Xiaoyu rushed in hurriedly, a trace of panic lighting up her usually composed eyes. "Madam, the master is back, the little page who delivered the message said, he’s already at the entrance of Tongluo Street!"
Xin He, taken aback, turned to the small kindle fire. "Go back to your room and sleep."
The little fire obediently nodded, instantly turned around and briskly walked out.
Shulan and Xiaoyu hastily put out all the lights in the room, preparing Xin He for rest.
Looking at their hurried actions, Xin He couldn’t help finding it a bit amusing. Well, let them be. After all, it was she who insisted on staying up late, and they would be the ones to bear the punishment later.
Xin He slipped under the covers and barely closed her eyes when she sensed the door being gently pushed open. A familiar scent gradually approached her, calming her nerves.
This man, wasn’t he too fast?
Xin He tried to keep her breathing steady, pretending to be asleep. She felt a pair of large hands slowly approaching her, gently holding her face.
In the next instant, however, her face was sharply pinched. It hurt.
Xin He’s delicate eyebrows furrowed and she couldn’t help but open her eyes.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw his mischievous gaze. "I thought you were going to fake it a bit longer."
Xin He was momentarily embarrassed, but luckily her increasingly thick skin kept her from blushing. Instead, she glared at him in annoyance. "I was asleep, you had to disturb me, and now you’ve woken me up!"
Mu Houchu laughed with a chilling edge. "You just got into the blanket a moment ago, and you think you can deceive me?"
Xin He’s eyes widened. "How did you know?"
He even timed it exactly right!
Mu Houchu pulled her out from under the blanket. "You think I wouldn’t notice? The wick of the candle in the room is still warm, it must have just been extinguished, and also..."
Mu Houchu pinched her nose. "If you were really sound asleep, the blanket would have been in a mess by now. How is it possible for you to lie so neatly in it?"
Listening to his detailed analysis, Xin He began to feel guilty. She now understood that she really couldn’t lie in front of this man!
Mu Houchu’s laughter grew colder, carrying an eerie undertone. "It’s late at night and you haven’t slept yet. Do you have anything to explain to me?"
Inwardly, Xin He thought: What’s there to explain when you’d blame me anyway?
She tugged on his sleeve and chuckled. "I really didn’t mean to, I just happened to encounter something today. I promise I won’t do it again next time. A few days ago, the doctor examined my pulse and said I’m in excellent health."
Initially, Mu Houchu was still very angry. But, having been softened by her gentle and persistent persuasion, half of his anger had subsided. Being such a astute man, he recognized that this was just a trick deployed by this cunning woman to appease him.
As they both grew to understand each other more every day, he was getting to know her temperament more and vice versa.
Whenever she made a mistake now, she would readily admit it and tug on his sleeve to beg for forgiveness. He was well-aware of her tactics. But notwithstanding that, he invariably fell for the trick. He even felt a little humiliated that he allowed himself to be so easily pacified in her presence but he enjoyed it nonetheless.
Mu Houchu continued to put on a stern facade, not wanting to let her get too complacent. "Don’t smooth-talk me. You’re about to be a mother and yet you are still so disobedient. Can’t such a big event wait until tomorrow? If you keep worrying me like this, I might just have to stay at home to watch you every day..."
Xin He obediently sat through his long lecture. She inferred from his words that his anger had probably dissipated by then. After his verbal tirade, things should normalize again.
Indeed, after chastising her for a while, Mu Houchu didn’t want her to stay up any longer. He urged her to sleep.
However, Xin He tugged on his sleeve. "It was my insistence to stay awake, even Shulan and Xiaoyu cannot stop me. Please don’t punish them."
Mu Houchu gave her a glare. "They’re your servants, how dare I punish them?"
Xin He laughed heartily, snuggling into his arms. "Regardless, I belong to you."
His satisfaction rose unabashedly at her words as he affectionately caressed her small face. "You’re gentle."
In fact, a source of great delight for Mu Houchu was that after each transgression, she would invariably be extra obedient and show him extra affection. This was indeed a kind of enjoyment for him.
Mu Houchu casually held her to his chest, while his large hand stroked her slightly bulging stomach, he asked, "I heard that someone from the Song family stayed overnight at our mansion?"
"Yes, because Madam Song and I talked so late that it got dark. Besides, the fifth Miss Song has disappeared and hasn’t been found yet, so naturally Madam Song can’t return to prefecture city, she had to stay temporarily in our mansion."
Mu Houchu answered chillingly, "I’m afraid that’s not the only reason. They probably intended to stay overnight in Lian’an Town from the start."
The Song family owned a private residence in Lian’an Town, which could be considered a property. The women of the Song family didn’t necessarily have to stay at Mu Mansion during their visit to Lian’an Town. They could have stayed in their private residence, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Xin He suddenly remembered that Shulan told her Madam Song hadn’t slept yet, so there might be some other matters she didn’t know. She then asked, "Could it be, there’s something else I am not aware of?"
"I’ve told you before, the Great Prince came to Yu State half a month earlier than expected." Mu Houchu said.
Xin He nodded, baffled. "Right."
The Great Prince, again?
What relationship did the Song family have with the Great Prince?
"As far as I know, the Song family intends to marry the Great Prince. That Song Yalin was brought up with royal education since childhood. With the Great Prince in Yu State, the Song family certainly won’t miss the chance to get close to him. Perhaps the Great Prince also bears the same intentions. My scout received news that the Great Prince arrived in Lian’an Town yesterday, so what could Song Yalin’s visit to Lian’an Town mean?"
Hearing this, Xin He’s face flashed with surprise. "This..."
"What is it?" That question slipped out effortlessly from Mu Houchu, he knew she usually didn’t care for these things but this time she seemed genuinely surprised.
Only then did Xin He say, "Actually, I also just found out that the Great Prince is in Lian’an Town, right at the Flower Full House, and he seems to be madly in love."
Mu Houchu chuckled. "So that’s how it is. You shouldn’t mention this to the Song family. In such matters, it’s best to keep yourself out of it."
"Okay."
Naturally Xin He wouldn’t willingly step into these muddy waters. It would be best to avoid such troubles as much as possible.
However, even if Xin He didn’t talk, the news still spread from others. By the next morning, there was plenty of gossip around the city.
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