Under the cover of the ship's hull, Mu Xing coughed as he quietly took Bai Yan's hand. The morning sunlight shone on them, burning straight to their hearts.
With you by my side, I'm always happy.
Chapter Sixty-Six
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the river was shrouded in a vast expanse of water. The oars struck the water, stirring up waves that shimmered with golden light.
Mu Xing and Bai Yan were still very excited. After getting tired of sitting in the cabin, they went to the deck to get some fresh air and chatted about Tonghua Town.
Tonghua Town is not far from Wenjiang.
It is encompassed by the Wenjiang River, nestled between the fierceness of the North and the gentleness of the South. The fierceness is like aged wine, the gentleness like a tender lotus; the hands that wield the hoe are strong and powerful like iron, the fingers that twist the needle are slender and agile like butterflies.
It's as if even the river breeze is a combination of warmth and gentleness.
Mu Xing said, "When I was little, I loved coming back to Tonghua Town with my aunts. Back then, movies weren't really popular, and although the city was lively, we got tired of it. So we'd think about coming to Tonghua Town every day, where we could fish for shrimp and catch fish..."
She explained in detail how to block the riverbank, dig a pit, and release water to catch fish. Bai Yan had never heard of such a game before, nor had she ever thought of playing it this way, so she listened with great interest.
Seeing Bai Yan's delight, Mu Xing was eager to boast that she would take her to catch a whole river of fish. But then she remembered her still-healing back injury and couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity I can't take you out to play like this now." Otherwise, instead of coming here to recuperate, it would be like coming here to injure myself.
Reaching out to tuck her wind-blown hair behind her ear, Bai Yan smiled and said, "What's the rush? We have plenty of time. If we can't play this time, there's always next time."
Mu Xing continued, "That's true. Even if it doesn't work next time, there's next year, the year after... until we're both old, wrinkled, and leaning on our canes, we'll go to the riverbank together. You can sit on the bank and hold my cane while I sway and dig, shouting, 'Ouch, I've got mud on my reading glasses!'..."
As she talked more and more nonsensically, Bai Yan laughed and patted her gesturing hand, saying, "What are you talking about? I'm afraid by then, before you even reach the riverbank, your old back will give out."
Hearing Bai Yan mention her waist, Mu Xing inexplicably thought of what Tang Yu had told her before, and what those people had speculated about her waist. For some reason, she suddenly grabbed Bai Yan's hand, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Whether my waist is okay or not, you'll find out when the time comes."
The river wind whistled in my ears, my hair flew wildly, and Mu Xing's deep, smiling voice swirled and spun into my ear, stirring up a ticklish sensation.
Before Bai Yan could react, she saw Mu Xing, who was still close to her, suddenly freeze. A blush spread rapidly from her ears to her face, turning her nose as red as a cherry.
Seeing Mu Xing blush on her own, oblivious to her rude remarks, Bai Yan couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Pfft..."
Seeing that she actually laughed, Mu Xing's face turned even redder, and she angrily tried to cover Bai Yan's mouth: "Don't laugh, don't laugh!"
Bai Yan laughed and tried to dodge, but Mu Xing quickly grabbed her and covered her red lips with his hand. His slender hand covered half of Bai Yan's face, leaving only her clear, blinking eyes visible.
Holding Bai Yan in her arms, Mu Xing said smugly like a child, "See if you still laugh at me!" But then her eyes lit up, and she felt a surge of courage that grew stronger with each setback. Just as she was about to say something silly, she saw Bai Yan's eyes crinkle into a cunning smile, like a little fox.
Mu Xing immediately sensed something was wrong. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a light lick on her palm.
That softness swept by like a serpent's tail, gone in an instant, leaving only a few specks of moisture.
However, with just a light touch, Mu Xing recoiled as if burned. She felt her heart pounding wildly, and if it weren't for her unhealed back injury, she probably would have jumped into the river on the spot.
Seeing Mu Xing's strong reaction, Bai Yan smiled and was about to say something when suddenly a person came around from the back of the deck and walked straight towards them, so she had to swallow her words.
The person who came over was Fu Guang. She lowered her head and shrank her eyes as she approached Mu Xing, looking as if she were in a daze. She said to Mu Xing, "Miss, Master Liu said that the fog will get even thicker soon. Your injury has not yet healed, so you can't catch a cold. Please go back to your cabin to rest."
Mu Xing, without thinking, replied absentmindedly, "Oh, okay, I understand."
It wasn't until Bai Yan and Fu Guang helped him back to the cabin and laid him down, and covered him with a small blanket, that Mu Xing gradually came to his senses.
Turning her head to look at Bai Yan, who was talking to Fu Guang beside her, she quietly clenched her fist, which had just been licked by Bai Yan.
