What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 353 - 349: Did You Miss Me?

The night was hazy, shadows like startled swans flitting by.

Tang Xiaobai hadn’t seen him land yet, but she joyfully leaped into his arms.

The young man’s arms spread like wings, catching her securely.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, unable to suppress her laughter.

Li Mu was a bit flustered by the favor, haphazardly kissing her temple, and feeling the furry cloak on the girl, he softly asked, "Did Ah Jiao miss me?"

The girl buried her face in the crook of his neck, nodding vigorously.

Li Mu suddenly tightened his embrace, unable to stop himself from laughing too.

The cloak’s fur was dense and soft, and holding her felt like cradling a soft, docile little creature. The comfort and warmth made him feel light-headed, and without thinking, he said, "I’ll leave Mo Huan with you. If you miss me, just have Mo Huan deliver the message."

"This... doesn’t seem appropriate, does it?" Tang Xiaobai, while wanting a means to communicate, thought it a waste to employ the peerless Mo Ji and Mo Huan brothers merely as messengers.

Li Mu pondered for a moment and agreed, "Indeed, it’s not quite suitable. I’ll ask when I get back if the Mo Family has any women."

Tang Xiaobai: ...

Which was also somewhat wasteful...

"What about Yingying? Or should we ask the Eldest Princess for her?" Li Mu suggested again.

"No, no!" Tang Xiaobai hurriedly replied, "My grandmother really likes Yingying; we can’t take away what she cherishes!"

Li Mu was convinced by the term "we," running his hand over her fluffy cloak once more before saying, "Then shall I come here every night?"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

"How did you get in?" Tang Xiaobai pushed him away and asked.

Even if it was alright, sneaking in unannounced like this wasn’t quite proper either, right?

The Crown Prince immediately showed a guilty expression: "The Yuanxiao Courtyard... has a secret passage—"

"A secret passage!" Tang Xiaobai exclaimed, "Leading where?"

"It leads to the Crown Prince Mansion."

Tang Xiaobai: ...

No wonder the Crown Prince coming to her home was as if it was his backyard.

"Do you want to see it?" the Crown Prince asked, half enticing, half coaxing.

Tang Xiaobai: "I do!"

...

The entrance to the secret passage was beneath the seat in the main hall of the Yuanxiao Courtyard.

Going down, there was a secret chamber.

There was a lamp, a bed, and writing materials.

It appeared much more spacious than the small room the Little Ancestor lived in back then.

Tang Xiaobai sat on the empty bed, swinging her legs, watching the Crown Prince light the lamp, and asked, "Does this passage have other exits?"

"It also leads outside the city."

Tang Xiaobai understood, "So that year on New Year’s Eve, when my brother returned injured, he used the secret passage?"

Li Mu nodded.

"And I’m the only one kept in the dark..." Tang Xiaobai murmured as she looked around.

"Even the eldest miss was unaware." Li Mu explained as he followed behind her.

Tang Xiaobai did not respond and asked again, "Do you meet people from the Crown Prince Mansion here?"

Li Mu paused and nonchalantly said, "When I was young, I was poisoned. Feng Hua used to administer acupuncture here."

Tang Xiaobai suddenly turned her head, "You were poisoned? What kind of poison?"

In the dim light, the Crown Prince’s expression remained calm, "A chronic toxin..." introducing it simply, he continued in a light tone, "It was cured in the twelfth year of Taixing."

Tang Xiaobai, feeling distressed, entwined her fingers with his and asked, "Was that when you planned to fake your death?" She remembered that time.

Li Mu nodded, the corners of his lips barely lifting.

"Then why didn’t you leave afterward?" Tang Xiaobai had never understood his mindset.

"The original plan was to go to Zhenzhou. In the eleventh year of Taixing, Li Xingyuan entered the capital for this plan, but I didn’t trust Li Mingyi—"

"Didn’t you trust Li Xingyuan quite a bit? Why not trust Li Mingyi?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

"I didn’t trust Li Xingyuan much then either," Li Mu said, "At that time, I trusted no one."

