A heavy silence had long since fallen upon Bai Yue and Ji Mo Yuan by the time the manservant of the latter came back sitting at the front of a carriage next to the coachman. It wasn't that Bai Yue didn't want to leave, but her hand was still held by the Crown Prince who was meticulously wrapping her wound. After speaking such ominous words, his head had lifted and his eyes had searched hers, waiting for her answer. However, her mouth remained closed, not a single sound escaping from it. After all, what could she say? She didn't believe him, nor did she want to do so. The only reason the owner of the shop attacked her was because of the prince's words. Had he not spoken, Bai Yue liked to believe nothing would have happened.
Now that it had happened, the imperial family would have to deal with the mess she left. Hence, the Crown Prince would also be dragged into this matter, losing sleep to find some 'truth' they both knew never existed.
"M-Master!" Tang Lu all but yelled as he jumped down when the horses halted, barely saving himself from falling by catching one of the horses' mane. "Something big happened! We need to go back!"
Beads of sweat were rolling down his flushed face as he let out a ragged breath, grabbing his waist with a pitiful expression. Clearly, that man had been doing some fast running.
Not particularly bothered by his servant's disheveled state, Ji Mo Yuan calmly finished wrapping Bai Yue's wound, only sparing Tang Lu a glance from the corners of his eyes. "What is it?"
"This... Master's brother..." Tang Lu trailed off, not wanting to disclose anything in front of the wild girl next to his master.
Ji Mo Yuan pursed his lips but didn't insist. The current Bai Yue was like a little hedgehog. Hearing about one of his brothers was most likely the last thing she wanted to do.
"Where are the clothes I told you to bring back?"
"In the carriage."
Turning to the silent girl, Ji Mo Yuan gave her an indulgent look, his expression softening. "You can go change in the carriage. No one will peek."
Bai Yue's face flushed with shame. No matter how thick one's skin was, nothing was worst than telling someone they didn't need their help, and then being unable to reject said help just a moment later.
"Thank you, my lord," she uttered awkwardly through gritted teeth, aware that she couldn't go back home dressed like this. Her outfit looked so suspicious that she wouldn't even be able to pass through the first gate.
"You are welcome," he cracked a smile, "just treat this as a stranger's act of kindness again. Or perhaps as a man hoping to redeem himself."
"You asked for the clothes before even knowing I was hurt," she pointed out in a dry tone of voice.
"Ah... So you noticed. Believe it or not, but I have been blessed with foresight." As he spoke in a low voice, the corner of his lips curled and revealed the sharp tip of a white tooth. His cheek creased a bit and a very light dimple appeared on his face. "Impressive, isn't it?"
"Oh? My lord's meaning... Is it that today's matters have been premeditated as well?"
With that said, she climbed into the carriage with the reluctant help of Tang Lu and closed the curtains. Immediately, the natural light inside the carriage dimmed and shadows shrouded her whole body and face.
While the outside of the carriage looked ordinary, not revealing even a hint about its owner's status, the inside was the complete opposite and clearly belonged to someone who knew how to treat himself well. From the cushion to the bench covered in the finest silk, everything screamed wealth. The was even a small table with snacks, and insect-repelling incense burning slowly and spreading a sweet yet crisp scent.
Bai Yue didn't touch anything on the table and proceeded to take off her clothes, feeling a bit shy as the voices of the Crown Prince and his manservant reached her through the curtains. Although the prince promised her privacy, curtains could only do so much.
Her blood-stained dress fell heavily onto the floor and she stepped out of the bundle, bending over to grab the new clothes. Made of hemp, they were very simple and the quality just a little worse than the clothes Liu'er lent her.
"Is everything to your liking, miss?" Tang Lu asked behind the curtains, his voice carrying the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.
Not bothering with an answer, she straightened her new clothes and took her bag. Then, opening the curtains, she discarded the extended arm of the manservant and climbed down on her own.
"My lord, thank you for the clothes," she bowed to the crown prince. "I shall take my leave, now."
