The soup was very fragrant. She could smell a unique scent of firewood from a farmhouse.
Wen Rushi carefully skimmed excess fat and scooped up a spoonful to cool it. She brought the spoon to Mo Xie’s mouth.
“… I can eat by myself.” After a sip, Mo Xie leaned his head away in embarrassment and refused to open his mouth again.
That’s not right. Why did she, who was his master, have to take care of a bodyguard like him? Even if the young lady thought highly of him, it’s too much.
Wen Rushi stared at him in annoyance, “Don’t be shy like a lady. There is no one else here. I don’t care. What are you nervous about?”
“But…” Mo Xie grudgingly opened his mouth to counter her statement. It shouldn’t have come out of her mouth.
She suddenly took the opportunity to put the chicken soup spoon into his mouth. Mo Xie, who didn’t expect it, began to choke.
Seeing him cough intensely, Wen Rushi had to put down the bowl and helplessly pat him on the back, “I’m worried about you. I will help you carry the bowl. You can drink it by yourself.”
His face reddened. He didn’t know whether he should cough or be embarrassed first. He raised his hand to take the spoon and drank two mouthfuls silently. His long and thick eyelashes cast a shadow over his eyes.
“How does it taste?” Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him expectantly.
Mo Xie lifted his eyebrow. His master looked like a puppy waiting to be fed. He couldn’t help lifting the corners of his mouth slightly. His eyes darkened when he touched the five red fingerprints on her face.
“It’s delicious.” Mo Xie gently pushed the bowl back to Wen Rushi and silently looked at her. He shouldn’t enjoy such precious food like this alone.
Wen Rushi smiled. It was as if the bruise on her face were nothing at all. She grabbed his hand and took a sip of remaining soup in his spoon.
Then she looked up and gave him a small smile, “It’s really good.”
Mo Xie was stupefied at her unladylike manner. It took him a long time to snap out of it. His handsome face turned scarlet. Even the dim light from the old lamp was unable to hide his panic.
He stuffed the spoon into her hand feeling lost more than anything, and he could feel a burning sensation on his finger. He didn’t say anything after that but quickly lay down. He was as stiff as a frightened elephant.
Watching him buried his head into the ragged cotton quilt, Wen Rushi couldn’t help but laugh.
He reached this much when she had only taken a sip of his remaining soup. She wondered if she had kissed him shamelessly on his mouth, would he immediately cover himself up in the quilt?
Wen Rushi put down the bowl, leaned over and softly asked in his ears, “Mo Xie, what’s wrong with you? Are you uncomfortable?”
Mo Xie didn’t have anywhere to hide now. He could only reply in embarrassment and anger, “Miss, a young lady shouldn’t act like this.”
Wen Rushi wrapped her arms around his neck. Her words were innocent, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. It was as if she was eager to try something, “But you aren’t a stranger. Why can’t I do it?”
Mo Xie unwrapped her arms and looked earnestly into her eyes. He said, “Mo Xie is only your servant, so Miss doesn’t need to treat me well like this. Miss had already grown up now unlike before. Your reputation will be ruined when you act like you don’t care about the line between a master and a servant. It will be better to avoid arousing suspicion in the future.”
There was only a deep concern in his eyes.
She was touched by his words, but she didn’t want to be pushed back so easily. He was a good man. If she let him slip through her fingers, a good gift like this would only go to waste.
She tilted her head and asked doubtfully, “Is my reputation important?”
“Of course.” Mo Xie breathed a sigh of relief. He prepared to patiently explain to her that it didn’t matter that no one in the Wen household bothered to help Miss correct her morality. He could correct her behavior bit by bit.
Mo Xie believed that, with Miss’s wisdom, it would soon be clear how important a reputation was to a woman.
She would marry into a household of equal status. Her husband would love her wholeheartedly. That man would be smart and a person of noble character. She would have children dressing in a pink dress in the future.
