Yun Mu Jing knew her question was redundant, yet she still desperately clung to that sliver of hope.
Her eyes, brimming with tears, were fixed intently on Madam Yun and Yun Si Yu as she pressed, “Tell me, please?”
At that moment, Mo Han Zhao caught sight of Yun Mu Jing’s sorrowful expression and felt a heaviness in his chest, his handsome brows faintly shadowed with gloom.
Having heard Madam Yun’s words firsthand, he finally understood why Yun Mu Jing was so cautious and so desperate for love.
Madam Yun truly treated her own daughter, Yun Mu Jing, as worthless, showing not an ounce of pity.
Yun Si Yu and Madam Yun completely ignored Yun Mu Jing, directing all their attention straight to Mo Han Zhao.
“Brother Jun Yan?” Yun Si Yu exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Mo Han Zhao.
Then, her gaze swept past Yun Mu Jing and back to Mo Han Zhao. She pursed her lips and said, “Why are you here, and with Eldest Sister…”
“I am here at His Majesty’s command to suppress the bandits at Moqian Mountain,” Mo Han Zhao replied, his handsome features softening slightly as he looked at Yun Si Yu.
“I happened to encounter Miss Jing along the way. Seeing her trapped by the bandits, I stepped in to rescue her.”
“So that’s what happened.”
Yun Si Yu’s expression cleared, her doubts indeed dispelled, though inwardly she was seething with frustration.
She had thought Yun Mu Jing was surely doomed, yet Yun Mu Jing had been lucky enough to run into Brother Jun Ze.
Despite her thoughts, in front of Mo Han Zhao, Yun Si Yu naturally wouldn’t show even a hint of her true feelings.
She deliberately squeezed out a few tears, stepped forward, and affectionately took Yun Mu Jing’s hand, apologizing profusely, “When we were surrounded by the bandits, Mother had no choice but to push you down. She was desperate.”
“Afterward, Mother was heartbroken and filled with regret. Thankfully, Eldest Sister, fortune smiled upon you, and you met Brother Jun Ze, who came to your rescue.”
Madam Yun, now regaining her composure, caught Yun Si Yu’s glance and understood her precious daughter’s concern—that their earlier conversation might have been overheard by the Crown Prince, potentially damaging his impression of her.
She quickly turned to Yun Mu Jing and chimed in, “Yes, there were so many bandits. I was terrified and, in a moment of panic, thought of sacrificing you. I nearly cost our Jing’er her life. I know I was wrong.”
Yun Mu Jing looked at Madam Yun, gently biting her lower lip, but offered no reply.
“If Miss Jing hadn’t coincidentally encountered me, she likely wouldn’t be alive now,” Mo Han Zhao said sternly, his expression darkening. “As an observer, even I find Madam Yun’s actions hard to accept.”
Though he spoke up for Yun Mu Jing, he deliberately emphasized the word “observer,” subtly distancing himself from any connection to her.
Mo Han Zhao was still mindful of Yun Si Yu, wary of making her overthink.
So, in front of Yun Si Yu, he had to maintain a certain distance from Yun Mu Jing.
However, the next moment, Mo Han Zhao felt a gaze settle upon him.
His dark eyes shifted slightly, meeting Yun Mu Jing’s gentle and pure gaze, which held a faint trace of dimness and fragility.
Mo Han Zhao’s heart couldn’t help but tremble, and he suddenly realized something.
Yun Mu Jing was kind-hearted. To avoid affecting his relationship with Yun Si Yu, she was willing to conceal everything they had experienced together, bearing those grievances alone.
But who truly wishes to be the one abandoned, as if they were a saint?
Yun Mu Jing was the legitimate daughter of the Yun Family, sharing the same status as Si Yu. Yet Si Yu could openly marry him, while Yun Mu Jing seemed forever condemned to the shadows.
How much pain lay hidden in Yun Mu Jing’s heart?
Faced with Mo Han Zhao’s questioning, Madam Yun broke into a cold sweat and replied, “Your Highness is right to admonish me. Such a thing will never happen again. I will take this as a lesson.”
At this moment, Mo Han Zhao was filled with guilt toward Yun Mu Jing, and as he looked at Madam Yun, his anger deepened.
