Hearing how pitiful she sounded, Bai Yan said, "I'll go to the market with Aunt Li tomorrow and see what fresh produce you can eat."
Mu Xing nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
After finishing their noodles, the two washed up. Bai Yan originally planned to go back to their respective rooms, but Mu Xing grabbed her and wouldn't let go.
Bai Yan pushed her: "Stop making a scene, go back quickly. Fu Guang already noticed it just now. If you keep making a scene now, everyone will know tomorrow. What will that look like?"
However, Mu Xing refused to let go, and the two of them dragged each other into Bai Yan's room.
Mu Xing hugged Bai Yan tightly and said, "What are you afraid of? Just consider it a heads-up for them." Then she said coquettishly, "I just want to hold you. Do you want me to leave?"
Bai Yan was initially reluctant to part with him, but her emotions quickly overcame her wit, and she let Mu Xing lie down on the bed.
It was late at night, and after tossing and turning for most of the night, the two were already exhausted. They lay on the bed for a while, snuggling together, and then fell asleep in each other's arms.
After a good night's sleep, Bai Yan woke up the next day to find the room empty; Mu Xing was no longer there.
…It's better to go, so they won't see it.
She yawned sleepily, rolled over, and lay down on the side where Mu Xing was sleeping. She buried her head in the blanket and snuggled closer, Mu Xing's scent rushing into her nostrils, making her feel reluctant to leave.
She rolled over again, lying on the edge of the bed, half of her snow-white arm exposed outside the quilt, feeling the slight coolness of the morning. Her curly hair was scattered, tickling her smooth back, like... Mu Xing's kiss from last night.
Outside the green gauze curtain, bright sunlight streamed through the carved patterns on the doors and windows, casting dappled and colorful designs on the ground.
Outside, people spoke softly, light footsteps moved back and forth, and birds chirped. Further away, she seemed to hear the mountains shifting and the water turning, oars breaking the calm surface, startling the night-blooming lotus. Small white-awning boats, one after another, saw off travelers and welcomed returning guests…
Watching the dust dance in the sunlight, Bai Yan lay on the bed, thinking of nothing, and needing not to think of anything.
Footsteps sounded outside the door. She looked up and saw Mu Xing had already pushed the door open and walked in.
"You're awake? I asked Aunt Li to make wonton noodles. It's tasteless to eat alone, so I was originally going to bring it to whet your appetite and wake you up." Mu Xing smiled as she walked into the outer room and put down the plate.
Looking at the two steaming porcelain bowls on the plate, Bai Yan stood up and laughed, "It was just my body that woke up, but now my soul has woken up too." She sat up, the brocade quilt slipped off her body, and half of her suspender dress fell down, revealing a beautiful sight beneath her rose-pink dress.
Mu Xingyuan was still sitting properly in the outer room, but upon seeing this, she couldn't help but come over. Bai Yan had already put on her outer skirt, so she reached out and hugged her from behind, fastening her buttons.
The knotted clasp meandered down from the neck like a winding mountain path, circling straight into the green hills. Nimble fingers, like green snakes, drifted down from the clouds, catching the sacred fruit of the mountains.
Bai Yan tilted her head back slightly, leaned on Mu Xing's shoulder, and let out a long sigh.
Another day in the life...
Chapter Sixty-Nine
After getting dressed, Mu Xing asked Fu Guang to bring hot water for Bai Yan to wash up. Bai Yan stood in front of the basin to wash her face and rinse her mouth, while Mu Xing sat beside her watching her.
Bai Yan, brushing her teeth with a mouthful of foam, felt a little embarrassed by Mu Xing's gaze and turned her head away, only to hear Mu Xing chuckle. Spitting out the foam, Bai Yan said reproachfully, "What are you laughing at?"
Mu Xing continued to look at her and smiled, "Those scholars all say things like 'by the small window, she is putting on her makeup,' praising the beauty's posture while doing her makeup. I think I should also write a poem someday to praise the way a person washes up, which is even more charming."
Bai Yan snorted: "What should I write? 'Iron basin stand, brushing teeth,' or 'Lazy to get up and brush my pearly white teeth, splashing water to wash my face'?"
Mu Xing immediately clapped his hands in a serious manner: "What a wonderful poem! It even rhymes!"
Joking aside, fearing that Mu Xing would get hungry while waiting, Bai Yan quickly washed up and sat down at the table.
The crepe-like wontons, served with smooth and delicious noodles, were much tastier than the egg noodles she made last night.
While eating noodles, Mu Xing casually told Bai Yan that Uncle Song had gone back to Wenjiang first.
Bai Yan asked curiously, "Why are you going back now? Is something wrong at home?"
Mu Xing said, "It's just some trivial matter. I told him to go back and handle it first. I was worried that no one would be guarding the house, so I asked Master Han to find someone else to keep watch at night."
