The Emperor, with more men than women, made me his mistress.

They originally came with Yue Li for a spring outing, and now that Yue Li is going back, they will naturally follow.

So the group followed the same route they had taken and returned to the village.

Gong Hanmo escorted Yue Li to the gate of the manor. Just as Sheng Yifan was about to follow Yue Li into the manor, Gong Hanmo suddenly spoke up, "Is it convenient for Young Master Sheng to stay at Sister Li's manor? If not, Young Master Sheng can come with me to stay at my manor. Mo Yu also lives there, so the three of us can keep each other company, right?"

Before anyone could think too much, Sheng Yifan knew what he was up to without even having to guess. He said directly, "Thank you, Prince Gong. I am very comfortable staying at this manor and there is nothing inconvenient about it. You don't need to trouble yourself."

As she spoke, she looked at Yue Li standing to the side and asked sincerely, "I suppose Yue Li won't kick me out, right?"

Yue Li: ……

"Of course."

Not to mention that she really wanted to know if what Sheng Yifan was wearing on his wrist was what she thought.

She already has designs on him.

Besides, he's been doing just fine at the estate these past few days, hasn't he?

Having received Yue Li's answer, Sheng Yifan immediately changed his expression when he looked at Gong Hanmo. From an angle where Yue Li couldn't see, he raised the corner of his eye slightly, as if he were provoking someone, but he said words of concern, "Young Master Gong and Young Master Jin should go back first. It's getting late, so we won't keep you for dinner."

Everyone:...

Why are you talking like it's your own home?

Gong Hanmo was furious. When had he ever been provoked like this before?

His gaze shifted to Yue Li, who was standing to the side, and he said with a hint of innocence in his clear eyes, "Sister Li, I don't want to go back for dinner tonight. Could you spare me a meal?"

As she spoke, she deliberately curled the corners of her mouth, revealing a big smile that made the dimples on both sides of her cheeks even deeper.

“What’s the problem? We picked some fruit on the mountain a few days ago. We’ll have the people down here wash it and let everyone have a taste.” Yue Li agreed instantly, seeing Gong Hanmo’s obedient appearance.

It's just a meal, and I don't have to cook it myself.

Upon hearing Yue Li's words, the anger Gong Hanmo felt due to Sheng Yifan's provocation vanished instantly.

His delicate face beamed with a bright smile as he happily said, "Thank you, Sister Li. You're so kind, Sister Li."

As she spoke, she rolled her eyes at Sheng Yifan.

Sheng Yifan: ...

"Hmph, childish!"

With her sharp hearing and keen eyesight, how could Yue Li not hear those words?

Even if Yue Li didn't know at first that Sheng Yifan and Gong Hanmo were arguing, she understood after seeing Gong Hanmo, who was originally planning to leave, deliberately stay for dinner because of Sheng Yifan's words.

Seeing that Gong Hanmo was about to retort with his dimples pouting, Yue Li quickly grabbed his sleeve and pulled him forward, saying as they walked, "Alright, let's go quickly. The fruits we found on the mountain a few days ago tasted really good. I'll have Feng Chuan wash them for you to try later. If you like them, you can take some with you when you leave."

As he spoke, he beckoned a servant who was passing by and whispered a few words of instruction to him.

Gong Hanmo looked at the sleeve that Yue Li was pulling on, feeling quite pleased with himself. He turned his head and saw Sheng Yifan following behind him, and let out a cold snort.

Yue Li: ……

She looks childish, and her temper is just as childish.

After patting Gong Hanmo's arm reassuringly, Yue Li let go of his sleeve and led the three of them directly to the dining room where guests were entertained.

Seeing how devoted Yue Li was to Gong Hanmo, not only did his friend Jin Moyu feel a pang of jealousy, but Sheng Yifan, who had just confronted him, also inwardly despised him for his shamelessness. He was clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing, yet he acted like a little white rabbit in front of Yue Li—truly shameless.

However, Sheng Yifan quickly comforted himself. So what if Yue Li treats this little kid a little differently?

Yue Li clearly treated him like a child who hadn't even grown up yet.

After dusting off his sleeves, Sheng Yifan immediately felt refreshed and followed behind Yue Li.

Jin Moyu followed. He had, after all, held Yue Li in his arms today; the feeling of that soft body against his chest was something he would savor for a long time. Moreover, the fact that Yue Li treated Gong Hanmo better than Sheng Yifan made him even happier.

The group strolled leisurely along the way, admiring the scenery that Jin Chenyuan had specially arranged for them throughout the estate. Gong Hanmo and the other two asked Yue Li and the others why they had decided to go up the mountain.

After all, they all have estates here, so they naturally know that there are many ferocious beasts on this mountain. Every few years, the government will organize people to come up the mountain to hunt them down, just in case the ferocious beasts on the mountain run down and harm the surrounding villagers.

The people who owned estates here would also contribute money and effort to help the government in its encirclement and suppression efforts.

"It's nothing, I just took a stroll around the outer edge of the mountain when I had nothing to do, and looked at the scenery inside." Yue Li didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, so she gave a few casual explanations.

Seeing that Yue Li clearly didn't want to discuss it further, although the group also had many questions, they wisely refrained from asking any more.

After all, the fact that Prince Chen disappeared shortly after his marriage is the biggest mystery. Which newlywed husband wouldn't want to be with his wife all the time?

They had been here for several days and had not seen Prince Chen. Even after Yue Li returned for half a day, they still hadn't seen him.

Moreover, the young master who had come to the manor with them was nowhere to be found, which left them even more puzzled.

Where did these two go?

However, their absence at this time made things convenient for Sheng Yifan and his group.

Yue Li accompanied them to dinner in the dining hall specially for entertaining guests, and brought some of their favorite fruits for Jin Moyu and Gong Hanmo before seeing them off.

Looking at the other fruit on the table intended for Sheng Yifan, and Sheng Yifan sitting at the table without any intention of getting up, Yue Li thought for a moment. Although she felt it was somewhat inappropriate, she still spoke up, "Yifan, I think I saw a string of beads on your wrist when we were eating earlier. Can I take a look?"

Sheng Yifan was surprised by Yue Li's sudden request, but he quickly realized what was going on. He rolled up his wide sleeves, instantly revealing a section of her pale forearm. Her wrist was very strong, with delicate wrist bones protruding. Between the wrist bones was a string of red jade beads, each bead being lustrous, full, and crystal clear.

When Yue Li saw the string of red jade beads, she became excited. Her right hand, which was at her side, twitched. She really wanted to reach out and touch it to see if the beads contained any spiritual essence liquid.

Ever since hearing Yue Li's request, Sheng Yifan had been watching her expression closely. Now, he saw her staring intently at the red jade beaded bracelet on her wrist, with an almost imperceptible look of excitement on her face.