Chapter 397 – What is Misconduct?

Xu Huiru was well aware that there was something wrong with those blood bird’s nests. How could she still eat them? Even so, about Lu Wushuang’s abandonment, evidently, she had to take some responsibility for it.

“Zhen heard that she wasn’t feeling well, so I went to Xinhe Palace. Xu Xianfei was just about to eat a blood bird’s nest, saying it was from Lu Wushuang. She also had someone bring me a bowl. She had a taste first and soon pa.s.sed out…,” Mo Rongzhan simply explained the course of her poisoning.

Ye Zhen wiped away the smile on her face, saying, “Why did you go to her palace tonight? Did Empress Dowager ask you to?”

He thought she was jealous. and was happy in his heart. “I went and paid respects to Imperial Mother. She mentioned Xu Huiru, so… Yaoyao, do you not like it?”

“What don’t I like?” Ye Zhen smiled. “It just feels strange. Someone as smart as Xu Xianfei and Lu Wushuang have never been very harmonious, yet she dares to eat the bird’s nest the other sent her.”

“Do you think every woman in the harem is good? Whatever trick Xu Huiru is playing, how can Zhen not see it?” Mo Rongzhan flicked Ye Zhen’s forehead. “Anyway, by means of her effort, Zhen is able to do something I wanted to do.”

So he acquiesced to Xu Huiru doing this? Ye Zhen sneered in her heart. As expected, a cunning fox!

♚

“Seeing as the Empress Dowager has already rested, then I will return to the Female Physicians’ Dorm.” There were only the two of them in the study, and she didn’t feel safe in the slightest.

Mo Rongzhan really wanted her to stay, but he had only just gotten her to loosen up, and uneasily at that. If he pushed her further away again it would be more than he could afford.

“What are you going to the Female Physicians’ Dorm for at this time? Go back and rest in the Cining Palace.” Mo Rongzhan said, “I’ll send you there.”

“I can go myself,” Ye Zhen said.

Mo Rongzhan’s gaze landed heavily on her. She could only give up. It would be worse if she made him angry.

The two walked out of the imperial study. A eunuch walked over carrying a peony palace lantern. Mo Rongzhan took the lantern from his hands and flatly stated, “No need to follow us. I have something to say to the princess.”

The eunuchs a.s.signed to the imperial study were naturally the product of detailed selection. They all understood when to show and dismiss themselves. At the emperor’s command, they all lowered their heads and made themselves scarce.

Ye Zhen wanted someone to follow them, but Mo Rongzhan had already walked forward with the lantern. “Let’s go!”

“Do you really not need to go see Xianfei Xu?” she quietly asked, walking behind him.

“If you really want me to go see her, then I’ll go to Xinhe Palace tonight,” he flatly stated.

“Liar!” Ye Zhen grumbled softly. “You and Xianfei Xu have clearly never…..”

Consummated!

He stopped, quirking his eyebrow at her. “What did you say?”

She immediately shook her head, blus.h.i.+ng and saying, “Nothing.”

Fortunately, the night was dark, and Mo Rongzhan, who was standing across from her, couldn’t see the color of her face.

“Let’s go!” Mo Rongzhan held her hand and walked into a darker, cordierite path.

“I can walk by myself.” Ye Zhen struggled, not wanting to hold his hand. They didn’t have any mutual feelings that would allow for them to hold hands yet.

“If you won’t let me hold your hand, then I’ll carry you,” he declared.

“——” Ye Zhen was immediately speechless, and could only allow him to continue holding her hand.

The breeze blew gently, and the imperial palace was enveloped in absolute silence. There wasn’t the liveliness that had once been; those nights accompanied with song and music. Ye Zhen slowed down, and could just see his broad and straight figure. She had once insisted on marrying him, but she hadn’t known how many hards.h.i.+ps he had gone through at that time, and how hard he’d had to work to stay alive.

She now understood a bit more as to why he had been so cold to her for two years. She had, at that time, been backed by the Ye Family… the very family he hated. Even if he knew that it was she who had saved him, it probably wouldn’t have changed anything.

“What are you thinking about?” He looked back to see her staring off in a daze. She wasn’t even looking ahead of herself, allowing herself to be pulled wherever by him, and he couldn’t help but amusedly ask her so.

Ye Zhen hurriedly shook herself out of the daze, almost cras.h.i.+ng into his embrace. “Why did you suddenly stop?”

“Cining Palace is just in front of us,” Mo Rongzhan said softly, lightly wrapping his arm around her waist, “I won’t send you all the way. Weren’t you afraid of being seen?”

“If you conduct yourself accordingly around me, would I be afraid of people seeing us?” Ye Zhen said to him, embarra.s.sed. She had just realized that they had made it to the imperial garden. They were now standing next to the rock garden.

Mo Rongzhan softly laughed. “How have I been misconducting before you? Like this?”

He kissed her pink lips. Under the weak lantern light, he watched her grow fl.u.s.tered with embarra.s.sment, and a peal of deep laughter sounded again.

“Mo Rongzhan!” Ye Zhen clenched her teeth and called him by name.

“Hm.” He answered in a low voice, his lips gently dancing with hers as he patiently pecked one by one.

She pushed him with anger. “Let go of me!”

He tightened the grip of his arms. “Yaoyao, don’t move.”

She was caught in his embrace, their bodies tightly pressed against each other. She could feel the heat and stiffness radiating from his nether region. He was a hot-blooded male and naturally had his needs and recklessness. Ye Zhen’s eyes were red from anger.

“Let go of me.” She was both afraid and angry and spoke with a lump in her voice.

She didn’t want to cross paths with him ever again in this life, let alone be his woman. She couldn’t bear the consequences of him calling her inconsequential again and didn’t want to be given another cup of poisoned wine. This man… was a poison. She needed to avoid him.

Mo Rongzhan lightly sighed, reluctantly letting go of her arm. “Take the lantern.”

Ye Zhen s.n.a.t.c.hed the lantern and darted off to the Cining Palace in a single breath.