Hearing the voice from behind, Mu Yunjin turned around, a faint smile appearing on her face as she looked at Qin Muyue standing at the dining hall entrance.

When Qin Muyue caught Mu Yunjin’s gaze, the corner of her lips blossomed into a smile. “Sister-in-law Yunjin, Brother Li, and I are having a meal. Would you like to join us?”

“No need, I’m not hungry. You two go ahead.” Mu Yunjin tugged at the corner of her mouth and then walked toward the back garden.

Behind her, Qin Muyue looked at Mu Yunjin’s retreating figure and smiled gracefully.

Walking on the path back to Liquan Pavilion, Zixiang stomped her foot, her face filled with indignation on Mu Yunjin’s behalf. “Miss, what was that Miss Qin trying to do? Does she think she’s the mistress of this place?”

“She’s just a guest, yet she invites you, the actual mistress, to eat. She’s quite presumptuous!”

“Alright, alright, don’t start chattering the moment I get back. My head is already big enough. Let Qin Muyue do as she pleases. We just need to stay calm.” Mu Yunjin sighed slightly. With Qin Muyue’s return, her life truly wasn’t as peaceful as before.

Seeing this, Zixiang pouted but didn’t dare to say more.

Walking to the entrance of Liquan Pavilion, Mu Yunjin paused, pondered for a moment, then looked at Zixiang. “How much longer until Mu Lingzhu marries into Prince Rong’s manor?”

…

…

Zixiang thought for a moment, then after a while replied, “Not more, not less, exactly ten days.”

“Mm, rest for a night, then tomorrow we’ll return to the Marquis’s mansion.” With those words, Mu Yunjin walked toward the bedroom.

Back in her room, Mu Yunjin had no desire to sleep. She paced back and forth, her thoughts entirely on what was happening outside, listening quietly for any movement beyond the door.

After some time, Mu Yunjin heard footsteps entering Liquan Pavilion.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin pursed her lips, quietly walked to the door, and opened a small crack to observe the activity outside.

She saw Chu Li walking alone toward the room diagonally opposite. Seeing this, Mu Yunjin looked around again, and not seeing Qin Muyue, inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

Only after Chu Li entered his room did Mu Yunjin close the door, a subtle feeling gradually welling up inside her.

……

The next day, when Mu Yunjin appeared in the front hall with panda eyes, Chu Li was just returning from outside, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, elegant and refined.

Catching a glimpse of Mu Yunjin, Chu Li frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the bundle in Zixiang’s hands.

“Where are you going?” Chu Li looked faintly at Mu Yunjin.

“Back to the Marquis’s mansion for a few days.” Mu Yunjin pursed her lips, glanced at Chu Li, then instinctively averted her gaze.

Hearing this, Chu Li didn’t say much, only leaving with, “Come back soon.”

With those words, he walked toward the back garden.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips, and only after Chu Li had walked far away did she turn to look in the direction he had disappeared. Suddenly, her heart felt stuffy, unable to breathe properly.

“Miss…” Zixiang began with a frown.

“Let’s go.” Mu Yunjin said faintly, then walked outside.

After leaving the mansion, Zixiang walked beside Mu Yunjin, several times seeming about to speak but holding back, thinking of Chu Li’s lukewarm attitude toward Mu Yunjin just now, feeling somewhat helpless.

……

When Mu Yunjin arrived at the gate of the Marquis’s mansion, several servants outside were arranging red silk and red lanterns. Mu Yunjin walked in, and when she reached the front hall, she saw Marquis Mu and Luo Ningyu sitting inside, seemingly discussing something.

Walking closer, she could hear Marquis Mu and Luo Ningyu talking. “My lord, the guest list has been drafted. We’ve had quite a few celebrations in our mansion recently, so the guest list is the same as the previous two times.”

Marquis Mu took the guest list from Luo Ningyu’s hand, looked at it, and nodded. “Then let’s proceed with this.”

As he spoke, Marquis Mu looked up and caught sight of Mu Yunjin entering the door. His face brightened with joy. “Yunjin has returned.”

“Yes, I’ve come back to stay for a few days.” Mu Yunjin looked at Marquis Mu and forced a smile.

Marquis Mu was slightly startled. Though somewhat surprised, he didn’t ask too many questions, only smiling repeatedly. “Good, Shihua Pavilion has been regularly maintained. You can stay there as before.”

“Thank you, Father.” With those words, Mu Yunjin walked out of the front hall.

After entering the garden, Mu Yunjin only realized that the mansion was decorated everywhere with festive colors. She smiled faintly.

“Yunjin?” A somewhat surprised voice came from one side.

Mu Yunjin turned to look and saw Mu Yunhan sitting in a pavilion drinking tea. She smiled and said, “Brother.”

“Come here.” Mu Yunhan beckoned to Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin nodded and said to Zixiang beside her, “Help me take my things to Shihua Pavilion.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Mu Yunjin walked into the pavilion and sat down. Mu Yunhan, beside her, poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. “Why have you come back to stay?”

“The Prince’s mansion became a bit stifling after staying there for so long. I wanted to come back for a few days.” Mu Yunjin took a sip of tea and said calmly.

“Really?” Mu Yunhan raised an eyebrow. “It’s not because of that, Qin Muyue, is it?”

Mu Yunjin shook her head, her finger carelessly tapping the rim of the cup, making a crisp sound. “How are you and Sister Yuyan getting along?”

“With mutual respect.” Mu Yunhan looked at Mu Yunjin, uttering four emotionally neutral words.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Mu Yunhan before her. “If one day Sister Yuyan meets the person she truly loves, would you let them be together?”

“I would.” Mu Yunhan said.

