chu Li slowly opened his eyes and looked at Mu Yunjin standing beside the bed. “What are you doing?”

“I…” Mu Yunjin didn’t know what excuse to make for a moment. After looking at Chu Li for a while, she bit her lip and said, “I can’t sleep. Let’s go outside and look at the stars!”

Even Mu Yunjin herself couldn’t stand this flimsy excuse after saying it.

“In the middle of the night, so you still have such refined interests.” Chu Li raised an eyebrow, his words carrying a teasing tone.

Mu Yunjin pouted, her face drooping, and added, “I just can’t sleep. I want to go to the roof to look. Will you take me up there?”

“Please?” Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li.

Chu Li looked at her and didn’t move his gaze for a long time. Finally, he nodded. “Let’s go then.”

“Mm, you go out first. I’ll change clothes and join you.”

Chu Li made a sound of acknowledgment and got up to leave.

Once Chu Li had left the room, Mu Yunjin immediately reached under the pillow, grabbed the True Scripture of Mystic Spirit, and tossed it under the bed. Then she put on an outer garment and walked outside.

Just as she stepped out the door, Mu Yunjin saw Chu Li standing at the entrance, expressionless, his eyes slightly cold.

The imperial guards throughout the courtyard cast curious glances at Chu Li and Mu Yunjin, who were going out late at night, but they quickly looked away, not daring to meet Chu Li’s gaze.

“Ready?” Chu Li turned his head to look at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin nodded, though in reality, the moment she stepped out the door, she had wanted to retreat inside. Who looks at stars in the middle of the night?

But she had already made up this flimsy excuse to get Chu Li out, and now if she asked him to go back, she might irritate this unpredictable Sixth Prince.

Well, she might as well go along with it and look at the stars for a while.

“Carry me up there,” Mu Yunjin said, pointing to the roof above.

As she finished speaking, Chu Li’s arm wrapped around her waist, and her feet left the ground. Soon they were standing steadily on the roof above the bedroom.

Mu Yunjin sat down, and finding it uncomfortable, changed to a half-reclining position. Looking up at the night sky filled with stars, she couldn’t help but yawn.

She was so tired.

Chu Li sat beside her and, seeing her yawn, narrowed his eyes slightly. “Didn’t you want to look at the stars?”

“Mm, looking at the stars.” Mu Yunjin tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcing her eyes open to look at the stars. But seeing the stars scattered all across the sky, combined with the summer night’s gentle breeze, Mu Yunjin yawned continuously. Soon, her eyes drifted closed.

Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin, who had fallen asleep in mere moments, and sighed. He must be crazy to go along with this woman’s antics.

A moment later, Chu Li carried Mu Yunjin down from the roof, walked back to the bedroom, and placed her on the soft couch. After putting Mu Yunjin down, Chu Li glanced at the pillow, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

……

The next day, Mu Yunjin was awakened by someone shaking her.

As she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Zixiang standing beside her bed. “Miss, get up quickly. Consort Qin is still in the mansion. You need to greet her and wish her good morning.”

“Mm, I know.” Mu Yunjin sat up and looked around, noticing the brocade quilt on the rocking chair, then looked at her current position.

“Where is Chu Li?” Mu Yunjin asked.

Zixiang smiled. “His Highness the Sixth Prince got up early. He’s in the front hall now.”

Mu Yunjin nodded and got out of bed. Remembering that she was going to Zhangzhou City with Chu Li today, she said to Zixiang, “Help me pack a few casual clothes. I’m going out with Chu Li today.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Shortly after, Mu Yunjin was dressed in casual clothes with her hair tied in a ponytail as she strode toward the front hall.

Upon reaching the front hall, she saw Consort Qin sitting in the main seat, chatting pleasantly with Mamma Shen.

“Grandmother.” Mu Yunjin entered and greeted Consort Qin.

When Consort Qin saw Mu Yunjin, she was slightly taken aback. After looking her up and down, she immediately laughed. “Jin’er’s attire is truly unique.”

“Does Grandmother think it looks good?” Mu Yunjin asked with a smile.

“Mm, it’s good.”