He would protect them like what he did to Miss. She didn’t need to worry about anything and just enjoyed her life with good food and beautiful clothes. She would only need to envy those mandarin ducks, but she needed not to envy an immortal in the days of her life. (TL: 只羡鸳鸯不羡仙; 鸳鸯 = mandarin ducks/affectionate couple; 仙 = immortal; This’s what I found after searching around (I’m not too sure myself): Ancient people speculated that an immortal was single so they was sure to be lonely. So one who had a good marriage might not want to become an immortal god. )
This was the life his young lady should live.
“Men and women always put their guard up from the beginning lest they lost their honor or reputation. There’s saying, ‘Dying of starvation is a lesser misfortune than losing one’s honor/integrity.'” Seeing a strand of hair slipping from her ear, his fingertips twitched slightly but he tried not to tuck it behind her ear as he had done yesterday. “Although Mo Xie doesn’t think that this statement is correct, nothing is more important than preserving one’s life. It also shows how outsiders think about this matter.”
Mo Xie’s words were honest. He had been slackened off in this past two days. He shouldn’t worry about his master’s affairs because he was injured. He hoped his mistake wouldn’t mislead her. She was under the impression that all man could be trusted.
“But we are sleeping in the same bed. Do we care about the little things?” Wen Rushi blinked at him innocently. The corner of her mouth curved into a smile. Her smile was bright like a ray of sunshine in spring.
Mo Xie went silent for a few seconds. When he was about to open his mouth to explain to her, he was interrupted by Wen Rushi.
“If others know I have slept with other men, no one would want me. If it’s like that, you have to marry me.” She looked at him cunningly. Reputation was really important.
Mo Xie was stunned. Somehow he felt like he wanted to lift a stone and smashed it into his foot.
He struggled to say something for a long time, “Sleeping together in prison is only a temporary measure. It shouldn’t count.”
She saw that his lips had begun to turn pale. Wen Rushi didn’t have the heart to press him too hard. Maybe one day he would be seriously ill from his self-accusation again.
She sighed and leaned slowly over him with her cheek against his stiff chest.
His heart beat like a drum. Wen Rushi whispered, “Daddy wants to send me away. For his plan, he doesn’t care about the affection between father and daughter.
I know you said it was all for my own good. However, Mo Xie, I may not have the chance to marry in my life. It isn’t your fault nor my fault. The only thing to blame is that I shouldn’t have been born in Wen household.”
After this escape, Marquis Wen would certainly look at her more closely. It was fortunate that she could keep Mo Xie alive. She didn’t expect Marquis Wen to give her face.
The fate of the next two years had already been destined. Wen Rushi wasn’t afraid. No matter how much Pei Renqing held a grudge against her, she wouldn’t die.
As long as she was honest and didn’t provoke him, he would naturally forget that there was a chess piece at home that had provoked him.
“It’s my life. We can’t resist until we have enough strength.” Wen Rushi laid on his chest and listened to his slow heartbeats. She told him softly, “After entering Peifu, you can’t annoy Pei Renqing as you did last time. He will seize the opportunity to execute you.”
He only needed two more years of living in seclusion. Only then did he could soar up into the sky and turn up his nose at those who had looked down on him.
That was the only way for them to have enough chips to break away from this kind of life where they didn’t have the freedom to act independently.
Their atmosphere became gloomy around them. Wen Rushi smiled and looked up. She met his eyes as he stared at her silently. His eyes were full of sorrow that couldn’t be erased away.
She laughed and comforted in a soft voice, “But I don’t regret it. As long as you are with me, even if Hell is in front of me, I can be at ease and walk through it fearlessly.”
Mo Xie’s heart ached. He felt a heatwave pouring up in his chest.
For the first time, he didn’t avoid her gentle eyes. His lips moved for a while but he didn’t say a single word in the end. He only raised his hand and gently stroked her long and smooth hair.
This was his limit. The corners of Wen Rushi’s mouth turned up. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his palm on her head.
That’s enough. He would understand that she wasn’t just a master to him someday.
Mo Xie thought that if he had to sleep with his young lady or endure her hugging from time to time, his bottom line would get lower and lower every time. He clearly didn’t know that this was her plan and he was under her calculation all along.
