Princess's Residence.
Jiang Fei leaned against the bed, glancing at the doorway with a seemingly casual look.
Lu Zhi went to find Chu Mo, so she took the opportunity to learn about Chu Mo's storyline.
Chu Mo's mother was a courtesan named Qing Ge. Her stunning beauty caught the eye of the Emperor of Wei, who was traveling incognito outside the palace, and the two spent several nights together.
Afterwards, the emperor returned to the palace, and Qingge found herself pregnant. However, she could not find the child's biological father, so she simply raised the child in a brothel for six years.
Once her identity was exposed, the harem would never accept a courtesan. So, after poisoning Qingge, she brought Chumo into the palace.
Before this, Qingge had stroked Chu Mo's hair and promised, "Mo'er, go to the palace first, and Mother will come to accompany you later."
But she broke her promise in the end.
Chu Mo waited alone in a side hall in a corner of the palace for three days and three nights without speaking, eating, or drinking, until finally despair set in.
In the palace, he was powerless and bullied by the lowest-ranking palace servants. Going hungry was a daily occurrence. He had no cotton-padded clothes in winter and ate spoiled food in summer, which had long since ruined his health.
But it was also this environment that fostered Chu Mo's character of enduring humiliation and being ruthless.
Back in the Great Wei Dynasty, he had already been secretly cultivating his own power. Even when he came to the Great Yan Dynasty as a hostage, he had his own plans. The emperor of the Great Wei Dynasty was old, and the princes were fighting each other. He might as well avoid the conflict, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and then reap the benefits.
He has always been a cunning and calculating person.
Just as Jiang Fei was deep in thought, the system suddenly announced: [Chu Mo's favorability -5, current favorability -35.]
Jiang Fei frowned, then understood.
Chu Mo must be worried about Jiang Rongrong right now. She sent Lu Zhi to find him, which ruined his plans, so he was naturally annoyed.
Moreover, now that Chu Mo has grown powerful and has already poisoned her, with all the famous doctors in the country rushing to the capital to find an antidote, he has even less reason to continue acting with her to win her favor.
Jiang Fei couldn't help but praise, "His acting skills are superb; he can stop so easily."
However, on the stage, it's nothing more than a series of performances where "one act ends and another begins."
He's finished singing, now it's her turn.
...
When Chu Mo returned to the princess's residence, it was already close to evening.
Rongrong looked very unwell. Only after taking the decoction made from the herb "Jieyoucao" (a type of herb) was the toxicity barely suppressed.
The thought that she was injured while protecting Pei Qing made Chu Mo frown. One day, he would take her away from this place and give her an unparalleled status.
As for Jiang Fei...
A sharp "snap" interrupted his thoughts.
Then came the cautious voices of the crowd: "Princess, the imperial physician said you must not get angry or act rashly..."
"Where is Chu Mo? I want to see him!" The woman's arrogant voice came from the backyard, sounding weak, perhaps due to the poison. "Who dares to stop me? Bring me my riding whip and my dagger..."
Chu Mo's eyes flashed with disgust.
The domineering and arrogant woman was just like those "golden branches and jade leaves" who had bullied him in the harem.
Fortunately, it won't be long before I no longer have to pretend with her.
But when he looked up again, the disgust in his eyes had vanished, leaving only gentleness and harmlessness.
A servant hurried out from the backyard, his eyes lighting up with surprise upon seeing Chu Mo: "Your Highness, Princess..."
“I understand,” Chu Mo nodded, “You may all step back now.”
The servants nodded and withdrew.
Chu Mo entered the room, where several shards of broken cups and saucers lay on the floor. He paused as he walked into the inner room.
Today, Jiang Fei was not dressed in her usual fine clothes. Instead, she was only wearing a snow-white undergarment. Her long hair was not tied up and fell down her back, slightly disheveled.
Due to poisoning, her face was very pale, her lips were bloodless, and her bright eyes had dimmed.
Compared to its previous arrogance, it now appears somewhat weak.
Chu Mo frowned slightly.
Hearing the noise at the door, Jiang Fei turned around abruptly.
Skin as white as ice and bones as white as jade.
That was the first word that flashed through her mind when she saw Chu Mo.
Chu Mo stood there, still carrying a faint fragrance of cold air. Her appearance was stunning, like a peony in full bloom, while her eyes were like dewdrops on petals, fleeting and dark.
In an instant, his expression softened: "Feifei..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Fei swung her riding whip at him.
Chu Mo stood motionless, inwardly mocking him. His earlier assessment of weakness had clearly been a misjudgment. He remained as arrogant and irritating as ever.
The whip was pulled back just half a hand's width in front of him, and Jiang Fei looked at Chu Mo with a pale face.
His favorability rating silently dropped by 5 points.
Jiang Fei bit her lip and said, "Why didn't you dodge?"
Chu Mo smiled at her: "Why didn't Fei Fei fight?"
