From afar, Su Yunmo saw Lin Chenxi walking over with two or three classmates. They were about ten meters away, heading onto another path.
"Big Brother!" Su Yunmo shouted. Lin Chenxi glanced this way but didn't stop, walking straight ahead.
Su Yunmo suddenly remembered that her elder brother wouldn't recognize her in her current appearance.
However, she absolutely had to get in today.
"Why is this little girl still trying to force her way in?" The gatekeeper grabbed her and was about to throw her out.
A glint flashed in Su Yunmo's eyes, and she was about to act.
"Let her go." A clear voice called out, and a ten-year-old boy carrying a book approached from a distance.
He wore a light green robe, and at such a young age, he exuded a scholarly air, appearing rather old-fashioned.
Su Yunmo timely withdrew her hand.
The gatekeeper, seeing him approach, let go of Su Yunmo. "Does this young master know her?"
"She's here to see me," Su Sizhuo walked forward, helping Su Yunmo smooth her clothes with one hand, and lectured her with a frown.
"Didn't your tutor teach you manners? You can't run around in the academy. Girls should be dignified and polite, not wild and unruly."
The newly arrived younger sister is a bit mischievous.
Su Yunmo was in a hurry to chase someone and didn't quite understand why Su Sizhuo was helping her. She just felt that this kid, despite his young age, was as pedantic as an old scholar. "Thank you for your help this time."
She dropped the sentence and ran towards the path.
"Wait! Little one!" Su Sizhuo instinctively reached out to grab her but only managed to touch her sleeve. Seeing her disappear in a flash, he puffed out his cheeks.
This little rascal, who was just crying for her big brother, how could she discard him after using him?
So ill-mannered!
Su Yunmo didn't hear his shouts, focused only on running forward. Upon entering the path, she found a fork in the road, and Lin Chenxi had long since vanished.
Su Yunmo stamped her foot in frustration, then darted down a random path, hoping for luck. After running only a few steps, she bumped into someone.
The person was very tall; Su Yunmo only reached his waist.
"Get out of the way." Her mind was on Lin Chenxi, and she didn't look up. She sidestepped, intending to continue running.
"It's you." A voice, unfamiliar yet with a hint of familiarity, came from above. The next second, Su Yunmo's collar was grabbed.
Ye Jingyu lifted her into the air, a strange look flashing in his dark eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Su Yunmo looked up and met a masked face. The hint of familiarity from his voice vanished instantly. "I'm looking for someone. The gatekeeper agreed. Let me go."
Ye Jingyu pursed his lips, gazing at her inquiringly, his tone carrying a hint of ferocity. "The road is indeed narrow."
Since they had met, she wouldn't be leaving so easily.
"I told you to let go!" Su Yunmo clenched her fist and swung it towards the mask.
"My Lord, why are you here? You didn't eat anything yesterday, so you must eat something today no matter what," a female guard emerged from the bushes.
Su Yunmo frowned and retracted her fist.
Why were people always interrupting her today?
Ye Jingyu let out a cold snort. She knew how to hide her sharpness. "This King found a rabbit and was planning to have roasted rabbit meat."
Su Yunmo's eyelids twitched. This kid's mouth was really asking for a slap, but he called himself "This King"?
Was he Ye Jingcheng's brother? She hadn't seen him before?
A masked face...
A name suddenly leaped into Su Yunmo's mind: Ye Jingyu.
She had heard that the Emperor's third son, since birth, had auspicious signs of withered lotuses blooming, and he was exceptionally intelligent from a young age. The Emperor doted on him so much that he even considered making him the Crown Prince.
However, unfortunately, due to the death of his mother, he was so grief-stricken that he accidentally fell from a rockery. From then on, he wore a mask, afraid to show his true face, and often stayed within his residence, gradually fading from public view.
Qian Xue helplessly stepped forward and reached out to take Su Yunmo. "My Lord, this child must have stumbled in by accident. Don't scare her."
She would be scared? That was the most ridiculous thing to say.
The young man didn't hand Su Yunmo over. Instead, he held her close to his mask, staring intently at her. "It's fine. If she faints, she won't feel pain when I skin her."
Su Yunmo frowned. She didn't recall the rumors saying this kid was a pervert.
She glanced into the distance. At this time of day, it was useless to chase. The person was long gone, so she could only wait for another time.
"Brother, don't eat Momo. Momo doesn't taste good~" She looked up at the young man with pleading eyes, her hands and feet tucked close to her chest, looking as pitiful as a little squirrel.
Since he was a member of the royal family, she couldn't act rashly. If she got an opportunity, perhaps she could use him to get close to Ye Jingcheng.
Ye Jingyu was slightly stunned, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, and then the curve of his lips widened.
The General's mansion, huh? Su Qingtian's daughter was indeed extraordinary.
He put his arm around her, his arm across her stomach, and turned to walk back.
Qian Xue, fearing he would actually eat Su Yunmo, hurriedly chased after him. "My Lord, where are you going?"
The young man strode away, throwing back two words from a distance: "To eat."
Su Yunmo was taken to a private dining room, and Ye Jingyu tossed her onto a chair beside him.
On the table were two plates of stir-fried greens and a bowl of porridge, very plain.
Su Yunmo glanced at him suspiciously. She had heard that this kid had fallen out of favor, but the royal family shouldn't have to eat coarse food, right?
Qian Xue handed chopsticks to Ye Jingyu and then said solicitously to Su Yunmo, "Little one, please wait a moment. I'll have someone make you something new."
"No need." Ye Jingyu shoved the chopsticks into Su Yunmo's hand and commanded, "Eat."
Qian Xue was shocked. His Lord detested others touching his bowls and chopsticks the most. His bowls, chopsticks, and even the serving plates were all part of a set.
And...
"My Lord, if this child eats, what will you eat?"
Ye Jingyu's expression remained unchanged. "I'll eat what she leaves behind."
He was afraid she wouldn't leave anything.
Qian Xue was helpless. Why did his Lord always find ways to avoid eating?
Su Yunmo felt a bit confused by the conversation between the master and servant. It was just two dishes; why the pushing and shoving?
But it didn't matter. She was hungry anyway. Didn't the guard say this kid hadn't eaten all day yesterday? Great!
She slowly picked up her chopsticks, slurped them in front of Ye Jingyu, and flashed a big smile. "Then Momo won't be polite."
Although Su Yunmo was small, her appetite was not. She drank a bowl of porridge, finished both plates of vegetables, and even swallowed the prepared steamed bun before feeling full.
She hugged the teapot and drank half of it, then wiped her mouth and spread her little hands.
"Oh dear, Brother, I'm so sorry. It was too delicious, I ate it all."
May you also go hungry today.
Ye Jingyu curled his lips and picked up his chopsticks. "Qianqing Gu, of course, it's delicious."
Qian Xue was shocked.
Su Yunmo was also stunned.
Was Qianqing Gu the forbidden drug that allowed the caster to control the emotions of the recipient at will?
There seemed to be a faint blue substance on the chopsticks in the young man's hand. The color was very subtle and not obvious when Su Yunmo held them.
Su Yunmo lunged forward and snatched the chopsticks, holding them up to Ye Jingyu's eyes. She gnashed her teeth fiercely. "The antidote!"
"Stop!" Qian Xue rushed forward urgently.
Ye Jingyu raised his hand to stop Qian Xue.
At the same time, Su Yunmo grunted, her fingers loosened, and the chopsticks fell to the floor.
A wave of heat surged from her chest to her brain. She suddenly felt a sense of anxiety, an urge to... jump into a river?
Damn it! Is this the power of Qianqing Gu? She had been too careless!