Mu Mansion
I'm really torn, but then I think, shouldn't I be going to the Mu residence to find him right now? After all, we've already promised to be together, and it's not right to make others try so hard when we can't be together.
So I put on the mask and left the palace, going to the Mu residence.
When the servants of the Mu family saw me arrive, they very politely ran over to lead my horse and asked, "May I ask who you are, young lady?"
“I am Xiaobaigu from the Imperial Observatory, the person your master is waiting for.”
The servant led the horse to the side and tied it up, then came over and bowed to me, saying, "Please wait a moment, young lady, I will go and report to them right away."
Before long, a man who looked like a butler came over and bowed to me, asking, "How should I address you, young lady?"
"Little White Bone".
"Miss Bai, please." He cupped his hands and invited me into the mansion.
I headed towards the main entrance, and the butler raised an eyebrow but followed me inside. After circling around a few times, we finally arrived at the main hall.
Two people sat in the main seat of the main hall. The middle-aged man was dressed in casual clothes, but his upright posture still showed the clean and neatness of a military general. The lady next to him was also dressed simply, but her clothes had a faint shimmering light on them, which made them look like they were not ordinary.
I bowed to them and said, "I am Xiaobaigu from the Imperial Observatory, and I am also the culprit behind Mu Li's dereliction of duty."
"So be frank," the man in the main seat snorted, adopting a condescending attitude. "Tell me, what do you want?"
“Nothing much,” I said, sitting down next to him. “It’s up to you two. After all, I’ve already agreed to be with Muli, so we can’t let him do all the work himself.”
"Heh..." The middle-aged man stood up: "You're quite arrogant. What kind of status do you have to be so presumptuous?"
“It seems General Mu has been deeply implicated because of your second brother’s affair and has been away from the court for a long time, so he is unaware of the court’s atmosphere!” I looked up and stared at him directly: “If you were still standing in the court, you would naturally know my weight.”
"How dare you! Although I am not Mu Li's father, I am his uncle. You are arrogant and unruly, speaking recklessly to your elders, and even dare to dream of currying favor with our Mu family?"
"Clinging to the Mu family? Ha..." I sneered, "Your martial arts are inferior to your brother's, and you're not even smart enough! The Mu family has only survived all these years thanks to your father being alive and your nephew Mu Li's ambition. The Mu family has long been like a leaf in the wind, it's just a matter of how fast or slow it falls. Do you still think your Mu family is the once illustrious general's mansion?"
"you……"
"What? What? At your age, can't you even hear the truth? As for currying favor, if we're really talking about it..." I stood up and looked him straight in the eye: "No matter what, it's always been your Mu family that's currying favor with me!"
"You...cough cough..." The middle-aged man coughed, clutching his chest in anger. "If I don't teach you a lesson today..." He reached for his weapon, but the woman beside him quickly stood up and stopped him. "Master, please don't be angry..."
Just when things were in complete chaos, that bastard Mu Qi finally showed up.
He chuckled twice and walked over with the elderly daughter of the Grand Secretary. The two people who were originally seated in the main seats stepped aside when they saw Mu Qi and the old lady arrive.
He walked up to me and glanced at me: "Your figure feels familiar, but you feel very unfamiliar. Little girl, where are you from?"
"A little girl?" I frowned in disgust and sat down again. "I've said it many times already, and I don't want to repeat myself."
At this point, Muli's uncle came in handy: "Father, she said she was Little White Bone from the Imperial Observatory."
"The Imperial Observatory?" Mu Qi nodded at me again: "I've heard of you. You're the one who was riding around the streets rescuing people a while ago, aren't you!"
I didn't want to pay any attention to it. I've seen Mu Qi kneeling in the wedding hall before. Although he's become much more composed and seems to have aged considerably over the years, I still find it hard to pay him any attention...
Seeing that I was unwilling to talk to Mu Qi, the old lady next to me took the initiative to come over and sit down beside me: "Just as you said, among the Mu family's children and grandchildren, only Mu Li is steady enough, so it's only natural that we pay more attention to him. These past three days, we've been curious about Mu Li's thoughts and also wanted to know your attitude, so..."
“I’m already here,” I said, then looked at the old woman beside me. “I’ve already given my stance.”
The old lady raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing more. Mu Qi, standing in front, gave me a couple more looks. I stood up, walked up to Mu Qi, and sneered, "What? You're not convinced?"
Mu Qi just smiled faintly: "Seeing you reminds me of my past self, and I want to warn you not to be too full or overflowing."
I looked at him with amusement: "Oh? Is this why you abandoned your beloved to marry the daughter of a high-ranking official?"
Even though Mu Qi had lived in Kyoto for so many years because of her military achievements, and was very well-mannered, she couldn't hold back any longer: "Miss, you are really arrogant."
"More than that! I'm also arrogant and disdainful of everyone, I don't respect anyone..." After saying that, I looked at him and shook my head: "How about that?"
"Heh..." A soft laugh, and then nothing more.
