Lin Xihe was taken advantage of by Mu Ruoyan's wanton actions.
She bit her lower lip tightly, not daring to utter a single sob, her heart filled with grievances and resentment, which she could only suppress deep inside.
She knew all too well that Mu Ruoyan had finally agreed to let her go, and this opportunity was fleeting; she absolutely could not let it slip away easily.
She pulled the blanket tighter and craned her neck to look at the floor. Her gaze fell on the clothes that had been carelessly torn and scattered, and a wave of bitterness instantly washed over her. Then, she slowly shifted her gaze to Mu Ruoyan, her helplessness clearly visible in her eyes.
Mu Ruoyan met her gaze and seemed to see right through her thoughts. Without hesitation, he said, "That's it, I'll carry you back."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's face flashed with panic, and she said urgently, "There are still some servants who haven't rested yet. If you take me back... it will be troublesome if they see me."
Anyone with common sense can easily discern the underlying concerns.
But Mu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow and retorted, her tone full of nonchalance and indifference: "So what if I see it?"
"You are...you are..."
Lin Xihe hesitated, but swallowed her words.
He is now the emperor of a neighboring country. If he were to appear in my home so quietly and be found out, I would be accused of treason and I would have no way to defend myself.
Seeing her hesitation, Mu Ruoyan reached out and pulled the blanket around her again, threatening in a low voice, "If you dawdle any longer, I might change my mind and not let you leave."
"Let's go, I'm leaving now."
Lin Xihe dared not delay any longer and hurriedly nodded in agreement, speaking with great urgency.
Mu Ruoyan picked up Lin Xihe and carried her out the door. Xu Qi understood and quickly led the way.
Along the way, whenever he spotted a figure moving in the distance, Mu Ruoyan would quickly turn aside and find a secluded spot to hide. Later, finding it too troublesome, he simply used his lightness skill to carry Lin Xihe over the wall and land steadily inside the house.
At the same time, Ling Xue returned from her bath and passed by Lin Xihe's room, only to find that the candlelight inside had just gone out.
She had intended to go in to find her own daughter, but was pleasantly surprised to find that Lin Xihe had already returned. She turned around and tiptoed back to her own side room.
In the darkness, Mu Ruoyan sat quietly by Lin Xihe's bedside, the person in her arms as docile as a kitten, motionless.
He held her like that, and time quietly passed until Lin Xihe, feeling unwell from being curled up for so long, began to murmur softly. Only then did Mu Ruoyan snap out of his daze and gently put her back on the bed.
Lin Xihe stretched out her body and lay comfortably on her familiar bed.
Mu Ruoyan showed no intention of getting up to leave. He slowly leaned closer to Lin Xihe's neck, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze: "Lin Xihe, can I stay here with you?"
The sound, already melodious, now seemed to possess a bewitching magic in the quiet night.
Lin Xihe was still in a drunken stupor and didn't notice his words. She only felt an itch on her neck and subconsciously reached out to scratch it.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes?" Mu Ruoyan whispered in her ear.
After saying that, he gently took off his shoes, carefully slipped into Lin Xihe's bed, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
At this moment, the fatigue from his long journey on horseback seemed to dissipate completely in this warm embrace.
However, before the first light of dawn had fully penetrated the night, Mu Ruoyan quietly got up, gazed at Lin Xihe silently by the bedside for a moment, and then tiptoed out of the room, leaving Lin Xihe asleep.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windowpanes like scattered gold, illuminating the room.
Ling Xue stood gracefully outside Lin Xihe's door, raised her hand, and gently knocked on the wooden door with her knuckles. Her voice was clear and respectful: "Miss, it's time to get up."
However, the room was deathly silent, without a single response.
Ling Xue remained patient and called out softly once more.
After a long while, Lin Xihe's lazy and weary voice came from inside the house.
Ling Xue pushed open the door, and a strong smell of alcohol immediately hit her. She saw Lin Xihe sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing only a thin shirt, her hair slightly messy, and her expression still showing signs of yesterday's fatigue.
Recalling everything that happened last night, Lin Xihe felt embarrassed, but still decided to reveal some information to Ling Xue.
She carefully chose her words, picking out the unimportant parts, and briefly recounted Mu Ruoyan's story, emphasizing that he was currently in the manor.
As for the bite mark on her shoulder, she subconsciously pulled her clothes tighter to cover it up completely, refusing to mention it.
After tidying up briefly, Lin Xihe spent some time with Tang Bao before hurrying off to the west courtyard.
She knew very well that if Mu Ruoyan didn't go to see him, he might really cause some trouble in the mansion, and then the situation would be difficult to manage.
Upon arriving at the West Courtyard, Lin Xihe instructed Ling Xue to guard the entrance while she went to look for Mu Ruoyan. However, the house was empty, with not a single person in sight.
Neither Mu Ruoyan nor Xu Qi were in the manor.
She thought that Mu Ruoyan wouldn't leave so easily, and that Xu Qi would come looking for her when he returned.
Since the person was not there, he could only return to the courtyard first.
Lin Xihe returned to her courtyard, where she, Ling Shuang, and Ling Xue played and laughed with Tang Bao.
Before long, Xiuchun, a maid from the outer courtyard, rushed over and bowed to report: "Miss, Cui'er just came from the Ji residence to say that Madam Ji misses the young lady and hopes that you can bring her to stay for a couple of days."
Lin Xihe stopped teasing Tang Bao and asked, "Where is Cui'er?"
"We're waiting in the front hall," Xiuchun replied respectfully.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe immediately began to have doubts.
She thought to herself, Mu Ruoyan never acts according to common sense, how could she dare to go to the Ji residence? He might even find her there, and if that happened, it would be troublesome.
However, it wouldn't be bad to let Tang Bao stay there for a few days. After all, Mu Ruoyan is in the mansion, and she really doesn't want this person to see her daughter.
After a moment's thought, Lin Xihe calmly and steadily instructed, "Let her go back first and tell Madam Ji that Tang Bao will be there shortly."
Xiuchun respectfully accepted, bowed, and withdrew.
After Xiuchun left, Lin Xihe turned to Ling Shuang and said seriously, "Ling Shuang, I have some important matters to attend to these days and I really can't leave. You and Mo Wusheng take Tang Bao to the Ji residence and tell them that I accidentally caught a cold and I'm afraid of passing on my illness to Madam Ji, so I can't go."
Although she couldn't go to the Ji residence in person, Lin Xihe was really worried about Tang Bao.
So, she secretly accompanied Tang Bao in a carriage all the way to the gate of the Ji residence.
Watching Ling Shuang and Mo Wusheng lead the two wet nurses into the mansion, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. She had to find a way to get Mu Ruoyan to leave as soon as possible.
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