Yun Zhuo listened attentively, then pecked her red lips and said in a hoarse voice, "Okay."

Recently, Mi Rao has been handing out snacks to Zhuang Xin every morning and has had no direct contact with Yun Zhuo, but rumors have still started to circulate. Ye Qingxue is convinced that these rumors are not unfounded.

Perhaps Yun Zhuo mistook Mi Rao for her, paid attention to her with his eyes, or had an unusual "liking" for the pastries she sent, which is why such rumors spread.

Ye Qingxue recalled the night of their wedding when Yun Zhuo fell ill. When she went to the woods to look for Yun Zhuo, she saw Mi Rao there as well.

Zhuang Xin and Dong Bai searched for a long time without success, but Mi Rao found Yun Zhuo before them, which was highly suspicious.

Moreover, Yun Zhuo wouldn't have harmed anyone due to the poison at that time, but Mi Rao was terrified, creating the impression that Yun Zhuo almost killed her.

This is strange.

Furthermore, on the night of the wedding, Consort Cui, who was then the Virtuous Consort, attempted to assassinate Yun Zhuo. Logically, Yun Xun should have taken some action as well.

But that night, they did not find that Yunxun had sent anyone.

If Mi Rao is the venomous snake in the shadows, then during the wedding in the forest, Mi Rao intended to kill Yun Zhuo!

Because they arrived in time, Mi Rao pretended to be the one who was almost killed. Now Ye Qingxue suspects that Mi Rao secretly sabotaged Yun Zhuo's collapse after the poison took effect.

Based on the above speculation, Mi Rao is likely someone planted in their household by Yun Xun and his wife.

It turns out that Yunxun and his wife had already taken action when the Prince Jing's mansion was established.

Ye Qingxue told Yun Zhuo her speculation. Yun Zhuo tried hard to recall what happened that night, his brows furrowing tightly, but he couldn't remember seeing Mi Rao in the forest that night.

Ye Qingxue's fingertips landed on his brow, gently smoothing the furrowed brow, her tone gentle yet firm: "Don't rush, let's live our lives normally, let's wait a little longer."

Wait until the venomous snake shows its tail.

"Okay." Yun Zhuo buried his face in the crook of her neck and hugged her from the side with great force.

Ye Qingxue's hand landed on his back, stroking it lightly. Lately, he had been having hallucinations, with many people who had been in his life appearing in his mind. He was almost unable to distinguish between reality and hallucinations, and he was completely exhausted.

She will stay with him.

She stayed with him, waiting for the antidote that the acacia seeds would bring back from the southern border, and together they waited for their little baby to be born into this world.

However, necessary precautions should still be taken.

The necessary steps to lure the snake out of its hole still need to be taken.

...

The next evening.

After Zhuang Xin and Yun Zhuo finished their work outside and returned to the manor, he told Yun Zhuo what he was doing and then went directly to find Mi Rao.

After a day of rest, and without the harmful effects of poison, Mi Rao's health improved significantly, and her face regained its color.

Zhuang Xin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her like this.

"Mi Rao, I thought about it all night. I want to stop the rumors from spreading outside and let you continue working in the Crown Prince's residence so that you won't be bullied or hurt by the Crown Princess. I've decided to marry you and protect you for the rest of my life. Are you willing?"

He had been holding these words in his heart all day, and although he was very nervous, the overwhelming emotions made him blurt them out.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Mi Rao with great trepidation. Although it was already October, he was still covered in sweat.

Mi Rao was truly stunned.

She did all this only to make Zhuang Xin a pawn in her fight against Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue, but she never expected that he would propose to her!

"Brother Zhuang, I'm just a cook in the Crown Prince's residence. I...I'm not good enough for you!"

Mi Rao couldn't think of a way to refuse him for a moment.

As a result, he started to stutter when he spoke.

But Zhuang Xin saw her expression and remembered what Ye Qingxue had said last night. He then realized that Mi Rao must have been threatened by Ye Qingxue after he left today, which was why she rejected him like that.

“You are the cook and I am the guard. You are not unworthy of me.” Zhuang Xin took a step forward, getting closer to her, leaving Mi Rao no room to retreat.

"Are you rejecting me like this because the Crown Princess contacted you during the day and threatened you not to marry me? Or is it that the Crown Princess said you are not good enough for me?"

He grasped Mi Rao's shoulders, looking intently at her: "Mi Rao, don't be afraid. Last night, His Highness the Crown Prince promised me that as long as you agree, they can arrange the wedding for us! Even the Crown Princess's threats won't work!"

Mi Rao opened her mouth, never expecting Zhuang Xin's thoughts to go in such a skewed direction.

However, it's good that he thinks this way, as it shows that he already has a deep-seated prejudice against Ye Qingxue, which is entirely beneficial to her.

"I...I...Brother Zhuang, thank you for being so kind to me, but marriage is a major life event. Since we work in the Crown Prince's residence, I also hope that our marriage can receive the blessings of our masters."

Zhuang Xin frowned, puzzled: "If you marry me now, you can immediately stop the rumors. No one will say that His Highness the Crown Prince wants to take you as a concubine, and the Crown Princess will no longer target you. We will definitely receive their blessings."

Mi Rao pursed her lips and said, "Perhaps Brother Zhuang is right, but this is clearly a gamble. If the Crown Princess were happy to see me marry you, she wouldn't have threatened me while you were out busy with other matters today."

Zhuang Xin felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

It turns out his guess was indeed correct.

Ye Qingxue's intention in asking him to ask Mi Rao last night was not genuine; she wanted to take advantage of his busy daytime outing to threaten Mi Rao!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!