Chapter 555 - 554: Habits

Chapter 555: Chapter 554: Habits

I think, next time when something important happens, I should say it three times...

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When Du Yunluo woke up, it was already daylight.

Her back ached and she felt weak all over, she frowned slightly.

Although her memory of last night was fuzzy, her physical condition gave her an idea of what had happened.

She gritted her teeth and glanced at the empty half of the bed.

The culprit had already gotten up to practice martial arts.

She was so drunk, and yet he still had the nerve to start something, it was simply detestable!

And he was quite ruthless too...

Du Yunluo didn’t want to move at all, not even to rub her aching back, so she simply lay back and closed her eyes to rest.

Gradually, her mind became clearer, and she vaguely remembered that Mu Lianxiao seemed to have said something to her...

It seemed to be quite an important matter...

Wanting to recall it but unable to, was really frustrating, so Du Yunluo stopped lying down and tried to sit up.

Outside, Mu Lianxiao’s footsteps could be heard, as if he was careful not to disturb her, and when he entered the inner chamber, he lowered his voice.

Du Yunluo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, she reached a hand out from behind the curtain without making a sound and waved at Mu Lianxiao.

Mu Lianxiao was observant and immediately spotted the delicate little hand.

Finding it adorable, Mu Lianxiao couldn’t help but laugh, quickly approached, and caught the flailing hand, tracing from her fingers, along her palm, up to her wrist, before slowly pulling back the curtain and leaning in.

Du Yunluo was leaning against a large pillow, the quilt covering her chest, revealing her smooth and delicate shoulders, with deep and shallow marks near her collarbone, all his handiwork. Her hair was a mess, yet she still looked captivatingly beautiful.

Mu Lianxiao leaned in to kiss her.

Du Yunluo wanted to evade but had little strength, allowing him to steal a kiss.

"You smell sweaty," Du Yunluo chided him.

Mu Lianxiao laughed aloud: "Shall I go freshen up first?"

Du Yunluo hooked his fingers and urgently asked, "What did you say to me last night? I can’t seem to remember anything."

Mu Lianxiao shook his head with amusement; he knew this would happen, and he said softly, "I may have to go to Shu in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Du Yunluo was stunned.

Shu?

Why go to such a far place for no apparent reason?

Du Yunluo’s only impression of Shu was that it was distant; Mu Yuanjing’s husband’s family, the Liu Family, was from Shu.

Mu Yuanjing did not like the Liu Family and naturally did not like Shu. In her words, it was a wretched, desolate place.

Du Yunluo wasn’t biased enough to view Shu as having nothing to offer, but she was surprised that Mu Lianxiao needed to go there.

But on second thought, it made some sense.

In this life, so much was different from the previous life’s; their lives had changed so much. What would happen in the decades to come, what they would face, was unknown even to Du Yunluo, who lived two lifetimes.

Though fresh and intriguing, a slight worry lingered.

Du Yunluo took a deep breath, released Mu Lianxiao, and urged, "Go wash off the sweat quickly, then tell me properly."

Mu Lianxiao laughed and went, while Du Yunluo lay quietly with her eyes closed for a while.

She had to get used to this kind of worry, get used to facing the unknown, for that is life.

Du Yunluo swapped in Jin Rui to help her dress and do her hair, and when the couple was tidied up, they set up breakfast in the east side room to eat together.

Lady Peng came in holding Brother Yan.

Du Yunluo took him, pinched Brother Yan’s small hand, and asked with a smile, "Are you awake yet?"

Brother Yan blinked his round eyes, nodding heavily, his gaze falling on the plate of rice cakes on the table.

Mu Lianxiao, amused by his son, took a piece of rice cake and tore off a small piece for Brother Yan.

Brother Yan opened his mouth to gobble it up, then stopped Mu Lianxiao from tearing and feeding him more, wriggling his body to grab the rice cake from his father’s hand.

Mu Lianxiao obliged, and Brother Yan, holding the rice cake, squinted his eyes, munching contentedly.

"The Holy Emperor mentioned it a few days ago, I figured I’d probably leave in a few days," Mu Lianxiao said to Du Yunluo about the trip to Shu, "With the Mid-Autumn Festival over, a patrol in Shu for a while can have me back in the Capital before December."

Back before December, meaning it would be about three and a half months.

Du Yunluo was reluctant in her heart, but Mu Lianxiao was favored by the Holy Emperor; he had no reason to dawdle and muddle through his days in the Capital, going out to handle affairs was a must.

She nodded, saying, "Then I’ll pack some luggage for you later."

Mu Lianxiao gave a shallow smile: "No rush, it’s not too late to pack once the date is set."

Du Yunluo asked about the personal attendants.

Jin Ling would give birth next month, so Mu Lianxiao let Yun Qi stay in the Capital to take care of his wife, Jiuxi remained to run errands, while Shuying and Ming Liu would accompany him.

Du Yunluo trusted those personal attendants.

Especially thinking of how Yun Qi cared for and doted on Jin Ling, Du Yunluo smiled gently: "Jin Rui went to see Jin Ling a few days ago, that picky pregnant lady said in the middle of the night, ’The snacks from Suyun Workshop are delicious,’ and Yun Qi sped off before dawn to queue up in front of Suyun Workshop, being the first in line.

Just after purchasing, he ran into Prince Cheng’s personal attendant and ended up saying, ’Our madam likes them, our lord sent me to buy.’"

Mu Lianxiao felt both amused and exasperated, no wonder when he met Li Yu yesterday, the other winked and said something like ’Suyun Workshop will launch a new flavor next month.’ He didn’t get it at the time, now he knew the origin.

"Outrageous, the next time I see him, I’ll definitely punish him!" Mu Lianxiao chuckled aloud, then leaned closer to Du Yunluo, "Don’t mention Jin Ling, you clearly like them too."

Du Yunluo raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your father hasn’t missed sending a servant early in the morning to queue up at Suyun Workshop for you," Mu Lianxiao laughed as he spoke.

Du Yunluo’s face heated up slightly.

Suyun Workshop, backed by the Imperial Family, had only so much available each day, and regardless of whether one was an official or a commoner, everyone queued up in turn to buy them.

"Who told you that?" Du Yunluo asked.

Mu Lianxiao’s smile grew broader: "Your uncle."

Du Yunluo bit her lower lip, Du Yundi actually betrayed her. When she returned to the Du Family, she would tell Mrs. Tang about all Du Yundi’s childhood antics, hmph!

The couple laughed and chatted for a while, then together they went to Baijie Hall to pay respects to Madam Wu. Mu Lianxiao then left the residence, and Du Yunluo handed Brother Yan to Madam Wu to be amused, while she went to the Flower Hall for a meeting.

A few days later, Mu Lianxiao’s travel schedule to Shu was finalized.

The Holy Emperor didn’t make Mu Lianxiao leave pompously; outwardly, it was said he was going to Jiangnan, and in Baijie Hall, Mu Lianxiao told Madam Wu the same. Only at Jingshui Hall did he dismiss others to tell Mrs. Zhou the truth.

Mrs. Zhou nodded, advising, "Just go, leave the Capital to me and your wife, Lian Kang is back; the situation is not like before, that couple won’t muddle through it, so you don’t have to worry."

Mrs. Zhou was referring to Mu Yuanmou and his wife, and Mu Lianxiao nodded solemnly.