Wasn’t it just that she was competing with her over Murong? Was that any reason to ignore her?

Who told her not to dissolve the engagement with Murong?

Knock knock. A wooden door was knocked upon.

Mu Xi’s eyes brightened, and she glanced at Mu Cheng. “Go open the door.”

Someone had come to see her — finally, she wouldn’t have to listen to Mu Cheng’s crying and sniffling anymore.

“Oh.” Mu Cheng wiped her tears and sluggishly opened the wooden door.

“A’Xi.” Yan Yunning smiled and waved.

“Yanyan, are you alright?” Mu Xi scrutinized her carefully. “How did you end up fainting?”

Yan Yunning awkwardly rubbed the tip of her nose. They said she had been frightened into fainting, but she felt they were talking nonsense. Either way, Imperial Physician Wen had said there was nothing seriously wrong with her body, so let them say what they liked.

“You fainted too? Just like me — from fright?” Mu Xi sighed. “It’s my fault. I didn’t think about spreading rumors about someone right in front of their subordinate. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Yan Yunning coughed. “Don’t spread rumors about him in front of me either, and don’t go around talking about him behind his back. If you’re unhappy with him, you can say it to his face directly.”

“……” Mu Xi touched the back of her neck. “I won’t say anything anymore.”

Gossiping about people behind their backs was very rude. She simply couldn’t stand that troublesome person, and by extension, she also couldn’t stand Xuan Yanyu for protecting that troublesome person.

“Ah.”

The wooden door was suddenly shoved open. Mu Cheng, standing at the doorway, didn’t have time to react — with a thud, she tumbled to the ground, the fair skin of her palms scraped raw.

“Orangey, are you alright?” Murong helped her up from the ground. “I was too hasty. I’m sorry — I didn’t know you were at the door.”

“Brother Murong.” Mu Cheng bit her lip, looking at him with an air of grievance.

Mu Xi’s head buzzed with irritation. How did she manage to play the innocent victim every single time, making Murong feel sorry for her?

“Brother Murong, my hand hurts so much.” Mu Cheng’s knees went weak, and she leaned into Murong’s arms.

“Orangey.” Murong pushed her away, his brow furrowed tightly. “If it hurts, go see a physician.”

As he spoke, he took some silver from his sleeve and pressed it into her hand.

“Brother Murong, will you come with me?” Mu Cheng looked up at him with reddened eyes, gazing at him hopefully.

Murong gave her hand a casual glance. “It’s not serious. If you don’t want to go, then don’t.”

The silver he had pressed into Mu Cheng’s hand was taken back.

“……” Mu Cheng clutched his hand with a pitiful, helpless look. “Brother Murong, it really hurts.”

Murong removed her hand, a flash of irritation crossing his eyes.

“Mu Cheng!” Mu Xi stepped forward and pulled Murong to her side, saying sarcastically, “Murong is my betrothed. If you keep shamelessly clinging to him like this, don’t force me to invoke family law on you.”

“A’Jie.” Mu Cheng pursed her lips. “Murong caused me to fall — shouldn’t he take me to see the physician?”

“Orangey, who told you to stand at the door?” Murong’s voice turned cold.

“Brother Murong, you……” Mu Cheng’s expression turned wounded, and tears streamed from her eyes.

“Stop crying.” Mu Xi felt a pang of reluctant sympathy.

Mu Cheng lowered her head, the tip of her nose twitching slightly as she silently sobbed.

Mu Xi: “Brother Murong, I’ll accompany Mu Cheng to the physician. You head back to the residence first.”

Murong’s gaze fell on the bruise on her neck, and his brow furrowed slightly. “You rest and recover. I’ll take her.”

“A’Jie, just let Brother Murong take me. Listen to him and rest your injuries properly.” Mu Cheng said plaintively.

“Brother Murong.” Mu Cheng stepped forward and hooked her arm through Murong’s, her voice sweet and coy. “Let’s go.”

“Orangey.” Murong extracted his arm, visibly annoyed at being pestered.

“Brother Murong, didn’t you say you’d accompany me to see the physician?” Mu Cheng pinched the hem of his robe, her voice soft and wheedling.

Murong was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long pause, he said, “The Prefect still has matters waiting for me. A’Xi, rest and recover. I’ll visit you at the Minister’s residence when I have time.”

