Prince Ping accepted the situation much faster than Jiu Yue had anticipated.
Of course, given his childishly simplistic explanation, Jiu Yue didn’t actually believe he had bought her story.
This was probably just the unspoken understanding between adults—even if both parties saw through the act, they still played along for appearances’ sake.
Fake, but reassuring!
"You’ve suffered these past days." Prince Ping poured her a cup of tea with genuine sincerity, his gaze lingering on the bandages around her arm. His voice carried a hint of guilt. "This is all my fault. I’ll make it up to you."
Jiu Yue raised an eyebrow, following his line of sight to her arm.
Ah, right—the wound she’d faked for her "fall off the cliff" act.
"And how exactly do you plan to make it up to me?" she asked, playing along.
Prince Ping seemed caught off guard by the question.
In the past, Jiu Yue would have dodged the topic entirely.
After studying her for a moment, he curved his lips into a smile and slowly shifted his hand while pouring tea, inching it toward the back of hers.
Jiu Yue reacted instantly—she smacked his wandering hand so hard it stuck to the table.
"What do you think you’re doing?!" She widened her eyes, her expression a mix of shock and indignation.
Prince Ping: "…"
He silently glanced at his numb hand, a rare flicker of confusion in his eyes.
"…You’ve forgotten even this?" he murmured.
Jiu Yue glared at him without restraint. "Don’t even try to make excuses, you scoundrel! And here I thought you were a decent man—I climbed all the way back up that cliff just to find you, only to realize you’re this kind of creep. Take this!"
She punctuated each word with a punch. Despite Prince Ping’s martial skills, he was caught completely unprepared.
Fifteen minutes later…
Prince Ping sat slumped in the corner of the carriage, sporting two black eyes, likely questioning his life choices.
Jiu Yue, meanwhile, leaned against the window with her arms crossed, her icy stare fixed on him.
Questioning his life?
Ha, of course he was.
The moment Prince Ping’s hand had brushed hers, fragments of memories had flashed through Jiu Yue’s mind. She could sense the original owner’s feelings for him—though the two had never crossed any lines, and the original Jiu Yue had always maintained a strict servant-master boundary. But that didn’t stop this shameless prince from trying to seduce her!
Those "accidental" touches had always flustered the original Jiu Yue, sending her fleeing in a fluster.
Ugh!
Cheapskate! If you’re broke, don’t pretend to be generous! Offering rewards with one hand while groping with the other—what a miserly, despicable man! The more Jiu Yue thought about it, the angrier she got.
Her face blank, she kicked him.
Prince Ping looked up, meeting her cold, mocking smile.
"Your Highness, was this the ‘compensation’ you had in mind?" Her tone was light, but the sarcasm dripped thick enough for even the timid Mei Wuchang to pick up on it. The latter shot a nervous glance at Prince Ping.
Prince Ping: "…"
His temple twitched as he forced a smile. "Of course not… I was out of line. Please don’t take it to heart, Jiu Yue."
With that, he reached into a hidden compartment and pulled out a money pouch.
"Once we return to the estate, I’ll summon a renowned physician to treat your injuries," he added belatedly, trying to salvage his image.
Jiu Yue took the pouch and inspected its contents—just an ordinary bag of gold leaves.
Tch. So he does have money.
Mentally cursing him out, she still had to play along.
"My apologies for misunderstanding you, Your Highness." She smiled sweetly. "Thank you for your kindness, but my injuries don’t require your concern."
Prince Ping merely smiled back.
Empty pleasantries, nothing more.
"Very well. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask." Still maintaining his composure, he turned to Mei Wuchang in the corner and ordered, "Aren’t you going to change? We’ll be stopping at an inn soon—do you intend to terrify the commoners looking like that?"
Jiu Yue dangled the gold pouch, watching the scene unfold.
Was that remark really meant for Mei Wuchang? Of course not. It was directed at her.
Prince Ping was trying to get rid of her.
Seems this Mei Wuchang held quite the high status in the prince’s eyes.
