After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Actually, this formation was set up by someone over a long period of time. The bamboo forest inside is controlled by mechanisms, which are activated the moment you step into the formation.

If Xie Xing and Jun Lanjin are more than half a meter apart, they will be forcibly separated.

Seeing this, Xie Xing quickly stepped forward and grasped Jun Lanjin's hand tightly.

Jun Lanjin paused slightly, then looked down at their clasped hands and smiled, "You're quite clever now."

Xie Xing tilted his head and glanced at Jun Lanjin's profile.

Although the corners of his lips were turned up, there was no real smile on his face.

I don't know if she's angry.

Xie Xing spoke up: "Your Highness, the fire on the Zhaixing Tower was started by Luo Hanfeng. When Your Highness told me to run away first, the main door on the first floor had already been sealed off."

"Later, I met Luo Hanfeng, who forcibly took me away."

Jun Lanjin hummed in agreement. "To the outside world, you're already a dead man."

what?

Xie Xing's expression was blank.

Is she already dead?

Mist began to rise from the bamboo forest. Jun Lanjin placed a poison-avoiding pill into Xie Xing's mouth and continued, "The Star-Picking Tower is destroyed. Since the people in the palace can't find you, they'll assume you're dead."

"In order to quell the anger of the Xie family and your maternal grandfather's family, the emperor posthumously conferred upon you the title of Princess."

This was an undeserved disaster for Xie Xing. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's arrangement, she wouldn't have been "burned to death" in the Star-Picking Tower.

However, in reality, regardless of the Empress Dowager's arrangement, Xie Xing would have been kidnapped by Luo Hanfeng anyway.

There were already signs when Luo Hanfeng barged into the Fifth Princess's room earlier.

He prepared—

They imprisoned her.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, obscuring the road ahead until it was completely invisible.

Xie Xing and Jun Lanjin were about half an arm's length apart, and Xie Xing could only vaguely see Jun Lanjin's back.

She pursed her lips, quickened her pace, and closed the distance between herself and Jun Lanjin, asking, "What should I do if I manage to escape this time?"

"suspended animation."

Jun Lanjin's voice was calm and even, "The capital is not peaceful right now, and it is dangerous for you to stay in the palace. I will send you to the Song family so that you can reunite with the Song couple."

"You don't need to worry about what's happening in the capital."

How could she not care?

Just as Xie Xing was about to speak, Jun Lanjin stopped in front of her, and she bumped into his back without realizing it.

He turned around, his handsome face barely visible through the thick fog: "Your Excellency, these matters of the court are none of your concern."

Xie Xing paused.

She bit her lip; matters of the court were none of her concern.

In the story, Luo Hanfeng is destined to ascend the throne, while Jun Lanjin is destined to die.

but--

Her arrival changed the course of the story.

Originally, Jun Lanjin was poisoned and then plotted against by his mother, so his death was already inevitable. In order not to affect the plot, she only needed to feed Jun Lanjin the antidote when he was about to die, so as to save his life.

Luo Hanfeng has already ascended the throne, and everything is going well.

However, things were far from as easy as Xie Xing had imagined. Jun Lanjin learned in advance that he had been poisoned with a slow-acting poison.

Left with no other choice, she gave the Tianshan Snow Lotus to Jun Lanjin to cure his poison ahead of schedule.

Under these circumstances, would Jun Lanjin still lose to Luo Hanfeng?

Xie Xing looked up and met Jun Lanjin's dark eyes, and said, "It's not that it's unrelated to me, Your Highness's life is related to me."

"I don't care about his whereabouts in the court, I only care about the prince."

"I hope Your Highness can live a healthy and peaceful life."

After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

As Jun Lanjin spoke, his dark eyes were fixed on Xie Xing. After entering, Jun Lanjin had already removed the mask from his face.

How could anyone not be moved by what he said?

Jun Lanjin's heart skipped a beat, as if something was beginning to take root and sprout from within.

His fingertips, hanging by his sides, curled up.

[Ding, villain's favorability +10, current favorability 70.]

But soon, the system's voice made him stop, accompanied by a tingling sensation in his heart.

The seedlings that were about to sprout also came to an abrupt halt.

Jun Lanjin was taken aback.

He immediately covered his face with his hand, a hint of helplessness and a bitter smile appearing on his face.

Ugh.

He sighed softly to himself. This was truly...

Even though he knew there was a trap ahead, he almost stepped right in.

"Your Highness?" Xie Xing looked up at Jun Lanjin with her almond-shaped eyes, puzzled.

Before I could react, someone flicked my forehead lightly: "Little liar, you always say such nice things, I almost believed you."

[Ding, the villain's favorability -10, current favorability 60.]

Xie Xing: "..."

System: [!] Just gained 10 points of favorability!

Xie Xing's face turned sour, and he said seriously, "Your Highness, I mean it!"

Jun Lanjin took her hand and walked ahead, saying, "Yes, yes, I know you're serious."

Xie Xing panicked.

She was about to run to Jun Lanjin when a whistling sound suddenly came from the air. Jun Lanjin, who had been looking relaxed, changed his expression slightly. He immediately reached out and pulled Xie Xing into his arms, dodging the bamboo arrows that were coming towards them.

shhhhhh!

It gradually disappeared into the thick fog and swiftly attacked the two of them.

Junlan held Xie Xing in her arms and lightly jumped in mid-air, stepping on the bamboo arrows with her toes.

This wasn't the first time Xie Xing had nestled in Jun Lanjin's arms. She looked up, her gaze falling on Jun Lanjin's face.

His long, thick eyelashes and fair, delicate features were so handsome that it was impossible to look away.

Even with his arm around her, he remained calm and composed when dealing with these traps.

There were so many bamboo arrows that Jun Lanjin quickly stepped onto a bamboo leaf and coldly watched the arrows hurtling towards the two of them.

He switched one hand to holding Xie Xing by the collar, and with a flick of his long sleeve.

A powerful aura was unleashed from his sleeve.

This energy completely destroyed all the bamboo arrows that attacked.

Including the surrounding bamboo arrow traps.

So strong!

Xie Xing opened his eyes.

Jun Lanjin smiled slightly and casually said, "It's nothing special."

Xie Xing clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Your Highness is amazing! Your Highness is so wonderful!"

Under Xie Xing's flattery, Jun Lanjin's lips curled up even more, and his upturned peach blossom eyes were clearly filled with a hint of a smile because of Xie Xing's praise.

He swiftly opened his fan and held it to his lips, saying, "So-so, just a trivial skill."

Xie Xing: "..."

It is known that Jun Lanjin was carrying her with one hand while dealing with the bamboo arrows with the other.

Now that he has one free hand to hold the folding fan, and both hands are useful, what will he use to lift Xie Xing?

the answer is--

Xie Xing lost his support and fell straight down.

She widened her eyes and stretched out her hands towards Jun Lanjin: "Your Highness! Help—!"

Jun Lanjin: "..." Oh dear, I got carried away for a moment.