On second thought, I decided against it. I’d rather die than admit I had anything to do with that apple core!
“Ah—— Your Majesty!
“I screamed, rushing to help him up, brushing dust off his clothes and muttering, ‘How could you be so careless, Your Majesty? You should watch where you’re walking. Stepping on an apple core like this… it can sprout and grow, right? It has life. Your step just sent this little thing straight to heaven, how pitiful!’ A string of words burst out without mentioning myself.
Jin Mo, already dizzy from the fall, was somehow persuaded and didn’t argue. He waved to the eunuchs and palace maids behind him, then pulled me into the inner palace.
In the inner palace, I noticed his hand holding mine—he wasn’t afraid of me anymore? Did the shock create antibodies? Ugh, he wasn’t here to settle scores, was he?
I tried to step back but found my hand firmly held. When did Jin Mo become so strong? Looking at his broad back, I realized he was no longer the boy I could bully but a strong man.
“Hmm?” Jin Mo noticed I’d stopped, turned back, and caught my gaze. His heart stirred, and he blurted out, ‘I like you.’
“What?” I didn’t react for a moment.”
If a group of thugs burst into your home at midnight with AK47s, pointed at you, you might also freeze in shock.
“You!” Jin Mo said, somewhat embarrassed and angry. However, seeing my dazed expression, his tone softened, “I like you.”
My hand caressed his face, and I felt his heartbeat pulse in my brain until the world blurred, leaving only that intense sensation. Amidst the confusion, I asked, “Are you running a fever?”
“How can fish be compared to humans? With this lotus pond, you can catch all the fish and eventually find that one,” Jin Mo said, shaking his head at my naive idea.
“I’m talking about the fish!” I replied, frowning.
“That can also become a fish among fish. Finding a specific one would be easy,” Jin Mo asserted, confidence evident in his smile.
“Stubborn!” I lost interest in teasing the fish and threw a steamed bun into the water, startling the fish. However, they quickly returned to feed.
