Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Two's Feelings Gradually Increasing
Li Bao'er slowly awoke to a series of low, rhythmic tapping sounds.
The dull pain in the back of her neck was still vivid, reminding her of the harrowing experience she had just gone through. Her eyelids trembled slightly, and her blurry vision gradually focused.
Where is she?! Did they succeed?!
The extreme panic almost suffocated her. She tried to sit up abruptly, but failed due to her weak body and the sharp pain in her neck. She could only breathe rapidly, her eyes scanning her surroundings in terror!
The scene before my eyes was filled with flickering candlelight and an overwhelming expanse of red, magnificent curtains, brocade quilts embroidered with intricate auspicious patterns, and burning dragon and phoenix wedding candles.
This is... a wedding room? A real wedding room?
Just as she was in a state of utter confusion, a deep voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence:
"woke up?"
Li Bao'er froze, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest, and she looked up sharply in the direction of the sound! A stunningly beautiful silhouette was right in front of her.
She froze, instinctively holding her breath.
The soft candlelight outlined the other person's smooth yet sharp jawline, and above that, slightly pursed thin lips, a high nose bridge, and a pair of phoenix eyes that were lowered, their emotions unreadable, yet with long, thick eyelashes.
It is Mu Cenlin.
He... was actually sitting right next to her bed?
Normally, he was always dressed in black or dark gray, cold and stern, inspiring awe. But at this moment, this intensely red color strangely melted away some of the fierceness around him, making his already incomparably handsome face even more breathtaking.
Clad in red with ink-black hair, her skin as white as jade, and her eyes deep and mysterious, she possessed an almost otherworldly and unparalleled beauty that assaulted Li Bao'er's visual senses.
She had never seen anyone wear red so...beautifully.
It was so beautiful that it took away all her thoughts and breath.
She stared at him blankly, her almond-shaped eyes wide with shock and lingering bewilderment, clearly reflecting his figure in red and his undisguised amazement.
Li Bao'er's mind went blank, with only one thought remaining: He's so handsome!
In the instant Bao'er was stunned, Mu Cenlin felt Li Bao'er's heart suddenly race and her undisguised affection.
It was an emotion he had never felt from her before, so direct and intense.
This pleased him.
It greatly pleased him.
Her reaction seemed to have dissipated some of the anger and tension she had just felt.
Mu Cenlin raised his eyes and met her gaze, which was still filled with shock and beauty. The corners of his lips slowly curved upwards into a very shallow arc.
"Heh..." This laugh instantly startled Li Bao'er, who was stunned.
She snapped back to reality, realizing that she had been staring at his face like a lovesick fool, and had even... betrayed her true feelings with empathy! Her cheeks flushed instantly, and even her ears turned bright red. She hurriedly tried to look away, but the movement was too big and she pulled on the back of her neck again, making her hiss in pain. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and in pain, she wished she could disappear into the ground.
"I just applied some ointment for you," Mu Cenlin's voice suddenly fell from above, deep and with an indescribable magnetism, "Does it still hurt a lot?"
That voice… it sounds so much better than usual? Li Bao'er was startled by this sudden thought, her heart skipping a beat. What's wrong with her today? He keeps getting to her!
She tried to suppress the strange feeling, looked up at the handsome face so close to hers, pouted, and decided to follow her instincts—to complain and demand compensation with a clear conscience.
She raised her wet eyes, meeting his unreadable gaze. Her lips trembled. "It hurts. Someone plotted against me. You have to avenge me," she said softly. "They tried to ruin my reputation on my wedding day! They're even more vicious than me! You have to skin them alive!"
The speed and contrast of the tone made Mu Cenlin raise an eyebrow slightly.
"How can she be so adorable?" was Mu Cenlin's first thought. He chuckled softly and couldn't help but gently pinch her cheek, finding it even softer than he had imagined. "Oh? So you know you can be quite mean all the time?"
"Hmph!" Li Bao'er was taken aback by his pinch, then raised her chin defiantly and began to skillfully turn the tables, "How can that be the same? I was just being a little clever! They're trying to kill me!"
Her eyes darted around, and she turned her anger directly on him, speaking with conviction: "Besides! Your prestigious Prince Jing's mansion, with such lax security that the new princess was kidnapped on her wedding day? This is clearly your fault! You have to compensate me!"
Looking at her "I'm at a disadvantage, so I'm in the right" attitude, Mu Cenlin was not angry at all; instead, the smile in his eyes deepened.
"Oh?" His voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a hint of indulgence and amusement. "Then how do you want me to compensate you?"
Bao'er's eyes lit up; this was exactly what she was waiting for: "After we're married, you're not allowed to restrict my freedom, and I don't want to take over the affairs of the Prince's mansion."
"Okay, whatever you say." Mu Cenlin hadn't originally intended to bother her with these trivial matters. As long as she obediently maintained the superficial relationship, she could do whatever she wanted.
He never demanded that women manage household affairs; women, like men, should have their own ideals and not merely depend on their husbands' families.
Li Bao'er's heart skipped a beat at the indulgent smile in his eyes. She quickly looked away and muttered softly, trying to hide her panic: "You... why didn't you ask me carefully who did it? What clues did you have?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a slightly cool hand unexpectedly and gently landed on the top of her head, the movement a little stiff, even a little clumsy, as it rubbed her hair.
"No need to ask anymore." Mu Cenlin's voice was deep and firm. "I already know who it is."
His tone was so certain, as if he had everything under control, that Li Bao'er momentarily forgot to ask further questions.
Her gaze wandered unconsciously, and she suddenly caught sight of something on her pillow: a veil that was crumpled and wrinkled, yet still bright red.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She remembered it clearly; the veil was still on her head before she fainted. It couldn't have been lifted by Mu Yuan!
Otherwise, she'll feel nauseous for a long time!
Li Bao'er suddenly looked up at Mu Cenlin, her expression tense, "Did you lift the veil for me?"
The moment the question was asked, the aura around Mu Cenlin, which had just eased slightly, suddenly froze!
Mu Cenlin knew, of course, that the veil had been lifted by Mu Yuan's filthy hand! Just thinking about that scene, about Mu Yuan seeing his bride before him, sent a flash of crimson light through his eyes.
Mu Cenlin lowered his eyes and met Li Bao'er's clear eyes.
She seemed...to care a lot about the answer? Did she think...it was her husband who lifted the veil for her?
Almost instantly, Mu Cenlin forcibly suppressed all his violence back to the deepest part of his heart. The stiff expression on his face quickly softened, and he even deliberately slowed his tone as he replied:
"...Yes. It was I who lifted it."
He paused, his gaze falling on her face, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and added, "You look...beautiful today."
He spoke these words with extreme stiffness and even some stumbling, completely unlike his usual cold and stern style, yet strangely carrying an unprecedented weight of sincerity.
Li Bao'er was completely stunned.
It turns out... he was the one who tore it up?
And...he...he praised her for being beautiful?
Her cheeks were burning hot, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, and she could even clearly feel that, through empathy, her intense, uncontrollable shyness was being transmitted to her.
She hurriedly lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the blanket, her voice barely audible: "Really?"
Mu Cenlin clearly felt the shyness coming from the empathy, and looking at her blushing so much she was practically steaming, he awkwardly looked away and coughed to cover it up: "...I never lie."
However, the slight redness at the base of his ears betrayed that His Highness Prince Jing was not as calm and composed as he appeared.
The atmosphere in the new house suddenly became ambiguous and subtle.
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