Chapter Thirty-Six: Some People Are Just Ridiculous and Need to Be Taught a Lesson

In an instant, both men's eyes were fixed on Li Bao'er!

In the midst of this suffocating standoff, Li Bao'er suddenly smiled.

In the instant a hint of surprise flashed in Mu Yuan's eyes, she took the initiative to link her arm with Mu Cenlin's, leaning close to him affectionately, and tilting her face up to him, saying:

"Your Highness~ Listen to what the Third Prince is saying. Anyone who didn't know better would think I had some shady deal with him." She curled her lip, but her eyes swept coldly over Mu Yuan, filled with undisguised disdain. "He's the one who shamelessly showed up uninvited, disrupting our gathering, and then he acts like I begged him. What...what a big face!"

Bao'er paused, her tone even carrying a perfectly timed hint of doubt and sarcasm: "Besides, the matter of asking the Third Prince to find someone is almost a year old. It's been so long since we got any news, I almost forgot about it. Now, I don't want to know at all."

Mu Yuan's gentle smile froze instantly, as if he had been slapped silently in the face.

Mu Cenlin was also taken aback. He looked down at Li Bao'er, who had suddenly leaned in and snuggled against him like a fluffy kitten. The violent jealousy surging in his heart was strangely soothed, replaced by an indescribable sense of comfort and novelty.

Li Bao'er wasn't finished yet. She shook Mu Cenlin's arm, continuing to act coquettishly, her voice sickeningly sweet, but her words were incredibly fierce:

"Your Highness~ I can't eat anything just looking at his fake smiling face, I've lost my appetite! Could you please throw him out for me? Like throwing away trash, throw him far away!"

【Holy crap! Host! This is killing someone's heart! Every word hits Mu Yuan's lungs! This wave of hatred is well-placed! The male lead's emotional index is steadily recovering! Awesome!】 001's scream rang out in Li Bao'er's mind at just the right moment, accurately delivering a live commentary.

Mu Yuan's face was so dark it could drip water. He had never been so publicly humiliated by Li Bao'er, especially not in such a way! The gentleness in his eyes was completely replaced by malice and disbelief: "Li Bao'er, you..."

"Third Prince," Mu Cenlin spoke, pulling Li Bao'er, who had thrown herself into his arms, closer to him. His gaze, sharp as a blade, shot towards Mu Yuan. "Didn't you hear what my Princess Consort said?"

He slightly raised his chin, and Yuan Ting, Feng Li, and Zhu Zhi immediately put down their skewers, stepped forward expressionlessly, and created a sense of oppression.

“She said,” Mu Cenlin said, enunciating each word clearly, with an unquestionable command, “that you get out.”

“Or,” he paused, then added, a cruel smile curving his lips, “would you like to experience what it feels like to be thrown out?”

Mu Yuan stood there, his face a mixture of pale and ashen, his chest heaving violently.

"Good...very good! Li Bao'er, I will remember what you said today. I hope you won't regret your choice in the future!" He then suddenly looked at Mu Cenlin, his tone carrying a hint of ruthlessness, "Second brother, don't be too happy yet! Some things can't be forced!"

After saying that, he abruptly flicked his sleeve, turned around and strode away, his back view revealing barely suppressed anger and embarrassment.

However, he had only taken a few steps, and hadn't even completely disappeared from everyone's sight.

Mu Cenlin suddenly wrapped his arms around Li Bao'er's waist, and with a light tap of his toes, he lifted her into the air without saying a word!

"Ah!" Li Bao'er exclaimed, instinctively hugging his neck tightly.

The night wind whistled in their ears, and the campfire on the ground and the astonished faces of the crowd quickly shrank and receded into the distance. Mu Cenlin's lightness skill was superb; in a few leaps, he had already left the hustle and bustle of Qingfeng Manor and landed in a quiet grove of trees behind the manor.

He placed her on the thick branches of a tall, ancient tree. Behind her was the cool trunk, and in front of her was his tall and imposing figure. The cool moonlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, enveloping the two of them.

Mu Cenlin's hand was still around her waist to prevent her from falling, but his other hand lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his deep, probing gaze.

“Now,” he began, his voice low and emotionless, yet it made Li Bao’er’s heart tighten even more than when he had faced Mu Yuan earlier, “tell me, what exactly did you ask Mu Yuan to do?”

