“Qianyang!” Yun s.h.i.+mo yelled in shock and quickly laid Princess Qianyang out on the ground as he injected his anima energy into her palm.

Hua Qiyue and the others were extremely shocked.

Why did Princess Qianyang look as pale as Yun s.h.i.+mo? Had they both eaten something bad?

Tianci looked curiously at Yun s.h.i.+mo, then turned to look at Hua Qiyue as he said, “Mom, why did the Princess suddenly faint? Since father looks so worried, does that mean that he likes her?”

Hua Qiyue shook her head, but she did not respond.

Everyone fell silent.

The hare hopped onto a rock and frowned as it looked the couple, and from the way it was acting, it seemed as though the hare was also very worried about Princess Qianyang.

Hua Qiyue felt a little hurt. Princess Qianyang used to be so stubborn and unruly, so now that she had changed so drastically, everyone’s impression of her should have improved as well, right?

Did this mean that she would soon be forgotten?

Hua Qiyue stood dumbly in the corner until a hand gently landed on her shoulder.

Hua Qiyue turned and saw the concern on Xuanji’s handsome and composed face.

She was touched by the fact that her friends were still worried about her.

Ji Jing gently tugged at her clothes and said, “Qiyue, I still believe that you’re the best, no matter what.”

Hua Qiyue smiled and gently nodded. Ji Feng and Huangfu Xuan were also looking at her.

Wasn’t she able to be where she was today thanks to the help of her friends? It didn’t matter whether or not Yun s.h.i.+mo loved Princess Qianyang; she should have more confidence in herself.

Yun s.h.i.+mo might have fallen out of love with her, but she still had many suitors!

Princess Qianyang’s face regained some color, but Yun s.h.i.+mo’s face grew even paler.

“Oh…” she let out a soft moan as she slowly blinked her eyes open and happily grabbed Yun s.h.i.+mo’s hand when she saw that he was injecting his anima energy into her body.

“Dear… I’m fine,” she said tenderly. Her voice was as gentle as a spring breeze that had the power to melt one’s heart.

Even women would be moved by Princess Qianyang’s voice.

Hua Qiyue held Tianci’s hand and silently walked out. She was no longer in the mood to cultivate, and she wouldn’t linger around even if she wanted to cultivate.

She felt as though tens of thousands of needles had pierced through her heart when she saw Yun s.h.i.+mo and Princess Qianyang staring at each other so ‘tenderly’. Her heart hurt so badly that she couldn’t even summon any energy to feel jealous nor be angry with him.

Everyone looked at Hua Qiyue in concern, but no one knew how to comfort her.

Yun s.h.i.+mo noticed that Hua Qiyue had left after he helped Princess Qianyang up. He turned and looked at her retreating view, and his dark eyes were filled with indescribable pain.

Princess Qianyang noticed the look in his eyes and felt as though her heart was about to break!

“Dear? Dear?” Princess Qianyang softly said as she tamped her anger down and drew Yun s.h.i.+mo out of his reverie.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m so tired. Please help me back to rest,” Princess Qianyang said weakly as she leaned against his chest.

Yun s.h.i.+mo wordlessly picked Princess Qianyang up and carried her to their quarters. Huangfu Xuan’s hands balled into fists and wanted to rush up to him, but Ji Feng held him back.

“Brother Huangfu, please calm down. We can’t do anything to help either… Moreover, Brother Yun was willing to marry Princess Qianyang on his own accord. Thus, even if Hua Qiyue doesn’t want to see them together and even if this breaks her heart, the only thing we’re able to do is to try to comfort her,” Ji Feng said softly.

However, his resentment against Yun s.h.i.+mo slowly started to build.

Xuanji scoffed and said, “History has never lacked terrible men like him.”

Ji Jing nodded angrily and said, “Brother Xuan is right. Since Yun s.h.i.+mo has shown his true colors, why should we get angry at him? We should be comforting Qiyue instead!”

Ji Feng’s eyes darkened, and he silently left as well.

If comforting someone could alleviate the heartbreak they felt, then there wouldn’t be so many people who were trapped by their feelings in this world.

Xuanji turned and left as well.

“Let’s try to think of what Qiyue would like and attempt to make her happy again, shall we?” Ji Jing said hopefully as she looked at Huangfu.

Huangfu Xuan nodded. This was the only thing they could do for her at the moment.

“Sir Huangfu, do you like Qiyue?” Ji Jing suddenly burst out laughing. She immediately knew how Huangfu Xuan felt when she saw his dejected expression.

…

Huangfu Xuan was still as arrogant as ever in front of others.

“No way, why would I fall for her? I just think that she’s a heroic figure and I’ve stuck by her side because I realized that those who follow her on her journeys would obtain many miraculous herbs and have wondrous encounters! Otherwise… humph, I wouldn’t stick around otherwise,” Huangfu Xuan said haughtily.

…

Ji Jing couldn’t stand his att.i.tude and said, “Alright, I guess everything was a misunderstanding. It’s good that you haven’t fallen for her so that you won’t get your heart broken.”

Huangfu Xuan turned around, and his heart clenched at Ji Jing’s words, but he was ultimately unable to eke any prideful words out.

——————————

At night.