Just as we were at loggerheads, Mu Li arrived. He stood firmly in front of me, blocking everyone's probing gazes, and said in a resounding voice, "Grandfather, it's time to end this."
"Never mind, I'm old," Mu Qi sighed. "Some walls you have to hit yourself, so I won't interfere." With that, he came over and helped the old lady walk away.
As I watched the two of them support each other as they left, I pondered: I never thought that after all these years, he would finally learn to respect a woman he doesn't love...
Then Muli's handsome face came over and blocked my view. He touched my mask and laughed, "I thought you wouldn't come!"
"Sigh..." I sighed, "After all, I promised to be with you, so we have to do it at least once."
He smiled, pulled me up, turned around and bowed to the two people standing to the side to say goodbye: "Then I'll take her downstairs first."
Muli's uncle only glanced at me and grunted an "Mmm" through his nose.
Mu Li led me slowly through the Mu Mansion, telling me as he walked about how he climbed that tree when he was a child, how his father beat him, and how he stole the birds' eggs from it...
It felt as if I was reliving his childhood in the manor with Muli by my side...
He sighed as he finished speaking: "I originally thought that life would continue like this, but I never expected that my father would meet the Imperial Concubine..."
Yes, and there's also Ah Shi. "And your mother?"
“My mother couldn’t accept it. After learning about my father’s situation, she went to live a life of seclusion. All I know is that she’s on a mountain far away from us, and I haven’t heard any news about her since…”
"So you were raised by your grandfather?" How could that bastard Mu Qi raise such an upright person as Mu Li?
He glanced at me sideways and said, "I was raised by my grandmother. My grandfather... didn't really concern himself with my affairs, he only stepped in when he was needed..."
"Hmph, so your grandfather was quite competent, huh?"
Mu Li tilted her head, amusement on her face: "So you just don't like your grandfather, right?"
"It would be strange if I liked him; then I must be out of my mind!"
"Hehe, hahaha..." Mu Li laughed heartily, then tilted her head and asked me casually, "But you like me!"
"Yes, yes, I like you."
Unexpectedly, he stopped and looked at me with displeasure: "You're not serious. Say it again."
"Okay," I breathed a sigh of relief and repeated myself, "Yes, I like you."
He raised his hand, slowly sliding it from the top of my mask down to my chin, then lifted the mask and kissed me directly… His kiss was gentle and tender, sweet and lingering…
Later, I didn't even notice how he took off my mask; I only heard the crisp sound of it hitting the ground...
It sounded just like the sound of me jumping into a swamp I knew was full of water...
After a long while, he pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, "Xu Yi, will you stay with me like this forever?"
“Okay,” I nodded, but then felt that the topic had become a bit too serious, so I joked, “But I still have to go back to the palace today, so there’s no need for me to stay overnight.”
He chuckled softly, a "hehehe" sound slowly emerging from his vibrating chest, filled with a joyful sense of freedom...
"Alright," I patted him on the back, "then you can go on duty normally tomorrow, right?"
He let go of me and turned to look at me: "What, missed me?"
“Yes,” he certainly needed my unwavering affirmation now, so I didn’t hold back my words: “It’s just that I feel uncomfortable without you in the palace, that’s why I came here to find you. Otherwise, I would never have stepped into the Mu residence.”
“Okay,” he patted my hair, “I know, you did it for me.”
"Of course!" I affirmed again, "It's all for you."
He laughed again, raised his hand and rubbed my face: "It feels so good to be coaxed by someone you like, Xu Yi!"
"Right?" I placed my hand over his. "Happy now?"
"Yes, I'm so much happier. You have no idea how I've been these past few days... I was worried that you wouldn't come at all, and I was also worried that you would be unhappy if you did come, but the thought of you coming made me happy. I can only imagine what would happen if you didn't come at all..."
"Okay," I grabbed his hand and covered his mouth with it, "Stop, I'm here, I'm already here!"
“Yes,” he pulled me into his arms again, “you’re here.”
"Yes, that's the most important thing."
Muli nodded: "Yes."
Finally, I spent some time with him at the Mu Palace, drinking tea and chatting intimately. I even witnessed his sword dance and heard him play the flute... Finally, as night fell, he escorted me back to the palace...
Once the palace gates between us closed, I shook my head, stretched, and couldn't help but sigh, "Dating is quite tiring..."
When I returned to the Imperial Observatory, the director was already asleep under the eaves.
Baohe was sitting at his feet, idly playing with a wooden ball. I walked over and patted Baohe on the head: "Who gave you the ball?"
“Ah Shi, he only heard today that you were almost injured, so he rushed over, only to find that you had left the palace early this morning.”
“Oh,” I nodded, “I’ll take you to the lantern festival next time, so you won’t be too bored.”
“Great!” Baohe’s eyes lit up. “Then I’ll go back to the well and rest.”
"Hmm." Seeing me nod, Baohe picked up the little wooden ball, looked up at me with a smile, and then jumped back into the well in a few steps.
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