"Jiaren? Her? Are you jealous?" Mu Ruoyan smiled playfully and beckoned to Lin Xihe, signaling her to come over.
Lin Xihe, however, seemed rooted to the spot, her beautiful eyes filled with wariness as she stared intently at him, showing no intention of moving an inch.
"What? Did all those calls of 'husband' last night just drift away into the wind?" Mu Ruoyan said, shifting further into the bed, her tone teasing and mischievous.
In an instant, Lin Xihe's ears flushed red, burning hot.
Recalling yesterday, Mu Ruoyan seemed to have some peculiar habit; when their emotions were running high, he insisted that she call him "husband."
She initially resisted fiercely, but he used all sorts of tricks and methods, and she couldn't bear it any longer. She could only sob and cry out a couple of times.
"Shameless!"
Lin Xihe gritted her teeth and spat out two words bitterly. She didn't want to stay with Mu Ruoyan for another second.
So she went straight to the chair inside the room, picked it up, and turned to leave.
"Lin Xihe, I want you to come here!" Mu Ruoyan's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unyielding authority.
Lin Xihe pretended not to hear, rolled her eyes, and continued walking straight into the courtyard. She found a shady spot under a tree and sat down comfortably.
Not long after, Mu Ruoyan, dressed neatly, walked out with an upright posture.
He walked a few steps to Lin Xihe and slowly squatted down.
"Shall I take you out for a walk?" His voice regained its gentleness, as if it could melt water.
"No need, I'm a little tired."
Lin Xihe didn't even open her eyes, leaning lazily back in her chair. At that moment, she was hoping that Mu Ruoyan would leave quickly.
As long as he leaves, I can go find Gu Qinghuai and spend more time with him without constantly worrying that someone might suddenly go crazy.
"I'll take you on horseback, I promise you won't get tired. There are some scenic spots in this back mountain, and I'll also take you to try some local specialties," Mu Ruoyan said patiently.
Lin Xihe was somewhat surprised that Mu Ruoyan's attitude had changed so drastically. Even on the way here, he had been quite accommodating to Lin Xihe, but he had never spoken to her so softly. Of course, the good attitude on the way here was only possible because he was in a good mood.
However, even though his tone was now gentle, Lin Xihe still couldn't muster the slightest interest in traveling with him.
Lin Xihe sighed softly, "I don't want to go out with you."
Mu Ruoyan seemed not to hear her refusal and turned to Xu Qi, who was waiting nearby, and instructed him, "Xu Qi, go and have someone bring the horse to the door."
Upon receiving the order, Xu Qi immediately jogged out.
Without a word, Mu Ruoyan scooped Lin Xihe up in her arms, a triumphant smile on her lips: "Feelings always need to be cultivated, don't they?"
"Do we really need to do this?" Lin Xihe struggled desperately, tilted her head back, and asked defiantly.
Mu Ruoyan did not answer Lin Xihe's question. Under the astonished gazes of the servants, he casually picked up Lin Xihe and walked towards the door.
They didn't care at all about what others thought.
Reaching the horse, he gently lifted Lin Xihe onto it, then nimbly mounted himself, spurred the horse on, and with a neigh, the steed galloped away.
The wind howled in her ears all the way, and Lin Xihe felt helpless but unable to break free.
Mu Ruoyan took her to a quiet little restaurant for a meal. The restaurant was elegantly decorated and the dishes were all local specialties, but Lin Xihe found them tasteless.
After the meal, Mu Ruoyan was in high spirits and took her to see the sea of flowers covering the mountains and fields.
A gentle breeze stirred the sea of flowers, their vibrant colors releasing a sweet fragrance. But Lin Xihe was preoccupied, oblivious to the beautiful scenery. Even surrounded by verdant mountains and breathtaking views, Lin Xihe remained distracted.
However, Mu Ruoyan's personality was unpredictable. In order to avoid further conflict between the two, Lin Xihe could only try to suppress her emotions and not provoke Mu Ruoyan. She simply followed his footsteps mechanically.
It wasn't until late afternoon, when the sky was dyed orange-red by the setting sun, that Mu Ruoyan returned with Lin Xihe.
Back at Mu Ruoyan's residence, Lin Xihe had barely steadied herself when her mind was completely preoccupied with how to get rid of Mu Ruoyan and go see Gu Qinghuai.
Just as he was racking his brains for an excuse, Xu Jiu rushed over, whispered a few words to Mu Ruoyan, saying that he had something important to discuss, and then asked him to leave.
Lin Xihe could no longer contain herself, and immediately asked someone before rushing to the kitchen.
Seeing her anxious expression, the cook didn't dare to delay and quickly scooped out several exquisite dishes and packed them into a food box.
Lin Xihe took the food box, picked it up, and hurried toward the place where Gu Qinghuai was imprisoned, her hurried steps creating a gust of wind.
As Gu Qinghuai heard the approaching footsteps, he instantly raised his head, and his dim eyes lit up.
"I had to go out today, have you been waiting long?"
As soon as Lin Xihe stepped into the cell, she knelt down in front of Gu Qinghuai, completely unaware that her knees were hitting the cold ground.
She moved gently yet urgently, opening the food box and carefully taking out the food one by one. The steaming food rose, but it couldn't warm the cold cell.
"Xihe, you always risk coming to see me like this, won't something happen to you?" Gu Qinghuai's voice was a little hoarse. The torment of the past few days had made him thin, but when he looked at Lin Xihe, the concern in his eyes was not diminished at all.
"No, don't worry about me. Drink this soup first, then eat something else." Lin Xihe said, quickly handing the soup bowl to Gu Qinghuai, and then gently lifting his trouser leg.
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