Chapter 554 - 553: Tipsy

Chapter 554: Chapter 553: Tipsy

After handing Brother Yan over to Lady Peng, Du Yunluo instructed Yu Zhu to get some more food and wine from the small kitchen.

At the evening family banquet, although the table was filled with dishes, Du Yunluo knew that Mu Lianxiao was not truly enjoying it.

No matter how he maintained the facade of calmness, the wrongs the second house had done couldn’t be erased, and facing Mu Yuanmou and Mu Liancheng, Mu Lianxiao couldn’t truly relax.

He might not show it, but he couldn’t feel at ease.

When the food and wine were warmed in the small kitchen, Yu Zhu brought the food box in and set the table.

Mu Lianxiao came out of the cleansing room, smelled the aroma of wine, and smiled: "What is it? Didn’t you eat enough at the banquet?"

Du Yunluo playfully rebuked him, sent all the maids out of the room, and pulled Mu Lianxiao to sit by the table, personally pouring him a cup of wine.

With a gentle curve of his lips, Mu Lianxiao sipped the wine at his lips.

It was warm as it entered his mouth, not spicy, yet heartwarming.

Both of them remained silent, eating quietly, with Du Yunluo occasionally refilling his cup.

Mu Lianxiao was absent-minded, and only after finishing a pot of wine did he turn to Du Yunluo and say: "In a few days, I might have to leave the Capital for a while."

Du Yunluo’s face was flushed red from the wine, and at first, she didn’t understand what Mu Lianxiao said, so she looked at him with wide eyes.

"The Holy Emperor might want me to go to Shu," explained Mu Lianxiao.

Shu is remote, with a complex terrain. Although the aristocratic families there are not as prosperous and famous as those in the Capital or Jiangnan, they have cultivated their presence over several generations and wield considerable influence locally.

The Holy Emperor has always kept a close watch on Shu, though previously, with ongoing wars against the Dazi and focus on the Northern Border, he turned a blind eye to Shu.

Now that the Dazi threat is removed, along with the incident of the Changping Marquis raising private soldiers, the Holy Emperor cannot feel at ease about the distant Shu.

The current officials in Shu will be gradually transferred in the upcoming years to avoid any unscrupulous individuals becoming officials for several years and losing sight of the court by then.

This matter is not something that can be understood in just a year or two.

The private soldiers at the Changping Marquis Mansion were also slowly unearthed by Du Huaixi after years of rooting in Xuancheng, and by the time the Changping Marquis Mansion was truly surrounded, several years had passed since Mu Lianxiao first went to Xuancheng.

This time, the Holy Emperor still wants Mu Lianxiao to lead the way and first investigate the situation in Shu.

Mu Lianxiao intended to give Du Yunluo an explanation, but just as he started, he saw Du Yunluo, with her hand supporting her cheek, her eyes already slightly tipsy.

With her limited capacity for alcohol, even among the young ladies, Du Yunluo’s drinking ability was pitiable, let alone compared to Mu Lianxiao.

If Du Yunluo were to drink with Zhuang Ke, Zhuang Ke might just be getting in the mood as Du Yunluo had already toppled over.

Tonight, having drunk a few cups at the banquet, and then being kissed by the night wind on the way back, she drank a few more cups with Mu Lianxiao, and that was more than she could handle.

Mu Lianxiao waved a finger in front of Du Yunluo’s eyes: "Yunluo?"

"I’m listening," Du Yunluo said, pouting.

Slightly petulant, slightly coquettish, her almond eyes like water.

"What are you going to Shu for?" Du Yunluo asked.

Mu Lianxiao pinched her puffed-up cheeks.

Despite Du Yunluo answering and asking like this, Mu Lianxiao knew she was actually drunk, and whatever was said now would probably be forgotten by her come morning.

Even so, Mu Lianxiao continued to patiently tell her what he could.

As the wine got to Du Yunluo’s head, her whole head felt swollen, and there was a buzzing in her ears, like a mosquito’s hum, drowning out most of what Mu Lianxiao was saying, leaving only a few words she couldn’t quite grasp.

She tried to shake her head, and knocked on her head with a fist: "Say it again?"

Mu Lianxiao, both amused and helpless, wrapped Du Yunluo’s small fist in his palm and said: "Alright, let’s go inside and I’ll say it again."

The half-drunk, half-sober Du Yunluo was not so easily persuaded; with some coaxing, she finally agreed to get up and let him half-support, half-carry her into the inner chamber.

Mu Lianxiao soaked a towel and wiped Du Yunluo’s face, then undid her long hair.

Du Yunluo lay tilted on the bed, sleepiness sweeping over, and when Mu Lianxiao removed his clothes and approached, he saw that she was already hugging a blanket, fast asleep.

The bright moonlight spilled in, filtering through the curtains, creating a dreamy scene, falling on Du Yunluo’s face, gentle and jade-like, with faint hints of pink at her brow and lips, as delicate and elegant as an orchid in bloom.

Mu Lianxiao couldn’t take his eyes off her, sitting by the bed, his fingertip brushing her cheek, tucking the loose strands of hair behind Du Yunluo’s ear, revealing her gracefully arching neck.

"Yunluo..." Mu Lianxiao softly called her name.

In a low murmur, Du Yunluo sleepily responded.

Mu Lianxiao’s gaze deepened, his body growing warm, he leaned down, close to Du Yunluo’s ear, nipping softly at her earlobe, calling her name once more.

Du Yunluo furrowed her brow slightly, muttering as she kicked her legs.

Mu Lianxiao chuckled softly, realizing that she was indeed asleep, and unwilling to wake her.

He blew out the lamp and drew the bed curtains, cradling his lovely wife in his arms, gently massaging her brow with his fingertips to smooth it, Mu Lianxiao took a deep breath and closed his eyes as well.

But the night was not restful.

It was Du Yunluo who squeezed against him, waking Mu Lianxiao.

Who knows what Du Yunluo dreamed of, her entire being burrowed into his embrace, and when Mu Lianxiao came to, she was practically clinging onto him.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Capital was warmer than that in Lindong, and Mu Lianxiao naturally ran hot, so with Du Yunluo pressing against him, a thin layer of sweat formed on his skin.

Despite the warmth of her body, fragrant and tender as jade, Mu Lianxiao feared that if Du Yunluo kept burrowing, she might roll off him and fall from the bed, so he had no choice but to wrap his arm around Du Yunluo’s waist, coaxing and soothing her to sleep well.

Du Yunluo, half-asleep and half-awake, her eyes half-open, lips and teeth resting against Mu Lianxiao’s chest, muttered something, her words so unclear that Mu Lianxiao couldn’t discern them, only aware of her teeth occasionally grazing his skin, leaving an itchy sensation.

Mu Lianxiao simply rolled over with Du Yunluo in his arms, laying down properly with her.

Before Mu Lianxiao could settle himself, Du Yunluo’s limbs had entangled around him.

Startled, Mu Lianxiao looked down at her, her eyes moist as she gazed at him with a smile.

Delicate kisses landed on Du Yunluo’s fair, slender shoulders, her cheeks flushed like a brilliant red lotus, and her eyes fixed on him, bold and intense, like the breathtaking stars in the Great Desert’s deep night.

Mu Lianxiao leaned close to her ear, his voice whispering her name, eliciting a sweet response from Du Yunluo.

More intoxicating than any fine wine.

Mu Lianxiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he realized that Du Yunluo was not truly awake; she was thoroughly drunk, clinging to him out of instinct.

Such instinct made Mu Lianxiao’s suppressed blood rush wildly once more.

No longer willing to let her go.

He, too, had drunk a lot, was also very drunk...