It was late at night when Gu Qinghuai was finally escorted back.
Mu Ruoyan raised her hand and gently rubbed Lin Xihe's slightly swollen forehead, her voice low as if she were talking in a dream, "In your heart, has there ever been even a trace of me?"
Lin Xihe was filled with resistance and did not want to talk about these things with this person who was always pressuring her.
She closed her eyes, glistening teardrops still clinging to her thick eyelashes, trembling slightly on her cheeks like startled butterflies.
"Lin Xihe, can you love me just once?" Mu Ruoyan slowly leaned closer, her warm breath spreading over Lin Xihe's head, her tone carrying an unprecedented humility and pleading.
Lin Xihe remained silent and did not respond.
Mu Ruoyan's breath still lingered above her head; she knew he was waiting for an answer.
Finally, Lin Xihe slowly opened her eyes and met Mu Ruoyan's expectant gaze.
"Do you love me?"
Lin Xihe tried hard to control her tone, not letting her voice be too cold, and asked in return.
If I admit it, will you laugh at me for being foolish?
"Laugh at you? You love me? Is your love seeing me kneeling on the ground begging for your mercy? Is it disregarding my wishes and taking from me every night? Is it knowing what methods can hurt me and then mercilessly inflicting them on me?" Lin Xihe's voice was choked with sobs, and each question shot at Mu Ruoyan like a sharp arrow.
"You think this is what you call bullying you?"
"If I didn't love you, do you think you'd still be lying here peacefully right now? Think about it, where would you be? I'm not some kind of gentleman; I've used dirty tricks you can't even imagine."
Mu Ruoyan's voice was low and deep. Although he didn't speak too bluntly, it sent chills down Lin Xihe's spine and filled her with fear.
Gu Qinghuai has been freed from the curse. If she and Gu Qinghuai can endure for a little longer, they will have a chance to escape.
Before that, keeping Mu Ruoyan calm was her only option and the key to her regaining her freedom.
Thinking this way, Lin Xihe knew that this was not the time to distinguish between love and hate. The most important thing was to get through this dark and hopeless period safely.
So, Lin Xihe suppressed her disgust and fear and threw herself into Mu Ruoyan's arms while crying.
"Please stop, please, stop..."
A soft, warm body nestled in his arms, exuding fragility and pitifulness.
Mu Ruoyan felt her previous agitation instantly subside.
"You know perfectly well that I can only rely on you, so why did you scare me like this..." Lin Xihe said between sobs, her arms around Mu Ruoyan tightening.
Soon, Mu Ruoyan's clothes were soaked with tears, and she was too cold to utter a single word of reproach.
Mu Ruoyan raised her hand and slowly pulled out the jade hairpin that Lin Xihe was wearing. In an instant, her ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
He gently stroked Lin Xihe's hair, his voice full of helplessness and doting, "I know you're not sincere, but I still admit defeat."
That night, Mu Ruoyan did not pressure Lin Xihe further, nor did he notice the unhealed wound on her chest.
Inside the room, only the sound of the wind coming from outside the window could be heard.
In the days that followed, the kitchen delivered meals to Gu Qinghuai on time every day.
Gu Qinghuai had actually already successfully cured the Gu poison, but in order not to expose himself, he still pretended to be tormented by the Gu worms every day, and his painful cries came out from the dark room where he was imprisoned day after day.
From that day on, Lin Xihe seemed genuinely frightened, becoming increasingly submissive and dependent on Mu Ruoyan, so gentle that Mu Ruoyan often felt a sense of unreality and disorientation.
Lin Xihe secretly calculated the days until her escape, thinking that she needed to confirm the escape route one last time.
So she coaxed Mu Ruoyan into taking her out for a trip.
Mu Ruoyan rode a tall horse and brought Lin Xihe to the street.
The streets were bustling with activity today. A vendor was selling mushrooms by the roadside, and Lin Xihe immediately recognized him. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Lang Feng.
Lang Feng merely glanced at Lin Xihe indifferently before lowering his head again and continuing to loudly hawk his wares.
"Mu Ruoyan, I'd like to try this restaurant." Lin Xihe casually pointed to a restaurant that looked pretty good by the roadside.
"Alright, it's just the right time for dinner."
Mu Ruoyan immediately reined in the horse, dismounted, and then naturally lifted Lin Xihe down. He handed the horse to Xu Qi, who was following behind, and led Lin Xihe into the inn.
Lin Xihe deliberately chose a seat by the window, an angle from which she could see the bright breeze outside.
Lang Feng's eyes were also very cautious, constantly watching Lin Xihe's every move.
Upon seeing this, the waiter immediately stepped forward and enthusiastically introduced the restaurant's signature dishes.
After listening, Lin Xihe rested her chin on her hand and sighed softly, "Sigh."
As soon as Mu Ruoyan sat down, she teased with a smile, "What's wrong? You're already sighing before you've even eaten?"
"The food here is all pretty much the same, I'm getting a little tired of it." Lin Xihe's tone was still soft and gentle, with a hint of a young girl's reproach.
"Then let's go to another one."
"I won't change it, I'll just stay here and eat whatever I want."
“You’ve always loved sweets, so I’ll have Xu Qi buy some. You can make do with this for now. When we get back, I’ll send someone to invite some of Da Hao’s chefs.” Mu Ruoyan said as she poured tea for Lin Xihe and thoughtfully handed it to her.
"Okay, let's have some sweets to cheer me up first. I want to eat the flower cakes from Huazhuanxiangzhai in Jinhua Lane."
Lin Xihe had a plan in mind: she wanted to get Xu Qi out of the way first, and then find an opportunity to get Mu Ruoyan away for a while as well.
Xu Qi had just tied up his horse and walked in when Mu Ruoyan sent him away.
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