CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 162: SECOND MISS HAS FALLEN ASLEEP

Tang Xiaobai "pff" laughed and said, "Ah Xiao is so considerate!" She sat down on his coat.

Looking at the boy’s shining eyes, Tang Xiaobai felt a little sweet inside.

As he grew older, the little ancestor seemed increasingly aloof outside, but in front of her, he remained the same considerate and slightly proud young boy.

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but chuckle again, patting the spot beside her, "You sit too!"

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly sat down beside her, leaving about two fists of distance between them.

Because any more space, and he’d fall off.

Tang Xiaobai found the boy’s shyness adorable, laughed softly twice, and tilted her head to look at him, "Have you investigated Feng Pu?"

Having just heard about Feng Pu’s life, Tang Xiaobai understood why Ye Qingrong and her little ancestor were interested in Feng Pu.

This Feng Pu was clearly the key witness in the Qin Family treason case from back then.

Now that the siblings have both investigated him, could it mean they’re not far from finding their roots?

Thinking of this, and seeing her little ancestor nodding, Tang Xiaobai said suggestively, "Could Ye Qingrong’s approach to Feng Pu also be about the Qin Family’s case?"

Li Mu was just about to tell her about Ye Qingrong’s background, then thought better of it. Right now, the young lady kept a respectful distance from Ye Qingrong, but if she knew Ye Qingrong’s story, with her compassionate nature, she might change her attitude towards Ye Qingrong, feeling pity and care were very possible.

Moreover, Ye Qingrong had previously shown intentions of deliberately approaching and using the young lady, and he couldn’t give her another chance.

So he responded, "Maybe."

Tang Xiaobai, seeing him not responding, had to clarify further, "Why is she interested in the Qin Family case? Could she have some connection to the Qin Family?"

Li Mu’s gaze flickered, and he said, "Not sure yet, but I’ll look into it when I get the chance."

This response sounded a bit perfunctory, but on closer thought, there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

With her head tilted for some time, her neck started to ache a bit, so Tang Xiaobai straightened up and continued, "If there really is some connection to the Qin Family, then you could..." She yawned, muddling the latter part of her sentence.

"Is Second Miss sleepy? Shall we go back?" As he suggested this, Li Mu felt a reluctance in his heart.

Sitting together under the moon, conversing privately, reluctant to part.

The young lady yawned again, rubbed her eyes, shook her head, and muttered, "Not sleepy... just had half a cup of wine today..."

Li Mu’s brows furrowed immediately, "Didn’t you say we’re too young to drink? Yet the Second Miss, who is even younger than me, broke the rule and drank?"

"Ah... it was elder sister who gave it to me..."

Tang Jiaojiao!

How could she take care of her sister like this!

"Even if Miss Tang gave it to you, you shouldn’t have drunk it, do you hear me?"

The young lady yawned once more, wobbled a bit, tears glistening in her eyes as she nodded, looking both obedient and pitiable.

Li Mu’s heart softened, and his tone turned gentler as he held her shoulder, "Let me walk you out."

In fact, Tao Zi was not far away; a call would have brought him over, but he just wanted to accompany her a few steps.

Without knowing why, she nodded, shook her head, and still wanted to speak, "Today was quite fun... Ye... even drew me a picture... really nice... ah... so sleepy... I’m going to take a nap first..." With that, she hugged his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Li Mu turned his head stiffly to look at her, only to see her lashes lowered, nose slightly raised, as she fell asleep in an instant.

If it were indoors, he would have let her sleep a little longer; sleeping until dawn wouldn’t matter.

But they were currently outside.

Although late spring nights weren’t considered cold, his beloved Crown Princess Consort was too delicate to sleep like this.

He couldn’t call the maid; that would wake her up.

So, what should he do?

Li Mu battled internally for a while before finally moving.

He gently held her head, slowly turned his body toward her, and then gradually lifted his arm, easing her head into the crook of his elbow.

Having accomplished this, seeing her still asleep, Li Mu let out a sigh of relief.

He then recalled Tang Shigong’s actions on the day he returned home, slowly bent down, and picked the girl up in his arms.

The girl was very light.

Holding her, Li Mu’s arms nearly felt numb and he hardly sensed her weight; he only felt the thunderous heartbeat in his chest, worrying it might wake the girl in his arms.

He took a deep breath and walked out.

"Second Miss is asleep," he said in a low voice, cutting off Tao Zi before he could exclaim, "Do not wake her up," pausing slightly, "I’ll take her back."

...

Leaving the Bright Moon Building, Li Mu went straight to Li Xingyuan’s room.

Li Xingyuan had just changed into his night clothes, was about to cover his face, and for some reason, appeared very cheerful, even humming an unrecognizable tune.

Seeing him, Li Xingyuan paused and asked, "Is there an order from Your Highness?"

"I will accompany you," Li Mu said.

...

In an inconspicuous residence in the south of the city, the door of the sole room was tightly closed, a faint candlelight barely visible through the paper-covered window, casting a blurred shadow within.

Outside the room, in the small courtyard, two people stood, both dressed in black with masked faces.

One had a tall stately figure, while the other was slim and tall like bamboo, although not fully grown.

These two were Li Xingyuan and Li Mu.

Li Xingyuan glanced at the shadow on the window, then turned back to look at the stoic young crown prince, unable to resist asking, "Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

Li Mu remained silent.

Li Xingyuan sighed helplessly.

He initially thought tonight’s plan was simply for Ye Qingrong to meet the old servant of the Qin Family, but didn’t expect the Crown Prince to suddenly insist on tagging along.

He won’t disclose the reason, and Li Xingyuan couldn’t help but feel a bad premonition, sensing tonight’s event might not be that simple.

Looks like another night of sleepless bustle; by tomorrow, Miss Tang will criticize him again for being lazy, sigh...

Yet, come to think of it, being scolded wasn’t so bad, and he even found some enjoyment in being frequently criticized...

As he was lost in thought, the door opened.

Ye Qingrong stepped out alone, some unresolved emotions still lingered on her face.

Inside, the old servant named Qin Fu continued to cry quietly.

Without waiting for them to ask, Ye Qingrong voluntarily handed over a letter.

The seal had been broken, and the paper was heavily worn and damaged.

"This is one of the pieces of evidence found at the Qin Family back then," Ye Qingrong said in a low, somewhat hoarse voice.

Li Mu listened, shocked.

This old servant of the Qin Family appeared after Li Mu, impersonating a relative of the Qin Family, donated grain in Hedong. Upon meeting Li Mu, he outright declared he wasn’t a Qin Family relative, stating he would only speak upon seeing a true Qin Family descendant.

He assumed the old servant merely knew something about the case back then or the whereabouts of another Qin Family member, but unexpected...

"The evidence of collusion with the enemy found back then at the Qin Family should be stored in the Ministry of Justice. Why would a Qin Family old servant have a piece of it?" Li Mu asked, his tone and gaze aggressive.

Ye Qingrong’s eyes showed a flash of pain as she replied, "Because... this letter, among others, was placed by Qin Fu himself..."