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Chapter Nineteen: Miss Qinghan's Girlish Thoughts
Su Zhixiao's clear voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, like a thunderclap splitting the enchanting atmosphere of the room.
Hu Chanyuan stood up in a panic, her cheeks flushed red as if they were about to bleed, and she awkwardly straightened her clothes, which were not actually disheveled.
Su Mu withdrew his hand, his expression returning to its usual calm.
He looked up at the doorway and saw Su Zhixiao and Li Qinghan walk in together.
Su Zhixiao glanced around the room, noticing the lingering subtle atmosphere, and gave Su Mu a slightly suspicious look.
Li Qinghan followed behind, her eyes lowered. She was the same age as Zhixiao, but her figure was already tall and slender.
A light, pale green dress accentuated her youthful beauty, making her appear like a newly blossoming magnolia, fresh and refined. The dress highlighted her subtly undulating bust and slender waist.
A pair of straight, slender, and beautiful legs could be vaguely seen beneath the hem, exuding elegance with every step.
She had a classic oval face, radiating the healthy glow of a young girl. Her temperament was gentle and serene, possessing the poise and elegance of a well-bred lady.
That is a refined and elegant demeanor that can only be cultivated by immersing oneself in poetry and literature from childhood.
However, upon closer inspection, the slightly reddened earlobes and the slender fingers gently twisting the hem of her clothes revealed the unique awkwardness and helplessness of that age.
A hint of allure lurked in her evasive eyes.
"Auntie, Brother Mu Mu." She glanced up at Su Mu quickly, then looked away the instant their eyes met, her fingertips unconsciously...
He grabbed the cuff.
When Su Mu saw her arrive, a gentle smile appeared on his lips, and he greeted her softly, "Qinghan, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Li Qinghan only gave a vague "hmm" before abruptly turning her head to stare at the window frame, as if even glancing at Su Mu would make her uneasy.
in.
Seeing this, Hu Chanyuan was greatly puzzled. She tried to ease the tension, jokingly saying with a smile:
"What's wrong with Qinghan? When you were little, you were always clinging to your Mu-gege, and I couldn't shake you off. I remember one time you insisted that Mu-er hug you..."
She fell asleep in his arms, drooling all over him.
"And another time, you insisted on clinging to Mu'er, wanting him to hold you while you read, and Xiaoxiao was extremely jealous..."
"Auntie!" Li Qinghan's cheeks instantly flushed red, she was so embarrassed she almost jumped up. She quickly glanced at Su Mu, interrupting Hu Chan hurriedly.
Yuan: "That...that was so long ago! Don't mention it again!"
She stomped her foot, turned around and said, "I...I'm going back to my room first!" before practically running out of the room.
Watching her disappearing figure, Hu Chanyuan sighed helplessly, then turned to Su Mu and said gently, "Mu'er, I'm so sorry. This child..."
"I don't know what's wrong with him, his temper is so strange."
Su Mu's eyes were tolerant: "It's alright, Aunt Hu. Children grow up, and it's perfectly normal for them to not want their childhood embarrassing moments mentioned. But..."
In the eyes of the elders, however, those are the most precious and lovely memories.
He spoke gently and with understanding, "Such generational gaps and minor conflicts between elders and younger generations are quite common. You don't need to worry about it."
"It's on my mind."
Upon hearing this, Hu Chanyuan felt even more guilty: "Now that you mention it, I realize I was truly negligent and didn't consider her feelings... Sigh, I..."
I've never known how to get along with Qinghan, it's truly...
Su Mu gently held Hu Chanyuan's hand and softly encouraged her, "It's already incredibly precious that Aunt Hu is conscious, and Qinghan didn't give birth to you."
"She's just shy. You should talk to Qinghan properly now; she's so sensible, she'll definitely understand."
“Yes, Aunt Hu,” Su Zhixiao added gently, “Back in the Sleeping Flower Sect, my senior uncles and sisters often teased me like that. Although I was embarrassed and annoyed, I…”
I know it's because they love me, and I've never really been angry. Qinghan is very perceptive; she'll surely understand your affection.
