Just as Bai Yan was about to put the peach pudding back, she suddenly noticed that in the corner of the food box where the pudding had been, there was a piece of embossed paper that was similar in shape to the bowl.
An indescribable emotion welled up in her heart, and a conjecture gradually took shape.
No, how could that be…
Bai Yan trembled slightly as she reached out her hand.
The edges of this embossed stationery are not neat, clearly indicating that it was cut by hand. The pattern on the stationery resembles a child, but it is obscured by writing and cannot be clearly seen.
The handwriting was hasty yet elegant, and it read: "The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful."
She put down the pudding and picked up the kite bowl. Underneath it was a kite-shaped note with the same handwriting: "Do not blame the east wind for parting."
Pick up another cherry bowl, but instead of a poem, there is a line: "A daughter's lips, fresh and vibrant."
Each exquisite and lovely bowl, each delicious meal, each piece of floral stationery carries a whispered message.
"Water shield is cold in nature and should not be eaten in large quantities, but the yellow croaker is so delicious that I dare not miss it."
"Ham is a rare treat; I hope this delicacy can soothe my longing for it."
…
Every word is either literary or considerate, and at the very end, there's a floral note that reads: "Sigh, my hand is so sore, only Miss Bai's smile can soothe it."
Originally, Bai Yan was overwhelmed with a mix of emotion and surprise when she saw this sentence, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Filled with excitement, she was about to put down her bowl to look for Mu Xing when she heard the voice behind her that she had been longing for.
Do you like it?
Bai Yan turned around abruptly and saw Mu Xing standing a few steps behind her, looking at her with a smile.
It was as if all the light had converged before my eyes.
"Do you like it?" Mu Xing smiled and took a few steps closer, sitting down next to Bai Yan.
Bai Yan looked at her, speechless for a moment.
She suddenly felt like laughing.
Yes, why did I have such wild thoughts just now?
She knew a little about what kind of person Young Master Mu was. Yet, just a few days apart had stirred up so many emotions within her. Now that he stood before her, she found all her previous wild imaginings utterly unbelievable.
Perhaps, it's just because it's him.
It is because of him that he is so sensitive, so insecure, so suspicious and affectionate.
"I like it." Bai Yan looked at Mu Xing, her words clear and distinct. "I like anything you give me."
The two looked at each other and smiled, all their unease and speculation vanishing.
"Eat quickly, it'll get cold soon." Mu Xing said, taking out two pairs of wooden chopsticks from the food box and handing one pair to Bai Yan.
All the turbulent emotions in her heart gradually subsided, and Bai Yan took the chopsticks.
She didn't rush to eat, but first examined the chopsticks and found that they were indeed unique, with two lines of poetry engraved on the tips.
"A pot of spring wine, its peaks laden with snow; a bowl of mud, reflecting the sky on the blue sea." She laughed, "How could this poem be composed like this?"
"I don't know either. My aunt carved these. Fu Xue is her name," Mu Xing said. "She made these bowls and chopsticks for me. Maybe she just did it for fun."
Nodding, Bai Yan then said thoughtfully, "Fu Xue...? Is it the Fu Xue Madam from before? The one who held an art exhibition in the year of Guihai?"
Mu Xing was somewhat surprised: "You know my aunt too?"
Bai Yan smiled and said, "Our teacher really loves Madam Fu Xue's works. When she held an art exhibition that year, he organized us to visit it together. Madam Fu Xue even gave us free admission."
Mu Xing frowned and thought for a moment, then sighed, "I didn't go to the art exhibition back then because I thought it was too crowded and boring. What a pity. If I had gone, wouldn't I have been able to meet you sooner?"
Bai Yan also said, "Yes, if I could have met you earlier, then..." She paused and didn't continue.
Perhaps everything is already different.
Seeing her suddenly stop, Mu Xing was afraid of upsetting her, so he quickly changed the subject and pointed to the paper that Bai Yan had folded one by one on the table and said, "Look, these bowls and chopsticks were made by my aunt, but these embossed paper were cut out by me last night. It's just that my skills are not good, and the shapes are not as good as the bowls and plates."
Reaching out to pick up the stack of stationery, Bai Yan said softly, "What does the shape matter? What matters is the sentiment behind it."
Last night, when cutting the stationery, Mu Xing didn't have a clear purpose; she just thought it would add some fun. Now, seeing how much Bai Yan cherished it, she gradually felt happy, and even the cuts on her hands from the scissors seemed to hurt less.
The two sat facing each other, exchanging a few casual words now and then. After finishing their meal, Mu Xing called for Fu Guang, who had been assigned to stand outside the door, to come in and clear away the dishes, and Bai Yan also got up with her.
Mu Xing glanced over and suddenly noticed two dried bloodstains on the heels of Bai Yan's high heels, which were particularly conspicuous on her snow-white heels.
She quickly asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Bai Yan was startled. Looking down, she realized that her heels were chafed by her high heels. Just as she was about to say it was nothing, Mu Xing rushed over to help her sit down and then ran to the door to ask Fu Guang to go to the clinic to get medicine.
Seeing her anxious, Bai Yan quickly said, "It's alright, don't... Ah!"
Mu Xing actually squatted down in front of her and took off her shoes!
"How can this be! Young Master Mu, you..." Bai Yan was both ashamed and flustered, and tried to pull her foot back.
Mu Xing held onto her ankle tightly and said urgently, "What are you afraid of? Your feet are already blistered, why are you still worried about this?"
She checked it over and said with concern, "Luckily, it's just a chafing, no other injuries. How could you be so careless? Did you run in high heels?"
