Chapter 40 Do you have any unusual fetishes?

Being called out by name, Li Bao'er knew she couldn't escape it. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging anger in her heart and the grievance of being left on the tree, and forced herself to raise her head to meet his unfathomable eyes.

She forced a smile and gave a slight curtsy: "This humble woman greets Your Highness. I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and have offended you. Please forgive me."

Bao'er lowered her head and looked meek, as if she wanted to have "I'm very obedient, I'm very weak, I didn't do anything" engraved on her forehead.

Mu Cenlin's gaze lingered on her for a moment, from her slightly trembling eyelashes to her deliberately distant posture, and the playful smile on his lips deepened.

He didn't intend to let her off easily. That night, he returned not far from where he had gone and happened to run into her guards who caught her. He also overheard her words: "I had no choice but to do it..." Right? What a coincidence, he loves forcing people.

"Oh?" he said slowly. "I think I just heard a lot of noise here. Miss Li... what were you doing just now?"

Li Bao'er's heart tightened, and she quickly shook her head like a rattle-drum: "No, no! This humble woman did nothing! I just happened to be passing by and saw someone stopping Your Majesty, and I was just about to persuade them to leave!" She tried her best to clear herself of any involvement, and her tone was so sincere that it could almost move heaven and earth, "Your Highness, please understand, this humble woman is the most law-abiding of all!"

"Your Highness, please forgive us!" Upon hearing this, the crowd that had just blocked the emperor's path hurriedly knelt down.

Mu Cenlin didn't even spare a glance, only coldly tossing out a sentence: "Get lost."

The scions of wealthy families who had stopped the sedan chair slumped to the ground, their backs soaked with cold sweat.

They thought they would be badly injured even if they didn't die today, but who didn't know that Prince Jing hated being offended the most? The person who stopped his carriage in the street last time is still recuperating in the mansion.

But the black-armored guard really did put his sword away.

The crowd scrambled back to the roadside.

Mu Cenlin's gaze was fixed on Li Zhou's hands supporting Li Bao'er's legs. Suddenly, Li Zhou felt the person on his back being lifted up by a force. Li Bao'er felt dizzy and, when she came to her senses, she was pulled into the sedan chair and fell onto Mu Cenlin's lap.

"So you're planning to have your half-brother act as a porter today?" Mu Cenlin's hot breath sprayed behind Li Bao'er's ear, causing a slight shiver to run through her.

"Your Highness is too kind. My foot just hurts, and my brother can't bear to see his sister suffer." Li Bao'er lowered her head guiltily, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at her waist. The pendant was hot from her kneading, as if this could ease the awkwardness at the moment.

She subconsciously wanted to distance herself from Mu Cenlin; now she was a little too close.

uneasy.

Looking at the aloofness on that pale face, Mu Cen felt a surge of anger. Why was it that he could never control his emotions in front of her?

He rarely cared about anyone in his life, except for her.

When he returned to the capital in triumph, he used his illustrious military achievements as leverage in front of the Golden Palace, asking for only one reward: a marriage decree.

But by then, she already had someone else in her heart, and her mind and eyes were filled with the image of another person. His unspoken feelings, before they even saw the light of day, had already quietly sunk into the depths of her heart, becoming a thing of the past that would never be mentioned again.

Since then, he has forcibly restrained himself from paying too much attention to her every move. Could it be that he is still deeply trapped in it?

Thinking of that last possibility, his tone hardened without him even realizing it: "You put on airs in front of me, then turn around and pour your heart out to your old flame? Li Bao'er, do you think I'm dead?"

Li Bao'er was terrified by the violence in his eyes and felt a chill run down her spine.

"When did I ever open my heart to my ex-lover?! Mu Cenlin, don't spread rumors. I still hold a grudge against you for leaving me in the tree the other day!" Bao'er was furious and stopped calling him "Your Highness."

Looking at the angry person in front of him, Mu Cenlin suddenly calmed down. "What are you angry about? You've come down safely now. Fine, I have no interest in prying into your... past."

"If there's anything you want, I'll send someone to deliver it to your residence."

Bao'er was too lazy to argue with him; all male leads were like that, unpredictable. She endured it: "One hundred taels of gold."

"Okay!" This time it was Bao'er's turn to be surprised. She had just said it casually, but she didn't expect it to actually work. She wouldn't mind spending more time in the trees from now on.

