Chapter 5777: Entering the Capital
The maidservants dared not retort. With heads bowed, they silently endured Princess Huaizhu's slaps, not daring to utter a sound. Princess Huaizhu glared at them fiercely and said coldly, "Are you not going to help this princess walk?"
That bump just now made her face ache. She didn't know what her face looked like now. Her heart was a mix of urgency and panic; she desperately wanted to look in a mirror right now to see the damage. Her face was her most precious possession. If it was bruised, damaged, or disfigured, how would she live?
Several maidservants clumsily helped her up, stumbling along as they caught up with Mo Yu's group. Their expressions were utterly dishevelled, and their faces were swollen.
Qiao Lin glanced at them, shaking her head in silent exasperation, and said nothing in the end. Princess Huaizhu was truly becoming more and more unbearable. At first, Qiao Lin had simply thought she was proud and haughty, as befitting a princess. But upon closer interaction, she realized that Huaizhu wasn't just unreasonably proud, but also extremely selfish. Oh, and yes, apparently a bit petty too. Especially when she saw Mo Yu speaking kindly to Qiao Lin, the jealousy in Huaizhu's eyes seemed ready to erupt. Don't think for a moment that Little Lin couldn't read her eyes; that was a look of extreme anger and hatred.
It's truly inexplicable. Given her life-or-death friendship with Mo Yu, a hundred Huaizhus wouldn't even compare, right? After all, she and Mo Yu had been friends for many years.
"When Mo Yu and I were training in the military camp, that Princess Huaizhu probably didn't even know where to find shade." Qiao Lin now also felt that the more she looked at Princess Huaizhu, the more unbearable she became—ridiculous, laughable, and artificial. No matter how she looked at it, she felt Huaizhu was unworthy of Mo Yu. Although Mo Yu sometimes appeared unreliable, when he was reliable, he was truly reliable.
Qiao Lin turned her head and saw Mo Yu quietly instructing Baozi the guard to notify the local personnel on duty to come and clean up the Undead Village battlefield. His instructions were meticulous and well-organized, indicating that Mo Yu had indeed matured quite a bit over the years. Mo Yu turned and saw Little Lin looking at him with the gratified eyes of someone watching a child in their family grow up. Mo Yu couldn't help but feel both amused and annoyed. He stepped forward, took her hand, and asked, "What's wrong? Did you suddenly realize that I am incredibly handsome and unparalleled in the world?"
Little Lin rolled her eyes heavenward. "That's not necessarily true."
"As far as I know, my sister has a bunch of people around her who are better looking than you." Don't underestimate those "seven flowers," soft and delicate, a group of charming beauties; they are indeed very good-looking, no less so than Mo Yu. Mo Yu snorted and continued to brag, "I'm actually not bad compared to my elder brother either. My elder brother is dashing and refined, and I am also handsome and unrestrained."
The two chatted and laughed, then summoned a flying beast and soared into the air, seating themselves on it. Once they left the mist-shrouded area of the Undead Village, they could use the flying beast to speed up their return to the capital. Little Lin had traveled a big circle, inspecting properties along the way. By the time their group returned to the outskirts of Mo Capital City, it was already ten days later.
Throughout the journey, Princess Huaizhu found fault with everything. Especially seeing Mo Yu and Qiao Lin interact like a young couple, laughing and teasing each other along the way, it made her heart ache with anger. The familiarity between the two was such that others simply couldn't intrude. Huaizhu harbored unspoken anger, but now, seeing Mo Capital City so close, she couldn't help but feel a surge of renewed spirit. Returning to Mo Capital City meant she had found her sense of belonging. No matter what happened, she still had her aunt to support her, which was always better than being alone.
The Capital's Grandeur
Once in the capital, with her aunt's backing, she was determined to make Qiao Lin suffer. She had been infuriated by this Qiao Lin throughout the journey. Relying on the Crown Prince's favor, Qiao Lin had been flaunting herself in front of her every day. She would make Qiao Lin realize who the true heavenly proud daughter was. A little girl from some unknown mountain village, daring to steal her man from Princess Huaizhu? Simply courting death!
On the outskirts of Mo Capital City, Mo Yu and Qiao Lin each rode a horse. They slowed their pace, riding leisurely towards Mo Capital City. Qiao Lin glanced at Princess Huaizhu, who was not far behind, and asked curiously, "Why haven't I seen anyone from Likou Kingdom lately?" Weren't the people from Likou Kingdom jumping around earlier, trying to seize the princess? Why had they not seen any trace of them recently?
Mo Yu smiled faintly. "The closer they get to the royal city, the less they dare to come." After all, the strength of Mo Capital City was evident. If the people of Likou Kingdom wanted to cause trouble, they would have to consider their own capabilities, otherwise, they would just be seeking death.
Qiao Lin nodded, then turned to glance at Princess Huaizhu again. "Don't you think this woman has been getting stranger lately?" Ever since they had a falling out in the Undead Village, Princess Huaizhu had looked arrogant every time she saw Qiao Lin, her expression utterly disdainful. In the past few days, she seemed to have toned it down a bit. And she also frequently went to Mo Yu to show off, completely ignoring Qiao Lin. It was as if Qiao Lin was just an invisible person, not even worth a second glance.
Mo Yu couldn't be bothered with Princess Huaizhu. He turned to Qiao Lin and said, "Don't pay attention to her. She just thinks that since she's returning to the capital soon, Consort Li will support her, and she can straighten her back a bit."
Qiao Lin shook her head. She was somewhat speechless but didn't say anything more.
The group arrived outside Mo Capital City, hearing many people discussing the return of the former Crown Prince and Crown Princess. Only then did they realize that their unreliable sister and elder brother had already returned to the capital? They had actually arrived before their own group. The two exchanged glances, both receiving a hint of helplessness from the other's eyes.
With Mo Yu present, their entry into the capital on horseback was naturally unimpeded. After entering the city, Qiao Lin didn't plan to enter the palace with Mo Yu. Instead, she decided to return to her own residence first. Changle Street had already regained its former prosperity. As they rode along, they saw bustling crowds, people coming and going. The crisis of the corpse puppet plague had been resolved, and the people of Mo Capital City had resumed their normal lives. There was no longer any expression of panic or anxiety on their faces, as if the chaos of the corpse puppets a few years ago had merely been a long dream.
Qiao Lin returned home and saw the servants of the old residence already waiting there. Upon seeing her return, they smiled and welcomed her, saying, "The Eldest Young Miss said early this morning that the Second Young Miss would definitely be returning these past two days, and told us to prepare a welcome."
"Second Young Miss, you've had a long journey. Hot meals and hot water are all ready. Young Miss, would you like to dine and rest for a while first, or bathe and then immediately go to the palace?"