Chapter 75 It can only be my brother. This is the answer Bu Muhanshi wanted...
*
Those people were speechless, looking at each other.
But there were still those who wouldn't give up, half-jokingly and half-aslingily wanting to know the answer, asking him which girl he was in love with, only to be met with his reply, "This concerns a woman's reputation, I cannot tell you."
Perhaps because he appeared so aloof and calm, many people thought to themselves that his words were just an excuse, and that he actually had no one he truly loved.
Not to mention others, even Ning Shi and Mu Wei thought the same way.
Only Shen Qinglu knew that what Mu Laojiu said was probably true.
The one he loves is none other than Yu Liuzhu!
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment, so Madam Ning quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying that it was her family's business that had troubled everyone, and that once the marriage was settled, she would like to invite everyone to a banquet.
Li was filled with regret, her eyes darting back and forth between Mu Lin and Mu Hanshi, clearly still somewhat unwilling.
"What's wrong with the Mu family? None of them seem to be in a hurry to get married," she muttered to her cousin-in-law beside her, her tone sullen.
"Perhaps they don't think much of us."
Her sister-in-law said something that left her speechless, and her face turned as ugly as could be.
Since ancient times, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has been difficult to manage, and the relationship between sisters-in-law is no less so. Even if they are sisters-in-law, living in a large house, there will inevitably be disagreements about daily necessities and trivial matters. Moreover, they know each other well and know each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Especially when there's a competitive spirit, such as with husbands or children, the one who's unhappy will inevitably make sarcastic remarks, not wanting the other person to be happy, and even gloating.
She glared at her sister-in-law, still not satisfied.
Fortunately, the banquet began at this time, and Gu Zhixu and Chen Linlang invited everyone to take their seats.
Everyone was eating and drinking, and on the surface, it seemed like a lively scene.
After the banquet, the guests took their leave one by one.
Gu Shizhi wanted to stay overnight at the General's Mansion and sleep in the same bed with Shen Qinglu, but was forcibly taken away by Madam Meng, the wife of the Duke of Yingguo, who was also Gu Zhengze's wife.
Meng Shi looked like a girl from a modest family, but she had a rather strong personality. The reason she refused to let Gu Shizhi stay was because she was considerate of Gu Ruxu and Shen Linlang being too tired. She said that she would send her daughter over after a few more days when everything in the mansion was in order.
Before leaving, Gu Shizhi held onto Shen Qinglu tightly, repeatedly promising that he would come to visit her in a few days.
In both her lives combined, she had never met such a clingy person.
Gu Shizhi's reluctant appearance made her feel something she had never experienced before. She secretly thought that perhaps in this life, her health would be better, and she could live like a normal person. She should indeed make some friends, or even get married and have children.
When the words "marriage and childbirth" came to her mind, she was walking back to her own courtyard. As she passed through a corridor and turned into a moon gate, her eyes were suddenly drawn to something bright.
His green robe was as blue as distant mountains after being washed by water. He was tall and slender like bamboo, quiet and elegant, like a cloud drifting from the horizon. He had an extraordinary figure and a face like that of a celestial being.
It was during the time of Mu Han.
The cicada was very perceptive and immediately stepped aside to keep watch for them.
Shen Qinglu stood still, watching the green figure get closer and closer until she could smell the faint scent of bamboo.
"When you were saying those things to Ah Lin earlier, did you already see us?"
Shen Qinglu showed no sign of guilt or panic at being exposed. Her dark eyes met his gaze without flinching. "Lord Mu, didn't you already assume I was a scheming person from the start? Why ask such a pointless question?"
How he thinks about her and how he sees her is irrelevant, as long as he doesn't target the Shen family.
She assumed that since this person was blocking her way, looking like he was there to interrogate her, he would inevitably say something unpleasant to her, either a warning or a reminder.
However, after a while, she actually heard him say, "Luckily, you do have some cunning."
"..."
What's wrong with this person today?
He was inexplicably questioned, but his response was one of relief.
As she pondered, he took another step closer, his lowered eyes filled with emotions she couldn't decipher, his gaze lingering on her forehead. The pear blossom hairpin covered the shallow scar perfectly, making it completely invisible.
"Have you applied any medicine these past few days?"
"Apply it."
Counting the days, today is the fourth day, there are three more days to go.
She thought that once the marks on her face disappeared after three days, there would be no further connection between them.
Everything has come back to life. The trees that seemed dead in winter have begun to sprout new leaves, and the old green and new green are intertwined everywhere, just like them.
