Chapter 429 Tenderness, the Knot of Rebirth
Mo Xuetong analyzed carefully, but avoided penetrating some points. It wasn’t because Mo Xuetong did not believe Luo Mingzhu, but Mo Xuetong thought the points should be dealt with this couple themselves sincerely. Just now, the anxiety on Li Youmo’s face was nowhere to hide, which showed that he cared about Luo Mingzhu a lot.
With Mo Xuetong’s detailed analysis, Luo Mingzhu also thought that Li Youmo was not a lascivious man. But thinking that he seemed to disappear these days, Luo Mingzhu was still depressed and said with annoyance, “If he really has something to deal with, why not tell me clearly?”
“Cousin, have you given any opportunity to him to make it clear? I heard that you even don’t let him in now. If he is really a jerk and makes a fuss, do you dare to kick him out as he is supported by Old Madam Li?” Mo Xuetong lifted the corners of her lips, looked at Luo Mingzhu’s seemingly tough face, and softly smiled.
Mo Xuetong’s words completely left Luo Mingzhu speechless.
Since entering Li’s Manor, Luo Mingzhu knew how unconditional Old Madam Li’s indulgence was to Li Youmo, as the Old Madam would grant everything Li Youmo asked. Even Li Youmo’s mother was not permitted to scold him for fear that he would feel wronged. So if Old Madam Li knew Luo Mingzhu had driven Li Youmo out, she would be the first to reprimand Luo Mingzhu, and the condition would not be as calm as it was now.
Thinking of this, Luo Mingzhu realized that Li Youmo did care about her.
Luo Mingzhu squeezed her handkerchief and crumpled it, unable to say a word. But the thought that he fought with another man for a woman tortured Luo Mingzhu, and she also thought she could not let him go so easily. At that moment, Luo Mingzhu’s heart was brimmed with annoyance, hate, and doubt.
“Well, cousin, if you want to know the reason in it, just let him into the room and ask him yourself. If you don’t let him in, he is unable to tell you the reason even if he wants. And you get cross here. It is not worthwhile.” Mo Xuetong smiled and pulled Luo Mingzhu up.
“This is my first visit to Minister Li’s Manor. Cousin, don’t you show me around it? It’s said that the courtyards here are not like those in the capital. Just feed my sight on them.”
Eased by Mo Xuetong, Luo Mingzhu cooled down a lot and gave a sincere smile on her face. She wiped away the tears, stood up, held Mo Xuetong’s hand, and walked to the garden together.
The two chatted for several hours. When Mo Xuetong returned to the King Xuan’s Manor, it had been a little late. After entering the manor, the steward told Mo Xuetong that Feng Yuran had gone to the palace at the Emperor’s order.
Mo Xuetong looked at the sky and frowned, not knowing why Emperor Zongwen wanted to see Feng Yuran at this time.
Although Feng Yuran could enter the imperial study room and helped Emperor Zongwen deal with national affairs, what kind of thing was so urgent that Feng Yuran had to enter the palace at night. Mo Xuetong had a vague feeling of unease. She sat in the room, picked little food and did not eat it anymore.
Mo Yu was sent out to check several times. It was already dark with lanterns on, but Feng Yuran had not returned.
Mo Xuetong sat down under the lanterns, besieged by more and more unease. She stood up and walked the room around and around, feeling that something seemed to happen.
She seemed to be on pins and needles, sitting down and standing up repeatedly. She pricked up her ears at the sound outside, but could not get any message about his return. So fear came to her involuntarily.
She could not remain calm, called Mo Ye and Mo Lan and went out with a lantern.
Just halfway, a line of lanterns flashed on the corridor ahead, and faintly, a group of people came forward them. With the light of the lantern, a person in purple could be seen to take the lead, flamboyant and mesmerizing. The person was nobody but Feng Yuran!
“Your Highness, you come back finally. Her Highness has asked me to come out to check four or five times.” Mo Yu had to trot behind so as to catch up with Feng Yuran.