Mu Yunjin’s eyes curved into a smile. Her gaze swept to the side, and she saw Chu Li sitting there drinking tea. Remembering the awkward stargazing incident from the previous night, Mu Yunjin didn’t dare to observe Chu Li’s expression too closely.

At the breakfast table, Mu Yunjin kept her head down, drinking the millet porridge from her bowl. Consort Qin sat next to her, chattering incessantly. “I heard that you two went stargazing last night?”

“…” Mu Yunjin almost spat out a mouthful of porridge. She glanced sideways at Chu Li and found him looking at her as well.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I went to look at the stars,” Mu Yunjin explained, seeing that Chu Li remained silent.

Consort Qin covered her mouth and laughed. “Seeing how well you young couple get along, I’m relieved. Enjoy yourselves on your outing today.”

“Yes, Grandmother.”

……

After Consort Qin returned to the palace, Mu Yunjin took the bundle that Zixiang handed her and looked at Chu Li. “When do we leave?”

“Now.” Chu Li replied.

Mu Yunjin nodded. Just as she was about to follow Chu Li out the door, Ding Xian stopped her and handed her another bundle. “Princess Consort, this is His Highness’s.”

“I…” Mu Yunjin looked at the bundle, feeling like slapping Ding Xian. “So I also have to carry his bundle?”

Ding Xian forced a smile. “It seems so.”

Mu Yunjin glared at Chu Li’s back, but then remembered that she was going to get gold this time. Deciding not to worry about these small details, she took the bundle from Ding Xian’s hand and quickly caught up with Chu Li.

Chu Li walked straight toward the back door of the mansion. When they reached the back door, Mu Yunjin saw two horses waiting there.

“Do you know how to ride a horse?” Chu Li walked to one of the horses and gently stroked its head.

“Of course I do. Don’t underestimate me!” After speaking, Mu Yunjin nimbly mounted the horse with a single fluid motion.

She had been worried that without Ding Xian, she might have to drive a carriage, but now with one person and one horse each, it was quite straightforward.

Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin and smiled faintly.

The two soon rode their horses toward the direction leading out of the city. Mu Yunjin rode beside Chu Li, noticing that he deliberately took a small path to avoid the gates of Diehua City.

Before long, they had left the city.

Outside the city, Chu Li headed south, with Mu Yunjin following behind. She glanced at the blue snow-wind stallion Chu Li was riding, then at her red-wind horse, and sighed softly.

One was a blue stallion capable of traveling a thousand miles in a day, the other was an ordinary red-wind horse. The fact that she could keep up with Chu Li was a testament to her superior horsemanship.

Thinking of this, Mu Yunjin pouted again in displeasure, muttering, “Can you stop with this unequal treatment!”

Chu Li seemed to hear Mu Yunjin’s muttering and leisurely slowed down. When Mu Yunjin caught up alongside him, he smiled lightly. “Mu Yunjin, you seem discontented?”

“Not at all. Why would I be discontented?” Mu Yunjin flattened her mouth and rolled her eyes toward the sky.

Seeing her words contradicting her heart, Chu Li’s lips curled upward as he teased, “For a sheltered young lady, your horsemanship is remarkably good. This Prince is truly impressed.”

Mu Yunjin paused, hearing the words “sheltered young lady” but not taking offense. She raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Should I ride the same horse as you instead?”

Chu Li smiled faintly. “We’re here.”

Mu Yunjin was startled for a moment, then looked up and indeed saw the sign for Zhangzhou City. “This Zhangzhou City is quite close.”

“Mm.” Chu Li nodded.

The two dismounted, and an old man immediately walked out from beside the city gate, bowing slightly to them. “Young master, young miss.”

After speaking, the old man led their horses away.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li with some surprise. “You know him?”

“Mm.” After speaking, Chu Li didn’t lead Mu Yunjin through the city gate but changed direction and walked toward the right side of the gate.

Mu Yunjin followed his steps, suddenly feeling an irrepressible excitement. They were going to get gold soon—just thinking about it made her happy.

Chu Li continued until he stopped at a section of the city wall. Mu Yunjin also stopped, looking at the towering wall before her. “Why aren’t we going through the city gate? Why are we going this way?”