Meanwhile, over on Fengguang’s side, although her horse carried a bow and arrows, she herself did not know how to shoot. Baili Mo, beside her, never took up a bow either. The two of them looked as if they were merely strolling through a garden, leisurely admiring the scenery in the forest.
“Your Highness…” Fengguang called softly. She felt that she needed to make things clear with Baili Mo. “I like Song Wuxia. You know that too, don’t you?”
Baili Mo looked at her and nodded.
“Actually… I don’t know how much you understand, but in any case… as the Crown Princess, I’ve fallen in love with another man. I’m very sorry.” Fengguang was apologizing, but she wasn’t admitting fault. She didn’t believe that loving Song Wuxia was wrong. “Your Highness, no matter what, sooner or later, I will give up my title as Crown Princess. When that time comes… I hope you will agree to a mutual divorce, or formally repudiate me.”
He shook his head.
Fengguang bit her lip. “You don’t agree?”
He reached out his hand, and she understood, extending hers as well. Sure enough, he slowly wrote in her palm:
“Only Fengguang divorces others. Since when does anyone divorce Fengguang?”
She froze, wondering if she had misread it. Hearing such words come from Baili Mo was deeply unsettling. Could it be that he wanted to be the one who was divorced?
No, no… that would completely defy the norms of this world. And Baili Min would never allow the crown prince of a nation to be reduced to being divorced by his own wife.
So she hesitated. “Your Highness… I don’t think I understand what you mean.”
“It’s fine,” he wrote. “Fengguang will understand someday.”
He curled his lips into a mysterious smile.
Seeing that he had no intention of explaining further, Fengguang stopped pressing the issue. Instead, she spoke cautiously, as if negotiating. “I’m a little worried about Song Wuxia. May I go look for him?”
She didn’t know where this unease came from, but her instincts were warning her. From the very beginning, Baili Min’s attitude toward both Baili Mo and Song Wuxia had been strange. Now they were out in the wilderness, and she had heard that many people were secretly protecting Baili Min, while Song Wuxia was alone. The feeling gnawed at her—something bad was going to happen.
Baili Mo wrote in her palm: “Wait a little longer.”
“Wait for what?”
“Until he finishes what he’s doing.”
“What is he doing?”
Baili Mo withdrew his hand, clearly unwilling to continue writing.
Since he told her to wait, Fengguang could only wait. About half an hour later, she asked, “Is the time up now?”
Baili Mo glanced at the sky and nodded.
“Then I’ll go take a look in secret,” Fengguang said. “Once I see that Song Wuxia is safe, I’ll come back to you.”
Baili Mo smiled faintly.
Only then did she feel at ease enough to ride away. Soon, her figure vanished into the forest.
Not long after Fengguang left, the gentle smile disappeared from Baili Mo’s face. His voice turned icy. “You’ve been following for so long. Aren’t you coming out yet?”
There was no response.
He continued, “It seems you want him to die in the water dungeon.”
“No!” A small figure rushed out. She pleaded desperately, “Please don’t kill him.”
Baili Mo glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “What a noble way you have of begging.”
She froze, then dropped to her knees. “This servant begs you, my lord… please don’t kill the Crown Prince.”
This woman was Yiren.