The boys in the house jumped in fright, but they did not dare to oppose her, and hurriedly brought out a horse from the stable.

Ji Xinhe was ready to mount the horse straightaway.

However, Xiaoyu was quick to catch up and draped a bright red cloak on Ji Xinhe, cautioning, "Your Highness the princess, please watch out for the cold! I’m afraid it’s too late for you to chase after His Highness now."

Stubbornly, Ji Xinhe declared, "I must go!"

The tone of her voice contained a certain element of defiance.

Ah Guai was already five years old, and she, having lived two lifetimes, seldom indulged in whims and fancies. But this time, for some unknown reason, she wanted to give way to impulsiveness.

Why should he be the one to set the rules every time? If he insisted that she stay in Yu State, then she should comply? If he departed without a word, she should stay at home? He was always so domineering! He orchestrated everything, but this time, she wanted to act on her own whim!

Though some may call it willful, Ji Xinhe was more aware than anyone that it was a surge of panic and insecurity stemming from her heart. The moment she woke up and found him gone, she feared she might never see him again. With so many dangers lying ahead of this journey out of Yu State, and with just a few men accompanying him, who knew what might happen?

She was scared. If she did not chase after him now, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Ji Xinhe swiftly mounted the horse and, with a whip of the reins, took off into the distance.

The coolness of the early autumn morning was palpable, but Ji Xinhe seemed to feel nothing. Her green silk hair fluttered in the wind, inducing gasps of awe as she rode past.

"Who is that girl? Her red cloak is stunning amidst the bleak autumn scenery."

Shulan and Xiaoyu were in a frantic state, "What do we do now? The princess chased after him on a whim, what if something unexpected happens? It will be troublesome!"

However, neither of them were skilled riders!

While they were discussing these matters, another horse also galloped away. Shulan noticed that the figure on that horse was Xiao Chaihu, which provided a bit of relief. At least Xiao Chaihu was looking after matters, so nothing should go wrong.

Before anyone realized it, the sixteen-year-old Xiao Chaihu has become the backbone for Shulan, Xiaoyu, and the servants of the royal mansion. Any problem that Xiao Chaihu personally tackled seemingly had no chance of going unsolved.

Marquis Mu Houchu and his party were traveling at an incredibly fast pace. They hardly ever stopped and were about to leave Yu State by the time the sun had barely risen.

At that moment, one of the secret guards caught up on his horse, "Sir!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Without reducing his pace, Mu Houchu asked in a cold voice, "What is it?"

"It appears that the princess is pursuing us."

Upon hearing this, Mu Houchu abruptly pulled on the reins. The horse neighed, its front hooves springing upwards, as it ground to a halt. He barked, "What?"

The chilling tone sent shivers down the spine of the secret guard, who quickly bowed and stuttered, "When the princess woke up and found you weren’t there, she immediately went after you on horseback. No one in the house could stop her. If you continue like this, you might leave Yu State..."

If they left Yu State, it was possible that Ji Xinhe would want to follow and that would certainly result in danger.

With an icy look, Mu Houchu glared at the guard, "What’s going on with the people in the house? How did they let the princess chase after us?"

The guard bowed low, "I... I am to blame, sir. But if the princess insists on doing something, I... I also..."

A hint of helplessness crossed Mu Houchu’s frosty gaze. Did he not know the temperament of this little woman? If she decided to be stubborn, even he, let alone the others, could not stop her.

So Mu Houchu decided to wait right there. Since she was chasing after him, he couldn’t just leave her behind.

And sure enough, within less than the duration of a tea break, the sound of horse hooves approaching could be heard in the distance. The morning glow was as red as fire. Where the sky met the earth, a fast-approaching figure could be seen approaching on a horse.

The girl on the horse had her silky hair untamed, blowing in the wind along with her bright red cloak, revealing a charming face tinted with the fiery red hues of dawn.

It seems that for the first time, one could realize that the morning glow could be so breathtaking, probably because it complements the beauty riding towards him.

The secret guards accompanying Marquis Mu were momentarily stunned by the sight.

A sweep of a stern gaze from Mu sent them hurriedly lowering their heads, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Go ahead and wait for me," Mu Houchu ordered coldly.

"Yes, sir!" was the response from the secret guards who then galloped three miles forward before daring to stop. It was known by all that their master was extremely possessive of his wife. Even an extra glance could be risky. Now that they had looked at her so many times, shouldn’t they retreat immediately?

Could they really afford to gaze at such a beautiful woman?

Ji Xinhe galloped all the way to where Mu Houchu was. As she spotted him waiting for her in place, she hastily dismounted the horse. Perhaps out of the anxiety of him leaving, and the thrill of the ride, her legs felt weak as she landed, and she almost fell down from the horse. Fortunately, Mu Houchu caught her in time.

Mu Houchu glared at her, "I have left already, do you think you could catch up with me? Why do you still act so impulsively as an adult?"

It was one thing that she ventured out, but he couldn’t fail to notice her thin attire, and even her hair was uncombed. It was deep autumn already - what if she caught a cold?

Feeling wronged, Ji Xinhe sniffled, "You just left without allowing me to see you one last time. Who gave you the right to leave without a goodbye?"

Seeing her like this, any potential anger dissipated in Mu Houchu’s heart and he could only say helplessly, "I was wrong. I was just afraid that it would pain you to see me leave."

Ji Xinhe bit her lip and said, "So if I don’t see you leave, it means I won’t be upset? Mu Houchu, on what grounds do you get to decide everything? You never ask for my opinion!"

She had clearly not agreed to let him go alone. She had obviously not consented to his arrangement, yet he left. He intended to sneak away while she was asleep!

"Xinhe..."

She threw herself into his embrace and muffled her voice into his chest, "Mu Houchu, I will wait for your return. You must promise me, don’t make me wait too long, promise to return alive."

Before he could explain or appease her, she had already forgiven him.

She had always been so forgiving towards him.

Feeling somewhat bitter, Mu Houchu wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling into the crevice of her neck and whispered softly into her ear, "I promise you. How could I bear to die? How could I bear to make you sad?"

Her heart seemed somewhat calmed. She withdrew herself from his embrace, her eyes red, and a small smile on her face. She tiptoed to peck him on the lips, then looked him in the eye and said, "Mu Houchu, remember what you said today. Go ahead, Ah Guai and I will wait for you in Yu State."