Chapter 29

Facing Lin Yan’an’s smile, Li Mu’s heart finally settled.

As long as he liked it.

She sat back on the stone bench, and Lin Yan’an also sat down. The remnants of branches and leaves on the table had long been cleaned up and replaced with pastries, and Xianyun brought a pot of tea for Lin Yan’an.

Lin Que had once mentioned that she should remarry and take Lin Yan’an with her, but in reality, she didn’t have many opportunities to meet Lin Yan’an.

In ordinary families, children would greet their parents morning and evening, even if there was nothing special to report. They would also occasionally inform their parents of their daily activities. Li Mu couldn’t handle this and never made Lin Yan’an follow these rules. Lin Que also knew that Li Mu was afraid of people, so he specifically instructed Lin Yan’an to find him alone if he needed anything.

Earlier, when Lin Qiwu asked if she could give the remaining flower wreath to Lin Yan’an, Li Mu thought Lin Qiwu would take the wreath to the study. She didn’t expect Lin Qiwu to bring Lin Yan’an over directly.

So, while waiting for Lin Qiwu to bring Lin Yan’an over, Li Mu unsurprisingly fell into familiar anxiety and fear. Even when putting the flower wreath on Lin Yan’an, her mind was blank, and she did it only because Lin Qiwu urged her.

Fortunately, Lin Yan’an reacted gently and didn’t dislike the wreath; otherwise, Li Mu wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation.

Lin Yan’an didn’t leave after putting on the wreath. Li Mu comforted herself, thinking that with Lin Qiwu still there, it wouldn’t be too bad. However, Lin Qiwu, who had just sat down, got up again, saying she had hidden her own wreath on a tree by the road when she went to the study and needed to retrieve it. After saying this, she ran out of the courtyard, leaving Li Mu internally shouting: “Don’t go!!”

Unfortunately, Lin Qiwu couldn’t hear Li Mu’s inner voice and quickly disappeared from sight.

Li Mu looked in the direction Lin Qiwu had left, reluctant to withdraw her gaze as if by not doing so, she wouldn’t have to be alone with Lin Yan’an.

At that moment, Li Mu heard Lin Yan’an say, “Mother, don’t be fooled by how well Auntie is getting along with me now. In a few days, she’ll start avoiding me again.”

Lin Yan’an’s tone was natural, as if they saw each other every day and had a familiar relationship.

Li Mu turned to look at him, seeing the same smile on his face. He held a teacup in one hand and touched the wreath on his head with the other. His actions revealed his care and fondness for the wreath, making Li Mu, the wreath’s giver, very pleased.

Li Mu couldn’t help but follow his words and ask, “Why?”

After Lin Que’s near-death experience, Lin Qiwu became much closer to Lin Yan’an. She had just actively brought Lin Yan’an over, and Li Mu thought their relationship would improve because of it.

Lin Yan’an put down his hand from touching the wreath, his smile fading slightly, adding a touch of melancholy, “I don’t know. It’s always like this. Maybe I did something to upset her.”

Li Mu often encountered similar situations in high school, where classmates ostracized her for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. She considered her words carefully and said, “Then, this time, be careful.”

Lin Yan’an’s smile almost faltered for a moment, “Yes, Mother. I’ll remember. This time, I’ll be careful not to upset Auntie again.”

He then naturally changed the topic, asking, “At this time of year, the willows and magnolias in Yangzhou are in full bloom. Mother, could you ask Father to let me go to Yangzhou for a while?”

Yangzhou?

Li Mu recalled what Lin Que had said to Grand Princess Zhaoming that night and immediately guessed that Lin Yan’an’s trip to Yangzhou was likely not for sightseeing but probably related to the Yian Sect.

If Lin Yan’an could grow up to be a formidable villain capable of shaking the foundations of the country, as described in books, it would sound very cool. Being the parent of such a character would indeed bring a sense of superiority, but—

“No.” Li Mu refused him.

There was no way Li Mu would agree to let a thirteen-year-old boy join a cult, especially one targeting his adoptive father. If his identity were exposed, Lin Yan’an would be in extreme danger.

So she absolutely wouldn’t agree.

Lin Yan’an didn’t give up, “It’s just for a while. I’ll take the people Father assigns to me and won’t fall behind in my studies. Mother, please help me?”

Li Mu repeated, “No.” She feared Lin Yan’an would come up with other reasons to sway her, so she got up and headed inside.

Lin Yan’an stood up and followed, “Mother!”

Li Mu, thinking too much and worried that Lin Yan’an might misunderstand her intentions, stopped and looked back at him, “It’s dangerous. You can’t go.”

After saying this, she went inside and shut the door, leaving Lin Yan’an outside.

Lin Qiwu returned with the wreath and saw Lin Yan’an being shut out. Her first reaction was, “You must be something, making even Sister-in-law, who has such a good temper, angry.”

Lin Yan’an: “…”

Later, when Lin Que returned and had dinner, he asked Li Mu, “Qiwu complained to me, saying Yan’an made you angry?”

Li Mu quickly shook her head, “He didn’t make me angry. He wanted to go to Yangzhou, and I didn’t agree.”

Then she worried, “Was I too harsh?”

If only she had been bolder, explained clearly, and not resorted to avoidance to refuse him.

Lin Que said, “You didn’t hit him, so how were you harsh?”

Li Mu: …Suddenly curious about the Grand Princess’s education methods.

Lin Que continued, “You were right not to let him go. He wants to go to Yangzhou to help me eliminate the threat of the Yian Sect and King Yi Heir. I still have people under me; he doesn’t need to do this for me.”

Li Mu nodded, and her doubts about whether she had done the right thing gradually faded away.

Lin Que said, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep a close eye on him for now. After the Dragon Boat Festival, we’ll go to the summer resort, and I’ll take him with us. Let’s see where he can run off to then.”

