Chapter 044: What Makes You Say I Am a Libertine?

Late at night, after much hesitation, Xiao Jiu finally decided to seek out Jin’er and ask her for the truth.

Knock, knock, knock...

He raised his hand and gently tapped on Jin’er’s door.

However, before he could utter a word, the light inside was suddenly extinguished.

Xiao Jiu stood there awkwardly, his hand still raised, and after a long moment, he sighed softly, turned, and walked away in resignation.

Not far away, in a shadowed corner, Qin’er had witnessed everything. She arched an eyebrow in satisfaction, a hint of smugness in her gaze. Hmph, seems he’s finally learned his lesson. Good for him! With a sly smile on her lips, she turned and left.

Soon after, the light in Jin’er’s room flickered on again, and it stayed lit until the hour before dawn.

The days that followed settled into a steady rhythm. During the day, Jin’er followed Doctor Chen to learn, and at night she buried herself in books. She ignored Qin’er, kept Xiao Jiu at arm’s length, and did her best to distance herself from both of them.

Life was hard and a bit dull, but it was also fulfilling. Qin’er stopped going out of her way to provoke her, which allowed Jin’er to focus wholeheartedly on her own affairs. As for Xiao Jiu, although his gaze always seemed tinged with sorrow whenever he saw her, he never came to her room again.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

After dinner that evening, Jin’er returned to her room early. She set water and the antidote on her desk, preparing herself for the second bout of poison as she read.

As dusk deepened, Jin’er was engrossed in her book when a sudden gust swept through the window, snuffing out her oil lamp.

Jin’er frowned, feeling her way to relight the lamp. Just then, a dark figure vaulted in through the window with astonishing speed.

“Who’s there?” Jin’er tensed, her voice low and sharp.

“Don’t be nervous—it’s me, your future husband.” Mo Yan’s lazy drawl betrayed his satisfaction at her composure.

Jin’er furrowed her brow, but understanding dawned quickly, and she relaxed.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, moving to relight the lamp as Mo Yan shut the window behind him.

When the light returned, Jin’er turned, only to find herself colliding straight into Mo Yan’s arms, clad once more in red.

“Why do you think? I’m here to rescue my future wife, of course,” Mo Yan said with a grin, drawing her close.

“Oh?” Jin’er smiled, deftly prying his arms away. “You certainly are attentive.”

For reasons she couldn’t name, though they’d only met once before, she didn’t feel awkward around him or his irreverent ways. On the contrary, she rather enjoyed their banter.

“Of course. Since I’ve claimed you’ll be mine in two years, I have to start taking responsibility now,” Mo Yan replied, seating himself in her chair.

“I think words like ‘responsibility’ shouldn’t come from your lips. But then again, maybe they should—perhaps rather frequently,” Jin’er said, watching him with a smile.

“Oh? And why is that?” Mo Yan arched a curious brow.

“Isn’t it obvious? Anyone can see you’re a hopeless flirt,” Jin’er replied, her expression half-amused, half-knowing. The innocence of her young face made it oddly endearing.

That very peculiarity left Mo Yan momentarily stunned.

After a long pause, he suddenly threw back his head and laughed. But he’d barely started before Jin’er lunged forward to cover his mouth.

“You think this is your own house?” she chided, glaring at him in annoyance. Only when he seemed sufficiently subdued did she slowly withdraw her hand.

Mo Yan struggled to contain his laughter, then caught her retreating hand and studied her intently. After a long silence, he smiled and said, “Little one, what makes you say I’m a hopeless flirt?”