Chapter 61 Xiaolongbao

The next day, it was already dawn when Yan Mu woke up.

Due to a hangover, she had a slight headache.

She massaged her temples, trying to remember what she’d done while she was drunk.

But even after thinking about it for a long time, Yan Mu couldn’t recall, so she simply put the matter aside.

She got up to make her bed, but found that the quilt beside her was still faintly warm.

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Someone had slept there before.

……After I got drunk last night, I couldn’t have insisted on pulling Yu Yuan to sleep together with me, right?

The corner of Yan Mu’s mouth twitched slightly, and for a moment, she didn’t dare to get up and go out to face anyone.

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Ebkzl Zyd Yw oyp iwlpvksdkdt bla zkql, qssvpvlrp nyxl qasx swvpkel vbl essa.

Rd yzxspv y nsdekvksdle alqzlm, Zyd Yw iwknjzu zyu cynj esod sd vbl cle ytykd, ralvldekdt vs cl pswde ypzllr.

Mbl essa sq vbl assx oyp tldvzu rwpble srld, yde psxlsdl oyzjle vsoyaep bla cle.

Zyd Yw’p obszl cseu oyp pvkqq yde eked’v lhld eyal vs calyvbl yzswe.

Mbl rlapsd obs nyxl zlv swv y psqv zywtb, yp kq bl yzalyeu jdlo vbyv Zyd Yw oyp ralvldekdt vs cl ypzllr.

Jwv qsa psxl alypsd, vbl hkpkvsa eked’v lmrspl bla.

Mbl yasxy sq qsse qykdvzu qzsyvle kd vbl yka. Zyd Yw pdkqqle yaswde, hytwlzu pxlzzkdt vbl pnldv sq mkyszsdtcys yde pbwxyk¹.

She involuntarily swallowed, and her stomach rumbled.

Yan Mu thought over it again and again, and eventually, hunger won over face².

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She yawned and rubbed her eyes, pretending to have just woken up.

“You’re awake?” Yu Yuan didn’t expose Yan Mu’s little trick.

“Mmm.” Yan Mu covered most of her face with the quilt, revealing only a pair of eyes as bright as stars.

Because she had just woken up, there was an ahoge sticking out of her head, looking like a rabbit’s ear.

Yu Yuan’s hand itched from the sight, and he involuntarily wanted to grab it.

He lowered his eyes and restrained his inexplicable impulse.

“Since you’ve awake, hurry and get up to wash up and eat. It won’t be delicious if it gets cold,” Yu Yuan said.

Yan Mu obeyed and finished washing up as quickly as possible.

As soon as she went out, she was stunned by all the food covering the stone table in the courtyard.

“It’s just breakfast, there’s no need to buy so much, right?” Yan Mu said dumbfoundedly. “Could Chu Cong have bought all these again?”

“Chu Cong and Ah Yu went back,” Yu Yuan said. “Chu Cong wants to inquire about the matter of King Xiang and his wife in detail, so I suppose Ah Yu will be staying at the king’s residence for a few days before he returns.”

Yan Mu picked up a xiaolongbao and took a bite, it overflowed with juice.

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Not bad, it’s pork and shrimp filling.

Yan Mu’s eyes narrowed with happiness.

Seeing that Yan Mu liked it, Yu Yuan’s heart was at ease.

Yan Mu took one bite after another and couldn’t stop eating, while Yu Yuan watched her tenderly from the side.

Yan Mu was still wearing a pink dress, plain and simple, without many head ornaments on her head either.

If it had been another person who was dressed in such a manner, they would definitely look a little dull.

But Yan Mu’s face was born pretty, so even if she dressed plainly and simply, she was still like a hibiscus emerging from clear water³.

Yu Yuan’s gaze was so scorching that Yan Mu couldn’t even pretend not to notice.

“Why are you staring at me and not eating?” Yan Mu took a sip of soy milk to hide her embarrassment.

“I haven’t had a good stroll since I came to the capital, so if Ah Mu is free this afternoon, why don’t you accompany me to take a look around?” Yu Yuan said.

“How rare. First, you bought a whole table of food, and now you want to go stroll around the streets in the afternoon. You’re so generous, did you get your salary today?” Yan Mu’s red lips slightly parted and she asked with bewilderment.

“I just want to spend more time with Ah Mu.”

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Yu Yuan’s eyes were gentle, and he didn’t seem to know how much his words could make one misunderstand.

Yan Mu choked, patting her chest and looking around for water to drink.

Yu Yuan was quick to react and brought her another cup of soy milk.

After drinking another cup of soy milk, Yan Mu stopped choking, but her stomach was also full from drinking.

There was still a table full of breakfast, and she looked at it with a little worry.

“It’s fine, leave this for the workers to eat,” Yu Yuan said. “The store will open in a few days, let’s take advantage of our free time today and go out for a stroll.”

It was rare for Yu Yuan to ask her to accompany him to stroll through the streets, so Yan Mu naturally agreed.

She originally thought that Yu Yuan would go look at the weaponry store, but he actually took her to a jewelry store.

Yan Mu was busy with renovations these days, and had never had time to come out for a stroll.