A charming smile took on Feng Yuran’s fascinating face, and his dark eyes narrowed slightly. He asked as he strode forward, “Has My Lady had the meal?”
“Her Highness just took a few mouthfuls of the food, and now is waiting for my report that Your Highness is coming back.” Mo Yu said with a smile.
When they were talking, lights and shadows flashed ahead. Mo Xuetong, followed by Mo Ye and Mo Lan, was coming from the corridor. Mo Xuetong’s gaze fell anxiously on Feng Yuran’s face. Seeing that although he looked a bit tired, he looked in a good mood, Mo Xuetong lifted her lips into a smile and felt the load that worried her the whole night was off her mind finally.
Seeing Mo Xuetong, he took steps forward and held her hand, regardless of the crowd’s presence, and turned to look at her and asked with an enchanting smile, “Is the food not good tonight, so you don’t eat much?”
Feeling Feng Yuran’s burning eyes, Mo Xuetong blushed and tried to shake off his hand. But it was too tight to get rid of his hands. So Mo Xuetong gave up, glanced at him and said peevishly, “Yes, the food tonight is not to my taste. It is too bland.”
“Shall we change the cook tomorrow? I heard that Father-in-law sent the cook here specifically for you. Yesterday, you still praised the food was to your taste, but today is not!” Feng Yuran grinned. Reflecting the lights, his attractive eyes were as soft and tender as if water could drip from them.
The nanny cook was brought by Mo Huawen from Cloud City, where the taste was quite different from that in the capital. The flavor was rather mild, so Mo Xuetong liked the nanny cook. Several days ago, afraid that Mo Xuetong could not get used to the food in the King Xuan’s Manor, Mo Huawen specially sent the nanny cook there.
He teased her deliberately, and Mo Xuetong shot him a sideways glance and answered back directly, “Maybe I have a bad appetite today, so I ate less!”
Feng Yuran’s eyes brightened. “Oh, why is Tong’er in a bad mood?”
While they were talking, they entered Mo Xuetong’s courtyard. And a maidservant lifted up the curtain. Mo Xuetong got rid of his hand, settled on a chair beside the couch, raised her eyebrows, and asked, “Your Highness, have you had the meal?”
His eyes gleamed with mischief, as he steadily teased her. “Not yet. Let the food served now. I am really hungry. Is Tong’er feeling good now? Could you accompany me to have some?”
Mo Xuetong gave him a cute glance and did not dispute with him. Looking at the exhaustion in his eyes, Mo Xuetong gestured to Mo Lan, and then Mo Lan, along with other maidservants, all retreated. After a while, a hot meal was served on the table. Feng Yuran also refreshed himself well. He sat at the table and took three large bowls of rice eagerly. Obviously, he was really hungry.
Seeing he came back safe and sound, Mo Xuetong felt relaxed and took half a bowl of rice as well.
After the meal, maidservants cleaned the table up and served the tea. The two sat down on the couch, and all the maidservants retreated. Feng Yuran picked up the fruit on the table, peeled it, and sent it to her. He said with a smile, “It is the special local product from the Yan Kingdom. I just took it from the palace. Have a try.”
Looking at Feng Yuran’s behavior, Mo Xuetong felt her heart was warmed and gave a sweet smile to him. She took the fruit he handed over and took a taste. Sure enough, it tasted extremely sweet.
Feng Yuran was a bit dazed at her brilliant smile. Seeing her enjoying the fruit, he could not help lifting the corners of the mouth, and then he tenderly handed a handkerchief to her, and leaned against the couch with more passionate love in his eyes.
The room fell into silence suddenly, and even their breath could be heard. Under the lantern light, it was calm and reassuring.
Mo Xuetong took the handkerchief handed by Feng Yuran to wipe the corners of her red mouth, raised her head with shyness concealed in her eyes, and asked, “Has anything happened, since His Majesty asked you to the palace at this time?”
Feng Yuran narrowed his eyes slightly with a gleam of coldness flashing in his eyes, but then he used a lazy smile to cover it, and said carelessly, “Nothing serious. His Majesty just talked with me about the Southern Barbarian Lands.”
