Chapter Twenty-Two: Your Choice
Li Bao'er's heart skipped a beat as a strong killing intent from Mu Cenlin surged forth along with the shared feeling.
He wanted to kill Consort Zhang on the spot!
001 suddenly appeared and issued a warning: [The host, the Great Demon King, is emotionally unstable! Do something quickly!]
Without thinking, Li Bao'er pinched her thigh hard.
Mu Cenlin then looked at her, and the violent rage surging in his deep eyes terrified Li Bao'er.
She then realized that the conflict between Consort Zhang and Mu Cenlin was probably more than just a simple grudge.
But now is not the time to investigate.
If this madman murders the concubine in public, they will both be doomed.
"Take me away." She mouthed the words silently, her fingertips trembling slightly with nervousness.
Even Li Bao'er herself didn't realize that she was subconsciously believing that this man would grant her request.
Time seemed to slow down for a moment as she stared intently at the man.
Li Bao'er clearly saw Mu Cenlin's pupils suddenly shrink. Amidst the surprised and inquisitive gazes of the crowd, he deftly dismounted and walked towards her.
He came against the light, his posture as upright as a pine tree, each step landing on Li Bao'er's suddenly accelerated heartbeat.
At this moment, she felt a strange emotion she had never felt before, like prey being watched by a wild beast, yet inexplicably at ease.
Until a pair of long, strong hands helped her up from the ground, accompanied by a deep, husky voice: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of Bao'er."
After saying that, he ignored everyone's response and picked the person up in his arms.
Li Bao'er felt dizzy and instinctively cried out, "Ah!" Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.
The moment their eyes met, Li Bao'er didn't miss the gloom in Mu Cenlin's eyes gradually dissipating, replaced by a gentleness she had never seen before.
Mu Cenlin suddenly lowered his head, his thin lips almost brushing against her earlobe. "You look very beautiful today."
Li Bao'er could clearly hear her own frantic heartbeat. This... is against the rules!
Praising her with such a handsome face is so embarrassing!
You...you look beautiful today too.
Mu Cenlin chuckled softly and carried the person in his arms towards his tent.
"Um"
Mu Yuan stood at the edge of the crowd, his gentle smile frozen in place.
He watched as Mu Cenlin picked up Li Bao'er and carried her horizontally. Her rouge-red figure contrasted sharply with her purple robes, making her look breathtakingly dazzling in the autumn sun.
His knuckles clenched involuntarily, and a strange burning sensation spread from his heart; this shouldn't be his emotion.
Li Bao'er was merely a carefully placed pawn, a bargaining chip used to restrain Mu Cenlin.
But why is it that at this moment, his chest is filled with the urge to take his place?
"Your Highness?" the attendant beside him called cautiously, the procession already far away.
Mu Yuan suddenly came to his senses and realized that his palms were covered in cold sweat.
He stared at the receding figures, then suddenly felt as if struck by lightning.
He was jealous!
He was jealous that Mu Cenlin could openly take Li Bao'er away; she should have belonged to him!
The woman who once went through fire and water for him is now blushing in another man's arms.
The sour sound of "Go" rang out.
The attendants immediately followed behind, not daring to breathe loudly, for His Highness's appearance was truly terrifying.
Li Yu could hear the commotion from the hunting grounds from afar, and he knew something was wrong.
That Concubine Zhang always liked to cause trouble for her sister, and he had long wanted to find an opportunity to put a sack on her and beat her up!
He rushed into the tent, taking three steps at a time, and flung open the curtain: "Sister! Did that old hag bully you again?"
The words came to an abrupt halt.
Inside the tent, Li Bao'er was frantically gathering her disheveled clothes, her cheeks flushed like peach blossoms in March.
Meanwhile, the Prince Jing, who was rumored to be ruthless in killing, was kneeling before the bed, clutching a loosened ribbon in his hand.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"You bastard!" Li Yu roared in fury, her fist whistling as she slammed towards Mu Cenlin's face. "How dare you bully my sister?!"
Li Bao'er hurriedly stepped in between them: "Ayu! It's not what you think!"
Mu Cenlin slowly stood up, the scar under her right eye slightly red: "The arrow wound on her shoulder has reopened."
He shook the medicine bottle in his hand, saying, "I'm changing her dressing."
Only then did Li Yu notice the blood-soaked gauze on her sister's shoulder, and her fist froze in mid-air.
His face flushed red, and his voice trailed off, "Well, you can't just take off a girl's clothes like that!"
Mu Cenlin's lips curled into a wicked smile, "Your elder sister is about to become my queen, not some other family's girl."
Li Yu was speechless. The rumored cold and ruthless Prince Jing was quite different from what she had imagined.
"Well...we're not married yet, you're not allowed to touch my sister." Li Yu forced herself to squeeze between the two, her back already soaked with cold sweat, but she still held her neck straight.
"Pfft!" Li Bao'er couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Li Yu was clearly terrified of Mu Cenlin, yet she still stood in front of him to protect her. This silly younger brother was worth the love.
Bao'er gently patted the boy's soft hair, her voice as gentle as water, "I'm fine, Consort Zhang's tricks can't hurt me."
Li Yu's eyes lit up: "That's great! I'll take you to Zhang Chi's place later; it's quieter there and less crowded."
"It's blinding."
A cold voice abruptly interrupted.
Li Bao'er turned her head in surprise and saw Mu Cenlin staring intently at her hand that was stroking Li Yu's hair.
"Your Highness?" Her heart skipped a beat, and that familiar feeling of shared emotion returned.
Mu Cenlin suddenly came to his senses, concealing the turmoil in his eyes: "Today, you will stay by my side."
Upon hearing this, Li Yu immediately flew into a rage: "Why?!" He grabbed Li Bao'er's wrist, "Sister already promised to come with me today!"
Mu Cenlin's eyes darkened, and his fingers tightened slightly beneath his sleeves: "Oh?"
He suddenly looked up at Li Bao'er, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Then why don't you choose for yourself?"
The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for the attendants present to hear clearly.
Li Bao'er immediately became the focus of the entire audience.
On the left are the younger brother's wet, puppy-like eyes, and on the right are the future husband's eyes, which are gradually turning red.
Li Bao'er suddenly had the illusion that she was being targeted by two wolf kings.
"I……"
Before Li Bao'er could answer, Li Yu suddenly leaned close to her ear and said, "Sister! You promised to teach me archery last time! Are you going to abandon your own brother for a man?"
Mu Cenlin sneered and gently placed his long fingers on her other shoulder: "Your shoulder injury has not healed, so you should not engage in strenuous exercise."
The last four words were spoken slowly and heavily, causing the surrounding servants to gasp in surprise.
Who said the prince doesn't like women? Look, he's already snatching her away before he's even married her!
Li Bao'er's ears instantly burned. Were these two using her as a tug-of-war rope?!
Besides, didn't Mu Cenlin dislike him a lot? Why is he acting so strangely today?
Li Bao'er had a sudden inspiration, "Your Highness, I am injured and unable to teach A-Yu. How about I trouble Your Highness to teach her?"
"No!" both voices cried out in unison.
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