The warm sunlight fell, making people feel cozy. The gentle breeze blew by, lingering around the hem of their clothes. Shi Lan, holding the Soul-Destroying Nail, glanced at Mo Yun's back, where the wind had billowed his clothes. Taking advantage of his inattention, she quickly stepped forward and lightly slashed at him twice.

A subtle touch brushed against his muscular physique. Mo Yun's hand holding the basket froze. He slowly turned his head and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shi Lan clenched her fingers, concealing the Soul-Destroying Nail, and feigned innocence, asking, "What?"

As she spoke, she kept her eyes fixed on him, hoping he would do something different.

Mo Yun simply glanced at her, said "It's nothing," and turned away to continue walking.

Shi Lan said softly, sounding somewhat disappointed.

It seems that trying to probe through clothes won't work.

Frustrated, Shi Lan kicked a pebble at her feet, forgetting that what was covering her toes was not sturdy leather, but a thin layer of embroidered cotton.

Shi Lan gasped for breath in pain.

Hearing the noise, Mo Yun turned around and saw Shi Lan standing on one leg, jumping around wildly on the ground.

Mo Yun went to help her up.

Shi Lan instinctively dodged backward, lost her balance, and fell backward.

Mo Yun was shocked and quickly tiptoed to catch her in his arms.

The man's strong arms encircled her slender waist, his warm hands gripping her side tightly. Despite the force, he was so restrained that even though Shi Lan's entire weight was on his arm, she felt no pain whatsoever.

Looking up at the handsome face that was only a fist's distance away from her, Shi Lan felt a little lost.

Mo Yuan stared intently into her dark, bright eyes, clear and bright, like a clear spring shimmering with sparkling light, making one want to savor them slowly.

Shi Lan bit her lip as she watched him slowly approach. The man's unique scent wafted over her, making her blush and her ears burn.

Shi Lan placed her fingers against his chest, unsure whether to push him away or obey Lord Haoze's wishes, and could only murmur, "Don't do this."

Shi Lan's voice was very soft, but it sounded like thunder to Mo Yun, instantly rousing him from his confused and infatuated state.

Mo Yun quickly stood up, and before stopping, he made sure to help Shi Lan stand up straight.

Shi Lan lightly tapped the ground with one foot, her eyes darting around, and after a while she said, "You go back first, I'll be there in a bit."

Mo Yun dared not leave her on the mountain in such a state. He turned around to look around and, seeing that there was no one, bent down and showed her his steady and sturdy back, saying, "Come up."

Shi Lan's eyes widened, and she waved her hands repeatedly, "No need, I'll be fine in a bit."

Mo Yun glanced at her and saw that she not only didn't come forward but also stepped back, so he got up and came to her side, and hugged her in his arms.

Shi Lan was used to Hao Ze's aloofness, and she never expected him to make such a bold move. With her feet dangling in the air, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her body into his embrace.

Two soft, bouncy semicircles, already quite heavy from growth, instantly pressed against his chest, causing Mo Yun to freeze, his hands trembling.

During his three years in the army, he was surrounded by men. Although there were also men in the army, he considered himself a married man and did not want to get involved in romantic affairs. He also wanted to leave the money he earned to his wife and mother, so he always kept himself pure.

No matter how chaste he was, he was still a man of vigor and passion. He would naturally be stoic towards other women, but he didn't feel the need to be so with his wife. However, the time and place were not right. Considering all aspects, he took two deep breaths and waited until the blood in his body had dispersed from that spot before taking big strides down the mountain.

Near the foot of the mountain, they could see signs of human habitation in the distance. Mo Yun then put Shi Lan down and helped her walk downhill.

From behind a thicket of bushes, a woman emerged carrying a bamboo basket.

Upon seeing the man beside Shi Lan, she was taken aback at first, then looked him over carefully before asking uncertainly, "Yun Ya Zi, is that you?"

Mo Yun turned his head to look at the woman and smiled, "Sixth Aunt, it's me."

The woman's face lit up with joy. She even abandoned her bamboo basket and rushed over. "Yun Ya Zi, you're finally back! Before your mother passed away, she kept talking about you, saying that the Mo family line had ended and she was sorry to your father. Now that you're back, your mother can rest in peace."

Mo Yun smiled and agreed.

Shi Lan quickly sized up the woman and recognized her as a distant relative of the Mo family. Her husband was Mo Yun's cousin. Back then, during the nationwide conscription, each village had to contribute a certain number of men. His family spent a large sum of money to pull strings and secure a place for their son. However, the vacant spot needed to be filled. Mo Yun's family was poor and didn't have the money to bribe officials, so the unfortunate spot fell to him. Over the years, perhaps out of guilt, his sixth cousin's family had taken good care of the original owner and her daughter. They not only took over their land to cultivate but also helped the original owner find embroidery work so she could earn more money. Otherwise, the family would have fallen apart long ago if the original owner had been the only one in the family.

After looking at Mo Yun, Aunt Liu turned to Shi Lan and said with relief, "Your hard days are finally over. With Yun Yazi taking care of the family, you won't have to work so hard anymore." She also said that after autumn, when the crops are harvested, the land and grain will be returned to her.

Shi Lan smiled and said yes. Thinking of all those big and small bags of rolls from last night, a mischievous thought popped into her head, and she said she would invite her to come over for a visit sometime.

When Aunt Liu saw Mo Yun return, she was already thinking of going over. Shi Lan's invitation was exactly what she wanted to hear, so she immediately said that she would come over with her husband later.

Mo Yun was a junior, so how could he let his elders come to see him? He said that he would visit the village head in a while and then go to his uncle's house to see them.

Aunt Liu was overjoyed to hear this, feeling that Mo Yun had become sensible and had truly become a pillar of the family.

The three talked for a while longer before reaching the village entrance.

Aunt Liu thought that he still had to go to the village head's house, and it wouldn't be good if it happened to be mealtime, so she told the two of them to go back quickly, and she rushed off to the fields to find her old man and son.

When Shi Lan and Yu Xiu returned home, they heard Yu Xiu complaining about the damp and old quilts before they even entered the door. Shi Lan raised an eyebrow, held her breath until her face turned red, and said with a guilty expression, "Husband, I'm so sorry. Mother is gone, and I'm all alone at home. I thought no one would use those quilts, so I put them in the closet, but they're still damp. In a couple of days, could you take some time to go to town and buy some cloth? I'll re-stretch the quilts in Yu Xiu's room."

Mo Yun hadn't lived a comfortable life before, and the hardships he'd endured these past two years had made him indifferent to such things. Seeing Shi Lan so unprincipled in indulging Yu Xiu, he frowned in displeasure and said, "Don't worry about her. Let things be as they are at home. We can't let her cause chaos for everyone."

Shi Lan was in a dilemma, "But..."

Mo Yun said, "There are no 'buts'. If she just can't get used to living here, she can wait for her brother's pension to come through and then move to another place where it will be quieter."

Before Mo Yun could finish speaking, the door was opened from the inside, revealing a pale yellow dress.