“Southern Barbarian Lands?” Mo Xuetong was shocked. Recently, for some unknows reasons, she got alarmed at the name of Southern Barbarian Lands. Perhaps affected by what had happened in the last life, Mo Xuetong just felt the Southern Barbarian Lands would have something to do with Feng Yuran. Therefore, any hint of possible disturbance would make her involuntarily nervous and vigilant.
“Is it about the marriage with the Princess of the Southern Barbarian Lands?” Mo Xuetong thought for a while, and asked uneasily.
Generally speaking, if a wife would ask such a question, she would be more or less jealous. After all, the princes of the Qin Kingdom were married now. If the Southern Barbarian Lands wanted to make peace with the Qin Kingdom by marriage, their princess either became Emperor Zongwen’s consort, or married one of the princes. With their princess’ status, even though she would marry a married prince and be unable to become the legitimate wife, she could still enjoy the equal status as the legitimate wife did.
Although the princes of the Qing Kingdom were all handsome, Feng Yuran stood out among them. So the princess of the Southern Barbarian Lands was most likely to fancy him.
However, when Mo Xuetong asked Feng Yuran this question, she felt nothing but alert and nervousness!
“Just a Southern Barbarian Lands’ princess, does she really think she is something?” Perhaps sensing Mo Xuetong’s nervousness, Feng Yuran stretched out his hands to scoop her into his arms, touched her hair gently, and then patted her back to comfort her, “What’s wrong? Why are you so agitated now? Just a princess of the Southern Barbarian Lands. Doesn’t Tong’er believe me?”
Mo Xuetong leaned in his arms and fell into silence for a while, and then she looked up and asked suddenly with unease, “It was really the matter about the marriage with the princess of the Southern Barbarian Lands. Did His Majesty say the princess took a fancy to you?” Her eyes as clear as water were full of nervousness and worry that Feng Yuran could understand. Her pink lips bit slightly, and her long eyelashes fluttered with the charm that she was totally unaware of.
“Tong’er, rest assured. I only love you in this life.” Feng Yuran put a strand of her hair behind her ears. Although his eyes were brimmed with smiles as usual, the seriousness that was unusual in him also appeared in his dark eyes. On his attractive face, his dark eyes narrowed, and his dignified bearing prevailed naturally.
He blurted out the words to comfort Mo Xuetong, which was also what he held in the depth of his heart. When he looked at the worry that couldn’t be suppressed on her adorable face, Feng Yuran’s eyes were as soft and tender as water. He lowered his head and kissed her gently on her face. The kiss brushed her face so lightly like a feather and sent slight shivers to her heart.
His gentle treatment made Mo Xuetong blush, and her eyes overflowed with tenderness. She let out a long breath and fell in his arms suddenly, silent. Leaning against his wide chest and feeling his warmth and heartbeat, Mo Xuetong felt her anxiety cooled down gradually.
Some things of her last life were still fresh in her mind. After being reborn, she was always reminded by the tragedy between her and him. This life, although they were together, she still carefully avoided repeating the tragedy in the last life.
Just as she tried to avoid Qin Yufeng as much as possible, she tried to avoid everything related to Southern Barbarian Lands. Therefore, when Feng Yuran mentioned Southern Barbarian Lands, she would feel uneasy for no reason. The fear from her bone actually came from the fear of the tragedy in the last life. But now she calmed herself down.
She stretched out her slender hands forwardly around his neck, leaned her head on his handsome and noble face, and exhaled a long breath. In the last life, Mo Xuetong died in Mo Xuemin and Sima Lingyun’s deception while this life, Mo Xuetong put the two together, and it was the two’s tragedy from then on.
After being reborn, everything was different!
It was also the case with Feng Yuran. Why feared the Southern Barbarian Lands? As long as Mo Xuetong and Feng Yuran dealt with it discreetly, everything would not be a problem. Since Mo Xuetong could change her fate, she could change Feng Yuran’s as well! In the last life, they had never met, but this life, Mo Xuetong became his wife.