Sitting at the bow of the boat, Mu Xing and Bai Yan followed the example of the lotus-picking girls, picking several lotus flowers with their own hands. Back on shore, they also bought two ounces of peeled lotus seeds by the river, held them in large lotus leaves, and ate them as they walked.
"Take care, Miss Xuan!" the flower-selling girl called out in a clear, melodious voice, making everyone feel happy. "Big lotus flowers and tender lotus seeds, come and buy!"
"Here." After peeling the lotus seeds, Mu Xing handed a handful of lotus seeds to Bai Yan.
Reaching out to take it, Bai Yan casually fed her one.
Their ordinary and swift movements went unnoticed, and they acted naturally and without any affectation.
Sitting in the teahouse where they were resting, Mu Xing picked out the most beautiful lotus flower and wrapped its stem with a piece of Xuan paper from his collection.
She said to Bai Yan, "Tell me, why does Auntie insist on using perfectly good Xuan paper to wrap lotus flowers?"
Bai Yan laughed and said, "It's normal for these artists to have some quirks."
Mu Xing shook her head: "Such good paper, it's the right thing to do to use it for drawing. You have no idea how much she wasted over those years." Despite her complaints, she still carefully wrapped the paper and smoothed out the wrinkles.
After thinking for a while, Mu Xing lowered his head and smiled again: "So in the past few years, I have often wondered how many good papers have escaped her clutches."
The Mu family's ancestral hall was built at the foot of Tonghua Mountain, while the cemetery was in the mountain. Since it was just a routine worship ceremony, Mu Xing did not enter the ancestral hall. He simply kowtowed at the entrance and was then led by the servant in charge of the mountain to take a detour to the cemetery.
When they were still some distance from the cemetery, Mu Xing suddenly spotted someone getting off at the front.
This area belongs to the Mu family's cemetery. Except for the Lunar New Year and Qingming Festival, only the family servants who manage the cemetery come to patrol the mountain on ordinary days. There are few people around. How could a stranger suddenly appear?
"Who is that?" Mu Xing asked, frowning.
Those descending the mountain ahead were also taken aback by the unexpected encounter and were momentarily stunned. Upon hearing Mu Xing's question, a servant went over to inquire and then brought the person over.
As the man approached, before the servant could speak, Fu Guang exclaimed, "Isn't this the young master of the Feng family?"
She hurriedly said to Mu Xing, "Miss, is this the young master of the Feng family who put on a show the other day? His name is... what was his name again..."
"My name is Feng Yulou, and I greet Miss Mu." As he spoke, the man walked over and bowed to Mu Xing.
Grandpa Han seemed to just realize what was happening and said, "Young lady, this is a child from the Feng family..."
It turned out they were from the Feng family. Confirming they weren't bad people, Mu Xing softened her tone. After greeting them, she asked, "May I ask why Young Master Feng is at my family's cemetery?"
Glancing at Grandpa Han, Young Master Feng feigned sudden realization and said, "Ah, so this is the Mu family cemetery. I was very sorry for my rudeness. I just arrived in Tonghua and originally intended to do some sightseeing before leaving, but I took the wrong path over there and stumbled here by mistake."
Before Mu Xing could speak, Grandpa Han said, "Is that so? It's understandable, it's understandable. Han Er, you escort Young Master Feng down the mountain."
In no time at all, Young Master Feng had already gone far away.
Mu Xing was still puzzled: "Strange... how did he manage to get here from here?"
Bai Yan said, "It should be fine. Ordinary people wouldn't go to a cemetery to do what they want."
Nodding, Mu Xing stopped worrying and continued walking towards the cemetery.
The Mu family cemetery is very well-organized and grand. As you walk along the path and look at the inscriptions on the tombstones, you can almost see the rise and fall of the Mu family.
The cemetery belonging to Mu Fuxue is located at the very back and is the newest one.
Before even getting close, Mu Xing saw the bouquet of fresh flowers in front of the tombstone.
Frowning, she walked over in a few steps and picked up the bunch of fragrant lilies.
The lilies looked freshly picked, still glistening with dew.
