Chapter Sixty-One Prenuptial Agreement
The carriage did not head towards the bustling city streets, nor did it return to the Prince Jing's residence. Instead, it went straight out of the city and traveled along an increasingly secluded path.
Outside the car window, the noise gradually faded away, replaced by increasingly clear birdsong and the fresh scent of earth and grass.
Li Bao'er sat quietly in the car without asking any questions. She could sense that Mu Cenlin beside her seemed a little different from usual, with less of his imposing aura and more of an indescribable calmness.
The emotions conveyed through empathy are no longer anger or irritability, but rather a kind of... wistful calm.
About half an hour later, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
"Get out of the carriage." Mu Cenlin stood up first, and Li Bao'er followed him down from the carriage. The scene that came into view made her slightly startled.
This is an extremely secluded valley, as if it were a corner forgotten by the world.
Surrounded by mountains and lush greenery, a clear stream flows gently by.
What caught Li Bao'er's eye was the huge peach tree in the center of the valley. It wasn't the season for peach blossoms to bloom, but its branches and leaves were lush and verdant.
It is beautiful, serene, and detached from the world.
Mu Cenlin took Bao'er's hand and walked straight to the peach tree. As soon as they reached the tree, Mu Cenlin bent down, put his arms under her knees and back, and with a little effort, easily lifted her off the ground and steadily carried her up the tree, placing her on a thick branch.
The view from the top was excellent, overlooking the tranquil beauty of the entire valley. The two sat side by side in the tree, neither of them speaking for a moment, only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and their breathing. Li Bao'er could even smell his fresh scent mixed with the faint, astringent smell of peach leaves.
But the current situation left Li Bao'er feeling somewhat lost.
She quietly turned her head to examine Mu Cen's profile, which was so close to hers. His features were cold and hard, his jaw was taut, and he still had that unapproachable look. But in the quiet moment, he seemed to have lost some of his fierceness.
"I'm insane." Li Bao'er silently despised herself in her heart.
Having transmigrated and been bound to a system, she's always viewed this as a game she must complete to survive. The target? That's just an NPC she needs to build up her favor with to prevent from turning evil.
Even after she realized she had mistaken him for someone else, in her subconscious, Mu Cenlin was first and foremost an extremely dangerous survival challenge that required her to handle with utmost care.
But……
But why is it that the more we get into contact, the more uncontrollable my heartbeat becomes?
This is very strange. Li Bao'er tried to analyze it rationally. Shouldn't Mu Cenlin's feelings for her just be a political marriage bestowed by the emperor, perhaps with ulterior motives?
Perfunctory treatment, cold indifference, even discarding someone after using them... isn't this the script that a crazy prince like him should have?
So why did he bring me here now?
This ambiguous atmosphere, this doesn't seem like something he would do. What is it all about?
She couldn't understand him at all.
After a long silence, Mu Cenlin's deep voice broke the stillness, "The wedding is tomorrow, are you ready?" His voice was calm, revealing no emotion.
Li Bao'er was slightly taken aback and turned her head to look at him. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on his well-defined profile. His long eyelashes drooped, concealing any complex emotions that might have been present in his eyes.
She paused for a moment, not answering immediately. Prepare? Prepare for what?
Is she ready to become Princess Jing and be drawn into a deeper political vortex?
Or are you prepared to spend every day with him, testing each other, and perhaps even tormenting each other?
Li Bao'er asked somewhat uncertainly, "I'm ready, is Your Highness ready?"
Mu Cenlin suddenly chuckled, "From the moment I returned to the capital, I was already prepared, but..." He suddenly looked down at the person beside him, his tone becoming more serious, "I never imagined we'd be so entangled."
This entanglement turned into a forceful imperial decree, and in the end, it became this damned, inescapable symbiotic relationship of senses. All of this far exceeded his initial plan to return to the capital to seek revenge and seize power.
Bao'er's almond-shaped eyes, which always seemed gentle and affectionate, now shone with determination, carrying a hint of reckless arrogance: "Now we're all in the same boat. Your Highness... you didn't intend for me to jump ship, did you?"
After speaking, Li Bao'er leaned closer to Mu Cenlin's chest. "Your Highness, would you be willing to give me more trust? I won't harm you."
Mu Cenlin's body stiffened almost imperceptibly the moment she leaned closer. He could clearly feel the softness and warmth of her body, as well as her slightly quickened heartbeat.
The empathy became incredibly clear at that moment; a sense of tension and uncertainty was subtly transmitted from where they were touching.
He lowered his eyes, looking at the fluffy head in his arms, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair. The words of refusal were on the tip of his tongue, and his hand was poised to push her away.
He should have been like this; trust? That was the thing he was most reluctant to give.
Mu Cenlin fell silent, his jawline taut, his heart churning with conflicting emotions.
In the end, Mu Cenlin pushed her away, but his voice regained its usual coldness.
"Trust?" He scoffed. "I never trust people easily. You'll have to prove it to me yourself."
"Li Bao'er, listen to me. My marriage to you is forced by circumstances and is also against the will of the Emperor. After the situation in Da Lin stabilizes and my goal is achieved..."
"I will set you free and separate from you. At that time, the sky will be high and the sea will be wide, and you can leave on your own."
As expected.
This was the first thought that popped into Bao'er's mind.
She never dared to hope that they could truly be an ordinary couple, living in harmony and growing old together. Their beginning was filled with mistakes, calculations, and power struggles, and later they were bound together by this damned sense of shared experience.
The best outcome would be to become someone who is no longer an eyesore in the future.
But my heart still felt like it had been unexpectedly pricked by a tiny needle, and a wave of sourness washed over me.
Bao'er quickly lowered her eyelashes, concealing the fleeting look of embarrassment in her eyes, afraid that he would notice, and even more afraid that the damned empathy would transmit this inexplicable vulnerability to him.
Okay. I got it.
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