“Food and beauty are human nature! Everyone loves beauty — even if you can’t have it, looking a little longer costs you nothing and breaks no law, right?”

Ren Qiqi remained quite optimistic, not the least bit discouraged by He Muling’s words.

“Besides, the man’s unmarried and the woman’s unwed — as long as Ninth Lord hasn’t gotten married, anything is still possible! Who can guarantee they won’t break up.”

“Then you just keep waiting.” He Muling shot her a look and walked out of the tent.

Once outside, she saw the Professor and Xiao Shengyuan walking off into the distance together.

There seemed to be a small stream over there.

“What’s going on? Who went over there?” Ren Qiqi, who came out a step behind her, also spotted the two figures in the distance.

But the pair had just walked into a small grove of trees, and Ren Qiqi couldn’t make out clearly who they were.

“There seems to be a stream over there. I wonder if the water’s clean? Maybe we can go for a soak later?” Ren Qiqi suggested.

He Muling glanced once more toward the little grove before speaking: “Sure, but let’s wait a bit — until they leave first.”

“Why? It’s not like they’re doing something shameful. They’re… the Professor and your senior schoolmate?”

“Mm.” He Muling nodded. “Lately, the Professor and my senior… their relationship hasn’t been great. Let’s not go stir up trouble right now.”

“Alright, let’s go find something to eat first.”

The two of them, having lived together day after day this whole trip, had already become good friends.

“We’re not going back into the mausoleum today anyway. Might as well do something with the time — let’s go get something tasty.”

“Let’s go ask A’Ke, see if he’ll give us something good.”

“Sure!”

…

“Jiu’er, Jiu’er, Jiu’er…”

Echoing in her ears was nothing but Mu Mu’s calling.

Lingering in her mind was nothing but him.

His smile, his anger, the way his eyes lit up when he was happy, the way they dimmed entirely when he was sad.

And that head of hair, flying white.

To save her, it had turned entirely white…

“Mu Mu!”

Zhen Jiu’er suddenly sat bolt upright.

Everything in her field of vision was still somewhat blurred, and her head ached badly.

She lifted a hand and rubbed her temples, and only then did everything gradually come into focus.

“Ninth Lord?”

“Who is Mu Mu?” Lu Beicheng’s expression was cold, his gaze fixed on her eyes as they gradually brightened.

“Mu Mu…” Jiu’er froze for a moment.

She thought of that empty coffin, her feelings a tangled mess.

The coffin was empty. There had been no Northern Emperor inside the Northern Emperor’s tomb.

Where on earth had Mu Mu gone?

No — a thousand years had passed. Mu Mu was long gone.

He was already gone…

Zhen Jiu’er’s heart grew heavy.

She looked up, and abruptly met a pair of eyes, cold and piercing to the bone.

“Ninth Lord…” In that instant, Zhen Jiu’er’s heart jolted, an inexplicable panic rising in her.

The chill in Ninth Lord’s eyes — it ran so deep!

He usually seemed gentle and refined on the surface — she’d never imagined he had such a fierce, menacing side.

Lu Beicheng lowered his eyes, his long fingers landing on the prayer beads at his wrist, turning them slowly.

The chill in his gaze faded away almost at once.

Just now, he’d actually felt an impulse to kill that person called “Mu Mu.”

Zhen Jiu’er also looked at the string of prayer beads on his wrist.

“I’ve heard,” she hesitated, then continued, “I’ve heard that prayer beads can dilute a person’s killing aura.”

Was that killing intent in his eyes just now? It really was… a little frightening!

Truth be told, it rivaled Ninth Imperial Uncle’s.

When he turned cold, it was enough to scare someone to death.

“Is that so?” Lu Beicheng, however, had already returned to his usual composed indifference — only his deep, unfathomable eyes remained fixed straight on her: “Who exactly is Mu Mu? A man you like?”