Xin He’s heart fluttered under his icy gaze, lowering her head in both injustice and unwillingness, tears trickling down unstoppably.
Mu Houchu let out a helpless sigh, raised his hand to wipe away her tears, and said softly, "What about Ah Guai if you come with me? Are you sure that it’s okay to leave her alone in Yu State? Or do you think it’s better to bring her along to face dangers outside?"
Xin He irritably swatted his hand away, sniffling.
Mu Houchu spoke softly, "You can’t bear to part with her, can you? You should stay in Yu State for Ah Guai’s sake. Don’t wander off, understood?"
With her lips pressed tight, she stayed silent. He indeed always used Ah Guai to lend weight to his words. He clearly knew how much she cared for Ah Guai, and even though she sincerely wanted to accompany him, she could only stay in Yu State to take care of Ah Guai. He had always said nice things about sharing weal and woe with her, but when it really mattered, he preferred to face the dangers alone and would painstakingly try to keep her behind.
Xin He was reminded of six years ago when she was pregnant with Ah Guai. Forced by the Emperor, he had to go and eliminate bandits. During that time, she didn’t have any news from him and she had no choice but to stay at home, waiting hopefully.
Such days of fear would indeed come again.
She didn’t want to be left in a place of safety by him. Rather, she would prefer to be with him so she could at least be sure that she could help him, and whether he was alive or dead.
"You’re always like this! Making decisions without asking for my opinion. To have peace of mind, you want me to stay in Yu State. However, you’ve never considered my peace of mind. You don’t know that after you leave, I live in constant fear and helplessness. Every second is unbearable! Why are you always like this?" Xin He sobbed as she pounded on him. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Mu Houchu knew she was upset and stood there allowing her to vent her anger. He knew she had it tough. The person waiting at home was always more worried than the one who was out there. He remembered how she had suffered five years ago when she was pregnant with Ah Guai and he was presumably dead. Although she appeared strong, she had cried like a child when she saw him again.
People always thought that she could withstand any pressure, but Mu Houchu knew that she was not as strong as she seemed. She was as tender-hearted as any other woman. No one has a heart that is utterly unbreakable.
Ever since that incident five years ago, Mu Houchu had vowed never to leave her alone, helpless in her fear, waiting for him. He would stand by her side no matter what. However, today he had to break his vow. In the end, he was selfish. He would rather have her blame him than to have her come with him and face danger. He couldn’t let her be exposed to the slightest risk. Let’s just say it’s for his peace of mind.
Xin He cried for the first time since the birth of their child five years ago. Perhaps she was terrified of Mu Houchu’s departure, or resented him, or felt helpless about the current situation. Mu Houchu comforted her, but he absolutely refused to let her come with him.
After some time, Xin He stopped crying and fell into a deep sleep in Mu Houchu’s arms.
She couldn’t sleep peacefully that night, perhaps because of her tangled emotions and too many thoughts. Even in her dreams, she was troubled, her brows tightly furrowed.
Mu Houchu held her in his arms, watching the sleeping woman in his embrace, her brows knitted in distress. He sighed softly and smoothed out her furrowed brows with his hand.
Ultimately, he realized he was the one who had upset her.
But, even so, he would prefer it this way. He knew full well the risks involved in his upcoming trip to Lian City. The entire city might be under government control by now. There were countless dangers waiting for him. How could he bear to put her in such danger?
Fortunately, there was Ah Guai. Otherwise, Xin He wouldn’t just cry. No one could stop her from joining him.
Now there was a child. Xin He couldn’t leave Ah Guai and hence, couldn’t leave Yu State. Solely for the sake of looking after Ah Guai, he felt a bit more at ease.
Mu Houchu stayed awake all night, half-reclining as he watched the woman in his arms sleep soundly until dawn. For the first time, he felt the night to be so short. He lightly kissed her forehead before stealthily placing her on the bed, and left the room quietly.
It had reached a point where the journey to Lian City had become urgent. Mu Houchu had no choice but to leave immediately. He had to act before he was no longer able to reverse the situation, which would be troublesome.
If she were to see him leave, she would undoubtedly cry and make him even more reluctant to part with her. It was probably better to leave while she was still sound asleep.
As soon as Mu Houchu stepped out, he saw more than a dozen secret guards already waiting outside the door. Seeing Mu Houchu, they saluted, "Master."
Mu Houchu’s eyes were cold, his face frosty. "Disperse and leave immediately."
"Yes!"
With that, Mu Houchu strode briskly towards the gate.
All the servants along the way hurriedly bowed and stepped aside, quietly trembling in fear. Something major must have happened.
The stable boy had already prepared the horse at the entrance. As soon as Mu Houchu appeared, he quickly mounted the horse and vanished outside the door in the blink of an eye.
Not long after Mu Houchu left her side, Xin He felt a sense of emptiness. Her sleep became restless. Half asleep, she reached out her hand, only to grab empty air. Startled awake from her dream, she sat up on the bed. Looking around, there was nobody in sight.
Shulan and Xiaoyu entered the room hearing the noise. A hint of guilt flashed across their faces. "Has the Princess woken up?"
Her usual calm and composed expression was replaced by panic. "Where is he? Where is he?"
Shulan lowered her head slightly. "The Prince... the Prince has already left."
Xin He’s heart lurched, her face paled. She hurriedly crawled out of the bed, throwing on a thin dress. "When did he leave?"
"Just... just for a while..."
Without another word, Xin He rushed out.
Shulan was taken aback and hurried to follow. "Princess, where are you going? The Prince has instructed that you must not leave Yu State!"
Xiaoyu quickly grabbed a warm cloak from the room and ran after them. "Princess!"
Xin He’s hair was a disheveled mess, the green silk strands draped over her shoulders. Throwing on a thin dress, she ran outside. "Prepare a horse for me!"
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