They are themselves, yet they are not the same as they once were; they are the reborn version of themselves, and also the dead version of themselves.
"I don't know who started the rumors about me in the capital, but they seem to be on my side. With my reputation for being a good wife and bringing good fortune to my family, I'm afraid no one will believe it if anyone says I'm unlucky for my parents or have a lonely fate."
"..."
Does he know something?
Shen Qinglu was suspicious, but she didn't show it on her face.
"Lord Mu has found someone he loves and has gained such a good reputation. It seems that good things are about to happen. I would like to offer my congratulations."
Congratulations!
"..."
Screw your "congratulations"!
Shen Qinglu wanted to curse. This person was no ordinary person. If she really married Yu Liuzhu, it would not be a good thing for her or the Shen family. What was there to be happy about?
Just as she was about to say something to test the waters and prepare herself, she was unexpectedly asked a question in return.
“Your feelings for Ah Lin are clearly different from others. He was even willing to give up his position as heir for you. Are you really not moved at all?”
“I already said, he’s like an older brother to me. An older brother is an older brother. I can be very close to him, I can trust him completely, but I could never fall in love with him. Otherwise, what kind of person would I be?”
So, if you're the older brother in one life, you can only be the older brother in the next?
This is not the answer that Bu Muhan wanted, nor is it the result he desired!
The sky in his eyes was filled with swirling clouds, imprisoned beneath a calm, covering everything. Winter passed and spring came; the old green remained, but the new green had its own path to follow, just like him.
"You're right, you two aren't a good match."
It turns out he really was still testing me.
Shen Qinglu thought to herself, "Luckily, she didn't mean it that way at all."
"If Lord Mu has nothing else, I will take my leave."
"It was a pleasure chatting with you. I'll be bothering you quite often in the future."
"..."
*
In an alley not far from the general's mansion, someone was constantly looking around.
The man wore a cloak and hood, covering half his face. Judging from his exposed eyes, he was quite handsome, but the jealousy in his eyes ruined his original charm.
After an unknown amount of time, the gates of the general's mansion opened wide, and guests began to walk out, accompanied by laughter and conversation.
The group said their goodbyes to each other and then boarded their respective carriages.
A large group of people were huddled together, making it difficult to distinguish who was who. Suddenly, a maid appeared out of nowhere, stuffed something into Zhao Danxin's hand, and then ran away as fast as she could.
She looked into her hand and saw a note. There was nothing written on the note except a drawing of a crabapple blossom.
She was very familiar with the crabapple blossoms. She looked around and saw people walking into the alley with crabapple blossoms embroidered on the hem of their cloaks. She understood immediately. Seeing that Li was talking to someone, she quickly walked over when no one was paying attention to her.
"Cousin Tang'er."
The person removed their veil, revealing themselves to be Yu Liuzhu.
The two walked inside, avoiding passing carriages and people.
"Cousin Danxin, I thought you didn't want to see me again." Yu Liuzhu looked sad but also very relieved.
If it were before today, Zhao Danxin might have remembered her mother Li's instructions and hesitated a bit.
But now, because of her aversion to Shen Qinglu, she desperately wanted to confide in someone. Without even asking Yu Liuzhu, she poured out everything that had happened at the family reunion banquet, expressing her strong dissatisfaction.
"Cousin Tang'er, are you saying that Zhuang Lanyi is very troublesome and difficult to deal with? She actually managed to gain the upper hand and even attracted the Third Prince's attention, so she must be no pushover. I think the Third Prince looked at her every time he saw her, and he might have come for her."
“Cousin Danxin, there are some things I shouldn’t say. Others might think I’m resentful or jealous of her. But I’m worried about you. You may not know, but she’s very cunning and ruthless. You’ll have to be extra careful when you face her in the future.”
"I knew it. She's not as simple as she seems on the surface." Zhao Danxin frowned, her face full of displeasure.
Just then, someone passed by. Judging from their appearance, they should be from the Gu family. The maids and servants following the carriage walked along, talking about the Marquis's mansion.
"Mother, Master Mu rarely sees people. Who do you think is the girl he likes?" the maid asked.
The old woman replied, "Who knows? Maybe it's someone we know."
Upon hearing this, Yu Liuzhu's heart suddenly pounded, and she hurriedly asked Zhao Danxin, "Who said that Ninth Master Mu has someone he admires?"
Seeing her agitated state, Zhao Danxin asked suspiciously, "Cousin Tang'er, what's wrong with you?"