Uncle Song has a family, and it seems he can't stay in Tonghua with them forever, so Bai Yan didn't ask any further questions. She simply said, "What would you like to eat? I'll go to the market with Aunt Li later and tell her what to make. Otherwise, if I say it to her face like this, Aunt Li might get suspicious."
Mu Xing nodded: "I want to eat braised chicken, cured pork, eight-treasure duck, drunken shrimp, squid, steamed crab..."
Bai Yan interrupted her mercilessly: "Stop dreaming." She said, "Don't forget you have to watch what you eat. Duck and crab are both cold in nature, and the rest are too heavy. Say something practical."
Mu Xing could only frown and compile a long list of everything he could and wanted to eat.
After breakfast, it was almost time for the market to get lively, so Bai Yan got ready and went out with Aunt Li.
"Be careful on the road, don't let anyone crowd you, and the road over there is difficult to walk on, be careful not to slip..." After watching Bai Yan leave, Mu Xing turned his head and stared at Fu Guang, who was eating melon seeds in the yard.
Under her gaze, a bead of white sweat appeared on his back. Fu Guang shrank back and moved closer, stretching out his hand: "Miss, have some melon seeds."
Mu Xing remained unmoved and coldly snorted, "Come in with me."
Fu Guang followed her into the room with a long face.
Sitting on the recliner, Mu Xing watched as Fu Guang closed the door, then slowly walked over and stood still.
Mu Xing coughed meaningfully, about to speak, when Fu Guang's legs went weak under her gaze and she knelt down with a thud, startling Mu Xing.
She frowned and said, "What are you doing? Get up right now. When did I ever teach you to kneel before me?"
Fu Guang refused to get up. She kept her head down, avoiding Mu Xing's gaze, and said loudly, "Miss! I can't watch you continue like this! I don't know what's going on between you and...you and her, but I urge you to think this over carefully! On a grand scale, this concerns the reputation of the Mu family clan; on a smaller scale, this is a matter of life and death for you! This is no joke..."
Speechless with her words, Mu Xing's eyebrows furrowed into a knot. She said, "Stop, stop, stop right there. How long have you been brewing this up?"
Stealing a glance at her, Fu Guang tugged at her hem: "It hasn't been long, just... maybe a month or two. Actually, it hasn't been that long. I just wanted to prepare, just in case..."
Mu Xing: "...You really have a keen eye." Too lazy to think about how Fu Guang figured it out, she got back to the point: "Since you already knew, I have nothing more to say. Fu Guang, you've been with me for so many years, I know you're a smart girl..."
Fu Guang shook her head vigorously: "No, no, no, Miss is not smart. If I were really smart, I shouldn't have let you get so caught up in this from the beginning. If the old lady and the first lady find out, I'll be in big trouble, Miss!"
Gradually losing his joking expression, Mu Xing said seriously, "I usually joke around, but this is different. You've been with me for so many years, and now that you're worried about not being able to protect yourself, I won't ignore you. As long as you don't let anything slip to Mother, I'll move out of Mu Garden sooner or later once I recover. If anything happens then, it won't affect you."
Hearing this, Fu Guang looked up in astonishment, tears immediately streaming down her face. She cried, "That's not how it is! I've followed Miss for so many years, and I've dealt with countless messes. Do you really think I'd be afraid of getting into trouble?"
“But Miss, I don’t understand love, but I know this is no easy path. Just look at Miss Pa and the others. I may be insignificant, but you should also consider Madam and the others! How could they bear to let you take such a deviant path?”
Hearing her say that, Mu Xing softened her attitude. She first got up and helped Fu Guang up, then took out a handkerchief and stuffed it into her hand: "You talk so much, don't you think about how my back still hurts? You make me help you."
Fu Guang sobbed as she wiped away her tears.
Mu Xing continued, "You know what needs to be considered, and how could I not know? I've already prepared myself mentally and am willing to do my best. Fate can still be fought for, so what am I afraid of, gossip, or slander that could destroy me?" As she spoke, she smiled again, "Besides, I'm not working alone."
She said, "In short, from now on, treat Shu Wan the same way you treat me. She is a very good person and will not mistreat you. I have my own plans for the future."
Knowing full well that there was no point in trying to persuade her, Fu Guang didn't say anything more. She knelt down again, kowtowed to Mu Xing, and said, "Miss has made her decision, so I have nothing to say. I'll just follow you. If anything happens in the future, I'll have to sacrifice my health for you first."
Mu Xing helped her up, laughing and scolding, "What are you talking about? How could you pull out my tendons and bones? I'll always be here for you."
…
Bai Yan returned in less than half a day.
Aunt Li took the vegetables back to the kitchen to prepare lunch. She found Mu Xing reading a book in the yard. Bai Yan said, "Didn't you see? A stage has been set up over at the temple. They said a junior member of the Feng family was invited to bring his own troupe to perform a traditional opera during the year."
