Chapter 201: Chapter 200: Wait for Me
Sparks flickered, the lamp wick burned black, and the light dimmed significantly.
Yunluo glanced at the lampstand, wanting to free her hand to adjust the wick, but Mu Lianxiao held it tightly.
Their fingers interlocked, palms pressing against each other.
Yunluo raised her eyes to look at Mu Lianxiao. In the dim light, his outline was somewhat blurred, except for those eyes, bright as if filled with stars.
Seeing the fiery look in his eyes, her palm couldn’t help but heat up. She thought, surely there must be a layer of sweat.
Yunluo instinctively glanced out the window, outside was pitch black, but she knew the sky would soon start to brighten.
Yunluo pursed her lips, looking at Mu Lianxiao’s injured right hand. Clearly, he was injured, yet he dared to climb the wall to see her, truly bold.
"Soon it will be daylight," Yunluo asked softly.
Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment flashed in Mu Lianxiao’s eyes. He was reluctant to leave, but if he waited until dawn...
The two of them hadn’t done anything, just stayed in the girl’s room until dawn. It was really too suggestive and ambiguous, his cheeks flushed as he said, "I can’t wait till dawn."
This is the Royal Palace, without the cover of night, he couldn’t leave without alerting anyone.
They sat holding hands in silence for a while longer, before Mu Lianxiao reluctantly let go.
Yunluo held the dim oil lamp and walked to the north window, gently pushed it open, and looked around, there was no movement.
Indeed, in the middle of the night, besides Mu Lianxiao, nothing else would stir.
Mu Lianxiao walked over and stood behind Yunluo.
Yunluo moved aside slightly, whispering, "Be careful."
Whether it was to be careful of his injured hand, careful not to be seen, or careful on his journey to De’an and Xiling, Yunluo couldn’t quite say. Perhaps all these emotions were mixed together.
Mu Lianxiao nodded, bowing his eyes to look at the petite figure so close by.
The night wind gently blew, and in their breaths, he seemed to catch the faint fragrance of soap on Yunluo once more. Mu Lianxiao reached out to squeeze her palm: "Alright."
Though neither too light nor too heavy, it felt as if a feather brushed his heart, like a heavy stone pressed down, even his breath halted, Yunluo raised her head.
Yunluo’s long hair was loosely tied at the back of her neck, now tousled by the night wind. The silky strands fell across her cheeks, outlining her face, white as jade, making it even more delicate and enchanting, highlighting the rosy tenderness of her lips.
Mu Lianxiao’s eyes were deep and steady, darker than the night. He felt a surge of warmth in his chest, shaking his heart and soul.
Slowly raising his hand, his fingertips were supposed to touch her red lips, but he forcefully diverted them, brushing past Yunluo’s cheek, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.
Yunluo stood motionless, only she knew how her heart was pounding.
After five years as husband and wife, she could not be fooled by Mu Lianxiao’s gaze. She knew his hand was aimed at her lips but ultimately avoided it.
Was her princely heir afraid of scaring her? Or did he think with their current identities, getting closer would be too abrupt?
No matter the reason, he was always considerate of her, filled with tenderness.
At this thought, Yunluo’s heart felt sweet and soft, her lips lifted unconsciously, a faint smile emerging.
She did love sweet things, never getting tired of them.
Mu Lianxiao was dazzled by Yunluo’s smile, should he say this lass was too young to understand these things, or was it that she trusted him too much?
He didn’t want to betray her trust, yet he also blamed her slight naivety for having such faith in him.
Mu Lianxiao turned his head away, knowing he was venting his frustration. It was his own turmoil, which had nothing to do with her.
If he tarried any longer, it would only drag on endlessly. Mu Lianxiao took a deep breath, motioning for Yunluo to move aside, supporting himself with one hand on the window frame as he gracefully vaulted out.
His movements were seamless, his robe fluttering slightly.
Yunluo watched him without blinking, this man was obviously a solidly built martial artist, yet his movements had a touch of ethereal grace akin to an immortal.
Mu Lianxiao stood outside the window, gave Yunluo a bright smile.
Leaning on the window sill, Yunluo softly asked, "When you come back next time, will it be in June?"
"The earliest will be June," Mu Lianxiao sighed.
Lingxi was far, and he had affairs to attend to. The journey back and forth would definitely take two months, maybe even longer if delayed.
Yunluo pursed her lips, her cheeks slightly puffed out. Just now, she was fine, but now that Mu Lianxiao was truly leaving, reluctance surged within her.
Even when he was in the capital, they didn’t meet often...
Mu Lianxiao saw this in her eyes, his smile brimming, suppressing his reluctance, he leaned closer, saying, "Yunluo, wait for me to return."
Yunluo’s eyes tightened, a pang of pain in her heart, as if someone had squeezed it hard, her throat felt sore.
In the past, before Mu Lianxiao went to war, she always caused a scene. Every time he would say, "Yunluo, wait for me to come back," she felt wronged and never properly responded, but she waited every time.
Waited for him to return, only for him to leave again...
The cycle repeated, until he was carried back, unable to leave again.
But it wasn’t the "return" she wanted.
Memories surged, nearly bringing her to tears. Yunluo quickly lowered her head to suppress her emotions, then looked up to smile at Mu Lianxiao: "I’ll wait for you to come back."
Her almond-shaped eyes glistened with unshed tears, as bright as the moon on the sixteenth night. These simple five words lingered on his ears, soft and gentle.
Not yet husband and wife, yet promising as if they were.
Watching Yunluo’s smiling face, Mu Lianxiao thought, each time he traveled far, she would respond like this, beautifully unforgettable.
Mu Lianxiao left, disappearing into the night.
With his right hand injured, he relied solely on his left to climb the wall, which was certainly inconvenient compared to using both hands, but he was skilled, moving lightly without making a sound.
In the distance, dawn faintly peeked over the horizon.
Mu Lianxiao quickened his pace, his mind still filled with the image of Yunluo’s smile. She looked at him like that, shy yet unashamed to reveal her affection for him.
This straightforward and lovable Yunluo captured all his attention, making him want to hold her in his arms.
He wanted to marry her, to marry her as soon as possible...
Then he would be able to embrace and kiss her without fearing to startle her.
Thoughts swirling, his chest warmed, the night breeze could not disperse it.
Meanwhile, Yunluo closed the window, cautiously carrying the nearly extinguished oil lamp back to the inner room.
Jin Ling lay sleeping soundly, and Yunluo chuckled to herself. She and Mu Lianxiao whispered in the study for an hour, and Jin Ling didn’t even know.
Not wanting to wake her, Yunluo blew out the lamp, undressed in the dark, and lowered the curtain.
She lay with her eyes closed for a while, but couldn’t sleep at all. Even though dawn was breaking, after a sleepless night, she felt surprisingly awake.
Yunluo turned over, hugging the quilt, forcing herself to sleep.
Until the white light seeped through the window lattice, she faintly heard the sound of Jin Ling getting up, but Yunluo lay there lazily without stirring, soon falling into a hazy sleep.
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