“Mm.” Mu Xi squinted and smiled.

Murong shifted a couple of steps, hooked his arm around her waist, and embraced her. “Be careful. Don’t get hurt again, alright?”

“Alright. Don’t worry.” Mu Xi held him tightly.

Mu Cheng clenched her teeth and twisted the handkerchief in her hands with force.

Yan Yunning quietly slipped out of the side room.

……

Outside the inn, Yan Shiyao was carrying a food box. She had not yet entered the inn when Qi Qingchen grabbed her wrist.

“Third Prince, why are you here?” The distaste on Yan Shiyao’s face was plain.

“Yan Shiyao, what are you coming to the inn for?” Qi Qingchen’s eyes narrowed.

He had just seen Xuan Yanyu enter this inn, and Yan Shiyao had followed right on his heels. What were the two of them up to?

“Third Prince, please stay away from me and let go.”

Qi Qingchen’s voice carried an edge of fury. “Yan Shiyao, do you have to be like this? This Prince had Jiang Jin apologize to you, and you……”

“Get lost.” The frustration she had long suppressed erupted. Yan Shiyao ground her back teeth. “Qi Qingchen, let go of me. Didn’t you tell me not to follow you anymore, back in Pingshi Town?”

After a long moment, Yan Shiyao heard the man’s low, muffled voice:

“This Prince now permits you to follow.”

Yan Shiyao wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Third Prince, that won’t do. This subject-girl feels she is no longer worthy of Your Highness and cannot follow by your side any longer.”

The tightness in Qi Qingchen’s chest grew heavier. “Why are you not worthy of this Prince?”

Yan Shiyao regarded him with cold eyes. “Has Your Highness forgotten? You sent someone to stab this subject-girl. If this subject-girl were to follow Your Highness, the scar on my arm would damage Your Highness’s image.”

Qi Qingchen’s expression darkened. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

How would a scar damage his image?

What a feeble excuse!

“Qi Qingchen, isn’t your side consort saying that she and your child have been wronged? This subject-girl is the one who caused that wrong. If you pull and tug at me now and your side consort finds out, she will likely burst into tears.” Yan Shiyao held his gaze steadily.

Qi Qingchen’s brow furrowed slightly. “If she cries, she cries. Does that mean this Prince must go and console her?”

Yan Shiyao concealed the contempt in her eyes. “Qi Qingchen, to speak plainly, you are truly unfit to be the Qi Emperor. You should give up the throne.”

Selfish, heartless, and fickle all at once.

Was he capable of ruling Qilan?

She hadn’t seen it — most likely he was not.

Qi Qingchen laughed coldly. “Yan Shiyao, do not provoke this Prince again and again. Otherwise, this Prince will find a way to……”

“Shut up.” Yan Shiyao stomped on his foot several times. “Qi Qingchen, let go of me. In Qilan, our Prime Minister’s manor will not be forming any marriage alliance with you. I have already petitioned my brother, and my brother sought an imperial decree from His Majesty the Qi Emperor — Ningning and I will not be marrying any princes.”

Her brother had said that the reason His Majesty the Qi Emperor would grant this decree was because he feared the Prime Minister’s manor would take the wrong side. The Qi Emperor prized Qi Qingchen most of all.

If she and Ningning married other princes, those princes would have legitimate heirs and would inevitably receive support in their bids for the throne.

Her brother going to request this decree suited the Qi Emperor’s own intentions perfectly.

Even if Qi Qingchen did not use her to attack Xuanzhao, and even if he formed no marriage alliance with anyone, the next emperor of Qilan would still be him. The Qi Emperor valued him most — why would the throne pass to another prince?

As long as he did not do anything too outrageous, he simply needed to wait for the Qi Emperor to find a suitable pretext to name him as Crown Prince.

With the trouble that was Qi Qingchen resolved, there was still the trouble that was Xuan Yanyu.

“What did you say?” Qi Qingchen’s eyes flickered.

“Third Prince, it is too late.” Yan Shiyao let out a light laugh. “Stop setting your sights on Ningning and me.”

Qi Qingchen licked his lips and said, word by word, “Yan Shiyao, you truly are something!”

Yan Shiyao tapped her fingertip against his forehead, lips curling into a smile. “Qi Qingchen, do you know the Crown Prince of the Xuanzhao Kingdom?”