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There was movement in the forest, and faint lights could be seen. Yin Luo realized that the camp had finally discovered her disappearance. Calculating the distance, they should find her in less than a minute. Unfortunately, before she could wait for them to arrive, she was already surrounded by a pack of wolves.
There were too many wolves; it was her first time seeing so many of these animals.
Their shining green eyes resembled something out of a modern horror movie—chilling and terrifying. Moreover, it wasn't just a visual horror; the sounds of howling surrounded her, rising and falling like ghostly wails. As the howls elongated, more and more wolves gathered.
There were at least forty or fifty of them, no longer cubs but robust adult wolves, each one glaring at her as if ready to pounce and tear her apart at the slightest movement.
For the first time, Yin Luo felt fear.
Her palms were sweaty. She couldn't afford to hesitate; one hand gripped her gun while the other held a hairpin as she faced off against the pack, standing still in terror.
A gust of wind blew through, ruffling the fur of the wolves. Yin Luo's hair stood on end; every part of her body ached, and her strength was draining away. All she could do was hope—hope that those people would find her soon.
They faced each other for a full five minutes, with the wolves remaining motionless until another howl echoed through the mountains. Then, the wolves that had encircled Yin Luo parted in front of her in a straight line, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes—another wolf had arrived, or rather, the Wolf King!
As soon as the Wolf King appeared, it let out a roar. Under the moonlight, it suddenly arched its back and bared its fangs at Yin Luo with a fierce snarl.
This roar immediately elicited responses from all the wolves, who all bared their teeth in unison, their cold eyes filled with terror.
Sweat dripped into her eyes, stinging painfully.
There was nowhere left to retreat; the only option was to take the initiative and look for an opportunity to climb a tree.
Yin Luo slowly raised her hairpin but hadn't made a move when she suddenly thought she heard faint hoofbeats.
Her heart leaped with joy, but she didn't dare turn around. Then she heard a loud shout: "Don't move!"
It was Mu Changqing; it really was him! He had come…
A sudden gust of wind swept through, causing the wolf pack to become agitated. The wolf closest to the Wolf King sprang into action first, arching its back and leaping toward Yin Luo.
Yin Luo was startled and quickly drew her gun, but before she could fire, the wolf suddenly seemed to be struck by something, losing its strength and falling to the ground. Yin Luo then saw that it was an arrow.
"Reach out!"
As the wolf pack stirred and lunged collectively, Mu Changqing's voice was close at hand. Yin Luo immediately extended her hand, and with a firm grip, she was lifted up amidst the wolves. Then, feeling a tightness around her waist, she regained her senses and found herself standing atop a large tree, held by none other than Mu Changqing.
From her elevated position, she could see that the flames were now dangerously close.
Still shaken, Yin Luo clutched Mu Changqing's clothing tightly. Now that she was finally safe, her body went limp, nearly causing her to fall. Fortunately, Mu Changqing reacted quickly.
Having been startled into a cold sweat, the wind blew and helped clear her mind somewhat.
She discreetly loosened her grip on the gun and tucked it into her waistband. Yin Luo exhaled deeply and said, "Thank you."
Mu Changqing lowered his head to look at her, his gaze sweeping over the bloodstains on her face and landing on her blood-soaked arm. Her clothing was torn, revealing a patch of fair skin. His expression darkened as he took off his outer robe and wrapped it around Yin Luo before asking, "What happened?"
The wolf pack below roared in frustration at being unable to reach them. Yin Luo stared at the angry wolves and shook her head. "I don't know. I fainted after having some lunch, and when I woke up, I was all alone in the forest... everything was pitch black around me."
Her voice trembled slightly, which made Mu Changqing's expression grow even more serious.
The flames drew closer as He Ren and He Xin's voices echoed through the forest. Mu Changqing responded with an acknowledgment, and soon a large group of torches approached. Upon seeing so many people, the wolf pack recognized the threat; they howled in unison and turned to retreat after hearing the call of the Wolf King.
With the wolves gone and a large number of guards arriving, Yin Luo let out a sigh of relief. Her legs weakened again, this time causing her to truly collapse.
Mu Changqing tried to pull her up but ended up being pulled down by her weight. He spun in mid-air and managed to catch her securely in his arms as they landed on the ground. However, as soon as they stopped, he noticed that his palm was wet.