Tang Xiaobai recalled his wariness towards Wang Maozhao and Empress Dowager Wang, realizing it wasn’t merely a whim.

Indeed, he was inherently suspicious from a young age.

What kind of adverse environment gives rise to a child who doubts everyone?

Remembering his casual mention of being poisoned from a young age, Tang Xiaobai felt a pang in her heart and silently nestled into his arms, asking softly, "If you didn’t trust, why plan to go to Zhenzhou?"

"I just felt, whatever." Li Mu said.

Tang Xiaobai blinked in surprise.

Such a dangerous undertaking, how could it be just "whatever"?

"Just before leaving, seeing you searching for me, suddenly it wasn’t ’whatever’ anymore."

Tang Xiaobai was touched and moved, quietly sniffing and rubbing against his chest.

Unfortunately, it was too firm to feel much.

When the weather was warmer, the Little Ancestor wore a black robe with a cinched waist, looking incredibly suave.

Hmm, she vaguely remembered the Little Ancestor had a hint of muscle, good for rubbing... or touching...

Although they often kissed and embraced, their hands stayed relatively proper.

Until now, she’s only pretended to casually touch twice.

Dressed so thickly like now, she’d be too shy to slip her hand inside the pure-hearted young man’s coat...

As she was caught in her dilemma, so was he.

He lowered his head, smelling the top of her hair, his hand gently stroking her furry back repeatedly.

Though the fur felt adorable, the cloak was too thick, isolating too much.

If there was no cloak, he could feel the girl’s delicate shoulder line, her slender, soft arms, like budding flowers.

But he normally didn’t dare touch recklessly; he touched wherever he happened to.

Ah Jiao was still young and not particularly attentive to matters of the heart between men and women. If he startled her by being abrupt, he wouldn’t know if she’d be scared or angry.

Either way, he couldn’t bear it.

While thinking this, Li Mu’s heart couldn’t help but itch as his hand unconsciously moved upwards while smoothing her back, reaching her collar, and casually adjusting its non-existent misalignment.

As he adjusted it, his bent finger brushed lightly against her jaw.

Her skin was soft and warm, like fine jade.

Li Mu couldn’t help but lower his head, wanting to take a bite.

At that moment, the girl suddenly lifted her head.

Her lips were like blossoms, waiting to be picked.

Li Mu’s heart skipped a beat.

"Why did you come tonight?" Tang Xiaobai belatedly recalled and asked.

Logically, Little Ancestor had just announced the dismantling of the Observatory today and should be busy.

"Is there something you need my help with?" she asked seriously.

Li Mu was silent for a moment and shook his head, "I thought you might have questions about the day’s events."

"I don’t really have any questions..." Tang Xiaobai reckoned she might be somewhat love-struck too; at this moment, she couldn’t recall why she was anxious earlier.

But without questions, Little Ancestor was displeased, "In the past, whenever there were important matters, Ah Jiao always had much to discuss with me. Now that the Observatory is trying to force a Crown Princess Consort on me, doesn’t Ah Jiao want to say something?"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

What should she say?

"Ahem... This time, they won’t succeed. In the future—"

"In the future, they won’t succeed either!"

"Next time, maybe a Concubine—"

"I only want Ah Jiao alone!"

"..."

Tang Xiaobai: I tried my best... I honestly have no guidance to offer.

But Little Ancestor kept looking at her expectantly.

Tang Xiaobai racked her brains, pointedly gesturing at the bed, "Sit down!"

The young man obediently sat.

Tang Xiaobai cupped his face, leaned down, and firmly kissed his lips, generously praising, "Good boy!"

Before she finished speaking, he pulled her onto his lap.

The position was a bit embarrassing.

Tang Xiaobai squirmed uncomfortably, "Can’t you just sit properly..."

"I just want to hold you," he murmured, tightening his arms, "I was thinking, since they brought up taking a consort, why not take the opportunity to settle it... The Taiji Palace should be watching the Observatory now, they may not have the mind to interfere..."

Tang Xiaobai naturally had no objections.

But this time, Li Mu was mistaken—

(Today school started~ A big nap for me!)