His usually calm and composed face was now changing expressions like the shifting clouds.

Finally, he remained in a somber mood, staring intently at the objects in the box before him.

At first, he felt somewhat relieved—

Several of the items inside were gifts he had given her when he visited the Grand Tutor's residence, and she had kept them safe and sound until now.

In addition, the kites, lanterns, and wooden birds that he recently gifted are also on display.

However, Xuanming's state of mind became complex and difficult to understand in an instant.

He couldn't understand why Mu Zhi would return all these things to him.

Especially when recalling the words she had spoken at their parting, Xuanming felt as if his heart had fallen into an ice cellar, chilling him to the bone.

An indescribable pain welled up in his heart, causing him to involuntarily reach out and lightly cover his chest, as if this could slightly alleviate the pain.

Could it be that Mu Zhi is really planning to completely sever ties with him?

Thinking about it this way, Xuanming really didn't want to look at those objects that were once full of deep affection any longer.

So he resolutely shifted his gaze and ordered in an extremely cold voice, "Deal with them all."

Seeing the powerful pressure emanating from Xuanming and his dejected mood, the shadowy figure dared not utter a word and quickly complied.

The box was slowly closed, making a soft "bang" sound, as if carrying some indescribable emotion.

He sighed helplessly, then silently picked up the box and walked outside.

Outside the door, Yingzhu and Yingmei waited quietly.

When they saw Shadow appear, looking unhappy and carrying a box, they immediately went to greet him.

The shadow said calmly, "Don't accept these things anymore. Get rid of them all."

Yingzhu was very confused, because when these things were delivered, His Highness had personally requested to inspect them.

Why has there been such a huge change in attitude now?

However, he always maintained absolute obedience and loyalty to the orders given from above.

So he took the box without hesitation, said he would obey, and then quietly left.

Shadow watched Yingzhu's figure gradually disappear into the distance, then turned and returned to the hall.

Yingmei glanced at the tightly closed palace gate, then at the direction Yingzhu had gone, and pondered for a moment.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and chased after Yingzhu in the direction she had left.

"Hey, wait a minute, why are you in such a hurry?"

Yingmei quickened her pace to catch up with Yingzhu and grabbed him, making him stop.

Yingzhu replied in a serious tone, "Your Highness does not wish to see this thing, so I must get rid of it as soon as possible."

Then, a sense of doubt crept into his mind, and he muttered to himself, "How strange. Just a few days ago, His Highness and Miss Mu were chatting and laughing, but today, when Miss Mu brought these things, His Highness was so angry that he wanted to throw them away..."

Yingmei frowned slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of unfathomable wisdom. "What do you know? They're just having a little disagreement right now. Once they've made up after a while, they'll definitely be as sweet as before."

Yingzhu opened her mouth, about to say something, but was suddenly nudged lightly by Yingmei's elbow.

He turned his head in confusion, about to ask Yingmei what her intentions were, when he saw her make a shushing gesture to him.

Just then, a voice that seemed out of place in the atmosphere suddenly rang out: "What is this?"

Yingzhu immediately recognized the voice and obediently shut her mouth.

Yingmei turned around, a forced smile on her face, and said, "It's nothing."

Yingzhu glanced at Yingmei from the side and couldn't help but feel very surprised.

What's wrong with Shadow Demon today?

While they weren't exactly friendly in the past, at least their tone of voice was relatively normal.

But at this moment... even though she said "it's nothing," for some reason, the way Yingmei said it carried a "none of your business" connotation.

Yingzhu shook her head, but ultimately remained silent.

However, Zi Xun did not give up. She quickly stepped forward and said urgently, "I heard that this was sent by Miss Mu and was just brought into the palace, but Your Highness does not seem to like it? If so, why not let me handle it and throw it away? Why bother you two to make this special trip?"

After saying that, Zi Xun reached out to take the box.

At this moment, Yingzhu was holding a box in her arms and could not dodge, while Yingmei stepped forward without hesitation, blocking in front of Yingzhu and stopping Zixun's outstretched hand.

Yingmei replied with a serious expression, "Nonsense! Who said His Highness doesn't like these things? His Highness is very fond of them and even instructed Yingzhu and me to find a safe place to store them. After His Highness and Miss Mu get married, they can take them out and enjoy them together."

Before he finished speaking, he immediately provoked a great reaction from the two people present.

A furious shout rang out: "Shadow Phantom!"

Then came another exclamation: "What? Getting married?" Zi Xun heard Ying Mei's words clearly and couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

"Don't spout nonsense! When did His Highness ever say he wanted to marry that woman from the Mu family? His Highness clearly intends to break off the engagement!" Yingmei retorted angrily, not even bothering to use honorifics.

Yingzhu frowned deeply, looking sternly at Zixun, and said, "Zixun! You need to be mindful of your status. Some things can be said, but some things should never be uttered carelessly. After going through so much hardship and torment, I thought you would have gained some understanding and grown, but it seems you haven't made any progress at all!"

Zi Xun had previously been punished, and then was taken away by Old Zhou without permission.

This incident enraged Yingmei, who even threatened to kill Old Zhou to vent her anger.

Zi Xun remained kneeling outside the palace gates, refusing to leave, indicating that she would rather die than not beg for forgiveness.

The Shadow Lord was worried that this would disturb His Highness's rest and recuperation, so he did not want to get entangled in any more disputes. He simply threw her into the dark room of the Xuan Palace and made her reflect on her mistakes behind closed doors.

Unexpectedly, Zi Xun, who had just been released from the dark room, immediately came over to make her presence known, and her words became increasingly unrestrained and incoherent.

Faced with this situation, Yingzhu couldn't help but wonder whether she should relay Zixun's nonsense to Yingzun.

At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten that Yingmei had lied earlier to provoke Zixun, saying that His Highness and Miss Mu were going to get married.

Upon hearing this, Zi Xun's voice weakened slightly, and her eyes flickered, revealing glistening tears.

"I... I was just concerned about Your Highness's health. But concern can cloud judgment. Your Highness is not in good health, how can you be so tired? The wedding process is so complicated. What will happen if Your Highness collapses from exhaustion?"