Mo Xuetong fell silent. She immediately understood what Feng Yuran meant.
Ling Fengyan was an important chess piece in the Empress’ hands. She was incredibly useful no matter whether she married King Yan or King Chu.
However, no matter who she wanted to marry, Ling Fengyan’s reputation could not be damaged.
As such, Ling Fengyan would not speak about what happened tonight. She would not say anything even to the Empress. That was because the Empress’ interest was not hers. She would not allow the Empress to manipulate her. She would not be able to retaliate if the Empress had any information that could be used against her.
Mo Xuetong was speechless when she understood that.
He had already thought of what she had long ago. And he had set up a trap for Ling Fengyan to fall into. Even though Mo Xuetong was not sure what hew as up to exactly, she knew that this was not his only plot. Ling Fengyan was not the only one involved either. There was still King Ning as well as the Empress Dowager who stood behind him.
When she thought of how the Empress Dowager, who had always been working behind the scenes, was the one with the most plans, Mo Xuetong could not help but be secretly shocked.
“Be careful.” Mo Xuetong said. Then, she realized what she said and hurriedly turned away to hide the shyness in her eyes.
“Tong’er, are you concerned for me?” Feng Yuran’s eyes gleamed. He had been lying on the couch but immediately sat up when he heard that. He straightened his clothes out and smiled widely.
His handsome eyes were like the starry skies at night. They were brilliant and full of life. His eyes looked as if they were lit up in flames. Then, he said again happily, “Tong’er is indeed concerned for me.”
Mo Xuetong could not help but roll her eyes. She did not see the brilliant smile behind her but knew that he was extremely pleased. She wanted to bite her tongue off. How could the words just slip out of her mouth? She sounded like a wife who was concerned for her husband.
Her face flushed when she thought about that. However, she complained, “Your Highness, even though you are talented and courageous, you must not let your guard down. Since we are hanging on the same thread, I would naturally have to be considerate towards you.”
“On the same red thread?” Feng Yuran twisted her words, making her blush.
Mo Xuetong knew that he was doing it intentionally and was secretly shy and annoyed. She then steeled herself and turned around to look at him. She said, “Your Highness, you reminded me not to go out too much during this period. Is there something about to happen that has to do with me? Please let me know. Otherwise, I might ruin your plans. I believe that solving the problem early is more important than coming up with conjectures.”
She had wanted to say this earlier and relaxed for some reason after she said that. This was something she needed to solve right now.
“Tong’er, you are indeed smart. You noticed this so easily.” Feng Yuran smiled and waved, gesturing for her to sit.
Mo Xuetong hesitated for a moment before moving toward him slowly. Since she had decided to marry him and to go through thick and thin with him, they must not be split on some things. In her past life, she had been hurt emotionally. In this life, she just wanted to be alive to protect those she should protect. She did not want to think about anything else.
It was already a blessing to marry someone who could protect her. What more could she ask for!
But why did her heart lose control as he approached her…
Indeed, Feng Yuran was not the sort of person who could sit down quietly and talk about things. He smiled handsomely and leaned into Mo Xuetong’s side even though she was seated far away. He flung his sleeves out and arranged his robes and sat down. He looked at her with his devilishly charming phoenix eyes and smiled. There was an emotion in his eyes that she could not make out.
“Does the First Prince of Yan Kingdom have something to do with me?” Mo Xuetong asked, intentionally avoiding looking at his handsome face as he moved towards her.
In her memories, the royal descendants were too far away from her. In her past life, the only place she was active in was the inner courtyard of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. Just a few concubines were enough to torture her to death. She did not expect that after leaving the inner courtyard in this life, she would find that the world was much more complicated than what she thought it would be.
Some thoughts from her past life came to the forefront of her mind. She did not know what to do.
The sense of loss made Mo Xuetong, who had thought that she had the lead due to being reborn, enter a cloud of confusion. Everything around her was foggy and she could only continue forward based on her instincts. She did not know when she would fall off the clouds and sink down.
She tried hard to remember to whom Emperor Zongwen passed down the throne to no avail.
She could only remember Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin’s frightening smile. They burned her broken heart. She could not help but clench her heart. Her face paled and sweat beaded on her forehead.
“What’s the matter. Are you feeling unwell?” Feng Yuran asked anxiously. She was swaying and about to fall and he reached out to hold her.
Mo Xuetong closed her eyes and sighed. The pain in her chest disappeared and it felt as if everything earlier was just an illusion and was not real.
They were not in the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor and he was not Sima Lingyun. She reached up subconsciously to hold his shirt and felt the smooth silk between her fingers. She relaxed. She even seemed to be able to sense his warm and bouncy skin beneath his shirt. It was as if her blood flowed with his.
He was not that person.
