"What are you doing? Give me the brush!" Murong Jinyun yelled.
"Princess, you are the princess of Xiliang, and you must obey the imperial decree."
Baili Xi broke the brush in his hand in two and threw it away, keeping Murong Jinyun within his control.
"It's not your place to tell me what to do!" Murong Jinyun was completely furious, this was the first time she had spoken to Baili Xi in such a tone.
"Before departing from Xiliang, His Majesty had already issued an edict, stating that in unavoidable circumstances, I may be disrespectful to the princess, and the princess must prioritize the grand plan of Xiliang."
Murong Jinyun looked at Baili Xi, who had followed her for ten years, with disbelief. At this moment, Baili Xi seemed like a stranger, causing her heart to tremble.
"Princess, your subordinate is acting under orders. I beg you not to make things difficult for your subordinate."
"I... I know what to do." Murong Jinyun closed her eyes and said in a deep voice. When she opened her eyes again, they were no longer as clear as before, but filled with complex emotions.
"Princess, Young Master Gu has arrived," the guard reported from the doorway.
Upon hearing Gu Beichen's name, a flicker of surprise flashed in Murong Jinyun's eyes. She got up and was about to walk out, but Baili Xi, standing behind her, grabbed her wrist. "Princess, do not forget what His Majesty said."
Murong Jinyun froze. Her lowered gaze hid her true emotions. "You don't need to worry about it."
With that, she abruptly shook off Baili Xi's hand and pushed open the door to walk out. Seeing Gu Beichen standing alone with his horse in the setting sun, Murong Jinyun's steps quickened as she ran towards him.
Beside Gu Beichen, she could shed all her pretense and simply be the pampered little girl he spoiled, with Gu Beichen shielding her from all storms.
"Didn't you go back to the prince's mansion? How did you get here at this time?" Murong Jinyun buried her head in his chest, her voice muffled.
"My father has agreed to our marriage. I will go and request His Majesty to bestow a marriage upon us."
The two had been apart for three years, and Gu Beichen wanted to marry Murong Jinyun home as soon as possible.
"I..." Just as Murong Jinyun was about to agree, her father's instructions flashed in her mind, and her heart was filled with turmoil. "I... let's wait a while longer before bringing this up again."
Gu Beichen looked at Murong Jinyun with confusion, finding her behavior today somewhat strange, though he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. However, he said, "Whatever you say."
"Let me take you out for a stroll. There are many fun places in the capital."
The most important reason was that the post station was surrounded by spies, and he detested living under constant surveillance. He pulled Murong Jinyun and walked out.
"Stop!"
As they reached the entrance, a shout came from behind. "Gu Beichen, where are you taking the princess?"
As the words fell, Baili Xi, with a flash of movement, appeared in front of Gu Beichen, glaring at him with burning eyes.
"The princess and I are about to be betrothed. We don't need to report to you where we are going."
Gu Beichen's attitude was firm, and he moved to walk past Baili Xi.
Baili Xi leaped forward and blocked their path. "The princess's safety is paramount. I will never allow you to take the princess out privately."
The atmosphere between the two grew tense, their gazes like drawn swords, as if they were about to fight.
"Axi, I'm going out with him. You wait here and don't let anyone follow."
At Murong Jinyun's command, Baili Xi, however unwilling, stepped back and cleared a path for them to leave.
As Gu Beichen passed Baili Xi, he couldn't resist giving him a triumphant glance.
"Let's go." Murong Jinyun also sensed the awkwardness between the two and quickly pulled Gu Beichen away.
"Baili Xi seems very concerned about you?" Gu Beichen asked sourly after a moment's pause.
Murong Jinyun, with something weighing on her mind, paused for a moment upon hearing Gu Beichen's question before replying, "Axi... Axi has been by my side since he was young. He protects me like an older brother. He was just worried about my safety earlier, and his words were a bit harsh."
"Is that so?" Gu Beichen's eyebrows twitched as he asked uncertainly. Baili Xi's gaze earlier was more than just that of a brother looking out for his sister.
"Of course!" Murong Jinyun replied without hesitation.
Gu Beichen wanted to ask more, but their carriage had already stopped. He helped Murong Jinyun alight, thinking that there would be plenty of time to ask later.
"Yu Yan Fang. What is this place? Why have you brought me here?"
Murong Jinyun read the three characters on the plaque, having no idea what this place was.
"Let's go in and see,"
With that, Gu Beichen pulled Murong Jinyun's hand and walked inside.
This was Murong Jinyun's first time here, and she was instantly captivated by the scenery. Everything looked novel to her. She picked something up, examined it, put it down, and moved on to the next.
"What are these used for?"
Gu Beichen looked at the small, black, long tube in Murong Jinyun's hand and was slightly taken aback. He knew that the Feng Jin shop sold items for women's grooming, but he didn't know how they were used, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Fortunately, Cai Qing saw them and came to their rescue. "Young Master Gu, Princess, what brings you here? I've already sent someone to fetch Madam."
Cai Qing assumed they had come to find Feng Jin and had already dispatched someone to invite her.
"Madam?" Murong Jinyun's tone was slightly confused. It wasn't until she saw Feng Jin walk in that she realized what was happening. "Is this shop yours?"
Feng Jin admitted frankly, "I opened it. I just opened it when I had nothing else to do. Princess, take a look and see if you like anything. I'll give it to you."
After all, it would all be charged to Gu Beichen's account, and she could collect from him later. She would gain face and not lose out. This was indeed a profitable business.
Feng Jin's calculations were running smoothly, while Gu Beichen thought Feng Jin had suddenly become generous today. It wasn't until Cai Qing arrived with a thick stack of ledgers that he understood what was going on, and from then on, he harbored a deep resentment towards Feng Jin.
"Really?"
She had already looked around, and everything was exquisite and expensive. Now that someone was offering to give them away, Murong Jinyun's heart leaped with joy.
Her hands honestly selected items, while Cai Qing introduced them, completely captivating Murong Jinyun, who wished she could choose one of everything in the shop. However, she felt it might be too much and after much deliberation, put some items back.
"Is that all?" Feng Jin looked at the meager selection of items on the plate and directly instructed Cai Qing to pack one of each.
"Madam, this is too much, I..."
"Very generous. Thank you."