"Yes, Zhixiao did the same thing back then. When I was taking a bath, I solemnly stood in front of my senior uncles and sisters to prevent them from peeking, but I myself..."
or
"elder brother!"
Seeing the two of them playfully bickering and being affectionate, Hu Chanyuan understood the underlying meaning.
"I understand... I'll go talk to Qinghan right away, thank you."
After Aunt Hu left, only Su Mu and Su Zhixiao remained in the room.
Su Zhixiao gently sat in Su Mu's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, looked at him with a wistful gaze, and said in a soft, gentle voice, "Brother~ just now..."
What are you doing, alone in a room with Aunt Hu?
Su Mu put his arm around her and said calmly, "I'm treating Aunt Hu's heart condition. She's been troubled by it for a long time, and I'm trying to help her relieve it."
Su Zhixiao blinked, not pressing for further details. This matter concerned Aunt Hu, and it wasn't the time for her to act childish, so she considerately refrained from saying anything more.
But the jealousy in her heart still needed to dissipate, so she pressed her soft body closer to him, whispered in his ear, her breath sweet as orchids, her voice carrying a hint of...
Cunning and Temptation:
"The maids were tidying up the rooms just now, and I told them to only tidy up the one we used to live in."
Su Mu looked down at the bold yet shy girl in his arms and couldn't help but chuckle: "When did our Xiaoxiao become so brave? She actually..."
Are you thinking of revisiting this place?
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Su Zhixiao's face flushed instantly, and her voice lowered again, but with a firm tone: "Last night, my brother and I fought side by side, our teamwork was excellent, Xiao..."
Xiao also felt more confident standing by her brother's side, and
"And the superior rooms reserved at Lanyue Pavilion were not used, right?" Su Mu replied with a mischievous smile.
"Brother!" Su Zhixiao buried her face in his neck in embarrassment and gently punched him. Her ears were bright red. She was no match for her brother after all!
At the same time, Hu Chanyuan gently knocked on Li Qinghan's door.
"Qinghan, it's me." She said softly from outside the door. "After you left, Mu'er and Xiaoxiao explained your behavior to me. Their..."
Those words woke me up.
"Your aunt always remembers things from when you were little, still thinking of you as a child, but she never considered that you've grown up now and are a young lady."
I don't want to hear those things anymore. It was my aunt's fault.
The door was silent for a moment, then opened from the inside.
Li Qinghan stood inside the door, her eyes slightly red, looking at Hu Chanyuan, her voice choked with emotion: "Auntie, it's not your fault, it's Qinghan's fault."
"It's because I didn't know how to face Brother Mu, and my mind was in such a mess that I acted that way..."
She invited Hu Chanyuan into the room.
Upon entering the room, the two sat down on the couch by the window. Encouraged by Hu Chanyuan's gentle gaze, Li Qinghan finally stopped hiding her feelings, twisting her fingers...
whispered:
"Actually... as soon as Brother Mu entered the manor today, I... I felt something was wrong with my body. My mind was in turmoil, and I kept... I couldn't help but think..."
Get closer to him, and think about what might happen between you.
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, her cheeks flushed, “So I was afraid, and could only…try my best to avoid him.”
Hu Chanyuan was shocked. Qinghan was like this too?! Could it be that both of them had...? She suppressed the thought and didn't say anything.
He held Li Qinghan's hand and, imitating Su Mu, said:
"Good child, this kind of thing... running away is never the solution. Only by facing it honestly can it be resolved. After you've thought it through, you must find an opportunity to properly..."
Talk to Mu'er.
Li Qinghan raised her head, her eyes still showing shyness, but with a renewed determination.
She nodded emphatically: "Yes! I understand, Auntie! Tonight, I'll go find Brother Mu and have a good talk with him."
"That's right." Hu Chanyuan smiled with satisfaction, her gaze casually sweeping across the room, and said gently, "Speaking of which, it's been a while since Auntie has come."
