Chapter 6. Lin Mushi pursed his lips and remained silent...
Lin Mushi pursed his lips and remained silent. If you really think about it, this peace lock is very likely something Xie Zhuo prepared for the child in Princess Huayang's womb.
Now that it has returned to Xie Zhuo's hands, it can be considered as returning it to its rightful owner in a sense.
Fortunately, Xie Zhuo did not force him. His dark boots stopped just a step away, and then he turned and walked away.
"Go out."
The scarlet figure stopped at the doorway, turning halfway to look at Lin Mushi, who was standing there.
The candlelight shone on Xie Zhuo, casting a long shadow behind him.
The flickering candlelight reflected in Xie Zhuo's eyes, and there seemed to be a different emotion in the light. Lin Mushi was even more confused about Xie Zhuo's thoughts. He looked away with a slightly helpless expression and took a step to follow Xie Zhuo.
—
Upon leaving the prison, Lin Mushi headed straight for the Su residence.
As he passed through a small alley, he saw a carriage blocking his way as soon as he came out of the alley. Lin Mushi didn't look at it for long and walked around the carriage to get out.
But before he could take a few steps, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, raising his hand to block his way.
The shadow cast by the person opposite him completely covered him. Lin Mushi squinted and looked up, only to see an unfamiliar face reflected in his eyes.
After descending the mountain, he didn't meet many people, and he was certain he had never seen this person before.
Unwilling to cause trouble, Lin Mushi lowered his head, quickly shifted his gaze away from the man's face, and took a step to the side, intending to leave. However, the man followed his steps, firmly blocking his way.
"Young master, please get in the car."
Hearing the voice above him, Lin Mushi looked up at the person opposite him again. Seeing that the other person was looking at him and speaking, a question arose in his mind. Had he encountered the human (demon) trafficker that Xiaochun had mentioned?
You've mistaken me for someone else.
Lin Mushi left those words behind and turned to run into the alley.
Wen Feng once again stood in front of Lin Mushi.
As the two were struggling, the carriage curtain was lifted by a hand, revealing Xie Zhuo's face.
"Get in the car," Xie Zhuo said calmly, looking at Lin Mushi.
Lin Mushi stood still. Although he wanted to get close to Xie Zhuo to investigate what happened back then, the current situation did not seem like a good time.
"Didn't Lord Xie say he would let me go?"
Hesitating for a moment, Xie Zhuo in the carriage spoke again: "Wen Feng, please get in the carriage, young master."
The carriage was spacious, and apart from Lin Mushi who had just entered, only Xie Zhuo was inside.
After hearing the news, they stuffed Lin Mushi into the carriage and then stayed outside.
Xie Zhuo's gaze remained fixed on Lin Mushi, making Lin Mushi's scalp tingle.
So he turned around and lifted the curtain, but by sheer coincidence, he met Wen Feng's gaze. He silently lowered his hand from the curtain and turned back to look at the other person in the carriage.
Unexpectedly, Xie Zhuo had been quietly watching his movements the whole time.
“…Mu Shi.” Xie Zhuo opened his mouth, paused, and then called out Lin Mu Shi’s name.
“Prison is not the place to talk, so there are some things I didn’t explain to you earlier.” As he spoke, the safety lock that Xie Zhuo had been holding in his hand was placed on the low table in front of him with a handkerchief on it.
"What does Lord Xie want to say to me?" The small golden lock immediately caught Lin Mushi's attention. He moved closer to the low table and sat down opposite Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo rested his right hand on the handkerchief, his eyes fixed on Lin Mushi.
"This little lock was prepared thirteen years ago for the child I was still in my womb, and I entrusted it to my wife for safekeeping." Xie Zhuo paused abruptly after saying half of his sentence, his eyes flashing slightly.
Lin Mushi couldn't help but feel nervous under Xie Zhuo's changed gaze.
Before Lin Mushi could figure it out, Xie Zhuo changed the subject: "However, my wife disappeared in Huaiyang County before the child was even born."
Xie Zhuo's gaze softened, but the stone opposite him couldn't decipher this change in expression.
However, since Xie Zhuo did not exude any dangerous aura, Lin Mushi did not make any move for the time being.