She asked curiously, "What happened? My aunt has never liked lilies. Who sent them to her?" She looked at Grandpa Han, "Grandpa, didn't you come to tidy up a couple of days ago? And other people came to visit my aunt before that?"
Grandpa Han lowered his eyes: "No...? I don't know..."
Mu Xing then looked at the person in charge of the mountain, who also had his eyes downcast and knew nothing when asked.
"What's going on today..." There was no use in worrying. Mu Xing put the lilies to the side and placed the lotus flowers she had brought on top.
After putting down what they had brought, Fu Guang led the others away to a distance, leaving only Mu Xing and Bai Yan there.
Bai Yan took the basket and handed it to Mu Xing. Mu Xing took it, spread an oilcloth on the ground, and pulled Bai Yan to sit down. He then took out a wine pot and three wine cups, filling them one by one. Two were placed on this side, and one was pushed to the front of the tomb.
Looking at the black and white photo on the tombstone, she coughed and said, "Well... Aunt, I came to see you today not because of anything important, but..."
Reaching out to embrace Bai Yan, she smiled at her aunt in the photo and said, "I just wanted to tell you that I've found my love, Bai Shuwan." She was quite smug. "Isn't our Shuwan beautiful? I told her before that you would definitely like her."
Bai Yan didn't speak. She sat silently, looking at the woman in the photo who was laughing wildly, and listening to Mu Xing's voice, which was different from usual.
Mu Xing pulled Bai Yan along and said in a rambling voice, "A lot has happened in the past few months, too many to say in a few words. Anyway, although there are some differences, the overall situation is not much different from what you hoped for."
"I've found the person I truly love. It's not Youcheng, but I know you definitely like Shuwan too. She's a very, very good person, and I like her very much."
Mu Xing turned to look at Bai Yan and smiled, and Bai Yan gently squeezed her palm.
“Didn’t I tell you before that I graduated early? I’ve been doing a lot of important things lately, like at my family clinic…” Mu Xing paused.
"I haven't been to the clinic much lately; I've been busy with the pharmacy."
"Everyone at home is doing well. Grandma is in good health. The Peking Union Medical College Hospital entrance exam is in the next few days. My second brother will definitely get in. Everyone is doing well and misses you very much."
I miss you too.
Mu Xing took Bai Yan to see her aunt, partly because she missed her, and partly as a subtle way of "making their relationship public." She thought that if there was only one person in the world willing to accept her and Bai Yan's relationship, that person would definitely be her aunt.
"We've gotten past Auntie's hurdle, so things will definitely be fine from now on," she comforted Bai Yan, but in reality, she was comforting herself.
She needs the strength to face the unknown.
In early August, the two returned to Wenjiang in that white, shark-shaped boat.
Finally set foot on solid ground, Bai Yan was pondering where she should go back when Mu Xing pulled her into the car.
"Where are we going?" Bai Yan asked.
Mu Xing said mysteriously, "I'll take you to see something."
The car sped along, turning left and right, until it entered the British concession.
"Go to your house?" Bai Yan hesitated. "Maybe I shouldn't go now?" Perhaps she felt guilty, but she always felt that if she stayed at the Mu family's house, Madam Mu would find out about her relationship with Mu Xing.
Mu Xing shook his head: "No."
Such a concise answer left Bai Yan filled with speculation. Upon seeing the row of five-story pink and white buildings in front of her, that speculation almost leaped out of her throat.
Uncle Song led the two through several turns until they entered one of the small white buildings. Standing downstairs, he handed the key to Mu Xing: "Third floor, room 301."
Bai Yan's heart began to pound.
Take the elevator to the third floor, turn left after exiting the building, walk to the door of 301, and Mu Xing takes out his key to open the vermilion door.
Turning to look at Bai Yan, she slowly pushed open the door: "Come in, this is our home."
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan was momentarily dazed. She took a step, feeling as if she were walking on cotton, each step unsteady and uncertain.
I'm terrified that one wrong step will send me tumbling out of this dream.
As soon as she entered, the first thing that caught her eye was a large window sill, with light green curtains tied on both sides of the sill, and bright sunlight poured in, illuminating the entire living room.
