FRGNM -Chapter 42 Apology

“Brat, stop mouthing off!”

The person in the bridal sedan chair wasn’t some beautiful young woman. The bulky figure drew back the curtains, revealing an elderly woman who stepped down with a cane, glaring at Luo Mingyu. She raised her cane and slammed it onto his rear.

“What’s this? Hitting me the moment we meet?” Luo Mingyu chuckled lightly, not particularly bothered. He took the hit with a faint smile.

The old woman finally felt relieved. “You brat! You disappeared for six years. When you came to Tianwaitian to steal pills back then, don’t think I’d just let it slide!”

“Yes, yes, yes. And I also took Granny Yinyue’s Silver Moon Sword. To commemorate your sword, I specifically named it Silver Moon.” Luo Mingyu extended his right hand, and a silver-white light shimmered, the Silver Moon Sword floating before him, trembling slightly as if showing affection.

Granny Yinyue let out a sigh of relief and said helplessly, “Brat, I’ll make it clear: don’t act recklessly. This time, Qiongyu Immortal Island only sent you eight openly, but secretly there are Red-Clad Guardians hidden nearby. If they catch you, you won’t escape!”

“I know, Granny, you’re just overthinking. Tianwaitian really seems to have nothing to do. When I have time, I’ll take you to my territory for fun—you’ll love it,” Luo Mingyu said with a slight smile, curling his lips.

Grinning, Granny Yinyue pulled a letter from her bosom. “Here, take it. Don’t lose it. Inside is the treasure of Longxing Continent. Lose it, and you won’t be able to act.”

“Understood.” Luo Mingyu bowed slightly, smiling faintly, watching as the eight people carried the sedan chair away. With a wave of his hand, the envelope disappeared into his ring. Running his fingers through his hair, he mused, “It’s about time to meet the Emperor of Beining. I wonder if Ruoxi has arrived yet?”

“Young master,” Ting Hai said with a smile, cupping his hands. “You may not know, but Madam arrived in the capital three days ago. After a conflict with Miss Ling of the Ling family, she stayed at Master Ye’s residence. It seems she has now moved to the embassy.”

“Oh? The embassy? Arrived three days ago?” Luo Mingyu’s eyes glinted. For some reason, the voice of that woman from today surfaced in his mind. If his little Ruoxi looked like that, he would surely be devoured by her.

“Young master?” Ting Hai looked at him, puzzled, unsure what he might have said wrong.

Luo Mingyu snapped back to reality, waved his hand, and said with a smile, “Return for now. We’ll go to the palace to congratulate them on the wedding day.”

“Ruoxi, you’re here too? Perfect, Father asked me to take you all out to see the sights of Beining,” Nangong Mo said as he saw the familiar figure in the embassy, finally feeling at ease.

Ling Ruoxi, however, was not as enthusiastic. She held Huangfu Xuan’s hand and placed the medicine bottle in it. “You’ve just been taking too many medicines. Take less for now. There are ten pills in this bottle. Take one every three days. If you stick to it, it will be effective in at most a month.”

“Mm.” One pill every three days? Even Huangfu Xuan was a little dazed, putting the bottle in his bosom. He looked at the others. “Crown Prince, Master Ye, you’ve come?”

“Ruoxi, I…”

“I’m tired. Yizhui, Yimeng, keep an eye on your dad. If he dares to sneak a pill, beat him up!” Ling Ruoxi yawned, too tired to pay attention to Nangong Mo, and turned toward the room.

Ye Ningfeng noticed that Ling Ruoxi was truly exhausted. He stopped Nangong Mo, shaking his head. “Let her rest. We have nothing urgent. Staying here is enough as an apology.”

“But…” Nangong Mo frowned. He knew Ling Ruoxi was avoiding him, but he couldn’t accept it. Why would she avoid him? Didn’t she know his heart?

“Crown Prince, remember: three days from now is your wedding day,” Ye Ningfeng said coldly. A reminder and a warning. At this crucial moment, no mistakes were allowed. The Crown Prince of Beining was marrying Miss Ling Huairu of the Ling family—not the already-broken-off Ruoxi.