His gaze darkened, and he was about to exert further pressure on Madam Yun.
“Your Highness!”
Unexpectedly, Yun Mu Jing seemed to sense his intention and quickly stepped forward, approaching Mo Han Zhao and bowing respectfully.
“I will remember your life-saving grace,” Yun Mu Jing said, her eyes glistening as if holding back tears, yet she managed a faint smile. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“If the opportunity arises in the future, I will surely repay you.”
“Your Highness must have official duties to attend to now, so I will not keep you any longer.”
After speaking, she turned her gaze back to Madam Yun and Yun Si Yu, her voice soft. “I do not blame Mother, nor anyone else. Mother did nothing wrong. I am of little consequence, as long as Second Sister and Mother are safe.”
Mo Han Zhao understood that Yun Mu Jing was reminding him not to act impulsively. To avoid implicating him, her words subtly urged him to leave quickly.
Yet Mo Han Zhao felt a pang of discomfort, especially since she clearly knew how hypocritical Madam Yun’s words were.
If Madam Yun truly regretted her actions, why had she never sent anyone to look for her?
Yun Mu Jing was intelligent—she knew everything, yet she still chose to forgive Madam Yun.
Because… this was Yun Mu Jing’s only choice.
Given her situation in the Yun Family, even if she wanted to make a scene or seek justice for herself, no one in the household would pay her any heed. In the end, it would only be a futile effort.
Yun Mu Jing had no room for willfulness; compromise was her only path. After all, she had finally reunited with her birth parents and found a place to belong—how could she simply leave now?
Mo Han Zhao felt a twinge of pity for Yun Mu Jing. It was ironic that, as the Crown Prince holding power in Dongliang, he could not even help a woman in need.
“I do indeed have to complete the bandit-suppression mission assigned by His Majesty, so I shall take my leave,” Mo Han Zhao said, his fingers curling slightly within his sleeves as he pressed his lips together.
Before departing, Mo Han Zhao turned to Yun Si Yu and instructed, “I am still occupied. I will find you when I return to the General’s Mansion.”
“Alright,” Yun Si Yu replied, a blush coloring her delicate cheeks. “Bandit suppression is fraught with danger, Brother Jun Ze. Please take care.”
“Mm.”
Mo Han Zhao gave a slight nod before turning and walking out of Qingshan Temple.
Seeing Mo Han Zhao finally leave, Madam Yun felt, for the first time, that Yun Mu Jing had some sense of propriety.
“It’s good that you understand Mother’s position,” Madam Yun said leisurely. “If there had been any other way, I would not have risked offending Prince Yu by pushing you away, would I?”
Yun Mu Jing remained silent.
Prince Yu? Mo Han Zhao, who had not yet fully stepped over the threshold, suddenly paused. A question arose in his heart.
He had heard Madam Yun mention Prince Yu more than once. What exactly was Yun Mu Jing’s relationship with Prince Yu?
Moreover, he distinctly sensed that Yun Mu Jing seemed to be hiding something from him.
Could it be… Mo Han Zhao recalled that the Yun Family had previously intended to betroth Yun Mu Jing to Prince Yu, and his heart sank instantly.
His gaze abruptly shifted sideways toward Yun Mu Jing.
As Yun Mu Jing raised her eyes, she happened to meet Mo Han Zhao’s accusatory stare. Her body trembled slightly, and she quickly lowered her head.
In that instant, the air around Mo Han Zhao grew heavy, as if he were shrouded in layers of shadow, barely suppressing the emotions deep within.
With an aura of fierce resentment, he resumed his stride.
Fine, very well! This woman, thinking she could keep it from him—did she believe he had no way of finding out?
“Your Highness?” Zhu Ye noticed that Mo Han Zhao’s expression had turned unusual after leaving Qingshan Temple and couldn’t help but step closer. “Has something happened to one of the young ladies?”
As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, it was unlikely anyone would dare show disrespect to His Highness.
Most likely, something had occurred involving Miss Jing or Miss Si Yu, whom His Highness cared about.
Sure enough, the next moment, Mo Han Zhao raised a hand, grabbed him by the collar, and said coldly, “Go and investigate what has happened to Yun Mu Jing recently at the General’s Mansion.”