Chapter 99: Quiet Ones

Chapter 99

Quiet Ones

Late into the night, sounds from the bedchamber continued to seep through. The two entangled bodies had left the bed in disarray. Despite the cold night air, the blanket had been pushed to one corner. The fair-skinned woman lay slumped against the strong frame. Kang Wang moved her graceful hips rhythmically, while Mu Rongying clung tightly to his neck, her ample chest pressed sensually against his firm torso. The room was filled with soft moans and heavy breathing.

Once their passionate encounter ended, the young woman quickly drifted into slumber, her eyes fluttering closed. Kang Wang pulled the blanket over her and drew her delicate body into his embrace. Though he wished to continue admiring her, they had a prior engagement the next day for the launch of Nie Shuang’s new product. He was concerned Mu Rongying would be too exhausted.

The next morning, Chunmei and the other maids entered to help dress Young Miss Mu. Without a word being said, they recognized her new status. Kang Wang had ordered fine garments and jewelry from the shops to be delivered for her. If she had won his favor, she was sure to become the sole mistress of the palace. Hence, the servants took extra care, mindful of her new position.

When it was time to leave, Mu Rongying and Chunmei walked to the front of the palace, where Kang Wang was already waiting. As Mu Rongying walked gracefully toward him, he found himself staring at her in dazed. Her face was flushed red, and she shyly avoided his gaze, as if feeling guilty. When she stood before him and bowed, her blushing cheeks deepened even further.

"Greetings, Your Highness,"

She said softly, her voice sweet.

"Mm. Let’s get in the carriage."

Thankfully, it was winter, so Mu Rongying had Chunmei wrap a scarf around her neck to hide the kiss marks. Once the carriage was moving, Kang Wang spoke to her,

"From now on, you are no longer Young Miss Mu. No one knows your true identity. How would you like me to address you?"

"You may call me Yingying, Your Highness."

With that, she sat with her head bowed and hands clasped. Any thought of acting casually in front of him had vanished. He wasn’t a kind elder as she had once thought—he was a cunning trickster. She had been foolish to trust him. Mu Rongying silently scolded herself.

As if reading her thoughts, the corners of Kang Wang’s lips lifted in a smile. He sighed, thinking to himself.

He shouldn’t have been so hasty last night. It seemed the little rabbit had become afraid of him again. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her small face tucked inside her hooded cloak. The soft fur trim around the hood made her look even more like an adorable little rabbit.

When they arrived at Xiangyun Tea House, Kang Wang helped her down from the carriage. He adjusted her cloak’s hood to cover her face, though her nose and chin peeked out, still revealing her beauty. The people nearby dared not look at Kang Wang’s woman. They could only marvel from afar, knowing well how protective Kang Wang was when it came to such matters. Yet no one had the courage to ask questions.

Nie Shuang came out to personally welcome them. The moment she saw how Kang Wang treated Young Miss Mu, she smiled knowingly and quickly led Mu Rongying and Chunmei into a private room. Kang Wang, already familiar with the place, followed at his own pace, with his attendants trailing behind. Today, Xiangyun Tea House was particularly lively, even the spacious private rooms seemed a bit crowded. The elders had come to observe the tea house’s business, and the triplet children were there as well. Song Qilin and the Hou, preferring to remain out of the spotlight, stayed inside the room. Mu Rongying greeted everyone with a formal bow before taking her seat. Seeing how Xu Shi and Xiao Yi Niang engaged Mu Rongying in friendly conversation, Nie Shuang felt at ease and left to greet the other guests outside.

It was Mu Rongying’s first visit to this tea house. She had only caught a brief glimpse of the front before being ushered into the room, but she could still sense the relaxed, refined atmosphere of the place. Though the room was a bit crowded, it exuded a warm and welcoming ambiance, enhanced by the rich aroma of tea. She raised her cup of Hong Bao red tea for a sip, and the warmth spread through her body. Her senses were filled with the subtle bitterness of the roasted leaves, leaving her with an exquisite feeling. Even though Mu Rongying had been accustomed to fine things since childhood, she had to admit that the Young Furen’s tea was truly first-class!

As she set her teacup down, she noticed Bao Bao crawling toward her. The little boy shyly smiled at her, and when she smiled back, he clumsily gave a polite bow, making everyone in the room laugh with delight.

