Shi Muyuan wrinkled her small face and turned around. She clasped her hands together and was about to plead for mercy with a whimper. But when she looked back, it wasn't the cold and handsome face of Huo Qizhou, a man like a celestial being who could only be admired from afar.
The man was dressed in a long purple robe embroidered with gold threads. There was a strand of white fox fur on his black fox - fur cloak. A pair of silver - white boots embroidered with crescent moons was the only bright color on his body, looking rather obtrusive and even a bit dazzling.
Shi Muyuan heaved a big sigh of relief. The swear words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back forcefully when she saw this man's face.
The man had a pair of upturned fox - like eyes. There seemed to be a glint of silver moonlight in his light - colored pupils. His honey - colored thin lips curled up, showing his good mood.
Shi Muyuan stared at his smooth face and felt a bit infatuated. Compared with Huo Qizhou's angular face, his had a unique charm. But as soon as she moved her head, she was yanked backward.
As soon as Shi Muyuan found out it wasn't Huo Qizhou, her courage instantly grew. She made a fierce expression and shouted, "What are you doing!"
The man burst into laughter, his eyes shining with a strange light. "Miss, you're really interesting. It was clearly you who dragged me along for such a long way, and now you won't even let me get my sleeve back."
Hearing his words, Shi Muyuan recalled what she had done just now. She curled her toes in embarrassment and quickly interrupted him lest he continued.
"Well, then why didn't you call out to me? It can't all be my fault," Shi Muyuan mumbled.
"Hey, listen to what you're saying. Are you still in the right? I saw that you were hiding from someone. I'm a great good - hearted man. How could I do such a thing? If I let you get caught, I'd feel so guilty!" The man took out a round stone from somewhere and held it in his hand.
Shi Muyuan spat at him feigning disgust. "Please, great good - hearted man, let go of my hair first, okay?"
Yan Mo played with the thin braid in his hand for a while, then tossed it away disdainfully. "Tsk."
Shi Muyuan rubbed the back of her head and carefully picked up the braid to check it. Fortunately, it wasn't messed up.
"Miss, why are you hiding from Huo Qizhou?"
"It's none of your business!" Shi Muyuan was still feeling bad about her hair and didn't want to be nice to him.
"But isn't the Great Liang Kingdom most respectful of the national teacher? And how do you know it's Huo Qizhou? Why are you afraid of him?" Yan Mo fired three questions at once, with a hint of inquisitiveness in his tone.
Shi Muyuan's heart skipped a beat. Her current identity was just an ordinary wealthy young lady. How could she be involved with Huo Qizhou? She quickly tried to gloss over it with a laugh.
"Of course we're respectful! That's why I'm afraid!"
"Oh? What kind of logic is this? Loving someone but being afraid of them?"
"You, you, you. What do you know? I... I call this being overly excited. Overly... " Shi Muyuan bit her fingertips. Unable to think of the right word, she waved her hand and shouted at him, "Anyway, you don't understand!"
"Alright, alright, I don't understand. Then why are you afraid of him catching you? Why does he want to catch you? Are you a criminal?"
"Ugh, you're so annoying. Where do you get so many questions? You must have heard wrong."
Shi Muyuan didn't want to talk to him. Although he was good - looking, he was so talkative. How annoying.
Yan Mo also noticed her uneasiness. Seeing that her clothes were not ordinary, he guessed that she might be a noble young lady who had sneaked out to play. So he stopped teasing her.
"Okay then, where are you going now, miss?"
"Of course, I'm going to find my maid." She wondered how Yaokun was. It was all her fault for being so hasty just now that she had grabbed the wrong person.
Shi Muyuan tidied up her clothes, straightened her back, and walked out under Yan Mo's smiling gaze.
Yan Mo was amused by her. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand to hold back his laughter and resisted the urge to grab her braid as he followed her.
Shi Muyuan looked back at him. "Why are you following me?"
"This road doesn't belong to your family. Can't I walk on it?" Yan Mo raised his eyebrows and retorted.
Shi Muyuan glared at him and strode away.
Yaokun had noticed Huo Qizhou in the carriage early on. She looked at Shi Muyuan who was selecting things and thought that she wouldn't move for a while. Since she wanted the two of them to be together, she was very happy. Then, regardless of the things in her hands, she followed him.
The carriage stopped in front of Tianxiang Pavilion. As soon as Huo Qizhou got off the carriage, he saw Yaokun rushing towards him. The things in her hands seemed about to fly into his face the next second.
Huo Qizhou gently dodged to the side. Sun Ru behind him quickly reached out to catch the fast - moving Yaokun, but the little girl stopped abruptly in front of him.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that there was a look of disgust in the little girl's eyes. Sun Ru rubbed his nose. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he?
Huo Qizhou looked at Yaokun. She should have been guarding Shi Muyuan. Why was she here?
"Why are you here?"
Yaokun turned back to look at the person in front of the jewelry stall, but found that there was no sign of her. Her eyes widened instantly. She pointed at the stall. Although anxious, she remained silent.
Huo Qizhou looked in the direction of her finger but saw nothing. Sun Ru scratched his head in confusion. "Miss Yaokun, please say something. How can the master know what you mean like this?"
Yaokun pursed her lips. She looked at Huo Qizhou for a while, then at Sun Ru. As if making a decision, she threw the things away and ran off.
Sun Ru was completely at a loss. Seeing that his master was just staring at the direction where Miss Yaokun had left without reacting, he had to silently pick up the things scattered on the ground first.
Before he could put the things away properly, he heard Huo Qizhou's clear voice. "You go and follow her. Don't let her notice."
"Ah?" Sun Ru was surprised. But under Huo Qizhou's gaze, he quickly put down the things and set off.
Looking at the things on the ground, Huo Qizhou still had someone put them into the carriage before walking into Tianxiang Pavilion.
Yaokun searched through the crowd for a long time before she saw Shi Muyuan quietly emerging from a corner. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed her.
"Ah!" Shi Muyuan was startled as she didn't notice it was her.
Yan Mo behind them burst into laughter. She seemed so easily startled. It was kind of cute.
"Oh, it's you, Kun'er. You scared me! Where have you been? Why didn't you follow me?"
Yaokun hugged Shi Muyuan and rubbed against her before looking at her. Her small mouth puckered. She mumbled for a while before making a sound. "Worried."
Her voice was clear and crisp, like the small bells gently swaying on the eaves in the breeze.
But Shi Muyuan's eyes widened in surprise. "You can talk, Kun'er!" She had only heard Xiaoxiao say that Kun'er had some intellectual problems and had never heard her speak, so she thought she couldn't talk.
Yaokun seemed puzzled by her reaction but still explained. "Don't want to." Talking was so troublesome.
Shi Muyuan covered her forehead, looking completely incredulous. Alright, she had always been a bit of a diva. It was her own prejudice. Yan Mo sighed and tossed the stone in his hand.
Only then did Yaokun notice the man behind Shi Muyuan. As soon as she saw him, her whole aura changed. She directly pulled Shi Muyuan behind her. "Bad guy."