So now, as soon as she arrived at the jewelry store, she was drawn to the rare treasures.

There was dazzling jewelry with exquisite craftsmanship that Yan Mu had only seen on television.

Curious, she couldn’t stop looking around the store.

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Yu Yuan followed behind her without any displeasure on his face.

Seeing that Yan Mu was plainly dressed, the shopkeeper was immediately prejudiced.

“Miss, are you going to buy or not?” The shopkeeper dug his ears impatiently. “Our jewelry is the best in the capital, both in terms of raw materials and craftsmanship.”

Before Yan Mu could say anything, the face of Yu Yuan, who was beside her, had already darkened.

Afraid that something would happen, Yan Mu hurriedly pulled Yu Yuan away.

They went out and turned left, and surprisingly there was another jewelry store right next to the one from just now.

This store was relatively smaller, but the shopkeeper was obviously much more enthusiastic.

As soon as the two entered, the shopkeeper served them tea and pastries.

Even though the shop was quite small, both the styles and craftsmanship of the jewelry were actually better than the previous shop.

Yan Mu was worried that Yu Yuan was still angry, so she hurriedly chose a few pieces of jewelry that she liked and asked the shopkeeper to wrap them up.

Yu Yuan slowly finished his cup of tea and suddenly asked the shopkeeper, “Why does your small store want to do business next to the big jewelry store next door?”

This was too unfavorable for a small shop.

Hearing Yu Yuan ask about this, the shopkeeper’s expression instantly became unhappy.

“Young Master, there’s something you don’t know. The shop next to us is a property under the Eldest Prince’s name. The Eldest Prince favours his Side Imperial Concubine a lot and gave her many assets,” the shopkeeper said with a bitter face. “Originally, the shop next to us was also ours, but that Side Imperial Concubine forcefully took it over by relying on the Eldest Prince’s power and influence. Our ancestors are all jewelers, we don’t know how to do anything else but jewelry, so we have no choice but to operate in this small store.”

Speaking of his difficulties, the shopkeeper’s expression grew more and more pained.

“Forget it, forget it, let’s not talk about it anymore. I’ll wrap the things up for this young miss.” The shopkeeper carefully put the jewelry in a gift box, and then carefully wrapped it with colored paper.

“Mmm.” Yu Yuan’s expression was unreadable. He looked at the display cabinet next to him and indifferently said, “Wrap up all the things in this cabinet.”

Yan Mu almost spat out a mouthful of tea.

“What did you buy so much for?” Yan Mu asked in amazement.

She was running a bookstore, not a museum.

“Second Highness said that all the noble ladies in the capital have a lot of jewelry, but I’ve never seen Ah Mu wear any,” Yu Yuan said.

“They are noble ladies, while I’m just a peasant’s daughter, how can I compare with them?” Yan Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

In a trance, she remembered the books and four treasures of the study she’d given to Yu Yuan in the past.

Is this Yu Yuan’s way of returning a favor⁴?

Yan Mu’s heart was warmed, and her bright apricot eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Yu Yuan put down the teacup, looked straight at Yan Mu and said, “I just think that Ah Mu should have what everyone else has too.”

In an instant, time rewound.

Yan Mu seemed to return back to the days in Qingshui Village.

Yan Mu was at a loss for words.

Yu Yuan asked the shopkeeper to pack up the jewelry and deliver it to their door while he continued to accompany Yan Mu to aimlessly stroll around.

Yan Mu walked beside Yu Yuan, thinking about what the shopkeeper had said just now.

Surprisingly, that jewelry store was related to the Eldest Prince, and the shopkeeper also mentioned the Side Imperial Concubine.

She wondered if the Side Imperial Consort was the same one that Ah Yu had seen.

Yan Mu was on the alert and prepared to go back and remind Chu Cong to secretly send someone to keep an eye on her.

Yu Yuan seemed to be unaware of her little thoughts as he pulled Yan Mu around again to a shop that sold ready-made clothes.

Yan Mu had grown a bit taller now, and the curves of her body were getting more obvious.

Her old clothes were a bit too short or tight.

Coincidentally, the female shopkeeper who was in charge of taking measurements for women’s clothes had gone home to visit her family and wouldn’t be back for a long time.

Another ready-to-wear shop was on the eastern side of the city, so it would take quite some time to walk there.

The bookstore was about to open, and Yan Mu, as the lady boss, couldn’t host the opening ceremony in ill-fitting clothes.

So, Yan Mu was prepared to take her measurements by herself.

She could measure all of the measurements herself except for her shoulder and neck circumference.

She was about to ask the only male tailor left in the shop to help her, but Yu Yuan directly took the measuring tape away.

“Let me help Ah Mu measure.” After speaking, he walked behind Yan Mu.

The skin on her neck was extremely delicate. Yu Yuan’s rough fingertips slightly brushed over it, bringing bursts of small currents.

Yan Mu involuntarily trembled.

“Don’t move.”

Yu Yuan’s words rang in her ears, his hot breath sprinkled on her ear, and Yan Mu’s earlobes were so red that blood could drip out of them.

Yan Mu inexplicably felt a little tormented.