But when she went to unfasten his belt regardless of his objections in the next morning, Mo Xie realized that he was completely wrong.
When it came for him, Wen Rushi was simply reaching out for a yard after taking an inch. She didn’t have a bottom line at all.
Mo Xie was busily grabbing her hand. His embarrassment became anger, “Miss! I am a guard, not your pet!”
Wen Rushi halted her movement. She looked at him with pain in her eyes, “Why do you think like that? I just thought that if you didn’t get up for two days, you would feel the need to do that.”
“You shouldn’t hold it in. However, you’re unable to move freely right now. Who else can help you beside me?” She pouted and prepared to cry if he got angry.
“Take your hand away.” Mo Xie glared at her raised hands angrily. He glanced at the bucket in the corner of the wall, “Turn around, I can do it myself.”
She could do it. There’s no reason why he couldn’t do it.
The idea was good. But when Mo Xie walked to where the bucket was, and then looked back to Wen Rushi, he suddenly found that he really couldn’t do it.
He wasn’t so shameless to let it out in a quiet room where his master was. He imagined him with his pants off and the sound of him doing that. Mo Xie touched his pants and felt very angry at Marquis Wen. He could think of freezing him to death, but how could he not think of solving the toilet problem in the room?
He scratched at the cracks in the wall and mentally calculated how long he could persist with his martial arts.
She couldn’t hear any sound. How could Wen Rushi not guess what was in his mind? She tried to ask in a low voice, “Would you like me to sing you a song?”
“… Shut up!” Mo Xie was having a headache and dizziness at the same time. He must be angry with her.
Wen Rushi was at a loss. She really couldn’t help him this time and hope that he would figure it out as soon as possible. If he had to hold it in any longer, it would be a big problem.
Tortoise also needed to urinate. He had to do it sooner or later, so what was the difference?
During the time of the battle between Mo Xie and nature, the door suddenly opened. Two guards armed with a weapon came in first and then followed by two unfamiliar maids. Both were carrying a tray.
“Hou Ye ordered you to tidy yourself up and see him again.” (侯爷 = Marquis)
The soup was very fragrant. She could smell a unique scent of firewood from a farmhouse.
Wen Rushi carefully skimmed excess fat and scooped up a spoonful to cool it. She brought the spoon to Mo Xie’s mouth.
“… I can eat by myself.” After a sip, Mo Xie leaned his head away in embarrassment and refused to open his mouth again.
That’s not right. Why did she, who was his master, have to take care of a bodyguard like him? Even if the young lady thought highly of him, it’s too much.
Wen Rushi stared at him in annoyance, “Don’t be shy like a lady. There is no one else here. I don’t care. What are you nervous about?”
“But…” Mo Xie grudgingly opened his mouth to counter her statement. It shouldn’t have come out of her mouth.
She suddenly took the opportunity to put the chicken soup spoon into his mouth. Mo Xie, who didn’t expect it, began to choke.
Seeing him cough intensely, Wen Rushi had to put down the bowl and helplessly pat him on the back, “I’m worried about you. I will help you carry the bowl. You can drink it by yourself.”
His face reddened. He didn’t know whether he should cough or be embarrassed first. He raised his hand to take the spoon and drank two mouthfuls silently. His long and thick eyelashes cast a shadow over his eyes.
“How does it taste?” Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him expectantly.
Mo Xie lifted his eyebrow. His master looked like a puppy waiting to be fed. He couldn’t help lifting the corners of his mouth slightly. His eyes darkened when he touched the five red fingerprints on her face.
“It’s delicious.” Mo Xie gently pushed the bowl back to Wen Rushi and silently looked at her. He shouldn’t enjoy such precious food like this alone.
Wen Rushi smiled. It was as if the bruise on her face were nothing at all. She grabbed his hand and took a sip of remaining soup in his spoon.
Then she looked up and gave him a small smile, “It’s really good.”
Mo Xie was stupefied at her unladylike manner. It took him a long time to snap out of it. His handsome face turned scarlet. Even the dim light from the old lamp was unable to hide his panic.
