Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

"..."

Qiaoyu was shocked and suspected that her ears had also been damaged because she stayed up late.

What did the Prime Minister say?!

This is not only rude, but also, and also, and also overstepping boundaries!

People consider spitting things to be filthy. Even if this cherry has just entered her mouth, even His Majesty, who is married to her, might not be able to open his hand to catch what is in her mouth.

What's going on, Prime Minister?

Qiaoyu quickly stepped forward and raised both hands: "Your Majesty, please spit it out, lest it harm your health."

It would be against etiquette to spit it into the Prime Minister's hands, but if it were in her hands, it would be her proper duty.

Wei Rong clearly hadn't expected Ling Xianru to extend her hand so naturally.

She was stunned for a moment, then was interrupted by Qiaoyu's sudden voice, and abruptly hiccuped.

Despite her military background and seemingly unapproachable demeanor, Wei Rong's burps were remarkably delicate.

He only gave a slight tremor in his chest.

Then he patted his chest and said, "I swallowed it."

However, her mouth still tasted very sour, and she felt that she had lost face in front of Ling Xianru, so she angrily threw the remaining half of the cherry on the ground.

Ling Xianru suddenly tilted her head.

The curve of her lips almost extended to her earlobe.

Wei Rong was even more annoyed: "Laugh at me again and I'll punish you."

She didn't know if she was angry or annoyed, but her face flushed.

Just then, Mo Yu descended from the sky, handed something to Ling Xianru, and then quickly retreated.

...I also took Qiaoyu with me.

"What are you doing—help—uh—!"

Ling Xianru uncorked the water bag and handed it to Wei Rong: "Cleanse your mouth."

Although the curve of his lips had faded, the smile in his eyes remained, which anyone could see.

Wei Rong slapped open his water bag, no longer caring about her imperial demeanor: "Prime Minister, are you addicted to playing pranks? Did you put chili peppers in the water?"

"The spring water is clean, and the water bag is new too."

Seeing that Wei Rong was not buying it, he remained sullen, like some kind of small animal.

The suppressed smile spread again, this time from the corners of his mouth to his eyes, almost a hearty laugh.

This guy is a real scoundrel!

She shouldn't have let a black phoenix pique her curiosity and insisted on coming to see it.

It's like jumping into a fire pit yourself.

After eating its fill of cherries, the black phoenix flew curiously to her shoulder. It rarely saw its master smile like that, so it stared at Ling Xianru and chirped incessantly.

Not only humans appreciate beauty, but parrots also love beautiful things.

Otherwise, when it first learned to fly and broke into the Prime Minister's residence, it wouldn't have stayed as a spirit pet because of Ling Xianru's beautiful face.

"Chirp, chirp," it pecked at Wei Rong's collar, then chirped at Ling Xianru.

Her small, round eyes were practically sparkling with stars.

Wei Rong felt she had been set up; there was a big one and a small one, a person and a bird.

"I know you're a little lecher who only cares about looks." Wei Rong didn't take the water bag and turned to walk back the way she came.

As darkness was approaching, she knew she shouldn't stay out too long and didn't want to argue with Ling Xianru. Running away was the best option.

He took two steps, then turned back: "Where have you taken my maidservant?"

This will scare Qiaoyu to death.

The little black phoenix, feeling wronged after being scolded, flapped its wings to find its master, landing on Ling Xianru's shoulder and drooping its crown, chirping.

"Your Majesty just said it was attracted by appearance," Ling Xianru countered with a question, his devilish smile remaining unchanged: "Are you saying that my appearance is pleasing to Your Majesty's eye?"

"..."

This person usually speaks with an air of superiority, and even in her presence, he refers to himself as an official.

When you want to tease her, you'll use the humble and uncouth tone when you're making funny remarks.

The longer you know this person, the more you will appreciate the assertive aspects of his personality.

"What I mean is that this bird is ignorant, only knowing Pan An and not Lanling Wang." She was not about to fall into Ling Xianru's trap and retorted sarcastically.

Ling Xianru's smile deepened.

The pale white robe accentuated his face, making him appear more than just bewitching. Everyone says Daji was a fox, but in Wei Rong's opinion, this person was the real fox—cunning and scheming.

The sun had sunk completely behind the mountains at some point, and the full moon had climbed back up to the treetops, scattering its clear moonlight.

