Hearing the hint of irritation laced in his words, Mu Yao’s hand holding the water cup trembled slightly.
She instinctively stole a glance at Yan Xun sitting across from her, feeling increasingly uneasy.
He had been perfectly fine when he first entered—why had he suddenly grown irritable the moment he sat down?
Truly, such a capricious temperament.
Though that was what she thought, she showed none of it on her face. Instead, she took out what she had written the night before, placed it on the table, and slid it toward him. “Your Highness may look first, and then I will speak.”
Yan Xun raised an eyebrow. Meeting the bright eyes of this girl, the frustration in his heart instantly dissipated.
But as he picked up the paper and examined it closely, his expression suddenly darkened.
“Miss Mu, what is the meaning of what you have written here?”
What Mu Yao had written the night before was none other than the detailed inventory of Mu Fu’s assets, along with her dowry.
She had spent the night thinking about what she could offer to show her sincerity. After much deliberation, she realized that empty promises were unrealistic—nothing was more tangible than gold, silver, and fine possessions.
So she had written them all down on paper, intending to use them to negotiate with Yan Xun.
But seeing the man so visibly angered, Mu Yao suddenly felt as though she had done something wrong.
“Your Highness, my coming here today to speak with you in private is already a risk in itself. No matter how angry you are, would you hear me out first?”
Yan Xun met her eyes, which held a trace of helplessness, and ultimately sat back down.
Wretched girl!
Did she take him for some money-grubbing fellow?
“This list contains the assets of Mu Fu and my dowry. I know Your Highness is troubled by the matter of marriage, and you know of my troubles as well. I have brought these today because I wish to negotiate a condition with Chu Wang.”
Yan Xun raised an eyebrow. Though he knew exactly what she meant, he pretended otherwise.
Lazily propping his chin on his hand, he curled his lips and fixed his gaze on her.
“What condition does Miss Mu wish to negotiate with me?”
Mu Yao felt her cheeks grow warm under his stare and averted her gaze slightly. “Since Your Highness shares the same worry as I do, why not work together with me?”
“What is written on this paper is my sincerity.”
At this point, the Mu family had nothing else to offer.
Even if the Mu family had once held countless connections at court, the family had no one left to wield them, and she certainly could not use such things to negotiate with the man before her.
Only these possessions were presentable.
“Miss Mu’s meaning is that you wish for me to marry you?”
The man’s flat statement betrayed neither joy nor anger.
It made Mu Yao’s hands, resting on her lap, clench tightly.
Yan Xun watched the little girl who kept her head lowered, unable to hide the delight in his eyes. He discreetly signaled Changqing with a glance.
The latter immediately pulled Ningzhu along and went out to stand guard.
“Yes.”
Mu Yao took a deep breath before lifting her gaze, meeting his stare with neither humility nor arrogance.
“Your Highness need not worry—this is a partnership between us. If one day Your Highness comes to favor another, you may give me a Heli-shu.”
“While I reside in your household, I will remember my duties and will never cause trouble out of jealousy.”
“I will also be filial to Old Madame Xiao and will never bring about discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, nor cause Your Highness any worry.”
The words were spoken.
But when no response came from the other side for a long while, Mu Yao could not help but grow nervous.
Just as she was about to speak again, a sound finally came from across the table.
“At times, Miss Mu and I truly think alike.”
Those words struck her heart, and she jerked her head up.
But she had no idea when he had leaned in close to her face—her lips brushed against the man’s without any warning at all.
It sent a flurry of panic into Mu Yao’s eyes, and she hurriedly leaned backward.
Seeing that she was about to fall hard to the ground, Yan Xun found it amusing. He quickly reached out and pulled her back into his embrace, settling her steadily on his lap.
The man’s breath sprayed against her neck, making Mu Yao’s heart even more flustered.
“Your Highness, please release me.”
Her voice was muffled as she tried to break free.
But no matter how she struggled, she remained firmly held on his lap. Growing somewhat exasperated, she said, “Your Highness, what are you doing!”
Yan Xun raised an eyebrow, finding her huffy appearance utterly adorable.
But fearing she might truly be angered, he slowly loosened his grip. “Even if Miss Mu had not come today, I would have sought an opportunity to visit you to discuss this matter.”
Hearing this, Mu Yao was taken aback.
Confusion flickered in her eyes. “If Your Highness wishes to marry, you could pick any noble lady in the capital. Why choose me?”
“And why did Miss Mu choose me?”
Yan Xun’s gaze darkened as he stepped forward, pressing her directly against the wall.
“I naturally thought Your Highness had excellent character and was one of the finest men in the capital.”
Looking at her, Yan Xun let out a cold snort.
“Little liar.”
Mu Yao felt a flustered sensation of being caught out. “I am not a little liar!”
When those words left her mouth, they carried a hint of girlish petulance, deepening the smile in Yan Xun’s eyes.
He deliberately leaned in, only to stop at a proper distance.
Letting their breaths intertwine in the space between them.
“I chose you because I made a promise to your… parents. Besides, only you can give me a sense of stability.”
Mu Yao felt that what he had said after “I chose you” was not quite what he truly meant.
But she did not dwell on it, for her mind was caught on that word—stability.
Indeed.
Yan Xun had only recently returned to the capital from the Chu region, and he still held the Hufu in his grasp.
Marrying any other family would provoke the emperor’s suspicion—only she, the orphaned daughter of the Mu family, with no one behind her to rely on, could put the emperor’s mind completely at ease.
“Your Highness chose me because I am alone in this world, is that right?”
Even though she understood it clearly in her heart, Mu Yao still asked the question.
She saw the man nod seriously. “Yes.”
Yan Xun very much wanted to say the words “I have long held you in my heart,” but he feared it would make this girl stay on guard against him at all times.
After all, she would be brought into his household.
The days ahead were long; he had plenty of time to let her know his feelings.
Knowing that he thought the same as she did, the tension in Mu Yao’s heart completely dissipated.
“In that case, it is I who have taken advantage of Your Highness. Does Your Highness have any other requests? If I am able to fulfill them, I certainly will.”
These words drew a light laugh from Yan Xun. He straightened up, retreated to the table and chairs, and sat down.
“Miss Mu is truly different from others. If anyone else knew I had a request, they would seize the opportunity to add more conditions—yet Miss Mu actually feels that I am the one being taken advantage of?”
Mu Yao also returned to her seat and took a sip of tea to ease the dryness in her mouth.
“Marrying me may damage Your Highness’s reputation. Though I am not from a distinguished family, I understand certain principles.”
The scene she had caused before the palace hall was still the subject of gossip throughout the capital.
The praise and honor he had won through desperate struggle on the battlefield—if tainted by her, would surely be diminished by half.
Such a good man—she truly wanted to make it up to him.
“Miss Mu, I am not an irresponsible man. If you sincerely wish to marry me, I will care for you well, just like any ordinary husband and wife. Are you willing?”
These words made Mu Yao’s mind wander for a moment, as if someone had once spoken to her in the same way.
But that person had not kept his promise, and had even humiliated her so terribly.
Now, hearing such words again.
Mu Yao’s heart was filled with a thousand emotions, yet stirred not a single ripple.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the rim of the cup, and for a moment, she did not know how to respond.