Mu Ting: "It's good that you can believe him. Since the second young master told you this, it means he truly can solve things. Trust between spouses is very important."Meng Mu Ting blinked and looked...Pick You Up (Part 2)

"Ally, I've come to take you home."

"Xiu Yao..." Inside the carriage, Ye Li was a little dazed as she looked out at the smiling man in black clothes who stretched his hand towards her. The faint slanting sunlight filtered through the trees and fell upon him. Through this hazy light, Ye Li saw how much paler and thinner he had become compared to before. For some reason, she felt a pang in her heart, unable to stop the glistening tears that slid down from the corners of her eyes.

Looking at the delicate woman inside the carriage, his gaze fell upon the tears sliding down her cheeks. Mo Xiu Yao's expression suddenly became somewhat panicked but he still stubbornly stretched out his hand towards Ye Li, "Ally... is Ally blaming me for coming too late"

The edges of Ye Li’s eyelids flickered slightly; she only then realized that tears had already welled up in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and reached out to the man outside.

Mo Xiu Yao cautiously carried her down from the carriage, but refused to let go again as if the moment he did so, she would vanish. He lifted his hand gently to cup Ye Li’s face which had been altered for disguise. Although still delicate and beautiful, it was slightly different from her usual appearance. Mo Xiu Yao took out a handkerchief from his robes and carefully wiped away every trace of the makeup that concealed her true beauty.

"Ally..." Gazing tenderly at the woman in his arms, Mo Xiu Yao's eyes brimmed with affection and tenderness, "Ally... I won't let you leave me again."

Ye Li lifted her head, falling into those eyes filled with warmth and fondness. All traces of caution vanished instantly; she only wanted to rest quietly in the man’s arms before her. She nodded lightly, “Yes, from now on we won’t separate anymore.” Ye Li let out a soft sigh, Mo Xiu Yao's gaze lit up as he carefully held her close, his chiseled chin rubbing against her slender shoulder. He smiled and said, "Alright, we’ve agreed upon it. We will never be separated again…"

Tan Jizhi, who had been left out cold on the side, glared furiously at this pair of self-important men and women before him. However, when he saw a few guards lying motionless nearby, his anger was quickly suppressed. The guards following in secret remained silent up until now, clearly having already either been subdued or eliminated without them noticing. Furthermore, Mo Xiu Yao had taken the initiative despite arriving later, effortlessly dealing with several obstructing guards en route. Such prowess alone warranted his disregard for others. Tan Jizhi had never underestimated Mo Xiu Yao and Ding King Manor; otherwise he wouldn’t have concealed himself behind Emperor Jingqi all these years, secretly manipulating everything. He knew that once exposed, the inevitable result would be a fatal blow from Mo Xiu Yao.

Su Zuidie… this bitch!

At this point, he actually became more composed. Regardless of whether he wanted to or not, he had no choice but to admit that Su Zuidie had betrayed him. In the shadows, Tan Jizhi clenched his fists tightly and hurriedly thought about how to extricate himself.

"Your servants greet Your Highness and Lady."

"I pay my respects to Your Highness the Prince and Princess!" Many people were scattered around in the woods, bowing to both of them. Although their positions seemed casual, they had actually sealed Tan Jizhi's escape route. Seeing this, Tan Jizhi’s expression changed but finally returned to calmness. Taking a step forward, Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "This servant greets His Excellency Prince Ding." Mo Xiuyao only now noticed that there were outsiders present and paid some attention to him. Glancing at Tan Jizhi who was bowing respectfully, Mo Xiuyao asked indifferently, “Tan大人，你想帶本王的王妃去哪兒？”

Tan Jizhi's heart sank; he wasn't sure whether or not to take a gamble now. If he won… perhaps he would have an opportunity to leave safely. However, if he lost… No, without taking the risk today, no matter what, he couldn’t possibly escape alive from here. Moreover, judging by the way Prince Ding looked at him, it didn't seem like he knew about that affair. Very quickly, Tan Jizhi made up his mind and said with a bow, "Indeed, this servant was momentarily greedy and thought wrongly. Since Your Highness is already here, I sincerely wish for both Your Highness and the Princess to reunite as a family. For today's incident… please forgive this servant."