It felt like there was a fire burning.
As afternoon approached, the large ship finally arrived at the Tonghua dock. Mu Yuan had already notified the caretaker of the old house, and the handover was quickly completed. Two sedan chairs carried Mu Xing and Bai Yan back to the mansion.
The old house in Tonghua was originally the home of the Mu family. Later, when the country opened up, the Mu family ancestors followed the tide and went to Wenjiang and then to Beijing, starting their journey for generations.
Only this old house remains, along with the ancestral tablets of the Mu family, waiting for the return of their descendants.
The old man who guards the house, Grandpa Han, is a few years older than Uncle Mu. He was originally a male servant born into the Mu family in the past. Nowadays, people talk about human rights and civilization, and the buying and selling of servants is no longer common. Grandpa Han's descendants all have their own affairs, but Grandpa Han still stays in the old house, following the mission of his generation.
Someone was arranged to escort Mu Xing to the main room. Then, Grandpa Han brought in tea and tremblingly tried to kowtow to Mu Xing to greet him, which frightened Mu Xing so much that he repeatedly said there was no need.
After finally persuading Grandpa Han, Mu Xing invited him to sit down and talk for a while.
Grandpa Han said, "I had someone take care of things for your grandmother this morning. If you want to go and pay your respects, you can do so anytime."
According to the Mu family's rules, all deceased clan members must be buried in Wenjiang, and Madam Fuxue was no exception.
Mu Xingyuan also planned to take Bai Yan to see his aunt, but his back injury had not yet healed, and he could not bear the half-day boat ride alone. The ancestral hall and the cemetery were far away on the other side of the green mountains, so he had to rest for a few days before going.
He told Grandpa Han about his plan, and Grandpa Han agreed. He then went to lead people to pack the luggage that Mu Xing had brought.
Mu Xing struggled to turn over in bed, and Bai Yan rushed over to help her. When Mu Xing touched Bai Yan's hand, she felt as if the dampness in her palm was burning her again.
It burned right up to my heart, causing a throbbing sensation.
As he turned over, Mu Xing thought blankly: No, it seems I need to eat more lotus seed porridge to cool down these next few days.
In Bai Yan's opinion, compared to Wenjiang, the old house in Tonghua was much quieter and more pleasant. She had long been tired of all the hustle and bustle, and now that she could steal half a day of leisure, how could she not feel comfortable?
But Mu Xing felt no relief whatsoever. After resting in Tonghua for a few days, instead of finding peace of mind, she became inexplicably irritable.
There are no trendy entertainments like movie theaters in Tonghua. On days other than holidays, Mu Xing and Bai Yan simply lie on the cool chairs in the courtyard reading and chatting. Before nine o'clock at night, every household turns off their lights, and apart from the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs, only the deafening chirping of crickets can be heard.
During the day, Mu Xing didn't find it boring as he could talk to Bai Yan. But at night, the long nights became somewhat unbearable.
The tung blossoms weren't particularly hot, but due to the proximity to water and abundant rainfall, the area felt somewhat damp. For several days in a row, Mu Xing lay in the green gauze tent, thinking of Bai Yan just a wall away, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, eventually breaking out in a sweat that clung to his shoulder. The chirping of crickets in the corner only added to his restlessness.
The beautiful and interesting tung blossoms of my memory seem to belong to a different place now; all the fun memories have lost their luster.
Bai Yan naturally noticed Mu Xing's mood. She assumed that Mu Xing was unhappy because her wound was healing and she couldn't go out to play. So she tried to distract Mu Xing by talking about some lighthearted topics, and she went to the market with Grandpa Han to buy some trinkets to cheer Mu Xing up.
Despite everyone's careful service, Mu Xing still felt uncomfortable. The dampness in her hands felt like a fire burning in her heart, consuming her usual rationality.
She wanted to do something, but she couldn't figure out where to vent her anger.
When it was time for dinner that day, Mu Xing finally couldn't take it anymore.
She listlessly put the spoon back into the bowl of lotus seed porridge, turned her head away like a child, and said, "I'm full."
Because Mu Xing is not easily moved, Bai Yan has been eating alone with her in the room these past few days. Seeing this, Bai Yan said, "You've only eaten a little bit, how come you're full already? Is the food not to your liking?"
Mu Xing shook his head, glancing at Bai Yan only half-heartedly.
Bai Yan noticed this, and thinking about Mu Xing's depression over the past few days, she simply put down her bowl, moved the small table aside, and looked at Mu Xing, saying, "Ah Xuan, have you been feeling unwell these past few days, physically or emotionally?"
