Chapter 65 The Second Young Master's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Zelan took out a white handkerchief that was as white as brocade from the box: "Your Highness, look, I heard that this thing is called 'Luminous Brocade'."

Mu Xi took it and examined it carefully by the candlelight.

The handkerchief is originally pure white, but when it is waved in the air, it reflects the surrounding light, creating a dazzling and colorful effect.

The handkerchief was exceptionally light and soft to the touch, and a butterfly orchid was embroidered in colored gold thread on one corner.

Such a handkerchief is exquisite and rare; it is indeed a fine item.

Mu Xi couldn't help but ask, "Where did this come from?"

Tao'er puffed out her cheeks and said, "I don't know. The gatekeeper only said that someone gave it to the Second Young Master, but he didn't leave a name."

"If it was meant for the Second Young Master, why was it delivered here?" Mu Xi glanced into the wooden box again. The box was filled with handkerchiefs like the one in her hand. If she estimated, there must have been over a thousand of them.

Tao'er replied, "It's because the Second Young Master replaced another batch of people in the outer courtyard. The newly arrived maids can't distinguish between the two courtyards, so they were mistakenly sent here."

"Oh, if that's the case, then let's send them back to the Second Young Master." Mu Xi liked them, but they belonged to someone else after all. "But speaking of which, why did someone give Mu Xun so many handkerchiefs? These shimmering brocade handkerchiefs aren't cheap, are they?"

“The young master doesn’t care about these things. ‘Flowing Light Brocade’ is an exquisite item that money can’t buy in the entire Moyang City. Countless noble ladies want to use it to make clothes and handkerchiefs but can’t get it. I wonder which young lady is so generous. A box of Flowing Light Brocade must cost ten bolts of cloth and more than a thousand taels of silver.” Tao’er’s words had been tinged with sourness all day.

"How much?" Mu Xi was quite surprised and jumped up from her chair. "These handkerchiefs cost over a thousand taels of silver?"

Zelan immediately pounced on the box: "Wow, really? The Flowing Light Brocade is so valuable!"

Mu Xi noticed another problem: "Didn't you just say you didn't know who was seeing you off? Why are you saying it was a young lady now?"

Tao'er raised her peach blossom eyes and said, "Young Master, what man would care about such a sought-after item as the Flowing Light Brocade, except for young ladies from wealthy families? And didn't you notice that each of these handkerchiefs is embroidered with butterfly orchids? If this isn't a woman's work, how could it be made by a man?"

So, it seems a woman is pursuing Mu Xun.

With Mu Xun's looks, attracting attention would be no problem at all.

But the problem is...

"What kind of woman gives a man a whole box of handkerchiefs as a gift? Isn't that too strange?"

"Young Master..." Tao'er said coquettishly, "Young Master doesn't pay attention to the Second Young Master. The Second Young Master has always been the cleanest person. He would throw away any clothes he's worn or any handkerchiefs he's soiled. If you count it, this box of handkerchiefs is enough for the Second Young Master to throw away for three years."

"No way." Mu Xi really hadn't noticed that Mu Xun was a "germaphobe".

"Who said that?" Just then, Mu Xun walked in from outside to deny it, and reached out to Tao'er, "Tao'er, why haven't you given me the handkerchief I asked you to wash last time?"

"Ah, Second Young Master..." Tao'er bowed gracefully, then hesitated, "Second Young Master never uses used handkerchiefs. This one was stained with blood that I couldn't wash off. As is customary, you would throw it away, so I..."

Mu Xun said indifferently, "If I didn't want it, why would I have told you to wash it? If we hadn't been short-handed and Bai Wei and Bai Ji had temporarily filled in as bodyguards, I wouldn't have asked you to handle it."

Tao'er reluctantly took out a handkerchief from her bosom and handed it back to Mu Xun.

Mu Xun took it and put it in his pocket.

Mu Xi didn't notice anything amiss, only staring at the "thousand taels of silver" in front of her, and asked, "Who sent this gift? It's worth a thousand taels of silver."

Mu Xun glanced at it briefly: "Don't listen to their nonsense. The shimmering brocade is indeed valuable, but it's not that expensive. This stuff comes from southern Hunan. It's rare because the silkworms that spin silk have a low reproduction rate."

"Whether it's rare or not, who gave it to you?" Mu Xi was somewhat envious.

Mu Xun frowned slightly, as if remembering something: "He's just a friend I met in the southwest. But you're right, this shimmering brocade is still a rare item in Moyang City. We shouldn't make a fuss about it. I'll have someone return it right away."

"You want to return it? No way..." Mu Xi was already "coveting" the box of brocade. If Mu Xun accepted it, she would have no choice but to accept it. But if Mu Xun wanted to return it, she would be reluctant. "They gave it to you out of kindness. Since you said it wasn't as valuable as it looked, there's no need to return it."

Mu Xun still frowned: "This box of handkerchiefs is far too much, easily over a thousand. Even if we throw one away every day, it would probably take three years to use them all..."

"Uh... if you're going to throw it away anyway and don't want to waste it, you can just give it to me." Mu Xi finally shamelessly said what she really wanted to say.

Mu Xun had been so tense lately that he was in a daze and didn't care about such trivial matters, but he still casually asked, "What does brother need so many handkerchiefs for?"

Mu Xi waved her hand: "Oh dear, why are you asking so many questions? I definitely have a better use for it. If you don't understand, just tell me whether you'll give it to me or not?"

Tao'er and Ze Lan also asked, "Young Master, what do you need these handkerchiefs for?"

"What do you think it's for?" Mu Xi gave a mysterious smile as a hint.

The two were still unable to react.

Mu Xi had no choice but to add another suggestion: "It's extremely useful, didn't you think of that? With this, isn't it much better than the brocade we use those days?"

"Ah, so that's what the young master wants to use it for." Tao'er was the first to realize, clapping her hands and laughing, "Hahaha, what a great idea, young master."

Zelan was a beat slower, but finally understood, muttering, "Isn't this too wasteful?"

Mu Xi stared at Mu Xun expectantly: "So? Are you going to give it to me or not?"

Mu Xun listened from the side, completely bewildered. He stared at Mu Xi, seemingly lost in thought, but nodded, "If you like it, then stay."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." Mu Xi almost drooled, and quickly called to Zhe Lan and Tao Er, "Quickly, you and Bao Fan carry the things to the inner room together."

Tao'er and Zelan pulled the silly Baofan and carried the box into the inner room.

Mu Xi then pulled Mu Xun aside and asked again, as usual, "Has there been any movement in the West Courtyard these past few days?"

He had been unable to eat or sleep for days. On one hand, he had Cao Pan'er, a hot potato, but she hadn't made any move. On the other hand, his previous plan to use the "spirit possession" to gain momentum was now fading away, and he was too injured to take any action.

Mu Xun shook his head: "Perhaps it's not the right time yet."

Mu Xi then gave another instruction: "The people you sent to keep an eye on Mu Chong must not be let down."

Mu Xun looked at him with increasing confusion and couldn't help but ask, "Brother is completely different from before, what happened?"

Feeling guilty under her gaze, Mu Xi could only give an ambiguous answer: "I'm in this state now because I was forced into it."

These were all her own private plans, and she couldn't reveal a single word to Mu Xun.

Mu Xun wanted to ask more questions, but Mu Xi dodged and hid back in the inner room.