“Forgive” Mo Xiuyao’s smile was extremely faint yet gave people an inexplicable chill. Nodding gently, he said, "I remember that Tan大人 almost took away my beloved wife and am in poor spirits. If anything unfortunate happens to Tan大人 due to carelessness on our part, please forgive us." After saying this, it seemed as though Mo Xiuyao had no more interest in Tan Jizhi; waving a hand, he ordered, "Take him away and kill him." Tan Jizhi's heart tightened; he hadn't expected Mo Xiuyao would be so decisive about killing. His thoughts turned over quickly, and he asked, “Doesn’t Prince Ding want to know what the Emperor thinks”

Moxiuyao sneered coldly as he said indifferently, "Qin Feng, kill." After saying this, Mo Xiuyao bent down carefully to pick up Ye Li and turned to leave. Being carried horizontally in front of so many people made Ye Li feel rather uncomfortable, but she moved a little awkwardly nonetheless. Moxiuyao smiled faintly and said, “Aili, don’t move…” Ye Li frowned slightly; she vaguely felt something was off about Mo Xiuyao, yet couldn't pinpoint what it was. However, when she met his gentle gaze that seemed to drip with tenderness, any thoughts vanished for some reason, leaving her to let him carry her.

Tan Jizhi saw he was about to leave and realized that once Moxiuyao and Ye Li left, there would be no escape for himself. Glancing at Ye Li in Mo Xiuyao's arms, Tan Jizhi suddenly spoke up, "Princess, don’t you want to know how to cure Prince Ding’s poison"

Ye Li was stunned; Mo Xiuyao, however, seemed indifferent as he stepped towards the woods outside. Tan Jizhi shouted loudly, “Princess, do you really not want to know where the Flower of Elysium is Or do you think that Fire and Ice Lotus can cure Prince Ding’s poison” Few people knew about Princess Ding secretly seeking the Flower of Elysium and thus making enemies with Third Master Yanwang Pavilion. Ye Li was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Qin Feng, take him back." Mo Xiuyao hummed softly but did not contradict Ye Li's words; he carried on, heading out without looking back.

Qin Feng and the others who were left behind watched Moxiuyao leave with grim expressions. They hadn’t even had a chance to speak to the Princess before being taken away by the Prince. However, everyone in this precarious situation dared not interrupt Mo Xiuyao now to discuss anything important or unimportant. Waving his hand to have Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin escorted away, Qin Feng glanced at Mo Hua who stood aside hesitantly and asked, "What's wrong" Mo Hua said solemnly, “His Highness’s body…” Today was the full moon day; these months, the Prince’s episodes had become increasingly severe. Last month, he began his episode on the day of the full moon at noon. According to Shen Yang’s conjecture, His Highness would not feel well now. But now… Qin Feng looked towards where Moxiuyao had left and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Shouldn’t it be alright" There was nothing else but pain during his episodes; considering the Prince's self-control, there wouldn't be any life-threatening danger. Furthermore, no medicine could help in such situations, so what His Highness did now didn't matter much. What mattered most was that no one dared disturb him right now; "I’ll send people to protect His and Her Highnesses’ safety."

Mo Hua nodded; although this should originally be the responsibility of the secret guards, Mo Hua had admitted during these days that Qilin were more competent than them.

Resting against Moxiuyao’s chest, Ye Li suddenly felt a sense of peace she had never experienced before. Although she appeared calm and collected on the surface, her pregnancy made movement difficult; how could her heart possibly be relaxed Especially when dealing with Tan Jizhi, every casual joke seemed carefully calculated. Now that everything was let go of, drowsiness immediately overcame her as she nuzzled against Moxiuyao’s chest, feeling rather sleepy. "Xiuyao… where are we going"

Moxiuyao looked down at her half-closed eyes and softly said, “If you're tired, go to sleep.”

