Chapter 425 - 424: Driftwood
The darkness of the night was impenetrable.
The moon was hidden by thick clouds, and one couldn’t see their own hand in front of their face.
In the darkness, Mu Lianxiao’s voice was deep; he spoke slowly, yet each word was like a solid footprint in the thick snow, heavy and firm.
Du Yunluo turned her head to look at Mu Lianxiao.
The night was so heavy that, even though she had gradually adjusted to the darkness, she couldn’t make out Mu Lianxiao’s expressions.
Only those eyes, as dense as ink, concealed all the emotions.
Du Yunluo’s heart sank along with her, like drowning, but before her was a floating log, allowing her to lift her head out of the water and take a deep breath.
She had been waiting, hinting, guiding, waiting for Mu Lianxiao to bring up the suspicions about the second household.
Over the years, the second household gave Du Yunluo too few chances; every time she mentioned it to Mu Lianxiao, it was like a snail, moving a bit and then stopping.
No one can easily accept accusations against their family members, even if the accuser is their trusted wife.
Even if she had ample evidence laid out before Mu Lianxiao, enabling him to judge right from wrong and distance himself from villains, this evidence could also become a knot in their relationship.
This is human nature, unrelated to the depth of feelings or the level of trust.
Like honest words, which are unpleasant to hear, pointing out others’ mistakes openly feels different than when that person realizes the mistake themselves.
Du Yunluo understood Mu Lianxiao, knowing he wasn’t someone narrow-minded who couldn’t accept others’ suggestions, but neither was he careless about letting everything go by unnoticed.
Mu Lianxiao was upright by nature, generous in actions, but his thoughts were meticulous.
He didn’t understand the little tricks and thoughts of maidens, but when it came to power struggles, once the thin layer of the window paper was pierced, everything behind it was laid bare.
Instead of giving him the conclusion to make him doubtful, it was better like now, letting Mu Lianxiao speak out himself.
Once he made up his mind, he wouldn’t hesitate again.
Du Yunluo thought, if there was no hard evidence for a long time, she would take a gamble at the right time and tell Mu Lianxiao many things about the second household.
If it became a knot, she could spend ten or twenty years untying it. As long as the couple was together, one day, it would all be set straight.
And now, the appearance of Mu Liankang became her floating log, and Mu Lianxiao himself brought out the doubts about the second household.
The seed thus germinated; past events were re-examined, and details once neglected, Mu Lianxiao would slowly remember.
Just like Mu Lianhui’s misleading in Wangmei Garden that year, just like the loosened horseshoe on the hunting grounds in the Snow Clothes incident.
Du Yunluo’s heart was pounding, not from excitement, but a desire to cry.
"Only Second Uncle left, right?" Du Yunluo took a deep breath, trying hard not to let her voice tremble.
Mu Lianxiao chuckled lightly, his laughter bitter: "But, why?"
Du Yunluo clenched her hand hanging by her side: "The struggle of interests between the main house and the second house, as Mother mentioned in her letter, is probably the reason."
In the darkness, Mu Lianxiao said nothing more, just hugged Du Yunluo tightly, tightly.
Filled with mixed emotions, Du Yunluo couldn’t describe her feelings; her throat felt incredibly tight. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Mu Lianxiao’s waist, hugging him tightly, her cheek buried in his chest, tears streaming down.
In the height of summer, even in this remote town, ice was hard to come by, and the room couldn’t be equipped with ice basins.
Mu Lianxiao was hardy, his body warm all over, and slept bare-chested at night.
His chest became wet, and he soon felt it; they were Du Yunluo’s tears.
Mu Lianxiao gently stroked Du Yunluo’s back to soothe her, yet the more he did so, the more she cried, silently but shaking all over.
She was scared, wasn’t she...
If their suspicions were true, the main house and the second house’s strife over interests was nothing but the title, and what the second house truly wanted to erase was Mu Lianxiao’s presence.
Only if Mu Lianxiao died, only if Brother Yan couldn’t grow into an adult and achieve greatness, would the title fall into the second house’s hands.
With her husband and son in danger, it was no wonder Du Yunluo cried.
Mu Lianxiao suddenly remembered the Heavenly King Hall at Guoning Temple, where sunlight shone in through the wooden lattice windows and the hall’s door, just barely illuminating the space before the Buddha.
Du Yunluo, leaning against the window lattice, stood amid all the mottled light and shadow, her features gentle yet misty.
She had told Princess Rui that all she sought was a stable life, parents and elders in good health, and a spouse to grow old with, children by her side, nothing more.
If he became a sacrifice in the second house’s quest for power and profit, what would happen to his Yunluo?
Her wishes were so simple, couldn’t they be fulfilled for her?
At this thought, Mu Lianxiao’s heart ached, a dull pain, and he hoarsely called her: "Yunluo, I promise you, I will be safe and sound. Besides Brother Yan, you will give me a few more children, let there be a beautiful daughter, as beautiful as you are. I will always be with you until you grow old, and I grow old too..."
Du Yunluo’s body froze, then trembled uncontrollably again.
She had grown old before, in a past life she lived to be in her seventies or eighties, old and hunched, trembling.
But Mu Lianxiao always remained as he was now.
In her final moments, she vaguely saw someone sitting by her bedside, with the same clear and refined brows from her memory.
She couldn’t touch him, but he was right there.
Her hair was white as snow, her beauty faded, yet he was always, always in this best moment of time.
And now, Mu Lianxiao said he would accompany her into old age.
No matter what she said, she would make him stick to her till old age.
Dare he leave her again, she would resent him, hate him forever and ever...
She couldn’t suppress her cries anymore, sobbing like a wounded little beast.
Mu Lianxiao pulled Du Yunluo from his embrace, grasped her shoulders, and steadied her rosy lips.
Her breath was taken away in this kiss, her thoughts turned blank, and without realizing it, her tears stopped as she instinctively responded to Mu Lianxiao’s kiss.
Not until they were both breathless, nearly gasping for air, did Mu Lianxiao release her, allowing her to take deep breaths before sealing her lips again.
After a long while, they finally drew apart.
Mu Lianxiao rubbed the back of Du Yunluo’s head, sat up, and got off the bed.
Du Yunluo blinked at him, in the darkness, she could only see a vague outline.
The water in the basin hadn’t been emptied; Mu Lianxiao wrung out a cloth to wipe Du Yunluo’s face: "Clean it thoroughly, or you won’t be able to open your eyes tomorrow."
Du Yunluo carefully wiped it, then helped Mu Lianxiao wipe his chest, which had a thin layer of sweat and her tears.
Mu Lianxiao tossed the cloth back onto the table, turned over onto the bed again, and pulled Du Yunluo into his arms, closing his eyes.
Du Yunluo, having cried, soon grew drowsy and her breathing became long and even.
But Mu Lianxiao couldn’t sleep; the warm fragrant jade was in his embrace, yet due to the mourning period, he couldn’t touch her. Any other time would have been fine, but today, he really wanted to hold her properly.
Wanting to merge Du Yunluo into his body, to make her clearly feel him, so she would no longer worry or fear.