Chapter 148: You've lived again, right?

Xiao Yichen looked over coldly: "Why? You know it yourself."

"But I'm your wife!" Pei Yunxi's voice, choked with tears, was extremely aggrieved.

Passersby couldn't help but glance a few more times, wondering what was going on.

Pei Yunxi seized the opportunity to grab Xiao Yichen's arm: "It's late, let's go home, okay, Chen gege?"

Xiao Yichen really wanted to shake off Pei Yunxi's hand, but the Brave Martial Guard stood not far away.

Last time he accidentally knocked Pei Yunxi to the ground, the Son of Heaven found out and reprimanded him; it was probably also reported to the Son of Heaven by the Brave Martial Guard.

Xiao Yichen still didn't shake off Pei Yunxi's hand; she sniffed, then coquettishly said, "Let's go home, husband?"

Not letting her call him Chen gege, fine, she'll call him husband instead!

Xiao Yichen also disliked that term of address, but it's better than being called Chen gege—only Azhi may call him that.

"Husband, let's go back to the Xiao Manor."

Living in the Xiao Manor is better than living in the Prime Minister's Manor; the Xiao Manor has Xiao's father and mother, who are eagerly waiting to hold a grandson!

But Xiao Yichen didn't want to; he said, "I'm going back to the Prime Minister's Manor; if you want to go to the Xiao Manor, go by yourself."

Pei Yunxi smiled at him: "No problem, I'll go wherever you go."

Anyway, once she has a child, his heart will surely return to her side!

As soon as they left, Xiao Nianzi in the Princess Manor immediately reported to Mu Yuanzhi: "My lord, the annoying fellow outside has left."

"You don't need to report such trivial matters from now on." Gu Rongjin dismissed Xiao Nianzi: "All right, you may go."

Xiao Nianzi wasn't the sort of clueless servant; after reporting, he was already supposed to leave: "All right, Prince Consort."

After sending the servants away, Gu Rongjin then said to Mu Yuanzhi: "Little Azhi, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Mu Yuanzhi asked without looking up from her medical text.

Gu Rongjin moved closer: "What do you think about past and present lives?"

Upon hearing that, Mu Yuanzhi's hand paused on the book, she glanced at Gu Rongjin without showing it, then said: "What do you mean, how to view it?"

Gu Rongjin leaned in, gazing at her brows and eyes, solemnly: "Your expression just now was a bit off."

Mu Yuanzhi hastily restrained her gaze: "There's nothing off; your eyesight is poor."

"When you lie, your eyes involuntarily droop." Gu Rongjin said.

Mu Yuanzhi immediately lifted her eyes, meeting Gu Rongjin's probing gaze, and involuntarily grew nervous.

As if she feared he would see through her.

"You're avoiding my gaze." Gu Rongjin turned her shoulders, his eyes fixed on hers: "You're hiding something from me."

"I don't know what nonsense you're spouting!" Mu Yuanzhi knocked his hands away, her gaze returning to the book, yet she couldn't take in a single word.

"You got angry after I saw through you." Gu Rongjin directly snatched the book from her hand: "You don't even know you're holding it upside down."

"I merely asked you a very ordinary question; what are you nervous about?"

"Are you interrogating a criminal?"

"You look fierce and stern—that's a sign of guilt."

"I..."

Suddenly, a large warm hand rested on her head, gently rubbing, indescribably tender.

Mu Yuanzhi's heart instantly calmed, as if basking in sunlight, warm and comfortable, all her anxiety vanished.

Then she was drawn into a broad embrace; the familiar warmth made her reluctant, and she couldn't help wanting to hug him back.

And she indeed did so, wrapping her arms around his waist, greedily drinking in his scent.

Gu Rongjin also held her tight, softly coaxing: "Sorry, little Azhi."

"Why say sorry?" Mu Yuanzhi's soft voice was like a feather scratching Gu Rongjin's heart.

It was itchy.

"I made you unhappy, so I ought to apologize." Gu Rongjin said matter-of-factly: "If you don't want to talk about this topic, we won't; let's talk about something else."

"You're really good."

Mu Yuanzhi's nose soured, hot tears welled up, her emotions threatened to overflow, but she had no way to fully vent them, so she could only cling tightly to Gu Rongjin.

Such a good person—why did she treat him so badly in her past life?

Why, even though she treated him so badly, is he still willing to help her?

"Gu Rongjin, what exactly do you like about me?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

As soon as she spoke, her voice trembled with tears; she awkwardly pressed her throat.

