Just as Feng Jin was about to get up from the bed, a maid brought in hot tea and greeted her from outside: "Your Highness, you're awake."
"What time is it now?" she asked casually as she got out of bed. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the maid was someone from Mu Beichen's side.
"It's already 7:15 PM." The maidservant bowed to her with a smile, "His Highness has instructed that Your Highness please follow me to the dining hall for your meal."
Afterwards, Feng Jin followed the maid to the dining hall with trepidation. Mu Beichen sat near the window, looking calm. The calmer things seemed, the more uneasy she felt. After all, she had just been to prison, and who knew when she might displease him, with unimaginable consequences.
She sat down opposite Mu Beichen, where she could see his gloomy, perpetually icy face. She immediately felt that none of the delicious food on the table could save her from her depressed mood.
It seems the only way to escape this predicament is to finish this meal as quickly as possible.
Seeing Feng Jin wolfing down her food with her head down, Mu Beichen looked at her suspiciously for a long time before slowly saying, "You're eating so fast, are you trying to avoid me?"
Oh no, he saw through me so quickly!
Feng Jin quickly slowed down her movements and smiled guiltily, "How...how could that be?"
Mu Beichen quickly suppressed a thought, picked up his chopsticks, and slowly and deliberately put a bite of food into his mouth. His eating manners were very elegant, making Feng Jin feel as rude as a country girl.
Before long, Feng Jin finished eating before him.
"I've finished eating. Thank you for your hospitality. See you next time."
Just as Feng Jin was wiping her mouth, preparing to slip away, Mu Beichen suddenly called out softly behind her, "I have already had hot water prepared in the bathroom. Go wash up and go to sleep."
Feng Jin was stunned for a moment, then quickly declined, saying, "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness, but I'm always shy around strangers, and I can't sleep well in a different place..."
"It's nothing, there's plenty of time, you'll get used to it gradually."
Before Feng Jin could finish speaking, he leaned in close, his tone as calm as still water, his eyes devoid of any emotion. To Feng Jin, it seemed as if this was perfectly natural.
If Mu Beichen wasn't doing this to take advantage of her, even a ghost wouldn't believe it, right? Her eyes lingered on his face, and she felt an increasingly ominous premonition.
The bathroom was right next to Mu Beichen's room. It had always been his private sanctuary, and no one except his personal maids was allowed to enter. Upon entering, one's eyes were immediately drawn to the huge heart-shaped pool in the center of the bathroom. The surface of the water was sprinkled with fragrant rose petals, and wisps of warm, hazy mist swirled in the air, creating a romantic atmosphere.
She glanced around warily, making sure there was no one else besides the two maids. Then she reached up and gently tugged at her waist, causing her sash to drape down her sides. Her clothes slid down her shapely body, and she lifted her toes to test the water before slowly stepping in.
Feng Jin lay languidly on her side by the pool, letting the warm liquid wash over her fair, snow-white skin. The mist rising from the pool, shrouded in light gauze curtains, made her figure appear somewhat ethereal.
Suddenly, a familiar melody sounded outside the door, which made her perk up. She immediately got up, changed her clothes, and followed the sound of the zither. She saw Mu Beichen sitting under the acacia tree, playing the zither with his eyes closed. The moonlight made his handsome face look cold and indifferent. He raised his eyes slightly and locked them onto a withered leaf that was falling in the wind.
She suddenly felt that she had been completely ignored by the other party.
The long, melancholic melody of the zither slowly entered her ears, stirring up a series of deeply buried memories. Just like the young man in white who had entered her life without warning and then left without a trace, all because of a joke about marrying no one but her. She had waited for so many years, searched for so many years, only to find nothing but emptiness, as if he had never existed in her life at all.
Let it go; it was just a dream after all.
Feng Jin sighed deeply, then lay down on a stone seat on the bank of the lotus pond, feigning composure.
Mu Beichen stopped what he was doing and asked calmly, "Have you ever been in love?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Jin hesitated slightly and involuntarily glanced at him, never expecting him to ask this question.
"I loved him." Feng Jin answered without hesitation, "I loved him so much that when I lost him, I even considered suicide."
Mu Beichen stared at her serious expression for a few seconds, then quickly snapped out of his reverie and pretended not to notice.
She suddenly changed the subject: "I've always had a question: the Regent is clearly a person in the court, so why does he possess such vicious martial arts techniques?"
“I have also thought about this question. He has always been mysterious, and no one knows the inside story.” Mu Beichen shifted his gaze to her, a coldness quickly rising in his eyes, so cold it was suffocating: “However… there is one thing I am very clear about. The reason why the Imperial Uncle was able to easily dominate the court is mainly because of your father’s contributions.”
The night was slightly cool, and a gentle breeze stirred up the fallen leaves scattered on the ground. Such a desolate and bleak scene evoked ripples in the heart.
She silently watched his receding figure, then let out a long sigh. It seemed that revenge could no longer be delayed; she had to achieve her goal before everyone discovered her true identity.
It is said that public opinion is a fearsome thing, and Feng Jin has experienced this firsthand.
The next day, news of her staying overnight at Feiyu Courtyard inexplicably spread throughout the entire capital city. Feng Yao was surprised to hear this news. Just yesterday, they had been in a huge uproar because of the Crown Prince of Jianglan Kingdom, and now, in the blink of an eye, the two of them were staying together.
Both Mu Beichen and Feng Jin see her as a thorn in their side, so it's inconvenient for her to go to the Jingwang Mansion anymore. The only good way out now is to take the initiative to cooperate with Mu Feiyu.
In order to see Mu Feiyu, Feng Yao wore almost all of her most precious jewelry. She waited and waited, and finally Mu Feiyu appeared.
Mu Feiyu was dressed casually today, his sideburns were a little messy, and the sunlight reflected softly into his eyes, as if they were covered with a layer of golden light, making him still so radiant.
He went straight to the main hall and sat down, casually propping one leg up, his movements natural and graceful.
Feng Yao was overjoyed: "Greetings, Imperial Uncle."
Mu Feiyu's lips curled up slightly, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Shouldn't you be at home reflecting on your mistakes? Why do you have time to come see me?"
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