Chapter 8: Remarriage (Eight)
Mu Yao slightly furrowed her brows
Miao Miao leaned in a little closer, whispering, "Ever since that time with the mirror demon, I have been having nightmares every night"
She lowered her eyelids and said, "It's nothing, let's go to the flower hall."
The willow branch, with its green buds, was twirled in hand and then, without any reluctance, was tossed into the pond, sinking into the mud
In fact, Miaomiao knew that the prefect intended to keep this group of talented individuals around for a while, so that in case any troublesome monsters appeared in the county, he would not be at a loss for help. However, he did not want to impose his authority on them, so he entrusted the important task to his precious daughter. He hoped that Miaomiao could get along well with them and, ideally, establish some connections.
Ling Miaomiao was deeply moved by the male protagonist's sense of righteousness, crying bitterly as she carefully pinched the opening of the fragrant pouch, afraid of damaging it: "Thank you, Brother Liu..."
Mu Yao's complexion changed from white to red, then back to white, and she abruptly stood up, saying, "I will head back first"
Liu Fuyi did not leave; instead, he took out a blank talisman with his slender fingers. He took the incense pouch from Miaomiao's hand, folded it into small pieces, and stuffed it inside. "This is my talisman paper"
Miao Miao boldly looked back at the past, allowing a blush to rise on her face, her tone increasingly pitiful: "I just... can't sleep well at night"
The maid, somewhat puzzled, murmured: "... ... Fourteen years old. What is it, Miss?"
"... ... is not either." Ling Miaomiao rubbed her forehead with some headache. Logically speaking, last night was the successful first step in her pursuit of the Black Lotus, so she should have slept soundly and blissfully.
How old are you
Take it away, it's a gift for Miss Ling. Mu Yao's voice was faint, her gaze piercing through, If you don't like the scent, I have more here
Come, let me do it. She searched for a pair of scissors in the drawer, snatched the hair from the maid's hands, and snipped away in a circle, the scattered hair tips falling chaotically onto the dressing table. While cutting fiercely, she admonished, "One must give up to gain; only by cutting it can it grow well. Do not be too precious about this hair."
The torches were reflected in the pond, resembling a pool of shattered sparks, the heat scorching people's faces. A row upon row of disheveled individuals knelt at the entrance, their faces smeared with mud, and a haunting wail rose and fell, permeating the entire world. The officials and soldiers seized the girls, pulling their hair, as they were forced to stumble along with their hands bound behind their backs, like tattered burlap sacks being dragged along.
Outside the rarely visited west wing, a figure walked by the edge of the pond. The late spring breeze swept across the pond, rippling the surface of the spring water, while the willow branches swayed gently. One branch tenderly brushed against the young man's handsome face, which he promptly broke off with a swift motion.
"Did you not sleep well last night, Miss?" the maid asked cautiously
I see that Miss Ling has not yet woken up
In an instant, a rich fragrance wafted through the air, and Ling Miaomiao sneezed, covering her nose and impatiently said: "Why is it so troublesome? Just cut it off."
He simply dislikes the trust that sister has in that person
The wind lifted his soft forehead hair, bringing with it a fluttering touch of yellow like a butterfly. Mu Sheng reached out to grab it, only to find a piece of torn yellow paper, on which the crimson characters were barely visible, with only a corner discernible, making it impossible to identify the words.
Miao Miao looked at the young maid's face, which was still covered with fine fuzz. On the night of the water mirror collection, this little maid had been so frightened that her teeth chattered and her face turned ashen. Now, however, her face was flushed like an apple, demonstrating the resilience of youthful life
The reflection in the mirror shows eyes with slightly swollen eyelids, drooping slightly, giving a somewhat dull appearance
Sister, please don't be angry. He softened his tone, I am just worried, what if Liu Fuyi...
With a voice that seemed to smile yet was not quite a smile, he spoke. Despite having gone to bed at the same hour of four, his complexion was surprisingly rosy, and there was not a trace of dark circles under his eyes.
"Fu Yi is not that kind of person." Mu Yao interrupted lightly, her eyes clear and bright, without a trace of doubt.
Ling Miaomiao tilted her head slightly, the atmosphere in the room was very strange, yet Liu Fuyi remained completely unaware, speaking in a straightforward and normal manner.
Ling Miaomiao made a gesture of tucking something into her bosom, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips, "So I really took it away?"
The maid, taken aback, exclaimed: "This... this must be..."
No," Mu Sheng replied deliberately.
Miss, Miss? The maid called cautiously, her voice as soft as a cat's meow, each call scratching at one's heart.
Many wooden boxes are piled up, some of which are open, revealing a dazzling light beneath the loosely nailed wooden slats. It is a trembling butterfly hairpin, its wings have emerged, displaying a beauty that is lonely and unappreciated.
Mu Sheng felt very annoyed in his heart
Ling Miaomiao was momentarily stunned. How embarrassing, what should I do
She was fully focused, her eyes shining brightly, and the expression of admiration on her face froze for a moment
"Do not speak nonsense." Mu Yao sat on the bed, her expression calm, but her gaze flickered sharply for a moment
Liu Fuyi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "Alright."
Is it not to your taste? Liu Fuyi smiled as she sipped her tea, kindly pushing Miaomiao's teacup over to her
Ke Ling Miaomiao, after all, has no experience in relationships. How could she have anticipated that a casual jest would, in Mu Yao's ears, inexplicably carry a malicious undertone of probing? It stirred within her an ambition to assert her claim, and a "yes" was already on the tip of her tongue
The ivory comb glided through the black hair, dipped in clear water infused with flower petals, and caught on the ends of the original owner's hair, which had become dry and split from days and nights of sighing. The maid, carefully gauging her mistress's intentions, took a handful of fragrant balm and began to massage it gently.
