Chapter 81 Seventeenth Kiss

Yu Yuan had a rare opportunity to end his shift early today.

The thought of Yan Mu waiting for him to return to the bookstore filled Yu Yuan’s heart with a gentle warmth.

In the past, this was just a delusion that he didn’t dare to hope for.

But now, it had become reality.

The corners of Yu Yuan’s mouth subtly curved up.

There were cries of hawkers on the street. Yu Yuan turned his head and saw the bright red sugar-coated haws.

He remembered Qi Er mentioning that most girls love to eat them.

Yu Yuan bought two sticks and quickly walked to the bookstore, holding them in his hands.
However, as soon as he entered the store, Yu Yuan intuitively felt like the atmosphere was a bit off.

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“Yu Yuan…… what do you think about that young girl?” Xiao Qing asked tentatively.

“…… What do I think?” Yu Yuan coldly asked.

His previously relaxed and joyful mood had vanished instantly, and he twirled the sugar-coated haws in his hand, feeling agitated.

The Emperor couldn’t even manage his own harem, yet he was still casually rewarding women to other people’s families.

At the thought of his relationship with Yan Mu possibly becoming strained, Yu Yuan’s gaze turned cold as ice.

“Where’s that woman now?” Yu Yuan asked.

“…… In Miss Yan’s room,” Xiao Qing honestly replied.

“Nonsense!” Yu Yuan was a little angry. “How could you allow someone whose origin is unknown to be alone with Ah Mu?”

After speaking, he held the sugar-coated haws and quickly walked towards the side room.

As he pushed the door open, a warm and cozy atmosphere greeted him.

The scene he’d imagined wasn’t happening, but instead, they seemed to be getting along well.

Yan Mu was holding a chess piece, playing five-in-a-row¹五子棋 (wǔzǐqí) – Japanese: gomoku; gobang with an unfamiliar woman.

Upon hearing someone enter, they reluctantly withdrew their gazes from the chessboard.

“Yu Yuan, you’re back.”  Yan Mu’s face lit up with joy, and she intended to stand up, but was stopped by the young woman.

“Miss Yan, you haven’t placed your piece yet,” the young woman said as she held onto Yan Mu’s arm.

Yu Yuan stared at the hand that was pulling Yan Mu, and his heart felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

“Who is she?” Yu Yuan pointed at the young woman expressionlessly with the sugar-coated haws.

“She’s Mei Niang²a term or title used to address wife or concubine; , the concubine bestowed to you by the Emperor.”

Earlier, Mei Niang had insisted that she bestow her a name, but she really couldn’t think of one, so she simply let Mei Niang use her original name.

Seeing Yu Yuan’s eyes focused on Mei Niang, Yan Mu’s gaze instantly dimmed.

But in order to not let Yu Yuan see her disappointment, Yan Mu forced herself to look cheerful.

“Why is she hugging you?” Yu Yuan felt displeased.

He stared at Mei Niang’s hand, which was holding Yan Mu’s. His gaze was sharp, as if trying to pierce through her arm.

“……Then, should I leave?” Yan Mu didn’t know how to respond.

She wasn’t good at handling situations like this. Perhaps due to childhood trauma, her instinctive reaction was not to calmly communicate but to flee.

“N-no, you can’t!”

Mei Niang, immersed in the game just now, suddenly heard that Yan Mu wanted to leave, so she instantly raised her head.

As soon as she looked up, Mei Niang saw an eerie-looking man staring at her.

“Miss Yan, save me!”

Mei Niang was so scared that she hid behind Yan Mu, hugging her and refusing to come out.

“……”

Seeing that Mei Niang was still hugging Yan Mu, Yu Yuan was so angry that he almost crushed the sugar-coated haws in his hands.

“Well, Mei Niang……” Yan Mu turned her head, somewhat embarrassed, “Can you please step out for a moment? I have something to say to Yu Yuan.”

“He looks so fierce. Will he beat you?” Mei Niang said in a voice that she thought only she and Yan Mu could hear.

Yu Yuan’s face grew even darker.

His gaze at Mei Niang became increasingly displeased.

“He won’t, he won’t.”

Yan Mu repeatedly assured her, and only then did Mei Niang reluctantly leave, while constantly looking back.

Of course, the person that Mei Niang kept looking back at was Yan Mu.

Yu Yuan had become increasingly frustrated, and as soon as Mei Niang stepped out of the door, he slammed the door shut with a “bang”.

“Why aren’t you angry?”

Yu Yuan picked Yan Mu up horizontally, seemingly fierce, but then gently placed her on the bed.

“Mmm……” Yan Mu didn’t speak.

What kind of person was Yu Yuan?

Although he hadn’t been an official for long, he still had keen insight into human emotions.

Seeing Yan Mu’s expression, he immediately understood her concerns.

Yu Yuan put the sugar-coated haws into the pen holder and lay down beside Yan Mu.

Their eyes met, but Yan Mu avoided his gaze.

“Does Ah Mu have so little trust in me?” Yu Yuan softly sighed.

His sigh was both like the first withered leaves falling in autumn, and the first snowfall of winter.

Yan Mu’s insecure and wavering heart was brutally torn open and exposed in front of him.

Yan Mu hated her timid and cowardly self.

She curled herself up and buried her head in the quilt.

She felt a light touch on her body, and then was swept into Yu Yuan’s arms.

“Ah Mu, can you…… try to trust me?” Yu Yuan softly asked. His attitude was gentle, as if coaxing a child.

Yan Mu pursed her lips and remained silent.

Yu Yuan didn’t push her, and just kept hugging her quietly.

Yan Mu had always been bright and warm.

Despite her petite and cuddly appearance, she seemed to shine as brightly as the sun.

Yu Yuan rarely saw Yan Mu look so insecure.

