Chapter 91 Marry Me He suppressed his inner madness, uttering each word slowly and deliberately…
*
The tall, slender man exuded an extreme aloofness. Even amidst wealth and luxury, his loneliness remained undiminished. Yet, when embraced, he shed his chill and was instantly drawn into the bustling world.
He remained motionless, letting the person in his arms wrap tightly around his waist.
Behind him stood Mu Lin, who looked utterly shocked.
Mu Lin stared in disbelief at the person blocking her way, an incredible guess forming in her mind, her eyes filled with astonishment and doubt.
Yu Jingliang was equally shocked.
"Uncle Mu Jiu." Yu Jingliang was the first to react and quickly stepped forward to pull his sister away. "Ali, you've had too much to drink."
Only by using the excuse of being drunk could Shen Qinglu cover up her loss of composure. In fact, she was still rational; she had simply followed her heart and done what she wanted under the influence of alcohol.
When she heard Yu Jingliang call her "Uncle Mu Jiu", she immediately realized that she had hugged the wrong person.
"I had too much to drink and lost my balance. I'm sorry, Lord Mu."
Her face was flushed, and her dark eyes were brimming with moisture, hazy with the effects of the alcohol.
"She has never drunk alcohol before, how could you let her drink?" Mu Hanshi's voice, as soft as snowflakes, was very light and indifferent, but to Yu Jingliang and Cheng Ying, it sounded like a storm.
"Uncle Mu, please don't be offended. We gave her some iced Bi Xue Lu (a type of herbal drink), it's fine."
As soon as Yu Jingliang finished speaking, he realized something was amiss.
Why should he explain his own sister's situation to an outsider?
Shen Qinglu was also baffled. She glared at Mu Hanshi, but because she was slightly drunk, it looked more like she was seducing him than glaring at him.
"Lord Mu, you're being strange. It's my business whether I drink or not. Aren't you being too nosy?"
Mu Hanshi lowered his brows, his deep eyes filled with nothing but her.
His Azhu drank for the first time, but the person accompanying her wasn't him, and she even complained that he was too nosy!
"Although the Ice Jade Dew is elegant, its aftereffects are quite strong." He said, and instructed Yang Zhen, who was following him, to go to the kitchen of Qingfeng Restaurant to get a bowl of hangover soup.
Yang Zhen accepted the order and left.
Yu Jingliang felt increasingly strange, scratched his head, and asked Mu Lin, "Why are you here?"
Mu Lin finally came to her senses and revealed the purpose of her visit.
Upon hearing that there was an official mission to leave Beijing overnight, Yu Jingliang immediately sobered up and subconsciously reached out to pull Cheng Ying, "Aying, we have a mission, let's go."
The sound of "Ah Ying" made Mu Lin frown.
He glanced at them for a moment, then at Mu Hanshi and Shen Qinglu, wondering what was going on. Why did he feel that everyone around him had changed?
Cheng Ying and Yu Jingliang weren't drinking Bingbi Xuelu, but rather the stronger Taohua Zui. Cheng Ying's alcohol tolerance was lower than Yu Jingliang's, and she was clearly drunk. When she was pulled up and saw Mu Han, she didn't react for a moment.
"Your Majesty..."
How much did you drink?
His words were interrupted by Mu Hanshi, who immediately sobered up a bit. "...The white jade soup made with yellow croaker hasn't been served yet. Today, it's Ali's treat. Ninth Uncle, wouldn't you like us to finish our drinks before we leave?"
Shen Qinglu didn't want some people to linger there, so she quickly stopped them, saying, "It's alright if you didn't get to drink today. I'll treat you next time. You have important business to attend to."
“She’s right. Business is important. You should set off immediately.”
Mu Hanshi's words surprised everyone, including Shen Qinglu.
Shen Qinglu followed Yu Jingliang and the others, intending to take the opportunity to leave.
"You stay here and drink the hangover soup before you leave."
Yu Jingliang felt strange when he heard Mu Hanshi's words. "Uncle Mu, Ali didn't drink much, so she doesn't need the hangover soup. I'll arrange for someone to take her home so she can walk on her own later. I'm worried about that."
"It's alright, I'll take her home."
"..."