When Ji Mo Yuan's eyes landed on her, his expression didn't seem to change but Tang Lu felt as his whole body and soul were suddenly encased in a big block of ice. He quickly lowered his head and took a peek and His Highness from the corner of his eyes.
"These clothes are not very good but they will ensure that you don't stand out too much," Ji Mo Yuan commented lightly, causing the uncomfortable feeling in Tang Lu's heart to grow stronger.
Yes, his royal master was very displeased with his choice of clothes for the maid. Others might not know, but Tang Lu had served Ji Mo Yuan long enough to understand he would receive a punishment once the maid was gone. Why was his master so fascinated by an ugly girl? To the point of discarding the many years that Tang Lu spent by his side without complaining?
...Well, without complaining out loud.
"They are perfect," Bai Yue simply responded, inwardly wondering whether keeping her head down would work since she didn't wear a veil anymore. The guard at the gate might not know how the fifth young miss of the Bai family looked, but the same couldn't be said for the servants of the inner court.
"Whether they are really perfect or not, I think we both know the truth." After those ambiguous words, Ji Mo Yuan stepped closer and leaned in to whisper, "One thing is certain, miss, you are not good at acting below your rank."
Her back stiffened and she broke out in cold sweat at his words. However, outwardly, her expression remained the same and she didn't react to his taunting.
"My lord is teasing this lowly girl," she said instead and pulled away.
A peal of warm laughter escaped him and caused his large shoulders to shake. "Yes, yes, I am only teasing you. Tang Lu, give the miss our money. A 'lowly' girl like her obviously needs it more than us."
"Protecting a murderer and giving them money... One could easily think that I am a killer at your service. My lord, aren't you afraid I could be arrested in the future and sell you out?"
"We will keep each other company in prison, then. An excellent opportunity to get to know each other better and become closer," he said through his laughter.
"Thank you, but I am not interested."
A dramatic sigh passed through his lips even as he forcefully shoved several gold and silver ingots into her bags.
"What a pity, I was looking forward to telling you stories in our shared jail cell. It's the best place for ghost stories."
Tang Lu wasn't the only one shocked by Ji Mo Yuan's behavior. Hidden in the dark, the shadows guards of the Crown Prince of the Zhou were all but facepalming themselves. One of them even fell down a tree into the court of a small, modest family, startling the children playing. What happened to their cold, cruel master? How could someone who didn't hesitate to burn down his own palace in order to get rid of spies, suddenly turn into this? Was the girl a witch?
"If I wanted to listen to stories, I would go to a teahouse, not a prison," Bai Yue deadpanned.
"Miss, should I take it as an invite for a cup of tea?"
She couldn't believe how much nonsense could leave the man's mouth. Also, the more he spoke, the more confused she became.
Enough was enough. Since she came out of the Bai manor to make money, refusing the Crown Prince's offer was pointless. Especially when the ingots were already in her bag. Nevertheless, she meant what she said earlier and didn't want anything to do with the man.
Without a word, she placed the jewelry boxes in Tang Lu's hands in exchange for the money. Then she gave a respectful bow and turned around, walking away without looking back.
Ji Mo Yuan didn't try to hold her back and watched her figure disappear at the next corner, his smile falling and his gaze darkening instantly after that. He lifted two fingers in the air and two men dressed in black suddenly appeared, bending a knee in front of him.
"Follow her to the Bai manor and get her inside the inner court without being noticed," he coldly ordered. "Keep an eye on her and report once a day. Whatever happens to her will be whatever happens to you."
"Understood," they both responded before vanishing from sight.
His dark gaze remained on the now empty spot for a short while longer before turning to Tang Lu whose body shrank in fright. This sight caused a sneer to form on Ji Mo Yuan's face.
"Tang Lu, could it be that you suddenly develop some mysterious power and can now read minds?"
"This servant doesn't dare," Tang Lu quickly answered, his hands shaking. He had witnessed his master's cruelty before and was scared witless.
"Then you better refrain from interpreting my orders and judging people based on their appearances. You are not worth a single hair of the woman you just disrespected."
"U-u-understood! I won't do it again, Your Highness!"