The carriage moved smoothly down the street, and the curtains behind Lin Mushi swayed slowly.
Xie Zhuo's gaze shifted from the tassels on the curtains to the peace lock at his fingertips. The joy of regaining what he had lost was replaced by fear of losing it again. The pent-up emotions surged up all at once, making him speechless for a long time.
Xie Zhuo was even afraid that when he looked up again, there would be nothing in front of him, and the person in front of him would be nothing but an illusion.
When Xie Zhuo heard a rustling sound in front of him, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Lin Mushi in front of him.
Lin Mushi had already taken out the cornbread from his pocket and started grinding it in his mouth when Xie Zhuo remained silent for a long time.
The sound of teeth grinding against the cornbread wasn't annoying; instead, it made Xie Zhu feel a sense of reality.
Xie Zhuo's gaze swept over the cornbread in Lin Mushi's hands and lingered on Lin Mushi's face, which showed no emotion.
He watched quietly as Lin Mushi swallowed the food in his mouth, then raised his hand and pressed down on Lin Mushi's hand as he brought the cornbread to his mouth again.
"?"
Lin Mushi looked at Xie Zhuo, who was blocking his way from eating, with a puzzled expression.
But then a plate of delicate tea and snacks was pushed in front of Lin Mushi by Xie Zhuo, and Xie Zhuo's voice rang out at the same time:
"Hungry? Eat these to tide you over."
Taking advantage of Lin Mushi's attention being drawn to the tea and snacks in front of him, Xie Zhuo took the cornbread from Lin Mushi's hand.
Lin Mushi didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
His hand, which had been reaching for the tea and snacks again, paused, and he reluctantly withdrew it.
Xie Zhuo noticed Lin Mushi's sudden stop and asked, "Not to your liking?"
Lin Mushi shook his head and asked curiously, "Why did Lord Xie give me some to eat?"
Once you find out the reason, you should be able to eat it.
Stared at by a pair of clear eyes, Xie Zhuo sighed silently. He had thought that based on what he had said, Lin Mushi should have guessed something.
"You are my child, so naturally I want to..." treat you well.
Before Xie Zhuo could finish speaking, a deafening cough erupted from the other side.
Lin Mushi's pupils trembled slightly, his hands gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, and he coughed incessantly. He really couldn't understand how he had suddenly become someone else's child after just eating a snack. Xiaochun was right after all.
A hand gently patted Lin Mushi's back until his cough subsided, and Lin Mushi realized that Xie Zhuo had sat down next to him at some point.
The teacup was handed to Lin Mushi's lips by another hand, and he took a sip from Xie Zhuo's hand.
Xie Zhuo only put down his teacup after seeing that the other person had finished drinking, his movements so natural that it was as if today was not their first meeting.
After swallowing the tea in his mouth, Lin Mushi slowly moved away from Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo, mindful that Lin Mushi had just learned of the news, did not try to dissuade him and quietly sat there waiting for him to accept it.
Moving to a spot by the window, Lin Mushi assessed the window size to make sure it was big enough for him to climb out before protesting, "I'm not your son."
Xie Zhuo had considered all sorts of reactions from Lin Mushi, whether he would gladly accept it or resent him for not wanting to go home with him, but he never expected Lin Mushi to deny it.
"Do you resent me?" After thinking it over, this is the only possibility.
But before Xie Zhuo could feel sad, Lin Mushi asked in return, "Why should I resent Lord Xie?"
He and Xie Zhuo had absolutely no connection whatsoever; oh, now it's just that he ate a piece of Xie Zhuo's tea and snack.
Seeing Lin Mushi's slightly puzzled but not at all aggrieved expression, Xie Zhuo suppressed the mixed emotions in his heart, "I blame myself for not finding you, leaving you to suffer outside..."
“I haven’t suffered, I’m doing very well,” Lin Mushi interrupted Xie Zhuo.
He didn't feel that he had suffered any hardship while he was away. Life in the mountains might be poor and boring, but the fruits were sweet and delicious, and he could eat the roasted pheasant that Xiaochun caught with gusto.
Xie Zhuo could only learn a little about Lin Mushi's past from the information his subordinates had gathered. Now, hearing Lin Mushi say that he was doing well, he didn't know whether to feel regret or relief.
