Chapter 67 – Gift
Ye Mu Li picked up an apple and took a bite. “Little Xi Xi, if you really want to know, it wasn’t Us alone who tricked Little Ming Ming into this. If it wasn’t for her help, then We are afraid that it would be difficult for Little Ming Ming to be fooled by Us alone.”
“Oh?” Bai Xi almost didn’t pay attention to the chess game, and just moved a piece. It appeared as though she had been attracted by the topic and wasn’t paying attention, but in fact…
“We are nothing in front of her. You could use one term to describe it: to display one’s slight skill before an expert.” Ye Mu Li suddenly seemed to think of something, and his eyes brightened. The smile on his face was a pure smile from his heart.
“The emperor admires her?” She is familiar with this look since she often saw it on Qing Wu.
“Admires? Hehe, yeah, of course We adore her.” She was the only person in the world who could impress him.
“Oh? I really want to know who this person is.”
“Little Xi Xi, you will see her sooner or later,” Ye Mu Li said with a deep smile. When his eyes fell on the chess pieces, his beautiful brows wrinkled slightly. The smile on his face stiffened. “Little Xi Xi, We see that you can play this game.” Little Xi Xi’s every move looked messy, but when one looked closely, every move was related and very orderly. If he made the wrong move, the outcome would be obvious.
“That is because the emperor taught me well, and perhaps my comprehension is high. With these two factors, this game has become like this.” Bai Xi leaned against the chair lazily, but her eyes were firm. She seemed to be saying that she was telling the truth just now.
“It turned out that Little Xi Xi is a genius. It seems the rumours are not credible.” Ye Mu Li smiled gracefully, but his clear eyes flashed with light, and the bitten apple was thrown aside.
“Thanks for the emperor’s praise.”
“Little Xi Xi is not modest.”
“Hehe, as long as it’s not arrogance.” Bai Xi glanced at the stiff smile on Ye Mu Li’s face, and the corners of her mouth raised slightly. “The emperor hasn’t elaborated on how the emperor and Feng Ming made the five-year agreement?”
“Why didn’t Little Xi Xi just ask Little Ming Ming?”
“But the emperor took the initiative to bring this up?” Bai Xi blinked her eyes innocently, as if to remind Ye Mu Li that this topic was not about her.
“We promised Little Ming Ming that We would not tell a third person of this matter. If Little Xi Xi wants to know, then Little Xi Xi should ask Little Ming Ming.” d.a.m.n, it was him who fell into the pit in the end.
“Eh? That’s strange. Didn’t the emperor just say that someone helped the emperor? In addition to the people involved, there is already a third person who knows.” She was curious about who helped Ye Mu Li.
“She only knows the general idea. Only We and Little Ming Ming know the specifics. So, Little Xi Xi, We can’t satisfy your curiosity.” After Ye Mu Li glanced at the board, he returned the black piece in his hand to the pot and sighed. “We lost.”
“The game hasn’t finished yet. The emperor is giving up so soon?”
“Little Xi Xi, is this your first time playing connect five?” There are not many people who know how to play connect five. Even Little Jie Jie didn’t know. He had originally made the bet on this fact, but the result was unexpected. He really underestimated the woman in front of him.
Also, how could the woman whom Little Ming Ming admire be bad? In short, he underestimated her greatly.
“Can I ask how the emperor knows about this game?” Although she didn’t answer directly, she basically admitted that this was not her first time playing connect five.
“Hehe, We should have thought of it long ago.” Ye Mu Li smiled slightly and leaned back in the chair. He closed his eyes, making it impossible to guess whether he was happy or angry.
He should have realised when Little Xi Xi was listening to him explain how to play. On seeing her surprised face, he should have realised that she was definitely not playing this for the first time. When she mentioned the jumping and flying pieces, it should have been obvious, but he was too impatient and it ended in failure.
Bai Xi said nothing. Her left hand was playing with the chess pieces on the board.
This quiet atmosphere was maintained for a quarter of an hour. Bai Xi then took the initiative to break the silence. “Since the outcome has been determined, I will go visit the third princess. As for this imperial decree, I will take it away.”
Ye Mu Li didn’t seem to hear her, as if he was asleep.
The corners of Bai Xi’s mouth twitched. This man seemed to have received a hit. He was initially full of confidence, but lost to her in the end. It seemed he was certain that she could not play connect five. Her previous guess was correct, that the person was not him. But who was it?
Forget it. She was going.
“Zi Yu is not in the palace,” Ye Mu Li called after Bai Xi after she walked a few steps.