After speaking, Mu Yunhan sighed slightly, reached out, and rubbed Mu Yunjin’s head across from him. “If you’re unhappy, just come back. Your brother is here.”

“How could I be unhappy?” Mu Yunjin raised her chin, her lips tinged with a smile.

“Silly girl!”

After chatting with Mu Yunhan for a while, Mu Yunjin’s mood improved considerably. Having barely slept the night before, she was now constantly yawning.

After saying goodbye to Mu Yunhan, Mu Yunjin headed for Shihua Pavilion.

Entering Shihua Pavilion, Mu Yunjin looked at the dilapidated little cabin and felt a sense of coming home.

Lying down on that hard bed, Mu Yunjin rolled over and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

……

Meanwhile, at Mingzhu Tower.

“What did you say? Mu Yunjin has returned?” Mu Lingzhu was sitting at her dressing table, comparing two pairs of earrings in her hand. Hearing Hongxia’s report, she spoke with surprise.

“Yes, the servants at the front said she brought a bundle back, probably intending to stay for a while,” Hongxia said.

Hearing this, Mu Lingzhu was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh a few times. “It seems she’s been shown the door by the Sixth Prince.”

“Indeed, now that the Qin family’s daughter has returned, what place is there for Mu Yunjin? She might have been proud for a short while, but as soon as Qin Muyue returned, she was reduced to her original state.”

As Mu Lingzhu spoke, she couldn’t suppress the wild joy in her heart. After choosing and putting on a pair of earrings, she leaned against the chair, examining her countenance reflected in the bronze mirror for a long time.

“Hongxia, do you think that after this young miss marries into Prince Rong’s manor, the Princess Consort of Rong will still receive the Prince’s favor?”

Hearing this, Hongxia curved her lips and placed a jade hairpin in Mu Lingzhu’s hair bun. “Miss, aren’t you going to be the Princess Consort of Rong?”

“Hehe.” Mu Lingzhu lowered her eyes and smiled, her eyes covered with points of cold stars as she gritted her teeth. “Mu Yunjin caused my mother’s death and has reduced me to this state. Once I take the position of Princess Consort of Rong, I’ll show her a thing or two!”

As she spoke, the coldness in Mu Lingzhu’s eyes was fully displayed, the corner of her lips curving into a contemptuous smile. Wasn’t Mu Yunjin marrying Chu Li just for the glory and nobility behind him?

Among all the princes, Chu Li was the most favored candidate for Crown Prince. If Chu Li were appointed Crown Prince, Mu Yunjin would also become the Crown Princess, highly likely to be the future Empress who would mother the nation.

Empress…

How could an ignorant fool like Mu Yunjin be worthy of being Empress?

Hmph, after she married into Prince Rong’s manor, she would incite Prince Rong to seize the throne of the Western Yuan Kingdom. With her intelligence and talent, she would surely be the best advisor to Prince Rong.

Mu Yunjin, our real competition has just begun!

“Let’s go see Shihua Pavilion.” After arranging her hair bun, Mu Lingzhu stood up and walked outside.

Mu Lingzhu’s procession was quite grand. Since it was determined that she would marry Prince Rong, the mansion had assigned her six dowry maids and ten household servants.

Now, as Mu Lingzhu left Mingzhu Tower, she was followed by more than ten attendants.

Soon, when the group arrived at Shihua Pavilion, they crowded the small courtyard to the point where there was no room to move.

“Greetings, Fourth Miss.” Zixiang, sitting at the door of Mu Yunjin’s room, immediately stood up and bowed to Mu Lingzhu when she suddenly arrived.

Mu Lingzhu glanced at Zixiang and said languidly, “Where is Mu Yunjin?”

“The miss is resting inside,” Zixiang said.

“Resting?” Mu Lingzhu sneered. “Is she resting, or hiding inside, crying? I heard she was driven back to the Marquis’s mansion by the Sixth Prince.”

Zixiang bit her lip, seeing that Mu Lingzhu had brought many people, and didn’t speak for a moment.

“You’re not speaking, so it seems you’re tacitly agreeing? Oh my, my third sister is truly a pitiful person. Originally, as her younger sister, I was happy for her when she married into the Sixth Prince’s mansion. It’s only been a few months, and she’s already been shown the door. It seems not everyone can be a daughter-in-law of the royal family.”

As Mu Lingzhu finished speaking, she covered her mouth and laughed, and all the attendants behind her joined in the laughter.

“Creeak—” The door behind Zixiang was opened.

Mu Yunjin, with a face full of fatigue, walked out from inside. Seeing the small courtyard filled with people, her gaze fell on Mu Lingzhu at the forefront.

“I was sleeping so well, yet I smelled something like feces. So it turns out a dog that just ate shit has arrived here.” Mu Yunjin said while covering her nose, her face full of disgust.

Mu Lingzhu paused, then immediately realized Mu Yunjin was insulting her, saying a dog never changes its habit of eating feces. Her eyes moved slightly, but she didn’t get angry. The corner of her lips raised in mockery. “Third Sister’s words have hurt this younger sister’s heart. I heard that Sister was driven out by the Sixth Prince, so I came specially to comfort you.”

Mu Yunjin leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and after hearing these hypocritical words, she returned a sardonic smile. “Then thank you for your kindness, sister. If there’s nothing else, please disperse quickly. I don’t like commotion.”

“Oh my, Third Miss sounds so distant. After our Fourth Miss marries into Prince Rong’s manor, she can ask Prince Rong to speak to the Sixth Prince on your behalf. After all, Prince Rong is the Sixth Prince’s royal uncle. The Sixth Prince will at least show this much respect. By that time, perhaps after hearing Prince Rong’s words, the Sixth Prince will allow you to return to his mansion!”