Translator: Rize
Editor: Larkspur
Hearing her voice, Ding Xian who was prepared to give the next palm strike was startled and immediately withdrew his palm. He stared at the person, his eyes showed a hint of consternation, then he immediately ran forward.
"Huangzi Fei?”
While evading his strike, Mu Yunjin had a hard fall, then she’d rolled into the ground. Right now, she cut a sorry figure.
She put out her hands towards Ding Xian, "Quickly, help me up."
"Huangzifei, why are you here?" Ding Xian helped her up somewhat surprised.
Mu Yunjin exercised her aching muscles, held her waist as she walked inside the house. "I came to find Chu Li, I have to talk to him about something."
Once inside the house, Mu Yunjin looked at the sky that was turning light. She sat on the stone table in the yard, waiting for Chu Li to wake up.
Ding Xian saw a worn-out Mu Yunjin, her head resting on her hand as she sat at the stone table.
He stepped forward and said, "His Highness returned late last night, and has only just fallen asleep. I reckon that there is still some time before he wakes up. Huangzifei had better go to the side room to rest for a while."
"En."
Mu Yunjin yawned and nodded before going to the room she had stayed in during her last visit.
The interiors of the room were just like the previous time. Mu Yunjin was totally exhausted, so as soon as her head hit the pillow she was already in deep sleep.
......
By the time Mu Yunjin woke up, it was already wushi (11:00am - 1:00 pm).
Mu Yunjin rubbed her sleepy eyes and took a deep stretch. When she felt her taut muscles relax, she left her bed and went outside the door.
Chu Li sat in the yard wearing purple robes, his back to Mu Yunjin. He was casually drinking tea.
"Awake?"
Not waiting for Mu Yunjin to approach, Chu Li's cold and indifferent voice sounded. Mu Yunjin lazily grunted and sat down beside Chu Li. She poured herself a cup of water and downed it in one gulp.
Mu Yunjin then turned towards Chu Li, pursed her lips, and spoke, "I have something to say to you."
"En." Chu Li nodded and waved his hand towards Ding Xian at the side.
Ding Xian immediately understood and retreated a few steps leaving the two people alone.
"Say it." Chu Li spoke up.
Mu Yunjin's eyes held some deep meaning as she gazed at Chu Li. She bit her lip, for a moment she unexpectedly didn’t know where to begin.
She thought of Qin Taifei. How, for so many years she had treated Chu Li with utmost kindness on the surface, but at the bottom of her heart, she was always guarded against him. Despite her notoriety, she’d resolutely pressurized Chu Li to accept her as his Fei. Every time Chu Li met Qin Taifei, he almost always called her grandmother. Mu Yunjin felt very heavy in her heart.
"I want freedom..."
After a long time, Mu Yunjin spoke in a low voice. It sounded like a mosquito.
Chu Li had clearly heard Mu Yunjin, his face though seemed dispassionate still held traces of slight disapproval.
"Are you not free enough now?"
"What I am talking about is another kind of freedom, not being bound or shackled kind of freedom."
Mu Yunjin leveled her gaze with Chu Li's, her eyes unsteady. Chu Li firmly gazed at her, but even after a long time, no words came out.
What seemed like an eternity later, Chu Li gave a soft laugh, "Are you afraid?"
"Afraid?"
Mu Yunjin felt an inexplicable twinge in her heart. She immediately raised an eyebrow and retorted, "This world, there is nothing that I fear!"
"If you are not afraid, why do you want to separate early from ben huangzi?" Chu Li hooked the corners of his mouth, his eyes looked on with interest.
Mu Yunjin bit her lip, Chu Li's words let her heart feel inexplicably a little sullen, no less, she felt suffocated and unwell.
Afraid......
She, Mu Yunjin had always feared nothing in Heaven or Earth. At most she was afraid of trouble, that's all... Besides, she had been used as a chess piece by Qin Taifei. She, who had always been proud and arrogant, how could she have been used by others at will?!
"Though I am by your side, all I do is just eat and drink, I play no role anyway. Now Young Miss Qin is back, you have her by your side to help you, it is already enough!" Mu Yunjin squeezed out the words much against her will.
Though Chu Li sensed Mu Yunjin’s evasiveness, his heart didn’t have even a trace of anger. He was particularly amused instead.
"Are you jealous?"
"You ..."
Mu Yunjin puffed in rage and glared at Chu Li.
"Who would eat your vinegar! We did not kneel to Heaven and Earth thus we are not real husband and wife. You said that if I meet the person that I like, I can leave."
"So, have you met?" Chu Li cast a sidelong glance towards Mu Yunjin and coolly asked.
Mu Yunjin bit her lip. Chu Li seemed to be unwilling to let her leave, so their discussion took a turn, she turned foxy.
"So many excuses and you’re still not letting me go. It is not that you like me, right?"
Chu Li's hand that was holding a teacup paused, he looked at Mu Yunjin in the eyes, his countenance light, he seemed to be in deep thought.
Like her?
He smiled and shook his head.
In this world, Mu Yunjin was probably the most interesting woman he had seen. She clearly possessed a clever and agile disposition but allowed herself to be infamous for so many years. Under this heaven and earth, everyone respects and honors him as the son of the royal family. Every one of them fawns and curries favor from him. Everyone, but her! It was only Mu Yunjin who didn’t rush to fawn all over him, flatter him. In fact, in this world, there was no one better suited for him. Perhaps he could never find a more interesting person.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
Seeing that Chu Li wasn’t answering, Mu Yunjin's eyebrows wrinkled.
