Ye Zhen had unwittingly refused Mo Rongzhan. She was bracing for the ensuing tempest, after all he was the emperor and a proud one at that. She knew his temperament all too well. His pride, curtness, disdain and obstinacy, if he did not have the ability to govern a country, he would have been branded a tyrant by now.

  “Miss Lu, leave at once.” Mo Rongzhan commanded as he suddenly did not want the presence of the girl who so blatantly rebuffed his grace. It was akin to looking down upon him and his sovereignty. He was being benevolent by asking her to leave.

  “Your Majesty, I still have to watch the Little Prince take his medicine.”


  Mo Rongyi suddenly raised his head. “I still have to take medicine?”


  Ye Zhen smiled. “Of course, how can one get better without taking medicine? I personally brewed the medicine today.”


  In hope of best results, she had also added a drop of miraculous liquid to the medicine.

  “Now that I feel better with a medicated diet, I don’t need to take medicine.” Mo Rongyi reasoned and frowned at the thought of the acrid medicine.

  “Treating only the symptom but not the root cause will not make one’s condition better. Having a medicated diet alone is not a cure to your illness.” Ye Zhen patiently explained.

  “Well then.” Mo Rongyi nodded reluctantly, it was not like he had a choice.

  Ye Zhen smiled. “I’ll get the medicine.”


  Mo Rongzhan’s eyes were cold. He always felt that he had no sense of existence in front of this girl. But today and now……

  “Your Majesty, this official’s daughter will take her leave.” Ye Zhen curtsied, all along her head bowed.

  Mo Rongzhan nodded in return.

  Whether he was unhappy or not, Ye Zhen did not care a whit. As soon as she was done speaking, she turned around, not bothering to even wait for his response. Then, with a back ramrod straight and a head held high, she swiftly strode out under his watchful, icy gaze.

  While the emperor’s eyes were glued on the departing figure, unbeknownst to him, there were a pair of eyes glued on to him.

  Mo Rongyi had carefully taken in the interaction between his brother and his friend. He was puzzled. He was too young to understand certain things, but there was one thing that even a child could understand: hostility.

  He gazed at Mo Rongzhan curiously. “Brother, do you not like Lu Yaoyao?”


  “Why do you think so?” Mo Rongzhan asked lightly. Although the question shocked him, he was able to deftly mask it.

  “If not, why do you make things difficult for her?” Mo Rongyi carefully looked at his brother, anticipating his reply.

  Mo Rongzhan’s face turned gloomy. He felt he was wrongly accused and that too by his own blood brother!

  “When have I made things difficult for her?”
.

  “Don’t worry, elder brother. Yaoyao is not that kind of woman. She just stayed for my treatment, not for you,” Mo Rongyi said earnestly. This child had somehow managed to hit the nail on the head with respect to the monarch’s misgivings.

  Mo Rongzhan looked at his brother for a long time. If one were to look closely, they would catch on to the myriad emotions flitting past those orbs. And yet, he did not utter a word. Deep within he knew, his little brother was right.

  He abhorred those women who tried to come on to him, fawn over him and whatnot. He had always dismissed them brusquely and without qualms. He was the emperor, holding the supreme power that no one could resist or refuse. Why would this girl be different? However, he felt bad when he was confronted by Yi that the woman did not enter the palace for him. It felt like he was being proven wrong. But would he admit?

  “I know!” Mo Rongzhan gnashed his teeth.

  “Brother, go and accompany Wang Fei Lu. I will take the medicine obediently.” Mo Rongyi blinked. He thought that Mo Rongzhan came to make sure he takes his medicine. But now that he had been here for quite a while, he felt he was getting impatient because of the delay. All he could do was assure him.

  Mo Rongzhan frowned. He had not been to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility for a long time. He did not want to see Lu Wushuang’s two-faced countenance at all. The more she pretended to be virtuous and dignified, the more he felt she was too fake. If she was truly that little girl he met before, she would not be like this.

  Immersed in his conjectures, a vague figure suddenly appeared in Mo Rongzhan’s mind. As the hazy figure became clearer and clearer, he was stupefied. His expression changed for the worse and he suddenly stood up.

  “Ridiculous!”


  “Brother?” Mo Rongyi was startled.

  “I’m leaving,” Mo Rongzhan said on the spur of the moment.

  “.……”


  Mo Rongyi was confused.

  Mo Rongzhan didn’t look at his brother, so missed his expression of surprise. Taking brisk and long strides he walked towards the exit. When he had reached the door, he saw Ye Zhen coming with a tray. Under the light of the setting sun, her skin seemed as white as porcelain, her face shone with radiance.

  The vague image of the little girl whom he was seeking for so long came to his mind, but unbeknownst to him, Ye Zhen’s delicate figure replaced it.

  “Your Majesty.” Ye Zhen curtsied, faintly smiled as she walked past him.

  Mo Rongzhan stared at her for a while, and left the prince’s residence with a gloomy face.