Mo Xuetong was reading next to the light. It was not a book that she used to like in her past life, books about poetry and music. Those beautiful passages did not allow her to see through the world but had made her dream and love instead. She had given her heart to Sima Lingyun and in the end, she and her child had died in his hands.
She only found out from a physician the General Manor secretly sent after Yun Yiqiu caused her to miscarry that she had been deeply poisoned. It would be difficult for her to get pregnant again. In order to get pregnant, she had tried to recuperate and get rid of the poison. That was when she started to secretly read medical books.
She could not find out anything about the person who had tried to secretly hurt her!
She had even asked Sima Lingyun then. He was first shocked, and then his face had turned pale. He had grabbed her hands and asked if anyone else knew about it. She had thought that Sima Lingyun was concerned for her, which was why he was so shocked after the incident. She had been very touched and told him about the physician. The physician had never come by again. She heard that it was because he had misdiagnosed a patient and was hurt by the patient’s family and had run away.
After finally seeing things clearly since her rebirth, she realized that it was a joke!
She was living with a wolf in sheep’s clothing. How could she stay alive!
She thought about the child she had birthed after much difficulties and how he had died in Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin’s hands in the end. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by knives and her hands, which were flipping through the book shook slightly. She clenched her hands into a fist and allowed the pain in her palms to pierce her heart, soothing the bitter pain and hurt she felt.
“Isn’t the Mo family one of great scholars’ family? Why is the main daughter of the Mo family reading such low-class books!” The voice had a trace of a mocking tone in it. Mo Xuetong who was immersed in her pain suddenly looked up and turned around. She saw that a handsome and charming young man was lying on her couch.
It was King Xuan, Feng Yuran!
Feng Yuran’s lips curled up. He was in a good mood when he saw how Mo Xuetong turned around in shock, her expression one of surprise and fragileness that had not yet dissipate. He had a charming and lazy smile on his lips that looked like he was mocking her. When he saw her beautiful eyes looking rather unhappy, he lifted his brows and picked up a sweet persimmon beside him and tossed the whole thing in his mouth.
“Are you very touched to see your savior? I usually don’t like it when girls see me and look like they want to pounce on me. But since it is you, I’ll do my best to accept it!”
“Your Highness, have you not been educated as a child that men and women should keep a distance. Should a gentleman enter a woman’s room in the middle of the night?” Mo Xuetong had gotten over her initial shock and was now angry.
“Is this how you should treat your savior? Tong’er, I came especially to bring you a letter. Are you going to treat me like that?” Feng Yuran smiled slightly and took out a box, waving it in front of Mo Xuetong. Then, he kept it again.
Mo Xuetong’s pupils shrank. That was the medicine Mo Xuemin had gifted her!
“Mo Feng gave it to you?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.
“He didn’t give it to me. Mo Feng asked a few places, but they all said there was nothing wrong. However, he trusted that you wouldn’t get him to check it out for no reason, so he came to look for me. Do you want to know the results?” Feng Yuran asked, raising his brows. He was very handsome, and when he did that, his eyes were stunning and extremely charming.
He was the devil himself. Mo Xuetong was filled with wariness. She took a deep breath and looked away. Then, she stood up and curtsied deeply, saying, “Many thanks, King Xuan, for your help!”
She could still tell whether a person was good or bad. She could not ask for Mo Ye and Mo Feng to be completely loyal to her. They were Feng Yuran’s secret guards in the first place and they were just her servants. She had no right to blame them. She had found the note from many years ago and he had fulfilled a promise. The two of them were not the original players of the game, so she could not ask him to do better.
“Come here.” Feng Yuran waved at her with a slight smile.
Mo Xuetong took a few small steps forward.
“Come here a bit more. I just want to make it easier for us to speak. Do you want me to speak louder?” Feng Yuran laughed.
As such, she took a few tentative steps forward. Her long shadow covered him under the lights, making the scene more intimate.
“Your Highness, can you speak now?”
“Relax. Mo Ye and Mo Feng will treat you as their mistress. I will not ask about your business for no reason.”
Was this a guarantee! Mo Xuetong did not dare to believe it. She bit her lips and looked up and did not say anything.
“There is a herb in this medicine that is very useful for injuries. It is also fragrant and will not cause harm.” Feng Yuran played with the bottle of medicine in his hands and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. It was time for bed, so her long black hair was scattered around her shoulders with only a piece of ribbon tying it behind her head. This made her innocent face seem even more lovely than it did in the day.
Her lively eyes were like a pool of water under a light. They were beautiful and mesmerizing.
“However, the scent of this herb will become poisonous gas if it mixes with the incense lit in the house.” Feng Yuran’s eyes moved from Mo Xuetong’s face to the incense lit in her house. His smile was cold as he said, “Just like the one you lit in this house.”
Indeed, Mo Xuemin had been the one to poison her!
No wonder Mo Xuemin had once sent medicine to her when she got injured in her past life. It was not the same one as the one she had given her this time. She had kept it inside her room back then because Mo Xuemin had given it to her. She did not expect this was how she got poisoned. She had thought that because the physician had said that she had been poisoned many years ago, that it had happened before she married into the Duke’s manor and definitely had nothing to do with Sima Lingyun. That was why she had told him everything. However, Sima Lingyun had already been plotting against her together with Mo Xuemin.
