Hearing Yun Si Yu’s footsteps drawing closer, Yun Mu Jing’s eyes flickered slightly. In an instant, she swiftly pulled open the door of an empty room nearby and slipped inside.
A faint, elusive smile lingered in her eyes.
“The trap is set…”
Yun Si Yu feared that Yun Mu Jing and Mo Han Zhao would grow closer over time, worried that her engagement to Prince Yu might be jeopardized. She wanted to take advantage of their stay at Qingshan Temple to eliminate Yun Mu Jing.
However, in front of her parents and Crown Prince Mo Han Zhao, Yun Si Yu still maintained a facade of obedience and innocence. Thus, many of her malicious deeds remained hidden from them.
Most of her schemes were carried out through outsiders—such as spreading rumors about Yun Mu Jing secretly meeting with other men, and now… plotting her murder.
Although Madam Yun had always disliked Yun Mu Jing, she was also mindful of Yun Mu Jing’s engagement to Prince Yu. She feared that if anything happened to Yun Mu Jing, it would be difficult to explain to Prince Yu.
If Madam Yun discovered that Yun Mu Jing was being targeted by assassins, she would undoubtedly order the Yun family guards accompanying them to rescue her.
Yun Si Yu, worried that her carefully laid plans would be ruined by Madam Yun’s interference, urged Madam Yun to leave quickly.
This was precisely the outcome Yun Mu Jing aimed to achieve.
If Madam Yun and Yun Si Yu stayed behind, Mo Han Zhao would not witness her pitiful state of abandonment.
Once the commotion outside gradually subsided, Yun Mu Jing picked up the basin she was holding and returned to her room.
She casually placed the basin on the table and sat down, then picked up the teacup resting there. Pouring herself a cup of tea, she took slow, deliberate sips.
Before long, Yun Mu Jing began to feel dizzy. Everything in the room seemed to sway and blur before her eyes.
“Mmm… so dizzy.”
At that moment, Lin Chuan pushed the door open and entered, approaching Yun Mu Jing. In a low voice, he said, “My lady, forgive my intrusion.”
With that, he wrapped an arm around Yun Mu Jing’s waist, lifted her into his arms, and gently laid her on the bed.
In her dazed state, Yun Mu Jing’s misty eyes held a hazy allure. Even without any deliberate attempt to seduce, her breathtaking beauty and flawless demeanor exuded an innocent yet irresistible charm.
Lin Chuan had long harbored feelings for Yun Mu Jing. Seeing her in such a vulnerable, yielding state, his gaze darkened with desire, and whatever remained of his rationality crumbled in an instant.
Like a madman, he began tearing at Yun Mu Jing’s clothes, his eyes burning with a feverish intensity. “My lady…”
The substance in the teacup had been added by Yun Mu Jing herself, and she had deliberately consumed it.
This, too, was part of Yun Mu Jing’s plan.
Her intention was for Mo Han Zhao to witness her in peril when he entered—to see someone attempting to humiliate and harm her.
Meanwhile, Madam Yun and Yun Si Yu had already left Qingshan Temple early, abandoning Yun Mu Jing there alone.
In this way, Mo Han Zhao would come to understand that the people in the General’s Mansion cared little for her life or death.
Thus, a vulnerable woman like her, without anyone to protect her, could lose her life at any moment.
This would solidify his resolve to marry her and bring her into the Eastern Palace.
Yun Mu Jing was aware of Lin Chuan’s feelings for her and feared he might take advantage of the situation.
Originally, this task was not meant for him. She had only instructed him to summon a man from Tingyu Pavilion to act out this charade with her.
Unexpectedly, Lin Chuan had defied her orders for the first time and taken matters into his own hands.
And this audacious man dared to tear her clothes.
Fortunately, Yun Mu Jing had prepared a backup plan for herself.
The dose of Meng Han Yao that Yun Mu Jing had administered to herself was not large; although she was currently very dizzy, she could at least remain conscious.
“Don’t touch me!”
Just as Lin Chuan’s hand was about to grab her chest, Yun Mu Jing mustered all her strength and kicked him in a vital spot.
“Ah!”
Lin Chuan cried out in pain, then with a loud “thud—”, he tumbled to the ground.
Seizing this opportunity, Yun Mu Jing hastily gathered her torn and disheveled outer garment and stumbled out of the room.
“Help… help!”
As the effects of the Meng Han Yao surged, Yun Mu Jing felt her body growing heavier. She had been injured repeatedly lately and was already weak; now, she was on the verge of collapse, nearly falling over.
Fearing that if she stopped, she would be caught, Yun Mu Jing forced herself forward despite the discomfort, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, and continued to cry for help.
“Is anyone there?”
When Mo Han Zhao swept into Qingshan Temple like a shadow, he intended to find Yun Mu Jing.
But before he could even inquire about her whereabouts, he saw her running barefoot and panicked from the corridor of the guest rooms, her outer garment in tatters.
She would run a few steps, then fall to the ground, only to get up and continue running.
Behind Yun Mu Jing, a figure was rapidly closing in on her.
The man was masked, dressed in black night attire, his steps light and deliberate—clearly skilled in martial arts. He quickly caught up to Yun Mu Jing, forcefully pinned her to the ground, and began tearing at the hand clutching her collar.
“Let go.”
“What… what are you doing?” Yun Mu Jing’s delicate and beautiful face couldn’t help but show a trace of innocence and fear. She cried and struggled, shouting, “Let me go!”
“I beg you… don’t do this!”
“No! Ah!”
Mo Han Zhao’s handsome face suddenly darkened. In a flash, he darted forward and kicked away the man attempting to assault Yun Mu Jing.
“Get away!”
“Ugh!” Caught off guard, Lin Chuan was kicked several meters away by Mo Han Zhao, curling up in pain on the ground.
By now, Yun Mu Jing’s outer garment had been torn off, and the ties of her inner robe had been undone. Only by clutching it tightly did she manage to avoid exposure.
Her face was streaked with tears, like a flower battered by the wind.
Mo Han Zhao removed his outer garment and draped it over Yun Mu Jing, asking gently, “Are you all right?”
Yun Mu Jing lifted her gaze to Mo Han Zhao. Her stunningly beautiful face was now as pale as paper, yet she did not appear disheveled. Instead, she seemed even more fragile and delicate, like a willow in the wind.
“Your… Your Highness? Is it you?”
After saying this, Yun Mu Jing’s vision went dark, and she threw herself into Mo Han Zhao’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Wuwu…”
Seeing her like this, Mo Han Zhao felt a tightness in his chest.
Holding Yun Mu Jing, he coldly glared at Lin Chuan, who had slowly risen in the distance, and narrowed his eyes as he asked, “Who sent you?”
As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, Mo Han Zhao possessed a keen intuition in certain matters that ordinary people could not match.
This vast Qingshan Temple should have been filled with monks, yet for some reason, it was unusually quiet today, as if deserted.
Otherwise, how could Yun Mu Jing have cried for help for so long without anyone coming?
If this wasn’t a conspiracy, Mo Han Zhao certainly didn’t believe it.
But what puzzled him was that Yun Mu Jing was kind-hearted and had never offended anyone. Who would deliberately target her?
Moreover, Madam Yun and Si Yu should also be at Qingshan Temple. Where have they all gone?
“Have you ever seen assassins on a mission reveal their employer’s identity?” Lin Chuan sneered. “Beauty brings disaster. Someone was deeply unsettled by that young lady’s appearance and wanted us to ruin her before killing her.”
“We’re assassins on a mission. I advise you not to meddle!”