The Charm of a Powerful Woman Spreads Across the World - Chapter 215
"Fine, let's just leave it at that." He placed Yuxuan on a chair to the side, rubbed his aching chest, and said softly, "Then I'll take my leave."
The Empress Dowager, however, was unwilling to let Yujue off the hook, saying, "Jue'er, don't leave yet. Tell me, what exactly happened? Do we still want the outcome of this banquet? Does that mean what I just did doesn't count? Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock to the world?"
Yu Jue looked at the Empress Dowager, remaining silent. What else was there to say? This morning's events were all for nothing; everyone knew the Imperial Uncle was distracted, and everyone could see the affection between Ru Feng and the Imperial Uncle! What was the point of saying all this now?
Yu Jue looked at Yi Han carefully for the first time, and said with a sigh, "You... should you give up?"
Yi Han's face turned pale instantly. She shook her head violently and blurted out, "I'm not convinced! I'll only be satisfied when she has a proper match with me."
Upon hearing this, Ru Feng pushed away Mu Wenchen's embrace, composed herself, and looked solemnly at Yi Han, saying, "Yi Han, I know you also have feelings for Wenchen, but matters of the heart are hard to predict and cannot be forced. Today, regardless of whether you win or lose, you have no chance, because Wenchen's heart is not with you, so your actions are futile. If our roles were reversed, as long as Mu Wenchen doesn't love me, I won't compete with you; I'll turn around and leave immediately." Ru Feng's voice was resolute.
Mu Wenchen was startled. He strode over, grabbed Ru Feng's hand, and said fiercely, "Don't even think about it!" His voice was unusually domineering.
Yi Han looked at them with a pale face, then looked at Ru Feng pleadingly and whispered, "Ru Feng, we are relatives. I am willing to be a concubine or a maid, just to stay by Brother Chen's side. Please be kind and grant me this small wish."
Before Ru Feng and Mu Wenchen could answer, the Empress Dowager was already furious. She shouted, "Han'er, when has my Yi family ever been a concubine? If anyone should be, it should be Yu Chi Ru Feng. Look at you, your attire, how is it like that of a lady from a prominent family? Can you even shoulder the responsibility of being the Queen Consort of Zi Luo Kingdom? How utterly ignorant of propriety!"
Ru Feng snorted coldly, looked at Mu Wenchen, and said in a cold voice, "What do you have to say?" Why is this guy like a block of wood? Doesn't he know how to quickly sort out these things in front of him? I'm exhausted and just want to sleep.
Thinking of this, Ru Feng couldn't help but yawn.
This action caused even the Empress Dowager, who was observing from the sidelines, to frown slightly.
Seeing this, Mu Wenchen quickly said, "Empress Dowager, I will only marry Rufeng, I will not marry anyone else." He looked at Rufeng with a firm gaze.
Ru Feng smiled slightly, her wide blue sleeves brushing against the table beside her. A blue-and-white porcelain cup appeared in her fair, jade-like hand. Ru Feng then crushed it into powder with a fierce gesture, revealing a smile as she said, "I'd rather be a broken piece of jade than a whole piece of tile. If Mu Wenchen agrees to marry you, or any other woman, then I, Yu Chi Ru Feng, can walk away without looking back today, as if I never came here, and I'll never see him again!"
Although Ru Feng had a smile on her face, her voice was strong and her eyes were solemn, so no one thought she was joking.
Mu Wenchen glanced nervously at Ru Feng, sighed helplessly, and said, "Yi Han, you will meet a better man than me. I am not suitable for you."
Looking at the arrogant Ru Feng, then at the tender-looking Mu Wenchen and the dejected and pale Yi Han, the Empress Dowager ultimately fainted, temporarily escaping this difficult problem.
When the Empress Dowager fainted, the Empress panicked, and the palace maids and eunuchs rushed in.
After learning that the Empress Dowager was alright, Ru Feng and Mu Wenchen took advantage of the chaos to run away.
Mu Wenchen held Rufeng tightly as they wandered through the palace, turning left and right. Rufeng didn't mind; she simply lay in his arms, smiling as she looked at Mu Wenchen. She was overjoyed. Just now, she was really afraid that he wouldn't be able to resist Yi Han's pitiful appearance and would agree to her request. Wouldn't she be furious then?
When Ru Feng came to his senses, they had already entered a strange room. It was broad daylight, but there were no windows in the room. Only a huge luminous pearl emitted a soft glow, illuminating the room brightly.
While Ru Feng was looking around the room, Mu Wenchen had already placed Ru Feng comfortably on the bed. He then took off his outer clothes, climbed onto the bed, and looked at Ru Feng beneath him.
The two people lying on the bed stared blankly at each other, remaining in that position, just looking without saying a word.
