A glimpse of the whole
As the weather gradually warms up, it's time to pack away warm clothes like cotton-padded coats and fur coats. Wang Pan'er stared at the few clothes in her wardrobe, lost in thought.
Wang Pan'er has long since adapted to the routine of working at sunrise and resting at sunset. At this time, she should normally finish washing up and come out for breakfast.
The young woman who took care of the three sisters was somewhat worried about Wang Pan'er's health. The second-in-command had already left with the third young lady, but the first-in-command was still nowhere to be seen. After much deliberation, she finally pushed open Wang Pan'er's door.
As soon as the door opened, the woman's not-so-large eyes widened in surprise.
Her mistress, who usually didn't care much about her appearance, had taken out all the clothes from her wardrobe today. She was wearing one, holding another in each hand, comparing them in front of the mirror, while a few others were scattered on the bedside table.
Hearing the noise at the door, Wang Pan'er turned around abruptly and stared at the young woman.
Such behavior was somewhat impolite. The young woman, a little embarrassed, chuckled awkwardly and asked, "What's this, Boss?"
Wang Pan'er angrily threw her clothes on the bed: "I'm usually too careless. When I need to do something serious, I can't even find a decent set of clothes."
For serious business, coarse cloth and linen clothes—the kind the boss usually favors for their convenience and comfort—are naturally out of the question. The remaining two pieces are a pale yellow, straight-collared, front-opening long gown and a light green pleated skirt, paired with a sandalwood-pink jacket.
The young woman noticed Wang Pan'er's brows furrowing into a deep frown and tentatively suggested, "If the boss is going to discuss business, the pale yellow one would be good; if it's a private gathering with important friends, the light green one would be more appropriate."
It's impossible to just go out and buy it on a whim. If she doesn't wash it after buying it, Wang Pan'er will become a germaphobe.
Having seen the noble lady off and successfully joined the Chamber of Commerce, she naturally wanted to bring this good news to Mu Chuan. She only remembered to send a letter and make an appointment with Mu Chuan today, completely forgetting to buy herself some decent clothes.
She sighed and pointed to the pleated skirt: "Okay, I'll wear this."
A woman's thoughts are easy to guess. The young woman figured that the chief was probably going to meet her lover, so she pointed to Wang Pan'er's dressing box and said, "Everyone praises my hairstyle. I don't have any new clothes, so why don't you change your hairstyle today, chief?"
Wang Pan'er nodded, her brows finally relaxing a little.
The young woman's skills were indeed exquisite; no wonder Wang Xiaoyao had arranged for her to take care of the three of them. She looked at the young woman's familiar sections, then braided her hair, and finally pinned it up on top of her head. She then took out a pear blossom hairpin made of velvet flowers from her box and firmly secured the bun.
Gentle yet dignified.
Wang Pan'er looked in the mirror, extremely satisfied. Just as she was about to get up, the young woman pressed her down again. She then brought out lipstick, rouge, and face powder to apply makeup to Wang Pan'er.
Wang Pan'er's features can only be described as regular, but her skin is naturally excellent. With proper nutrition, her skin is smooth and radiant. Even without makeup, she can be considered a refreshing little beauty. Gradually, she became lazy and lost the habit of wearing makeup. But now, after being dressed up by the lady, she looks much more radiant, as if she is about to get down to business.
She had arranged to meet Mu Chuan, who had driven his carriage early in the morning and was waiting at the gate of the estate. The coachman was Mo Feng, who bowed simply to Wang Pan'er as a greeting.
Wang Pan'er nodded to Mo Feng, stepped onto the carriage frame, and boarded the carriage. She lifted the curtain and saw Mu Chuan's slightly surprised expression.
It was worth sitting in front of the mirror for almost half an hour. She suppressed her urge to whistle and suppressed the corners of her mouth: "As the saying goes, a proper appearance reveals a good person. Aren't you amazed by my beauty?"
