Good Ending: She Swears She Will Not Let Him Die!

Chapter 275: Chapter 274: Awkwardness

The hot water was quickly brought in.

Mu Lianxiao went to the bathroom to wash up, and the warm hangover soup was placed on the table.

Jin Rui deftly untangled Du Yunluo’s long hair, smoothed it with a comb, and said, ”Madam, I will keep watch outside. If anything happens, please call me.”

Du Yunluo sat at the dressing table, glancing at the pear-wood canopy bed.

The bed was covered with a bright red brocade quilt, the intricate floral patterns on the duvet were embroidered by her own hands, and the pillowcases at the head of the bed embellished with mandarin ducks playing in the water.

Seeing Du Yunluo lost in thought, Jin Rui said softly, ”Madam, everything has been tidied up, rest assured.”

Du Yunluo was startled, and when she realized Jin Rui was referring to the longans, peanuts, and lotus seeds on the bed, she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

She remembered it wasn’t thoroughly cleaned up before, when his every move made her uncomfortable; a longan pressed against her waist, its shell shattered, prickling her with both pain and numbness, yet her hands were restrained, unable to remove the longan, which made her so angry that she kicked Mu Lianxiao.

That time, Mu Lianxiao wasn’t angry. Du Yunluo squinted as she thought about whether Mu Lianxiao would be annoyed if she kicked him for no reason this time...

He probably wouldn’t be.

After all, she only promised Mrs. Zhen not to push Mu Lianxiao, she didn’t say she wouldn’t kick him.

Besides, it was just a gentle kick.

Even if she used seven or eight-tenths of her strength, it would only tickle him; his skin was thick and rough, he wouldn’t be afraid.

Thinking of this, Du Yunluo couldn’t help but chuckle.

Seeing her behave this way, Jin Rui felt settled in her mind.

Yesterday, Mrs. Zhen had specifically instructed Jin Rui behind Du Yunluo’s back, saying that on the wedding night, it was inevitable for a young lady to feel scared and nervous. If Du Yunluo panicked, she must be calmed.

She also heard from Jin Ling that when she first got married, as night fell, she felt utterly at a loss, neither able to stand still nor sit properly, her heart beating wildly.

Originally, Jin Rui thought that if Du Yunluo panicked, Jin Ling, who had the experience, would definitely be more useful; but just now, Jin Ling was nowhere to be found; little did she know Du Yunluo wasn’t nervous at all, which put Jin Rui at ease too.

Jin Rui left the room.

Sounds of water came from the bathroom. Du Yunluo raised her voice and asked, ”How much wine did you have to reek of alcohol like this?”

The voice reached him from outside, causing Mu Lianxiao to pause for a moment.

In truth, he hadn’t drunk that much; he had a good capacity for liquor. The wine hadn’t been an issue, just the smell lingered.

But hearing Du Yunluo ask, her soft and tender tone was like she was speaking right beside his ear, causing the dissipated inebriation to reignite instantly.

It seemed, indeed, as if he had indulged a bit too much.

From the moment they shared the ceremonial wine cup, he was intoxicated.

Mu Lianxiao reached out to push open the small window facing north.

His fingers touched the window lattice, but remembering the north wind outside could chill the humid bathroom, making it cold for Du Yunluo when she used water later, Mu Lianxiao reconsidered and withdrew his hand.

Du Yunluo, not hearing Mu Lianxiao’s answer, was about to raise her voice to ask again when she saw him emerge from the bathroom.

His ceremonial robe was taken off, hanging by her own beside it, the red hues reflecting off each other, mirrored by the pair of dragon and phoenix candles.

Mu Lianxiao had donned a brand new undergarment, his long hair loosened, strolling over leisurely, his gaze fixed intently on Du Yunluo.

He had seen Du Yunluo with her hair down before, but her current demeanor was entirely different from the impression left from that year when he had barged into the Qinglian Temple’s bamboo forest.

Du Yunluo flashed him a radiant smile, got up and picked up the hangover soup from the table, saying, ”It’s still warm.”

Mu Lianxiao took it, finding it a bit too hot to sip comfortably. He thought, cooled soup would have been more agreeable.

In the adjacent eastern room, the Western clock struck, its chimes distinct amidst the silent night.

Yet, Du Yunluo heard her own heartbeat, accelerating gradually, as though it had only just dawned on her that the moment had finally arrived, causing her flustering.

It wasn’t fear, nor nervousness; they had been married for five years, even if they were apart more than together, the intimacies of the marriage bed had become familiar.

She simply forgot how it had all begun before...

It shouldn’t have been just staring blankly at each other...

Du Yunluo instinctively furrowed her brow, as if her heart resisted, sitting at the dressing table ignoring him, while Mu Lianxiao coaxed and pleaded; she remained indifferent, prompting him to scoop her up and carry her to the bed...

From there, it all unfolded naturally.

But now, what should she do?

Given their relationship, surely she couldn’t just keep silent forever.

Du Yunluo’s distress went unnoticed by Mu Lianxiao, as he deliberated his own quandary.

Before, he’d always feared startling her, restraining himself in countless ways. But now, having completed the grand wedding rites and openly recognized their union, he could finally hold her and kiss her legitimately, yet he found himself unsure of his next move.

Though his beloved stood right before him, and where he once could easily and naturally take her hand to convey his feelings, on the grand wedding night, everything seemed different.

For that moment, rather than feeling ambiguous, it felt awkward.

Du Yunluo shot a sidelong glance at Mu Lianxiao, noticing the flush at the base of his ears. Her heart hardened with determination, she lowered her head and blew out the oil lamp on the table.

The interior dimmed considerably in an instant, with only the dragon and phoenix candles illuminating a corner.

Her delicate, pale face was half obscured in the darkness, her dark eyes appearing ever more luminous, stirring one’s emotions.

The trifling distractions in his mind dissipated instantly, Mu Lianxiao instinctively lifted his hand, resting it gently on Du Yunluo’s forehead, then slowly trailed his hand down, cupping her cheeks in his hands.

Their eyes met, just as they had months ago in the carriage.

Mu Lianxiao was suddenly reminded of her words spoken back then, along with the light kiss she’d landed at the corner of his lips.

The pad of his finger brushed over her moist lips, the rouge had already washed away, yet Mu Lianxiao felt Du Yunluo’s lips more vibrant than any applied color.

His Adam’s apple moved as he bent towards her, whispering, ”Not afraid, truly?”

His breath touched her nose, making Du Yunluo smile. She held the cuff of his sleeve gently, whispering, ”Not afraid.”

His kiss landed gently and softly on her brow, fleetingly, and then, upon the corner of her eye.

Mu Lianxiao’s movements were slow and tender, as if holding the porcelain doll gifted during the Flower Stepping Hall ceremony the previous day.

Feeling ticklish, Du Yunluo tried to scratch at the sensation, but Mu Lianxiao beat her to it, pinning her hand. She giggled and was just about to say ”ticklish,” when he seized the opportunity and silenced her with a kiss.

The tentative exploration soon became tender as water.

The air Du Yunluo breathed was filled with Mu Lianxiao’s light soap scent, a familiar smell that soothed her entirely, instinctively making her rise onto her toes, seeking to be closer, nearer.

She didn’t know when the hand holding hers let go, just as she didn’t know when Mu Lianxiao wrapped her in his arms and carried her to the bed’s edge, beneath him.

His kiss deepened further, gentle as always, yet overwhelming, making it hard for Du Yunluo to catch her breath.

Before she was entirely breathless, Mu Lianxiao released her.

Du Yunluo breathed deeply to steady herself, her chest heaving like waves. She allowed Mu Lianxiao to remove her brocade slippers and move her further inside the bed, while he too shed his shoes, drew the bed curtains, and leaned into her side.