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墨書 Inktalez
Qing Wu's return was extremely sudden this time.
The He Family was listening to the steward report on various matters when they heard from the Doorman that the young lady had returned and had already entered the main gate.
However, Dou Mama did not come along.
The He Family was quite surprised and missed their daughter very much. Without waiting for Qing Wu to arrive, they hurriedly went to greet her. They also had someone urgently inform their three sons so they could quickly come to welcome their sister home.
During the days when Qing Wu was away, those three brothers had been quite bothersome to her.
Liu Anfeng spent his days lamenting how boring it was without his sister, shouting for her to come back quickly.
Liu An Ting scolded Third Brother and then turned to ask their mother when Qing Wu would be able to return home.
Liu Anzhi, on the other hand, spoke much less than the other two but still asked about it three or four times.
Their behavior made it even harder for the He Family, who had just begun to accept the fact that their daughter was no longer by their side. Every day, while having soup or meals, they would have to listen to Mama Huang nagging about whether their daughter was suffering in the palace.
With Qing Wu back, regardless of the reason, everyone in the family was overjoyed.
They even hoped that the emperor would suddenly change his mind and not allow Qing Wu to continue being that troublesome lady-in-waiting, thus removing her from her position. If that were the case, the girl could be at home all the time.
When asked about the reason for her return, Qing Wu could only come up with an excuse: "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve; I came back to take a look."
She did not mention whether it was permitted by the emperor. The family never considered that their delicate daughter would defy the emperor's wishes and return on her own accord. They assumed she had received His Majesty's consent and did not ask further, happily welcoming her inside.
Qing Wu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Preparations for New Year decorations had already begun at home. Boxes were stacked in the yard, just waiting to be gradually set up after the holiday.
The conversation among everyone revolved around New Year, discussing it joyfully.
Qing Wu was unable to forget what happened yesterday and couldn’t fully relax. She forced a smile and made an excuse to go back to her room for a while, heading alone to the West Courtyard.
Not long after she left, the He Family was planning to temporarily set aside matters from the estate and called for Cook to prepare more dishes that the young ladies liked when they were approached hurriedly by someone from the Doorman.
“Madam, that young gentleman from last time has arrived!”
“Gentleman? The one from last time?” The He Family was somewhat confused. “Which one?”
Before the Doorman could respond, a young man dressed in a White Brocade Robe strode over with great strides. He carried himself with an extraordinary demeanor, exuding nobility.
Behind him followed another person, but this individual was half-hidden behind the young man, making it hard to see clearly.
As the young man entered the courtyard and looked around, he spotted He Family hastily coming out of the house. He nodded slightly and asked, “Is Liu Young Lady back?”
The He Family did not expect him to be so well-informed. They nodded and replied, “Indeed,” then asked, “How did you know, young sir?”
Huo Yun'ai was only thinking about how he would meet the girl and what he should do next; he paid no attention to what others were asking. He casually nodded and said, “I heard from someone.”
Concerned that Qing Wu might react too strongly, his expression grew sharper as he pondered deeply. A cold aura emanated from him, making others feel a chill.
He Family looked at him with some caution.
Just as she was about to ask more, the man who had been closely following the young man stepped forward.
He cupped his fists in salute to He Family and said, "His Majesty has some words to entrust to Lord Liu, and specifically sent the young master here to report the matter to her."
This person was none other than Mu Hai, dressed in official attire.
How could there be no one accompanying His Majesty on his outing?
However, Huo Yun'ai was riding on horseback. Others like Uncle Yu and Li Zi, even if they were on fine steeds, might not be able to keep up with him.
Thus, Mu Hai didn't even have time to change his clothes and came here wearing the uniform of the Imperial Guard.
He Family did not recognize the attire of the Imperial Guard. However, the brothers who rushed over upon hearing the news did recognize it.
Especially Liu Anfeng.
As soon as he saw Mu Hai's outfit, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't hide his envy as he said to his companions, "That's the Imperial Guard! So impressive! Really impressive!"
Liu Anzhi and Liu An Ting were not as familiar with military officers as he was. After a moment of observation, they finally confirmed that it was indeed true.
Seeing that the Imperial Guard accompanying the Emperor had also arrived, He Family temporarily suppressed her earlier suspicions about Huo Yun'ai and accepted the reason given by Mu Hai.
She then prepared to instruct someone to summon Qing Wu, so that Young Master Yun could convey that "message" to her.
Huo Yun'ai's lips immediately tightened into a straight line upon hearing this, and she asked lightly, "This matter is confidential and shouldn't be overheard by others. May I ask if you all could step aside?"
The He Family hesitated; they were concerned about their daughter being alone with an outsider.
However, how could the Emperor's affairs be treated casually?
Just as they were pondering how to find a solution that would satisfy everyone, Zheng Ning unexpectedly approached, swaying slightly as he walked over.
He calmly glanced at Huo Yun'ai and Mu Hai, then said to the He Family, "I heard that the Girl has returned?" After that, he cupped his hands and smiled as he inquired about Huo Yun'ai's purpose.
Mu Hai briefly answered and then exchanged a glance with Zheng Ning.
Zheng Ning paused slightly and asked Huo Yun'ai, "May I ask if I can hear what His Majesty conveyed?"
