Mo Han Zhao’s handsome brows furrowed slightly as he said, “Qingshan Temple isn’t too far from here, but it’s not exactly close either. If you go alone and encounter bandits like yesterday, what then?”
It was said that those bandits were not only greedy for wealth but also extremely lustful, and many passing women had been violated by them.
Yun Mu Jing was so beautiful—it was truly dangerous.
Bandits? Yun Mu Jing whispered softly, “I’m not afraid of bandits. If they really come, it would just mean death.”
“You…” Mo Han Zhao’s expression instantly darkened, and he said coldly, “You’re so young, why do you always speak of ‘death’ so casually?”
Yun Mu Jing’s eyelashes fluttered, her stunning face revealing a trace of self-mockery as she lowered her head. “Because Your Highness has family and was born noble, with countless people who care about you.”
“So Your Highness will never understand what it feels like to be alone.” Yun Mu Jing’s eyes were filled with gloom.
“Even if I really died at the hands of bandits and never returned to the General’s Mansion, no one would grieve for me. No one… would even remember me.”
“Yesterday, Mother and Second Sister abandoned me. They knew I had fallen into the hands of bandits, but for an entire day, no one came looking for me.”
“They never… even thought of saving me…”
Mo Han Zhao stiffened, falling into silence.
Yun Mu Jing, a vulnerable woman who had been wandering outside for so many years—it was easy to imagine how many hardships she must have endured just to survive.
Especially for a woman as beautiful as her, she was all the more likely to be coveted.
Back in the side courtyard, when he was under the influence of the drug and had relations with Yun Mu Jing, although his consciousness was somewhat unclear, he could still sense that Yun Mu Jing had been untouched.
Even without asking her, Mo Han Zhao could roughly guess that when she had encountered similar situations before, she had likely protected herself using the same life-risking methods as she did yesterday against the bandits.
This woman, seemingly delicate, possessed an indescribable resilience within her.
Mo Han Zhao could easily imagine how overjoyed Yun Mu Jing must have been the day she finally found her biological parents.
She thought that with family, she wouldn’t have to suffer as before, nor would she need to live in constant fear.
Little did she know, it was just a change of location to continue suffering—from one abyss to another.
“Besides…”
Besides, she was betrothed to Prince Yu. Once she married him and he discovered she was no longer a virgin, he would surely demand her life.
Since death was inevitable anyway, what difference did it make whether it came sooner or later?
Yun Mu Jing was about to speak, but her gaze swept over Mo Han Zhao, and she ultimately swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Instead, it was Mo Han Zhao who couldn’t help but press, “What is it?”
Yun Mu Jing avoided his gaze, forcing a slight smile. “Actually, it’s nothing serious.”
“Your Highness knows that I’ve never been well-regarded in my parents’ eyes,” Yun Mu Jing said. “They punished me again, and I’m just feeling a bit upset.”
Mo Han Zhao frowned, always sensing that something seemed off about Yun Mu Jing’s expression.
Given her tendency to endure suffering in silence, this punishment was likely not light.
It seemed he would have to ask Zhu Ye to investigate what had happened at the General’s Mansion these past two days.
Mo Han Zhao took Yun Mu Jing’s hand and led her toward the carriage, his clear voice carrying an undeniable authority.
“I will personally escort you to Qingshan Temple and take the opportunity to meet Madam Yun as well.”
“Your Highness!” Yun Mu Jing’s expression shifted slightly. “Even if you insist on escorting me, just take me to the entrance of Qingshan Temple. Please don’t intervene on my behalf.”
“If you suddenly stand up for me, what if Mother and Second Sister misunderstand…”
“Enough!”
Mo Han Zhao halted his steps, narrowing his eyes. “The reason I previously agreed not to openly protect you in front of those from the General’s Mansion, and to continue pretending not to know you, was indeed because I feared someone might suspect your relationship with me and learn about what we did that night…”
“But right now, our meeting is purely coincidental.”
“I was ordered to suppress bandits in Moqian Mountain and happened upon you being besieged by them. Considering you are Si Yu’s elder sister, I rescued you as a matter of course and am now escorting you to Qingshan Temple.”
“Seeing you nearly lose your life, would it not be perfectly reasonable for me to feel compassion and remind Madam Yun of a few things? What is there to be misunderstood?”
Yun Mu Jing was left speechless by Mo Han Zhao’s words. Immediately after, without any chance to resist, she was led onto the carriage by him.
“Zhu Ye! To Qingshan Temple!”
Zhu Ye, who had been waiting outside, received the order and promptly drove the carriage toward Qingshan Temple.
“Your Highness… your hand.”
After a while, Yun Mu Jing noticed that Mo Han Zhao had not released her hand from his grasp. A faint blush instantly spread across her delicate, exquisite face.
Mo Han Zhao had initially held on simply because what he held in his hand felt soft, boneless, smooth, and cool—extremely comfortable—so he hadn’t let go.
Now, realizing this, he released her hand as if shocked by electricity, unable to hide his embarrassment. “I…”
“It’s… it’s fine.” Yun Mu Jing blinked her moist, large eyes, her fingertips lightly touching the spot where Mo Han Zhao had held her.
She stole a glance at Mo Han Zhao, her gaze filled with admiration and reverence, and even a trace of maidenly shyness.
However, this subtle gesture of hers naturally did not escape Mo Han Zhao’s notice, stirring something within him.
Mo Han Zhao was not as utterly innocent as Yun Mu Jing; he could clearly discern the change in her expression.
Could this woman… have developed feelings for him? And she just said she wouldn’t entertain any other thoughts. Raising an eyebrow, Mo Han Zhao tried to read more from Yun Mu Jing’s face.
But the next moment, Yun Mu Jing’s expression returned to normal, even the blush on her cheeks completely fading away.
As if that earlier look had never appeared.
She even shifted her position from beside Mo Han Zhao to the farthest corner of the carriage.
Mo Han Zhao: “…” Was he… being presumptuous?
That shouldn’t be.
Of course, Yun Mu Jing had no idea what Mo Han Zhao was thinking at that moment. She simply remained seated, head bowed in silence.
Her pure and beautiful face still carried a hint of worry and sorrow, as if lost in thought.
About half an hour later, the Eastern Palace carriage stopped in front of Qingshan Temple.
At that time, Madam Yun had just emerged from one of the temple halls with Yun Si Yu.
They had just finished offering incense, completely unburdened by the guilt of abandoning Yun Mu Jing the previous day.
In fact, they took pride in it.
“Thank goodness I was clever, pushing Yun Mu Jing down when we encountered those bandits blocking the road,” Madam Yun said, patting her chest with lingering fear. “Otherwise, who knows if we’d still be alive now.”
“Especially you—so young and still an unmarried maiden. How could anything happen to you!”
Yun Si Yu also wore a smile, but she thought more deeply than Madam Yun and worriedly said, “But Mother, without Yun Mu Jing, what about Prince Yu…”
At the mention of “Prince Yu,” Madam Yun couldn’t help but frown. “Your father is, after all, the Zhenguo Great General. At most, he’ll just make things difficult for the General’s Mansion. He wouldn’t dare truly harm us.”
“Sacrificing one Yun Mu Jing to protect the two of us is not a loss at all.”
Just as Yun Mu Jing and Mo Han Zhao stepped into Qingshan Temple, they overheard these words.
Although Yun Mu Jing had long been aware of all this, at this moment, her eyes still couldn’t help but redden.
“Mother…”
Yun Mu Jing stood there, gazing at Madam Yun and Yun Si Yu with a choked voice. “In your eyes, am I truly so worthless?”