Chapter 368: Chapter 364: How Would You Hurt Me

“What is that?” Tang Xiaobai asked.

The greatest advantage of the Crown Prince’s bed was its spaciousness and tidiness.

The patterns on the bedding were subtle and plain at first glance.

Therefore, the glimmer of pearls by the pillow appeared particularly out of place.

Tang Xiaobai shook off Li Mu’s hand, walked closer for a better look, but unexpectedly, Li Mu darted past her and snatched the item from the pillow.

Huh?

Tang Xiaobai raised an eyebrow at him, not saying a word.

This was peculiar.

The little ancestor actually had something to hide from her?

Li Mu, although acting out of a subconscious impulse to hide it, couldn’t withstand her gaze, and after a moment of hesitation, opened his palm.

It was a string of beads in alternating pink and white.

Although the beads were not large, they were uniform in size, with a rosy hue, clearly a girl’s accessory.

Tang Xiaobai frowned: “What is this?”

What was going on? The little ancestor was hiding a girl’s accessory?

“You don’t recognize it?” Li Mu was astonished.

“Huh?” Tang Xiaobai quickly looked closely.

It did seem somewhat familiar…

“Once, when you were searching my room for the forged Qin Family treason letters, you left it behind,” he paused, his tone somewhat airy, “left by my pillow.”

As soon as he said this, Tang Xiaobai remembered: “It was that string… which I personally strung—”

She had strung it just for fun, didn’t pay much attention, and only knew it was missing after Cheng Zi reminded her.

But—

“Didn’t you say you didn’t see it?” She had asked him back then, and his answer was completely normal.

Unexpected!

Humph!

Li Mu re-clutched the beads in his hand, smirking as he said, “I wanted to keep it.”

Tang Xiaobai blushed slightly, pried his hand open, snatching the beads back righteously: “Taking without asking is stealing!”

“You left it behind, I was just hiding it, not stealing.” He argued.

“And hiding it makes it right?” Tang Xiaobai glared at him.

“Then… Ah Jiao, punish me!”

Punish? How to punish?

Tang Xiaobai gave him a glare.

When did the little ancestor become so shameless?

The shameless young man, given a glare, seemed even more invigorated, leaning slightly, grasping her hand, whispering: “Can I put it on Ah Jiao?”

Just leaning slightly made the pressure instantly envelop her.

Tang Xiaobai uneasily stepped back, firmly refusing: “I don’t wear this kind of beads anymore!”

He lowered his head, took the beads from her palm, and measured them against her wrist.

Round and glossy.

“It looks good on the wrist too,” he said.

His voice, matured to a mid-low range, sounded slightly husky when speaking softly, as though something tender was caressing the eardrum, so pleasant that Tang Xiaobai found herself momentarily dazed, quietly watching him attempt to put the beads on her.

But this string of beads was not meant to be worn on the wrist and couldn’t be fastened into a circle.

The Crown Prince’s deft hands were helpless with the tiny bead string, busying himself to no avail.

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but “pfft” with laughter.

He raised his eyes to look at her, suddenly leaning in to kiss her.

The vast and silent palace magnified the originally faint sounds, resonating to the rafters before drifting back to the ear.

Tang Xiaobai, uneasy, tried to pull away, but the closer she was held, the more her mind became a hazy murmur…

When she felt the kiss leave her lips, Tang Xiaobai jolted with a start, instinctively clenching her hand, accidentally gripping Li Mu’s arm.

He suddenly stopped, his face still nestled in her neck, the warm, moist breath brushing against her skin.

Tang Xiaobai didn’t dare move, eyes wide with tension, staring at the shadowy outlines of the canopy.

Indeed, a single man and woman shouldn’t be too close to the bed.

How did it come to this… hmm…?

After a moment of quiet, she heard him take a deep breath, lift his head slightly, give her cheek a gentle kiss, and whisper, “Ah Jiao, don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.”

Tang Xiaobai was terrified, but upon hearing this, blinked curiously: “How would you hurt me?” Did he understand?

Li Mu paused for a moment, holding her tighter: “I won’t!”

Tang Xiaobai: ???

So does the little ancestor actually know?

How did he learn?

Who taught him without her knowing???

As she was intensely investigating in her mind, Li Mu quietly released his arms, even moving slightly to the side.

Tang Xiaobai: ???

She thought about it, saying: “I’m not afraid of you, of course, I know you won’t hurt me!”

He quickly glanced at her, then lowered his eyes, coughed lightly twice, and said: “Didn’t you say you had important business to discuss with me?”

This change of topic…

Tang Xiaobai was momentarily stunned, but accepted: “It’s about Wang Zhaoji—”

There seemed to be something off between Wang Zhaoji and Beauty Shu; it was unclear if Wang Zhaoji was truly weak or merely feigning.

“…After all, since Princess Hengyang became the Tuyuhun Empress, it’s worth notifying Prince Li, keeping an eye on the Turkic movements.”

Li Mu nodded: “I’ve already sent word to Liangzhou.”

“Is there no need to adjust the personnel over in Liangzhou?”

Li Mu contemplated for a moment, saying: “Though the Duke and General Tang have left the Northwest, the area is still filled with the Tang Family’s confidants—”

Hearing this, Tang Xiaobai felt a chill in her heart, giving him a glance.

Li Mu, sensing this look, smiled slightly, kissed her on the face to reassure her: “I won’t be suspicious of the Duke Yan Mansion.”

So forthright, Tang Xiaobai felt a bit embarrassed, softly saying: “Regardless of suspicion, being filled with confidants isn’t ideal; I think people in the Northwest should be reassigned, otherwise even with my father’s instructions, Prince Li will face considerable hindrances in Liangzhou.”

Hearing her considerate tone, Li Mu felt joy, couldn’t help leaning over to kiss her temple, whispering: “Once I free up my hands later, we’ll need to separate civil and military affairs at the frontier key towns, but for now, I need to rely on my father-in-law to oversee a region for me.”

Tang Xiaobai somewhat understood.

It wasn’t a matter of freeing up hands; the issue was still a lack of personnel.

“Has the Ministry of Rites released the results yet?” Tang Xiaobai asked.

Tomorrow was the day the imperial exam results were posted; theoretically, the results should be with the Ministry of Rites today, and before dark, they would be sent to the Taiji Palace for the emperor to review.

The results of the exams were always highly anticipated; if Tang Xiaobai could manage, she would have sneaked into the Ministry of Rites to take a peek.

However, the Crown Prince shook his head, saying: “I don’t know.”

Tang Xiaobai was astonished: “You didn’t ask the Ministry of Rites?”

“Upon hearing you had entered the palace, I didn’t go,” Li Mu answered as if it were the most natural thing, “Once the results are out, they will be brought to the Eastern Palace without delay.”

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up.

This strategic patience is something not everyone possesses.

But she was still very curious: “Can’t you send someone to urge them?”

This time, ten students from Huntian Academy were participating in the exams.

The Eastern Palace was in dire need of talent!

Li Mu nodded: “You wait for me in the front hall first.”

Tang Xiaobai was puzzled: “And you?”

He slightly turned his face: “I’ll be out shortly…”

Tang Xiaobai stared at him, dazed.

Under her gaze, the boy’s pale cheeks slowly turned red.

Tang Xiaobai seemed to understand, and her eyes began to wander.

Wandering again and again, left and right.

Just as she was about to let her gaze wander downwards, the Crown Prince suddenly jumped off the bed, with a flick of his robe: “I’ll send someone to the Ministry of Rites to hurry them up!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep