ALL NOVEL “What’s so funny?” A deep male voice rose behind the screen.
Ye Li leaned on a chair and said to the figure that loomed through the screen: “I’m in a good mood, so I laughed.”
“In a good mood? Aren’t you worried at all? Don’t you want to know why you are here? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill you?”
Ye Li answered in a lazy voice: “You would have killed me already if you really want to. It makes no sense wasting each other’s time. As for why I’m here… come to think of it, you must be someone to have taken me out of the palace without anybody knowing it.”
The man seemed high-spirited. He laughed below his breath and said: “It’s nothing taking you out of the palace. Seven days has passed while you are right here near the capital. However… neither that loser husband of yours nor the one who sits high on the throne has the slightest idea as to your whereabouts.”
Ye Li shrugged and said: “Well, I’ll give you credit for that. Besides you’ve persuaded Ye Yue to help you set me up. So, it’s fair that I should have ended up like this.”
The man snorted slightly and said: “The women of Ye Family, clever-looking or not, are full of themselves. It took me no trouble persuading her. Ye Li, when do you think will Prince Ding’s Manor announce your death?”
“It won’t unless it has my body.” Ye Li answered.
“You are so full of yourself! Do you think you are that important to Mo Xiu Yao?” The man said angrily.
Ye Li wasn’t provoked, though. She sounded a little sarcastic: “Whether I’m important to Mo Xiu Yao has nothing to do with you. Why don’t you face me yourself, or… is your face disfigured, Mo Jing Li?”
Behind the screen, the man appeared to turn stiff for a second. The room was quiet for a good while before an unbridled laughter burst out. He sat straight and laughed: “Ye Li, I’ve underestimated you, after all.”
Then a man walked out from behind the screen. He was tall, his handsome face cold even when he was laughing. It was none other than Mo Jing Li.
Ye Li sat upright. She looked at Mo Jing Li and said indifferently: “Most people of the capital have underestimated you as well, Your Highness.”
Mo Jing Li sneered: “You aren’t in the least surprised. It seems you don’t belong to that group.”
Ye Li had no choice but to frown. She looked at him and said: “Clearly I’m one of them. Or I wouldn’t have got in your way before, and probably… won’t end up like this.”
Mo Jing Li sneered again. He got closer to Ye Li and said condescendingly: “You regret what you did already, aren’t you? I’ve told you that you would have nothing to gain if you get in my way. Mo Xiu Yao can’t save you.”
“Have you ever given me a choice, Your Highness?” Ye Li raised her brows. “In your opinion, it is perfectly justified that you broke off our engagement and ruined my reputation. Is it so hard for you to swallow the fact that I’ve got myself a good husband? Prince Li… who do you think you are?”
“Humph!” With a flick of his sleeve, Mo Jing Li stepped away from her and looked at her with malice in an overbearing manner. “Ye Li, why do you always piss me off?”
Ye Li sighed and lifted her hand which didn’t have any strength. “Your Highness, you’ve acted so mysteriously. Can you at least tell me now the reason that you keep me here?”
“Why did you know it was me?” Mo Jing Li answered her with another question.
Ye Li smiled and said: “Well… I have few enemies in the capital and fewer who would dare to kidnap me in the palace. It seems you are the only one who is willing to take that risk and manage to do it, Your Highness.”
Apparently, Mo Jing Li wasn’t as grumpy as he used to be. Hearing that, he sat down unexpectedly and asked Ye Li in a seemingly carefree manner: “Why do you think that I would be willing to take that risk?”
Ye Li said indifferently: “If something happens to Princess Ding in the palace, it will be His Majesty’s responsibility no matter who did it. Even if Prince Ding’s Manor doesn’t find fault with His Majesty, the ministers of the court will see His Majesty in a different light. Is that right?”
Mo Jing Li’s spirits lifted. Raising his brows, he said: “That’s right. This time my good emperor brother has lost all his dignity. Do you think I don’t know that Mo Xiu Yao wants to cause an infighting between my brother and me so that he can benefit? I’ll let him come forward first. I don’t think he’ll remain calm with his princess went missing in the palace! Well… he has caused quite some trouble for my emperor brother for the past few days.”
“Are you pleased, Your Highness?”
“Why not?” Looking at Ye Li, he laughed: “Does Mo Xiu Yao still take me as that foolish kid who was in the palm of his hand? What can he do if he knows it wasn’t my brother who did it? He has to cause my brother trouble for his reputation and dignity as Prince Ding.”
Ye Li raised her brows and said: “What if he knows it was you?”
“Do you think I’ll give him such a chance?”
I think right now he is already suspicious of you. Ye Li thought to herself.
“You don’t seem curious as to how you’ll be treated next.” Mo Jing Li watched Ye Li with a frown.
Ye Li looked up. “Do you intend to threaten Mo Xiu Yao with me? I don’t think… I’m that important.”
Mo Jing Li examined her when he nodded and said: “To be honest, I wonder how important you are to him as well. So, I won’t make a deal with him yet. Besides, I’ve come up with something more interesting just now.”
“I’m all ears.” Ye Li looked at him uninterestedly.
However, that didn’t dampen his spirits. He watched her from the top of her head to the tip of her toe and said with narrowing eyes: “I remember clearly what happened on Fair Lady Lake last time. I was just joking back then. However, right now… I think that was indeed a good idea. If one day the world learns that Mo Xiu Yao’s princess is my woman… What do you think will happen?” As if he foresees a beautiful future, Mo Jing Li laughed pleasantly.
