Chapter 37

“Thank you for the advice, Sister-in-law. I’ll remember it,” Gu Chi said.

Li Mu didn’t know whether he actually took it to heart, and she didn’t dare ask.

Li Mu’s earlier boldness had exhausted her courage for the month. She rode her horse wildly for a few laps, letting the cold wind slap her face, and it took her a long time to calm down and not regret advising Gu Chi.

Soon, the items Gu Chi mentioned were delivered to the King’s mansion, packed in several wooden boxes. Li Mu didn’t open them but had Nanny Zhao prepare winter clothes, bedding, and charcoal. The next day, she took everything, along with the people Lin Que assigned, and went to Mingyue Nunnery by carriage.

Mingyue Nunnery was in a remote location, and on the way, they passed Shifeng Garden, which she had seen on the map of the capital.

Lin Que had told Li Mu that Shifeng Garden was an estate under the name of the Minister of Justice, the same one mentioned in the pigeon loft’s news about a disobedient son who killed someone over the bandit-catching cards. The Minister of Justice’s mother was Princess Qinyang, who often visited the palace in her youth. Given their affluent family background, it wasn’t surprising they had such an orchard estate in the capital.

After some time, Li Mu arrived at Mingyue Nunnery. All the negotiations and conversations with the abbess were handled by Nanny Zhao. Li Mu only did two things: meet Li Zhi and give her the items she brought.

As for which items were prepared by her and which by Gu Chi, Li Mu didn’t say, fearing that Xianyun and others helping to organize the items might overhear.

Life at Mingyue Nunnery was austere. In the book, due to her family’s crimes, Li Zhi was shunned by the other nuns, so the abbess arranged for her to live alone. Her living conditions weren’t good, and Gu Chi later silently repaired the leaky roof. Now, because the Li family was still around and had sent money to the nunnery, and since Li Zhi hadn’t yet taken her vows, she could live alone in a room.

Although the room had been specially renovated, it still couldn’t compare to her own home. The tables, chairs, bed frame, and wardrobe were all very old, especially the bed frame, which creaked loudly when shaken.

Xianyun accidentally bumped into it while tidying up, and the noise startled her, making her think she had broken the bed frame.

Li Zhi was well adapted to this and even comforted Xianyun, saying that the bed frame was just like that—sounding scary but actually very sturdy, so she shouldn’t be afraid.

After that, Li Zhi advised Li Mu not to visit her anymore, as the journey was long and remote, and visiting her useless sister could harm her reputation.

Li Mu didn’t respond or agree.

Then Li Zhi asked Li Mu how she had been recently. Li Mu finally spoke, saying, “Good.”

Li Zhi smiled with relief. “Good is good.”

“As long as you all are well, I can be at ease.”

Li Zhi didn’t let Li Mu stay long and even saw her off.

Li Mu understood Li Zhi’s concerns. As she got into the carriage, she looked back and saw Li Zhi in her nun’s robe, hands clasped in prayer, her unshorn hair hidden under her nun’s cap, waiting for the day two years later when she could shave it all off and officially take her vows.

After Li Mu left, Li Zhi discovered the wooden boxes. Opening them, she immediately knew who had sent them. Her smile vanished, replaced by a thin layer of anger, annoyed that he had made her sister deliver the items.

What if one day… what if one day they were caught, and it affected Little Five?

Li Mu hadn’t expected that helping Gu Chi deliver the items would increase Li Zhi’s anger toward him. When she returned home, Lin Que revealed why Gu Chi had initially angered Li Zhi.

It turned out that Gu Chi, while handling business in the south, had brought back many southern herbs for Li Zhi. The wooden boxes Li Mu had delivered to Mingyue Nunnery contained these herbs. This wouldn’t have been a problem, but Gu Chi, eager to see Li Zhi sooner, rushed back and had an accident, leaving most of his left side scraped. Li Zhi discovered this.

Li Zhi was angry at Gu Chi for not taking care of himself. After changing his bandages, she drove him away and refused to accept the items.

“Serves him right,” Lin Que commented mercilessly.

It was as if the person who didn’t take care of himself back then, always grabbing a bottle of cooking wine in the kitchen, wasn’t him.

Li Mu poked his face and bluntly said that the two brothers were equally matched, and neither should criticize the other.

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The petals on the drawing to ward off the cold were gradually being colored red, making it more pleasing to the eye. The more Li Mu looked at it, the more confident she became, feeling that her drawing was actually quite good and very cute!

With this good mood, Li Mu welcomed the twelfth lunar month, which was also Lin Que’s birthday month. On Lin Que’s birthday, she presented him with a crocheted lotus she made herself: two blooming flowers, one bud, one half-bloomed, and two leaves with stems. Even the well-traveled Lin Que couldn’t help but praise it as a masterpiece.

Lin Que had someone fetch a glass vase from the storeroom to arrange the flowers and place them in the most prominent spot in the room.

“Speaking of which…” Lin Que recalled, “The first gift I gave you… the birthday gift was also a lotus.”