“It’s alright.” A gentle smile appeared on her face and her long lashes fluttered. She looked up with her clear eyes at his sharp features, her expression relaxed.
Things were completely different from before!
The tragedy in her past life would not happen again. She would not be forced to drink poison by Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin again.
“Tong’er.” Feng Yuran’s eyes looked as if there were flames dancing in them. He held her hand with his large slender ones and hugged her tightly.
Mo Xuetong was shocked by his passion. She suddenly realized that she was being embraced tightly by him and everything around her went blank. Only his heavy breathing reverberated around her ears teasingly. Her face flushed as if she had been burned.
Mo Xuetong could not describe how she was feeling. She felt shy and guilty but did not know how to react after being tightly embraced by him. It was as if she was embedded in him. His shoulders were very broad and his muscles tightly wound. It did not take him any effort to press her against himself. However, she laid softly in his chest not knowing what to do. She clutched his shirt tightly, her beautiful eyes filled with mist and confusion.
She looked pitiful, like a lost sheep not knowing what to do.
She had lived through two lives but Mo Xuetong had never experienced such a feeling that seared through her mind and left a blank space behind. She rejected in subconsciously. The feeling as if it would burn everything made her very afraid.
“Tong’er, I will ask for your hand when you turn 15.” Feng Yuran’s voice grew thick without him knowing. It was as if he had been holding on to his emotions for a while. His gaze made her heart race and he held on to her tightly despite her objections.
Mo Xuetong felt anxious subconsciously and rejected him subconsciously. She was suddenly very afraid, afraid that she would catch fire and would become lost because of this. She fell forward and sunk bit by bit. Did something happen while she was unaware? It made her feel lost, not knowing what to do. She lost her usual calmness and only wanted to flee.
She wanted to flee from this man. He was too dangerous!
It was a feeling that came from deep inside her heart. There was no rhyme nor reason. She only felt that she would lose all her inhibitions and thoughts should she allow him to come any closer to her.
Feng Yuran seemed to have sensed her struggle and his hug became gentle. However, he refused to let go and he patted her back softly, calming her. His other hand wrapped around her slender waist as he comforted her softly, “Tong’er, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. I am here. Don’t be afraid.”
Perhaps his gentleness and almost doting tone calmed her emotions that she lost control of. Dazed, Mo Xuetong opened her eyes and focused. All she saw was his handsome face that was filled with pain and pity. He was so gentle as if he were protecting his most precious treasure.
Had he become so gentle because of her?!
But why would he treat her like that? An almost impossible thought appeared in her mind…
“Tong’er, be good. What’s the matter? Tell me.” Feng Yuran could sense that she was calming down. He found a handkerchief and wiped her tears away gently. The crystal-like tears stained her soft and pale face. Her eyes looked like the shining stars in the sky but they were filled with a sense of loss and confusion that made one’s heart stir with pity.
Feng Yuran’s eyes darkened when he thought of what happened at the Mo Manor. A sharp viciousness glinted in his eyes.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Tong’er, believe me. I won’t let anyone bully you.” One would hardly believe that the devilishly handsome King Xuan would have such a clumsy moment. His long slender fingers landed on her face. He was so gentle that it would make a person’s heart stir…
Mo Xuetong’s eyes cleared up. She knew that she should push him away and behave like how a noble lady should. However, she did not know whether she should push him away or hold on to him and not let go. The feeling of being protected was one that she had searched for her entire life the last time. She had paid with her life for that feeling.
Could she really believe in it in this life?
Her doubts flashed through her clear eyes. Dazed, she looked at him with some refusal and distance. However, there was also reluctance to leave him and some anticipation.
She had hurt once, been hurt once, died once. She was really afraid!
“Father has already agreed to our marriage. He will release an edict for us to marry after you are past your mourning period.” Feng Yuran said gently by her ear having sensed her fear.
He had really gone to Emperor Zongwen? Mo Xuetong was startled and she looked at him incredulously.
“Rest assured. I will throw the women in the manor out when you marry me. None of those women are truly mine.” He whispered softly into her ear. However, his voice was like a startling strike of thunder in her ear.
There were many women in King Xuan’s manor. Some, he had stolen, and some others had sent to him. There were even some who had entered the manor willingly. But anyway, it was said that his manor was where all the beauties gathered. They came in all shapes and sizes and colors. Even Emperor Zongwen had chided him several times because of this.
But now, he was telling her that none of the women belonged to him…
How could she not be shocked!
However, Mo Xuetong believed him for some reason. She looked at his face that was scrunched up in his anxiousness and at his deep and charming eyes. They were exceptionally clear and she could clearly see the love and tenderness in his eyes. The gentleness in his eyes was overwhelming and hot tears pooled in her eyes.
How could he say that to her!
How could he say that to her!