He tightened his arms a little, hugging Yan Mu a bit tighter.

“Mei Niang is very beautiful. Don’t you like her?”

Yan Mu’s voice emerged from the quilt, sounding somewhat muffled.

“You’re the most attractive,” Yu Yuan said, honestly and sincerely.

If these words had been spoken by someone else, they would seem glib³油嘴滑舌 (yóuzuǐ-huáshé) – oily-mouthed and smooth talking (idiom).

But the person who’d spoken them was Yu Yuan, which felt much more sincere.

“There may be others in the future, and surely someone will be younger and prettier than me. One day, you’ll like someone else,” Yan Mu whispered.

The quilt was gently lifted.

Yu Yuan’s face appeared in front of her.

There seemed to be water glistening in the young girl’s apricot eyes, and her pink lips were bitten pale.

“But the first person I met was you.” Yu Yuan stared at Yan Mu and said word by word, “They won’t be you.”

“Ah Mu, I won’t like anyone else, I’ll only like you.” Yan Mu heard Yu Yuan say.

But……

Yan Mu covered her eyes, her tears welled up, and her palms were wet.

Once upon a time……

Didn’t Dad promise Mum the same thing?

Yan Mu knew that she should enjoy the present, and not constantly dwell on things that hadn’t happened yet.

But she was really a little scared.

The hysterical arguments and the intermittent cries still lingered in her mind.

She was terrified that she would become like her mother.

Yan Mu couldn’t speak.

A hard object was carefully stuffed into her left hand, which was resting on the bed.

Yan Mu opened her eyes and looked at it through her blurry vision.

It was a pitch-black dagger.

This dagger looked somewhat familiar.

Yan Mu remembered that Yu Yuan had carried this dagger since they were still in Qingshui Village.

“W-what are you doing?” Yan Mu sniffled and asked.

“If one day, I ever cease to be loyal or forget about you, use this dagger……” Yu Yuan smiled and continued, “You can use this dagger to dig out my heart.”

“Are you crazy?” Yan Mu almost dropped the dagger in shock.

She had mixed feelings, and her gaze fixed on Yu Yuan’s face.

“I’m not crazy.” Yu Yuan leaned forward to kiss Yan Mu’s hair, his voice filled with both madness and restraint, “This heart has been beating for Ah Mu since the beginning.”

As he spoke, Yu Yuan loosened his collar and placed Yan Mu’s hand on his chest.

Yan Mu’s hand was very cold, but the temperature of Yu Yuan’s chest was scorching hot.

She inexplicably felt as if her hand was burned at the touch.

Yan Mu lowered her eyes.

Beneath the tight muscles, his heart was powerfully beating.

Thump.

Thump.

Badump.

“Did you hear it?” Yu Yuan hoarsely asked. “Every heartbeat belongs to you.”

“Ah Mu, I belong only to you.” Yu Yuan kissed the side of Yan Mu’s face. “If you don’t believe me, you can dig my heart out now.”

As Yu Yuan spoke, he grabbed Yan Mu’s hand that was holding the dagger.

He used his fingers to remove the sheath, and holding her hand, he brought it towards his own chest.

Yu Yuan was serious this time.

By the time Yan Mu reacted, the blade of the dagger had already touched Yu Yuan’s skin.

“No!!!” She shouted.

The dagger came to a sudden halt.

The tip of the blade had already sunk into his flesh, and if Yan Mu hadn’t shouted at him to stop, the dagger would’ve really pierced into Yu Yuan’s chest.

“Are you an idiot? How can you gamble with your own life!” Yan Mu burst into tears.

As she cried, she used a handkerchief to cover the wound.

“It’s not a gamble,” Yu Yuan said seriously. “It’s my fault for making you so sad.”

If Yan Mu really wanted his life, she just needed to say it, and he would gladly offer it.

This minor wound wasn’t even worth mentioning.

“You……” Yan Mu fiercely bit her lip.

She knew it wasn’t Yu Yuan’s fault.

It was the influence of her original family that had formed a knot in her heart.

But strangely……

Although she was still shocked and scared, that knot in her heart seemed to be gradually disappearing.

A man who dared to give his life to her should be different, right?

Yan Mu wiped her tears and got up, wanting to get the medicine chest.

However, as soon as she got up, Yu Yuan pulled her back down.

The back of her head was held firmly, and the teenager’s passionate lips and tongue met hers.

“I’ll…… apply medicine first…… wuu,” Yan Mu mumbled incoherently.

“It’ll be fine after Ah Mu’s kiss.” Yu Yuan glanced at the sugar-coated haws on the table out of the corner of his eye.

“Do you want to eat sugar-coated haws?” He reached out and picked up the sweets.

“Let’s apply medicine first……” Yan Mu softly said, her face bright red.

“It’s alright.” Yu Yuan unwrapped the oilpaper.

But then he lowered his head and bit one off.

Yan Mu was puzzled, until Yu Yuan leaned forward with the sugar-coated haw in his mouth. Only then she realized what he was doing, and her face instantly flushed red.

“It’s very sweet……” Yu Yuan leaned forward.

The sweet sugar coating melted in her mouth, while the hawthorn juice was crushed out.

“So sour,” Yan Mu exclaimed coquettishly.

“It’ll taste sweeter with more kisses,” Yu Yuan mumbled.

“……I think you’re lying.”

“Clearly Ah Mu had lied the most today!”

“Wuu wuu wuu……”

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The author has something to say:

Yu Yuan: Why reward me a beauty? It’s better to give me more money. (Cold face)

*

Yu Yuan has a sinister yet handsome appearance. Those who like it will find him incredibly charming, while those who don’t will think he looks gloomy and eerie hahahahaha

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Edited by: Gaze