Lin Que corrected himself halfway through because the first gift he gave her was a basket of potatoes, and the first birthday gift was a lotus, specifically a twin lotus.

At that time, they were not yet married.

Li Mu nodded, which was why she thought of giving Lin Que a crocheted lotus. Besides, Lin Que’s birthday was in winter, and a winter lotus sounded very special.

Seeing Li Mu’s pride, Lin Que felt a feather-like tickle in his heart and leaned in to share a long kiss with her.

With Wudu’s permission this winter, Lin Que finally had the chance to choose a snowy day and take Li Mu to the lakeside pavilion to enjoy the snow.

Li Mu, dressed warmly and holding a hand warmer, sat beside him. Two small stoves, one for warming wine and the other for brewing tea, were placed on the table.

The pavilion offered a panoramic view of the snow-covered landscape, starkly contrasting the scenes of spring, summer, and autumn. In the cold air, everything was silent, with only the occasional sound of boiling tea. Li Mu quietly absorbed the moment’s atmosphere, sipping warm wine, and suddenly understood why King Yan in the book loved to enjoy the snow despite his poor health- because such an environment was truly relaxing, not only visually but also mentally soothing. However, sitting for too long made her feel cold.

Li Mu snuggled closer to Lin Que, who held her and asked, “Shall we go back?”

Li Mu had no objections, but since Lin Que enjoyed the snow, she didn’t want to spoil the mood. “Don’t you want to sit a little longer?”

“Let’s go back,” Lin Que said. “I used to love watching the snow because it calmed my mind and cleared my thoughts. But now…” He smiled, his breath turning into white mist in the cold air.

“Now I think staying in bed with you on a cold morning is more comfortable.”

Li Mu was touched and corrected him, “I wasn’t staying in bed; it was you who didn’t want to get up and insisted I stay with you.”

Wasting my time practicing calligraphy, reading books, and exercising— truly a grave sin!

Feeling guilty for his “grave sin,” Lin Que decided to make up for it by taking Li Mu back to their room, where they both took a nap before noon.

Winter days are short, and nights are long, making time fly by quickly. As the Lunar New Year’s Eve approached, everyone at the Grand Princess’s mansion was busy.

Just like during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lin Que and his family would spend New Year’s Eve at the Grand Princess’s mansion, stay overnight after the vigil, and return to the King’s mansion the next day. Therefore, the King’s mansion only needed to prepare the necessary items for the New Year and send some people next door to help out.

Wudu and his family were also invited to celebrate New Year’s Eve together. Everyone stayed up to watch fireworks and only went to sleep in the cleaned courtyard after midnight. They were then awakened at dawn by the deafening sound of firecrackers outside.

There was a grand assembly at the palace, and both Lin Que and the Grand Princess had to attend. Lin Que watched as the sleep-deprived Li Mu drank some pepper and cypress wine and ate a couple of dumplings before taking her back to the King’s mansion. They went to a courtyard that had been cleaned a few days earlier, which they usually didn’t stay in but was far enough from the street to be quiet, allowing Li Mu to catch up on her sleep.

Li Mu woke up at noon. Wudu had taken his wife and children to visit old friends from Shaling Village for the New Year. Grand Princess Zhaoming, Lin Que, and Gu Chi were still at the palace and hadn’t returned. Li Mu had lunch with Lin Qiwu and Lin Yan’an, who had come to see her.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Lin Que took Li Mu to visit her family. The old lady was still the same, liking to have Li Mu sit by her side as if Li Mu were still the unmarried girl who needed her protection.

Li Mu listened to their conversations and heard some things she had already learned through the pigeon loft, marveling at its efficiency in always being a step ahead.

The busy New Year period was manageable for Li Mu. Apart from visiting her family, she didn’t see guests and stayed home, making her days relatively relaxed.

When the Lantern Festival arrived, Grand Princess Zhaoming dragged a reluctant Lin Qiwu, and Lin Que took Lin Yan’an, now the heir to King Yan, to the palace banquet. Gu Chi likely went to Mingyue Nunnery again, leaving Li Mu alone at home.

Although Li Mu enjoyed her time without social obligations, Lin Que worried about her being lonely and left Lin Yan’an early to rush back from the palace.

Passing by Baixiang Zhai, he brought back some golden thread pastries and milk sugar balls. He also stopped by the famous jewelry shop Furui Ji in the capital to pick up a new finger guard he had ordered for Li Mu.

At King Yan’s mansion, Li Mu, having bathed and with her hair down, was on the bed crocheting something. Hearing Lin Que return, she quickly hid her crochet hook and the unfinished piece.

“What mischief are you up to?” Lin Que immediately saw through Li Mu’s guilty look.

Li Mu replied, “I’m not doing anything bad,” then changed the subject, “What did you bring?”

Taking the food out of the box, Li Mu ate a late-night snack while Lin Que, disliking the incense smell from the palace banquet, went to bathe and change clothes.

