Chapter 14: Your Highness, Could You Come Down?

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The young princess had even planned a cool entrance for herself. Just after they finished robbing and were dividing the loot inside a rundown house, she kicked the door open and, carrying a solid wooden stick on her shoulder, sauntered toward the group.

However, before she could utter a single prepared line, she heard the most terrifying sound in the world.

“Woof? Woof! Woof!”

A large black dog bared its teeth and lunged at her.

Cheng Xueyang was so frightened she felt as if her soul had left her body. She forgot all about her mission to punish the wicked and uphold justice—to deal with these petty thugs—and ran for her life. But she couldn’t outrun the big black dog and was forced to climb up a large locust tree in the dilapidated courtyard.

The thugs laughed, some leaning on the windowsill, others standing at the doorway, mocking the princess who was crying like a kitten up in the tree.

“What’s wrong with this kid? She comes over here just to cry a little for us?”

Dressed in boyish clothes, young and undeveloped, Cheng Xueyang looked like a delicate little lord.

“When she kicked the door open, I thought she was a capable fighter, ready for a good brawl. Turns out, she’s such a coward.”

“Haha... Let’s disperse. Time to go drink some wine.”

The thugs scattered like birds and beasts, but the big black dog showed no sign of leaving. It circled the tree, barking incessantly, as if ready to climb up after her.

Cheng Xueyang regretted not bringing someone along—not to fight for her, but just to hold the dog back.

“Go, go!”

Someone else stepped out of the room and chased the black dog away, then looked up at her.

In that instant, Cheng Xueyang thought she saw a god—not because he had chased off the dog, but because of his face.

Though dirty and with messy hair, she instantly knew that once cleaned up, this boy would be a handsome young man.

“Can you come down?” he asked.

Without the dog’s threat, Cheng Xueyang acted normally and jumped down from the tree at once. But she landed awkwardly, twisting her ankle, and nearly fell.

Someone grabbed her arm, steadying her. She realized she was only as tall as his chest and had to look up at him.

Feeling a bit unassertive, she took several steps back so she didn’t have to look up, just lifted her chin slightly with a “don’t mess with me” attitude.

He looked several years older—about fifteen or sixteen—but was thin and appeared malnourished.

He said, “East Street isn’t safe. Today, they didn’t bother you because they had money. Otherwise, they would have stripped that expensive-looking outfit right off you.”

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Stripped of her clothes?

Cheng Xueyang hugged herself tightly, truly these were wicked villains, even robbing clothes.

The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. He wasn’t a bad person; otherwise, he wouldn’t have driven off the dog and warned her. She advised him, “You’re basically good. Don’t hang out with these bad guys anymore.”

He gave a bitter smile, shook his head, then left.

Cheng Xueyang was escorted back to the palace by the general’s servants who had come to find her.

At that time, she didn’t know his name, only that he wasn’t a hopeless villain. Maybe he had his reasons for associating with those thugs.

Later, when she learned his name, she still thought he was a decent person, but his heart was made of iron—impossible to melt.

“Your Highness, can you come down?”

Gu Mo’s voice brought Cheng Xueyang back from her wandering thoughts. She swallowed and steadied her voice. “Of course I can. Who do you think I am?”

From below came Gu Mo’s teasing tone, “You’re Her Highness, brave beyond measure, not some coward afraid of dogs.”

Cheng Xueyang’s mind went blank; she slipped and almost fell.

As she swayed, Gu Mo’s face darkened. He immediately spread his arms, ready to catch her. His eyes flickered with worry and a hint of pride.

Could it be that just a few words could affect Her Highness’s mind? Does that mean...

Cheng Xueyang steadied herself after swaying twice.

Gu Mo awkwardly withdrew his arms.

Suddenly, Gu Mo’s gaze sharpened; he saw a figure leaping through the air, heading straight for Cheng Xueyang in the treetop.

“Ugushi, how dare you!”

Gu Mo was about to jump up to block the approaching grassland prince, Ugushi.

But Cheng Xueyang acted decisively, leaning backward, leaping off the tree.

Ugushi landed where Cheng Xueyang had just stood, staring in disbelief at the falling girl.

She would rather fall than let him get close—what courage, what ruthlessness.

“Ah! Princess Xuanyun!”

A scream came from the corridor pavilion. Everyone turned to see Cheng Xueyang falling from the tree.

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The cold wind whispered mournfully past her ears as Cheng Xueyang looked down toward the earth, clearly seeing Gu Mo running toward her, his expression unmistakably anxious.

Was he worried?

Worried about what?

Worried she might fall to her death?

No way. She wasn’t a child anymore, not scared into tears by a big black dog, nor to be tossed back to the palace like a chick.

Just as she prepared to settle her landing, she saw Gu Mo below being held back by someone. Two radiant smiles appeared before her—one large, one small.

“Mother!”

“Dear Princess, your knight has arrived.”

Yun Huai’an caught Cheng Xueyang in a splendid princess’s embrace, even spinning her around, ready to mock Gu Mo’s failure, facing him directly—but only saw Ying San’s expressionless face.

Originally restrained by Ying San, Gu Mo broke free within two rounds.

But he completely missed catching Cheng Xueyang, losing the chance to an outsider.

Yun Huai’an’s proud smile hadn’t faded when he saw someone stride forward. Before he could react, the beautiful woman in his arms vanished, and the little beauty clinging to his neck disappeared too.

Looking opposite him—

Goodness, they’d all been taken away.

Gu Mo carried a great beauty on his shoulder and held a little beauty in his arms; both women wore identical expressions of stunned confusion.

Ugushi jumped down from the tree, staring coldly at Gu Mo. “It’s you again.”

Cheng Xueyang regained her senses and pounded Gu Mo’s back. “What are you doing? Put me down at once!”

Some people from the corridor pavilion had already come over, led by Prince Shou and Prince Jing. Cheng Liuyi, hindered by her appearance, dared not approach and stayed inside the pavilion. The crown prince was still inside, mocking her face, indifferent to what was happening in the flower field.

Gu Mo gently put Cheng Xueyang down. Xuanyun was utterly unreserved, immediately climbing on Gu Mo’s neck, treating him like a horse.

“Xuanyun, get down,” Cheng Xueyang whispered, raising her hand to lift her down.

Xuanyun pouted, clutching the jade crown on Gu Mo’s head. “No! I’m comfy lying on daddy’s shoulders. He forcibly took me away. He must pay the price, so he knows how easy it is to invite a god, but how hard to send one away.”