"What's going on?"
She turned around and saw Zhao Yiyi looking in the direction of Mu Yanming just like herself.
"What happened? Your prince has been standing there in a daze for quite a while..."
Mo Qinghuan didn't know how to explain it to Zhao Yiyi. Should she tell her that Mu Yanming was rendered speechless because she had done something to let him down...
Mu Yanming took a step forward, which made Mo Qinghuan's heart clench in fright.
She shook off Zhao Yiyi's arm and rushed forward.
"Mu Yanming, you mustn't do anything stupid."
Hearing this, the latter turned to look at her. All he saw was a red figure dashing towards him. He instinctively frowned and dodged...
Mo Qinghuan stared wide - eyed at the unobstructed lakeshore.
— Mu Yanming! Damn you!
"Ugh..." She plunged into the bone - chilling lake.
She swam desperately to the shore, lay on it, and cast a rather resentful look at Mu Yanming.
Only then did Mu Yanming come to his senses and reached out to pull her up.
Shivering with cold, she glared angrily at Mu Yanming and stomped off towards the Regent's Mansion.
As she passed by Zhao Yiyi, she saw Zhao Yiyi's red face from trying to hold back laughter.
She snorted, left Mu Yanming behind, and strode away.
When she met Bai Ke, Bai Ke was startled.
Looking at Mo Qinghuan, who was completely soaked and whose hair was still dripping water, he asked cautiously, "Your Highness the Princess, what happened to you?"
Puffing out her cheeks and glaring at Bai Ke, she shouted, "Bai Ke! I'm going to divorce your prince!"
Hearing her voice, Mu Yanming, who was following closely behind, darkened his face. He took a few quick steps forward, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her into the mansion.
As he walked, he warned, "I'm telling you, you don't even think about it! You said you'd always be with me. If you dare to leave, I'll..."
She struggled desperately, but his grip was so tight that it seemed as if he was going to break her wrist. She tried hard but couldn't break free.
She angrily asked, "What will you do?"
He leaned over, exuding a strong sense of danger.
His warm and moist breath fanned across her face, and the atmosphere instantly turned ambiguous.
However, Mu Yanming's next words completely shattered the ambiguous atmosphere. "I'll break your legs!"
Saying so, he picked her up horizontally and strode into the Yangyang Hall.
Lu Zixiu and the Dan'er sisters didn't know what had happened. They looked at each other and finally shrugged helplessly.
Mu Yanming glared sharply at Lu Zixiu. Lu Zixiu was confused and looked at Mo Qinghuan in his arms.
When their eyes met, Mo Qinghuan seemed to smell the scent of gunpowder in the air.
She tugged at Mu Yanming's collar and whispered, "I'm so cold."
He glanced down at her and carried her into the room.
When he kicked the door open, he stood still on the spot.
Mo Qinghuan even heard his suddenly accelerating heartbeat.
"Mu Yanming, happy birthday to you."
She looked at him with a beaming smile, her hands wrapped around his neck.
"Put me down quickly. I'll go change my clothes."
Seeing that he was still in a daze, she had to remind him.
Although his embrace was warm, she was still freezing.
Mu Yanming put her down and carefully examined the whole room.
On the candlesticks, windows, and even the desk and the inkstone in front of the writing desk, there were paper - cut window decorations that Mo Qinghuan had cut by herself.
The patterns of the paper - cuts were also specially designed by her.
If you looked closely, you would find that the part cut out in the middle of the paper - cut was exactly the Chinese character "Mu".
He walked to the writing desk and saw a letter on it, with a brocade box placed under the envelope.
The brocade box was engraved with intricate patterns that he had never seen before.
He picked up the letter and was about to open it when Mo Qinghuan, who had changed her clothes, walked out from behind the screen.
"Wait. Open it at night, along with the gift."
He lowered his eyes, put down the letter in his hand, and walked up to her.
Just as he was pondering what to say, she suddenly grabbed his wrist.
He tried to pull his hand back, but Mo Qinghuan held it tightly.
— Sure enough, he's suffered internal injuries...
"You're injured."
"Yeah."
His voice was muffled.
This made her recall what she had said to Lu Zixiu just now. They didn't seem to have said anything explicit, right?
Most importantly, there was no hint of ambiguity in the way she talked to Lu Zixiu.
She really didn't know how he got the wrong idea.
"Were you serious when you said you wanted a divorce just now?"
Mo Qinghuan let go of his hand and reached out to smooth Mu Yanming's hair.
"Yes, I'm serious. When you saw me rushing towards you, your first reaction was not to catch me but to dodge. It's really not safe to be with someone like you."
She didn't even realize that the tone she was using to talk to Mu Yanming now was a bit coquettish.
He sighed. He wanted to apologize, but he didn't know how or where to start.
"I guarantee it won't happen again."
To Mo Qinghuan's surprise, she got even angrier after hearing this.
— Listen, is this the attitude of an apology!
It sounded as if it was all her fault.
"Your Highness," Bai Ke reported outside the door.
He walked around Mo Qinghuan and went outside. Standing on the steps, he looked down at Bai Ke.
With a gloomy face, he asked, "What is it?"
Bai Ke lowered his head and spoke very cautiously, for fear of accidentally angering Mu Yanming. "Your Highness, Lan Yiming has fled to the northwest. But there's always a highly - skilled woman protecting him, so our men were caught off - guard and let him escape!"
As if he had long anticipated this outcome, there was no trace of surprise on Mu Yanming's face. "Let him escape? So he's fled to the territory of the northwest!"
Bai Ke nodded and secretly raised his eyes to glance at Mu Yanming.
He thought Mu Yanming would get angry, but unexpectedly, he saw him slightly curl his lips and smile.
This really surprised him. It seemed that the princess had already coaxed the prince.
He looked at the sky and said quite casually, "Just let him stay in Beirong."
"Anyway, I'll go to Beirong again soon. It's not too late to deal with him then."
Mo Qinghuan walked out of the room. She still had to go to the kitchen to steam longevity buns for Mu Yanming. As she passed by Bai Ke, she gave a cold snort.
Then she started walking towards the kitchen.
Mu Yanming looked at Mo Qinghuan's back. "Did you tell her that today is my birthday?"
Bai Ke lowered his head and didn't dare to speak. He knew that the prince was most averse to others mentioning his birthday, as it would make the prince think of the Crown Princess.
"Your Highness, the princess is very thoughtful. She sent you away this morning to prepare a surprise for you. Please don't be angry."
Mu Yanming raised his eyebrows. "So you've known about it all along."
Bai Ke was greatly startled upon hearing this and obediently lowered his head.
"I'll go and receive my punishment now."
Just as he was about to retreat, Mu Yanming raised his hand to stop him.
"She's wonderful, isn't she?"
Bai Ke didn't understand. He looked at Mu Yanming in confusion, but when he met Mu Yanming's deep and stern eyes, he lowered his head again.
"Your Highness, yes. The princess is both beautiful and intelligent, and has a kind heart."
— Apart from the habit of rolling her eyes, she has no other flaws.