Ji Jinmo stood outside the window, his face greener than the grass in the courtyard.
Did she have to stir up so much romantic trouble by disguising herself as a man? And now that her female attire was revealed, the other party was still unswayed in their affections?
Good, very good indeed!
He clenched his fist, his molars grinding audibly.
Silence fell in the room. Mu Xiaoxiao, having finished speaking, lowered her head again, as if the audacious, rebellious words had not come from her mouth.
"Do you know what you're saying?" Nan Shiying questioned.
"I know!"
Mu Xiaoxiao's voice was muffled. "In this world, love and marriage are meant to be harmonious unions according to etiquette, but it's far more than just that. It's not simply about being of opposite or same sex, but simply finding joy in someone who is like oneself. Like Huang Yuyao and Mu Daizhiqi, people..."
"Wait a moment!"
Nan Shiying's mind buzzed. "Who did you say?"
"Huang Yuyao has always admired her senior sister, Daizhiqi!"
Nan Shiying: "..."
"How do you know?"
"I... After I was injured by the internal energy, it was Daizhiqi, Huang Yuyao, and Lü Yiyi who saved me, and then..."
"Let's skip this topic."
Nan Shiying thought for a moment and decided not to hear about her discovery process. The matter was not important.
Mu Xiaoxiao obediently closed her mouth.
"Xiaoxiao, a person's life is not limited to meeting only one person, nor loving only one person."
"Why not?"
Mu Xiaoxiao interrupted, "But if you meet someone who can stun you for half your life, then everyone you meet afterwards will only be a matter of compromise. Given that, why should I gamble on the future?"
"Among all women in this world, like me, even as a princess, I cannot control my own marriage. What about others! And how many people in this world can marry the person they love?"
"Your Highness, even you did not marry into the prince's mansion out of admiration for the prince, did you?"
Nan Shiying was silent.
"Then do you regret it, Your Highness?"
"Do you admire the prince?"
"If you had the chance to leave, would you leave?"
Nan Shiying sighed.
In the silence, Ji Jinmo, standing outside the window, was the first to feel uneasy. He wanted to listen but dared not. He feared hearing unwelcome answers, yet he also hoped she would say what he wished to hear.
Nan Shiying looked at Mu Xiaoxiao and sighed again. "It's true that I didn't marry the prince out of love, but now, I do. If I didn't love him, this world would only have Fenghuan, and there would no longer be Nan Shiying."
"As for regret? I have never regretted it!"
The light in Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes flickered. She had always loved his soul, not his flesh. Even after hearing her answer, she felt no anger or resentment. She simply wished for her happiness.
"Your Highness, can you ask Wei Yuan for me?"
"Ask if he is willing to marry me!"
"Alright!"
Nan Shiying finally nodded.
Mu Xiaoxiao stood up and bowed to Nan Shiying. "This humble girl thanks Your Highness. Then I shall not disturb you. I take my leave."
Mu Xiaoxiao came and left in haste. After finishing her business, she turned to leave.
Stepping out, she saw Ji Jinmo standing in the corridor. He exuded a chilling aura, and within a few meters, no living thing dared to approach. Even the bothersome little flying insects of spring avoided him. Mu Xiaoxiao, from several meters away, bowed to him. "This humble girl pays her respects to His Highness."
Ji Jinmo strode forward, looking down at Mu Xiaoxiao.
Mu Xiaoxiao kept her head bowed low, her hands tightly clutched at her sleeves, her breathing slightly rapid. She didn't know how long the prince had been standing there, nor how much he had heard. But the malice he showed towards her, even if he hadn't heard the whole conversation, he must have caught seven or eight parts of it!
Yet, Mu Xiaoxiao felt no regret. Despite her fear, she still believed she had done nothing wrong. She took a deep breath and slowly raised her head, for the first time mustering the courage to look directly into Ji Jinmo's dark, deep eyes, like whirlpools in a cold abyss, devoid of any waves yet filled with an陰翳 and sternness.
"Will His Highness betray Your Highness?"
Ji Jinmo had never looked directly at Mu Xiaoxiao. Although she was Bai Yu's sister, she was just a slightly spoiled young girl. It was the first time he saw such a courageous spirit in her.
Her lips trembled slightly, showing she was trying desperately to suppress her fear, yet her gaze was stubborn, unwilling to retreat.
"No!"
Ji Jinmo finally spoke.
Having received her answer, Mu Xiaoxiao lowered her head again and bowed once more. "This humble girl takes her leave."
Nan Shiying heard the commotion, pushed open the window, and poked her head out. She only saw Mu Xiaoxiao's receding back. Ji Jinmo pushed the door open and entered. The warm breeze of late spring couldn't neutralize the frost on him. Seeing the man's face, frosted with ice, Nan Shiying's lips curved upwards.
This look suggested he had heard Xiaoxiao's rebellious words earlier.
While called rebellious, such affections had already existed in the Great Yuan dynasty three hundred years ago. Whether it was male affection or female affection, they were all human desires.
Nan Shiying, though not fully understanding, accepted it willingly.
She stood up, grabbed Ji Jinmo's wrist, and led him to sit on the couch, picking up a fruit and offering it to him.
Ji Jinmo did not take it, his eyes fixed on her. He gritted his teeth slightly. "Just after setting out, has the Princess Consort already stirred up more romantic debts?"
Seeing he wouldn't take it, Nan Shiying popped the fruit into her own mouth. Hearing his jealous questioning, she propped her chin on her hand and pretended to think. Seeing her genuinely ponder, Ji Jinmo's molars ground together again.
"Is the Princess Consort savoring it?"
Ji Jinmo's temples bulged slightly, his jawline becoming even more defined.
This person, who remained unruffled by anything, seemed much more lively when he was jealous. Nan Shiying chuckled, propped her hand on the low table beside the couch, leaned forward towards Ji Jinmo, breathing warmly onto his face, the scent of irises diffusing.
Ji Jinmo's throat bobbed. He seized Nan Shiying's head and kissed her deeply.
Lips met, tongues danced.
After a long, lingering embrace, Ji Jinmo reluctantly lifted his head.
Nan Shiying's cheeks were flushed red, her eyes rippling with a hint of spring. She was delicate and alluring, like a delicate flower kissed by dew. Ji Jinmo's gaze deepened. He flipped over, crossed the low table, and with an arm, pulled Nan Shiying into his embrace.
Feeling the heat beneath her, Nan Shiying turned and shot him a fierce glare. The window behind was still open, and the gentle spring breeze carried the fragrance of the hundred flowers in the courtyard into the room. Ji Jinmo lowered his head, resting his chin on Nan Shiying's shoulder, his nose buried in her neck.
"Ying'er, wait a little longer. Soon, everything will come to an end. Then I will leave with you, holding your hand, never to be separated."
Nan Shiying blinked slightly, then chuckled softly, uttering a single word: "Okay!"