He opened Yin Luo's outer robe and found that beneath it was a white inner garment that had been completely soaked in blood.
Without further delay, Mu Changqing mounted the nearest horse and instructed He Ren and He Xin urgently, "Summon all imperial physicians to my tent immediately!"
He Ren and He Xin wasted no time; they swiftly mounted their horses and rode off toward the camp.
About ten imperial physicians gathered in Mu Changqing's tent. After examining Yin Luo, their expressions turned grave.
Mu Changqing heard them mention a serious injury and, after doing his best, directly chased them all out, instructing He Xin, "Go find Eleventh Master!"
He Xin took the order and left. Before long, Eleventh Master Mu Li hurried over, his hair tied up casually, clearly just having gotten out of bed.
Mu Changqing did not delay for a moment, pulling him inside and pointing at the unconscious Yin Luo on the bed, saying, "They all say the situation is critical; come take a look."
Mu Li extended his hand to check Yin Luo's eyes and then felt her pulse. After a moment, he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands in the basin that had been prepared earlier, saying, "Third Brother, don't worry. Let me check her wounds first."
He turned to look at the others in the room. Following his gaze, Mu Changqing directly ordered, "You all leave."
The crowd complied and retreated one by one.
Mu Li reached out to open Yin Luo's clothing. When he saw the torn wound on her shoulder, his brow furrowed involuntarily. He then leaned down to examine the scratches on her arm.
The wound on her arm was long, extending all the way to her elbow, with her sleeve almost completely torn. While examining it, Mu Li inadvertently caught sight of a red spot on her wrist. He paused slightly before discreetly shifting his gaze away. He opened her outer robe, and when his eyes landed on the blood-red stain that extended to the hem of her skirt near her knee, he couldn't help but look back at Yin Luo, momentarily lost in thought.
"How is it?" Mu Changqing asked impatiently from the side.
Mu Li withdrew his gaze and washed his hands again before saying, "First find two people to clean up the blood on her; her injuries are indeed severe. However, while they are serious, they are not fatal. The main issue is that she has lost too much blood; it's quite troublesome."
"I have a pill here; give it to her in two doses. It can temporarily ensure her safety. Once we return, I will prepare medicine for her; recovery should not be a problem, but she will need some time to rest."
Upon hearing that she was not in danger, Mu Changqing's expression softened as he looked at him and said, "Eleventh, thank you for your hard work."
Mu Li, who was drying his hands, smiled upon hearing this, as warm as spring breeze: "Third Brother, you’re being too polite; your matters are my matters."
Mu Changqing reached out and patted his arm. Mu Li smiled slightly and then walked out saying, "I’ll go get the medicine."
Mu Changqing nodded, and Mu Li soon left.
After the servants fed Yin Luo the pill and changed her into clean clothes while applying medicine to her wounds, Mu Changqing finally exited the tent.
Outside in the open area, many people were waiting, including Mu Fengyan.
However, before he could speak, Mu Changqing directly interrupted him, saying, "The princess is no longer in danger; the emperor can be dismissed now."
Mu Fengyan lowered his gaze at Mu Changqing, his eyes filled with a hint of pleading. "Brother, I..."
"Her Ren, escort the emperor back."
Mu Changqing did not give him a chance to continue. Her Ren immediately stepped forward and gestured for Mu Fengyan to leave. With a heavy heart, Mu Fengyan had no choice but to follow him.
Fortunately, Yin Luo was safe now, so his departure brought him some peace of mind.
After Mu Fengyan left, Mu Changqing's cold gaze turned towards the remaining people, clearly carrying an air of danger.
"Cousin..."
A soft voice called out from the crowd. Mu Changqing looked over to see Ye Qing Ge stepping forward a few paces to stand before him, wrapping her arms around his. "Sister Princess has already passed the critical period; Cousin shouldn't worry too much."
Mu Changqing's gaze darkened as it swept past her and landed on her maid. "Take Cousin Miss back."
The maid dared not disobey and naturally bowed in respect before stepping forward to escort Ye Qing Ge away. Ye Qing Ge hesitated and then said, "Cousin, let Qing Ge stay here with you, okay?"