Her heart hurt so much it felt numb. Even her brain seemed to stop moving. Her fingers shook as it held onto the lampstand in front of her. She pressed down hard and almost caused it to topple over.
“How’s your head?” Feng Yuran suddenly stood up and pulled her toward the light. He parted her long hair and saw that her forehead was swollen and there were a few scrapes on it.
“I’m alright!” She answered numbly. She stared at the medicine box in her hands and did not feel that Feng Yuran was being impolite at all.
“Do you still want this?” Feng Yuran’s eyes were deep and dark. He suddenly smiled and threw the box in his hands up and down. Then, his expression settled into his usual one of laziness.
“Many thanks, Your Highness. Please give it to me!” She took a deep breath and her eyes immediately cleared. She reached out to take the box from Feng Yuran and took two steps back. Her clear eyes flashed with determination and annoyance. She was annoyed at how she had become dazed and angry. She had already guessed that it was something that Mo Xuemin and Auntie Fang had done. There was no reason for her to be shocked!
“Do you want me to help you?” Feng Yuran raised his eyebrows and asked.
“Many thanks, Your Highness. It is getting late. Please leave!” She said politely and distantly.
“Do you truly not need help? I am rather free recently and quite bored. Since you owe me one, one more wouldn’t make a difference.”
“You must be joking, Your Highness.” Mo Xuetong moved and turned to the side subconsciously to avoid his stare as she sensed his piercing stare. She said helplessly once more, “Many thanks for your help, Your Highness. I will definitely repay your kindness if it is possible.”
“And when will it be possible?” Feng Yuran’s eyes flashed.
“…”
“What does Your Highness want?” Mo Xuetong pushed down her anger. She had been immersed in her own thoughts earlier and had only just thought of how dangerous the man in front of her was. She had to be careful in how she spoke and behaved in front of him.
Feng Yuran approached her suddenly and Mo Xuetong could not help but move away. He moved towards her dresser where she placed her hair accessories and earrings she had just taken off.
“This will be evidence. When I think of how you should repay me, I will send someone to bring this to you!” Feng Yuran smiled devilishly as he picked up a white jade hairpin. He was extremely handsome and his purple robe with flower embroidery on it made him seem even more ethereal. He was handsome and pale, making him look extremely devilish.
Mo Xuetong took a long deep breath. She told herself that she definitely could not get angry! “Your Highness, if you like white jade hairpins, how about this?” She walked over to him and opened a box. There was a jade hairpin in it. It was different from the one before. It looked newer and was obvious that she had just bought it and had never used it.
“You’ve never worn this, so what use is it to me?” Feng Yuran smiled devilishly and said, “Relax. I will take this as proof of your debt. I will send someone to send you an accessory of equivalent value so you won’t think that I am taking advantage of you.”
They were exchanging personal belongings in secret, but he had made it sound so nice. Mo Xuetong gritted her teeth. However, she could not bear to part with the white jade hairpin. Her mother had gifted that to her on her 10th birthday. She had worn it at all times since then and had never taken it off.
“Or do you wish to fight me for it now?” Feng Yuran smiled suddenly. He waved the white jade hairpin in his hand and said, “If you can take this from me, then I won’t take this one.”
How infuriating!
Mo Xuetong sighed again and told herself not to get angry. He was the eighth prince that Emperor Zongwen doted on the most. She must not offend him. “Your Highness, you may leave now. It is getting late and I cannot keep you here.” She said that with gritted teeth, her expression filled with annoyance.
Her cheeks were bulging and her eyes no longer looked at him distantly but were filled with fire. Feng Yuran felt that she looked extremely adorable! The kitten was annoyed, how fun!
“Alright, I will send you something in a few days.” Feng Yuran smiled with satisfaction. He twirled the white jade hairpin between his fingers and then kept it casually. He walked up to the window and suddenly turned around to say, “Are you sure you don’t want to be my personal palace maid? Do you know how many people want that position? I kept it especially for you!”
“Many thanks for your kindness, Your Highness!” Mo Xuetong said gloomily as she glared at him. She kept telling herself that he was a robber, and he was a robber that she could not fight. A good man would not fight a doomed fight.
“Who are you betrothed to? How come I have never heard of it?” Feng Yuran asked lazily.
“Your Highness, aren’t you poking your nose too deep?” Mo Xuetong’s “good temper” was at its limits!
“That’s true. I was just curious! It’s alright if you don’t wish to say. Just don’t marry the wrong man and waste your life away.” Feng Yuran teased with a smile. His eyes were slightly upturned. Then, he disappeared in a flash.
Mo Xuetong closed the windows hurriedly. Then, she settled down but was no longer in the mood to read. She said softly, “Mo Lan.”
Mo Lan who was waiting at the door heard her voice and hurried inside.
“Go and get Nanny Ming!”
“Yes!” Even though Mo Lan did not know what was up with Mo Xuetong, she still went to fetch Nanny Ming.
Mo Xuetong was still shocked at the news!
She had never heard anything about her betrothal, no matter in her previous life or in this life! If she had already been betrothed, why had she married Sima Lingyun in her past life? Who was the person she was betrothed to? Was he afraid of the power of the Duke’s manor and did not come to the Mo Manor to speak about their betrothal again?