He stuffed the spoon into her hand feeling lost more than anything, and he could feel a burning sensation on his finger. He didn’t say anything after that but quickly lay down. He was as stiff as a frightened elephant.
Watching him buried his head into the ragged cotton quilt, Wen Rushi couldn’t help but laugh.
He reached this much when she had only taken a sip of his remaining soup. She wondered if she had kissed him shamelessly on his mouth, would he immediately cover himself up in the quilt?
Wen Rushi put down the bowl, leaned over and softly asked in his ears, “Mo Xie, what’s wrong with you? Are you uncomfortable?”
Mo Xie didn’t have anywhere to hide now. He could only reply in embarrassment and anger, “Miss, a young lady shouldn’t act like this.”
Wen Rushi wrapped her arms around his neck. Her words were innocent, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. It was as if she was eager to try something, “But you aren’t a stranger. Why can’t I do it?”
Mo Xie unwrapped her arms and looked earnestly into her eyes. He said, “Mo Xie is only your servant, so Miss doesn’t need to treat me well like this. Miss had already grown up now unlike before. Your reputation will be ruined when you act like you don’t care about the line between a master and a servant. It will be better to avoid arousing suspicion in the future.”
There was only a deep concern in his eyes.
She was touched by his words, but she didn’t want to be pushed back so easily. He was a good man. If she let him slip through her fingers, a good gift like this would only go to waste.
She tilted her head and asked doubtfully, “Is my reputation important?”
“Of course.” Mo Xie breathed a sigh of relief. He prepared to patiently explain to her that it didn’t matter that no one in the Wen household bothered to help Miss correct her morality. He could correct her behavior bit by bit.
Mo Xie believed that, with Miss’s wisdom, it would soon be clear how important a reputation was to a woman.
She would marry into a household of equal status. Her husband would love her wholeheartedly. That man would be smart and a person of noble character. She would have children dressing in a pink dress in the future.
He would protect them like what he did to Miss. She didn’t need to worry about anything and just enjoyed her life with good food and beautiful clothes. She would only need to envy those mandarin ducks, but she needed not to envy an immortal in the days of her life. (TL: 只羡鸳鸯不羡仙; 鸳鸯 = mandarin ducks/affectionate couple; 仙 = immortal; This’s what I found after searching around (I’m not too sure myself): Ancient people speculated that an immortal was single so they was sure to be lonely. So one who had a good marriage might not want to become an immortal god. )
This was the life his young lady should live.
“Men and women always put their guard up from the beginning lest they lost their honor or reputation. There’s saying, ‘Dying of starvation is a lesser misfortune than losing one’s honor/integrity.'” Seeing a strand of hair slipping from her ear, his fingertips twitched slightly but he tried not to tuck it behind her ear as he had done yesterday. “Although Mo Xie doesn’t think that this statement is correct, nothing is more important than preserving one’s life. It also shows how outsiders think about this matter.”
Mo Xie’s words were honest. He had been slackened off in this past two days. He shouldn’t worry about his master’s affairs because he was injured. He hoped his mistake wouldn’t mislead her. She was under the impression that all man could be trusted.
“But we are sleeping in the same bed. Do we care about the little things?” Wen Rushi blinked at him innocently. The corner of her mouth curved into a smile. Her smile was bright like a ray of sunshine in spring.
Mo Xie went silent for a few seconds. When he was about to open his mouth to explain to her, he was interrupted by Wen Rushi.
“If others know I have slept with other men, no one would want me. If it’s like that, you have to marry me.” She looked at him cunningly. Reputation was really important.
Mo Xie was stunned. Somehow he felt like he wanted to lift a stone and smashed it into his foot.
He struggled to say something for a long time, “Sleeping together in prison is only a temporary measure. It shouldn’t count.”
She saw that his lips had begun to turn pale. Wen Rushi didn’t have the heart to press him too hard. Maybe one day he would be seriously ill from his self-accusation again.
She sighed and leaned slowly over him with her cheek against his stiff chest.
His heart beat like a drum. Wen Rushi whispered, “Daddy wants to send me away. For his plan, he doesn’t care about the affection between father and daughter.
