Chapter 22: If You Don't Seek Death, You Won't Die

Bing Qingwan’s face turned as red as a tomato as she shrieked, "Who was looking at erotic pictures? Don't you dare slander me!"

"If you weren't, then why are you blushing?"

"It's just hot! It's stuffy in here!"

What a flimsy excuse! It was practically shouting, "I have nothing to hide," as the saying goes. Bing Qingwan had intended to make a fool of Yuan Qian'er, but instead, she had suffered a silent blow. As the saying goes, if you don't court disaster, you won't meet it.

"Oh, come on, you looked, so you looked. Why be so stubborn about denying it? I understand, I won't make fun of you!"

"You wretched woman, what do you understand? I said I didn't look, so I didn't! What are you doing here at Brother Yi's place anyway? Get out!" Bing Qingwan was about to explode with frustration, but she could never win an argument against her.

"Bing Qingwan, your 'Brother Yi' just invited me to stay here. You’re the one who should be rolling out—so hurry up and curl yourself into a ball and roll away in a nice, round fashion! I won't be seeing you out!" Yuan Qian'er had no patience left to play games; her stomach was already growling with hunger.

"Qian'er, watch your phrasing. I am not 'hers'," Mo Yiran interjected, correcting her. Why did this girl always try to push him onto other people? It seemed he would have to find a time to make his stance clear.

"Ha! See? Bing Qingwan, it's just your own wishful thinking. Brother Yi here isn't interested in you!"

This back-and-forth infuriated Bing Qingwan, but she caught the main point: Mo Yiran was keeping that woman in Qingmo Pavilion? Wasn't that just pushing her even closer to him? No! She couldn't let that woman succeed!

"Brother Yi, didn't you say your Qingmo Pavilion wasn't for just anyone to stay in? How can she? You wouldn't even let me stay here when I asked! I don't care, you can't be this biased!"

Mo Yiran had never liked being questioned. His tone was cold as he replied, "Qingwan, do I need to consult you on what I do? This is my place. I let whoever I want stay here. You have no right to interfere. Go back to the imperial palace and stop making a scene!"

"I won't go back! Brother Yi, every woman who approaches you has an agenda. Sooner or later, I will make you see this woman's true colors!" Knowing that Mo Yiran was on the verge of anger, Bing Qingwan turned and stormed out of Qingmo Pavilion, rushing back to Qingyun Pavilion to vent her rage by smashing things.

After Bing Qingwan left, the Kuangmo guards also withdrew. A short while later, fragrant dishes were brought to the table. Seeing this, Yuan Qian'er pounced on the food, eating with such delight that she threw everything that had just happened to the back of her mind.

***

That night, after washing up and just as she was about to climb into bed, Yuan Qian'er suddenly remembered that she had come down from the mountain to find Su Qingcheng, but had forgotten all about it during the day. She hurried to the next room to find Mo Yiran and ask for his help.

"Mo Yiran, where are your Kuangmo guards? Could you call them? I have something I need their help with."

Mo Yiran, who was lying on a daybed reading, glanced at Yuan Qian'er. He immediately got up, swept her into his arms, and placed her on the daybed. "What is so important that you even forgot to put on your shoes? Don't you know a girl's feet shouldn't be shown to others so easily?"

Startled by his sudden move, Yuan Qian'er looked at her bare feet and said awkwardly, "I was in such a hurry I forgot. Anyway, I wanted to ask your Kuangmo guards to help me find my friend. Is that okay?"

"I already gave orders for that kind of thing; there's no need for you to worry. Just wait for news with peace of mind." Mo Yiran knew how much Yuan Qian'er cared about her friend and had notified his guards to keep an eye out everywhere early on.

"Oh, you already gave the order? Thank you so, so much! Please, you must find her. To me, she isn't just a friend, she's like family!" Yuan Qian'er pleaded with him earnestly. She was a stranger in this place and had no idea where to look.