Chapter 150: Dining in the Study

Chi Nan Yi looked at the clothes, then looked at Yun Shan, and couldn't help laughing: "The shopkeeper didn't chase you down and beat you?" It was already the middle of the night—if someone knocked on her door in the dead of night just to buy a single piece of clothing, she'd probably chase him down the street with a cleaver.

Yun Shan smiled sheepishly, the expression on his face saying it all.

Even now, that shop's shopkeeper was probably still cursing him!

Chi Nan Yi took the clothes to the inner room to change, looking at herself in the bronze mirror, recalling what Yun Shan had just said.

Not a single piece of women's clothing could be found in the entire residence—so was it true that Mo Junyan didn't have a single woman?

Though Yun Shan hadn't been by her side for long, he still had some understanding of her preferences.

A full set of blue garments made her look exceptionally fair and beautiful.

When she emerged from the inner room, Yun Shan had already withdrawn; the entire study held only Mo Junyan and Chi Nan Yi.

"Are you hungry?"

"Hmm?" Chi Nan Yi thought she was hearing things—had he just asked if she was hungry?

Mo Junyan set down his book and looked up at her: "This Prince is asking if you're hung—"

The words stopped abruptly at his lips.

Mo Junyan looked at Chi Nan Yi's appearance at this moment and couldn't help but startle.

Brows like distant mountains touched with pigment, eyes like autumn waters rippling, a face of spring yet free of coyness, lightly swept brows of natural grace—this was the very description of a beauty that could topple kingdoms.

"Prince? Prince?"

"Oh, This Prince is asking if you'd like to eat something."

"Yes!" Chi Nan Yi rubbed her belly, a trace of laughter in her eyes.

Mo Junyan was truly a good person—how did he know she was hungry?

"My thanks to the Prince for everything today. If the Prince doesn't mind, you could have someone go to the shop early tomorrow morning to pick up some ingredients—they're ones I prepared for making medicinal dishes, and the flavor is excellent."

"Alright." Mo Junyan did not refuse. To this day, he still remembered the taste of the first time he'd eaten a medicinal dish—she had made it herself.

Before long, Yun Shan came in carrying a food box, and the aroma of steaming dishes filled the study.

Chi Nan Yi looked at the food on the plates and said with a smile: "The Prince's residence cook is truly extraordinary—the flavor of the food is second to none."

"Is that so?" Mo Junyan said lightly: "It's passable. This Prince once had something several times better than what he makes."

Hearing this, Chi Nan Yi couldn't help growing curious: "Several times better? Now I'm rather curious."

"You'll see in the future." Mo Junyan only smiled and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, outside the study, Yun Shui looked at the food box in Yun Shan's hand and exclaimed in surprise: "The Prince is actually eating in the study?"

Yun Shan nodded.

"Doesn't the Prince absolutely forbid anyone from eating in the study? I recall that when the Eldest Princess merely ate a single bite of pastry in the study, the Prince threw her out along with the pastry. What is this now…"

"Miss Chi is in the study."

"Oh, Miss Chi… Chi… Miss Chi? How could Miss Chi be in the Prince's study?"

"It's a long story, so I won't make it short." In truth, Yun Shan didn't know the details either: "Anyway, Miss Chi was hungry, and the Prince ordered a meal served in the study."

From this one thing alone, Yun Shui could conclude that Chi Nan Yi would surely become the future Princess Consort of their Prince Li's residence.

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Chi Nan Yi set down her bowl and chopsticks and said with a smile: "Thank you, Prince, for today. It'll be dawn in a little while, and this common woman must take her leave."

"This Prince will see you back."

"No need to trouble the Prince—having Yun Shan escort me will do."

"Yun Shan?" Mo Junyan said lightly: "He's injured. He can't use lightness skill to carry you."

"Injured? Since when? Wasn't he perfectly fine just now?"

"Just now."

Standing at the door, Yun Shan and Yun Shui heard every word clearly. When Chi Nan Yi opened the door and stepped out, she saw Yun Shan clutching his stomach and Yun Shui clutching his leg.

The timing of the injuries was far too coincidental.

"This Prince will see you back."

Mo Junyan carried her back to the shop using lightness skill. Just as he was about to leave, a figure blocked his path.

"So His Highness Prince Li's legs are perfectly fine!" Ji Bai stepped out from the shadows, a cold gleam in his eyes, and said in a low voice: "In the dead of night, His Highness Prince Li taking away our young lady is hardly proper!"

Mo Junyan looked at Ji Bai blocking his way and gave a faint laugh: "This Prince originally thought your martial arts were decent and that guarding her side was reliable enough. Now it seems you're useless."

"What does the Prince mean?"

"If This Prince hadn't acted in time, your young lady likely wouldn't have come back today." Mo Junyan glanced at Chi Nan Yi's room. His figure flashed, and before Ji Bai could react, Mo Junyan had already moved behind him, the sword sheath pressed against his neck: "You are no match for This Prince. No matter who the person behind you is, if you dare harm her, This Prince will take your life."

If not for the sword sheath between them, at this moment, he would already be a corpse.

Ji Bai's heart jolted—he hadn't even been able to see how Prince Li had struck, yet his life was already held in the Prince's hands.

"I will not harm the young lady, nor will I allow anyone else to harm her."

Hearing this, Mo Junyan slowly withdrew his hand: "Best keep it that way."

With those words, his figure flashed and he vanished into the night.

Early the next morning, before Chi Nan Yi had even risen, she heard the continuous sound of horse hooves from the street.

She opened the window and looked down to see many soldiers patrolling the street.

Several colonels on horseback announced in loud voices: "All merchants! Open your doors! The authorities are conducting an investigation. Anyone who fails to comply will be arrested and thrown into the great prison!"

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers, weapons in hand, charged into the various shops.

"Did you hear? Someone broke into the palace yesterday—they even killed someone, apparently."

"What? Broke into the palace and killed someone? That's nonsense! The palace is guarded everywhere—how could anyone just break in?"

"It's absolutely true. I was delivering vegetables to an official's residence in Jingcheng today, and a servant there told me. He even told me to stop loitering on the streets if I had nothing to do—things haven't been peaceful lately."

"Then do you know who was killed?"

"I don't know that." The man shouldered his pole and walked a few steps ahead: "I'd better go back and lay low." Having said that, he hurried away.

Their conversation reached Chi Nan Yi's ears.

Kill someone in the palace?

This rumor is truly almost miraculous.

I merely sneaked into the palace at night—who would I kill?

Indeed, spreading falsehood upon falsehood is the most terrifying.

She closed the window and began to change clothes; just then, her hand paused.

Enter the palace to kill someone?

The person I met in the palace yesterday...

Mo Junyan.

How could he happen to appear there so coincidentally?

Could it be that the culprit who killed someone in the palace is him?

Just then, a crackling sound came from the opposite Delicious Taste House, and several men were dragged out from inside.

"Let us go! Let me go! Why are you arresting people?"

"When the authorities handle a case, do they need a reason to arrest you?" One of the colonels shouted loudly: "If you have nothing to hide, why would you run when you see officials?"