Looking down at the person squatting in front of her, Bai Yan pursed her lips and suddenly said softly, "You didn't come to see me for the past few days, and I thought you wouldn't come again."
Chapter Thirty-Five
Mu Xing was anxiously checking Bai Yan's foot wound when she was taken aback by Bai Yan's sudden remark and looked up at her.
Backlit, her lowered eyes trembled slightly, gleaming with a soft light, and the tip of her nose gradually turned red.
After just one glance, Mu Xing couldn't bear to look any longer.
She hadn't come to see Bai Yan these past few days, not because she was frightened, not because she had lost interest, and certainly not because she disliked or abandoned her. She simply couldn't ignore the guilt in her heart.
She was deceiving Miss Bai, dragging her deeper and deeper into trouble. She could find countless excuses for her deception, but she could never cross that line.
But she couldn't tell Miss Bai about these anxieties and worries.
Guilt and heartache welled up within him. With a sigh, Mu Xing gently lowered Bai Yan's leg, stood up slightly, and embraced Bai Yan in his arms.
"How could that be? I'm just...too busy."
Bai Yan hugged Mu Xing back, burying her face in her shoulder, feeling each other's warmth, and her grievances gradually dissipated.
She said sullenly, "Don't never come to see me again. I know you're busy. But I'll miss you..."
With each word she spoke, Mu Xing felt more and more guilty.
"Okay." Mu Xing gently stroked Bai Yan's back and whispered, "I will."
If keeping the truth hidden for now would make Miss Bai happy, and allow her to stay by Miss Bai's side for just one more second, to see Miss Bai's smile one more time, then she would rather close her eyes and not look at the foreseeable future.
The two, each lost in their own thoughts, embraced quietly until the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.
Fu Guang walked in: "Young Master, I'm getting the medicine... Ah!"
With a soft gasp, Fu Guang immediately looked away, hastily placing the small medicine box on the cabinet by the door. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "I've left the medicine here, young master. I'll wait outside!"
Having said that, before Mu Xing could react, Fu Guang flashed out of the room, not forgetting to close the door from the outside.
Mu Xing and Bai Yan had let go of each other's hands when Fu Guang came in, and seeing her strong reaction now, Mu Xing suddenly felt a headache coming on.
…Why does it sound like she's having an affair with Miss Bai?
Feeling guilty, Mu Xing didn't dwell on any ambiguous thoughts. She figured it was normal for two women to hug, so all she needed to do was tell Fu Guang not to tell her mother that she had come out to play dressed as a man again.
Thinking this way, she suddenly felt very justified. She went over to get the medicine that had been delivered, and then squatted down to apply the medicine to Bai Yan's wound.
Looking down at her, Bai Yan said meaningfully, "That's your personal maid, isn't she? Is it alright if she sees you like this?"
Mu Xing said nonchalantly, "We're not doing anything bad, so of course it's fine."
Bai Yan continued, "Aren't you afraid she'll go back and tell Madam Mu that you were having an affair with me?"
“She doesn’t know your identity,” Mu Xing said, then felt it wasn’t quite right to say it that way, so he added, “Even if she did know, it wouldn’t matter.”
That's the truth, after all, no one could have imagined that her daughter would dress up as a man and date a man from a brothel.
After applying medicine to Bai Yan's feet and cutting the patches into smaller pieces, Mu Xing instructed, "Remember to remove the patches when you rest at night so they can breathe and heal better."
Bai Yan looked at her and smiled, "You look just like a doctor now."
Mu Xing raised an eyebrow: "Didn't I look like a doctor before?"
Bai Yan shook her head: "Even when we met at the clinic before, I always felt like you were just there for fun, but now you seem very different. You look like a real doctor."
Mu Xing sighed, "I'll take it as a compliment, Miss Bai."
After treating her wounds, Mu Xing remembered to call Fu Guang in to pack her things. However, because she wanted to tell Fu Guang not to let anything slip, she left the private room directly.
Before Bai Yan arrived, Mu Xing instructed Uncle Song to take Bai Yan's maid to have tea later, leaving only Fu Guang here to serve.
So as soon as she opened the door, she saw Fu Guang standing nervously at the entrance. Upon seeing her, Fu Guang's eyes widened as she tried to speak, but Mu Xing swiftly covered her mouth and pulled her to the corner of the stairs.
Before she could even regain her footing, Fu Guang cried out, "Miss, I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything at all!"
Mu Xing looked at her with a smile: "I suggest you rephrase your words."
With a quick glance, Fu Guang immediately said, "I just took the medicine in, and after Miss treated that girl's wound, I took the medicine out."
Mu Xing continued smiling, "Let me think about it some more."
After thinking for a while with a wrinkled face, Fu Guang finally spoke pitifully, "Uncle Song and I gave the dishes to Miss, and then we went home."
Mu Xing nodded in satisfaction: "Good boy. Did you bring back the bowl I asked you to deliver to the clinic? Go and clean it up. You and Uncle Song wait a moment, I may have to go to other places."
She verbally agreed, but then blinked and whispered, "Miss, which family does that young lady inside belong to? She looks just like the beauty in the calendar poster."
"Of course," Mu Xing said with a hint of pride. "It's even prettier than a calendar poster."
"They say a beautiful woman deserves a good surname, what's her surname?" Fu Guang asked, trying to use her innocent face to cover up her true intention of asking for information.
However, Mu Xing had long been aware of her little trick. Her smile faded, and she looked at Fu Guang: "It's the lady from the calendar poster. You saw a calendar poster today, remember?"
With a pout, Fu Guang reluctantly agreed.
After Fu Guang cleared away the dishes, Mu Xing and Bai Yan sat facing each other, drinking tea to aid digestion.