There are too many female protagonists with deceased husbands in the Qin Dynasty's Past Books.

Like a guard dog finally welcoming its owner home, it wagged its tail and circled around Jiang Mo, as if it wanted to tug at Jiang Mo's trouser leg and crawl into his arms.

Jiang Mo barely fed it at all; he took care of it much more himself!

Well, I've been busy with many things and haven't been able to take care of Xiaobai very often. The one who takes the best care of this little guy is still the dutiful Nongyu.

Thinking of this, Zi Nu couldn't help but smile.

Although Xiaobai wasn't as attentive to her as it was to Jiang Mo, it was still willing to let her stroke its soft fur after it had been fed and watered.

Unlike when facing Yan Lingji, he didn't jump up as soon as he saw her.

He bared his teeth, looking as if he had a deep-seated hatred for Yan Lingji and wished he could pounce on her and tear her ankle apart.

Unfortunately, all they dared to do was bare their teeth.

If it really pounces, even if it doesn't turn into a wild game skewer for Jiang Mo's sake, the downy fur on the tip of its tail will definitely be lost.

To be honest, Zi Nu really couldn't understand Xiao Bai's criteria for judging people.

In the entire Zilan Pavilion, apart from Jiang Mo, Xiao Bai was only close to Nong Yu. Although it wouldn't wag its tail and rush to greet Jiang Mo from afar like it would, it would still jump into Nong Yu's arms and let her pet it.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to steal the Fire Rain Agate that Nongyu always carried with her.

What surprised Zi Nu the most was that, judging from Xiao Bai's current attitude, it seemed that he was somewhat indifferent to Hu Meiren, his own master, and did not have the same joyful and excited spirit as when facing Jiang Mo.

Oh, wait, I almost forgot, this isn't a newbie...

No wonder! The little guy's tuft of fur on his tail that hasn't fully grown back is clearly a mark left when he tried to force his way into Jiang Mo's room not long ago and was burned bald by Yan Lingji.

This little guy actually sneaked out of Zilan Pavilion and ran here.

What are you doing, secretly informing your master?

People who work in intelligence are often quick-witted and have keen observation skills, able to deduce useful information from many details that others take for granted.

Zi Nu is undoubtedly a master in this field.

Even though Xiaobai had signs of deliberate concealment, Zi Nu still managed to determine its identity from some clues.

Therefore, the initial guess in my mind was no longer just a fleeting association.

Jiang Mo, this guy, actually has an ambiguous relationship with Consort Hu? How dare he meddle in the Han King's harem?

If exposed, it wouldn't just be a matter of being disgraced...

At that moment, Zi Nu felt both annoyed and worried.

What's frustrating is that even as a confidante, she doesn't seem to be the only one, and it's unclear where she should rank.

What's worrying is that Hu Meiren's identity is no ordinary one.

If things were to come to light, not only would his cooperation with Han Fei likely fall through, but Jiang Mo would probably find himself with nowhere to go in the entire country of South Korea.

This made Zi Nu wish she could grab Jiang Mo and leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

They prevented him from having any contact or interaction with the beautiful woman in front of him, so as not to fall into the eyes of other people with ulterior motives and reveal anything.

Fortunately, Hu Meiren was talking to Honglian at that moment.

She had never had any contact with Jiang Mo.

With her mind racing, Zi Nu had already set herself a small goal: to keep a close eye on Jiang Mo and Hu Meiren in this elegant Pear Garden.

They were not given any opportunity to be alone together.

Even with her sharp mind, she never expected that what she was staring at was just a product of a false illusion.

The real beauty, Hu Meiren, never appeared before her.

In the same courtyard, the two targets that Zi Nu was determined to prevent from contacting each other were now tightly embracing, almost touching.

Her gaze softened, and her delicate hands hung down.

Zi Nu, standing quietly like a palace maid, was seven parts of her attention on her surroundings and three parts on the pointless small talk between Hu Meiren and Hong Lian. She failed to notice Xiao Bai lying on the ground.

After all, pets are often overlooked compared to people.

Especially since the little guy was lying lazily on the ground, the whole fox was curled up into a fluffy ball, not at all like someone who would cause trouble.

It really doesn't intend to cause trouble.

However, unexpected events are always inevitable in the process of proceeding according to plan. That scorching gaze, which seemed to see through all illusions, made the lazy Xiaobai jump up with a start, his ears perked up like antennas and radar.

Who can see through its illusion?

That power... which annoying, savage fire woman is it? I hope she doesn't come and cause trouble!

The laziness and composure vanished, and Xiao Bai instantly entered a state of high tension and vigilance. After all, illusion magic is different from other powers; deception is both the result and the prerequisite for illusion magic to work.

Anyone who can see through it can find the flaws in the illusion, easily remove the veil of falsehood, and reveal the truth to everyone.

But if the truth is revealed, it could be fatal!

In her panic, Xiao Bai, who was almost running around in circles, found that even the power that had been maintaining the illusion was slightly disrupted.

