Chapter 17 I'm asking to marry Uncle Jiu, can you help me?

*

Several people suddenly appeared and quickly cleaned up the corpses.

Mu Lin had a thousand words he wanted to say to Shen Qinglu, but he knew now was not the time. Shen Qinglu didn't look at him, as if she didn't know what she had done, let alone how much her actions had affected others.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he thanked Cheng Ying, "Aying, thank you for today."

A hint of doubt crossed Cheng Ying's delicate face as she looked at him and said, "We received advance warning and were lying in ambush in the temple. All our actions were coordinated. Why do you need to thank me?"

“I…” He smiled shyly, a rare occurrence for him.

"You wouldn't be thanking me for saving Miss Ali, would you?" Cheng Ying seemed to have thought of something, and with her phoenix eyes half-closed, she glanced at Shen Qinglu beside her. Her unrestrained gaze made no attempt to hide anything as she looked Shen Qinglu up and down.

Shen Qinglu didn't mind and let him look.

Yu Jingliang was somewhat displeased, frowning as he blocked his view. "Lord Cheng!"

Cheng Ying twitched the corners of her mouth, her expression somewhat indifferent. "Commander Yu, I just saved her. What's wrong with taking a few glances? Miss Ali, I saved you. How should you repay me?"

Such mockery and disrespect caused even Mu Lin, let alone Yu Jingliang, to change his expression.

The Marquis of Yongyi's mansion has many relatives, and the Cheng family is a distant relative of the Mu family, only five degrees of kinship. In fact, Cheng Ying cannot be considered a proper relative of the Mu family.

If it weren't for Cheng Ying's abilities and skills that allowed her to stand out in the Divine Martial Camp, the Mu family would never have noticed her.

“Ah Ying, it’s okay for colleagues in the camp to speak freely, and it’s fine for you to make some jokes. But Miss Ali is an unmarried woman, so you should be more careful with your words.”

When men get together in private, they talk without any boundaries, and they don't care about anything crude or risqué. However, if there are girls present, they are considered somewhat frivolous.

Cheng Ying remained indifferent, seemingly oblivious to the sparks flying from Yu Jingliang's eyes. "Miss Ali, do you also think I shouldn't seek repayment for your kindness?"

Shen Qinglu shook her head, her dark eyes shining like naturally formed black jade in the moonlight. Under the watchful eyes of the others, she said very seriously, "I'll treat you to something delicious."

"Lord Cheng, I will be hosting a banquet another day, and I would appreciate your presence." Yu Jingliang breathed a sigh of relief and winked at Shen Qinglu, as if to say: Well done.

Mu Lin added, "If you don't mind, I can keep you company."

Cheng Ying curled her lips into a casual smile. "Ah Lin, just now during the crisis, Miss Ali bravely shielded you. How do you plan to repay her?"

Mu Lin's heart was instantly stirred. "I... I will do whatever Miss Ali wants me to do, without any objection."

"Then, Miss Ali, what do you want him to do?" Cheng Ying looked at Shen Qinglu, her phoenix eyes slightly slanted, her casual demeanor revealing an indescribable air of nobility.

Yu Jingliang was extremely anxious, "Lord Cheng, my Ali..."

"Commander Yu, I'm asking about Miss Ali." Cheng Ying's tone inexplicably carried a sharp edge that brooked no argument.

"Master Cheng..."

Shen Qinglu quickly tugged at Yu Jingliang's clothes, "Second Brother, I'm fine now. I can answer Lord Cheng's question myself."

She didn't want any reward. If she had to have something, she hoped to see that somewhat familiar face often in the future, to comfort the longing hidden in her heart.

"I want him to eat well and take care of his health."

There was a brief silence after these words were spoken.

No one expected her to give such an answer.

While Cheng Ying and Mu Lin were still in surprise, Yu Jingliang quickly took her leave. After they had gone some distance, he complained irritably, "Little sister Ali, if you ever see that Cheng Ying again, remember to stay away from him."

The two were in a superior-subordinate relationship; Cheng Ying happened to be his superior.

When he first joined the Divine Martial Guard, he was naturally unconvinced by Cheng Ying, who looked effeminate and thin, and often provoked her. In the end, he was completely defeated by Cheng Ying. Although he was convinced, he never liked her.

"I promised to take you to see the stars, but these things happened. Next time, I'll definitely check the almanac carefully."

With a heart full of worries, Shen Qinglu asked him, "Second Brother, who is this Uncle Jiu?"