If that does happen, you’ll be toyed to death by Mo Xiu Yao without any mercy…
Ye Li had no doubt that Mo Xiu Yao would wash off the humiliation that he suffered with the blood of his enemies. If Mo Xiu Yao wasn’t knocked down given his health condition and despairing experience and still planned in secret, then he would achieve anything he wanted. A man like Mo Xiu Yao would be his enemy’s worst nightmare.
“Ye Li, don’t you think it’s a good idea?” The smile in Mo Jing Li’s eyes grew and he looked at her as if he was looking at a kitten that was locked up in a cage. “Come to think of it, I do regret having let you go and marry Mo Xiu Yao. But that was your fault. If you didn’t pretend to be such a mediocre, I wouldn’t have abandoned you and married that fool Ye Ying. Now we can do it right. Everything will go back to the way it ought to be. You belong to me.” As he muttered, he moved slowly towards her, his tall figure a sharp distinction from her weakness.
“Your Highness, I suggest you stop.” Ye Li said softly, her voice clear and pleasant to hear.
Mo Jing Li laughed below his breath: “I don’t need your suggestion. You only need to be obedient. Ye Li, though you’ve always pissed me off, I won’t blame you since I’m a man of great moral stature.”
Ye Li’s smile turned a little cold, her hand rose slowly and climbed onto Mo Jing Li’s shoulder, a slight smile brushed her lips and she breathed a fragrance like the orchid’s. “Is that so? Then… you won’t blame me if I cut you, will you?”
A slightly cool hand rested on his neck which looked as if Ye Li was reaching out to him for a hug. However, this lovely scene gave off an intention to kill. Mo Jing Li felt clearly that there was a sharp object leaning dangerously against his neck which could cut it with the slightest strength.
Ye Li smiled: “Your Highness, I don’t think you should move rashly. I’ve spent quite some time pulling out a lot of flowers and herbs in the garden. If I do cut your honorable neck, I wonder if Xiao Yun will come and give you an antidote?”
“Ye Li!” Mo Jing Li howled below his breath, gritting his teeth.
Ye Li raised her brows at him and waved her free hand in front of him. Her nails which were taken good care of were long and hard, with a thin layer of balsam juice over them and dangerous-looking dark blue at their edges.
“Ye Li, you can’t get away if you hurt me.” Mo Jing Li curbed his anger and said calmly.
Ye Li sighed in depression. “It’s not like you are going to let me go.”
“Ye Li, get your hands off me now and I won’t blame you!” Mo Jing Li warned her sternly.
Her fingers pressed down a bit which successfully shut him up. She said with a frown: “Your Highness, I really hate how proud you are. Hope this is the last time we deal with each other.”
“You wish!” Mo Jing Li sneered.
“Don’t be silly. If it wasn’t you, the man under my hand might beat me to it. But I don’t think you will since… you never wanted to die. You are going to live to the day when you take the throne, aren’t you?” Ye Li smiled.
Mo Jing Li took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. “What do you want?”
“Nothing.” Ye Li gave him a sweet smile and snapped her fingers. “Secret Guard No.1, No.2, No.3, and No.4.”
“My Lady.”
The door was pushed open. A figure got inside as fast as a lightning bolt and closed the door behind him. Another figure landed quietly on the ground. With one on the right and one on the left, they blocked Mo Jing Li’s rear end. “Secret Guard No.1 and No.3 here, My Lady.”
Ye Li nodded with satisfaction. “Where are the other two?”
Secret Guard No.3 answered: “No.2 and No.4 are outside.”
“When did you find me?” Ye Li asked.
“Yesterday afternoon.”
Secret Guard No.1 coughed slightly and asked: “My Lady, you… how about you let go of Prince Li first?” Secret Guard No.3 looked up at the roof, pretending that he didn’t see the princess lean on Prince Li in a seemingly intimate manner.
Ye Li raised her brows: “Your Highness?”
Mo Jing Li sneered: “Let go of me.”
Ye Li set him free carelessly. She believed Mo Jing Li would know what to choose with two blades on his back if he hadn’t lost his mind. As soon as her fingers left his neck, Mo Jing Li stood up immediately, stepping back, he turned to face Secret Guard No.1 and No.3. “How did you get in?”
“On foot.” Secret Guard No.3 answered straightforwardly.
Mo Jing Li narrowed his eyes and started to re-evaluate the power of those two secret guards. He knew a little about the secret guards of Prince Ding’s Manor who were indeed excellent. He had put a lot of man around this house while these four slipped inside without anyone noticing…
“My Lady, now we…” Secret Guard No.1 glanced at his unreliable buddy and asked for instructions.
Ye Li stood up and stretched her body then said: “Tell Secret Guard No.2 and No.4. Let’s get out of here. Right, Your Highness, please see us off.”
“Xiao Yun’s medicine doesn’t work on you?” Mo Jing Li gazed at her.
She shook her head. “It does but it loses its efficiency over time.” She wasn’t going to tell him she had made herself some antidote with the herbs she pulled out from the garden. Though the antidote didn’t exactly work on the drugs she took but it helped.
“Just now…”
Ye Li’s lips curved in a smile. She looked at Mo Jing Li delightfully and said: “If you acted rashly, I would have dislodged both of your arms. As for this… don’t worry. My hands don’t have poison on them. Won’t I be worried about cutting myself?”
Mo Jing Li remained silent for a good while before he finally said with his teeth clenched: “I lose this time!”
“Your Highness, you don’t have to make a fuss over this. I haven’t won either. Now, after you, Your Highness.”
“Humph!”