Lu Zhi nodded in agreement. Just as he was wondering which family in the capital had such wealth, the figure in the distance gradually came into focus.
The moment he recognized who it was, his voice rose several pitches.
“It’s you?!”
Mu Yao stood still inside the gate, sweeping a glance over him with an expressionless face.
“This is Mu Fu. If not me, then who did Lu Da Gongzi expect to find here?”
Lu Zhi gritted his teeth, scrutinizing the clothes she wore—this outfit alone was worth at least several hundred taels of gold.
Judging by the look on her face, she was clearly long accustomed to such attire.
The thought of how plainly she had dressed when she used to follow by his side made Lu Zhi’s expression darken with unfathomable depth.
“You had dresses like this all along, so why did you always dress like some impoverished young lady when you were by my side?”
“Could it be that you deliberately made me look bad in front of my colleagues?!”
These words only made Mu Yao and the others laugh in anger.
Ningzhu even craned her neck and sneered, “Lu Da Gongzi, didn’t you used to pride yourself on being above worldly possessions, claiming you cared nothing for material things?”
“For the sake of your reputation as a man of integrity, my young lady endured no small amount of hardship back then. How dare you still have the nerve to blame her!”
Hardship?
What was that supposed to mean? Wasn’t she plainly saying that his Lu family, a prestigious Hou Fu, couldn’t compare to the Mu family’s wealth?
Lu Zhi was so furious he could have ground his back teeth to dust, and his gaze at Mu Yao grew increasingly hostile.
Mu Yao ignored the look he cast at her, her voice flat. “Lu Da Gongzi, have you come today to return the betrothal documents and jade ornaments between our two families?”
Seeing that his young master wasn’t speaking, Zhu Xi quickly stepped forward to remind him.
“Young master, don’t forget the real reason we came today.”
“Do I need you to remind me?!”
Lu Zhi roared, kicking Zhu Xi aside with one foot. But this display was clearly meant as a warning to Mu Yao.
Yet seeing how easily he flew into a rage, Mu Yao found herself increasingly unable to understand what she had ever seen in this man before her.
At least she had turned back in time—it wasn’t too late.
“Mu Yao, you already vented your anger at the palace gates yesterday. Today, I’ve even brought heavy gifts from the Hou Fu to apologize in person.”
“If you still know how a woman should be obedient, then come back to the manor with me and apologize to my father and mother. I’ll still honor you as the young mistress of the Hou Fu with the full Batai Zhi Li.”
The condescending tone was enough to make Uncle Wang start rolling up his sleeves, itching to slap some sense into Lu Zhi.
Mu Yao stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
That laugh left Lu Zhi frozen in place, unable to snap out of it for a long while.
“Lu Zhi, where do you get the nerve to think that after humiliating me like this, I’d overlook the past for the sake of these trinkets?”
Mu Yao’s face turned cold, her tone laced with undisguised disgust that struck like a sharp blade straight into the man’s heart.
Lu Zhi’s hands clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes flashing with vicious light. “Mu Yao! Don’t be ungrateful! I’ve already come to apologize in person—what more do you want?!”
“Oh? What a coincidence that I should arrive just now. Lu Da Gongzi, with that posture of yours, are you perhaps planning to lay a hand on Miss Mu?”
A mocking laugh came from the distance.
Yan Xun rode over slowly on horseback, dressed in a dark purple robe embroidered with gold threads and white patterns, a purple-gold crown atop his head that somehow added a touch of youthful charm. One glance was enough to make every young lady in the capital unable to look away.
Noticing the fleeting look of admiration that flashed across Mu Yao’s face from within the gate, Yan Xun’s lips curved upward for just a moment before he dismounted with practiced ease.
Changqing, following behind, saw his prince acting like this and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Not only was the prince dressed like a peacock in full display today—why was he even showing off with his dismount? Who was he trying to impress?
“Chu Wang.”
Lu Zhi had heard the mockery in the newcomer’s tone well enough, but the man before him was someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
He could only suppress his frustration and offer a bow.
Yan Xun gave a faint “mm” in acknowledgment, then stepped forward to flip through the gift boxes carried by the Hou Fu servants, unable to hide the disdain on his face.
He casually lifted one of the most expensive-looking boxes and took out the jade ruyi inside.