Time seemed to pass very slowly, but it also seemed like only a moment had passed.

Yu Yuan finally finished measuring her neck circumference.

Yan Mu had just breathed a sigh of relief when her back was pressed against the teenager’s chest.

She froze, and before she could snap out of it, Yu Yuan measured her shoulder circumference while practically hugging her.

“W-what are you doing?” Yan Mu stuttered.

“Measuring this way is more accurate,” Yu Yuan said seriously, as if Yan Mu was the one who was unreasonable.

Yan Mu bit her lip.

She was circled in the teenager’s arms, and Yu Yuan’s scent was surrounding her.

Unlike Yu Yuan’s cold temperament, his body smelt fragrant and warm, like the smell of a quilt that had just been aired in the sun.

Yan Mu inexplicably felt a little addicted.

While Yu Yuan wasn’t paying attention, she secretly took a few sniffs.

When she came back to her senses and realized what she was doing, Yan Mu was instantly startled.

This time, she was red from her ears to her neck.

After Yu Yuan took her measurements, he inadvertently raised his eyes and discovered that the girl’s eyes were sparkling and her face was crimson, like a peach blossom in spring.

His heartbeat seemed to skip a beat. Yu Yuan pretended to be calm and put the measuring tape away.

He turned around and told the measurements to the tailor with a calm face.

Seeing that Yu Yuan didn’t seem to mind what had happened just now, Yan Mu’s heart was relieved, but she inexplicably felt a little disappointed.

She shook her head, shaking away the strange emotions.

Together with Yu Yuan, she picked out a few types of fabric and selected a few styles that were currently popular.

Originally, there was a style that Yan Mu liked very much, but it was a little revealing on her chest.

Yu Yuan completely disapproved.

“Why? This style is very good-looking.” Yan Mu was a little reluctant.

“I don’t think it suits you very well,” Yu Yuan said in a serious manner.

“Which part of it is not suitable?” Yan Mu prodded.

Yu Yuan didn’t speak.

Yan Mu frowned, then lowered her head to look at her chest.

……

Could Yu Yuan think it’s too small?

Instantly, Yan Mu was so ashamed she was a little angry.

She didn’t say anything and was about to go over to pay herself.

However, the tailor reminded her that Yu Yuan had already paid for it.

He also kindly reminded Yan Mu to order the clothes now, so they would be ready just in time to pick them up the day before the bookstore opening.

Yan Mu politely said goodbye to the tailor, then walked out of the store alone.

Yu Yuan caught up, a little puzzled.

“What’s wrong?” He asked in confusion.

Yan Mu bit her lip. She really wanted to ask about the matter just now, but she felt like it was a little difficult to say such a thing aloud.

So, Yan Mu stared at Yu Yuan for a while, then walked away on her own again.

But she didn’t make it very far, because when she passed by a sparsely populated alley, Yu Yuan dragged her over.

The teenager stood in front of her aggrievedly, like a big dog admitting his mistake.

His past indifference was now replaced by grievance, and with his overly handsome face, Yan Mu found it a little unbearable.

“Did I do anything wrong?” Yu Yuan asked.

“You……” Yan Mu hesitated over and over again, then finally, she mustered up her courage and asked aloud, “Do you think I have a small chest……”

She spoke too softly, but luckily Yu Yuan was close enough to clearly hear what the young girl said.

He froze, then subconsciously glanced at Yan Mu’s chest.

Just……

They look a bit like the soup dumplings from this morning.

As soon as Yan Mu looked up, she saw Yu Yuan staring at her in a daze.

She followed the teenager’s gaze, and was instantly shamed into anger.

“You! You!!”

Yan Mu couldn’t bear to scold Yu Yuan, and pointed at him for a long time, unable to utter a word.

She was so angry that she turned around and left.

Yu Yuan hurriedly pulled her back.

“I-I didn’t mean that.” The tips of his ears were red, and he was stuttering for once.

“Then what do you mean?” Yan Mu was still a little angry.

Her eyes were like the surface of an autumn lake, shining with the shimmering reflections of sunlight on the waves; her lips were slightly pouting from anger, red and lovely like a cherry.

Yu Yuan hesitated again and again, then whispered, “I’m afraid you will be too good-looking.”

Yan Mu was originally born beautiful, so Yu Yuan simply couldn’t even imagine what kind of scene it would be if she went out wearing that style just now.

He didn’t want to return from his missions to see a bunch of wild bees and butterflies surrounding Yan Mu, that would be too annoying.

Yu Yuan lowered his eyes.

Yan Mu didn’t speak for quite a while.

“Ah Mu?” Yu Yuan tentatively called out.

“Then……” Yan Mu was a little embarrassed.

“Hmm?” Yu Yuan was puzzled.

“Then, do you think they’re small……” the young girl mustered up her courage and shyly asked.

“……”

This time, it was Yu Yuan’s turn to be speechless.

“Yu Yuan?” The young girl raised her eyes timidly.

“Ah!” When Yan Mu looked at him clearly, she suddenly exclaimed, “Why do you have a nosebleed?”

“Maybe it’s the dryness of autumn……” The teenager licked his lips and forced out an explanation.