Chapter 344 - 343: Longing

Chapter 344: Chapter 343: Longing

Mu Lianxiao saw that charming figure from afar.

She came out of the courtyard gate, her steps hurried, and her earrings swung fiercely in all directions, reflecting her mood.

Just like his mood.

Mu Lianxiao quickly walked up to Du Yunluo, lowered his head, and looked at her.

Du Yunluo’s apricot eyes were radiant, brighter than the stars beyond the fortress, with joy undisguised in their depths, plain and sincere.

"You..." Mu Lianxiao held Du Yunluo’s hand, "Why are you dressed so thinly? It’s cold outside, you should’ve waited inside."

Du Yunluo pursed her lips and smiled; these words sounded very familiar, as Mu Lianxiao had said them to her previously.

However, she let them in one ear and out the other.

After waiting so long for Mu Lianxiao to return, how could she bear it and still tie her snow jacket slowly?

Du Yunluo hadn’t been standing for long, her palms were still warm, but compared to Mu Lianxiao’s, they felt a bit colder.

Mu Lianxiao led her inside, gently rubbing her hands.

Du Yunluo looked up at him, feeling her heart warm along with her hands, smiling softly, "It really seems a bit darker."

"What?" Mu Lianxiao didn’t understand.

Du Yunluo told him everything Jiuxi had said.

Mu Lianxiao laughed and scolded, "To conspire against me like this, I’ll retrieve that little knife tomorrow."

Du Yunluo giggled.

Mu Lianxiao looked down at her, "Did I really get tanned?"

Du Yunluo laughed even more joyfully.

On the table in the east side room, there was still Laba porridge; Mu Lianxiao saw the half bowl where peanuts and lotus seeds had been picked out, showing confusion.

Du Yunluo went over and held the porcelain bowl, saying, "I like eating these, so I picked them out."

Mu Lianxiao couldn’t help but laugh but didn’t expose her, knowing noon was approaching, and didn’t care whether the porridge was cold or warm, taking up a spoon to eat quickly.

Du Yunluo watched him from the side, not willing to move her gaze for a moment.

Half a year without seeing each other, Mu Lianxiao had indeed tanned some, making the lines of his jaw appear more defined, with less youthful innocence in his brow, adding a sense of maturity.

Rushing back to the Capital along this journey, then entering the palace to report, Mu Lianxiao barely ate during the day, hastily drinking several bowls of porridge. He wiped his mouth and turned his gaze to Du Yunluo.

Meeting eyes, he saw his image clearly in her gaze.

Du Yunluo was the same; she blinked her eyes, lightly scraping the edge of the bowl with her fingertips, saying coyly, "I was just teasing you earlier. I got impatient with the waiting, so I used these to pass the time."

Upon hearing this, surprise flashed through Mu Lianxiao’s eyes, then understanding. He leaned slightly, murmuring, "I know."

They were so close, they could hear each other’s breath.

Lian Qiao and Jin Rui didn’t bother to tidy the table, slipping out stealthily.

Du Yunluo’s long eyelashes quivered; Mu Lianxiao’s breath on her nose tip, tickling her. She instinctively raised her hand to rub it, but he held her hand.

Mu Lianxiao applied force with his arm, making Du Yunluo sit on his lap, holding her tight.

Du Yunluo’s neck suddenly heated up. Leaning into Mu Lianxiao’s embrace, through the fabric, she heard his strong heartbeat, one beat after another.

It was heavy, yet not as heavy as her own heartbeat.

Her heart was pounding like a drum.

"Yunluo."

Mu Lianxiao’s voice made Du Yunluo raise her head, just about to speak when she was silenced.

In her chest, emotions long suppressed burst forth suddenly, like fireworks.

Mu Lianxiao held Du Yunluo tightly, lip to lip, the soft touch making his blood surge.

Clearly over the past six months, he had repeatedly pressed down his longing, believing he could control himself, but truly touching the one he cared deeply about made everything start to collapse.

Mu Lianxiao wished he could ignite Du Yunluo, merging them together.

After the initial shock and panic subsided, Du Yunluo noticed they were alone in the room. She slowly relaxed, climbed onto Mu Lianxiao’s shoulders, and initiated a returning kiss.

Mu Lianxiao’s strength was quite strong, yet he was cautiously trying not to hurt her.

Du Yunluo felt utterly soft inside; she quietly opened her eyes and gazed at the handsome face close by, playfully giving a gentle nibble with her teeth.

Mu Lianxiao, unprepared, felt a sting on his tongue. He looked up at her, seeing her sly and proud smile. Helplessly, he carefully kissed her eyes and brow.

Before Du Yunluo could react, Mu Lianxiao swiftly leaned down, sucking on her fair, smooth neck.

Du Yunluo nearly screamed; she held her mouth tightly, suppressing it.

Mu Lianxiao’s lips and teeth moved back and forth on her neck, fervent and persistent.

Du Yunluo’s breathing became rapid, reaching out to push him away, yet she had no strength at all.

"Princely Heir..." Du Yunluo called him, her voice trembling so much she almost couldn’t bear to hear it.

The Western clock chimed.

Du Yunluo’s foggy consciousness suddenly cleared; hoarsely she said, "Grandmother and mother are still waiting."

Mu Lianxiao paused briefly, then continued.

Du Yunluo was anxious, "Princely Heir!"

Mu Lianxiao, after all, hadn’t lost his reason. Seeing Du Yunluo genuinely on the verge of anger, he had no choice but to stop and hold her comfortingly until the heat gradually subsided, then released her.

Du Yunluo stood up, looking down to fasten her clasps, only then realizing her blouse was almost entirely disordered by him, the lip color smeared, stained on her clothes. Inside, the Begonia cloth had traces of his kisses.

She was made so dizzy by him, she hadn’t noticed at all!

Du Yunluo had thought he merely wanted to kiss for a while to soothe his longing, little knowing...

If she hadn’t stopped him, would he have continued indefinitely?

This was midday! He had just returned to the Capital and hadn’t yet paid respects to Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou. If people knew they lingered foolishly behind closed doors, even the thickest skin couldn’t endure it.

This man, this man truly is!

Du Yunluo gave him a sidelong glance, eyes red at the corners, turning and heading towards the inner room.

Mu Lianxiao followed her in, but didn’t provoke her further; provoking more would truly be hard to handle.

Du Yunluo took a cloth, dipped it in the water from the kettle, facing the mirror, and wiped off the lipstick on her neck, buttoning up the neckline.

She wiped away the lip color as well, carefully and thoroughly reapplying her makeup.

The rest, she could ignore, but the redness at her eye corners was too vivid to be concealed even with powder; Du Yunluo had to give up.

Du Yunluo tossed the damp cloth to Mu Lianxiao.

Mu Lianxiao wiped the lip color smudged on his lips, the sweet, sticky pigment resembling Du Yunluo herself.

After tidying up, Du Yunluo called Jin Rui inside.

Jin Rui, observant and neutral, helped Du Yunluo redo her hair.

The couple walked out one after the other, Jin Rui holding the snow jacket, Mu Lianxiao personally tying it for Du Yunluo, then placing a hand warmer in her arms, holding her hand, heading together towards Baijie Hall.