"Wouldn't this be too much trouble?" Yu Jingliang muttered, feeling that something was amiss.
"No trouble at all." Mu Hanshi looked at Shen Qinglu. "Regarding the hidden weapons used in that case, I have something I'd like to discuss with you. I wonder if it would be convenient for you?"
Can't this person tell whether it's convenient or not?
Shen Qinglu thought to herself that she and Mu Laojiu had met privately at night more than once, so there was really nothing to be afraid of. She said, "Second brother, it's alright. Lord Mu is an elder, and he will escort me back. You can rest assured."
The word "elder" made Mu Hanshi's eyes darken.
He glanced at the three men and said, "General Shen is still waiting for you in the camp."
With a single sentence, Yu Jingliang's dilemma was successfully resolved. He knew the character of this Uncle Mu Jiu; he was a cold and aloof man who rarely got close to women. He figured that Uncle Mu must really have something to say to his sister, and since he was in a hurry to get them out of the city, he had no choice but to take on the job of escorting them.
As soon as the three left, Shen Qinglu stopped pretending, plopped down in her original spot, picked up her chopsticks, and continued eating.
The dishes at Qingfenglou are not cheap; a single meal there can cost as much as an average family's annual expenses. She has to make sure she gets some of it back.
Mu Hanshi noticed that her chopsticks were frequently reaching for two of the dishes: honey-roasted lamb tail and beef slices in golden broth. Pain welled up in his deep eyes.
"Is it tasty?"
"It's delicious," she replied between swallows.
In her past life, her illness stemmed from her kidneys, requiring her to strictly abstain from certain foods year after year, making it impossible for her to eat meat without restraint as she does now.
Having been given a second chance at life, she is very grateful to have a healthy body.
"Isn't this Miss Shen's maid?" Zhuang Lanyi's voice rang out from outside the private room. She must have seen Xia Chan waiting outside, hence the question.
Xia Chan bowed and said, "Greetings, Miss Zhuang," without mentioning anything else.
Zhuang Lanyi's presence here was, of course, to find Feng Rong. She was always suspicious and harbored hostility towards all the beautiful girls around Feng Rong.
She couldn't tolerate even the slightest possibility.
"Your daughter is still out so late, is she meeting someone?"
Her maids and servants all knew her temperament and personality, so she didn't need to say a word or give any signals. The servants behind her had already taken the lead and pushed open the door to the private room.
"It really is Miss Shen." When she saw that besides Shen Qinglu, there was another man in the private room, and that man was not Feng Rong, she immediately became excited. "You actually had a secret rendezvous with someone!"
However, her excitement vanished as quickly as smoke when she met Mu Han's terrifyingly calm gaze. After a brief moment of shock, she recognized him and was inwardly annoyed at herself for almost losing her composure.
"Ninth Master Mu..."
"go out!"
Mu Hanshi's voice was extremely soft and cold, yet it possessed an undeniable air of dominance.
Hearing this reprimand, which sounded like that directed at a servant, she felt humiliated and utterly ashamed. Her pride crumbled, and she was filled with shame and anger.
"Master Mu, you probably don't recognize me. I am the daughter of the Marquis of Xingyi..."
“Miss Zhuang, it is quite improper for you to barge in like this.” Because the smell of alcohol had not yet dissipated, even though she was looking at people coldly, Shen Qinglu’s beautiful face showed an even more gorgeous appearance.
"I know you and just wanted to say hello. How is that improper? It's you who's improper, having a private rendezvous with a man and a woman alone at night."
Zhuang Lanyi looked them up and down with a suspicious gaze. "Master Mu said earlier that he had someone he liked. Could it be Miss Shen?"
"Whether it's true or not, what does it have to do with you?"
Shen Qinglu replied coldly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Mu Hanshi looking at her. His gaze was incredibly deep, like a bottomless pool, with shimmering peach blossoms floating on its surface.
What does this mean?
Mu Hanshi's face is unforgettable to anyone who has seen it. Zhuang Lanyi had only seen it once by chance, but she still remembered her amazement and regret at the time.
Seeing him with Shen Qinglu now, with his eyes filled with infatuation, I felt a strange mix of emotions, a mixture of envy and jealousy, and instinctively wanted to belittle him.