Ling Miaomiao set down the scissors and, like a dog that had just come out of the water, quickly shook her head to rid her clothes of the stray hairs, before entering a meditative state once again
"Sister, I will take you back," Mu Sheng could not have wished for a better outcome, closely following Mu Yao, smiling as if spring flowers were blooming, with brilliance shining in her eyes
That red substance is not cinnabar, but rather fresh blood
Ling Miaomiao snatched it over and held on tightly, even feigning a pitiful refusal, "Can I really take it..."
Upon hearing the term "Mirror Demon," Liu Fuyi's expression stiffened. After observing her for a moment, he reassured, "Miss Ling is an ordinary person and may have been affected by a powerful demon." He took out a plump, plain white silk pouch from his bosom, saying, "It contains mugwort and forget-me-not, which can soothe the mind. Miss Ling might as well give it a try"
He smiled slightly and said, "There is my scent above. If the nightmare is caused by evil spirits, once they sense it, they will not dare to come and trouble you."
Suddenly receiving a reminder, Ling Miaomiao found the pastries in her mouth to be utterly tasteless
Sister, I see that Miss Ling has an interest in Liu Fuyi
Upon meeting the gaze of those black eyes, Ling Miaomiao instinctively recoiled slightly, as in an instant, flames and illusions surged forth once more, causing her stomach to churn.
Miao Miao saw her face, a fourteen-year-old girl, who was ruined and then strangled on that chaotic night, thrown into the mud, staring with those big eyes
Through the willow's gentle touch on her shoulder, she noticed Mu Yao's pause in her tea-drinking posture, raising her pair of cold, clear eyes to look this way
"No... nothing serious." She stammered as she explained, "The master said that Young Master Liu and Miss Mu are having tea in the front hall and asked you to go and keep them company"
Does Sister Mu also have a sachet? Is she paired with Young Master Liu?" Miao Miao played with the sachet of Liu Fu Yi in her hand, asking curiously
"Pah." She spat it out
A woman's intuition is remarkably accurate. Even the most carefree female creatures exhibit subtle hostility towards any other females around their mates, instinctively bristling and remaining vigilant against all gentle traps. Although Mu Yao spoke with ease, she was now completely tense: the knuckles gripping the cup betrayed her, and the skin near her nails was almost pushed into a nest.
Mu Sheng's expression had long been off. He resembled the sunny doll hanging by the window, with some emotions that Mu Yao herself was not even aware of, yet he could perceive them ahead of time. Therefore, the gaze he directed towards Miao Miao carried a hint of depth.
She deliberately lowered her voice, causing Liu Fuyi to unconsciously lean in closer to listen
This is not the case; demon catchers usually carry several of these pouches to ward off evil entities. Liu Fuyi explained with utmost seriousness almost simultaneously.
Liu Fuyi sat up straight, gazing at Mu Yao's back with concern in her eyes, but then turned to face Miao Miao.
Liu Fuyi was amused: "Hmm."
A Sheng. Mu Yao frowned, "If you are so idle, go practice your magic skills, and stop wandering around in front of me"
Task Reminder: Task 1, Quarter Phase Follow-up: You are required to continue increasing the intimacy with the character 【Liu Fuyi】 while the character 【Mu Yao】 is online. Reminder completed
His expression suddenly changed; this is Liu Fuyi's talisman.
Ling Miaomiao let out a soft "oh," rubbed her sleepy eyes, sat in a daze for a while, and then slowly got out of bed
As soon as I close my eyes, I am ensnared by nightmares
The cries were deafening. Some were struggling, like fish thrown onto a scale, frantically thrashing their tails, only to have their heads severed by a large knife in the next moment, hot blood gushing out and instantly pooling into a small puddle beside the executioner's boots. When he lifted his foot to leave, the soles of his boots made a squelching sound, saturated with water.
What happened? What happened? Ling Miaomiao suddenly turned over, startling awake, and with a swift motion, she lifted the tent. Her hair was in disarray, and her eyes were wide open like copper bells, frightening the maid to take a few steps back
Where was Ling Yu at that time? Had she passed the Qingzhu Forest, or had she arrived at Xingzi Town? Did she ever think about her home and the fate that awaited those people she had left far behind?
"Um, it's not very good." Fu Yi carefully examined her pale face, slightly furrowing his brows, "Where do you feel unwell?" The two of them were very close, and when he leaned down to look at her, it created a somewhat ambiguous angle. With the aura of the male lead, Liu Fu Yi had a unique temperament, and staring intently like this was enough to make young ladies blush.
In the distance, the horses neighed, while the limping soldier prepared to move the box onto the cart, causing a stronger one to be pushed aside, and the two began to fight.
One should not go too far in bullying others. Her intention was to make a joke, to make Mu Yao blush, so as to turn the page on this awkward moment, preventing the young couple from developing conflicts just to increase their intimacy.
The night sky glows with a red light, and everyone is like ants on a hot pan. Some are frantic, while others have perished
"You should go now, Brother Liu. Thank you very much for your sachet." Miao Miao very obediently made way for him.
Liu Fuyi smiled and then shook her robe as she left: "I will go see Yao'er."
Mu Sheng saw her pale face as she gulped down a mouthful of tea, completely ignoring him as if she hadn't heard. She turned to Liu Fuyi and weakly asked, "Brother Liu, does my face look very bad?"
In the flower hall, only Miaomiao accompanied the main characters, while the governor had gone early in the morning to handle official business. His exact words were that young people are better suited to converse with each other; he is old and often finds it difficult to keep up with the conversation, which makes the guests feel awkward.
The elder sister is in a state of confusion, while he is naturally pleased with himself, embellishing the story, "I see that Liu Fu Yi does not dislike Ling Yu either."