Mu Chuan, as always, was easily teased, and his cheeks flushed red instantly, though his fair skin made it impossible to hide. He tilted his head slightly: "You called me here because you have something important to discuss, right? I've already heard about your affair with your lady."
"Why are you calling her 'Noble Lady'?" Wang Pan'er turned Mu Chuan's face towards her, staring into his eyes. "Isn't she your mother?"
Mu Chuan coughed twice, couldn't help but chuckle, and then said knowingly, "As expected, I couldn't hide it from you."
“You look about seven or eight parts like Madam. Madam never tried to hide it from me. Over time, the information matched up.”
Mu Chuan thought about the scene of meeting his mother that day: "It is indeed a coincidence that you recommended the cherry blossom forest to your mother. Thinking about it, we haven't seen each other for a whole year. My mother has been unable to eat or drink for a year and has become emaciated. It is true that loyalty and filial piety are difficult to balance since ancient times."
"Stop, stop! Xiaoyao and I finally managed to fatten up Madam quite a bit. When Madam passed away, she even wanted to take me in as her goddaughter."
"really?"
Wang Pan'er put her hands on her hips, feigning anger: "How could it be fake? I can raise a cat that's fatter and stronger than other people's. Are you looking down on me?"
Mu Chuan thought of how thin and bony she looked in her red wedding dress when they first met, and then thought of Wang Xiaoyao and the little mute girl that Xianying had taken in. They were indeed very good at taking care of people. He immediately clasped his hands and begged for forgiveness: "I dare not, I dare not."
“That’s more like it.” Wang Pan’er put her hand down. “A person should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. Now that Madam has let go, she will no longer be fixated on her unhappy marriage.”
"My sister and I tried to persuade Mother for a long time, but we couldn't convince her. It was you and Xiaoyao who managed to get things done with ease."
"You high-class families have so many rules and are so particular about things. We took my wife to see the poor people struggling to make a living, and accompanied her to give alms to the displaced and pitiful. We let her face the hardships of survival, and she no longer felt that the love and affection in this humble courtyard was so important. My wife even said that she would work for the well-being of the poor people when she returned. It's not like you said, where loyalty and filial piety are hard to reconcile. Now, loyalty is filial piety."
Mu Chuan looked at Wang Pan'er, who was speaking so vividly, with tears in his eyes. He had a thousand words in his heart, but he didn't know how to express them. He sighed softly, "I really have no way to repay your great kindness."
Wang Pan'er was now extremely proud: "And another thing, Master Su promised that if I could make Madam happy on her return journey, he would let me join the association. I am already a member of the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce. If you want to join, it's very simple, just repay him with your body."
Before Mu Chuan could reprimand him, Mo Feng's violent coughing came from outside the door.
Good heavens, Mo Feng is a taciturn person, and he didn't say a word for a long time. She almost forgot that there was someone helping to drive the carriage sitting outside. Mu Chuan looked embarrassed and didn't bother to scold Wang Pan'er, so he automatically kept quiet.
Wang Pan'er lifted the curtain, and when the carriage passed through a dense forest, she called for it to stop. Without saying a word, she pulled Mu Chuan out of the carriage and walked deeper into the forest while instructing Mo Feng, "Don't eavesdrop. Your young master and I have a secret to tell each other."
The more you try to stop them from listening, the more unbearable it becomes. Even Mo Feng, with his honest and kind face, couldn't help but show a gossipy expression. Seeing them about to leave, he could only sigh inwardly at their pity.
Wang Pan'er pulled Mu Chuan along and walked about two or three hundred meters away. The shadowy trees had completely obscured the carriage's shadow, and there were chirping insects and birds in the woods. Unless Mo Feng had developed the ability to see and hear a thousand miles in Laozi's alchemy furnace, it would be impossible for him to hear her conversation with Mu Chuan.
Mu Chuan was led by Wang Pan'er the whole way, his heart pounding like a drum. How were the two of them any different from those lovers having secret rendezvous?