Ru Feng then came to her senses and looked closely at Mu Wenchen. He noticed that Mu Wenchen's skin was fair, though not as fair as hers, it was so delicate that it would make most women envious. At this moment, he had sword-like eyebrows, dark eyes, a high nose, and rosy lips that he always liked to purse slightly, which made him look serious and aloof. But only she knew how "passionate" he could be at times!
Inside the room, it seemed that only the incense in the square incense burner was burning slowly, and the whole room was filled with a pleasant fragrance.
The two people on the bed looked at each other with flushed faces and pounding hearts.
Volume 3, Chapter 162: Tenderness (Despite Being Ruthless)
The two people on the bed looked at each other with flushed faces and pounding hearts.
After a while, Mu Wenchen suddenly jumped off the bed, walked out of the room, and brought in a large wooden basin of water a while later.
Ru Feng, bewildered, sat up and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Mu Wenchen simply rolled up his sleeves and then took off his outer robe, which resembled the wind.
Ru Feng grabbed her collar, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed, and quickly said, "Isn't this inappropriate? Aren't we supposed to wash after we've finished? They haven't even done it yet. This idiot..."
"I've already taken a shower at home," Ru Feng said shyly, glancing quickly at Mu Wenchen.
Mu Wenchen frowned and said, "I don't like you wearing rouge."
Ru Feng's face immediately fell. He said, "But this will make me look better." Thinking about it, he hadn't slept well for seven or eight days. In order to conserve his energy, he had Nan Shan rent a carriage when he was almost back in the capital, and then he hid inside to sleep. Otherwise, even if he returned to the capital, he would have collapsed long ago. How could he have gone to the banquet looking so energetic?
Mu Wenchen silently removed her hand, then took off his outer robe and shoes, revealing a pair of fair and slender feet with ten pink toes.
Ru Feng twitched her toes, feeling embarrassed: "My feet are very big." She was so tall that her feet weren't as small and cute as other girls'.
"What are you going to do for me?" Ru Feng felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She had already guessed what he wanted to do, but she hadn't expected the usually dull Mu Wenchen to want to do this. Where did he get this idea from? She would definitely have to ask him properly in the future.
Mu Wenchen first used a towel to gently wipe away the thin layer of rouge on Ru Feng's face, then immersed Ru Feng's feet in hot water, and finally gently rubbed and washed them.
"Phew—that feels so good." Ru Feng exhaled. The water was a little hot, but it was perfect for washing her feet. Thinking about it, a smile appeared on her face.
Seeing this, Mu Wenchen worked even harder, drying the two's hands and feet until the water cooled down, and then carrying Rufeng back to the soft bed.
"You've lost a lot of weight." Their eyes met, and Ru Feng said with concern. When she first entered the room, she only glanced at Mu Wenchen and noticed that his clothes seemed a bit too big. Later, in order to suppress her emotions, she didn't dare to look at him, but she kept feeling his gaze lingering on her, making her heart feel warm.
"You too." Mu Wenchen kissed Ru Feng's lips, touched her waist, then looked at Ru Feng's face and touched the dark circles under her eyes. "You're not getting enough rest." He thought to himself that he must give her a good massage when they went out later.
Ru Feng nodded, "I was afraid you'd be snatched away, so I kept traveling." There was unease in her voice, but it quickly brightened, and she said, "But I still made it! I always told myself that if I fell in love with a man, I would defend my feelings and no one could break them!" Now, she had done it. She hurriedly returned to the General's Mansion, not even having time to catch up with her family. She simply took a quick bath, hastily dressed, and rushed to the banquet. Luckily, she made it in time.
Mu Wenchen stroked her face tenderly and said, "Actually, even if you hadn't come back, I wouldn't have agreed to let the Empress Dowager make the decision for me. My marriage can only be decided and agreed upon by myself. This is the best thing my mother did for me. So, Rufeng, you didn't need to rush back so desperately."
Ru Feng pouted, saying with dissatisfaction, "Who knew you'd do this? I was so anxious! And didn't I send the letter back? You should have received it long ago, but you still held that 'Gathering of Beauties' banquet. Of course I'd misunderstand; I'd think you didn't want me anymore." Deep down, she was uneasy. The physical exhaustion from the journey back was bearable, but the mental exhaustion was unbearable. At night, she would speculate about Mu Wenchen's reaction, her most frequent guess being that Wenchen was finally fed up with her because she wasn't a virtuous woman, not a considerate woman…
Rationally, Ru Feng thought she was a good person and had a lot of confidence in Wen Chen, believing that he wouldn't easily change his mind. However, her mind was always wandering, and sometimes she couldn't suppress the urge to wallow in self-pity. Sometimes she even had a sleepless night, and the next day she had to continue her journey, so that period was very difficult to endure.
Upon hearing this, Mu Wenchen's brows furrowed almost together. He said, "Perhaps I've been kidnapped. I can't go anywhere except Wuchen Residence."
"No wonder!" Ru Feng muttered to himself.