"If you don't like it, I'll talk about other things you like from now on. Whatever you like to hear, I'll say it, okay?"
Ling Mohan asked Feng Jin's opinion cautiously, afraid of doing anything wrong and angering Feng Jin again. Even his attempts to appease her were hesitant and careful.
"It would be best if you talked less nonsense from now on. Don't say those things you just said again, because they are truly... truly unpleasant to hear!"
If she ever found out who taught Ling Mohan these nonsensical things, she would curse his entire lineage to appease her anger.
Who was the damned soul who had turned Ling Mohan into this mess? She truly missed the silent, cold, and cool Ling Mohan of the past. The current Ling Mohan was truly annoying to death.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Ling Mohan said obediently, following Feng Jin's words. Anything he said now was wrong; staying quiet was the most correct course of action.
As long as it could help Feng Jin calm down, he was willing to do anything.
"Close your mouth and sleep!"
Feng Jin commanded coldly. As soon as the words left her lips, she pulled the quilt over herself. Her eyes had barely closed when Ling Mohan started to fidget.
"What do you want? Can't you just sleep peacefully and stop bothering me!"
It was already late at night; if they didn't sleep soon, dawn would break. Feng Jin felt her eyelids drooping.
"I have one last thing I want to ask you. After I ask, I promise to let you sleep well."
"Hurry and say it."
Feng Jin yawned, tears threatening to fall.
"It's about Feng Ruoyan. She's dead... she died in prison tonight."
"That's perfectly normal. She was already poisoned and close to death. Dying a day or two early is nothing unusual. Why are you suddenly concerned about Feng Ruoyan? What are you trying to do?"
Feng Jin found it strange. Why was Ling Mohan acting so peculiar, suddenly showing concern for Feng Ruoyan?
"It's nothing. I just think she died a bit too quickly."
Ling Mohan stated his doubts faintly. After all, he had promised Chu Yanxi he would spare Feng Ruoyan's life, and he hadn't expected her to pass away so soon.
Fortunately, Chu Yanxi was also dead, or things would have become truly troublesome again.
"She didn't have long to live anyway. It was inevitable."
Feng Ruoyan's death was something she had anticipated. It was only a day or two earlier; there was nothing surprising about it.
Hearing Feng Jin say this, Ling Mohan felt a bit better. Since it was fate, he couldn't blame himself.
Besides, their child was still here, being well-fed and cared for by him. He felt he had done them justice.
After Ling Mohan resolved his thoughts, his mood instantly brightened. He directly pulled Feng Jin into his arms.
"What are you doing? Can't you just go to sleep yourself?"
Feng Jin was utterly speechless with Ling Mohan at this moment. Couldn't he just go to sleep honestly instead of being around her and being touchy?
The man seemed not to hear her, his hands still restlessly moving over Feng Jin, but he did not cross any boundaries. This left Feng Jin with no suitable reason to vent her anger.
She decided to stop bothering with these pointless matters and focus on sleeping, ignoring the man behind her and closing her eyes.
...
"Young Master, the Third Prince has already passed away. It's no longer appropriate to keep people guarding the West Liang Princess's courtyard. Should we remove them?"
Lu Shi instantly regretted his decision. He wished he hadn't lent his men to Gu Beichen back then. Chu Yanxi's matter was settled, yet Gu Beichen still showed no intention of returning them.
He had been trailing behind Gu Beichen, asking for his men back, and when would it ever end? He didn't know what madness had possessed Young Master Gu to insist on guarding a young lady's courtyard.
Even if they were merely betrothed now, this kind of behavior from Gu Beichen was unbearable. If it were him, he absolutely could not tolerate such actions.
This was tantamount to surveillance. He truly admired the West Liang Princess for enduring it for so long without getting angry.
Gu Beichen remained silent. He had been having Murong Jinyun watched for some time now, but she had been very well-behaved. Each day, she would only sit outside her courtyard for a while, trim flower branches, sip tea, or do embroidery. She hadn't done anything out of line.
He had been enduring immense pressure, having Murong Jinyun's courtyard surrounded for so long. Even Baili Xi had approached him several times, only to be turned away.
Now that Chu Yanxi was also dead, the matter was settled. He truly had no reason to keep people guarding Murong Jinyun's courtyard.
It was time to withdraw them. A hint of displeasure flickered across Gu Beichen's face, and he finally said with a sigh, "Let's go. Take your men away."
As he finished speaking, Gu Beichen stood up and walked out. After such a long time, it was time to go and see Murong Jinyun.
Lu Shi, who had been looking worried and troubled, had a complete change of expression upon hearing Gu Beichen's words, his face instantly beaming with joy. He followed Gu Beichen out.
"Princess... Princess, the soldiers guarding our courtyard have been withdrawn."
Murong Jinyun's expression flickered slightly. The hand holding the needle trembled, and her fingertip was pricked. Bright red blood dripped onto the embroidered handkerchief, falling precisely on the embroidered plum blossom, dyeing it even redder.
"Princess, your hand... I'll go get some medicine."
"No need to make such a fuss. Let's go and see."
Murong Jinyun stood up with the help of her maid and walked out. As she reached the doorway, she met Gu Beichen's gaze as he stepped into the courtyard.
Seeing each other again after so many days, the atmosphere between them seemed unusually calm, as if many words were suppressed in their throats, making it difficult to speak.
Finally, Murong Jinyun broke the silence. With a smile on her lips, she walked gracefully towards Gu Beichen and gently brushed a speck of snow from his shoulder.