She sneaked into his room in the middle of the night without sleeping, just to set off fireworks at the foot of his bed?!
In the drifting pink smoke, Nangong Mo saw that little lady laughing heartily with her face covered, looking like a little fox full of smugness after a successful prank!
Great! Just great!
"Lin Wanyue, you've got some nerve, don't you?"
Yun Ran blinked her eyes, expressing surprise: No way? She was covering tightly! Didn't laugh out loud!
"Ha... I can smell your scent."
"???"
Was he born with a dog's nose? How could he know?
"Idiot, don't you know that a blind person's sense of smell is the sharpest?"
Yun Ran: "..."
[You're the idiot! Even idiots are cuter than a black-hearted ghost like you! Humph!]
"Master, you might not know, I couldn't sleep and went out to admire the moon. Suddenly, I saw a black shadow heading toward your courtyard. I was worried he meant harm to you, so I quickly chased after him."
In the darkness, the man let out a cold laugh, his tone chilling like a ghostly wind, "Chasing after him to set off fireworks for me?"
"...Uh! How could that be! That was purely accidental, I accidentally lit it while searching for the man in black..."
"Ha!"
"Where's the man in black? Did you find him?"
This woman spews nonsense! Not a word of truth from her mouth!
The Shadow Guards, who had initially kept their distance to leave the two ample space, rushed in to check for danger after hearing the earth-shattering sound of fireworks.
Then they saw their master surrounded by a pink smoke, as if in a peach blossom paradise...
A few petals fell on his black hair, countless others spread over his clothes and the bed...
But, his face was dark and he was glaring at the princess consort, as if in the next moment he would pounce and devour her whole...
The Shadow Guards quickly lowered their heads, contemplating deeply, "Master, we heard a commotion... Are you alright?"
Yun Ran seized the opportunity, "Guard brothers, you came at the right time! Just now a black shadow sneaked into the prince's room with ill intentions, but I scared her away. She went that way, I'll go chase after her. Take good care of the prince."
With that, she didn't give the Shadow Guards time to react and made a swift escape.
The Shadow Guards watched as the figure disappeared fifty meters away in the blink of an eye, a cold sweat rolling down their foreheads:
Princess, are you sure that shadow isn't just you?
Nangong Mo squinted his dark eyes, looking out the window, this woman! Could it be she turned into a rabbit? So quick to escape! While others train in Qinggong, she's mastered the art of fleeing, hasn't she?
Shadow Guard No. 1 took a bold step forward, "Master, please, please move, I'll tidy up the bed..."
The man squinted, casting a fleeting glance, causing Shadow Guard No. 1's heart to shiver, "Master, I was negligent. Next time I'll be sure to thoroughly check what the princess consort brings in..."
...
Yun Ran ran all the way back to her own courtyard and, once inside, immediately locked the door to prevent Nangong Mo from retaliating.
But she was still uneasy.
She found a burlap sack, fiddled with it for a while carefully, propped open the mouth with wire, and hung it upside down above the door.
Yes, if anyone broke in, the sack would fall and ensnare them.
After doing the same thing to the window, she finally felt comfortable enough to go to sleep.
She slept until she naturally woke up, feeling refreshed and in a particularly good mood.
"Princess, are you up? Someone from the palace has come with a message, you and the prince need to make a visit today."
Ying Yue's voice came from the door. Yun Ran replied, quickly dressing and getting ready, then opened the door.
And then...
Well, there was no 'then'...
Yun Ran found herself inside the burlap sack, her heart entangled in chaos,
How could she forget?!
Brain, what a wonderful thing!
"Princess!"
Ying Yue was momentarily stunned, then quickly put down the basin she held, rushed over to rescue Yun Ran from the sack, her expression a mix of concern and slight confusion.
"Princess, are you alright? How come a burlap sack just came falling down...?"
"Ying Yue, I'm fine, actually the burlap sack..."
Was placed there by herself...
But then, Yun Ran looked up and saw Nangong Mo.
At that moment, he was sitting there leisurely against the light, watching her.
The gentle sunlight shone on him, casting a soft golden glow upon his snow-white robe, coupled with his unparalleled elegance, he seemed like a deity from nine heavens passing through the mortal realm.
However, his slightly raised lips held a playful smile.
Yun Ran read full mockery and contempt from his smile!
"..."
This is too much!
Clearly, the burlap sack was prepared meticulously for him...
Didn't he believe in revenge? Why didn't he come last night then?
The man's brow lightly arched, and his voice carried amusement, "Lin Wanyue, have you done too many guilty things that even the heavens can't stand it?"
Yun Ran: "..."
"Master, what are you saying? How could a gentle and kind girl like me do anything guilty!"
"Really? Could it be you hung that sack up there yourself?"
"..."
A moment of speechlessness!
"You may be a bit stupid, but surely you're not that idiotic, right?"
Yun Ran: "..."
You're the stupid one! You're the stupidest in the whole palace!
...
Yun Ran originally thought the Emperor had summoned Nangong Mo, only to find out after arriving that it was the Empress Dowager.
According to Tianchu customs, they should have entered the palace to meet the Emperor and Empress the day after their marriage. However, as the Emperor disliked King Qin, and Nangong Mo had a terrible relationship with the Empress, they did not enter the palace on that day.
The Empress Dowager was not what Yun Ran expected; instead of being the stern, unsmiling old lady she imagined, she was amiable and affable, making a person feel very welcome.
Moreover, the way she looked at Nangong Mo and spoke with him showed her deep affection for this grandson, and their grandparent-grandchild relationship appeared to be very good.
"Jiulang, you haven't come to see your royal grandmother in a long time. Today, no matter what, you won't leave. I've already had a palace cleaned for you two to stay for a few days."
When Yun Ran heard this, she was like, why do they have to stay overnight too?
She quickly turned her head to look at Nangong Mo, only to see him frowning slightly, "Royal grandmother, I fear this might..."
However, before he could finish, the Empress Dowager let out a light snort, seemingly displeased, "Are you unwilling? I just find little Yue very to my liking, and want to keep her by my side to chat. Is that too much to ask?"
"Royal grandmother, it's not that I..."
"Humph! I know! I'm old and useless now, and you all dislike this old woman. You don't even want to chat with me and keep me company!"
Nangong Mo: "..."
"Ah! Since I'm such a bother to you all, and no one wants to chat and relieve this old woman's boredom, what's the point of living? Perhaps I should just starve myself, save you all the trouble!"
Nangong Mo pressed a hand to his forehead, somewhat helplessly, "Royal grandmother, I'll stay, alright."
The Empress Dowager, who appeared dejected just a second ago, suddenly brightened up, "That's it! That's my good grandson! Now, go eat, then rest; you've both had a long day."
Nangong Mo: "..."
Yun Ran stood by, utterly stupefied; the Empress Dowager's mood changes faster than flipping pages!
And besides, it's not even dark yet, how's it time to rest...
Nonetheless, Yun Ran and Nangong Mo were practically "ushered" to the palace by Mrs. Hong, who was attendant to the Empress Dowager.
"Your Highness, Princess, this is your bedchamber, the hour is late, please retire."