"I...I just want to know more about the Marquis's mansion."
"The Mu family has been slow to propose marriage, which must be due to their dissatisfaction. I heard from Madam Hou that she is not in a hurry to finalize the engagement and wants to delay it for a few more years, perhaps hoping that they will realize their mistake and cancel the engagement themselves."
She was anxious inside, but on the surface she had to pretend to be sad. "How come that Ninth Master Mu has someone he likes?"
Zhao Danxin didn't hide it from her, "He said it himself."
"He said it himself! In public?"
"Yes. It's strange, I've never seen him before. I only knew that the Mu family had a Ninth Master who wasn't in good health and didn't usually come out. You have no idea, he's really handsome..."
Her heart was pounding, and her ears were ringing; she couldn't hear a word Zhao Danxin was saying.
After finishing her conversation with someone, Li turned around and, not seeing her daughter, instructed her maid to search for her.
When Zhao Danxin saw that someone was looking for her, she quickly left.
Yu Liuzhu didn't hear a word she said; her mind was filled with memories of her past life, and she was completely immersed in excitement.
It must be her!
Who else could be the person Uncle Mu Jiu admires besides her?
She was overjoyed, filled with anticipation, and couldn't wait to see him.
After waiting and hoping, almost all of the Shen family's guests had left, including the Duke and Duchess of Yingguo and Madam Ning. After waiting for quite a while, Mu Hanshi finally came out.
His elegant and graceful figure, like a pine tree standing tall in the wind, exuded a cool and noble air that could be clearly felt even from a distance. Her heart pounded, as if she could see the man in the bamboo forest, his deep affection hidden within, calling out "A-Zhu, A-Zhu" again and again.
She disregarded everything else, abandoned her ladylike reserve, and ran off, lifting her skirt.
Yang Zhen suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked her way.
The blush on her face was still there as she gazed at Mu Hanshi with tender affection, "Uncle Mu Jiu."
Mu Hanshi looked at him coldly, his gaze extremely calm and indifferent.
"I have something to say to you. May I ask to speak to you privately?" She felt inexplicably afraid, but was blinded by what she thought was affection, and appeared shy.
She thought her behavior explained everything, and looked at him with even more affection.
After a long while, she did not hear Mu Hanshi's reply. She looked up shyly and was so shocked that she took several steps back.
Mu Hanshi's eyes were dark and sinister, filled with a murderous aura she had never felt before, as if some kind of knife was trying to peel off her face.
"Uncle Mu, why...why are you looking at me like that?"
"I told you you have a good face, so don't do anything inappropriate that would ruin this good face."
"I didn't, I didn't do anything, Uncle Mu, please believe me, I just... I just admire you, you understand..."
"It's not you."
She understood those three words.
But how is that possible?
She wanted to say something more, but Mu Hanshi had already boarded the carriage.
A gust of wind came, and she felt very cold.
Scenes from her past life flashed before her eyes: the person who helped her, the person who called her name when drunk—how could the person she loved not be her?
She also remembered once accidentally bumping into that person painting. The person in the painting was dressed in green, without any makeup, and looked very much like her.
Why is this happening?
No one answered her; only the carriage drove away.
She didn't want to believe that the two people she thought were the best to her in her past life... were they both lies?
Suddenly she realized that someone was watching her, so she immediately changed to a shy and affectionate look, covered her face and left.
*
A beautiful woman's face, furrowed in jewels, was reflected in the mirror.
Those slight sorrows did not diminish her beauty in the slightest; on the contrary, they gave her a unique charm, like a delicate flower that was originally in full bloom but for some reason curled up its petals, making one want to pick it and cherish it even more.
"Miss, are you worried about Lord Mu?" Xia Chan observed her expression and asked her softly while untying her hair.
She hummed in agreement.
What is their relationship? What kind of friendship do they have? How could that person say such outrageous things as having a pleasant chat with her and saying he would come to see her often in the future?
This is never going to end!
She was unhappy, not happy at all.
"I was hoping those rumors would keep him busy for a while, but I didn't expect him to say that he already has someone he likes, which put me at a loss."
"Don't you want to know who he loves?"
Who else could it be?
"I know." "You know, young lady?" Xia Chan was surprised for a moment, but quickly felt it was only natural; indeed, no one knew this better than herself. "So, what do you plan to do next, young lady?"
"Of course, I'll keep giving him things to do, so he won't be too free to come looking for me."