I know you said it was all for my own good. However, Mo Xie, I may not have the chance to marry in my life. It isn’t your fault nor my fault. The only thing to blame is that I shouldn’t have been born in Wen household.”
After this escape, Marquis Wen would certainly look at her more closely. It was fortunate that she could keep Mo Xie alive. She didn’t expect Marquis Wen to give her face.
The fate of the next two years had already been destined. Wen Rushi wasn’t afraid. No matter how much Pei Renqing held a grudge against her, she wouldn’t die.
As long as she was honest and didn’t provoke him, he would naturally forget that there was a chess piece at home that had provoked him.
“It’s my life. We can’t resist until we have enough strength.” Wen Rushi laid on his chest and listened to his slow heartbeats. She told him softly, “After entering Peifu, you can’t annoy Pei Renqing as you did last time. He will seize the opportunity to execute you.”
He only needed two more years of living in seclusion. Only then did he could soar up into the sky and turn up his nose at those who had looked down on him.
That was the only way for them to have enough chips to break away from this kind of life where they didn’t have the freedom to act independently.
Their atmosphere became gloomy around them. Wen Rushi smiled and looked up. She met his eyes as he stared at her silently. His eyes were full of sorrow that couldn’t be erased away.
She laughed and comforted in a soft voice, “But I don’t regret it. As long as you are with me, even if Hell is in front of me, I can be at ease and walk through it fearlessly.”
Mo Xie’s heart ached. He felt a heatwave pouring up in his chest.
For the first time, he didn’t avoid her gentle eyes. His lips moved for a while but he didn’t say a single word in the end. He only raised his hand and gently stroked her long and smooth hair.
This was his limit. The corners of Wen Rushi’s mouth turned up. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his palm on her head.
That’s enough. He would understand that she wasn’t just a master to him someday.
Mo Xie thought that if he had to sleep with his young lady or endure her hugging from time to time, his bottom line would get lower and lower every time. He clearly didn’t know that this was her plan and he was under her calculation all along.
But when she went to unfasten his belt regardless of his objections in the next morning, Mo Xie realized that he was completely wrong.
When it came for him, Wen Rushi was simply reaching out for a yard after taking an inch. She didn’t have a bottom line at all.
Mo Xie was busily grabbing her hand. His embarrassment became anger, “Miss! I am a guard, not your pet!”
Wen Rushi halted her movement. She looked at him with pain in her eyes, “Why do you think like that? I just thought that if you didn’t get up for two days, you would feel the need to do that.”
“You shouldn’t hold it in. However, you’re unable to move freely right now. Who else can help you beside me?” She pouted and prepared to cry if he got angry.
“Take your hand away.” Mo Xie glared at her raised hands angrily. He glanced at the bucket in the corner of the wall, “Turn around, I can do it myself.”
She could do it. There’s no reason why he couldn’t do it.
The idea was good. But when Mo Xie walked to where the bucket was, and then looked back to Wen Rushi, he suddenly found that he really couldn’t do it.
He wasn’t so shameless to let it out in a quiet room where his master was. He imagined him with his pants off and the sound of him doing that. Mo Xie touched his pants and felt very angry at Marquis Wen. He could think of freezing him to death, but how could he not think of solving the toilet problem in the room?
He scratched at the cracks in the wall and mentally calculated how long he could persist with his martial arts.
She couldn’t hear any sound. How could Wen Rushi not guess what was in his mind? She tried to ask in a low voice, “Would you like me to sing you a song?”
“… Shut up!” Mo Xie was having a headache and dizziness at the same time. He must be angry with her.
Wen Rushi was at a loss. She really couldn’t help him this time and hope that he would figure it out as soon as possible. If he had to hold it in any longer, it would be a big problem.
Tortoise also needed to urinate. He had to do it sooner or later, so what was the difference?
During the time of the battle between Mo Xie and nature, the door suddenly opened. Two guards armed with a weapon came in first and then followed by two unfamiliar maids. Both were carrying a tray.
“Hou Ye ordered you to tidy yourself up and see him again.” (侯爷 = Marquis)