Li Mu: Hmm… Hmm? Where?

Li Mu stared blankly at Lin Que, who knew she would react this way. Fortunately, he mentioned it after dinner; otherwise, she might not have been able to eat.

Lin Que pulled Li Mu onto his lap again and said, “The summers in the capital are stifling. Every year after the Dragon Boat Festival, His Majesty goes to the summer palace to escape the heat. In reality, it’s because of my poor health. Taking the Emperor along means all the officials can come too.”

“Last year, we delayed because we were waiting for the abbot of Mingtai Temple to return to the capital. Then we got married, and in those two short months, we were like cats chasing dogs, with no time to think about escaping the heat, so we didn’t go.”

“Yesterday, Wudu said I still need to take good care of myself. It’s best to go to the summer palace in the summer to avoid the heat affecting my health. So I thought, like in previous years, we could go after the Dragon Boat Festival and return in early August.”

“Weixi, come with me, okay?”

Lin Que also gave Li Mu the promise she cared about most: “Just think of it as living in a different place. I won’t make you attend unnecessary social events.”

Li Mu: “Really?”

Lin Que nodded: “Really.”

Well… okay.

Li Mu agreed to go with Lin Que.

Lin Que regretted, “It’s a pity we can’t stay in the mansion this year. I only found out last year that the lotus flowers in the mansion bloom beautifully. Next year, when I’m healthier and don’t need to go to the summer palace, I’ll have a small boat prepared and take you to the lotus pond. We’ll have chilled bayberries and lychees on the boat, and I’ll pick some fresh lotus seeds for you to eat.”

Li Mu was tempted, thinking she could pick the lotus seeds herself: “How about…”

Lin Que seemed to know what Li Mu was going to say and placed her hand on his face, looking at her silently and sincerely.

Li Mu: …Alright.

They would go to the summer resort this year and take Lin Yan’an with them. They could go boating when Lin Que was better.

Time passed, and it was the Dragon Boat Festival.

Li Mu sat in the courtyard, holding a pen in one hand and realgar wine in the other, applying it to Lin Qiwu and Lin Yan’an’s foreheads.

It seemed Li Mu’s previous words had an effect. Lin Qiwu didn’t treat Lin Yan’an like a snake or scorpion after briefly getting along with him, avoiding him as she used to.

Inside, Wudu was taking Lin Que’s pulse after he returned from the palace. After five months, most of the poison had been cleared, and the rest was just recuperation.

Wudu changed Lin Que’s medicine and reminded him, “Have you been sleeping poorly lately?”

Lin Que replied calmly, “It’s hot, and I can’t sleep.”

Wudu believed him and nodded, reminding him, “No sexual activity, at least not this year.”

Lin Que’s expression remained unchanged, not letting Wudu notice his hesitation.

After Li Mu fell asleep at night, Lin Que also drifted into a dream. The dreams haunting him for the past few days returned with ordinary content: a few days ago, he had pulled Li Mu onto his lap, insisting on holding her while giving a lesson.

Since the time he apologized to Li Mu and had her sit on his lap, he had grown fond of this close interaction, always finding excuses to have her sit on his lap.

A few days ago, nothing was different, except that after two months of adapting, Li Mu had gotten used to his embrace and learned to relax her body in his arms. Then, in a moment of inexplicable impulse, he looked at Li Mu’s slender, fair neck and felt the urge to bite it.

In reality, he chose to look away, but in his dream, he did it. Li Mu, caught off guard, struggled slightly and made a sound similar to when the thumb ring got stuck on her hand, a trembling sound with a hint of fear—

“Ah…”

Lin Que opened his eyes to see Li Mu sleeping properly beside him. He stared at Li Mu’s profile for a long time, his dark eyes brewing a desire to devour her, but in the end, he buried his face in the soft pillow and let out a helpless sigh: “You sleep so peacefully.”

Li Mu didn’t realize Lin Que had developed unspeakable desires for her; she only noticed that Lin Que had reduced physical contact with her. He no longer held her hand, pinched her ear, touched her face, or pulled her onto his lap. The only habit he kept was fixing her hair, and everything else seemed the same, with no change in his attitude.

Li Mu found it strange, but with the anxiety of the group trip, Lin Que didn’t say anything, and she didn’t ask out of stubbornness.

The journey from the capital to the summer palace took about ten days. One day, they stopped at a halfway station to rest for the night before continuing. Just as Li Mu was about to get into the carriage, she suddenly heard a commotion. Lin Que quickly pulled her over, covering her eyes with one hand and holding her protectively.

The disturbance soon subsided, and Lin Que directly lifted her by the waist onto the carriage shaft, letting her get in first.

Confused, Li Mu entered the carriage. After a while, Lin Que joined her, and she asked, “What happened?”

“An assassin was killed,” Lin Que said, holding her hand. “Don’t look outside. I remember you’re afraid of dead bodies.”

Li Mu: “Huh?”

Lin Que: “Weren’t you very scared the first time we met?”

Li Mu: “…Is it possible that I was afraid of you at that time?”

Lin Que paused, then intertwined his fingers with hers, holding tightly. He placed his other hand on her cheek and said, “Absolutely not.”

Li Mu felt like laughing, and the small awkwardness that had been unspoken for days dissipated.

She noticed Lin Que was holding her hand again, but this time, it was much tighter than before, and it was not the barely noticeable grip she was used to. It was a bit too tight, and… She looked up and met Lin Que’s face, realizing the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Lin Que’s thumb was gently rubbing her cheek with a strange warmth that made Li Mu feel dry-mouthed. She seemed to understand why Lin Que hadn’t touched her recently.

Yes, it’s probably better if he doesn’t touch her.