After bathing and changing, Lin Que ate the two remaining balls in Li Mu’s bowl and then took out the new finger guard, putting it on Li Mu to see if it fit.

The new finger guard was gold inlaid with jade, carved with cloud patterns.

Li Mu put on the finger guard, which fit perfectly. She looked at the box and asked, “Is there another one?”

Lin Que told her that the other one was made from leftover scraps. It was also gold inlaid with jade and cloud patterns but thinner, fitting his ring finger perfectly.

The ring finger…

Li Mu blinked and put away Lin Que’s ring. After the dishes were cleared and they had both washed up and returned to bed, she took out Lin Que’s ring and, with a seriousness Lin Que couldn’t understand, personally placed it on his ring finger.

Afterward, she happily kissed Lin Que, not noticing his fixed gaze and slightly furrowed brows.

Li Mu had intended to mimic a modern wedding, where couples kiss after exchanging rings. She planned to kiss him briefly and then pull away, but Lin Que held her in place.

Li Mu was puzzled. Due to the poor lighting, she couldn’t clearly see Lin Que’s expression. After a brief pause, Lin Que deepened the kiss, leaving her dazed.

When they finally separated, Lin Que lowered his head to touch her reddened eye corners. Seeing her still catching her breath, with her limbs feeling weak, he pulled her into his lap.

Lin Que’s chest, separated by thin sleepwear, pressed against Li Mu’s back. His breath brushed past her ear, giving her the illusion of her ear being licked and sucked.

Li Mu felt even weaker. She lightly panted and reached back to touch Lin Que’s face, trying to move his lips away from her ear to catch her breath. Instead, Lin Que turned his head and bit her fingertip, his soft tongue brushing against her finger pad, leaving a lingering wetness.

Li Mu withdrew her hand, unable to bear the repeated teasing. In frustration, she slapped Lin Que’s thigh, finally breaking his rhythm.

Lin Que asked by her ear, “Don’t like it?”

Li Mu’s breathing was erratic. “At least… at least give me a heads-up! Don’t be so fast! You scared me!”

She almost thought she would be completely devoured.

Lin Que lowered his eyes. “The way you looked just now, that’s what scared me.”

Scared to the point of wanting to swallow her whole.

Li Mu: “Huh?”

What look? She was just putting a ring on Lin Que and enjoying herself. How could that have been so significant to provoke such a reaction from Lin Que?

Li Mu didn’t realize that when she did something only she understood in a foreign land, her smiling expression was so lonely and heart-wrenching.

Lin Que calmed down as well. He knew there were things Li Mu would never tell him. His promise not to ask didn’t mean he felt nothing; he also had his insecurities and wanted to use every means to ensure Li Mu was still by his side.

Lin Que got out of bed to pour Li Mu a glass of water, calming himself down.

Li Mu drank the water, soothing her dry throat, and heard Lin Que apologize to her. Feeling a bit awkward, she said, “You don’t have to be so formal.”

She didn’t dislike being intimate with Lin Que. Thinking back, the pace just now was quite thrilling.

Seeing her like this, Lin Que felt much more at ease and regretted his earlier impulsiveness. So he only sat on the edge of the bed, not as close to Li Mu as before. It was Li Mu who wondered why he didn’t get back into bed. Only then did he move, and noticing Li Mu making space for him, he smoothly sat behind her and hugged her as before.

Li Mu tensed up, but her mind was still clear. She even asked him, “What did Wudu say?”

They both knew what Li Mu was asking about.

Lin Que found it incredible how Li Mu always managed to lift his spirits when he was feeling down.

“I asked at the end of the year. He said as long as it’s not excessive, it’s fine,” Lin Que replied, somewhat anticipating what Li Mu would do next.

Li Mu didn’t notice Lin Que’s anticipation. She nodded earnestly, unsure of what else to say. After a brief silence, she turned her head and touched Lin Que’s lips, silently signaling that he could continue what he hadn’t finished earlier.

Lin Que found it hard to suppress his smile. This time, he moved much slower, kissing her back gently and gradually applying more pressure with his hands on her body.

After a long while, Lin Que released her and hoarsely asked, “Still scared?”

Her body was trembling.

Li Mu wondered if she was hyperventilating and explained, “I’m not scared. I’m nervous.”

She muttered, “I haven’t been through this many times, so what’s wrong with being a bit nervous?”

Lin Que chuckled and decided to go even slower. He wanted to give his nervous wife some time to adjust and himself a chance to learn, avoiding any rash actions that might hurt her.

The atmosphere inside the bed curtains grew increasingly heated. Lin Que’s long fingers, usually holding a pen or drawing a bow, now pressed and roamed over her soft skin. Li Mu suspected Lin Que was deliberately torturing her until his fingers found their way inside. She heard Lin Que’s curious question, “Is it here?”

Only then did Li Mu realize he was searching.

With a candid smile, Lin Que kissed her ear and said, “I don’t have much experience either, so forgive me if I make you laugh.”