Meeting his gaze, Jiang Fei seemed annoyed. She looked around and picked up a dagger from the side: "Who said I won't fight? Today I will mark you with my mark and let everyone in the capital know that you belong to this princess!"
As she spoke, she walked up to Chu Mo and pulled open his coat.
"Feifei." Chu Mo looked down at her, his voice deepening.
"What? You dare stop me?" Jiang Fei glared at him, then reached out and pulled open his undergarment, looking at his pale, porcelain-like chest. "Today I will tattoo my name here..."
Chu Mo's eyes were half-closed, and a faint killing intent emanated from his body.
Jiang Fei braced herself against his chest with one hand, the dagger in her hand gleaming with cold light, pressed against his chest.
Chu Mo moved his hand slightly; with just a slight movement, he could easily kill her.
But with her dead, Rongrong's poison would have no one to test it on; and even his power grab would be in vain...
Chu Mo slowly loosened his grip.
This debt can be settled later.
The dagger to her chest didn't strike. Jiang Fei's hand gripping the dagger trembled slightly, and her voice gradually lowered: "This princess is poisoned, and even the imperial physicians can't cure me, yet you still want to go out and find someone else... Chu Mo, you, how could you be so wicked..."
Chu Mo frowned and looked down at the woman in front of him.
Jiang Fei kept her head down, not looking at him: "Do you know, Chu Mo, that poison hurts so much..."
Two tears replaced the dagger, gently landing on Chu Mo's chest, carrying a hint of heat.
Chu Mo narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her with a probing gaze.
Her hair fell loosely on either side of her face, making her complexion appear even paler. A strand of hair gently brushed against his heart, and he could even smell the faint fragrance of soap, which made him feel slightly itchy.
He knew how terrifying the Cold Flower Poison was, as evidenced by Rongrong's agonizing ordeal when the poison took effect.
But... Jiang Fei rarely sheds tears. Is it because she's in too much pain, or... is there another motive?
“You’re right, I can’t bring myself to stab him.” Jiang Fei removed the dagger, lowered his head, turned around and sat down to the side, saying nothing more.
Chu Mo squinted at her profile, and after a moment he stepped forward and gently touched her shoulder.
The next moment, Jiang Fei turned around and hugged him, curling up in his arms as if embracing all her dependence, her voice trembling with tears: "Chu Mo, is there no cure for my poison?"
Chu Mo stiffened, and his curiosity gradually faded.
What kind of schemes could an arrogant, domineering, and stupid princess possibly pull under his nose? She's just afraid of dying.
He slowly placed his hand on her waist: "No."
"It can definitely be solved."
Jiang Fei didn't care, but Rongrong... would definitely be fine.
...
That night, Chu Mo stayed in Jiang Fei's room.
They shared a bed, and nothing happened.
The next day, at dawn.
When Chu Mo woke up, there was no one beside him.
He frowned. In the past, Jiang Fei always slept until Chen Shi or even Si Shi, and had never gotten up this early before. He always ate breakfast by himself.
Even last night, she wasn't spoiled at all; instead, she nestled against him like a quiet rabbit.
Obedience is good, but he has to be wary of such sudden obedience.
Thinking this, Chu Mo went to the main hall for his meal, but when he turned the door and saw the woman sitting in the main hall, he stopped in his tracks.
Jiang Fei was sitting there when she heard footsteps. She immediately looked up at him and exclaimed, "Chu Mo!"
Chu Mo quickly regained his composure and calmly observed her.
Her complexion had improved considerably, with a slight blush on her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled the moment she saw him.
"Chu Mo?" Jiang Fei asked again in a low voice when he heard no response.
Chu Mo asked softly, "Feifei?"
Jiang Fei nodded and glanced at the food on the table: "Please sit down, I've been waiting for you for a while."
Chu Mo sat down quietly, and a pair of vermilion bamboo chopsticks was offered to her. Following the fingers holding the chopsticks, she saw Jiang Fei looking at her intently.
"This kind of thing can be done by the servants," Chu Mo said, taking the bamboo chopsticks. "You've only just recovered a little, why don't you rest a little longer?"
Jiang Fei smiled: "I want to have breakfast with you."
Chu Mo lowered his eyes slightly, gave a smile, and said nothing more.
The next moment, a bowl of meat porridge appeared before them.
Chu Mo paused slightly and looked up at Jiang Fei.
Jiang Fei felt uneasy, but still met his gaze and stubbornly asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
Chu Mo shook his head, smiled, and took the meat porridge: "Thank you."
But when he was drinking the meat porridge, he hesitated for a moment and his brow furrowed slightly.
Jiang Fei glanced at his expression casually, then remained silent.
Sure enough, even his own preferences were a pretense.
The original owner was always flamboyant, and even his tastes reflected his personality, requiring a certain level of flavor.
Chu Mo, due to his irregular eating habits in his childhood, suffered from a weak and cold spleen and stomach, and could only eat warm and light food.
