As night deepened and dawn approached, Mu Ruoyan had to return to the palace ahead of schedule. Xiao Yugan had arranged for him to stay in the palace, and he needed to return under the cover of night to avoid being discovered.

The two lit lamps, and Lin Xihe looked at Mu Ruoyan, who was getting dressed. The red and swollen handprint on his face was still faintly visible.

"Mu Ruoyan, what are you going to do now?" Lin Xihe asked, her voice filled with guilt, as she pointed at Mu Ruoyan's face.

Although Lin Xihe said this, she comforted herself in her heart: It's all his fault, a man, born with such fair skin.

Although I used quite a bit of force at the time, if his skin were darker, the handprint would definitely not be visible.

"What can we do? Who dares to say anything? You stay home and behave yourself today. I'll come see you again tonight." Mu Ruoyan didn't seem to care. Since she had already been beaten, what was the point of arguing anymore?

"Of course I'll stay home obediently; I wasn't invited to the flower-viewing banquet anyway." Lin Xihe still vividly remembered yesterday's palace banquet, and her words carried a hint of teasing.

She remembered that Xiao Yugan held a flower-viewing banquet for Mu Ruoyan, intending for him to choose a woman he liked.

"With this slap mark on my face, everyone will know I have someone else in my heart. This is just a formality. I'll definitely come over tonight," Mu Ruoyan coaxed her patiently.

"This handprint probably won't last until tonight; it might fade away in a little while."

Lin Xihe knew that Mu Ruoyan was only in love with her, so she was relieved, but she couldn't help but worry. After all, the emperor always had many concubines around him, and there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't care about these things.

Mu Ruoyan stopped dressing, sat down in front of Lin Xihe again, and teased, "Why don't you give me a couple more hard blows, so everyone will know I'm henpecked? Anyone who tries to embarrass themselves, I won't even give them a second thought."

"You know what, I actually think this method is feasible!" As soon as Lin Xihe finished speaking, she raised her hand, making a gesture as if she was about to strike hard.

Mu Ruoyan didn't move at all, a faint smile still on his lips. He was naturally happy that Lin Xihe was now making no attempt to hide her care for him.

However, Lin Xihe's raised hand eventually fell gently, and then she leaned in and gave Mu Ruoyan a light kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"If you ever do anything to betray me, no matter what you threaten me with, I will never go with you again. Do you understand?"

Lin Xihe spoke with utmost seriousness, only then realizing that Mu Ruoyan was staring at her with a gleam in his eyes, and desire instantly ignited within her.

"I know that!"

Mu Ruoyan suppressed the impulse and kissed Lin Xihe passionately for a while before reluctantly getting up to leave.

Lin Xihe waited at home with peace of mind, without any worries all day.

The two have resolved their misunderstanding. She trusts Mu Ruoyan and believes he will not do anything to damage their relationship.

However, as time passed, the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) had passed and the hour of Zi (11 PM-1 AM) was approaching, but Mu Ruoyan still had not returned.

A sense of unease gradually arose in Lin Xihe's heart.

However, she couldn't very well ask Ji Zhuo about Mu Ruoyan's matter, but apart from Ji Zhuo, no one else knew. Xu Qi stayed by her side and didn't even leave the mansion.

Lin Xihe was curled up in the quilt, unable to fall asleep, while the candlelight in the room remained bright.

Midnight was past midnight when a slight noise suddenly came from outside the door.

She immediately sat up in bed, peered over, and was about to ask Mu Ruoyan why she was so late in returning home.

However, she was stunned when she saw who it was.

"Ah Zhuo...?" Lin Xihe looked at Ji Zhuo who walked in with some surprise, her heart full of doubt.

Ji Zhuo knew her current situation and, according to common sense, should not have come rashly.

But now, he stood before her, utterly dejected, as if he had suffered a tremendous blow. His steps were unsteady, his body swayed, as if he might collapse at any moment, his eyes filled with emptiness and despair.

"Ah Zhuo, what happened?" Lin Xihe hurriedly threw off the covers, got out of bed, and asked anxiously.

Her mind was in chaos, and she dared not think too deeply—was it something that happened to Tang Bao, or to Ji Zhuo himself? Or had something happened to his family?

She didn't even have time to put on her shoes, and rushed barefoot to Ji Zhuo, afraid that he would collapse at any moment.

The moment Ji Zhuo saw her, the sadness in his eyes instantly turned into tears, which rolled down his cheeks in large drops.

He leaned weakly against Lin Xihe, who couldn't support his weight, and the two of them knelt on the ground. She didn't bother to cover up the mottled marks on her body, but simply patted his back gently, trying to soothe his emotions.

“Xi’er…it’s all my fault, it’s all my fault for forcing you to come to the capital…” Ji Zhuo’s voice was muffled, filled with deep regret.

Hearing this, Lin Xihe felt a little relieved.

Thankfully, it wasn't a sugar baby.

Fortunately, it wasn't Ji Zhuo or his family members who got into trouble.

She gently supported Ji Zhuo and comforted him softly, "You're already here. Look, I'm perfectly fine. I'm eating well, I'm dressed warmly, and everything is alright."

When the two first met, their greatest wish was simply to live a peaceful life, eat well, dress warmly, and then just rest without doing anything.

Although she now carries many unbearable burdens, she has never regretted falling in love with Ji Zhuo.

However, she couldn't understand why Ji Zhuo, who was able to control his emotions after drinking yesterday, was so out of control today.

She didn't press him for details, but simply stroked his back silently, letting him vent his pain.

It took a long time for Ji Zhuo to calm down a little.

He moved his head away from Lin Xihe's shoulder, his voice hoarse and low: "You and Gu Qinghuai..."

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