Without turning his head back, Mo Lian pulled Qiao Mu out of the palace while grasping her small hand, and he threw whatever Lantern Festival feast and whatever civil and military officials all out of his mind.
By now, the streets had already gotten lively, and the number of people was starting to slowly increase.
The pair shuttled through the crowd, miraculously daunting everyone from getting close, and they all parted to the sides in unison to make way.
“Mo Lian.” Puffing up her small cheeks, Qiao Mu yanked at him with her tightly grasped palm as she daintily called, “Mo Lian.”
However, while holding her hand, Mo Lian made a detour into an out-of-the-way alley and finally stopped beneath a meandering stone arch bridge.
A three-meter-tall stone pagoda stood next to the arch bridge, with several green shrubs planted beside it. Since it was the winter season, all their leaves had fallen off their branches.
He merely stood there with a tall and aloof back silhouette. Qiao Mu couldn’t bear it anymore and yanked on his sleeve again. “Lian!”
Suddenly turning around, Mo Lian pulled her into his embrace and pressed her tightly against his chest with one hand, while he gently stroked her black hair with the other.
While pursing his lips faintly, the man hung his head. It was only after a good while that he apologized, “Sorry, I’ve made you suffer again.”
“In the future, we won’t enter the palace and deal with all that nonsense. I won’t let you encounter this kind of matter again, okay?” He nuzzled the top of her small head with his chin as he said this with displeasure.
“Look at you, I didn’t even get that angry, so why be this furious?” As Qiao Mu raised her hand to tug at a lock of his hair, she gently placated, “It’s not like you didn’t know that your father is a dotard, so what’s the point of getting angry with him.”
“Besides, your attitude towards your parents earlier was very bad. Don’t be like this next time,” Qiao Mu reprimanded gently.
“I’m angry at them because they don’t treat you well.” Mo Lian nuzzled the top of her head in irritation.
Because you are my darling, so I hope that the entire world will treat you as a darling…
Mo Lian’s thoughts were too easy to comprehend.
At this, Qiao Mu’s gaze quivered, and then she snuggled into his embrace. “But, your mother originally had misgivings towards me. If you act like this, they’ll probably dislike me even more.”
“You don’t have to bother about Courtesan Zheng’s matters anymore.” A cold glint flickered within Qiao Mu’s eyes. “Since she dared to scheme against me, I definitely won’t let her meet a good end.”
“I’ll have her be dealt with.” Even if it’ll make Royal Father unhappy, so what.
This time around, Mo Lian had steeled his heart in wanting her to die. This woman had crossed his bottom line, actually concocting such a malicious scheme to harm his Qiaoqiao.
The plot failed because his Qiaoqiao was quick-witted, and not because that b*tch had become merciful.
“Courtesan Zheng’s favor with the king has never once diminished all these years. She is indeed your father’s true love,” commented Qiao Mu as she hugged his waist. When she looked up and saw his melancholic expression, she raised her hand to caress his forehead.
“True love.” Mo Lian scoffed, and a cold gleam burst forth from his eyes. “I will have her lose everything! And bar her from being interred in the royal tomb even in death!”
If he didn’t grind this person’s bones into scattering dust, then he wouldn’t be able to dispel the hatred in his heart.
“Lian…” Qiao Mu wanted to console him further, but he followed by hugging her tightly.
“No one can bully you,” he whispered into her ear in a low voice.
After a moment of contemplation, she decided to let it be. Don’t be fooled by how this guy normally liked to ask you with a honeyed ‘okay?’ just as if he was asking for your opinion. In actuality, he had long made a decision in his heart.
In any case, it’d be fine as long as she made a move before he did.
Besides, she just so happened to have newly learned a rather interesting talisman, so she was looking to try it on someone!