Mrs. Qin gently stroked Lin Yanran's hair, her voice soft, but her gaze venomous.
"She let you suffer such grievances, how could I, as your mother, easily forgive her? On the way back, I have already thought of how to punish her."
"Really? How does mother plan to deal with her?"
Mrs. Qin's eyes glinted with a cold light, "Tomorrow is her return to the family day, then..."
After hearing Mrs. Qin's detailed plan, Lin Yanran was very satisfied, but her happiness was short-lived as she frowned again, looking gloomy.
Mrs. Qin noticed this and sighed, "Is Yan'er upset because of Nangong Mo?"
Lin Yanran bit her lip and clenched her palm, "Mother, I am unwilling. Now that he has become like this, what right does he have to treat me this way? Who does he think he is?"
Mrs. Qin didn't want Lin Yanran to dwell too much on Nangong Mo, so she patted her shoulder and spoke earnestly:
"Yan'er, you are to marry the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess Consort, and in the future, you will be the most noble woman in Tianchu. Do not let yourself be disturbed by those lowly people."
"Men, they're all the same. He's just pretending to get your attention, don't be fooled by him. Remember, the one you're going to marry is the Crown Prince."
"I understand, mother." Lin Yanran lowered her eyes, obediently nodding, but memories of him flashed through her mind.
Her first encounter with him in her youth dazzled her for several years, and since then her heart had fallen for him, always involuntarily seeking his figure, endlessly thinking of him.
But he was like winter's wind and snow, cold and distant towards her, never giving her a second glance.
He was like the radiant sun in the sky, impossible to ignore, yet so distant and untouchable.
Later, she finally got what she wished for and got engaged to him...
But then, after the incident with Consort Lan, he was implicated, and since then the Emperor abandoned him, his favor lost.
Originally the undisputed choice for Crown Prince, he ended up far away at the frontier, accompanied by yellow sand, riding horses and drinking blood on the battlefield.
The thin thread of fate between her and him ultimately vanished in the vast whirlwind of sand.
From the beginning to the end, he was always cold as ice towards her, never showing a moment of warmth.
Once, he was Tianchu's most brilliant and talented youth.
The Emperor's favored Prince Qin, indifferent and disdainful towards her as it was.
But now, he was nothing but a fallen prince with broken legs and blind eyes, his favor lost and future ruined.
What right does he have to treat her this way? How can he still stand tall before her?
...
Yun Ran was feeling quite depressed as the thousand taels she just got were all tricked away by Nangong Mo. While digging wild herbs on the hill behind the prince's mansion.
Of course, those herbs weren't ordinary; with some tweaking using different flower pollen and medicinal ingredients, they became Yun Ran's favorite poison.
A certain bird was busy worrying over this:
[You're supposed to be accumulating good karma! You should be doing good deeds! Why are you always making these harmful things?]
[Of course, to poison Nangong Mo, that bastard.]
[Poisoning him is so boring, why not change his method of death? Like, drain him dry?]
[... You shameless, corrupt bird!]
[Why? Unwilling? But hey, he's handsome and well-built, are you sure you don't have any interest in him at all?]
[I have interest in his Silver. And by the way, pick up your scattered morals quickly.]
[I've already eaten them, can't pick them up. This bird has decided to lend you a hand and send you off to visit the handsome man's bed at night.]
[... Get lost! Dare you!]
[Do you want to try and see if this bird dares or not?]
[... No need.]
Yun Ran dried wild herbs under the corridor while retorting with the certain bird, completely unaware of Nangong Mo sitting on the other side of the wall, enjoying the moon.
Feng Xuan stood behind Nangong Mo, periodically glancing at the moon, then at his own master, full of confusion.
Since when did his lord have leisure for moon gazing?
Moreover, wasn't the moon at Tingxue Pavilion round enough? Why the need to specially come to the corner of Tingfeng Garden... for moon watching?
Is there some special significance to moon watching?
Unaware of the matter under the corner, Yun Ran was somewhat sleepy after working hard all afternoon; after drying the wild herbs, she went back to her room to wash and sleep.
Just as she was half-asleep, she felt something tugging at her hair beside her.
Years of cultivated alertness made Yun Ran suddenly open her eyes.
Then, her expression was momentarily frozen, staring at the two floating... Her mind was momentarily short-circuited.
"Am I dead again??"
Yun Ran blinked with some disbelief.
Could it be that she got struck by lightning again? In her sleep?
Those two, one black and one white, with clothes fluttering and hair dancing wildly, their eyes emitted a faint blue light in the darkness, reflecting ghostly pale faces, especially those two gaping mouths... Quite terrifying!
Who but the legendary Black and White Impermanence?
Yun Ran sighed softly, "No need, big brothers. I'll go myself..."
The air fell silent for a moment, then a unique, ethereal, deep, hoarse, overall distinct voice came.
Asking her, "Do you have any last words you wish to say?"
Yun Ran arched her brow, squinted her eyes, and stealthily surveyed the room.
In the end, she fixed her gaze on the two floating at the foot of her bed, one black and one white, and softly smirked.
"I do! I'd like to take Nangong Mo with me."
"Why bring him?"
Yun Ran glanced behind the two spirits and said matter-of-factly:
"Heading to the underworld, I'm unfamiliar with the place, and I don't have any Silver."
"Nangong Mo is handsome, well-built, and has a pleasant voice. What if some ghost officials fancy him?"
"I can even sell him for some Silver, wouldn't that be great!"
"With his beauty, he'll surely fetch a good price! Enough for me to enjoy a carefree life in the underworld for a while!"
A certain ghost: "..."
"Brother ghost, why aren't you speaking? Can you grant my wish?"
"... Such a vile thought, rejected!"
"Brother ghost, you're wrong! He's my husband, naturally, we should follow each other in life and death!"
"Besides, if I leave him alone in the world, how pitiful and miserable he would be! I'm doing this for his own good!"
Black and White Impermanence actually let out a cold laugh, "In that case, he should thank you for selling him for Silver?"
Sensing the gritting of teeth in that tone, Yun Ran's lips formed a faint, cool smile.
"No need for thanks! But..."
With swift action, Yun Ran kicked the two spirits away, and hurled the pillow in her hand at the black shadow in front of her.
"Bang—"
A dull thud, a messed-up hairstyle, and a blackened handsome face.
Nangong Mo: "..."
This damnable person!