“Feng Jiu’er, don’t push it!” Tonight, Leng Yue had come with two purposes: first, to provoke Feng Jiu’er into doing something reckless; second, if that failed, to at least drive Feng Jiu’er into despair and misery.

But somehow, after this entire confrontation, it was she herself who had been provoked over and over again, she herself who was suffering.

Leng Yue was truly furious — and most infuriating of all was that no matter how she pushed, Feng Jiu’er remained utterly unmoved!

She drew a deep breath and suddenly lowered her voice: “The Lord and I have already been intimate. The Lord will not send me away — if you don’t believe me, you can try—”

“I certainly don’t believe you. The Ninth Imperial Uncle’s first time was with me. Didn’t you know? I was even the one who taught him. He didn’t know a thing on his own. Ha.”

“Feng Jiu’er, I’ll kill you!” Leng Yue ground her teeth, and from somewhere produced a short blade. She swung it at Jiu’er.

Really — who was provoking whom here, and who had ended up drawing a weapon? Leng Yue truly was spectacularly foolish — she had walked straight into the very trap she had laid for someone else.

Jiu’er was just about to retaliate when the door was suddenly kicked open with a single powerful strike.

Then Leng Yue was lifted up by Mu Mu, carried out the door, and flung to the ground.

By the time Emperor Ji and Ye Luosha came rushing over at the commotion, they saw Leng Yue crumpled on the ground, and the one who had thrown her there — Mu Mu.

“Mu’er! Are you all right? Are your wounds aggravated? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Ye Luosha didn’t need to see who had been thrown down. The moment she saw Mu Mu had acted, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest — how could she possibly pay attention to anything else?

Emperor Ji arrived a step behind, and seeing Mu Mu had been involved, he too was frightened. “What happened? Is the wound all right? Where is Feng Jiu’er? Where is she?”

“I’m right here.” Jiu’er had just finished straightening her clothing and stepped out from the room, and even — rather inelegantly — let out a yawn.

She was truly exhausted lately, as though she never got enough sleep each night, and yet these people kept coming in waves, seemingly determined not to let her rest.

“Jiu’er, quickly check Mu Mu’s wound — see if he’s hurt.” Emperor Ji pushed his wheelchair over urgently.

Ye Luosha’s face was equally taut with anxiety. “Feng Jiu’er, check Mu’er quickly! Go!”

“I’m fine,” Mu Mu said flatly. Noticing Leng Yue attempting to crawl back up, he gave a casual kick. Leng Yue let out a muffled groan and collapsed again.

Only then did everyone properly see who it was he had grabbed, carried out, and thrown to the ground. Leng Yue still held a short dagger in her hand. Ye Luosha looked suspicious. “Why do you have a blade? Were you — were you trying to assassinate Mu’er?”

That thought had barely formed in her mind before any goodwill she had previously felt toward Leng Yue evaporated entirely.

“How dare you lay a hand on Mu’er! Do you have a death wish?”

She raised her hand, and in an instant, her palm condensed a surge of true energy.

“No — that’s not it! I didn’t!” Leng Yue was terrified. How had things turned out this way? Wasn’t the blade supposed to end up in Feng Jiu’er’s hands, and Feng Jiu’er, in a rage, was supposed to wound herself with it?

How had it become her attempting to assassinate someone else? And Mu Mu, of all people?

How could she possibly dare to assassinate Mu Mu? Mu Mu was the Second Imperial Prince — the Lord’s own younger brother. She would never dare do anything like that!

“It wasn’t me — it was… it was Feng Jiu’er. Feng Jiu’er was the one who wanted to hurt me!”

Leng Yue looked to Emperor Ji. Her ties with Ye Luosha were thin, and the moment Mu Mu was involved, Ye Luosha turned ruthless. So in this moment, she could only count on Emperor Ji. “Foster father, I truly didn’t — I only… I only…”

She couldn’t explain. She couldn’t explain why the dagger was in her own hand, or why she had been thrown out by Mu Mu.

Ye Luosha had no wish to hear her voice. She turned to Mu Mu. “Mu’er, what exactly happened?”

Feng Jiu’er was leaning against the doorframe, fully expecting Mu Mu to say that Leng Yue had wanted to kill her. But even she had not anticipated what Mu Mu actually said: “She wanted to kill me.”

“…” Wanted to kill him? When had Leng Yue ever wanted to kill him?

Even Leng Yue was stunned. When had she ever wanted to kill Mu Mu? How could she possibly—

“I did not — I didn’t — hmph—” Ye Luosha’s palm struck true, without even a fraction of mercy.

She had moved so fast that Emperor Ji couldn’t stop her even if he had tried.

Leng Yue was sent flying by the blow and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, immediately coughing blood, unable even to crawl up.

“Yue’er!” Emperor Ji was deeply alarmed. With a wave of his hand, he signaled his attendants to go and support her.

“Ye Luosha, how could you strike so heavily!” She hadn’t even asked a single question before striking — Ye Luosha had simply attacked!

How could Ye Luosha explain why her hand had been so heavy? Perhaps because she believed, absolutely, that Mu Mu would never lie to her.

That was exactly it. How could Mu’er possibly lie? So then Leng Yue was, without question, a traitor — someone who had wanted to kill her Mu’er!

“Am I supposed to spare an assassin’s life so she can keep trying to kill my Mu’er?”

She stepped forward quickly, ready to strike again.

This time Emperor Ji was prepared. He struck out a palm to force her back.

“Yue’er was certainly only trying to deal with Feng Jiu’er. How could she possibly have laid a hand on Mu Mu? She wouldn’t dare!”

Ye Luosha knew full well that Leng Yue would have no designs against her Mu’er, and held no hostility toward him. At most, she had come to deal with Feng Jiu’er — so that short blade had likely been prepared for Feng Jiu’er from the start.

But the problem now was: given how protective Mu Mu was of Jiu’er, how could he possibly allow anyone to hurt her? So Leng Yue had moved against Feng Jiu’er, Mu Mu had stopped her, and Leng Yue had inadvertently ended up moving against Mu Mu — that was hardly impossible.

Mu Mu was still nursing his wounds, and Leng Yue had dared to move against him. That was already a capital offense.

Whoever attempted to harm her Mu’er was guilty beyond forgiveness, no matter who they were.

Emperor Ji had evidently arrived at the same conclusion, and for a moment, had nothing to say as he looked at Leng Yue.

This girl simply couldn’t help herself. How many times had she been warned not to touch Feng Jiu’er — why did she keep refusing to listen?

Her jealousy had driven her to this extreme. He had truly misjudged her back then. He had thought he was nurturing a capable and worthy partner for Di Wuya, but instead, the older she grew, the more trouble she caused.

“Since you knew this woman was going to make a move against Jiu’er, why did you keep her here?”

Mu Mu fixed his gaze on Emperor Ji, his expression cold as ice. “Have her leave. Otherwise, it is Jiu’er and I who will go.”

“Mu’er!”

Ye Luosha moved forward, but didn’t dare come too close. “Mu’er, how can you leave? We are all your family!”

“Jiu’er is my bride-to-be. Anyone who wishes to harm her is my enemy.”

Mu Mu turned his head and fixed Ye Luosha with his gaze. His cold, composed face held not a trace of warmth — not even in his eyes, which were cold enough to leave one in despair.

Each word he spoke was clear and unmistakable: “That includes you.”