Mu Xing curled up on the recliner, looking at Bai Yan's unmade-up eyes, and his palms felt hot again.
"It's all your fault," she suddenly said.
Bai Yan almost laughed in anger: "What's it to me? You're turning the tables on me. It's clearly you who's been causing trouble."
Mu Xing said seriously, "If you were a little uglier, with smaller eyes and less black hair, I might be more willing to lie on the lounge chair and relax, quietly read a book, and sleep well at night. But you're not ugly, you're just so beautiful, so just looking at you is enough for me, and I can only think about you. How can I relax properly, let alone read a book? You're so beautiful even without makeup, you're clearly deliberately trying to make me uncomfortable, tell me, isn't it your fault?"
After being rebuked by Mu Xing, and after thinking about her words carefully, Bai Yan was unsure whether to blush with embarrassment or glare at her.
The two stared at each other silently for a long time before Bai Yan finally reacted first.
She suddenly stood up, braced herself on the armrests of the recliner, and moved close to Mu Xing. Mu Xing, startled, instinctively leaned back, staring at her with a terrified expression.
With her eyelashes slightly closed, Bai Yan looked down at Mu Xing, her gaze tracing her thin, pale lips, her straight nose, and then her narrow, wide eyes…
Bai Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Ah Xuan, what's with that expression? Are you that scared?"
It's like a little rabbit, easily startled and its fur stands on end, yet it stubbornly refuses to let go of its mouth.
It's really... making me want to taste it.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
The shadows enveloped Mu Xing.
Their breaths gradually intertwined and became inseparable. Looking at the crimson lips that were getting closer and closer, she gently closed her eyes.
At first, it was just a gentle touch, like raindrops falling lightly on the grass, tender and shallow; gradually, someone increased the intensity, stirring and chasing, like beasts fighting, playing and teasing.
Mu Xing propped himself up, his heavy, burning kiss landing on the mole between Bai Yan's brows, grinding and gently biting, sucking that small patch of skin until it turned red; his nimble tongue traced the shape of her lips; further down, he bit her delicate chin, gently caressing it, feeling the trembling and shaking from her throat, and those faint, almost imperceptible moans…
Despite her back pain, she embraced Bai Yan, their bodies intertwined, and they stumbled and fell onto the bed.
Bai Yan lay on her back on the bed, her curly hair scattered like flowers. The half-open jade buttons of her cheongsam were warm to the touch, revealing half of her bright red suspender skirt underneath, both concealing and revealing.
Cool fingertips brushed across Mu Xing's waist. She raised an eyebrow at the person on top of her, her naturally red eyes and brows as alluring as a bewitching enchantress.
"You said before that you wanted me to see how great your waist was... isn't it time..."
His tongue traced a line across Bai Yan's collarbone. Mu Xing extended his ever-burning palm, reaching for the hem of her dress, for that place that could soothe all the pent-up desire within him…
Everything happened so naturally, so smoothly.
Her breath grew heavier and heavier, a low moan almost bursting from her throat, and the door had been closed sometime earlier. A soft ray of sunlight peeked in through the windowpane, embracing all the blushing dust motes, which danced and silently celebrated the moment.
When everything finally calmed down, it was completely dark.
No one came in to light the lamp; the room was pitch black, with only the sound of breathing, still not calm, rising and falling, gradually settling into stillness.
Lying face down under the covers, Mu Xing turned his head to look at Bai Yan beside him, tracing her features with his eyes: a full forehead, slightly upturned hair beside her cheeks, and a slightly upturned nose...
Bai Yan also turned to look at her, her eyes shining brightly in the darkness, like a little fox hiding in the night, intently watching its prey.
Or a lover.
They looked at each other silently, neither of them speaking, their eyes locked in the darkness, lingering tenderly.
As I watched, someone chuckled first, the silly laughter reverberating through the air and igniting a strange sense of amusement.
"Pfft..." Burying her face in the blanket, Mu Xing burst into uncontrollable laughter.
She laughed so hard that the bed frame creaked, and the laughter jolted her lower back, sending a sharp pain that spread deeper into her body. But she didn't stop, nor could she stop.
Like a child finally owning her first kite, she finally and completely possessed her lover.
From body to soul, from inside to outside. Every little thing about her, her laughter, her tears, her whispered moans of love…
Everything belonged to her, and she did the same.
Mu Xing laughed while buried in the blanket, and Bai Yan leaned over and gently bit her exposed shoulder.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, though a smile was on her own face.
"I'm laughing at you because you're a little dog, always biting people." Mu Xing turned her face back. "I'll count them later, and you'll have to bite back next time."
With a snort, Bai Yan said, "So, you licked me a few times just now, should I remember that too, Mu Xiaogou?"