Remembering that his grandmother had mentioned organizing a village opera in the next few days, Mu Xing asked, "The Feng family? Have you found out who it is?"
Bai Yan shook her head: "It was too crowded over there, so Aunt Li and I didn't go. We just heard that the singing was very good."
Seeing that she seemed quite interested, Mu Xing asked, "Do you want to go?"
Bai Yan was actually quite eager to go and see it. After being confined in the mansion for several days, even with Mu Xing accompanying her, she still wanted to get some exercise. However, she thought about how the opera required taking a boat to the other side of the river to watch, and how noisy and crowded it would be bad for Mu Xing's injury. And if Mu Xing didn't go, she wouldn't feel like going either.
Thinking this, she said, "Actually, there's nothing much to see. It's the same at home."
Mu Xing glanced at her, then said nothing more, simply reaching out to take her hand.
The two were sitting in the courtyard, surrounded by eyes. Bai Yan's heart tightened, and she hurriedly tried to pull her hand away, but Mu Xing was unwilling to let go.
Bai Yan whispered, "Did you secretly eat bear's heart and leopard's gall?"
Mu Xing also whispered, "Not only that, but I have the courage of a bear, the courage of a leopard, the courage of a feather duster, the courage of a duck egg, the courage of a goose egg, the courage of a snake... all the courage in the world is on me now."
Bai Yan laughed: "Then I suppose everyone won't need to watch the show tonight, just watching you show your courage is enough."
Stroking her hand, Mu Xing whispered, "With you here, I don't need any courage."
As dusk fell and dinner was over, the streets indeed came alive with the sounds of gongs and drums. Aunt Li had already packed up early, preparing to go home and take her children to see the play, and Uncle Han's son also came to pick him up.
Fu Guang loved excitement and couldn't sit still for a moment when she heard the commotion outside. She leaned against the door, peering out with longing eyes. But when the young master from next door came to invite her to go together, she shook her head. But once she closed the door, she pressed herself against it, her mind already wandering elsewhere.
Bai Yan saw this and winked at Mu Xing. Mu Xing understood and called Fu Guang over, saying, "What are you doing standing there? Go change into something nice. Just wear the cheongsam I bought for you."
Fu Guang didn't react: "Why are you changing clothes all of a sudden? I haven't even worn that cheongsam yet."
Mu Xing clicked his tongue: "Or are you going to wear this outfit to the theater with that young master from the Yang family?"
Seeing that she had exposed her secret, Fu Guang stamped her foot and turned to run back to the backyard. Bai Yan quickly got up and grabbed her, laughing, "Even with good clothes, you still need a good face to match them. What's the rush?"
While Fu Guang was still in a daze, Bai Yan had already taken out her cosmetic box.
Seeing this, Fu Guang hurriedly said, "Miss Bai, this is unacceptable! How could I possibly be worthy of you..."
Bai Yan pulled her down to sit and took out a box of face powder: "This powder is new and I haven't used it yet. You can use it." She then took out an eyebrow pencil and said, "Don't talk about whether we're a good match or not. I'll treat you the same way Ah Xuan treats you."
Fu Guang was completely stunned.
Bai Yan helped her mix the powder and said, "When you see that young master Yang later, remember to boldly ask him if he likes your new makeup."
Fu Guang asked, puzzled, "Why?" After thinking for a moment, she pouted and said, "I don't want to ask him. If I do, wouldn't I be being too forward?"
Bai Yan exchanged a glance with Mu Xing and said softly with a smile, "If you really like him, why be afraid to offer him your sincere heart? If he is worthy, he will see it and cherish it."
After thinking for a moment, Fu Guang smiled shyly and nodded.
With her makeup perfectly done, she gazed at herself in the mirror, admiring herself from every angle, never quite satisfied. She changed into a bright, pale yellow cheongsam and skipped to the door like a sparrow. But as she opened the door, she paused, turned, and ran back to stand before Bai Yan.
"Thank you, Miss Bai," she said somewhat awkwardly.
Bai Yan smiled and said, "Go ahead."
After glancing at Mu Xing and receiving his consent, she immediately flew out of the house.
The courtyard fell silent for a moment. Mu Xing lay on a recliner, clicking his tongue: "This lady seems to have a lot of experience with love."
Turning to look at her, Bai Yan got up and sat down.
Mu Xing laughed and said, "What are you doing? In broad daylight, what do you want to do?"
He leaned down and pecked her lips, then nuzzled her nose and whispered, "I want to do everything."
Licking her lips, Mu Xing stared straight at her and said in a hoarse voice, "My back isn't healed yet." As she said this, she leaned in.
As the sun sets, tung blossoms fall to the ground, dancing with the light and concealing whispers of love.