Mu Cenlin's taut jawline and the sudden drop in air pressure around him betrayed that he was in a much better mood.

[Host, take note! The male lead's emotions are fluctuating wildly, his corruption level has decreased by 5%, currently at 70%!] 001's voice rang out at the opportune moment.

Li Bao'er looked at the man with a slightly upturned mouth with a strange expression, and thought to herself, "Is he into BDSM? Why does he seem happy when we argue?"

001 was stunned. [Holy crap, what kind of weird fetish is this?]

Suddenly, Li Yu's anxious shouts came from outside the sedan chair. A hint of impatience flashed in Mu Cenlin's eyes, and he finally said coldly, "Tell your brother to be quiet."

Li Bao'er felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly peeked out from the window frame and said a few words to comfort Li Yu before being pulled back into the sedan chair. She then heard him coldly slam down the curtain and say, "Stop making a fuss."

Only after the palanquin had gone far away did someone say in a trembling voice, "Strange... Why is Prince Jing being so agreeable today?"

"Then we should thank the person inside the sedan chair." Zhang Chi stood with his arms crossed, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Who is it?" The group exchanged bewildered glances, then suddenly realized—that's it! Besides Prince Jing, the sedan chair also carried Li Bao'er, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family!

His fiancée!

Everyone fell silent, but secretly they thought: This sudden bestowal of marriage might just be to someone's liking.

Li Bao'er froze in Mu Cenlin's arms, barely breathing. The man's arm was around her waist, and the heat through her clothes made her afraid to move.

The interior of the sedan was already cramped, and now even the air felt thinner.

Just as she was lost in thought, Mu Cenlin suddenly lowered his head, his nose almost touching her hair: "What's that fragrance on you...?"

Li Bao'er was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "They're from the flowers of the old pear tree in my yard, dried and mixed with jasmine powder." She paused, somewhat surprised that he would ask this, "You like them?"

Mu Cenlin did not answer, but gently sniffed a strand of her hair with his fingertips, a dark and ambiguous emotion flashing in his eyes.

“I won’t give it to you even if you like it. I personally mixed this,” Bao’er said confidently, raising an eyebrow.

After a long pause, he suddenly spoke up: "You're the mastermind behind Juxiang Pavilion, aren't you?"

Li Bao'er's heart skipped a beat. Why would this person suddenly ask this? Seeing that she didn't respond for a long time, he already knew the answer. Mu Cenlin's eyes darkened, and his fingertips caressed her wrist bone: "You've got some nerve, daring to open a shop privately in the capital."

There is an unwritten rule in Da Lin that women are not allowed to own private shops in the city, so Li Bao'er's identity has never been made public.

Li Bao'er shrank her neck, but suddenly a brilliant idea flashed through her mind. Contrary to her usual behavior, she looked up at him and smiled, "Would Your Highness like to try my specially made incense?" She blinked, her tone sly, "It was made just for you; no one else can buy it."

Mu Cenlin raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued: "Oh? You changed your expression so quickly?"

"As long as you don't betray me, I'll take care of all your incense business from now on."

"Alright, I'll send it to my residence another day."

“Alright, Your Highness, could you please let me down and sit here by myself? I’ve gained some weight today from overeating, and I’m afraid I might hurt you,” Li Bao’er said cautiously.

Mu Cenlin's expression remained unchanged. He lowered his gaze to the slender waist of the person in his arms, then suddenly reached out and lightly pinched the soft flesh of her waist: "Not fat, shut up."

Li Bao'er immediately fell silent, but then felt a sudden weight on her shoulder as Mu Cenlin rested his chin on her shoulder.

The warm breath brushed against her neck, making her stiffen all over, not daring to move even her fingertips.

From an angle unseen by anyone, Mu Cenlin slowly closed his eyes. The sweet scent of pear blossoms mixed with the aroma of herbs emanating from the girl inexplicably reminded him of a rainy night at Jinfo Temple many years ago.

The little girl who was curled up in his arms back then was just as soft and warm, like a fluffy rabbit, and he wanted to hold her like that forever.

The palanquin swayed slightly, and he subconsciously pulled the person closer. "I've discovered that you're very suitable for sleeping with."

Bao'er: "???"