Chapter 262: Another Extreme Either-Or Choice

The sound that gave Mu Yuanzhi goosebumps suddenly rang out.

She looked up and saw Pei Yunxi walk in.

As she had guessed, Pei Yunxi was still collaborating with A Zi.

Pei Di had never seen Pei Yunxi either, but he would call Mu Yuanzhi "older sister," and he instantly realized the woman before him was the princess demoted to commoner.

"You evil spirit still alive? I can't live more at ease!" Mu Yuanzhi laughed.

Pei Yunxi's smile vanished instantly; she curled her lips into a mocking smile: "You're about to die, yet you're not scared at all, not even begging me? We've been sisters; I might mercifully spare your life."

She stepped forward step by step, not even glancing at Pei Di, her eyes fixed only on Mu Yuanzhi.

She looked fairly energetic, unlike her near-death state before; she seemed to have mostly recovered.

What a lucky life.

"Who said we're sisters? Cut the disgust; I'm surnamed Mu, you're surnamed Pei—only the Peis are your family."

"Sorry, not every Pei is necessarily her family—I certainly don't have such disgusting relatives."

Pei Di and Mu Yuanzhi played off each other, making Pei Yunxi furious.

"You little beast, I'm your paternal aunt—how are you also helping this woman's blind person? How long have you been with that stinking woman to be bewitched into utter confusion?!" Pei Yunxi glared at Pei Di, wishing to slap him twice.

Those idiots who grew up with Mu Yuanzhi can be forgiven, but this dead kid only knew her a few days and got completely duped by her?!

Is everyone in the world a fool?!

Pei Di: "Stop grasping at random relatives; I'm not familiar with anyone in your palace."

Pei Yunxi snorted: "It doesn't matter; you'll soon not be able to be smug, because——"

She drew out her tone, turned, and looked outside.

It's time!

Just then, Gu Rongjin and Prince Jia burst in; upon seeing the scene inside, their faces changed instantly.

Gu Rongjin saw Mu Yuanzhi tied to the cliff, his heart leapt to his throat: "Little Yuanzhi!"

Mu Yuanzhi: "Rongjin, be careful—there are traps everywhere!"

Pei Yunxi gave a sly smile: "Exactly, traps everywhere, and the most important one is in my hand."

She pulled on the vines behind the big tree; with that tug, Mu Yuanzhi slipped downward a bit.

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't help but scream; even though it lasted less than an instant, she was still shaken, cold sweat breaking out all over.

Gu Rongjin almost had his heart stop; he dared not act rashly, saying to Pei Yunxi: "What exactly do you want?!"

Prince Jia's gaze also shifted from Pei Di to Pei Yunxi, awaiting her answer.

Pei Di could sense the urgency in Prince Jia's gaze, thinking he still had some weight in his father's heart, at least not completely ignored.

"Hahaha!" Pei Yunxi was pleased by the reactions of Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin.

Having casual control over others' lives is truly exhilarating!

After laughing enough, she said: "Another extreme either-or choice—I love playing this kind!"

Prince Jia had a rough idea of their grudges, but didn't know the specifics—just like now—but that didn't stop him from understanding what game this woman wanted to play: nothing more than satisfying her own desires while driving a wedge between them.

A Zi came running from somewhere, saying: "Exactly, it's an either-or choice—fair enough, as long as you choose."

"'A Zi, you've become a stranger to me.' Gu Rongjin stared coldly at A Zi."

"'Heir Apparent, you've also become a stranger to me.' A Zi said, 'The Heir Apparent I admired seems to have disappeared.'"

"'That's your own unfounded admiration; I've always been this way, never changed.' Gu Rongjin gave A Zi a cold glance."

A Zi gave a noncommittal smile, crossed her arms, and said: "Let's not talk about that—choose, Heir Apparent: will you release Miss Mu or Heir Apparent Di?"

Her gaze swept over them with interest, taking in Mu Yuanzhi, Pei Di, and Prince Jia, then finally returned to Gu Rongjin, awaiting his choice.

Pei Yunxi looked like she was enjoying the show, laughing happily.

Mu Yuanzhi gazed at Gu Rongjin; their eyes met, unsure what they were communicating, but Gu Rongjin's expression remained steadfast from start to finish.

"'Choose, Gu Rongjin—why aren't you speaking? Are you afraid or hesitating?' Pei Yunxi asked amusedly, playing with the rope in her hand, slowly: 'Choosing your wife would be disloyal and unjust; you're now a subordinate of Prince Jia—would it really be alright not to choose the Heir Apparent?'"

Pei Yunxi glanced at Prince Jia, then said with a troubled look: "But if you choose Heir Apparent Di, what will become of your devoted wife?"

Gu Rongjin gave Pei Yunxi a look as if she were trash, then said: "I naturally choose my wife."

Mu Yuanzhi furrowed her brows; undeniably, hearing that made her heart glad and excited, yet it meant that Gu Rongjin and Prince Jia would now have a rift.

This situation was inherently unsolvable; no matter what they chose, they'd lose.

Pei Di certainly didn't care whether Gu Rongjin chose him; rather, if Gu Rongjin chose him, Pei Di would look down on Gu Rongjin.

Pei Yunxi exclaimed in shock: "So you're saying you don't care about Heir Apparent Di's life or death? What an unprincipled alliance!"

Although A Zi had long guessed Gu Rongjin's choice, hearing it still made her blink—especially since Gu Rongjin chose Mu Yuanzhi without hesitation, without any difficulty, and without any conditions.

She composed herself and asked Prince Jia: "Your Highness, it's your turn to choose—will you release Miss Mu or save your son?"

To her, Pei Yunxi, and Gu Rongjin, this question was nonsense—who would abandon their own son to save an outsider?

This is the Heir Apparent, who overrode ritual to appoint the younger son as heir.

Pei Di stared straight into his father's eyes, awaiting his answer.

Prince Jia had no hesitation, directly saying: "Release Miss Mu."

"'What?!' Pei Yunxi doubted her ears: 'Prince Jia, do you not understand? This is a multiple-choice question—once you choose, if I pull the rope, your son will be smashed to pieces!'"

A Zi also stared in shock at Prince Jia: "Has he gone mad?"

Gu Rongjin couldn't fathom Prince Jia's meaning.

"'I, the prince, heard it clearly and speak it clearly: release Miss Mu.' Prince Jia said firmly."

Even if he had expected it, Pei Di's heart still sank to the bottom.

In fact, he harbored a slight fantasy that his father actually cared for him.

But in the end he still couldn't see his own position clearly.

How could his dispensable son compare to the Miss Mu that the father king values?