“Ye Li!”
In Prince Li’s garden, as Hua Tian Xiang walked with Ye Li engaged in conversation, a tall figure suddenly appeared blocking their path.
“Prince Li, is there something you need?” Hua Tian Xiang stepped in front of Ye Li, raising her beautiful face to ask. Since the incident at Chu Xiang Pavilion, Hua Tian Xiang’s favorable impression of Prince Li has plummeted, currently approaching negative values. Seeing Mo Jing Li appear before them with ill intent, she instinctively believed he meant to cause trouble for Ye Li. Mo Jing Li frowned in displeasure, “This Prince isn’t looking for you.” Hua Tian Xiang replied unceremoniously, “Shouldn’t Your Highness be attending to guests? The garden is currently full of ladies from various households. Your Highness’s presence here might be inappropriate. Even if Your Highness doesn’t care about your reputation, you should at least consider others.”
“This Prince has words for Ye Li. Step aside,” Mo Jing Li said impatiently.
“Whatever you have to say, say it here. Li’er can hear you,” Hua Tian Xiang replied.
Mo Jing Li’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “This Prince said step aside!”
Hua Tian Xiang was about to speak again but Ye Li held her back, “Tian Xiang, go check if Mu Rong and the others have arrived. I’ll join you shortly.”
“But…” Hua Tian Xiang cast a worried glance at Mo Jing Li. Ye Li smiled, “Don’t worry, Xiu Yao will come looking for me after he finishes speaking with Old Madam Hua.” Hearing this, Hua Tian Xiang winked playfully at Ye Li, teasing, “Xiu… Yao is it… Alright, I’ll go find Mu Rong. You… be careful.” After shooting Mo Jing Li a warning glare, she waved to Ye Li before departing. Watching Hua Tian Xiang’s rare display of childishness, Ye Li felt both amused and touched. Hua Tian Xiang was truly a well-bred young lady who understood propriety; if not for Ye Li, she would never have actively provoked Mo Jing Li. Watching Hua Tian Xiang’s retreating figure, Mo Jing Li’s already dark expression turned practically ink-black.
Once Hua Tian Xiang disappeared around the garden’s corner, Ye Li’s smile faded as she turned to face Mo Jing Li, “What does Your Highness wish to say?”
“Ye Li, you’ve done it now!” Mo Jing Li said through gritted teeth.
Ye Li looked Mo Jing Li up and down, still speaking gently, “I don’t understand what Your Highness means.”
“Hmph! You think I’ll let last night’s matter go just like that?” Mo Jing Li stared at her with a cold smile.
“I thought… Your Highness has no right to speak of this.” He was the one who had people kidnap her with ill intent, yet now he was acting as if she had wronged him somehow. What was wrong with this world? Ye Li couldn’t help but wonder.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of taking revenge on this Prince?” Mo Jing Li sneered with disdain.
That won’t be necessary – this young lady usually takes revenge on the spot for minor matters, “If Your Highness has nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
“Stop right there!” Mo Jing Li shouted angrily, grabbing Ye Li and pushing her behind a rockery. Ye Li lowered her eyes to look at the hand gripping her wrist, her expression also darkening, “Prince Li, please show some self-restraint!”
“Self-restraint?” Mo Jing Li laughed coldly with contempt, “Who do you think you are? You’re nothing but a woman this Prince rejected. Do you think attaching yourself to Mo Xiu Yao makes everything fine? Tell me… if someone were to come by now and see this, would you still have the face to marry Mo Xiu Yao? Or perhaps even that cripple Mo Xiu Yao would despise you?”
A dangerous glint flashed through Ye Li’s half-veiled clear eyes, “Prince Li, please release me.”