Gu Rongjin noticed she was crying, hurriedly loosened his hold, fumbled to wipe her tears: "Don't cry, I've already apologized, please don't cry."

The proud Mu Yuanzhi pushed his hand away, frowned, and asked again: "Answer me."

Good grief, why are you crying again? We said we wouldn't cry—it's all Gu Rongjin's fault!

He always makes her cry!

Gu Rongjin looked at Mu Yuanzhi seriously: "How would I know? I just like you, that's all."

"When did it start?" Mu Yuanzhi persisted.

Gu Rongjin thought hard, then said: "I don't know."

Indeed, he doesn't know; perhaps this is what people mean by "love's origin unknown, it deepens inexorably."

"And you? Do you like me?" Gu Rongjin lowered his head to look at her, his expression unusually serious.

Mu Yuanzhi could even see from his eyes a hint of insecurity.

This made the words on the tip of her tongue impossible to utter.

"I don't know." Mu Yuanzhi lowered her eyes.

"Do you not know, or do you not want to know? Or are you afraid to know?" Gu Rongjin lifted Mu Yuanzhi's chin, firmly but unusually, forcing her to look at him, not allowing her to avert her gaze.

Her eyes shimmered with flowing light, clearly she had feelings for him.

"You like me, don't you? Xiao Yuanzhi, you like me!" Gu Rongjin looked at her eyes somewhat overbearingly.

Mu Yuanzhi's pupils trembled, and Gu Rongjin could see fear in them.

He didn't understand; was liking him really that frightening?

"Is it because of my status?" Gu Rongjin asked. "Because I am a person of Frost Descent, so you're afraid?"

But why then did you agree to marry him?

This makes no sense!

Mu Yuanzhi shook her head.

She could not like anyone anymore, anyone!

Gu Rongjin frowned in confusion.

No, from the moment he asked her about her views on past and present lives, she started acting strangely.

This must be related!

If it weren't for that pillow, perhaps Gu Rongjin would never have thought about this issue his whole life; but precisely because he asked this question, he discovered she was indeed acting strangely.

He knew she wouldn't say it, at least not for now.

But they are husband and wife! Shouldn't spouses be frank with each other?

"You don't trust me, Xiao Yuanzhi?" Gu Rongjin asked somewhat sadly. "I've laid my heart bare for you, and you still don't believe me?"

"I don't know, don't ask me!" Mu Yuanzhi got up and left.

She just wanted to escape now.

Gu Rongjin, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed Mu Yuanzhi's hand to stop her: "Do you know what I dreamed of after resting on that Dream-Wandering Pillow?"

"What did you dream of?"

Mu Yuanzhi suddenly recalled that Pei Shangyan had also come to ask her before, whether he knew what nightmare he had.

She remembered him saying that in the dream, he thrust his sword toward her chest.

This was certainly not a dream; it was her past life! It was her nightmare!

So did Pei Shangyan also rest on that Dream-Wandering Pillow?

In the world, there actually exists such a miraculous pillow that can let one see past lives?

Gu Rongjin looked at Mu Yuanzhi, pursed his lips, and after a long while said: "It was a dream both vague and clear; I couldn't see it, but I could hear it—you sounded like you had been beaten with a board, near death. I asked if you wanted help, you refused, and told me to get lost."

Mu Yuanzhi's pupils suddenly contracted.

She remembered, naturally she would not forget!

She was framed by Pei Yunxi for breaking his birthday gift, the Ruyi Glazed Lamp, and trying to stab him with the shards; in fact, Pei Yunxi had broken it himself, and the wound was also self-inflicted. She naturally would not admit it, insisting Pei Yunxi had framed her, and consequently she was the one punished.

Twenty heavy blows; the Father Emperor said the punishment was too light, the board was wielded personally by Consort De, who said she regretted raising this white-eyed wolf, having no daughter like her.

She was in such a sorry state, yet even before her arch-enemy Gu Rongjin, she naturally could not bring herself to ask for his help.

In fact, this was not the first time; he had repeatedly tried to help her, but she, not knowing what was good for her, refused his help.

"Xiao Yuanzhi, what's wrong with you?" Gu Rongjin now truly realized it wasn't a dream, and moreover, the things his Xiao Yuanzhi was hiding from him seemed also related to these supernatural matters!

What on earth is going on?

Mu Yuanzhi still shook her head. How could she say it? She couldn't.

Gu Rongjin fell silent for a moment, then said in astonishment: "Actually, you've lived again, right?"

Mu Yuanzhi's pupils jerked violently, and overwhelming fear instantly enveloped her.