“Hm?”
“Zi Yu went to Fo Yin Temple early in the morning.” Ye Mu Li returned to being a smiling tiger with his elegant smile. “If Little Xi Xi entered the palace earlier, then you could have met Zi Yu, but now…”
There was a bit he didn’t say, but Bai Xi could read between the lines. Hmph, she didn’t think it was because she slept late, but that he had arranged this a long time ago. But, she wasn’t at a loss.
“Since the third princess isn’t here, I’ll go back.”
Ye Mu Li stopped. “Little Xi Xi, remember that you have to teach me to play tiao qi and fei xing qi.” If he lost, he lost, but he wouldn’t give up. He would get it back.
“I won’t forget.” Bai Xi waved her hand. She still had something she wanted to find out. How could she miss such a good opportunity? “By the way, don’t forget that my condition is still valid.” Bai Xi then left.
The smile on Ye Mu Li’s face had stiffened, but it soon returned to his usual nature. “It’s fun. It’s really fun, haha…”
Bai Xi, who had just walked out of the palace, heard laughter from behind her. The corners of her lips raised and her hand gently touched the imperial decree. She should think about what she should write on it.
“The emperor ordered this one to send Young Miss Bai Xi back home.”
Bai Xi nodded. Just as she walked out of Qing Xin Hall, she saw an incoming figure in the distance. Bai Xi’s heart jumped before her heartbeat accelerated. Just as the crescent white figure became clearer, Bai Xi’s figure flashed and disappeared instantly.
“Bai…” Xiao Shan Zi didn’t continue. His sharp eyes saw Prime Minister Feng slowly approaching. After considering things for a while, he hurried forward to meet Prime Minister Feng.
“Little Ming Ming is here.” Ye Mu Li grinned. He just wanted to drive the suffocating feeling out of his heart, but he didn’t expect that after he walked out of his bedroom, he would see Little Ming Ming. It seemed the Little Ming Ming had entered the palace so quickly. It must be for Little Xi Xi. Was he worried that he would eat Little Xi Xi? Yet…
Feng Ming stopped and looked straight at Ye Mu Li, who was leaning against a column.
“Unfortunately, Little Xi Xi just left. If We had stayed with Little Xi Xi for a while longer, you wouldn’t have missed her.” Ye Mu Li leaned lazily against the column. “Maybe you had just met her since Little Xi Xi just left?”
“Speak, what did she tell you to pa.s.s on?”
“Little Xi Xi didn’t tell Us to pa.s.s you anything.”
They stared at each other, 3 metres apart. They also had a similar height. The air around them froze and Xiao Shan Zi stood there nervously. This atmosphere lasted for a while before Ye Mu Li straightened his body and smiled slightly. “Xiao Shan Zi, go get the books We left on the bedside and give them to Prime Minister Feng.”
Xiao Shan Zi rushed to get the books. He then gave them to Qing Wu since he didn’t dare to get too close to the Prime Minister Feng.
“Next time don’t make me enter the palace,” Feng Ming said indifferently without looking at the books.
“This was originally Lan Lan’s birthday gift to you. Who knew that you weren’t at home all day yesterday, so I had to get you to come here.” In other words, he didn’t make him enter the palace.
Ye Mu Li then walked to Qing Wu’s side and picked up the top book. He flipped through it. “Little Ming Ming, these books are top quality. You have to study them carefully.”
Qing Wu accidentally glanced at the contents of the book, and his handsome face blushed instantly. If he wasn’t mistaken, it looked like… like an erotic magazine.
“Little Qing Qing is shy.” Ye Mu Li raised his eyebrows and the smile in his eyes grew.
Feng Ming ignored Ye Mu Li and turned to walk away.
“Little Ming Ming, Lan Lan has something for Us to convey to you.”
Feng Ming paused, but he didn’t turn around.
“Lan Lan says that she is a bit bored lately. You need to hurry up and get Little Jin Jin to play with her.” Ye Mu Li had given the book back to Qing Wu. “Don’t worry, Lan Lan doesn’t know that Little Xi Xi exists yet.”
“She should find her own life if she wants to play.” Feng Ming then walked away.
“Okay, We will convey this sentence to Lan Lan as it is,” Ye Mu Li eagerly responded as if he was waiting for this sentence.
“Master, this book…”
“Take it.”
“Ah? For… for me?” Qing Wu flushed further.
Feng Ming seemed to have thought of something. Suddenly, a smile flashed across that indifferent and arrogant face. That woman actually started to hide from him.