“What will you do if this Prince doesn’t?” Mo Jing Li sneered, looking at the delicate woman before him as if examining a little bird trapped in a cage. Unfortunately, he didn’t know that this seemingly fragile and gentle woman was a predatory hawk inside. Ye Li’s lips curved slightly, “What will I do? This!” Her other free hand swiftly and powerfully gripped Mo Jing Li’s arm, applying just enough force to cause shooting pain. Before Mo Jing Li could react, he was thrown to the ground with a side sweep. Even more unfortunately, because they were standing at the base of the rockery, Mo Jing Li’s head hit the rocks and he immediately lost consciousness. Ye Li hadn’t expected this outcome and immediately pulled back her follow-up attack. She bent down to check Mo Jing Li’s condition, and finding no serious injury, stood up and kicked him a few times to vent her anger. Her former profession had made her more familiar with human anatomy than most, naturally making her more aware of how to cause pain without leaving marks.
Having calmed her anger, Ye Li couldn’t help but frown. Knocking Prince Li unconscious in his manor wasn’t exactly a good thing, especially on his wedding day. However, it wasn’t an inexplicable predicament either. Glancing at the unconscious figure on the ground, Ye Li calmly stepped over the obstacle and walked away unhurriedly.
Leaving the rockery and turning a couple of corners, she saw Hua Tian Xiang and Mu Rong Ting waiting anxiously. Seeing Ye Li approach, they quickly came forward, “A Li, are you alright? Did Prince Li do anything to you?” Mu Rong Ting asked worriedly, grabbing Ye Li’s hands.
Ye Li smiled, “Don’t you see I’m perfectly fine? What could he do to me in broad daylight?”
Mu Rong Ting smiled sheepishly, “I overthought it, but you should still keep your distance from Prince Li.”
Hua Tian Xiang nodded in agreement, asking curiously, “How did you finish talking so quickly?”
Ye Li shrugged, “There was nothing to say really.”
“Let’s not talk about such unpleasant people. Let’s go sit and have some tea. I envy Zheng’er – Official Qin never forces her to attend gatherings she doesn’t like.”
Ye Li nodded and went with them toward the more crowded area.
The wedding ceremony proceeded as scheduled, finally promising a satisfactory conclusion to the marriage that had suffered the small embarrassment of missing the auspicious time for welcoming the bride – if one could ignore the Prince’s funeral-like expression. Ye Li sat beside Hua Tian Xiang, noticing Mo Xiu Yao across from her watching her with smiling eyes, then glancing at Mo Jing Li who was walking side by side with Ye Ying, holding the red silk. The smile in his eyes deepened. Almost immediately, Ye Li understood that Mo Xiu Yao must have known about what happened to Mo Jing Li that afternoon. But judging by Mo Xiu Yao’s expression, Ye Li felt the matter might not be over yet.
Thus, when halfway through the ceremony, as the officiant called for the couple to bow to each other, there was a loud thud as the groom collapsed unconscious, Ye Li wasn’t surprised at all. Instead, she had a feeling of “just as expected.” At this moment, Ye Li believed that Mo Jing Li probably never wanted to hold another wedding ceremony in his life. Anyone who fainted three times within twelve hours before and after their wedding would develop some kind of trauma about weddings.
“How… how could this happen?” Mu Rong Ting was so surprised she could barely close her mouth.
Hua Tian Xiang was equally dumbfounded, “This…” She didn’t know what to say. She was starting to feel sorry for Ye Ying. Missing the auspicious time for welcoming the bride was one thing, but the groom fainting during the ceremony…
“Phew… A Li, Prince Li’s health is really poor. Fortunately…”
While everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, Noble Consort Xian Zhao was the first to react, quickly ordering people to escort the bride and groom back to their chamber while calling for the Imperial Physician. Though the groom had fainted, the wedding feast had to continue, even if the guests could hardly taste their food. The noble ladies speculated about the true reason for Prince Li’s collapse while contemplating tomorrow’s newest gossip in the capital. Ye Li, meanwhile, mentally reviewed all the possible consequences of knocking Mo Jing Li unconscious that afternoon, and only after concluding there were no major problems did she relax and enjoy the delicious food with Hua Tian Xiang and Mu Rong Ting. When she caught sight of a certain man in an inconspicuous corner smiling smugly and raising his cup to her in a toast, she nodded slightly in acknowledgment. This wedding… was indeed quite interesting.