The door swung open just as Jun Jiuji entered with a cold demeanor. Ye Yining hesitated, unsure whether to close the door or leave it ajar. Before she could decide, Jun Jiuji enveloped her waist with one hand and gently shut the door with the other. She glanced up at him, feeling a bit flustered.
He didn't seem too pleased, and there was a flicker of anger in his eyes.
"What's bothering you?" She tugged at his sleeve, her tone softening.
He had been fine earlier, so who had riled him up?
Jun Jiuji tilted her chin and gazed into her lovely face. He pursed his lips, attempting to suppress the jealousy that burned within him.
"Has Mo Huanchong seen you while you were showering?"
His voice was icy and laden with a deep, unrelenting jealousy. Ye Yining was taken aback for a moment, then quickly denied,
"No."
"Are you sure?" Jun Jiuji's dark eyes betrayed his turbulent emotions.
Ye Yining's heart raced, wondering who had spread such rumors to Jun Jiuji. She remembered that Mo Huanchong had once intruded into her bathroom, but she had injured her foot at the time and didn't want her family to find out. She had tended to her wound quietly without undressing.
However, she decided not to explain this to Jun Jiuji, fearing she wouldn't make it clear. So, she staunchly denied it.
"He really hasn't. Who told you such nonsense?"
Jun Jiuji looked into her clear, anxious eyes, and a trace of hesitation crossed his gaze. Nevertheless, his hands around her waist involuntarily tightened, and his eyes drifted from her beautiful face downward.
"You have a mole on your back?"
His voice was hushed but tinged with a hint of seething anger. Ye Yining was surprised by his question. She didn't know Jun Jiuji had called her over for this purpose, but whoever had informed him had ulterior motives.
She looked up and met Jun Jiuji's eyes earnestly.
"I don't have a mole. It's true! Don't believe others."
"Let me see!"
"What?"
Jun Jiuji's sudden demand caught Ye Yining off guard.
"Let me confirm," he insisted, his touch gentle as he caressed her delicate face.
His deep voice held both honeyed persuasion and a touch of possessiveness.
Ye Yining's pretty face flushed red, a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"You don't trust…"
Before she could finish her sentence, his lips pressed against hers. In the next moment, she felt Jun Jiuji's hand loosen her dress. Panic set in, and she tried to stop him, but he grasped her hand.
"Be good! I'm just confirming," he said, his voice tinged with frustration.
Ye Yining felt wronged, but Jun Jiuji appeared consumed by anger, ignoring her explanations. Her clothes fell momentarily before Jun Jiuji swiftly covered her again.
Tears welled up in Ye Yining's eyes as she turned her face away from Jun Jiuji, feeling wronged. Jun Jiuji raised his hand and gently stroked her head, soothing her with a gentle tone.
"I didn't look. Don't be upset."
Ye Yining turned her head, her voice laced with irritation.
"Is there a mole?"
Jun Jiuji let out a soft cough and leaned closer to her ear. He whispered,
"It's flawless. There's nothing there."
Ye Yining's skin, from her back to her waist, was as flawless and white as snow, akin to the most exquisite porcelain, without a single blemish. Even her fair and slender legs and exposed skin were equally flawless.
But he dared not voice these thoughts aloud.
"Who said I have a mole on my body?" Ye Yining wiped her teary eyes and asked coldly.
Jun Jiuji remained silent, but Ye Yining suddenly connected the dots.
"Did Mo Huanchong say that?"
It appeared that the scoundrel's injuries were too minor.
Though Jun Jiuji didn't respond, he shared the same suspicions as Ye Yining. Mo Huanchong's injuries were indeed too mild; he needed a more thorough lesson.
As their thoughts wandered, Ye Hanxiao's voice suddenly echoed from outside the door.
"Ye Yining!"
Ye Yining grew anxious and nudged Jun Jiuji's arm. Jun Jiuji patted her head with a smile and spoke in a magnetic, gentle tone.
"Let's rest for the night and head to Cloud Border City tomorrow."
Ye Yining nodded. "I understand."
Jun Jiuji glanced at Ye Yining before opening the door. When Ye Hanxiao saw Jun Jiuji emerging from Ye Yining's room, his expression became complex, and he held back his words.
"Your Highness Jun Jiuji!"
Jun Jiuji gave a slight nod before addressing Ye Yining.
"Come out and have something to eat."
"Alright."
Though Ye Yining wasn't hungry, she followed him outside. Ye Hanxiao had wanted to talk to his sister, but upon hearing Jun Jiuji's words, he decided to join them instead.
The table was adorned with a variety of snacks and delectable dishes, but Ye Yining had little interest in them. Feeling bored, she discreetly instructed Ling Gui to open the medicine garden. The pharmacy's stock of herbs was still lacking, and it wasn't practical to keep buying them indefinitely. Cultivating her own herbs was the only sustainable solution.
As she took a sip of tea, her consciousness shifted into the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence. The white fog surrounding it swiftly receded for dozens of kilometers, revealing a vast medicine garden with colorful signs on the right side of the medicine room.
Ye Yining concentrated her thoughts and discovered that each sign in the herb garden corresponded to a plot of land, indicating the growth rate of the herbs. Some grew tenfold daily, while others progressed at the rate of a day equating to a month or even a year. Astonishingly, some herbs grew at an astonishing pace, with ten years' worth of growth occurring in just one day.
However, these indicator cards were all sealed, making it clear that they couldn't be utilized at the moment. Nonetheless, Ye Yining felt as though she had stumbled upon a tremendous opportunity.
Observing that Ye Yining wasn't eating, let alone showing any interest in the food, Jun Jiuji immediately instructed Ye Ze, who was standing guard outside,
"Fetch a new set of food and a chef."
"Yes," Ye Ze responded and hurried downstairs.
Ye Yining was taken aback and quickly interjected,
"There's no need to change it! I'm simply not hungry at the moment."
Ye Hanxiao stole a glance at Jun Jiuji before turning his attention back to his sister.
"Ye Yining, I encountered Yunjiao earlier."
Ye Yining looked at her brother with curiosity.
"What happened? What did she say to you?"
Ye Hanxiao vaguely replied,
"She mentioned that she's now with Mo Huanchong. Since he's severely injured, she requested some financial assistance from me…"
Ye Yining raised an eyebrow, her tone filled with displeasure.
"You didn't agree, did you?"
Ye Hanxiao quickly shook his head.
"No, I just wanted to inform you that if she approaches you for money, don't lend it to her. Today, she even spoke ill of you to Mo Huanchong."
He was aware of this because Jun Jiuji had discussed it with him. He suspected that His Highness Jun Jiuji had visited Ye Yining's room to discuss the matter, given the traces of tears in her eyes.
Ye Yining's expression softened, and her tone became gentler.
"Brother, don't worry. I won't lend her any money."
Just then, an ear-piercing voice echoed from outside the door.
"Ye Yining, you used to be so generous with Mo Huanchong. Why are you being so miserly now?"