Finally, he murmured two words: "Fortunately."
Lin Mushi realized the topic had unknowingly veered off course, and quickly added:
"Lord Xie, you've got the wrong person. I'm not your son."
Along with Lin Mushi's voice, a voice from outside the carriage called out, "My lord, we've arrived."
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and Xie Zhuo reached out and pressed his hand on Lin Mushi's fluffy head.
"I'm home."
—
After getting off the carriage behind Xie Zhuo, Lin Mushi was about to slip away when someone came up to him.
The newcomer wore a lake-blue cross-collar long robe, over which was a moon-white cloak. He had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and his hair was half-tied up. He looked to be under twenty. He first bowed to Xie Zhuo, and after straightening up, he turned his gaze to Lin Mushi, who was standing behind Xie Zhuo.
Danfeng asked with curiosity in her eyes, "Father, is this my younger brother?"
Xie Zhuo nodded and introduced Lin Mushi: "This is your elder brother."
After the introduction, Xie Rongjing walked past Xie Zhuo and came to Lin Mushi, bending down slightly, "Qiong'er is so grown up now."
Lin Mushi wore a bewildered expression. "Who is Qiong'er?"
Xie Rongjing turned around and looked at Xie Zhuo with a puzzled expression: "Father, didn't you talk to him?"
Xie Zhuo sighed and said, "Let's talk about it inside the manor."
Lin Mushi looked around at the people around him; there was no way he could run away now.
Lin Mushi belatedly realized why he hadn't been able to catch Xie Zhuo when he went to the Xie residence earlier.
—
"My lord, Biyuxuan has been prepared." Someone immediately came to report this upon entering the mansion.
Xie Zhuo instructed, "Take the young master to tidy up and prepare some food."
Lin Mushi was led away by a maid, while Xie Zhuo and Xie Rongjing sat down on chairs in the courtyard of Biyuxuan.
"Father, what's wrong with Qiong'er?"
“I didn’t even have a chance to tell him my name.” Xie Zhu frowned slightly as he watched Lin Mushi’s figure disappear. “He must be resentful of me and doesn’t want to acknowledge me.”
Xie Rongjing recalled Xie Zhuo's joy at receiving the investigation results, and couldn't help but sigh, offering words of comfort:
"Qiong'er doesn't know about what happened back then either. Father, talk to him nicely, and he'll understand. By the way, Father, have you found any news about the Princess after following Qiong'er's investigation?"
Xie Zhuo's brows furrowed further as he shook his head and said, "There's still no news about A Jin, but Qiong'er mentioned A Jin today, so he should know something. We'll ask him later."
...
—
On the other side, Lin Mushi, who was led into the house by a waiter, waved for the person to leave.
After glancing at the bathtub in front of him, Lin Mushi decided to try the human bathing method.
It's because although he knows how to use the Cleansing Technique, his skills are not refined, and when he uses the Cleansing Technique, he can usually not even see the dirt on his clothes and shoes.
But when he came out with his hair all wet and barefoot on the carpet, water droplets dripped down his half-long hair to his feet.
Lin Mushi stared at the clothes the waiter had placed aside, puzzled, because he had never seen this kind of clothing before.
Fortunately, the way to put on the inner garment is the same, so he just haphazardly put it on and tied a knot at the hem.
Hearing the commotion, the servant outside asked, "Young master, would you like me to come in?"
"Come in."
The waiter who came in was slightly taken aback when he saw Lin Mushi's appearance. He hurriedly took a dry brocade cloth and wrapped it around Lin Mushi's long hair, which was still dripping with water.
Lin Mushi didn't mind the water stains on his inner garment and had another waiter help him put on his outer robe.
Unexpectedly, the waiter seemed a little nervous: "Young master, you should change into your undergarments first. Although it is spring now, the wind outside is still chilly. If you catch a cold while wearing wet clothes, the Marquis will be in trouble."
Lin Mushi opened his mouth, wanting to explain that he was a demon, especially since his true form was a stone, so he shouldn't have any problems catching a cold. But remembering Su Xiaochun's warning, he didn't mention that he was a demon and prepared to change his excuse.
But before Lin Mushi could speak, the waiter excused himself to get some clothes and left.
A note from the author:
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