“Has the Hou Fu fallen on such hard times these days? You’re giving away even the cheapest jade ruyi from Bai Yu Lou?”
Lu Zhi had never intended to prepare anything valuable for Mu Yao in the first place—he had naturally picked the cheapest items to send over, hoping to put her in her place.
But what he never expected was for Yan Xun to show up at Mu Fu!
And without giving his Hou Fu any face whatsoever, he had so brazenly taken the items out for all to see.
“I can see that Lu Da Gongzi isn’t here with genuine intentions to apologize. Why don’t you go back and prepare properly before returning? There’s no need to rush, is there?”
Though Yan Xun’s words seemed casual, Lu Zhi felt an oppressive pressure bearing down on him.
But he was hardly willing to leave like this. Stiffening his neck, he spoke up. “May I ask when Chu Wang became so familiar with Mu Fu?”
This man had, time and again, seemed to be helping Mu Yao both openly and covertly.
Could it be that the two of them had something going on?
Thinking about how Mu Yao had changed so drastically the moment Chu Wang returned to the capital, Lu Zhi became increasingly convinced that something was going on between them!
A silence hung in the air.
Mu Yao glanced at Yan Xun—smiling, yet with a coldness deep in his eyes—and slowly lowered her gaze.
This Lu Zhi really did enjoy plucking hairs from a tiger’s head. He had no idea he was courting death!
Seeing that Yan Xun remained silent for a long while, even Lu Zhi’s outwardly calm demeanor couldn’t stop him from trembling.
“Lu Da Gongzi truly has grown bold, daring to interrogate even this prince. Could it be you truly harbor thoughts of rebellion?”
Yan Xun’s tone was indifferent, yet his words sent Lu Zhi and the Hou Fu servants collapsing to their knees in unison.
They didn’t dare breathe too heavily, their bodies trembling like sieves.
“Your Highness, Lu Zhi—Lu Zhi would never harbor such intentions!”
“Lu Zhi… Lu Zhi merely feared that a woman as unruly as Mu Yao might tarnish Your Highness’s reputation!”
Lu Zhi scrambled for words, trying to flatter Yan Xun in hopes of calming the man before him.
Yet he failed entirely to notice the fleeting darkness that passed through Yan Xun’s eyes upon hearing those words.
Yan Xun lowered his gaze without speaking, but the hand holding the horsewhip gave a slight wave. “It seems this whip hasn’t tasted blood in quite some time.”
“Ah!”
Zhu Xi cried out, hurriedly catching Lu Zhi, who had fainted from fright at Yan Xun’s single sentence.
“Your Highness, my young master meant no offense. Please forgive him, Your Highness, please forgive him…”
“Fainted?” Yan Xun raised an eyebrow and leaned in to look. Seeing that the man had indeed fainted from fear, he let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“In that case, carry him back at once. No need to leave him here to disgrace your Hou Fu’s reputation—lest your marquis later blame this prince.”
Hearing this, Zhu Xi wasted no time, hurriedly calling to the others behind him to carry Lu Zhi away.
Within a few breaths, they had vanished from before the gates of Mu Fu.
Mu Yao lowered her brows, a flicker of amusement passing through her eyes. She raised her gaze to Yan Xun, who was tossing his whip to the deputy general behind him, and asked softly.
“Might I ask what business Your Highness has at my Mu Fu?”
Yan Xun glanced at Changqing.
The latter immediately presented a wooden box, atop which lay an invitation card.
Uncle Wang hastily reached out to receive it, afraid of displeasing the prince whose temperament was so unpredictable.
Mu Yao glanced at the wooden box, her eyes flickering at the incense seal mark upon it. When she looked back toward the man, he had already mounted his horse.
“Zhang Gongzhu has sent an invitation—a lake outing tomorrow.”
“This prince happened to pass by and delivered it along the way. If Miss Mu has no desire to attend, you may simply decline on your own.”
“Troubling Your Highness to make this trip—I shall certainly attend tomorrow’s lake outing.”
Mu Yao lowered her eyes in thanks, then heard the sound of horse hooves.
She looked up to see only the lingering corner of the man’s robes, and unconsciously murmured softly, “A young lord in fine clothes atop a spirited steed.”
Ningzhu leaned in to look at where Mu Yao had been gazing. “Miss, what did you just say?”