Brown wooden floors stretched out along the way, and the walls were painted off-white, which, combined with the blue and white sofa and coffee table in the living room, created a very refreshing atmosphere.
The room wasn't empty; there were some decorative paintings hanging on the walls, and a vase with lilies in full bloom sat on a tall table by the window.
To the right of the living room is the kitchen and dining area, with light green walls and a beige ceiling. To the left is the balcony, with an wrought-iron railing enclosing a small garden. Further ahead are two rooms with their doors half-open.
Standing in the living room, Bai Yan was momentarily at a loss as to where to go first.
"Do you like it?" Mu Xing closed the door and walked to her side.
“You…” Turning to look at her, Bai Yan wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn’t utter a word.
Mu Xing opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace.
"Shu Wan, this will be our home from now on."
Chapter Seventy-Three
Bai Yan buried her face in Mu Xing's shoulder, her tiny tears slowly seeping into her shirt.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn't find the words to express her gratitude, and was too inarticulate to speak. She could only look around through her blurry, tearful eyes.
This is their home.
It wasn't the embroidery room of a brothel, nor a dilapidated courtyard, nor a restaurant where lovers were kept for illicit affairs.
Here are sturdy walls, solid floors, and fresh, elegant decorations... Just standing here, she can already imagine what the future will look like.
It will surely be equally timeless, enduring, warm, and solid.
"How could you, how could you do this..." Bai Yan choked out, holding Mu Xing tightly.
Knowing how touched she was, Mu Xing deliberately smiled and said, "What's wrong? I just wanted to make you happy, why are you crying? Doesn't that make me look bad?"
Mu Xing pulled her to sit down on the sofa and took a handkerchief to wipe Bai Yan's tears.
After calming down a bit, Bai Yan looked around the living room and asked, "Did you ask Uncle Song to come back before to handle this matter?"
Mu Xing nodded and said, "I had looked at this property before, but I was discussing a branch with Boss Zhang and inspected the shops across the street. I also took a look at this place and thought it was very good. That day, I happened to be talking to you about my business, and that's when I started thinking about it."
Looking around, she sighed, "Uncle Song did a great job. Although it was a bit rushed, it was a finished house, so it didn't take much time."
Looking at the crocheted sofa cushions beneath her, Bai Yan was somewhat surprised: "Did Uncle Song also choose the furniture and decorations? I didn't realize Uncle Song had such a taste."
Mu Xing laughed: "How could that be? If Uncle Song were to choose, the whole room would definitely be filled with mahogany and nanmu wood."
She said, "I asked Uncle Song to choose the furniture based on my room in Mu Garden. I also asked him to ask my friends, the two ladies from Caiyun Pavilion, to help me choose. I suppose these sofa cushions are from Caiyun Pavilion."
As she spoke, she stood up and extended her hand to Bai Yan: "Come on, let's get acquainted with our new home together."
They first took a stroll around the balcony that Bai Yan had wanted most. The balcony was spacious, with two rattan chairs and a glass round table at the head of the table, two clotheslines next to them, and a small flower bed built around the other side, already covered with soil. Scattered young shoots and weeds swayed slightly in the evening breeze in the loose soil.
Mu Xing said, "I don't know what kind of flowers you want to plant, so I just asked Uncle Song to choose some good soil. We can choose the flower seeds later."
After circling the balcony twice, Bai Yan leaned against the railing and smiled, "We should plant you first, so you can grow a tree full of Mu Xing. One Mu Xing can go to the clinic to benefit society, one Mu Xing can go back to Mu Garden to be with your parents, and the last one can stay with me. I can hang clothes out to dry and plant flowers on the balcony, while you sit here reading and drinking tea..."
Mu Xing snorted: "Dream on. Where in the world could you find another person as good as me?"
"Yes, yes, our Ah Xuan is the best."
After looking at the balcony, the two went to the kitchen.
The kitchen and dining room were connected, decorated in light green and beige tones, creating a fresh and clean atmosphere. However, the two only glanced at it from the doorway before leaving.
Bai Yan shook her head: "It's a pity, I can't cook."