"I've long heard that Master Mu is destined to bring misfortune to his parents and is destined to be alone. I never thought that he would end up with someone like you who has been a fool for over ten years. I think you two are quite a good match."
Shen Qinglu raised her hand, and the chopsticks in her hand flew over. One fell to the ground, and the other hit Zhuang Lanyi, leaving an oil stain on her pomegranate red skirt.
Zhuang Lanyi screamed, "You...you actually dared to treat me like this, I..."
"Miss Zhuang, I'm sorry, I made a mistake." Shen Qinglu's face was still flushed from the alcohol, and she was obviously drunk without even trying. "I've had too much to drink."
Then, covering his mouth with his hand, he asked the person who remained silent despite being called a jinx, "She called you a jinx who brings bad luck to your parents, and she even called you a jinx. How can you tolerate this?"
Isn't this person supposed to be the most prone to going crazy? Why doesn't he go crazy when he should?
She said we were a good match, so the two things evened out.
Neuropathy!
Shen Qinglu glared at him irritably, then glanced at Zhuang Lanyi again, "Why aren't you leaving yet? Do you want someone to throw you out?"
Zhuang Lanyi trembled with rage. "You...you...I'm going to tell my father, I'm going to tell my aunt, I'm going to tell the Princess! You just wait!"
As she turned around, she saw the person outside the door and began to cry dramatically, "Cousin Rong, they've bullied me! You have to stand up for me!"
Feng Rong stood outside, her expression unreadable.
“Cousin Rong, you be the judge! This Miss Shen was having an affair with a man, and when I caught her, she got so angry that she dared to lay a hand on me. Look how rude she is!” She showed off the stains on her skirt, looking at Shen Qinglu with smugness and provocation, as if she had found a powerful backer.
“Miss Zhuang, who are you calling rude? You're the one who broke in, and you're the one who accused me first. What kind of logic is that?” Shen Qinglu said as she poured herself a drink.
Before he could even pick up his glass, his hand was pressed down.
"You can't drink anymore."
Mu Hanshi took the wine away and set it aside, completely ignoring Feng Rong.
Feng Rong's face had regained its usual friendliness as she apologized to them, "My cousin is being inconsiderate and has disturbed you both."
“Cousin Rong!” Zhuang Lanyi was very dissatisfied that he did not stand up for her but instead yielded to others. “They were in the wrong, why did you give them face?”
"Shut up!" he said, suppressing his anger. "You were rude first, so how can you blame others? Now get out of here."
Zhuang Lanyi felt wronged, "It's clearly this Miss Shen who's having a secret rendezvous with a man, they..."
Before she could finish speaking, Feng Rong dragged her out.
Feng Rong then carefully closed the door, saying apologetically.
As the door closed, the friendliness in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a look of ambiguity.
Shen Qinglu held her forehead with her hand, the flush on her face had not yet faded, and her body was still in a light and limp state, but her mind was about 80% clear.
She braced herself on the table, trying to stand up. "It's not a good thing if word gets out that an unmarried woman is having a secret rendezvous with a man. We'd better leave quickly."
As she swayed unsteadily, her slender waist was caught by the man's large hand.
"If you're worried about what people will say, there are ways to shut them up. Do you remember what I suggested to you last time?"
"What is it?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
"The matter of marrying me."
"Are you serious?"
"certainly."
A flame flickered in her dark eyes, not of excitement or joy, but of calculation and weighing.
Once the Prince Xin's Mansion has the last laugh and Feng Rong becomes the ruler of the world, then when one person attains enlightenment, even the most powerful and influential family members will rise to prominence, like the Zhuang and Guan families. At that time, how will the Shen family survive?
With her family in turmoil, how could someone like her, a dependent, possibly live in peace?
After a long pause, he said, "I'll think about it."
In an instant, it seemed as if fireworks were blooming in Mu Hanshi's eyes, only to dissipate in a moment.
He knew she must think he was after the Shen family's military power; that his so-called considerations were actually none of his business.
But so what!
He never wanted to be her brother again in this life; he only wanted to be her husband! No matter how despicable or shameless, no matter what means or methods he used, he would never let go.
He suppressed his inner madness and said, word by word, "I'll wait for you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
