Actually, Qing Wu woke up as soon as she arrived at the Prince's Mansion.
However, she pretended to be asleep, wanting to see what Xiao Chenyan would do. When her body landed on the bed, she still kept her eyes closed, her arm hooked around the man's neck, refusing to let go.
With her arm around his neck, Xiao Chenyan could only lean down, his hands propping up the sides of her face. The distance between them had long since exceeded a safe range.
He looked at the face before him at close range. The Yun clan was full of beauties, and perhaps because they were all from the Yun clan, this face was exquisitely beautiful.
Searching carefully, it wasn't difficult to find familiar traces between her eyebrows and eyes.
"The iris flower on the carriage shaft, did you draw it?" Xiao Chenyan asked.
Seeing that Qing Wu didn't react, he lowered his eyes and added, "If you keep pretending to be asleep, the dowry you stole from Yun Houxing's secret room will be gone."
Qing Wu immediately opened her eyes and said angrily, "Xiao Chenyan, you've gone too far! How can you snatch someone's dowry?"
"No more pretending?"
Qing Wu pouted, but her hand around his neck refused to let go. She raised her chin triumphantly and slyly, "I'll pretend. If you don't like it, you can just hold it in."
Xiao Chenyan ignored her banter, "The iris flower, who taught you to draw it?"
Qing Wu seemed not to have heard his probing, "What iris flower?" She tilted her head, "Oh, you mean the talisman I drew?"
She smiled lazily, "It's just a flower, who needs to teach me?"
"The lantern you took away before had a flower painted on it. I thought it looked nice, so I learned it."
Xiao Chenyan didn't miss the slightest change in her expression.
Whether it was her excellent acting or the truth, Xiao Chenyan couldn't detect any trace of a lie.
That night, the burning passion churning in his heart felt like it was doused with cold water, leaving only emptiness and self-mockery.
Wisps of smoke lingered with unwillingness, and he still harbored doubts, stubbornly scrutinizing her.
"The iris flower was a coincidence, then is your keen interest in Madam Mu also a coincidence?"
Qing Wu blinked in confusion, "Am I very interested? If I see something I don't like, I'll act. What reason do I need? Anyway, whoever annoys me, I'll make them die."
Her reasoning was practically rogue, yet it perfectly matched her style of action.
Xiao Chenyan looked at her for a moment, then stood up directly. In an instant, he seemed to transform back into the indifferent, aloof, murderous Prince Yan, with no warmth left in his eyes.
"The Princess Consort has had a tiring night. Please rest."
Seeing him about to leave, Qing Wu gritted her teeth and sat up a bit, "Xiao Chenyan."
"Is there anything else?"
"Someone is stealing your fate. Do you know?"
The man's foot paused, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. He grunted, "I know now."
"And you still plan to spend the night alone?"
Qing Wu propped her chin on her hand and yawned, smiling sweetly, "I can help you~"
Xiao Chenyan looked back and saw her impish demeanor. He felt even more absurd for associating her with that little bean.
The little bean was quite mischievous when she was young, but she was adorable and bright.
Nothing like her current appearance, too seductive, too charming, full of evil energy, and heartless as if she had no heart.
"My injuries have not yet healed. If I were to stay the night with the Princess Consort, I might not survive."
Qing Wu was stunned for a moment, hearing his teasing. She gritted her teeth, "That's right, if you dare to come, I'll suck all your Yang energy dry! You absolutely must not come!"
Seeing her baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, Xiao Chenyan's mood inexplicably eased. He nodded, "Alright. Remember to return the Yang energy you borrowed before."
Qing Wu's beautiful eyes widened. "You're so stingy!"
"A few tiger penises won't kill you!"
"Absolutely not necessary." The man glanced sideways, "You borrowed it, you figure out how to return it." With that, Xiao Chenyan turned and left, not even realizing that the corners of his mouth were turned up as he walked away.
Qing Wu sat on the bed, glaring, and after a while, said, "He's so arrogant..."
"A debt must be repaid. He's not wrong," the Judge's Brush muttered. "Besides, with your ghostly demeanor when you talk to people, it doesn't look like you're trying to help. You're purely trying to trick people into giving you their essence."
"Which man wouldn't run far away if they saw you?"
Qing Wu rolled her eyes and directly squirmed back into the quilt, deciding to cover her head and sleep for a while.
Qing Wu slept, but Xiao Chenyan didn't have that luxury.
"Your Highness, Wang Sheng requests an audience. He likely comes regarding Madam Mu."
Xiao Chenyan raised his eyes, his smile gone. He coldly threw out a sentence, "Throw him out."
Situ Jing hesitated, "But Wang Sheng is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Beating him up might not be a big deal, but wouldn't it be problematic without a reason?"
Xiao Chenyan fiddled with his prayer beads, "The scoundrel in his estate harmed his master and framed the Princess Consort, causing her to have heart palpitations, faint, and fall gravely ill. Beating him up is reasonable and justified."