Chu Li shot a glance at Mu Yunjin, his lips raised into an arc, "Mu Yunjin, ben huangzi will give you three months’ time ..."
......
Back in the carriage, Mu Yunjin leaned against the window, her mind preoccupied with Chu Li's words.
He’d said, "Three months is enough to change whatever nature manifests, and if after three months and you still want to leave, ben huangzi will not detain you."
Mu Yunjin leaned on the carriage, quietly thinking about this, completely at a loss to guess Chu Li's true meaning. But inexplicably, those words ‘change whatever nature manifests’, suddenly instilled a sense of mission in her.
Yes, it was she who lived in this world instead of the dead Mu Yunjin, who had been discredited and confined to the Ascending Flower Pavilion and finally died at the hands of Aunt Su. She’d died unexpectedly in her previous life, and now her soul came to this world, and through the body of Third Young Miss Mu, she was able to live safely to this day.
Now that she occupied another person's body, she has yet to fulfill the wishes of this woman- to find her real family. How could she be this selfish and wish for freedom?
Mu Yunjin, ah, Mu Yunjin. The more you live, the less you resemble yourself...
A moment later, she glanced at the side towards Chu Li. His eyes were closed as he leaned against the carriage, his face calm and comfortable. Mu Yunjin slightly furrowed her eyebrows, debating if she should tell Chu Li about the matter involving Qin Taifei.
She kept looking at him for a long time. So, when Chu Li suddenly opened his eyes, Mu Yunjin couldn’t move her gaze away in time. Two pairs of eyes gazed at each other, each thoughtful.
"Chu Li, I want to talk to you about something." Mu Yunjin mustered some courage spoke.
"En." Chu Li lazily replied.
Mu Yunjin opened her mouth. She’d originally intended to tell Chu Li about Qin Tai Fei's matter, systematically narrate the full details but started having second thoughts concerning Rong Fei and Qin Muyue's Phoenix mark. After thinking about it some more, she closed her mouth. She shook her head and looked at Chu Li.
"It's nothing."
She had yet to thoroughly ascertain if Qin Family and Chu Li had a connection. These things, she would bury it first inside her heart.
......
Back to the Fu, Shen Momo welcomed them and looked at Mu Yunjin.
"Huangzifei, this morning Rong Wangfu sent an invitation."
"Invitation?" Mu Yunjin was surprised.
She unfolded the invitation and saw that Rong Wangfei was inviting her the day after tomorrow to the suburbs to visit the lake and appreciate poetry. After she finished reading, Mu Yunjin closed the invitation and threw it at the side with disdain.
"Huangzifei, this thing cannot be thrown around ah." Shen Momo ran to pick up the invitation.
"Rong Wangfei is Zheng Taihou's daughter-in-law. Every year she arranges a trip to the lake to enjoy poetry. Daughters of many officials and Madams attend."
"What happens if I don't go?" Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow.
When Shen Momo heard, she looked at Mu Yunjin and Chu Li.
"His Highness and you are newlyweds. This year you will represent our Huangzifu. If you don't go, those officials’ daughters and Madams will gossip."
Mu Yunjin really felt helpless. Every time an occasion like this comes by, there is always nothing good coming from it. Not to mention, this is that woman's party, more or less it is bound to be complete chaos!
"Can I not go?" Mu Yunjin lifted her gaze and turned her eyes to Chu Li, her voice held traces of coquettishness that even she did not know of.
Chu Li stared at Mu Yunjin, then looked at the invitation in Shen Momo's hands.
He raised an eyebrow, "Since you have learned how to read, the day after tomorrow should be a good way to practice your skills."
Mu Yunjin almost spewed a mouthful of blood. She forgot that before, in front of Chu Li she’d pretended to be illiterate. But after looking at the invitation just now, she had exposed herself.
Mu Yunjin tapped her head and inwardly scolded herself as stupid.
Then, Mu Yunjin muttered, "This Rong Wangfei, recently, is like a ghost haunting me."
......
Returning to the Glass Spring Pavilion.
Chu Li was walking ahead, while Mu Yunjin and Zi Xiang followed him.
She’d occasionally ask, "That Lake trip while appreciating poetry, what is it exactly?"
"This servant heard that it is drinking tea while reciting poems. The suburbs have a Ying Guang lake that is especially beautiful. Many literati are particularly fond of Ying Guang lake when working on their poetry."
Hearing the word poem, Mu Yunjin was relieved. As a child, she had learned so many ancient poems but felt a little uncertain about those women!
"Then I'm relieved." Mu Yunjin sighed slightly.
"Young Miss..." Zi Xiang frowned and felt a little embarrassed as she looked at Mu Yunjin, "Are you sure you can?"
Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, "Of course, compared to Mu Lingzhu, she isn’t necessarily my opponent!"
Zi Xiang shook her head, obviously in disbelief.
Chu Li who was listening held a faint smile.
"Your Highness, those Black Lotuses have now been spent, the flowering season is half a month. If we cannot find the way to break the formation in this half month, our three years of hard work will all be in vain." Ding Xian frowned as he spoke in a low voice, a little worried.
Chu Li’s eyes were shrouded in a layer of haze. From time to time he heard the peals of laughter and teasing from behind him. Chu Li paused, he suddenly recollected Master Huaiyuan’s words.
"If so, let Mu Yunjin try it."
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