"No need. It's already late; I have some matters to attend to. You should go back first."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qing Ge's expression changed slightly. She added, "So much has happened tonight; I can't sleep. Let me stay and keep you company? I promise I won't talk much and won't disturb you!"
Mu Changqing's gaze shifted slightly, seemingly carrying a hint of coldness. Ye Qing Ge was taken aback and instinctively loosened her grip on his arm.
"Be obedient."
Mu Changqing only uttered these two words. Ye Qing Ge moved her lips but dared not argue further; she could only turn away reluctantly, glancing back three times as she left.
As soon as she departed, Mu Changqing instructed Her Ren, "Go find the guards responsible for watching over the princess's tent. Also, tell me what exactly happened."
He looked at the person kneeling on the ground, who was sitting there due to exhaustion—Su Yi.
"To respond to the prince's words..." Su Yi's face was pale, her lips as white as paper. "The princess stabbed me, and while I was unconscious, I kept thinking about her. So when I woke up, the first thing on my mind was the safety of the princess. However, there was no one in the tent at that time. I was anxious and couldn't wait any longer, so I got up and went to look for the princess myself."
"I finally arrived outside the princess's tent and saw that there was no one guarding it. I mistakenly thought the princess wasn't there because there was no movement inside. Nevertheless, hoping for a stroke of luck, I went in. Once inside, I realized that the princess was indeed there, but she was slumped over the dining table, clearly unconscious."
"No matter how much I called out, the princess wouldn't wake up. I wanted to find someone to help save her, but just as I reached the door, I saw two people sneaking in with their faces covered. In a moment of panic, I had no choice but to hide behind the screen. Who would have thought that these two were there to abduct the princess!"
"They both had knives in their hands. Afraid they would harm the princess, I dared not make a sound. Then I watched helplessly as they shoved the princess into a wooden box and carried her away. I wanted to follow them, but my body wouldn't allow it, so I thought about finding the prince."
"But having just woken up, I had no idea what had happened and couldn't find the prince anywhere. Later, after asking around, I learned that the prince wasn't even in the camp; he had gone out with Ms. Qing Ge and wouldn't return until nightfall. So all I could do was wait!"
Mu Changqing listened intently as she spoke. Meanwhile, He Ren brought in the two guards.
Upon seeing Mu Changqing, they hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects and reported everything truthfully, saying they had eaten food sent by Ms. Qing Ge's arranged personnel before falling unconscious.
"Qing Ge?" Mu Changqing tightened his lips and asked, "Who delivered the food?"
"It was a maid beside Ms. Qing Ge named Qing Ying."
Mu Changqing looked at He Ren, who understood immediately and left to bring her back. However, he returned shortly with a grim expression.
"Prince, this Qing Ying has just been found dead in the tent; she hanged herself."
Mu Changqing narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning cold: "Investigate everyone she came into contact with today!" Anyone who dared to harm him under his nose would pay a price worse than death!
"Yes!"
He Ren withdrew, and everyone else was dismissed as well. Su Yi glanced around the tent and saw that things had finally gone according to plan; the heavy stone pressing on her heart finally lifted. However, Yin Luo's injury...
When Mu Changqing carried her back, many people saw it because his outer robe wrapped around Yin Luo made it impossible for them to see if she was injured or not. But beneath his outer robe was a white garment; after he removed the outer robe, that white garment he wore while carrying Yin Luo was soaked with blood on his chest—whether it was hers or his remained unknown!
From how many imperial physicians were summoned to treat Yin Luo's injuries, it was clear that her wounds were serious since they even called for Eleventh Master Mu Li.
Everyone knew that Eleventh Master was a divine doctor; needing him meant that someone was gravely injured.
However, fortunately, Prince had just mentioned that the life of the princess was saved.
Although Su Yi was still worried, she felt a bit relieved due to the success of the plan. She stood up and, with the help of her maid, returned to her Camp.
After seven consecutive days of hunting, too much had happened. First, Mu Changqing was injured and withdrew from the hunt, and now Yin Luo was injured as well. Mu Fengyan also withdrew from the hunt due to a lack of spirit.
Without the Emperor and Jin Wang present, who would dare to treat hunting as a leisure activity? Therefore, early on the seventh day, the large group began their journey back to court.