Ye Li shook her head; she forced herself to open her eyes, noticing the increasingly off-course path. Even Moxiuyao himself seemed to lack a fixed destination as he kept walking along small, secluded paths. Ye Li didn't know where Moxiuyao wanted to take her, but she could feel an unusual determination in his eyes. Sighing softly, she said, “Xiuyao, I’m a bit tired. Can we rest for a while before continuing”

“Tired？”Moxiuyao looked down at her and found that the pale face was wearing unhidden fatigue, with faint shadows under his eyes as well. Looking around, Moxiuyao lightly stepped off the ground, carrying Ye Li and leaping over tree branches towards a mountain road on the opposite side.

Behind them, Qin Feng, who had silently followed, grabbed Mo Hua before he could use his light-footed skills to fly over. Mo Hua glared at him不滿地回頭瞪了他一眼。Qin Feng shrugged and said, "Didn't you notice that the Prince was walking ahead precisely to avoid us If we keep following, he'll just continue walking forward."

Mo Hua stopped silently, frowning. "The safety of His Highness and his consort..."

Qin Feng rolled his eyes at the sky and picked a flat stone by the roadside to sit on. "There are soldiers from Mo Family below us, as well as secret guards and Qilins in between. If assassins still manage to slip through, we might as well jump down here together."

Mo Hua fell silent for a moment before silently sitting down beside Qin Feng. Qin Feng leaned against the stone, gazing up at the azure sky with a good mood and sighed, "The sky is so blue..."

Mosiyaoo looked back and saw Mo Xiuyao carrying Ye Li and turning around the mountain corner to take another more secluded path. Quickly finding a quiet, flat place, he sat down while holding Ye Li, then proudly smiled at her and said, "Finally got rid of them." Ye Li remained speechless, finally understanding why something felt off earlier. She had never seen such an expression on Mo Xiuyao before; even when he would deliberately provoke her in the past, after success, he would smugly smile with raised eyebrows. But his smiles were always gentle and confident, warm yet reassuring despite their coldness. However, now there was a hint of recklessness and carefree defiance in his triumphant grin.

"Xiyao... What's wrong" Ye Li frowned, raising her hand to gently touch his pale face. "Sorry for making you worry."

Mo Xiuyao buried his face in her hair and muttered, “Aili, I want to kill them.”

Ye Li was stunned, asking, “Them Who”

"All of them!" Mo Xiuyao's voice dripped with murderous intent as he tightly held Ye Li. "I want to kill everyone... Those who hurt Aili deserve death! And those annoying pests too—I just want Aili alone… Everyone else can go die!" Ye Li felt a shiver run through her, slightly pushing back Mo Xiuyao with trembling hands and lifting his face from her hair. She looked into the unmasked killing intent on Mo Xiuyao's face.

Mo Xiuyao saw himself in her eyes as well; the courteous demeanor he had pretended to be was nowhere to be seen. In fact... Mo Xiuyao had never truly been gentle and refined before, but it didn't bother him until now when Ye Li saw through his act. With the mask removed from his face, the scar on his left cheek looked somewhat terrifying, adding a fierce aura of killing intent that did not resemble the coldly courteous Prince Ding any longer, more like an executioner of hell.

"Is Aili scared of me..." Mo Xiuyao stared at the woman in his arms with an aggrieved and vulnerable tone, yet his expression grew fiercer. Gentle calmness and composed wisdom had always been a facade; truly, he was someone who acted on love and hate without restraint. Once upon a time, Mo Xiuyao galloped through the city of Jing with spirit, using a whip to beat down the idle rich as well as noble princes. His sword could slay gods blocking his path and kill Buddhas obstructing him. But now, after stripping off that facade, he was full of injuries and resentment. He no longer resembled the bright youth he once was. He didn't know whether to be glad Ye Li hadn't seen his former glory or resent himself for only being able to give her an imperfect self.

"Aili..."

"Stop saying silly things." Ye Li sighed softly and sat up, gently kissing him on the lips. She didn't know how this man had gotten through the past few months, but she knew his current worries, pain, and resentment were all because of her. Holding onto his neck, Ye Li looked at him seriously and whispered, "Xiyao, no matter what happens, I will never leave you. Here..." She took his hand and gently placed it over her rounded abdomen, softly saying, “There's our baby here already. Xiyao... soon we'll have a complete home.”

