Chapter 8: Meeting the Heir Again

A-Rui shot a cold, sharp glare at him. The man shuddered, turned, and ran to fetch the wine jar, smiling ingratiatingly, "Come, let's keep drinking!"

The two leaped into the trees, drinking by the moonlight, and spoke not another word.

Meanwhile, after Mo Xunyan leaped away, she slipped back into the Mo residence. Without alerting anyone, she returned to Yan Garden alone.

Seeing her return safely, Gu Nuo and Gu Yin felt relieved. They prepared hot water for her bath and then quietly withdrew.

Soaking in the wooden tub, Mo Xunyan habitually touched the long scar beneath her ribs, which had long since faded to the touch. Closing her eyes, she recalled what had just happened. She couldn't help but feel that the capital was truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers resided; even a chance encounter with someone had proven so formidable. It was clear that the man had used at most fifty percent of his strength while sparring with her; his prowess was not to be underestimated.

To encounter such an expert in the abandoned Prince Wei’s mansion—could he be connected to the events of the past? Mo Xunyan furrowed her brows. It seemed she would need to be careful in all things from now on; she must never expose her true self.

After her bath, Mo Xunyan dried herself off and took out two long silver needles, piercing them into two major acupoints on her waist to seal her internal energy. Naturally, the fact that she knew martial arts had to be kept a secret.

After breakfast, a maid brought a governess into Yan Garden.

Mo Xunyan hadn't expected her father to invite someone from the palace so quickly. She welcomed the governess in politely, listened patiently to her instructions, and practiced according to her requirements.

After practicing all morning, Mo Xunyan "finally" mastered everything the governess had taught. Before leaving, Mo Xunyan had Gu Yin give her an ingot of silver, which the governess accepted with a smile before taking her leave.

"Little sister, have you finished your lessons?" At noon, Mo Junming walked into Yan Garden and pulled over Mo Xunyan, who was quietly reading. "Father isn't coming back for lunch today. How about I take you out to eat?"

"Alright!" Mo Xunyan also wanted to look around, so she took Gu Nuo and Gu Yin with her as they left the Mo residence.

"Since you like this prince's sleeve so much, I shall just give it to you!" Just as the siblings stepped into a restaurant, they heard the sound of fabric being torn.

Mo Xunyan felt the voice was familiar. She looked up and immediately saw a pair of eyes as deep as dark pools and a face she had seen just last night.

*Enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road.* That was the first thought that crossed Mo Xunyan's mind.

She saw a delicate woman standing beside the scoundrel, clutching a piece of his sleeve pitifully, tears welling in her eyes as she looked helplessly at the man before her.

Seeing Mo Xunyan looking at the man and woman, Mo Junming quickly leaned in close to her ear and whispered an introduction. "That is Ouyang Yingrui, the Heir of Prince Yi. He is the most handsome man in the capital and the number one warrior of the Li Kingdom—the object of affection for thousands of women. However, the Heir has always kept himself chaste and is very cold toward women; generally, no woman is allowed within three steps of him."

"Hypocrite!" Mo Xunyan spat out the word immediately. A man who had been so persistent with her the moment they met last night actually had a reputation for being chaste? The world must be blind.

Her voice was not loud, but it reached Ouyang Yingrui’s ears. He looked up and sensed the disdain in Mo Xunyan's eyes. He felt that this girl seemed familiar; those eyes were somewhat similar to the masked person he had seen last night.

"Little sister, you are mistaken. The Heir truly does not associate with women." Mo Junming was stunned for a moment and lowered his voice. "Ever since he came of age, the Emperor has tried to arrange a marriage for him every year, but the Heir is so sharp-tongued and picky toward those women that he hasn't taken a fancy to a single one."