Yin Luo remained unconscious for three full days before waking up.
When she woke up, it was evening, and darkness had just fallen. The maid in the room was lighting a lamp, and she immediately noticed the dark sky outside the window.
After a while, her head stopped spinning so much.
The maid turned around and, seeing that she was awake, was overjoyed. She hurried over and said, "The princess is awake? Thank heavens! I will go notify Prince right away!"
"Wait..." Yin Luo reached out and pressed her heavy forehead for a moment before saying, "Don't rush to notify him yet. Tell me, where is Su Yi?"
She recognized that this was her room in Jin Wangfu. Upon hearing this, the maid immediately smiled and said, "Miss Su Yi has gone to rest. She has been taking care of the princess while being ill these past few days. Now that the princess has woken up safely, Miss Su Yi will surely be happy."
Seeing how quick-witted this young girl was, Yin Luo couldn't help but ask, "What is your name?"
"I am Yingxia, sent by the housekeeper to serve the princess together with Su Yi."
"Yingxia," Yin Luo waved her hand and said, "Help me sit up first."
Upon hearing this, Yingxia immediately stepped forward, placed a pillow behind her head, and carefully helped Yin Luo sit up. "The princess lost a lot of blood before; you just woke up now. Sitting for too long will tire you out; it's better to rest more."
Yin Luo rubbed her temples. Seeing this, Yingxia extended her hand to massage them: "Is it here? Is my strength too much?"
Her fingertips had good strength; after a while of massaging, the dizziness faded significantly. Yin Luo opened her eyes to look at her and said, "I must have slept for several days? Tell me what happened while I was unconscious."
"The princess has been unconscious since returning; if you add it all up, you were unconscious for three days. After you fell unconscious, the hunting was halted, and the group returned early. Then you rested to recover; there wasn't anything else."
After listening quietly, Yin Luo realized that Yingxia, being new, naturally knew nothing. It seemed that everything could only be clarified once Su Yi arrived.
Su Yi was quick to come; within a minute of the news of Yin Luo waking up spreading, she rushed over.
In just a few days, Su Yi had lost quite a bit of weight and her complexion had turned slightly yellow. Seeing her full of joy, Yin Luo felt like she was about to cry and hurriedly stopped herself, saying, "Look, I'm awake now!"
Upon hearing this, Su Yi wiped her tears and smiled, "This servant is just so happy."
She looked around and noticed no one was present, then lowered her voice to say, "What happened that day was very successful. Everything went exactly as the princess anticipated. The prince ordered a thorough investigation, but the clues ended with the maid Qingying who hanged herself. We couldn't find anything on Cousin Miss because she was with the prince that night and has an alibi."
As Su Yi spoke, her face showed regret; it was a pity they couldn't pin this on Ye Qing Ge.
Yin Luo showed no change in expression, as if she had anticipated this: "It's fine; this is already the best outcome."
Su Yi glanced at Yin Luo and immediately smiled again. She tucked in the blankets for Yin Luo and said, "Indeed! The prince has been asking about your condition frequently these past few days and even had the steward send many blood-replenishing supplements, including tribute items. The concerns you had will surely not happen!"
Yin Luo nodded thoughtfully, "But all of this is only temporary."
Yin Luo's health began to improve day by day. Mu Changqing visited her twice; the first time was shortly after she woke up when he came to see her and gifted her some items before leaving. The second time he came to inquire about her condition. After learning that she was recovering quickly, he did not visit again until a month later when Yin Luo's injuries were nearly healed. She still felt dizzy after squatting for too long, but it was much better than before.
She could move freely now, strolling from Han Yu Garden to the garden without anyone stopping her. Especially Ye Qing Ge, who had been staying in the residence but never stepped outside. One day, Yin Luo deliberately asked Su Yi to prepare some gifts and sent them to Ye Qing Ge's Zi Xuan Pavilion. Sure enough, that afternoon, Ye Qing Ge came over.
As she headed straight for Han Yu Garden, Yin Luo was tending to the flowers when Ye Qing Ge threw a wooden box onto the stone table in the courtyard and got straight to the point: "Nie Qingcheng, you sent me a dead rabbit; what are your intentions? I've already learned my lesson from that day; what more do you want?"