"Have a seat in your room. It's so neat and clean."
Li Qinghan's room was simply furnished, with the most eye-catching feature being the neatly arranged books everywhere.
Since receiving guidance from Su Mu years ago, she has devoted herself to poetry and literature. Although she has rarely gone out in recent years, her cultivation has never lagged behind. Now...
He has already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Hmm? Qinghan, what's that on your bed?" Hu Chanyuan suddenly noticed a garment of a different style peeking out from the corner of the bed; the design looked like...
"Ah! No, it's nothing! Just a few ordinary clothes, my daughter just didn't put them away properly."
Li Qinghan hurriedly stepped forward, quickly gathering the fabric into her hands to hide it. Her cheeks flushed red, and her voice carried a hint of embarrassment and anxiety, "Little..."
Auntie, let's go outside and talk..."
Seeing this, Hu Chanyuan didn't ask any more questions and smiled as Qinghan gently pushed her out of the room. Only after the door closed did Li Qinghan let out a long sigh of relief.
Fortunately, her mother hadn't discovered that she had secretly hidden Mu-gege's clothes. If her aunt knew, she would realize that she had been using those clothes as a cover for...
The lingering scent, to ease the pain of longing! Oh, how embarrassing!
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Chapter Twenty: Your Highness: Mu'er already has a Daoist partner.
Inside the council hall of Qingzhou, a group of officials had already gathered, chatting in small groups, their conversations all revolving around the sudden changes in Linhe Town.
The worries and speculations.
The whispers ceased as steady footsteps and the soft clanging of armor echoed from outside the hall. Everyone straightened their clothes and stood respectfully with their heads bowed.
Li Zhaoning entered the hall, surrounded by her personal female guards. She wore a black python robe with subtle gold thread patterns that shimmered faintly in the candlelight. Her mask was already on.
Above, covering her beautiful face, added another layer of undeniable majesty.
Her gaze swept calmly across the hall below, each step carrying the imposing weight of someone accustomed to a position of power. She took her seat at the head of the table, her voice steady and clear.
The news spread throughout the hall: "You have all surely heard about the events in Linhe Town."
The official representative from Linhe Town immediately stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said in a low, trembling voice, "This humble official is incompetent and failed to see through the evil plot, causing the townspeople..."
"We are alarmed; our fellow Daoists from the Genshan Sect are in danger. We urge Your Highness to punish them!"
Li Zhaoning raised his hand in a gesture of support: "The incident happened suddenly, it's not the fault of your Linhe Town. The Golden Core cultivators from Linhe Town rushed to aid Genlian Mountain, while the remaining cultivators..."
The soldiers have done their utmost, holding out until reinforcements arrived. What crime have they committed?
Although her tone was calm, it possessed a decisive and authoritative air, which calmed the official who was apologizing and won the respect of everyone in the hall. She then turned to...
On the other side, "Fellow Daoist of Genshan Sect, what is the current situation?"
Fang Li stepped forward. Zhang Chongshan and his fellow disciples were still in Linhe Town stabilizing the great formation, so the task of reporting fell to her. Facing the assembled crowd…
She appeared slightly nervous amidst the officials and the imposing prince, but she maintained her composure and clearly explained the situation:
"Your Highness, thanks to the timely assistance of Mr. Su and Fairy Su, the demon scourge in Linhe Town has been temporarily quelled. The Golden Core demon cultivator has been vanquished, and the remaining demons..."
The clan has been wiped out. Our clan's reinforcements will arrive soon.
As soon as the words were spoken, a murmur of barely suppressed gasps and whispers filled the hall. Su Mu had previously been kept by Li Zhaoning's side, and many palace officials...
Those who had watched him grow up were filled with relief and disbelief upon hearing that he had managed to turn the tide.
"That child Su Mu can really cultivate? This is truly wonderful news!"
"Even the Golden Core demon cultivators who attacked this time were repelled by these two siblings... They are truly formidable young talents!"
"As expected of someone from the Prince's residence, truly extraordinary!"