The person walking in front, holding hands, suddenly stopped, turned around abruptly, took a step forward, and closed the distance between them to almost nose to nose.
Mu Chuan's neck was stained pink. He turned his head away, looking nothing like someone who knew martial arts. He staggered back a few steps and was pinned against a big tree by Wang Pan'er, who was following closely behind.
At this critical juncture, not explicitly refusing is tantamount to agreeing.
Mu Chuan didn't push her away, but Wang Pan'er went even further, grabbing Mu Chuan's collar and pulling it down forcefully.
Nose to nose, Mu Chuan's fleshy nose was warm, and his unique fragrance filled my nostrils, like the faint sandalwood scent on cotton and linen clothes after being dried in the sun, dry yet moist.
Wang Pan'er gazed at Mu Chuan, his amber eyes gleaming in the sunlight, her heart pounding: "Do you know, Madam wanted to take me in as her goddaughter, but I didn't agree."
Mu Chuan seemed to already have an answer in his heart, and it was about to be revealed. His voice trembled as he asked, "Why won't you agree?"
"It's strange to do these things to your sworn brother."
After saying that, Wang Pan'er loosened Mu Chuan's clothes, cupped his cheeks, stood on tiptoe, and kissed the lips she had long coveted without saying a word.
Mu Chuan froze, instinctively wanting to struggle.
In this dense forest...
His mind was in complete turmoil; he couldn't find the words to describe Wang Pan'er's absurd and improper behavior.
According to ancestral customs and traditions, shouldn't things be discussed only after marriage...?
That's enough.
When has Wang Pan'er ever respected etiquette? What if his act of pushing her away is interpreted as rejection? How would he then make amends?
Mu Chuan loosened his clenched hands and let them hang down, allowing Wang Pan'er to knead and roll them flat.
Noticing Mu Chuan's retreat, Wang Pan'er became even more aggressive. What was originally just a gentle nibble on his lips turned into a forceful thrust after she felt the pressure ease.
The alarm bells rang loudly in Muchuan.
She seemed so familiar with him; could she have had such intimate contact with other people?
Fortunately, after its reckless charge, it lost that innate momentum. First, it licked its front teeth, then tentatively touched the tip of its tongue, clearly becoming much more bewildered.
Mu Chuan didn't know what kissing was like. As their lips and tongues intertwined, gliding across his palate, he gasped for breath, feeling as if he were being electrocuted. His pores opened up, and he instinctively chased after the other's unruly tool, gently biting it.
"Why did you bite me!" Wang Pan'er cried out in pain, pushing Mu Chuan away and taking a half-step back, shouting angrily, "Don't you dare learn bad habits!"
Mu Chuan didn't let her go far away. He grabbed her arms, pulled her back into his embrace, and kissed her again.
Unlike her previous probing, Mu Chuan was a bit "fierce" this time. Even though her hands on her arms were still trembling, she imitated her earlier actions and squeezed them between her lips and teeth.
After Mu Chuan had finished kissing her, Wang Pan'er was already breathless. She simply leaned on his shoulder, sniffing his intoxicating scent like a kitten, and exclaimed, "You smell so good."
"You smell better."
"I can't compare to you."
...
What childish dialogue.
Wang Pan'er, having lost her composure, changed the subject: "I promised Madam that I would try my best to win over the person I desired, and now I have achieved my wish. What about you?"
Mu Chuan smiled and poked her hair bun: "No wonder you wore the 'heart-shaped bun' hairstyle today."
"Is this the 'Tongxin Bun'?" This delicate hairstyle even has such a fitting name; it's truly auspicious. She shook her head and then lowered her head to rub the bun against Mu Chuan's chin. "This was done by the lady who takes care of our daily needs. She's so capable; I'll reward her handsomely as soon as I get back!"
Mu Chuan pressed down on Wang Pan'er's mischievous head: "Then, shall I also give her a reward?"
What will you reward me with?
"Because today my wish has been fulfilled."
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