"Dead rabbit?" Yin Luo turned around. After not seeing each other for a month, she had lost some weight but looked even more radiant, her complexion as delicate as a water lily. "That is a sacred item from Caoge Sect—a rabbit with its eyes closed. It's not dead; it's praying."
Yin Luo handed a pair of large scissors to Su Yi, who quickly took them and handed them to a servant while bringing out a handkerchief to wipe Yin Luo's hands.
Yin Luo took the handkerchief and carefully wiped her fingers and palms before walking up to Ye Qing Ge and saying, "You might not know this, but in Caoge Sect, there has always been a legend about rabbits being celestial beings. It is said that long ago, a divine rabbit descended from heaven to Caoge Sect. However, at that time, the people of Caoge Sect did not realize it; they thought it was food and killed the divine rabbit intending to roast it. But after its body died, it could not be cooked no matter what—its pure white form could not be burned by mortal fire. Its appearance at that time resembled this jade rabbit—eyes closed as if in deep sleep but actually dead."
"And after this divine rabbit died," she continued, "all the rabbits in Caoge Sect perished as well; the mountains were covered in white. The people of Caoge Sect claimed it was the wrath of the rabbit deity. They then built a jade rabbit pagoda to let the jade rabbit rest at the temple's peak and enjoy the world's smoke and fire for eternity. It is said that since then, Caoge Sect's development improved significantly—especially with rabbits—not only did they become numerous but also beautiful. Thus everyone later regarded the sleeping jade rabbit as a divine object; praying before it would make their wishes come true."
"I thought you would feel guilty for killing my little white rabbit; that's why I sent it to you for your prayers."
Ye Qing Ge's face turned pale with anger as Yin Luo subtly threatened her. How could she possibly not understand? Hearing this, she coldly snorted and said, "I have never regretted anything I've done, nor have I ever been afraid. I don't need it at all!"
After saying that, she directly opened the box and took out the jade rabbit, smashing it onto the stone floor. With a crisp sound, the jade rabbit shattered into pieces.
Yin Luo watched calmly and sighed lightly, saying, "Cousin Miss, why bother getting angry over a piece of stone? If you don't like it, just give it to someone else."
"I would rather destroy something I don't like than give it to someone else!"
"Is what Ms. Qing Ge said true? Coincidentally, I feel the same way. Even though I dislike something, I can't stand to see others like it. So even if I destroy what I don't like, I won't give it to anyone."
"You," Ye Qing Ge's face flushed red as she glared at her and said, "Just wait and see! We'll see who wins in the end!"
Yin Luo curled her lips into a smile, "Alright, let's wait and see when your cousin finds out about the people you've killed and the dirty things you've done!"
Ye Qing Ge's face turned pale as she stared at her, "Don't talk nonsense! If you keep talking nonsense, I won't let you off!"
"You know best whether it's nonsense or not." Yin Luo's expression suddenly turned cold as she walked back towards the flower grove and picked up the large scissors to start trimming.
When Yin Luo had nearly finished her work, she heard that there was an event in town that day where a young lady was inviting suitors with a flower ball. Su Yi was eager to go see it. Yin Luo had been staying in the Wang residence every day and felt a bit interested upon hearing this. She went to find Mu Changqing for permission. At that time, Mu Changqing was receiving guests and did not add her in. After He Rentong conveyed this message, Mu Changqing agreed right away, only saying for He Ren to follow along.
A group of them went out to the street. After days of self-cultivation, Yin Luo exuded elegance and grace with every gesture. Coupled with her stunning beauty, she immediately attracted many gazes as soon as she stepped out. Exaggeratedly, a crowd even followed her down the entire street.
Wherever they went, that crowd followed just to catch a glimpse of her beauty.
Originally intending to go see the flower ball invitation event, they reconsidered upon thinking about how crowded it would be and how many eyes would be on them. So they temporarily changed their route and headed towards the quieter western suburbs.
The western suburbs were picturesque; in October, the hibiscus flowers bloomed particularly beautifully. With the weather being just right today, they were inspired to go see the flowers.