Bao Bao seemed quite taken with her. From the moment she had sat down, he refused to leave her side, crawling closer to sit near her, pretending to play with his toy rattle. After a while, he stealthily climbed onto her lap, resting his head against her soft chest. Seeing his son’s behavior, Song Qilin blushed and couldn’t help but complain loudly.

"Bao Bao! You little rascal! Can you stop embarrassing your father any further?"

The three women seated together laughed heartily. Bao Bao, seeing his father scold him, feigned sorrow and pouted, looking up at Mu Rongying with wide, innocent eyes, as if pleading for her protection.

"General, please don’t scold him. Bao Bao is still so young and doesn’t understand."

Didn’t understand?! After spending enough time together, Song Qilin had come to realize just how mischievous his son could be. Still, it wouldn’t look good to criticize his own child in front of others, so he could only send a warning glare to his son.

Bao Bao, having secured the protection of the beautiful lady, beamed and shyly offered his toy rattle to her, as if it were a gift from the heart.

"You keep it. Sister doesn’t need it,"

Mu Rongying said, smiling. Bao Bao happily sat on her lap, playing with his toy rattle.

On the small table in front of each person were carefully arranged snacks and tea. Mu Rongying picked up a snack and fed it to Bao Bao, who ate it while gazing at her, looking as comfortable as a little emperor. Even the Hou, who was usually serious, couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of his mischievous grandson. He stroked his beard and shook his head at the little rascal. Nearby, Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua were playing together near their grandmother. After a while, Xiao Hua Hua grew sleepy and began to cry. Song Qilin rushed to pick her up, walking around to soothe her. When Bei Bei saw his father carrying his sister, he also raised his arms, asking to be picked up. Song Qilin had to carry both children, rocking them until they fell asleep. Grandmother Xu quickly took Xiao Hua Hua and gently laid her down on a prepared mat, with Bei Bei placed beside her. The adults watched the two adorable children sleep soundly, feeling content. When they turned to look at Bao Bao, who had been unusually quiet, they found that he had also fallen asleep in Mu Rongying’s arms. Xiao Yi Niang made a move to take Bao Bao from Mu Rongying so he could lie down on the mat, but Mu Rongying, worried that he would wake up, insisted on holding him. The boy was not light, and after a while, her legs began to go numb.

Outside, merchants and officials had begun to leave. Nie Shuang seemed to have made quite a profit, as usual. The recently launched Mo Cha Fen could be brewed with hot water or used in cooking, appealing to the wealthy patrons who valued gourmet food and drink. Each took home two boxes, following the established custom. Some even wanted to buy tangyuan to take away, but since the tea house wasn’t fully operational today, only tea products were for sale.

Nie Shuang let the maidservants clean up the area while she returned to the private room. In a short while, she would welcome a group of scholars from the academy. It had become a tradition for Xiangyun Tea House to host such events, where scholars would visit in the late morning after the wealthy patrons had been entertained. The tea house, which the Lady Boss claimed was meant to ‘promote tea culture,’ ensured that each new product launch was something these scholars had to study, lest they lose their reputation as true connoisseurs of tea.

Kang Wang followed Nie Shuang into the room and saw her taking Bao Bao from Mu Rongying, while lightly scolding her.

"Bao Bao is heavy. You didn’t need to hold him for so long. Your legs must be exhausted by now."

Mu Rongying just smiled at Nie Shuang without saying anything. Since the upstairs area was now available, everyone decided to move so as not to disturb the children’s nap. Mu Rongying stood up to follow them, but as soon as she put her foot on the ground, the numbness in her legs caused her to lose her balance.

Kang Wang immediately rushed forward and caught her in front of everyone’s astonished eyes. Not only did he catch her, but he also lifted her up and carried her upstairs. Mu Rongying was both shocked and embarrassed as everyone stared at the pair.

"Your Highness..."

Mu Rongying spoke softly, wanting to ask him to put her down.

“So stubborn,”

Kang Wang said in a scolding tone, already knowing what she was about to say.Meanwhile, Nie Shuang and Song Qilin exchanged glances. Just three days ago, when Kang Wang brought Young Miss Mu to the mansion, they had seemed so distant and cold toward each other. At that time, Nie Shuang had thought it was a pity that the two of them couldn’t form a bond. But now, with the Mu family members having just left the day before, how had their relationship progressed so quickly? Quiet people like them really couldn’t be trusted!