Chapter 199: Chapter 198: Handwriting (Monthly Ticket 400+)
Yunluo pursed her lips, a thought flashed in her mind, and she said, "That old bear, is it the one that made Prince Rui suffer a few years ago?"
Mu Lianxiao was taken aback and asked curiously, "How do you know about that?"
"I heard it from the Empress Dowager before I came. She also reminded the County Princess to make sure Prince Rui doesn’t go looking for the old bear for revenge." After recounting the Empress Dowager’s words, Yunluo laughed, "The Empress Dowager even said luckily you weren’t there, who would’ve known that as soon as you arrived, you really went to challenge the old bear."
Mu Lianxiao couldn’t help but laugh out loud, his voice was somewhat loud, which earned him a stern glare from Yunluo. He quickly suppressed his laughter and said, "The old bear is the one holding grudges. Its eye was shot blind by Prince Cheng today, meeting its old enemy, that bear wasn’t willing to let go."
In all her past and present lives combined, Yunluo had never seen a living old bear, only a whole bearskin in Mu Lianxiao’s study room.
The bearskin was extremely large, she found it quite a marvel back then, but Mu Lianxiao said, this bear was not considered big.
The old bear they encountered today, which has the ability for revenge, must be even bigger than that bearskin, right?
Such a bulky creature, yet a ferocious beast...
Yunluo thought about it and felt a lingering fear, looking at Mu Lianxiao’s right hand, she asked, "Is it really okay?"
Her apricot eyes filled with concern, brow slightly furrowed with some unease.
Mu Lianxiao’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
As they were speaking in hushed tones, their bodies were already close, faintly, Mu Lianxiao could smell the soapberry fragrance from Yunluo’s hair, subtle yet pleasant, making him instinctively want to lower his head for a closer sniff.
Yunluo’s thoughts were focused on Mu Lianxiao’s injury, failing to notice his actions for the moment.
On the contrary, it was Mu Lianxiao who, when his nose touched Yunluo’s black hair, suddenly froze and quickly moved away a little.
He was aware that the back of his neck had already broken out in a layer of sweat.
He did want to embrace her sweetness, but he was afraid of startling Yunluo.
In the middle of the night, Yunluo letting him into her room was an act of trust, he mustn’t act recklessly.
A kiss is different from holding hands.
Mu Lianxiao wanted to shift his focus, so he looked around the room and saw paper and ink spread out on the table, he said softly, "You’re writing?"
The voice came from above, clear and gentle as water, Yunluo responded, "Yes."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Yunluo suddenly paused, thinking of the content on the paper, her face instantly blushed. Seeing Mu Lianxiao walk around her towards the table, she hurriedly rushed ahead, attempting to cover the paper with her hand.
Mu Lianxiao, sharp-eyed, had already seen the words halfway there and was stunned for a moment.
That seemed to be his handwriting.
Only the content was quite unfamiliar; he definitely hadn’t written it.
Seeing Yunluo’s guilty-like demeanor, Mu Lianxiao had a thought cross his mind.
Yunluo was practicing his handwriting, and with such resemblance too, at least he couldn’t tell it apart at a glance.
Raising his eyebrows slightly, his lips curled up unconsciously, Mu Lianxiao leaned against the table, bending down to look at the little girl desperately trying to destroy the evidence, "Yunluo?"
The tone of amusement made Yunluo’s scalp tingle, with some embarrassment, some bashfulness, and also some unspeakable sadness.
She could write Mu Lianxiao’s handwriting.
In the past, she had too much time with nowhere to spare, thought of him deeply, and pulled out years of his familial letters, traced them stroke by stroke.
After practicing for a long time, she could imitate Mu Lianxiao’s writing to the point of seeming indistinguishable, she once told him before the ancestral hall, if you could see, could you tell the difference? But what if you couldn’t see...
And now, Mu Lianxiao really saw it, when she was completely unprepared.
Earlier while waiting for his news, Yunluo didn’t think much as she wrote, and just let it come out.
Yunluo secretly complained, how should she explain this now?
Nonetheless, Mu Lianxiao wasn’t letting her off, calling her once more, just like she had just pressed him about his injury.
This retribution sure came quickly.
Yunluo pouted, simply going for broke, no longer trying to conceal it, and spread the writing in front of Mu Lianxiao, "Does it look like it?"
A moment ago she didn’t want him to see it, now she was asking if it looked like it, Mu Lianxiao was amused by Yunluo, "It does, how did you practice?"
"Didn’t you write me a letter when you came back from Lindong." Yunluo said softly.
Mu Lianxiao was surprised, was that not a short letter, just two pages yet she practiced to the point it looked so alike?
Seeing Mu Lianxiao’s confusion still lingering, Yunluo quickly supplemented, "I’m quite good at imitation, I can also write my grandfather’s handwriting, my father’s, and mother’s handwriting."
Mu Lianxiao was slightly stunned, then smiled with crescent eyes.
They were all handwriting of those close to her.
Close people, he was one of them too.
This realization made Mu Lianxiao feel joyful, gazing twice more, the more he looked the more he felt it resembled his writing, if not for the unfamiliar content, he really would’ve thought it was his own.
"Yunluo," Mu Lianxiao had an idea, raising his right hand slightly, "I’m going back to De’an tomorrow, then heading straight to Lingxi, not having time to return to the Capital, I’m worried my mother will be concerned, could you help me write her a letter?"
"Me write it?" Yunluo was surprised.
Mu Lianxiao nodded, "My hand is injured, writing will distort the lettering, and mother will notice right away. It’s not a serious injury, I don’t want to worry her."
Mrs. Zhou only had Mu Lianxiao as a son, although knowing he couldn’t possibly remain unharmed forever, hearing about his injury would still make her worry and feel sad, that’s just how mothers are.
Yunluo understood, and nodded in agreement.
She took two fresh sheets of light green Xie Gong’s paper, pressed them with a paperweight, and ground the ink anew.
Mu Lianxiao pondered for a moment, and they worked together, one speaking, and the other writing.
Knowing Yunluo can write, but actually seeing his handwriting come out under her pen, Mu Lianxiao felt it somehow marvelous.
He suddenly recalled the time when Yunluo held his hand, writing in his palm, stroke by stroke meticulously, overlapping with the present person writing, indescribably delightful.
As Yunluo wrote, noticing Mu Lianxiao fell silent, assuming he hadn’t figured out what to write next, she looked up.
The gaze met, looking into those deep eyes reflecting her own silhouette, Yunluo found herself momentarily transfixed.
Mu Lianxiao liked her, not to the extent of life-and-death for her, yet this affection brought Yunluo much joy.
What could be better than mutual affection?
Yunluo smiled softly, feeling sweetness in her heart, and said, "Why aren’t you continuing?"
Mu Lianxiao snapped back to reality, forgetting where he had left off, glanced at the letter for a reminder, then cleared his throat and continued.
Once the letter was written and dried, Yunluo put it into an envelope, sealed it with fire lacquer, and handed it to Mu Lianxiao.
Mu Lianxiao received and secured it, planning to have the servant send it back to the Capital later, seeing Yunluo tidying up the paper and ink, his finger rested on her previous writing, "Can I have this sheet too?"
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