Princess Qianyang noticed Yun s.h.i.+mo lying on the jade bed after she finished her shower. His eyes were closed, and she couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or if he was thinking of something else.

The warm light from the luminous night pearl reflected the blush that stained Princess Qianyang’s cheeks.

She carefully sat on the jade bed and stared at his perfect face. Then, she couldn’t help but recall the pain in his eyes as he stared at Hua Qiyue’s retreating back.

She suddenly felt as though there was a thorn in her heart that left her in pain from time to time and that there was a stick in her throat that she felt like coughing up.

Did Yun s.h.i.+mo look at Hua Qiyue in such a manner?

His gaze that contained his yearning and longing for her despite not being able to be with her made Princess Qianyang feel extremely angry and humiliated!

Yun s.h.i.+mo was her husband, so how could he be thinking of another woman?

“Qianyang? Qianyang, are you asleep?” Madame Yun’s voice could be heard outside.

Princess Qianyang looked at Yun s.h.i.+mo strangely before she quickly said, “Madame, I’m still awake!” …

“That’s great. Why don’t you step out for a moment? I’ve made you some nouris.h.i.+ng tonic,” Madame Yun said, and Princess Qianyang went outside to greet her after she had tightened her sash.

Madame Yun’s features looked very kind and gentle under the moonlight, and she held a tray that had a bowl of piping hot tonic on it.

“s.h.i.+mo had asked me to make you this tonic because he mentioned that you were of a poor const.i.tution and needed to drink something nouris.h.i.+ng. Be a good girl, and finish this bowl!” Madam Yun said with a smile.

Princess Qianyang nodded and said gratefully, “Thanks for your kindness, Madame. I’ll make sure to finish every single drop so that your efforts wouldn’t be in vain.”

“Don’t stand on ceremony. Now that you’re s.h.i.+mo’s wife, of course I’ll treat you as my child too. It’s getting late so you should head in,” Madame Yun said with a smile.

Princess Qianyang thanked her once more before she turned back into the mountain cave she shared with Yun s.h.i.+mo.

Madame Yun’s smile faded, and she couldn’t hold back a soft sigh as she stared at Princess Qianyang’s retreating figure.

“Frankly… I like Qiyue a little more, but unfortunately, s.h.i.+mo has chosen you to be his bride so I’ll have to acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law,” she said.

Princess Qianyang brought the tonic into the cave, but she remained in the larger part of the cave and did not enter the smaller part of the cave that functioned as their bedroom.

The fragrant scent of red dates and other herbs wafted from the tonic which would make one eager for a taste of this tonic.

Princess Qianyang placed the tonic on the table and gently stirred the tonic. The tonic seemed fragrant and rich.

She would have gulped down the tonic in the past, but she was feeling a little dispirited today, so she finally brought the bowl of tonic to a nearby creek after she stirred the tonic several times.

There was a little creek that meandered through the cave and headed outside.

Princess Qianyang immediately poured the tonic into the creek, and as the creek flowed out of the cave, the fragrant scent from the tonic gradually disappeared as well.

She sighed softly as she washed the bowl and said softly, “I’m sorry, Madame Yun. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I have to be on my guard…”

She had always been a clever girl, so how could she let herself be at the mercy of a man? Yun s.h.i.+mo was merely a man who wanted to take advantage of her.

The only reason why Princess Qianyang was putting up with this and had not made a move to kill him was that she had fallen in love with him.

She returned to their sleeping quarters and softly padded up to the jade bed. She pulled her sash off and shed both her outer and inner robes until she was in her red undergarment.

Princess Qianyang leaned against Yun s.h.i.+mo and gently wrapped her arms around Yun s.h.i.+mo’s arms.

Yun s.h.i.+mo immediately felt two soft mounds pressing against his arm.

He frowned in embarra.s.sment. He was a hot-blooded male, and naturally, he wouldn’t be immune to the advances of women.

Princess Qianyang’s eyes flashed slyly as she pressed herself against Yun s.h.i.+mo and said, “Dear, I’m so cold…”

However, there was no reaction from Yun s.h.i.+mo, as though he was sound asleep.

Princess Qianyang knew that Yun s.h.i.+mo was extremely perceptive and quick to react, so she knew that he was definitely aware of her actions.

Princess Qianyang rubbed her soft face against his hands and inched even closer to Yun s.h.i.+mo. Her two soft mounds were then pressed firmly against his back.

Yun s.h.i.+mo felt as though his body was on fire and hurriedly exerted his inner qi to quell the fire that raged within him.

However, Princess Qianyang refused to let go, which put him in an extremely uncomfortable position.

He had no choice but to say, “Qianyang, please go to bed.”

Princess Qianyang pursed her lips and whispered in his ear, “Dear, were you awake all along?”

“You woke me up,” he said calmly.

Princess Qianyang smiled apologetically, but she still refused to let go of him.

“Dear… when are we ever going to consummate our marriage? Although… it is very embarra.s.sing for me to bring this matter up as a woman, I wish that we would be man and wife in the truest sense of the word. Then, no one will judge our relations.h.i.+p.”

“You’re overthinking this. Qiyue and the others wouldn’t mind,” Yun s.h.i.+mo said and tried to make himself seem as calm as possible.

A murderous look flashed past Princess Qianyang’s eyes at the mention of Hua Qiyue.