Situ Jing suppressed a smile, "Your Highness is right. But will the Princess Consort agree?" This scapegoat was quite something.
Xiao Chenyan thought that she would probably only complain that he wasn't beaten to death.
Qing Wu only found out she had been made a scapegoat when she woke up at noon for lunch.
She was very displeased about this, "They only beat him up? They didn't break his limbs and directly kill Wang Sheng?"
Both maids were secretly laughing.
Hong Rui said, "Although it's just superficial wounds, they all hit his face. He probably won't dare to show himself for a while."
Lu Qiao pouted, "He's already a shameless person, what does he have to be afraid of?"
"Little Lu is actually right!" Situ Jing's voice sounded from outside. Qing Wu lazily went out, and he greeted her.
Situ Jing had come to examine Madam Mu and Wang Yulang. He continued the previous conversation:
"After Wang Sheng was disfigured, he still wasn't quiet. I heard he went to the Minister's Manor again."
Qing Wu smiled, "He went to find Yun Houxing?"
Situ Jing nodded, his eyes teasing, "He probably doesn't know the commotion at the Minister's Manor yet. He probably thinks he can get Yun Houxing to 'discipline' the Princess Consort."
Qing Wu chuckled and asked Lu Qiao to bring her a piece of yellow paper. She casually wrote a talisman, held it between two fingers, and flicked it. The talisman instantly ignited.
A wisp of Ghost Power drifted towards the Minister's Manor.
With the Scumbag Dad and Scumbag Man gathered together, how could she, their 'daughter' and sister-in-law, stand by and do nothing?
Since Yun Qingwu and those little ghosts had set up camp at the Minister's Manor anyway, why not give her brother-in-law a meeting gift?
Seeing this, Situ Jing knew Wang Sheng was in for bad luck.
"Princess Consort, Madam Mu has woken up. She wishes to see you."
Qing Wu was slightly surprised, "You cured her soul separation illness?"
Situ Jing coughed, not daring to boast in front of her, "Although my profound arts are only superficial, when it comes to medical skills, I believe I am capable."
"Not bad," Qing Wu nodded, "You'll get a reward."
Situ Jing smiled so widely his eyes disappeared, "Can I get a red talisman as a reward?"
"Sure, sure."
Qing Wu was thinking of Mu Ying and didn't banter with him, heading straight over.
Thinking about meeting her cousin, Qing Wu was quite excited.
Ten years had passed, and things had changed.
Did Sister Ying still remember that little mischievous monkey who used to always pester her for food?
She quietly pushed the door open. As she passed the screen, Qing Wu took a deep breath and pushed aside the beaded curtain.
Wang Yulang was lying on the bed. The first thing Madam Mu did after waking up was to see her son.
Hearing the sound, she turned her head. Qing Wu met her tired yet clear eyes.
A myriad of emotions surged in her chest, finally resolving into a single sentence: "Madam Mu."
Madam Mu was also startled when she saw Qing Wu. After waking up, Situ Jing had told her what had happened. After a brief daze, she got up to pay her respects.
"Mu Ying thanks the Princess Consort for saving my life."
Qing Wu suppressed the excitement in her heart, "Madam Mu, please don't be so polite. It was just a small effort."
Madam Mu's expression was complicated. How could it be a small effort?
She had been rescued from the clutches of wicked servants in the street, and then went to Infant Devouring Mountain overnight to find her son. After waking up and hearing about these things, Madam Mu was filled with gratitude towards Qing Wu, but also a deep sense of doubt.
Especially after learning of Qing Wu's 'identity', the sense of contradiction became even stronger.
The Yun Houxing family and the Mu family had a feud that could be described as a sea of blood. Why would Yun Houxing's daughter save her?
Madam Mu was confused. She had been mentally unsound for too long. After regaining consciousness after a long time, everything felt like a dream.
This feeling intensified when she heard that Xiao Chenyan had married Yun Houxing's daughter.
She only felt that fate was playing tricks on people.
If the Marquis Zhenguo's Estate were still here, if her little sister Qing Wu were still here...
Madam Mu collected her thoughts. She hated Yun Houxing, that was true, but the Princess Consort before her had nothing to do with what happened back then, and she was also the savior of herself and her child.
Madam Mu could distinguish between love and hate. After a brief moment of melancholy, she was genuinely grateful to Qing Wu.
She still had her child on her mind and couldn't wait any longer, "Doctor Situ said the Princess Consort can save my son?"
Qing Wu nodded, "Your son's soul has left his body. To save him, we need to find his living soul."
"Please enlighten me, Princess Consort. As long as my son can be saved, I am willing to pay any price!"
As Madam Mu spoke, she was about to kneel, but Qing Wu quickly stepped forward to support her.
"There's no need," Qing Wu said, "To save your son, the key still lies with you, Madam. You should rest well first."
"Tonight, Madam will have to walk a long road. This road is not easy to travel. You must grit your teeth and walk it. I can't help you much."
Madam Mu subconsciously inquired further, "What road?"
"The Yin-Yang Road."
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