Xia Chan thought to herself, "So that's why the young lady dislikes Lord Mu so much."
No wonder.
She clearly misunderstood.
She misunderstood Shen Qinglu's so-called "knowing" as knowing that she was the person Mu Hanshi had mentioned loving. Shen Qinglu, in turn, also misunderstood, believing that Shen Qinglu knew everything about her.
As the master and servant were talking, Renchun entered.
"This servant dared not get too close, as I could not hear what they were saying. After Lord Mu left, Miss Tang'er looked radiant with joy, she must have been very happy."
So all my scheming was for nothing, and I ended up doing them a favor?
The beauty in the mirror had a blank face, a cold and expressionless look, like a beautiful but soulless wooden beauty.
Shen Qinglu looked at herself like this and suddenly smiled.
She gestured for Xia Chan to come closer and whispered some instructions.
*
In the Shenwu Camp, meals were provided, and superiors and subordinates ate the same food.
There were many scions of prominent families in the camp, and if someone didn't like the food, their family could send some over. Even those who did like the food would occasionally have a treat.
Despite being a Right General, Shen Kunyao rarely made exceptions for himself and always ate with his subordinates.
Under these circumstances, Shen Qinglu wanted to send some food over, but naturally she couldn't use his name. So she used the excuse of a younger sister feeling sorry for her older brother and told the guards at the gate that she was sending soup to Yu Jingliang.
Yu Jingliang, Mu Lin, and Cheng Ying were often together, so of course they were included as well. However, Mu Lin said he had something to do and couldn't come, so only Cheng Ying came.
Upon hearing that the soup was made by her own hands, Yu Jingliang was overjoyed and drank a large bowl in one go, praising her cooking skills to the skies, saying they were comparable to the best chefs in the palace.
"It's still far from being as good as the imperial chefs, but its sincerity is what makes it special," Cheng Ying said.
Yu Jingliang disagreed, "I've been to the palace too. The soup there is just so-so. It's cold and has a fishy smell. It's nowhere near as good as the soup my Ali cooks."
"That's for you to drink. Have you ever had any of the soup meant for His Majesty?"
"No, not at all." Yu Jingliang chuckled and muttered, "You haven't had it either."
Cheng Ying acted as if she hadn't heard and continued drinking her soup.
The younger generation had their share, so it wouldn't be good to leave out the elders. Shen Qinglu naturally sent soup to Shen Kunyao and Mu Wei as well, and even Mu Lin, who couldn't leave, got some. What about the rest of the people?
She pretended to be somewhat troubled yet sensible, and asked Yu Jingliang for advice, "Second Brother, you said you've already sent gifts to Uncle and Lord Mu, should we send one to Ninth Master Mu as well?"
Yu Jingliang immediately said he would send it.
"Are you really going to send it?" She seemed to be still hesitant and somewhat reluctant.
Her behavior led Yu Jingliang to believe that she was afraid of Mu Hanshi.
Yu Jingliang scratched his head. "Uncle Mu Jiu looks cold, but he's actually quite easy to talk to. However, he's not very friendly with people. Even if you give him some, he probably won't drink it."
"Then let's just forget about it?" She seemed relieved, and was just thinking of changing the subject by mentioning the rules and the relationship between the two families, when she heard Cheng Ying say, "Uncle Jiu isn't picky about food, he'll definitely drink it. I'll go and deliver it to Uncle Jiu."
Shen Qinglu didn't believe that some people were obviously difficult to please and couldn't possibly be picky eaters, but she had already achieved her goal, yet she still didn't forget to use some scheming.
"Lord Cheng, could you please not say that I sent it? I'm afraid Lord Mu will find it offensive. How about you say it was sent by the Marquis's residence?"
Cheng Ying agreed.
The soup was quickly served to Mu Hanshi. It was made with chicken as the base and several kinds of medicinal herbs as the main ingredients. Just by smelling it, he knew which herbs were in it.
This was the soup he used to drink most often, and it was also the soup that his A'Zhu was best at making.
“Ali was afraid you would find it offensive, so she told me to say it was sent from the Marquis’s residence,” Cheng Ying said.
"I see."
The moment the soup entered my mouth, a long-lost flavor was accompanied by a subtle, indescribable off-flavor, like a very faint medicinal taste, or perhaps a slight burnt taste from overcooking.
Mu Hanshi took another sip, savoring the taste.
After a long while, his calm eyes, like lake water rippled by the wind, shimmered with a brilliant light.
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