“You believe what a dog says? Besides, Yunjin has nothing to hide. I, as her brother, can personally vouch for her character. I refuse to believe she would be blind enough to look at this running dog!”

Mu Yunhan’s face was full of contempt, his tone brimming with disdain for Mu Yiyang, even directly calling him a running dog in front of everyone.

Mu Yunjin held back her laughter as she watched the scene unfold before her. She couldn’t help but feel curious. Logically speaking, Mu Yunhan was Su Biqing’s eldest son, and she had previously been confined within this mansion, so she shouldn’t have had much interaction with Mu Yunhan.

Why, then, did his words show such protection toward her, while displaying no familial closeness to Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu?

Wei Hanqiao, hearing her son being publicly berated as a running dog by Mu Yunhan, felt instantly enraged. Looking to the side, she saw Mu Yiyang had already fainted with blood trickling from his mouth, and immediately let out a wail.

Her unfortunate son, who knew what evil star he was born under this year? His injuries had barely healed, and now he was suffering again.

“Guards, throw these two out of the mansion,” Mu Yunhan frowned, glancing at Mu Yiyang and Wei Hanqiao.

As he spoke, two guards still wearing armor emerged from behind him, walked in, and dragged Mu Yiyang and Wei Hanqiao away.

After Mu Yiyang and Wei Hanqiao were taken away, Mu Yunhan turned to Chu Ye and gave him a respectful bow. “Today, Fourth Prince has witnessed quite a spectacle. I wonder, having watched for so long, has the Fourth Prince understood what happened here?”

…

…

Chu Ye started slightly, his face bearing an ambiguous smile as he nodded faintly.

…

After Chu Ye left, only the Mu family remained in the front hall.

“Yunhan, weren’t you with General Qin breaking through the North Yan Pass? Why have you suddenly returned?” Minister Mu composed himself and looked at Mu Yunhan with affection.

Mu Yunhan responded coolly, “The battle at North Yan Pass is essentially over. I specifically rushed back to attend Yunjin’s wedding to the Sixth Prince.”

“Why didn’t you let us know you were coming back? Your mother could have made preparations,” Su Biqing also looked at her son with maternal love.

“I’m tired from the journey. I’ll go rest for a while,” Mu Yunhan glanced at Su Biqing, then walked toward the back garden.

As he passed by Mu Yunjin, Mu Yunhan paused, reached out and grabbed her by the collar, pulling her out of the front hall.

Once in the back garden, Mu Yunhan immediately scolded Mu Yunjin. “Still so useless! Before I left, didn’t I specifically tell you that if the sky fell, your brother would hold it up for you, and that you needn’t worry about others?”

“You’ve made me proud—a young lady allowing several old women to examine your body. You truly don’t care about your reputation.”

Mu Yunjin pouted, feeling for the first time powerless to retort to such concern-filled reproach. She couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile awkwardly. “You rarely come home. Don’t just focus on scolding me. Didn’t you say you were tired? Why don’t you go rest?”

Hearing this, Mu Yunhan’s eyes showed a trace of surprise. He carefully examined Mu Yunjin for a moment before concluding, “Although you’re still useless, your personality has become much more cheerful.”

Mu Yunjin twitched the corner of her mouth and remained silent.

After parting with Mu Yunhan, Zixiang, who had been following Mu Yunjin, approached and let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness the young master returned in time. Otherwise, today’s situation could have been much worse.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin narrowed her eyes slightly, concealing a dangerous gleam. “Such despicable tactics—I’m surprised they could think of them. Since they show no mercy, they shouldn’t expect any kindness from me.”

Mu Yunjin calculated: Chu Ye had taken Mu Lingzhu away, then Mu Yiyang and Wei Hanqiao suddenly appeared, and just when Mu Yiyang was speaking carelessly, Mu Lingzhu and Chu Ye coincidentally returned. Wasn’t all of this a bit too convenient?

“Young Miss, your wedding is approaching. Please don’t act rashly. If anything displeases you, the young master will naturally stand up for you,” Zixiang advised.

“Did I always have a good relationship with my elder brother?” Mu Yunjin asked curiously.

From what she had just witnessed, Mu Yunhan held the position of eldest son in the household, and his words and actions carried significant weight. If he and she truly had such a good relationship, why was she still confined within the mansion?

“The young master has always been good to you, but in the past, your temperament wasn’t like it is now. You were always timid and often annoyed the young master, causing him to leave unhappily,” Zixiang explained.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

She couldn’t help but wonder in astonishment: could it be that her illicit relationship wasn’t with Mu Yiyang, but with Mu Yunhan?

Pah, pah, pah! What nonsense was she thinking!

After Mu Yunjin and Mu Yunhan left the back garden one after another, Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu emerged from the front hall.

“Elder brother’s return was so coincidental. Otherwise, according to how things were developing, those old matrons, whom we had already bribed, would certainly have concluded that Mu Yunjin was not a virgin,” Mu Lingzhu whispered, her face full of displeasure.

Su Biqing sighed softly, her eyes also showing some displeasure. “That little slut must have burned some powerful incense to have such good luck.”

“However, I’ve already ordered people to spread rumors throughout Diehua City about Mu Yunjin’s illicit relationship with Mu Yiyang. I believe it will soon reach the palace. By then, even if Mu Yunjin is innocent, with such shameful rumors surrounding her, the royal family won’t accept her.”

