But what exactly had Mu Qingyun offered him to make him go so far as to use such an absurd excuse to brush her off?
"I never had any feelings for him anyway. I am actually glad that you were able to change your mind so suddenly."
Her expression shifted almost instantly. She turned to Deng Yijie with a gentle smile, wearing the perfectly curated image of a kind and well-mannered young lady.
"Alright," Deng Yijie replied with a happy nod.
He had always known that Her Highness had feelings for Su Qiluo. Her so-called admiration was nothing more than an excuse to mask her affection.
Although he harbored feelings for Her Highness as well, he was willing to remain in the shadows—a silent guardian watching over her. More than anything, he hoped to see her find true happiness.
Since Su Qiluo did not currently have a favorable impression of her, Deng Yijie was determined to help her improve that image in his eyes.
Night had fallen.
Mu Qingyun had slept more than enough during the day, and now found herself wide awake. She lay staring at the star-strewn sky outside her window. Reaching out, she curled her fingers as if to grasp the view. From her angle, it looked as though she could cradle the moon and stars in her palm.
"Can't sleep?"
A familiar voice drifted in from beyond the partition. Before she could respond, Kazel pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"You know my secret, and you still sneak in here at night?" she turned to look at Kazel, her lips twitching as she silently mouthed the next words, Do you not know the difference between men and women?
Kazel let out a quiet chuckle. "Sleeping on a deserted island, do you really think I'd be bold enough to undress?" he said teasingly as he walked to her side and sat down. "Besides, you slept all afternoon. I doubt you could continue snoring like a pig."
"..."
Why did that sound so incredibly annoying?
"Is your livestream device turned off?" he asked casually, glancing at her wrist to confirm it before reclining beside her.
"What are you up to now?" she asked with a sigh, casting him a resigned glance. Though he lay down right next to her, she made no effort to shift away.
"Nothing at all. I just thought... do you want to see the ocean floor?" he said with a soft laugh, returning to the topic he had mentioned earlier.
She frowned.
Why was he so obsessed with taking her underwater?
"I already told you—I do not want my fate to lie in someone else's hands," she said as she withdrew her hand, which had been mimicking the act of grasping the stars. Her voice was lazy, yet firm.
"You said we were friends. Plus, we made a deal. After all of this, can you still not trust me, even once?" Kazel tilted his head, a flash of something cold glinting in his eyes.
"There are no eternal friends, and no everlasting benefits. I only trust others when I know I can retreat safely at any time," she replied, closing her eyes and enjoying the breeze wafting in through the window.
So guarded?
Kazel smiled helplessly. Just what had she been through to always seem so shrewd and calculating?
He gave up the pretense. Gently raising his legs, they transformed into a pair of shimmering, beautiful fishtails.
Propping himself up on one arm, he swiftly turned and pressed himself above her.
Sensing the sudden movement beside her, she opened her eyes—and met a pair of deep, violet irises.
A cold glint flashed across her gaze as she looked at Kazel. He was so close their faces nearly touched.
"Move," she said coldly.
"Mu Qingyun, do you even know what happens between a man and a woman?" Kazel did not move. Instead, he reached out and cupped her chin.
He had never studied her face this closely before. The bangs that usually covered her eyes had fallen away, revealing those piercing eyes shimmering with a frosty light.
Her slightly dark complexion and the freckles scattered across her cheeks left an initial impression of plainness, perhaps even unattractiveness. But when he looked closer, he realized her features were exquisite.
With just a little grooming, she might not be a peerless beauty, but she would certainly be considered a rare gem.
"I think... I may like you," Kazel whispered, brushing the stray strands of hair from her forehead. He stared directly into her eyes, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Whether or not you return my feelings, I wanted to let you know—I like you."
"…"
Was she… being confessed to?
Mu Qingyun raised a brow. She had seen this kind of scene far too often in her past life. Beautiful women were often shy in such situations. As for her, since she had always remained aloof from female companionship, the ministers had assumed she had a 'different' preference and frequently sent her handsome men.
Unlike women, male courtiers were far bolder and more passionate. A mere confession was mild—some even stripped and threw themselves onto her bed, spewing vulgar lines the moment they saw her.
More like men from a brothel than noble sons of powerful families.
"I cannot return your feelings. I do not like you."
She placed a hand on Kazel's shoulder and said coldly, "Get off me now, and I will pretend none of this ever happened."
"You like Su, don't you?" he ignored her words, a playful gleam flickering in his eyes.
"I see him only as a younger brother," she said irritably, her brows knitting with impatience. "I will say this one last time—move."
But Kazel either failed to understand the gravity of the situation or believed her current weakened state would stop her from doing anything serious.
"Brother, huh? You sure? The way you—"
Before he could finish, he felt a sharp pain in his waist, as though something had struck him hard.
In the next instant, Mu Qingyun seized his wrists, flipped him over, and delivered a swift side kick. Before he even had time to react, his body was hurled across the room and slammed against the wall.
Boom!
Mu Qingyun stood up, watching as Kazel crashed to the ground.
"I told you to move. You didn't listen. Now suffer the consequences."
"…Ow…"
Kazel clutched his waist, a flicker of coldness in his eyes, though he quickly replaced it with a pitiful expression. Looking up at her with exaggerated grievance, he whined, "You didn't even give me a chance to get up… How could you be so cruel to someone this handsome?"
"What is going on here?"
The loud thud had roused everyone. Since none of them had undressed for bed, they rushed over quickly.
"Mu-ge? Kazel?"
Xiong Ruoyou arrived first. She looked at the two—one standing, the other sprawled on the ground—and furrowed her brow. "What exactly are you two doing?"
"Couldn't sleep, so we decided to spar," Mu Qingyun said without even lifting her head, her tone cool as she glanced at Kazel. "You may not know this, but I excel at close-quarters combat. Even without abilities, I'm not exactly helpless."
"Sparring? More like a one-sided beating," Kazel muttered, pouting. "You abuse pretty men and merfolk alike."