Unless Nangong Mo wanted to make a fool of himself before other nations, he had to keep his distance from Ling Ruoxi.

Huangfu Xuan understood the situation. He rose and said to Yizhui and Yimeng with a gentle smile, “Yizhui, Yimeng, let’s sleep together with Dad, okay?”

“Okay, Dad!” The two kids, perhaps upset with Nangong Mo, held onto Huangfu Xuan’s hand and headed into the room.

After hearing that their mother was rejected by Nangong Mo, the children had completely given up on him. They ignored him like he was a block of wood.

Poor Nangong Mo didn’t understand why, as Ling Ruoxi kept her distance and the children disliked him. Helpless, he slumped into a chair.

Outside, a silver-white figure slowly approached. A silver-white bamboo hat hid his face, but the familiar patterns on his clothes shocked Nangong Mo and Ye Ningfeng.

What a coincidence! To encounter him here!

Holding his breath, Nangong Mo lowered his head, pretending not to recognize him. Ye Ningfeng, however, smiled politely and sat down.

“You rest first. I’ll return to my room,” came a calm voice. The silver-white figure seemed to not even notice them, walking lightly toward the upper rooms.

Damn it, Nangong Mo cursed inwardly, wishing he could throw the bedding down.

Ling Ruoxi peeked through the door and unexpectedly saw that pervert from before. Upon closer observation, she realized he was resting his arm there.

Hearing the door close, Ling Ruoxi hurriedly entered the bathhouse. All baths were screened with wooden panels to simulate the feel of natural springs. Water flowed and steamed throughout the twelve hours of the day.

Most importantly, climbing the two-meter-high wooden boards allowed a view into the next bathhouse.

Taking a deep breath, she focused and shouted, leaping like a monkey, one foot landing on the wooden board.

Crack! The cheap wood gave way; her foot plunged into Luo Mingyu’s bath. Flustered, she couldn’t pull her foot back.

Luo Mingyu, apparently entering the bath himself, merely made a soft huh upon seeing the foot.

Ruoxi felt mortified. She cursed inwardly. For now, she had to endure, keeping her foot there until he left. Later, she would dismantle the boards—poor quality! Was it the wood or her weight?

“Hehe…” Luo Mingyu chuckled softly, holding a bath towel, noticing the small foot. Just entering, he heard the commotion, initially thinking someone had snuck in. No thief was caught—but the foot remained.

With sensitive ears, he knew immediately who the reckless woman was. He crouched, appreciating the foot, delicate as a snow-carved miniature, each toe perfect, skin whiter than snow. He didn’t sniff it, though.

He held the foot, lightly rubbing it with the other hand on her sole.

“WTF, you bastard! I’ll kill you!” Ruoxi shouted, her foot trapped. She stomped, and before Luo Mingyu could react, her enormous fist struck his cheek.

Bang! The silver-white figure twisted in the air, landing perfectly in the bathwater—splashes modest, posture flawless, full marks.

Panting, she tore through the wooden panel, hugging her leg, shouting, “Who dares mess with my foot! We are sworn enemies!”

“Cough… even hands smell like feet…” Luo Mingyu emerged from the bath, wringing his shoulder towel and rubbing his face. He’d never seen a woman so rough. The foot placed near him—was that his fault?

Ling Ruoxi, startled, stood quickly, forgetting she’d just squatted and punched a hole through the board. Her head hit the top board with a loud bang. Even Luo Mingyu winced.

“Wh-what are you doing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I… I was looking at the scenery!” Ruoxi blushed furiously, covering her head, approaching the bruised board she had just punched.

“Hey, pervert! Sorry, it was my fault before. I didn’t know what was going on. That brat didn’t explain,” she said, lowering her head. She had been wanting to apologize but had been busy making medicine for Huangfu Xuan.

“I… you called me what?” Luo Mingyu almost went deaf. Pervert? When did this woman label him that?

He had been praying not to see her upon returning. Now, barely back, he had taken a punch—and now she calls him a pervert? Did he really look that perverted?