Mu Lingzhu nodded, her eyes filling with pleasure. “This time, we will bring her down!”

…

After Su Biqing and her daughter Mu Lingzhu left the back garden, Mu Yunjin’s figure emerged from a nearby flower bed. Watching their gradually retreating figures, her eyes revealed a mixture of indolence and arrogance.

Touching the phoenix-tail whip on her wrist, Mu Yunjin smiled faintly and murmured, “Heaven’s gate is open, but you don’t enter; hell has no doors, yet you force your way in!”

…

A day later, rumors spread throughout Diehua City.

In every street and alley, people discussed the most hidden affair of Minister Mu’s household—

“I heard that the Third Miss of the Mu family is a shameless woman. With her wedding to the Sixth Prince approaching, she’s having an illicit affair with her second brother.”

“Yes, I heard that too. It’s unbelievable. They say it angered Minister Mu so much yesterday that he fell ill.”

“That Third Miss Mu is about to marry the Sixth Prince. Now the Sixth Prince surely won’t want her anymore. She’s brought this upon herself—truly deserves no pity!”

Mu Yunjin, dressed in simple, plain clothes with a veil covering her face, walked through the streets with her arms folded, going from one end to the other, hearing various versions of the gossip.

And she was the main character of this gossip.

At this moment, Mu Lingzhu was strolling down the street, fanning herself with a cattail leaf fan, completely unaware that Mu Yunjin had been following her all along.

Hearing the rumors spreading through the streets, Mu Lingzhu’s face was full of smiles.

After a while, seeing Mu Lingzhu and Hong Xia enter a teahouse, Mu Yunjin smiled and said to Zixiang, who was following beside her, “Proceed as planned!”

“Yes, Young Miss.” With that, Zixiang ran off.

Mu Yunjin circled to the entrance of the teahouse, secretly slipped into the back kitchen, knocked out a kitchen maid, changed into the maid’s clothes, and pretended to brew tea.

“Private room number four ordered a pot of Pu’er tea, one osmanthus cake, and one water chestnut cake,” came an announcement from outside.

“All right,” Mu Yunjin smiled faintly, grabbed a handful of tea leaves and poured them into the teapot, along with a small paper packet of white powder that she had taken out.

After completing all these tasks, Mu Yunjin turned and left.

After leaving the back kitchen, Mu Yunjin saw a limping figure in the distance walking toward the teahouse. Seeing that Zixiang had completed her task, Mu Yunjin smiled and walked toward the main entrance of the teahouse.

…

In private room number four of the teahouse, Mu Lingzhu was drinking tea. Although she felt the Pu’er tea didn’t taste very good today, her excellent mood made her drink several cups anyway.

“Hong Xia, go to the Yan and Wen residences and invite Yan Lingshang and Wen Ruhan. Tell them I’m inviting them for tea,” Mu Lingzhu said to Hong Xia in the private room.

Hong Xia nodded and smiled, “Yes, this servant will go right away.”

After Hong Xia left, Mu Lingzhu drank a few more sips of tea. Gradually, she began to feel hot, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Thinking it was just the weather, she drank a few more sips of tea.

“Knock, knock, knock!” Someone knocked heavily on the door of the private room.

Thinking it was Hong Xia returning with Yan Lingshang and the others, Mu Lingzhu immediately said, “Come in quickly!”

The voice that came out was unexpectedly coquettish, even to her ears.

Soon, the door was pushed open, and Mu Yiyang limped in. Seeing that it was Mu Yiyang, Mu Lingzhu couldn’t help but exclaim, “Second Brother, why is it you…”

Seeing Mu Lingzhu sitting inside, Mu Yiyang immediately felt he had been tricked again. Angrily, he walked to the table and poured himself a cup of tea.

“Damn it! Wasn’t that little slut Mu Yunjin supposed to be here? I came to settle accounts with her today! Why are you here?”

Mu Lingzhu covered her mouth and laughed, her cheeks already flushed red. “There’s no Mu Yunjin here. I’ve been here the whole time.”

As she spoke, Mu Lingzhu felt her vision blurring, and her body growing increasingly hot. Unconsciously, she had already unbuttoned her outer garment.

Seeing this shocking scene, Mu Yiyang thought Mu Lingzhu had taken the wrong medicine. He was about to turn and leave, but a wave of heat was also gradually rising in his lower abdomen.

“Sixth Prince, is that you?” Mu Lingzhu suddenly spoke, looking at Mu Yiyang with hazy eyes, calling out with delight.

Mu Yiyang watched as Mu Lingzhu suddenly lunged toward him and swallowed hard. “Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister, you’ve mistaken me for someone else…”

The inexplicable heat in their chests made both of them increasingly uncomfortable. They couldn’t help but embrace each other. Mu Yiyang unconsciously removed his outer garment and held Mu Lingzhu tightly in his arms.

The two had been drugged with an aphrodisiac and now could not distinguish who was before them.

“Sixth Prince, Lingzhu’s heart is true to you. I hope you won’t disappoint Lingzhu,” Mu Lingzhu leaned in Mu Yiyang’s arms, the corner of her lips curling upward.

“Of course, Little Cui, how could I disappoint you! I’ve said before, in the entire Baihua House, you’re the most beautiful…”

Just as the two were unable to control themselves, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open, followed by several screams from outside—

“Ah—”

“What’s going on here?”