The forest was quiet. Ling Xianru stared intently at Wei Rong, approaching her step by step.

The distance is so small that it can be as minute as a speck.

Wei Rong leaned back slightly to avoid his powerful and domineering aura.

But the Prime Minister was too tall. Even when he leaned down slightly, he could still completely surround Wei Rong in front of him. His smiling eyes seemed to be enhanced by the moonlight.

"You—" Being too close, Wei Rong smelled that citrus-like fragrance again. She must be furious to feel her breathing become rapid, and she reached out to push the person in front of her.

But she underestimated Ling Xianru's courage; he actually grabbed her wrist.

The warmth of her palms traveled through the thin gauze, and her wrists felt as if they were being scalded. Wei Rong curled her fingertips.

"Has Your Highness met Pan An, or Lanling Wang?"

Of course, he had never seen either of them, but the book described them as exceptionally handsome men, and comparing them to Ling Xianru was already an honor for him.

Looking at the flawless face before her, the Empress, who had never seen either Pan An or Lanling Wang, hesitated.

A face as handsome as Pan An, with unparalleled beauty, can't be compared to that, right?

Ling Xianru's face is so flawless that it's impossible to find any fault with it.

Seeing that she remained silent, Ling Xianru gripped her wrist and moved even closer, persisting relentlessly: "Your Majesty seems not to have seen my face clearly. Should we move closer? Or perhaps we could light a lamp for Your Majesty?"

The feeling of not being able to breathe returned, and Wei Rong curled her fingers again, clenching them tightly in her palm.

"How dare you!" she struggled, her strength like an ant trying to shake a tree, "Let me go."

This is truly a grave crime of insubordination. Does Ling Xianru have a death wish?!

The woman tensed up, her pale skin taking on a pinkish hue, and her furrowed brows made one want to reach out and smooth them out.

Ling Xianru's Adam's apple bobbed, and a dark cloud slowly rose in her eyes.

She should have taken it back before she married Xiao Heng.

...by a twist of fate.

Now that things have come to this, coercion would be a disgrace to her.

Ling Xianruo had the means to snatch Wei Rong back and hide her away from everyone, but she didn't yet have the ability to make Wei Rong willingly submit.

He tightened his grip, and Wei Rong was hurt by him. Perhaps it was because her appearance was frightening, but a hint of panic appeared in her eyes.

"Ling Xianru..."

Wei Rong called out to him in a panic.

The way Ling Xianru looked at her suggested that she was capable of anything.

It's strange. She has absolutely no recollection of this person's face, yet Ling Xianru seems to have known her for a very long time.

So long that she came to believe she was someone etched into his very bones.

That one sentence from Ling Xianru seemed to pull him back from some kind of emotion. He still held Wei Rong's hand tightly: "Say it again."

Wei Rong looked bewildered.

He added, "Say it again."

He coaxed patiently, "I'll let you go back."

Her wrists were burning from the tight grip, and Wei Rong was completely powerless to fight back. She wondered if this person had some kind of spell on them: "Ling Xianru—have I seen you somewhere before?"

But with such an outstanding appearance, how could anyone forget her after seeing her somewhere before?

She was troubled and thought about it for a long time, but couldn't recall any memory of that face.

"Want to know?" Ling Xianru loosened her grip as she wished, but not completely. Instead, she opened her palm and put something inside.

A small sachet, of an unusual design, with a small bell hanging from the closure.

A faint medicinal fragrance emanated from inside.

I want to know.

But what is this?

"It's mosquito repellent. With skin like yours, a bite from that would probably take half a month to fade." Ling Xianru pulled her hand away, the soft, smooth touch instantly gone, but she didn't intend to answer Wei Rong's first question.

How did he know he was not prone to mosquito bites?

Although Wei Rong doesn't attract many mosquitoes, if she gets bitten, it can take up to half a month for the mark to disappear.

Ling Xianru seemed to know everything about her, which made her even more curious.

"You have not yet answered me."

He lifted his eyelids, and those affectionate eyes looked at Wei Rong.

When Ling Xianru doesn't want to hide anything, there are many things in her eyes.

The stars were scattered, but Wei Rong could only see her own reflection.

Ling Xianru opened her lips: "You—"

"Who's there?!"