On the way, sitting in a rented carriage, Su Yi looked at Yin Luo's newly bought veil and smiled, "I wonder if it's the hibiscus flowers that are beautiful or if it's Miss's face that's beautiful."
Yin Luo glanced at her and smirked slightly: "Of course it's the flowers that are beautiful. People have youth; once they age, their faces will only be covered in wrinkles. But flowers bloom and wither each year; next year they will bloom again just like before. Otherwise, how could there be that saying 'Year after year the flowers look alike; year after year people are different'?"
Su Yi laughed and said, "Miss makes a good point."
As the two people were chatting and laughing, suddenly there was a sharp brake, and the Carriage came to a sudden stop. Su Yi and Yin Luo, who were inside the Carriage, nearly collided with the carriage wall.
"He Ren, what happened?"
Yin Luo inquired from inside the carriage. He Ren's voice came from outside, "A child has crawled under the Marl. I'm going to check if he is injured."
Yin Luo responded, but just then, they suddenly heard a commotion of shouting: "Stop! Finally caught up with you, you little brat! You steal my buns from the shop every day. Look at your pitiful state, born without a father or mother. Want to eat buns? Maybe in your next life!"
The voice was indeed very unpleasant. Yin Luo lifted the curtain and immediately saw a small child lying under the Marl. A burly shopkeeper was grabbing the boy's collar and forcefully snatched away a bun that the boy had taken a bite of, throwing it to the ground where a dog quickly came and took it away.
Seeing the bun being eaten by the dog, the boy's eyes dimmed. The shopkeeper didn't even let him finish what was in his mouth, forcing him to spit it all out.
He Ren stepped forward and pushed aside the shopkeeper, looking at the little boy and asking, "Are you hurt?"
The little boy was in rags, his hair tangled into clumps tied at the back of his head. He didn't speak but simply shook his head with his dark eyes wide open.
He Ren noticed that his palms were clearly scraped and bleeding, and there was a large scrape on his knee. Without saying anything, he took out a silver coin from his waist and placed it in the boy's hand, saying, "Go buy something to eat, get some medicine, and clean yourself up. Consider this compensation."
The little boy stared blankly at the money before suddenly looking up towards the direction of the Carriage.
Yin Luo had not yet lowered the curtain. Seeing him look over, she smiled at him and said, "Living on without parents is a skill in itself; it's nothing to be ashamed of."
Her voice was clear and melodious, like heavenly music to those who heard it. Coupled with her veiled face and her graceful demeanor, it captivated everyone’s attention, including the shopkeeper and several of his associates behind him.
The little boy stared at Yin Luo without speaking. She did not say anything further either but lowered the curtain to let He Ren continue.
The carriage moved on for about a quarter of an hour when He Ren suddenly said to Yin Luo, "Princess, that little boy is still following us."
Yin Luo was taken aback, and Su Yi was also surprised. They both lifted the curtain to look back and saw that the little boy was indeed following them.
He wore very tattered clothes with large holes in his shoes. The blood from his freshly injured knee stained his leg, creating a small river down his dirty calf.
He still held onto that silver coin tightly in his hand, his eyes sparkling like black grapes as he kept pace with them—running when the Carriage sped up and walking when it slowed down.
Yin Luo furrowed her brows, signaling He Ren to stop.
Once the carriage came to a halt, she stepped down. The little boy also stopped a short distance away, not approaching but simply watching them with his big, dark eyes.
He looked to be around ten years old, small and thin, as if he were nothing but skin and bones from hunger.
Yin Luo waved at him. The little boy paused for a moment before suddenly running over to her and stopping in front of her, staring at her in a daze.
Yin Luo asked him, "Why are you following us?"
The little boy glanced at her and then at Su Yi beside her, lowering his head and remaining silent.
After thinking for a moment, Yin Luo asked, "Is it because you don't have enough money?"
This time, the little boy reacted, shaking his head and saying four words: "I don't want money."
His voice was hoarse. After speaking, he looked directly at Yin Luo with pure curiosity in his eyes.
His current appearance reminded her of her past life—an orphan without parents, taken in by a master. However, she was somewhat luckier than him; although she had endless training tasks every day, at least she was well-fed and never went hungry or faced being beaten by others.
"Then what do you want?" Because it stirred memories of her past, Yin Luo found herself being unusually patient with this stranger for the first time.