The fake beauty, who had been looking completely natural, suddenly became slightly dazed.

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I talking to Princess Honglian? Everything feels so unreal...

As if waking from a deep dream, confusion welled up in the mind of the substitute.

The action of picking up the scroll to return it to Honglian was interrupted, and with a cry of surprise, the scroll slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

Honglian had already breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew nothing about the matter of the real or fake Hu Meiren. When she followed this Hu Meiren, Honglian was filled with trepidation, but her only worry was whether Hu Meiren would seize on her painting for Jiang Mo and use it as leverage against her.

Honglian certainly didn't want the King of Han to find out about this.

Even disregarding a young girl's feelings, the mere fact that she, as a princess, is infatuated with a random man is enough to cause endless trouble.

Honglian herself was treated better; she was merely confined to her quarters and reprimanded.

But for Jiang Mo, it might bring some trouble. Being driven out of Xinzheng would be the least of his worries. There might be someone who plans to eliminate the trouble forever.

Just thinking about that possibility made Honglian's heart ache.

Unexpectedly, Hu Meiren was easier to talk to than she had imagined. She didn't pry into the details or scold her like an elder.

On the contrary, their conversation seemed to convey a strong sense of empathy.

This made Honglian suddenly realize one thing clearly: although the other party was nominally her elder, the actual age difference was not that great.

Does the feeling of first love still linger in her heart?

That's why he would subtly reveal a nostalgic expression.

Who was the person she fell in love with back then? It certainly wasn't her father, after all, she'd heard that Consort Hu was from the Baiyue Fire Rain Manor...

Various thoughts swirled in my mind.

This caused Honglian, who had initially cursed the other woman as a vixen, to suddenly change her opinion of the beautiful Hu, especially when the other woman agreed to return the painting to her.

Unexpectedly, just as the painting was about to be returned to its rightful owner, a mishap occurred.

Seeing the scroll slip from the other person's hand, Honglian didn't have time to think about whether Hu Meiren was doing it on purpose. In a panic, she immediately stepped forward and reached out to grab the scroll.

But this change came too suddenly, and Honglian was truly unprepared.

In his haste, he not only failed to catch the scroll that fell from his hands, but also accidentally kicked it as he stepped forward.

With a gurgling sound, the scroll rolled towards Zi Nu.

Unlike other things, a scroll, with its rolling motion, naturally unfolds on the ground.

The image depicted by the brushstrokes was clearly reflected in Zi Nu's eyes.

A slightly gaunt face, deep black eyes, a wisp of eerie white hair falling across his forehead, and an indifferent, cold expression...

The slightly bent-over woman's body stiffened slightly.

The actress playing the role of Honglian's maid instinctively wanted to pick up the scroll and return it to Honglian.

But when my gaze fell upon the contents of the painting, I couldn't help but feel a moment of disorientation.

She seemed to recall the scene when she first met Jiang Mo. At that time, she was only a little curious about him, never expecting that she would fall so deeply in love with him now.

When exactly...?

Gazing at the lifelike figures on the scroll, Zi Nu seemed to vaguely see the young girl resting her chin on her hand, gazing at her beloved. From each meticulously drawn stroke, she truly felt the girl's unspoken thoughts…

What a sin.

The orchid grows in the secluded valley, and the butterflies come of their own accord; yet, they cannot help but feel longing.

Whether it was lamenting that Honglian's thoughts were impossible to hide, or helplessly mocking herself, Zi Nu couldn't help but chuckle softly.

She picked up the scroll and handed it back to Honglian, whose eyes were darting away.

"Since it is something you cherish dearly, Princess, you must keep it safe and not show it to others easily, lest it attract their covetousness."

Honglian, her heart pounding, sensed that Zi Nu's words had a hidden meaning.

But at this moment, she was immersed in the shyness of having her girlish thoughts exposed in front of others, and felt her cheeks burning hot. She wished she could hide away with the painting in her arms.

He didn't dare to look Zi Nu in the eye.

They had no interest in interpreting it themselves.

Unaware of the unexpected farce unfolding, the quick-witted Xiaobai had already spotted the source of the burning gaze and immediately bared her teeth, ready to retaliate against the troublemaker.

When he turned his head, he saw his two owners embracing each other.

It paused for a moment, then lay back down.

Chapter 78 You're not lonely even when I'm not around.

"You really are a charming and carefree womanizer, leaving your mark on everyone."

Her exquisite body clung tightly to his, its soft touch and elasticity under pressure allowing Jiang Mo to clearly feel the alluring curves and the wonderful sensation of his entire body being enveloped by her seductive flesh.

What's even more impossible to ignore is the coquettish, resentful whisper that almost bit his ear, escaping from between her lips:

"While I was away, I'm afraid I stole countless hearts."

"You even went after Honglian! How old is she? To lay a hand on the apple of the King of Han's eye, aren't you afraid of getting burned?"