Her lips curled into a smirk as she locked eyes with Mei Wuchang, who reluctantly met her gaze before stammering out a meek request, "Jiu Yue, could you… step outside for a moment?"
The original Jiu Yue would have complied without hesitation. But now?
She grinned, deliberately provoking. "Beg me."
Prince Ping: "…"
Mei Wuchang: "…"
Under Prince Ping’s pointed stare, Mei Wuchang swallowed his pride. "I—I’m begging you. Could you please wait outside? I just need to change and tend to my wounds. It won’t take long."
"Ah, we’re all family here—no need to be so formal!" Jiu Yue stood magnanimously. "Fine, you’ve got fifteen minutes."
She lifted the carriage curtain, tilting her head at Prince Ping. "It’s sweltering out here, Your Highness. You won’t keep me waiting too long, will you?"
Prince Ping’s smile was flawless. "Naturally."
Jiu Yue nodded and stepped out.
The moment the curtain fell, the expressions of both men inside darkened.
"Your Highness—" Mei Wuchang began, only for Prince Ping to cut him off with a sharp look.
The prince gestured outside, then shook his head slightly—a silent warning not to speak. He then retrieved paper and a brush from another hidden compartment.
Mei Wuchang understood.
Right. If Jiu Yue wanted to eavesdrop, she definitely could.
He leaned in as Prince Ping wrote:
[She seems to have truly forgotten. Do you think this is a blessing or a curse?]
Mei Wuchang hesitated before responding:
[Forgetting might be for the best. This time, I won’t give her the chance to betray you.]
Betray.
Prince Ping’s fist clenched briefly before relaxing. He wrote:
[Perhaps… she had her reasons.]
Mei Wuchang paused.
Truthfully, he’d thought the same earlier. It wasn’t that they were being naive—after all, he himself had only served Prince Ping for four years, while Jiu Yue had been by his side for six.
In his most desperate moments, Prince Ping had trusted no one but Jiu Yue.
Yet this very blade, once so fiercely loyal, had suddenly turned against him without warning.
Anyone would struggle to accept that…
After a long silence, Mei Wuchang wrote:
[I’ll get to the bottom of this.]
Prince Ping lowered his gaze, taking in his own disheveled state.
The kick to his stomach had undoubtedly left a bruise.
His neck was wrapped in layers of bandages, faint traces of blood seeping through.
And his hand, still numb from her earlier strike…
After a moment, his expression softened, as if a weight had lifted.
How many nights had he jolted awake, haunted by the sheer hatred in Jiu Yue’s eyes?
For her to return, and to have forgotten the past grievances—wasn’t this a second chance from the heavens?
His most perfect weapon. He wouldn’t lose her again.
A renewed confidence settled over Prince Ping as he glanced at Mei Wuchang and wrote coldly:
[You’re running out of time.]
Mei Wuchang: "?"
After a beat, he scrambled to grab fresh clothes and began changing at lightning speed.
……
Unaware of Prince Ping’s wild delusions, Jiu Yue sneezed three times in a row. Suspicious, she glanced back at the carriage and muttered under her breath.
No doubt those two are scheming how to screw me over in there.
Jiu Yue pouted, but she wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
She was the strongest, after all! And with her self-healing ability, those were her two biggest trump cards. Even if Prince Ping had some underhanded schemes, she could outlast him!
Still, judging by Prince Ping’s behavior so far…
The man was a master of keeping up appearances. No matter how rudely she acted, he took it all in stride. Whether his politeness was genuine or not, she hadn’t sensed any murderous intent from him yet.
Jiu Yue fell into thought.
What exactly had the original host done to betray him?
If it was something trivial, why had he hunted her down to the death before?
But if it was serious, why was he now so amiable when she came knocking on his door?
It made no sense.
Jiu Yue patted her head, deciding it was necessary to interact more with Prince Ping. At the very least, she might piece together some clues from the fragments of their exchanges.
Figuring that a quarter of an hour was almost up, she stretched and turned back toward the carriage.
“All done?” The moment she lifted the curtain, she saw the two men inside sitting stiffly upright—both flashing her identical, practiced smiles.