Mo Xiuyao was stunned; in fact, he had barely noticed the child from the very beginning. Thankfully, being overly cautious while carrying Ye Li prevented any harm to the child during this ordeal. Staring at her large belly with bewilderment, sensing its occasional gentle movements, Mo Xiuyao frowned and re-encircled Ye Li into his arms, grumpily saying, "I hate children! Aili, I only want you..."

Ye Li blinked, looking at the man who seemed like a child throwing a tantrum but couldn't bring herself to scold him. Mo Xiuyao had never hated children; he had even looked forward to their arrival when they were in love. Soon enough, Ye Li understood why he reacted this way. Because she was carrying a child and moving slowly during evacuation, it led Mo Xiuyao to blame the baby for her near-fall from the cliff.

Moxiu Yao's body stiffened slightly, then he raised his head to stare at her intently. Ye Li looked at him with puzzlement and said softly, "What’s wrong" Moxiu Yao pursed his lips and remained silent, his eyes never leaving hers.

Ye Li sighed helplessly. It was difficult to guess what a man who was throwing a tantrum was thinking. After staring at her for quite some time, he shifted his gaze to her round belly, where anger and jealousy were clearly visible in his eyes. Ye Li was taken aback and smiled wryly as she recalled what she had said just now. She reached out to lift Moxiu Yao's face so that it was looking directly at hers. Smiling gently, she whispered into his ear, "Xiaoyao, I love the baby because... I love his father even more… Do you understand"

Instantly, as if spring had returned to earth, a gentle glow appeared in his previously gloomy eyes. Moxiu Yao lowered his head and kissed her slightly sweet lips fiercely. He had never felt that there were such moving words in the world, making him want to sink into them forever without waking up. "Ah Li… Ah Li, I love you… In this lifetime, I only love Ah Li…"

Ye Li put her hand around his shoulder and responded to their long-separated kiss, "I know… Me too…"

As the sun set in the evening, on a quiet slope, the two who had just reunited were entangled with each other, exchanging their love and longing. The intertwining of lips and tongues made them breathe as one, Moxiu Yao tightly held the delicate woman before him in his embrace. "Ah Li… Ah Li, no one can take you away from me…"

"Xiaoyao..."

The gentle evening breeze brought a slight coolness to this hot summer day. Ye Li opened her eyes and smiled as she saw the man holding onto herself while sleeping against the slope. They were both too tired; two adults had actually fallen asleep here without any precautions. If their enemies knew about it, they would likely be deeply regretful. As soon as Moxiu Yao sensed a movement from Ye Li, his eyes immediately opened. "Ah Li" Ye Li smiled gently to reassure him, saying, "It's fine, rest for a bit more since you're tired. We'll go back later." Since it was already so late, they could afford another short while before returning. Even in sleep, Moxiu Yao’s furrowed brows made Ye Li feel slightly heartbroken.

Moxiu Yao closed his eyes again and buried his face into Ye Li's embrace to inhale the familiar fragrance. His frown gradually eased, as a pain he was already accustomed to slowly spread from his legs throughout his body; but he didn’t want to pay it any mind. After these few months, he had realized that this monthly agony wasn't worth much at all. Sometimes, he even looked forward to its arrival because only when the pain was intense could he ignore the bottomless darkness and coldness within him. Only then could he suppress those mad thoughts that wanted to destroy everything. Now… It’s fine...

Ye Li lowered her head gently brushed off a leaf on his shoulder; in the afterglow of the setting sun, she paused when her hand touched his raven hair, her fingers slightly trembling. She carefully stroked his hair and saw a strand of grey among the blackness. Her hands slowly turned a bit of dark gray as she caressed it, causing tears to well up in her clear eyes, sliding down her cheeks like broken pearls.

"Ah Li..." Moxiu Yao called softly.

“It's okay, sleep now. The wind feels so nice.” Ye Li smiled gently and silent tear drops fell silently onto the back of her hand.

"Mm."Li wasn’t pleased by this so she was about to refuse when an orderly set of horse hooves could be heard in the distance. As they approached, Sun Yaowu hurriedly reported to his superior, “Commander, t...