“He is Ah Lin’s father’s youngest cousin. I’ve heard Ah Lin mention him before. He would come to the temple to stay for a few days from time to time. We must have just happened to run into each other today.”

Was it a coincidence?

Shen Qinglu expressed her doubts.

She had clearly seen that these assassins were all after that Uncle Nine.

Yu Jingliang seemed to have thought of something as well, a hint of worry appearing between his brows. "There were two groups of assassins tonight. Could they both be after Ah Lin? Just who did the Mu family offend?"

It seemed that Shen Qinglu could hear nothing but that sound.

Which mu?

Yu Jingliang assumed she was just curious and didn't think much of it, patiently explaining to her, "Does Ali recognize the character '慕' (mù) in '羡羡' (xiànxiàn)?"

They also share the surname Mu?

Her heart pounded, and she shook her head blankly.

They look alike, their voices are somewhat similar, and they even share the same surname...

Could Mu Lin really be him from his past life?

*

At the southernmost part of Da Xuan Kong Temple, there is a lush bamboo forest.

The moonlight casts slanted shadows on the bamboo, their shapes constantly shifting in the night breeze, much like the fickle nature of the human heart—one moment ordinary, the next unforgettable.

Mu Lin arrived in a hurry and caught sight of the tall, graceful figure by the bamboo grove. He straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and approached.

"Ninth Uncle".

"Why haven't you left yet?" Mu Hanshi stood with his back to him, seemingly admiring the bamboo forest in the night.

"I've come to say goodbye to Uncle Jiu." Mu Lin said, feeling a little awkward. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke, "There's something else, about Miss Ali. Uncle Jiu saw it just now. In that critical moment, she risked her life for me, completely disregarding her own safety."

so what?

Mu Hanshi looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

He couldn't continue speaking; his heart was pounding, his face was flushed, just like a young man experiencing the first stirrings of love. The fervor and anticipation in his eyes burned like fire in the moonlight.

“I…I feel she’s different from other girls. Her surname is Yu, and she’s a girl from the Yu family. She’s the one I’ve met since the beginning. I think we have a deep connection. Uncle Jiu, can you help me?”

"Are you really sure?"

"I've made up my mind."

"For two families to get married, the elders need to agree. Find an opportunity to let your grandmother and parents meet her."

Upon hearing this, Mu Lin was overjoyed. He knew that Uncle Jiu treated him differently.

The Mu family had more than a dozen members in Mu Lin's generation. Apart from him, no one had ever stepped into the quiet courtyard of the Marquis's mansion, let alone received a private lesson from Ninth Uncle.

He knew all too well that this was no easy task.

Even though Miss Ali's surname is Yu, she is indeed the daughter of a disgraced official. No matter how much the Mu family doesn't value social status, they would never agree to someone of such background becoming the next matriarch. But if Uncle Jiu were to speak on her behalf, there would surely be room for negotiation.

"Thank you, Uncle Jiu."

"No need to thank me. That woman is far more cunning than you can control. Whether it's good or bad, it's your own choice."

“Ninth Uncle, she treated me like that, not even caring about her own life, how could she possibly be scheming…”

"What I think of her is not important; what matters is whether you are happy with her."

Mu Lin never expected that his Ninth Uncle valued him to such an extent. Regardless of right or wrong, as long as he was happy, that was all that mattered. Even his grandmother, father, and mother might not have been able to do that.

"Uncle Jiu, I'm very happy."

The young man did not hide his feelings; though his face flushed and his brows furrowed with embarrassment, his face was full of spring-like joy.

"I understand." Mu Hanshi looked at him, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "It's getting late, you should hurry home so your elders won't worry."

As soon as Mu Lin left, the steward who had been serving him appeared out of nowhere, looking puzzled. "Since Your Majesty saw that Miss Ali's scheming was far beyond that of ordinary people, why didn't you stop the young master?"

"Because he really likes it."

The bamboo forest swayed incessantly in the night wind, like a vast green sea, rising and falling endlessly, its rhythm seemingly never ceasing.

The steward, who had served him for many years, knew of his special affection for Mu Lin and exclaimed, "The Lord truly favors the young master. No wonder the young master has fallen for him; that Miss Ali is indeed very beautiful."

A slight ripple appeared in his otherwise indifferent expression.

Unexpectedly, a beautiful face appeared in his mind, especially her dark yet mottled eyes, which clearly showed her dislike for him.

In an instant, a brightly colored wild fish seemed to emerge from nowhere in the stagnant water in his heart that had been devoid of any living creature for many years, swimming wildly and stirring up countless splashes.