But he deliberately pretended to like everything the original owner liked.
Breakfast passed in silence between the two.
Chu Mo went to the study, and Jiang Fei didn't ask any further questions. After resting for a while, he went to the kitchen on his own.
The chefs in the princess's residence are all imperial chefs from the palace, specially transferred by the emperor because these people best understand Jiang Fei's preferences.
However, when Jiang Fei asked Chu Mo about his preferences, the imperial chefs all said, "The prince consort's preferences are no different from the princess's."
Jiang Fei: "...Make something light," she was about to continue, but then she remembered something, waved her hand, "Never mind, you can go now."
In the end, she dismissed the imperial chefs and stayed in the kitchen herself.
Unexpectedly, the cooking skills that the first person in the world learned on a whim have come in handy now.
The kitchen was fully equipped, except...
Jiang Fei glanced at the stove with some disgust. Even for the sake of goodwill, she didn't want to get her hands dirty.
“Lu Zhi.” After a moment of silence, Jiang Fei called out.
A dark figure flashed into the kitchen doorway. Lu Zhi looked at the woman with her wide sleeves slightly rolled up and said, "Princess."
Jiang Fei pointed to the stove: "You start the fire."
Even the taciturn Lu Zhizheng was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up at her.
Jiang Fei blinked and looked up at him: "Why are you looking at me?"
Lu Zhi shook his head, did not ask any further questions, took out a tinderbox, squatted down and started a fire.
Jiang Fei looked at the young man dressed in a silk robe squatting in front of the stove, holding firewood that seemed out of place in his hand, which held a long sword, and suddenly laughed.
Lu Zhi looked at her, puzzled.
Jiang Fei suppressed her smile and cleared her throat: "You'd better start the fire properly, I want to cook a good meal for the Prince Consort!"
Lu Zhi lowered his head and said nothing more.
It has always been this way; she gives orders, and there is no need for objections; he only needs to obey.
Just like the character "Jiang" that she once carved on his chest, he had no right to say "no".
Inside the kitchen, the only sound was the crackling of burning firewood.
Lu Zhi looked at the flames, then glanced at Jiang Fei beside him, and his brows furrowed slightly.
She was clumsily handling the ingredients in her hands; she seemed like a complete stranger.
Princess Changning, who was always flamboyant and arrogant, had never been so...quiet before.
However, given how much she liked Chu Mo, it's not surprising that she went to such lengths.
“Lu Zhi,” Jiang Fei suddenly spoke.
Lu Zhi quickly lowered his eyes and looked away.
Jiang Fei smiled and casually asked, "Tell me the truth, is the poison in my body difficult to cure?" She murmured as she continued her work.
Lu Zhi's hand holding the firewood froze for a moment.
The poison of the cold flower is extremely potent and almost incurable.
I suddenly remembered what Chu Mo had said.
When he realized that the poison she was suffering from was related to Chu Mo, Chu Mo said, "The poison has already been administered. Even if you expose me, this fact cannot be changed, and it may even kill Rongrong. If you conceal it, Jiang Fei can live, and Rongrong can live as well."
His choice...
"Lu Zhi?"
Lu Zhi snapped out of his daze and said calmly, "The princess is a lucky person, and heaven will always protect her."
“What lucky person…” Jiang Fei laughed, “It’s been two months, and no famous doctor in the world can help me. I know I’m very likely not going to make it.”
Lu Zhi lowered his head and added firewood without saying a word.
"Boring." Jiang Fei snorted, glancing at him casually. The next moment, she suddenly noticed something, turned around, and squatted down in front of Lu Zhi.
She carried a faint fragrance, which clashed with the smoky smell of the kitchen, and looked at him earnestly.
Lu Zhi unconsciously held his breath, instinctively wanting to back away from her approach.
Jiang Fei pointed at his cheek and laughed, her eyes crinkling with laughter, her voice clear and crisp, with a hint of schadenfreude, as if the melancholy from before had never existed.
Lu Zhi looked bewildered at her smile, feeling inexplicably at a loss. "You started a fire, how come you got so tanned?" Jiang Fei pointed at his cheek.
Lu Zhi paused for a moment, then reached up and wiped his cheek.
Jiang Fei laughed even more wildly: "Lu Zhi, you're so stupid!"
Lu Zhi's hands were a little stiff, and he rubbed his face hard.
Jiang Fei finally finished laughing and casually took out a silk handkerchief: "The more you rub, the darker it gets!" After saying that, she reached out and wiped his cheeks for him.
Lu Zhi froze, standing motionless.
Jiang Fei also stopped, and then suddenly threw the handkerchief at him: "Wipe yourself!"
Lu Zhi picked up the handkerchief from the ground, and without saying a word, silently wiped his cheek.
A black stain appeared on the plain white silk handkerchief.
Jiang Fei glanced at the messy goodwill rating above Lu Zhi's head and chuckled.
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