Huo Yun'ai fell silent. After carefully considering Zheng Ning's intentions, she nodded very lightly.
Zheng Ning smiled at the He Family and said, "That makes things easier. Why don't we let the Girl and Young Master Yun go to my place to relay the message? It won't delay your matters here, and with me around, you can rest assured."
His suggestion was indeed reasonable.
After six years of living together in the Northwest, the He Family had long been at ease with Zheng Ning. Upon hearing this, they had no doubts and agreed. They then thanked Zheng Ning, saying, "...It's just too much trouble for you, Mr. Zheng."
Zheng Ning lazily smiled, "No problem." Without further pleasantries, he led Huo Yun'ai and Mu Hai to where he conducted his lessons.
After arriving there, Zheng Ning asked Huo Yun'ai to wait for him for a moment. He went to call Qing Wu over.
The moment Qing Wu saw the Young Emperor standing with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, she was startled. Once she realized what was happening, she turned and ran.
However, with Zheng Ning and Mu Hai guarding the entrance, Qing Wu couldn't rush past them.
Frustrated and stamping her feet, she could only turn back and run into the house.
She tried to close the door, but Huo Yun'ai wouldn't allow her to continue hiding.
The young man forcefully propped the door open little by little and then slipped inside.
Seeing the two of them confronting each other like this, Zheng Ning was quite surprised.
He thought Huo Yun'ai had something to say to Qing Wu. He didn't expect the situation between them to be like this.
So he raised his chin towards the room and asked Mu Hai, "What's going on?"
Mu Hai pondered for a moment and replied briefly, "They had a disagreement."
Zheng Ning raised an eyebrow and glanced at the closed door, stroking his chin as he said, "This is quite unusual."
From the looks of it, it didn't seem like the Emperor had upset the girl; rather, it seemed like the girl had upset the Emperor. The girl was angry with him, and then...
Then the Emperor specifically came over to coax her?
He knew that his apprentice had a very good temper. And the Emperor, as always, protected and indulged her. Therefore, the girl had always spoken to the Emperor in a gentle manner without any harsh words.
What kind of situation could make the Emperor so angry with her?
It was truly puzzling.
...
"You... are you angry with me?"
The White-Clad Youth closed the door and looked at the girl sitting in the corner of the room. His voice was somewhat tense as he softly asked.
From the moment he saw her, all the countless thoughts he had about how to meet her and what to do had been thrown out of his mind, and he couldn't think of anything at all.
In front of her, he could only awkwardly ask the question that was most on his mind.
Qing Wu slightly turned her face and said, "You bully people, and you don't allow others to be angry?"
Her cold tone made the young man's brows furrow slightly, and he felt a bit flustered. He hurriedly took two steps closer to her.
Only when he was close enough to reach out and hold her did he stop, lowering his voice as he said, "If you're angry, just take it out on me. Why hide away like this?"
"If I stayed there, what if you did something excessive again? What would happen then?" Qing Wu was afraid that Zheng Ning outside would hear them, so she voiced her complaint softly. "I don't like that."
The girl's voice was weak and delicate, making one feel soft-hearted and pained upon hearing it.
Huo Yun'ai couldn't help but reach out and touch her cheek.
As soon as their skin made contact, the heat from his palm caused her entire body to stiffen. She suddenly stood up, pretending to run away.
Huo Yun'ai had already made up his mind not to let her escape again. Seeing her like this, he couldn't allow her to succeed once more.
He immediately stretched out his long arm and blocked her path. With a firm embrace, he pulled her into his arms.
This forceful and undeniable attitude made Qing Wu instantly tense and filled with embarrassment and anger.
Once again, she found herself unable to resist. Once again, she couldn't break free.
In her frustration, the girl’s expression turned cold, and she whispered disdainfully, "Your Majesty truly is 'familiar after one encounter.' Having forced me once, it has become a habit; now you can easily do it a second time. If I act against your wishes in the future, will you force me every time?"
The girl rarely lost her temper, but when she did, it was genuine anger.
However, Huo Yun'ai knew that if he allowed her to escape successfully at this moment, that incident would ultimately become an insurmountable barrier between them. They would truly be nothing more than ruler and subject.
Yet her unyielding attitude left him somewhat at a loss.
He felt extreme sorrow and concern but didn't know how to express the feelings he had been longing for.
Amidst such intense emotions, recalling her earlier words made him smile instead of getting angry.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he held her firmly. Then he tilted her delicate chin up and gently caressed it with his long fingers. The movement was slow, gentle, and yet… ambiguous.
Qing Wu's face slowly flushed. She hurriedly tried to turn her face away, avoiding his gaze.
The young man, however, would not allow her to do so.
As she dodged, he pursued her. He leaned in slowly, inching closer to her.
As he got nearer, their noses almost touched, their breaths intertwining. Qing Wu suddenly felt like she was facing a formidable enemy, extremely tense.
"What... what do you want to do?"
She wanted to retreat but was held in place by his other hand around her waist, unable to move.
"What do I want to do?" The Young Emperor chuckled softly and pressed a light kiss on the corner of her lips. "Aren't you 'familiar after one meeting'? The more we do this, the more it becomes a habit?"
His voice was laced with a seductive huskiness as he whispered softly in her ear.
"So I think it would be better to try this a few more times. Once you get used to it, it won't be an issue anymore."
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