Chapter 145: Concern

Chapter 145

Concern

By the time Mu Rongying awoke, it was already quite late in the morning. She blinked in confusion as memories of the previous night rushed back to her—starting with the daring abduction and ending with a passionate spring night spent with Kang Wang. Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush. She hadn’t intended for things to turn out this way. In the past, whenever Kang Wang kissed her, she had always felt a sense of warmth and care. Last night, when she saw how tense he became while discussing the future, she had simply wanted to kiss him to ease his worries. She hadn’t expected him to respond with such heated passion, pressing his lips to hers with urgency, his hand cradling the back of her head so firmly that she couldn’t pull away. Everything spiraled out of control after that, as if they had both been starved for each other’s touch. But it seemed that Kang Wang had been far more deprived than her—she could barely lift a finger now.

"Chunmei..."

Mu Rongying called out weakly. Luckily, Chunmei had been waiting outside the room for some time. Upon hearing her young miss’s faint and weary voice, she quickly entered the room. Seeing her young miss still wrapped in blankets, Chunmei knelt by the bedside.

“How are you feeling, Miss?”

Mu Rongying lay under the covers, her body bare. Her eyes, half-closed, gave her a lazy yet alluring appearance. Chunmei hurried to pour some tea and helped her young miss sit up.

“Please, drink some tea first, Miss.”

After a sip, Mu Rongying began to feel more refreshed.

“And Kang Wang...?”

“This morning, Kang Wang ordered that no one disturb you. By the time he left, it was already daylight. I had to help distract the guards so that he could leave unnoticed.”

At the mention of the guards, Mu Rongying’s thoughts returned to the events of the previous night.

“And is everyone safe?”

“Yes, everyone is safe, Miss. They just find it strange that they suddenly fell asleep without warning. They reported everything to Yan Zhan without hiding anything. Now they’re trying to figure out the cause. Do you think we should tell them, Miss?”

Mu Rongying shook her head.

“They’re experienced enough that they’ll figure it out soon. If we tell them, it’ll be difficult to explain what truly happened last night.”

Chunmei acknowledged her mistress’s decision and asked,

“Would you like to wash up now, Miss? I’ve prepared hot water. I can have it brought in.”

Mu Rongying nodded and moved to sit up. Chunmei gathered her young miss’s clothes scattered across the floor before leaving the room. A while later, the maids brought in hot water. Once they had left, Chunmei helped Mu Rongying into the wooden tub. Her young miss’s body was covered in kiss marks, and seeing her blush with embarrassment, Chunmei tried to lighten the mood with conversation.

“It was such a relief that nothing happened to you, Miss. Last night, Kang Wang sent someone to wake me in the adjacent room. When I woke up and realized you were missing, I was so frightened. I rushed to your room and saw Kang Wang staring at a pearl on your table. I told him it must be yours. As soon as he heard that, he clenched the pearl in his hand and ran out.”

"Mm, I broke my necklace and left the beads behind, hoping someone would notice."

Mu Rongying leaned back against the edge of the tub, feeling more at ease. A faint smile appeared on her lips—how fortunate it was that he found her.

Chunmei washed her hair, then skillfully tied it up in a bun and began scrubbing her back. The older her mistress grew, the more beautiful she became. How could Kang Wang not be utterly captivated by her? In the beginning, he had acted as though he disliked her mistress, but over time, it was Kang Wang who pursued her. If not for the unexpected events of last night, who knew how long her mistress would have remained resolute?

After bathing and getting dressed, it was almost time for lunch. Just as Mu Rongying was about to take a bite, Kang Wang entered the room, his face bright, though slightly weary. Shouldn’t he be working right now? She felt both surprised and flustered, her face turning red. She moved to stand and greet him, but he gently pressed her shoulder back down.

"No need for formalities. You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Eat quickly."

Chunmei, knowing her duties well, quickly brought over an extra bowl and chopsticks. Mu Rongying tried to serve Kang Wang some food, but he gently scolded her.

"There’s no need to serve me. Just eat."

Then, Kang Wang took the initiative, picking up some food and feeding it to her. Chunmei, sensing the intimate atmosphere and felt that she shouldn’t be here, quietly slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her. Left alone, the mood between them shifted. Kang Wang wrapped an arm around her and spoke softly,

"How are you feeling today? Last night, I lost control and..."

Mu Rongying blushed deeply.

"I’m feeling better now, Your Highness. Don’t you have work to attend to today?"

"I went to the government hall this morning to follow up on the criminal investigation. If it weren’t for my guards tracking him last night, we wouldn’t have caught the culprit. He’s highly skilled and managed to deceive the constables. My guards trailed him from a distance, and when he thought he had shaken off the officials and tried to return, they caught him."

Mu Rongying shuddered at the thought. If Kang Wang hadn’t intervened, she might not have escaped the villain’s grasp. Seeing her fear, Kang Wang pulled her into his embrace.

"Don’t worry. I would never let anything happen to you."

Mu Rongying, reflecting on the events, asked,

"When did you start watching over my home from the rooftop?"

For almost a month now, rumors of the Blossom Thief had spread, and the Shen Nong Protection Agency had been working tirelessly. Families with the means hired guards to stand watch and patrol their mansions. Surely, Kang Wang hadn’t been standing guard every night for a whole month.

Kang Wang hesitated. Ever since he stopped visiting her at the tea house, he couldn’t bear the longing and often snuck over to watch her play the zither. When the news of the Blossom Thief broke, he used it as an excuse to guard her every night. If Yingying knew he had been watching over her, would she find him creepy? With this thought, Kang Wang suddenly felt unsure.

"Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t inconvenienced at all,"

He said, dodging the question. If his master found out he was using his martial skills to climb rooftops just to watch over a woman, he would be sorely disappointed. By now, Kang Wang knew every single tile on her roof!

Mu Rongying, seeing the look on his face, giggled, realizing she had guessed correctly. He had indeed been guarding her for a month. Knowing this filled her heart with warmth, and she nestled against his broad chest.

"Why did you need to stand guard yourself, Your Highness? You could have sent a trusted guard instead. Why trouble yourself?"

"My wife—how could I let another man keep watch over you? Besides, if you’re not in my sight, I can’t rest easy."

Mu Rongying smiled softly, feeling content just being by his side, almost forgetting her hunger. The two took turns feeding each other, the sweetness between them stretching on for nearly an hour before they were finally full.

"Do you have to return to work, Your Highness?"

Mu Rongying asked. Kang Wang looked at her wistfully.

"Mm," he paused for a moment before saying, "Rest well, and tonight...wait for me."

With just those few words, the atmosphere turned from sweet to heated in an instant. Mu Rongying blushed deeply, her face growing hot. Kang Wang cleared his throat and quickly tried to explain, realizing that his words had come off more suggestive than caring.

"I meant, last night must have exhausted you. Once I leave, you should rest so you won’t be too tired tonight."But the more he spoke, the worse it seemed. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she no longer dared to meet his gaze. He had only wanted to let Yingying know he genuinely cared for her well-being!