The little boy looked at her. This time he didn’t shy away and directly said, "I want to follow the pretty sister."
Yin Luo was taken aback, and so was Su Yi.
"Do you mean you want to follow our young lady?"
The little boy immediately nodded vigorously. "The pretty sister is a good person."
He Ren couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief as he looked at the little boy. "How do you determine who is good or bad? I give you silver; does that make me a good person? Then tell me, am I a good person or a bad person?"
The little boy's gaze circled around He Ren before he truthfully replied, "I don't know; the pretty sister is a good person."
He stared at Yin Luo, not blinking.
"Miss, I think this little boy looks quite pitiful. He likes you so much; why not take him back with you? One more person in the manor isn't too much," suggested a maid.
He Ren hurriedly replied, "No, every servant in the manor has their background checked thoroughly. This child has an unknown origin; how can we just bring him into the manor? The lord will be displeased!"
Yin Luo looked at the little boy, whose eyes were as dark as grapes, seemingly unaware of what they were discussing.
"What is your name?" Yin Luo asked as she crouched down.
This time, the little boy did not hesitate and almost immediately replied, "Feng Ruoling."
"Feng Ruoling?" Yin Luo frowned; it sounded like a girl's name.
"Do you have any relatives?"
The little boy shook his head. "They all died."
"How did they die?"
"In the famine in Huaiyang, they starved to death on the way here."
Yin Luo was taken aback, and Su Yi was also stunned. Even He Ren was momentarily speechless. Initially determined to oppose bringing the boy in, hearing him speak of his relatives' deaths in such a manner was truly heartbreaking.
"How about this? Let's take him back to the manor for now. I'll explain it to the lord," she finally decided.
In the end, they brought the little boy back to the royal manor.
With Mu Changqing absent from the manor, Yin Luo had someone help Feng Ruoling get cleaned up—bathing, changing clothes, and grooming. When a completely new Feng Ruoling appeared before Yin Luo, even with her strong composure, she was taken aback. "You... are Feng Ruoling?"
The little boy turned his dark eyes towards Yin Luo and said, "Yes, beautiful sister, I am Feng Ruoling."
"You... are a girl?"
The "little boy" lowered her head and mumbled, "Mm."
Yin Luo took a deep breath, and after a long pause, she patted her on the head and said, "Alright, you can go down now. You can stay here without worry; no one will chase you away."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ruoling's eyes lit up as she said, "Thank you, pretty sister!"
She turned around and walked away. After all, she was still a child; when she was happy, she bounced along as she walked.
"Pretty sister... pretty sister, an Uncle Weirdo came and wanted to chase me away..."
"Uncle Weirdo?" Yin Luo raised her gaze toward the gate of the courtyard and saw Mu Changqing striding over in black clothing.
The "Uncle Weirdo" she mentioned must be him, right?
Yin Luo lowered her head and said to Feng Ruoling, "You go play first; I have something to discuss with my uncle."
Feng Ruoling nodded and immediately ran off.
Mu Changqing approached her silently and directly said, "I heard that you brought someone back to the residence."
Yin Luo nodded. "You just saw her. I wanted to tell you, but you weren't here when I returned."
Mu Changqing pursed his lips. "Her background is unclear; I need to arrange for someone to investigate."
Yin Luo glanced at him and replied, "Do as you wish. However, her origins are of no importance to me."
After saying this, she left to watch Feng Ruoling draw.
Mu Changqing looked at them but ultimately did not say anything further.
Thus, Feng Ruoling had completely settled into the Wang residence.
Half a month after she arrived, the capital finally entered the cold winter, and soon after, the first snow of the season fell.
Feng Ruoling had been living in the Wang residence for a month, and her complexion had become much rounder than before. She looked increasingly delicate and more like a girl.
On this day, heavy snow was falling. Yin Luo was curled up inside by the brazier, when Feng Ruoling hurried in from outside, holding a snowball in her hands. Excitedly, she said to Yin Luo, "Sister, sister, I can do magic! Let me show you!"
"Magic?"
Yin Luo was somewhat surprised. Feng Ruoling smiled sweetly, holding the snowball high with both hands and said, "Look closely; it's real!"
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