Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

"Brother Lin Mo... what should we do?"

Xia Man'er tugged at Wen Ruo's sleeve, her usually fearless face now filled with utter bewilderment for the first time.

She turned back helplessly, her clear eyes like those of a lost fawn.

She stared intently at the person in the courtyard who could offer her advice.

Lin Mo received the distress signal but didn't rush to act.

He stood with his hands folded, watching the grand spectacle of "a loyal minister dying for his country" with great interest, even inwardly giving Wenruo a thumbs up for her acting skills.

Look at that grief-stricken expression, that trembling voice, that precise movement.

It's a waste of his talent not to go to film school.

Lin Mo only strolled over slowly when Xia Man'er's eyes changed from pleading for help to begging.

He first circled around the old man and the young girl, and finally stopped in front of Xia Man'er.

He spread his hands, his expression as innocent as could be.

"This is a domestic matter in your southern border region. How can I, an outsider, interfere?"

Lin Mo shrugged, his gaze drifting to the gleaming mahogany pillar beside him, his tone becoming even more sincere.

"Besides, this is my residence. Mr. Wen is quite old; what if something bad happens to him here..."

Lin Mo pointed to the pillar and added quietly.

"This pillar of mine is made of Phoebe zhennan wood. If it gets damaged, it'll be quite expensive."

Wenruo: "..."

Xia Man'er: "..."

"puff--"

Standing not far away, Liu Yiyi could no longer hold back. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed so hard that her shoulders shook.

Wenruo's sorrowful old face froze instantly.

What the hell is this golden nanmu wood? Is my life worth less than a broken pillar?!

No! Is the question now about whether it's valuable or not?

Xia Man'er looked at the helpless Lin Mo, then at the resolute Grandpa Wen, and was completely at a loss.

She released Wenruo, sighed dejectedly, and looked completely listless.

"Alright, alright! I'm really scared of you!"

She sighed heavily, her voice harsh yet tinged with helplessness.

"You...you can stay if you want! It's so annoying!"

"but!"

Xia Man'er suddenly raised her head again, stretched out a fair finger, and fiercely stated her final bottom line.

"You're not allowed to interfere with me! You're not allowed to bother me and Brother Lin Mo! And you're not allowed to send letters to my father every day! Do you hear me?!"

The voice just fell.

The heart-wrenching cries abruptly ceased.

Wenruo moved with surprising agility, springing up from the ground with a "whoosh".

He raised his sleeve and quickly wiped his face.

The old face, which had been streaming with tears just moments before, instantly regained its calm and refined demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you for your kindness, Princess."

Wenruo straightened her wrinkled robes and bowed to Xia Man'er again, her posture impeccable.

"Your humble servant obeys."

After saying that, he walked behind Xia Man'er, put his hands in his sleeves, looked down at his nose, and stood like a silent stone statue.

It was as if the person who had just tried to kill himself wasn't him at all.

Seeing his expression, Xia Man'er was so angry that her cheeks puffed up into two bumps, and she stomped her foot hard.

"Damn it! I've been tricked again!"

……

night.

The city lord's mansion, which had been noisy all day, finally quieted down.

The moon hangs high in the sky, its clear light like water.

The courtyard that Lin Mo specially arranged for Xia Man'er is called "Qifeng Garden".

Qifeng Garden is spacious and elegant, with a century-old osmanthus tree in full bloom. When the evening breeze blows, the whole garden is filled with sweet fragrance.

However, this tranquility was broken by an impatient voice.

"I said I'm going to sleep!"

"Grandpa Wen, you're not tired, but I am!"

"Could you please go back to your room?"

At the bedroom door, Xia Man'er only opened the door a crack, peeking out half her little head and glaring angrily at the person outside.

Outside the door, Wenruo stood like a door god, his back ramrod straight, motionless.

"Princess, it's late, you should rest early."

His voice was calm and unhurried, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"You may rest inside, while this old minister stands guard outside; it is this old minister's duty."

Xia Man'er felt like she was about to explode with anger.

That old fogey!

"I...I'm hungry!"

Xia Man'er's eyes darted around, and she thought of a reason.

"I'd like to go to the kitchen to find something to eat, is that alright?"

Wenruo bowed slightly, his posture impeccable.

"Princess, please give your order. This old minister will immediately have the servants prepare it, and it will be delivered to you in no more than a quarter of an hour."

"..."

"Well... I just want to go out for a walk! To admire the moon!"

"The moon is so beautiful tonight, it would be a waste not to go for a walk!"

Wenruo raised her head, glanced at the full moon in the sky, and then looked back at the crack in the door.

"Princess, the evening breeze is chilly and damp, which is not good for your health."

"If you truly wish to admire the moon, the Qifeng Garden has a spacious courtyard; you can enjoy the full moonlight from the corridor. Why bother going to such lengths?"

"you!"

Xia Man'er was at a loss for words.

She realized that the old man was determined to become her personal jailer!

"You just want to lock me up here!"

Xia Man'er simply stopped pretending and raised her voice eight octaves.

Hearing her exasperated voice, Wenruo sighed deeply.

My dear ancestor, this old minister has no choice.

If he leaves now, this young princess can easily sneak into Lin Mo's room!

When the time comes, it will be like heaven and earth igniting a fire, and the deed will be done...

How will he explain this to the prince when he gets back?

The prince is probably going to hang him on the city gate tower and let him dry into a thousand-year-old mummy!

"Princess, please rest assured."

Wenruo's tone was tinged with weariness, yet remained resolute.

"This old minister will stand guard outside the door tonight, and I guarantee not a single mosquito will be able to fly out... cough, not be able to fly in."

boom!

The only response he received was the sound of Xia Man'er slamming the door shut.

house.

Xia Man'er paced back and forth in the room like a trapped little animal.

"So annoying! So annoying! That old geezer! That old fogey!"

As she walked, she kicked a soft cushion embroidered with hibiscus flowers at her feet.

Should we just rush out?

The image of Wenruo's tragic appearance during the day, as if she were ready to be splattered with blood at any moment, immediately flashed into her mind.

No.

That old man is capable of anything.

She really felt a little guilty if something bad were to happen.

Are we just going to leave it at that?

That won't do!

She came all this way, not just to count sheep in her room!

She's going to find Brother Lin Mo!

I want to chat with him, I want to watch the moon with him, and... and...

As Xia Man'er thought about it, her cheeks flushed.

Just as she was scratching her head in frustration and frowning, she caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye.

Her personal maid, Xiao Tao.

At this moment, Xiao Tao was leaning against the window, her head nodding off, and she was almost drooling.

Xia Man'er's eyes lit up instantly.

Got it!

A sly smile appeared on her face as she tiptoed to Xiao Tao's side.

Then, he covered Xiaotao's mouth and dragged her behind the screen in the inner room of the bedroom without saying a word.

"Hmm? Hmm!"

Xiao Tao was startled and woke up instantly, struggling wildly with her arms and legs.

"Shh! It's me!" Xia Man'er whispered.

Xiao Tao breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her young mistress, but before she could even ask a question...

She felt her clothes being untied by a pair of small hands.

Xiao Tao: "?"

She froze completely.

He watched as his young mistress lowered her head and carefully unbuttoned the Chinese knot buttons on her outer garment.

Xiao Tao's face flushed red to her ears, and she clutched her chest with both hands, her voice trembling with tears.

"Miss...Miss! What...what are you doing?!"

"I...I...I'm not that kind of person!"