Under the moonlight, his eyes were as deep as the night, filled with scrutiny.

[Oh no! Host! The death trap has arrived, though late! The Great Demon King is coming for revenge!] 001's voice rang out anxiously. [Empathy indicates his emotions are stable but he is extremely focused, meaning this question must be answered correctly! Careful answering is advised!]

Li Bao'er's heart pounded; trapped in this small space, she had nowhere to escape.

Looking at Mu Cen's face so close to hers, she knew he wouldn't be easily fooled tonight.

Li Bao'er took a deep breath, lowered her eyelashes, and said softly, "It was...it was a long time ago. When I was about nine years old, in the bamboo forest behind Jinfo Temple, I accidentally saved a boy who was seriously injured and covered in blood."

Mu Cenlin's fingers, which were wrapped around her waist, twitched almost imperceptibly.

Unaware of what was happening, Li Bao'er continued in a low voice, "He was badly injured, with a wound below his right eye that bled a lot. I felt sorry for him, so I used my handkerchief to bandage him up and even gave him a piece of malt candy to help him bear the pain."

She paused, seemingly a little embarrassed, "I was young then, and I made a promise to someone that if we met again in ten years, we would meet under the biggest ginkgo tree at Jinfo Temple."

After he returned to the capital, all he saw and heard was how infatuated she was with Mu Yuan, how crazy she was about him, and how she revolved around that damned Mu Yuan! Therefore, he buried that memory deep in his heart, and even became more indifferent and harsh towards her because of it.

But now Mu Cenlin's emotions were in turmoil. She had never forgotten him! That jade pendant, the way she asked someone to find him—had he always been a part of her heart?

The huge emotional change made Mu Cenlin's breathing unsteady for a moment. He was overjoyed but afraid of scaring her, so he kept restraining himself.

Li Bao'er misunderstood his sudden silence and change in demeanor. Seeing the unpredictable shift in his eyes, she assumed he was displeased because of her past agreement with another man; she had witnessed his powerful possessiveness firsthand!

Her heart skipped a beat, fearing he would react negatively. She quickly looked up and added hastily, her tone deliberately distant and aloof: "But those were just silly jokes from when I was little! I've long forgotten them! Really! I can't even remember what he looks like! Asking Mu Yuan to look for him was just a spur-of-the-moment thing a long time ago, and I don't care about it anymore. Your Highness, please don't overthink it!"

Bao'er's eagerness to prove her innocence instantly extinguished the burning light that had just ignited in Mu Cenlin's eyes!

"You've already forgotten?"

"Can't remember what he looked like?"

"You stopped caring a long time ago?"

Every word was like a cold needle, piercing his heart, which had just softened from the overwhelming joy.

So, that memory, which was like the only warm light in his darkest years, was just "a childish joke" to her? Was it something she could easily ask another man to find, and something she could easily say she "didn't care about"?

Mu Cenlin's body temperature suddenly dropped to freezing point. The gentleness he had shown just moments before vanished, and a storm raged in his eyes, a storm of anger and... indescribable disappointment that followed complete denial.

"Heh." He suddenly chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in his laughter.

He suddenly leaned closer, their noses almost touching, their warm breaths mingling, yet carrying a dangerous aura. "I've forgotten that the Queen Consort is always forgetful. She can easily forget old people and old things, and easily cast them aside if she says she doesn't care."

"Indeed, how could I expect you to be any different? Haven't you always been this kind of person, falling in love with every girl you meet? Before, for Mu Yuan, you were willing to risk your life and reputation, doing all sorts of absurd things. Now, you can even say to me that you hope I'm doing well..."

Bao'er's face turned deathly pale instantly. She wanted to explain, but her lips moved as she realized she had no way to defend herself.

Looking at her suddenly bloodless face and wounded eyes, Mu Cenlin felt a strange sense of irritation, but more than that, a twisted sense of pleasure.

He abruptly released his grip on her chin, took a half-step back, widening the distance between them, and his gaze returned to its distant and cold state.

"Enough," he turned around, his voice indifferent, as if he hadn't been the one who had just lost control of his emotions. "I have no interest in prying into your old stories."

"Climb down the tree yourself."