This feeling, almost being tightly embraced by him, made the mature and beautiful widow feel both embarrassed and entranced. Especially hearing the rhythm of his breath, feeling the caress of his warmth—everything was incredibly alluring, almost irresistible.
"No need for it to be too complicated, just use a single pattern and replicate it continuously. This way, it can have a strong visual impact," Lu Xun was leaning close behind her, his head resting on her shoulder. He continued to speak softly into her ear while guiding her hand to draw a simple pattern on the paper.
At the sa ti, a light and elegant fragrance wafted over, blending with her gentleness, thoughtfulness, maturity, and nobility, as delicate as silk, intoxicated anyone, making them unable to resist.
Lu Xun slowly released her hand, his robust chest leaving her back. The widow, deeply imrsed in the mont, felt like she had lost the most vital thing in her life, and an almost hysterical desire seed to occupy her every thought.
Glancing at him with a stealthy side-eye, Mu Qingshuang really wanted to bury herself in his embrace, wrap her arms tightly around his waist, and fiercely bite his lips with her red lips, using Jingyi's way of indulgence.
"Did you hear what I just said?" Lu Xun softly inquired.
Mu Qingshuang nodded and then shook her head. She slightly turned her face away and replied in a soft, whispering tone, "I kind of understood it, but not entirely. Nevertheless, I'll follow your ideas. By the way, why were you holding so tightly earlier?"
As she finished speaking, she turned her head and she gazed at him with a trace of anticipation in her eyes.
"Well..."
"I got a bit impatient just now; I'll be more careful next ti," Lu Xun said sowhat awkwardly.
Hearing his response, Mu Qingshuang felt a small sense of disappointnt. She hadn't heard the answer she had longed for from his mouth. She quietly bit her lip, thinking, why is the young man I've been yearning for so shy? If he's this shy, it's a bit difficult for . Do you really want to make the moves?
"That's about it."
Lu Xun stood up and said to Mu Qingshuang, "I should get going."
"You're leaving already?" Mu Qingshuang regained her senses, and her eyes showed reluctance. She said softly, "Since you're here, why don't you stay for lunch and then leave?"
Disregarding whether he agreed or not, Mu Qingshuang hurriedly walked towards the outside, saying as she walked, "Wait here for a while. I'll instruct the kitchen staff."
Just as she reached the courtyard gate, Mu Qingshuang suddenly stopped, turned around to look at Lu Xun in the pavilion, and said with a serious tone, "Don't sneak away. If you leave without notice, don't co back again. I wouldn't want to see you."
With that, she left him behind and headed to the kitchen on her own.
"Soone! Servants!"
Mu Qingshuang urgently shouted, and after a while, a few maidservants arrived. She seriously instructed them, "Inform the kitchen to prepare a table of als and deliver them to my room. Also, the front courtyard, main courtyard, and rear courtyard are off-limits. Nobody is allowed in there. Otherwise, don't bla for being rude."
The maidservants nodded in agreent and left in haste. After giving her orders, Mu Qingshuang didn't rush back to the garden. Instead, she turned and entered her room, touched up her makeup briefly, and felt perfect once again. Only then did she leave her residence, taking graceful steps as she headed to the rear courtyard.
Seeing that he was still sitting in the pavilion, Mu Qingshuang's worried heart finally settled. She elegantly approached Lu Xun and gently said, "I've already given the order. They're preparing delicious dishes to be delivered to my room."
"Oh?"
"Your room? Can... can I enter?" Lu Xun asked helplessly. "Isn't it inappropriate?"
After what you did to , you're still concerned about these things?
Mu Qingshuang gave him a playful look, mumbling, "Aren't you fond of challenging old beliefs, avoiding societal restraints, and being free from ntal imprisonnt? Why are you suddenly so timid?"
"Well..."
Lu Xun chuckled innocently and replied, "That's a fair point."
"Indeed, it's a fair point."
Mu Qingshuang flashed a sweet, coquettish smile at him and proceeded to put away the three doodled pieces of paper carefully. Then, she served herself a cup of tea and thoughtfully handed Lu Xun several pieces of osmanthus cake.
"Have so."
"The al will probably take so ti," Mu Qingshuang said in an affectionate manner.
Gentle, considerate, attentive, and loving – isn't this the ideal wife I've been dreaming of?
Lu Xun reached for a piece of cake, slowly brought it to his mouth. As he chewed, his mind beca more active, but amidst his thoughts, he felt a chill down his spine, sensing that the situation was getting more complex, as if there were inextricable ties connecting all of them.
"Lu Xun..."
"What do you usually do?" Mu Qingshuang leaned her elbow on the table, propping up her chin with her hand, and looked at him, asking softly.
"?"
"I practice cultivation at ho," Lu Xun replied.
"Alone?" Mu Qingshuang asked.
Lu Xun hesitated for a mont and then nodded silently.
"In that case, you should live with ," Mu Qingshuang said gently, lightly biting her lip, "What if you get bored?"
"A practitioner needs to endure solitude. Generally, I don't get bored," Lu Xun replied.
"I see." Mu Qingshuang pursed her lips, turned her head to look at the artificial mountain not far away, and sighed, "Well, I get bored every day."
"I know," Lu Xun lifted his teacup and said gently, "Last ti, you ntioned that you felt lonely."
"Oh?"
Mu Qingshuang was taken aback for a mont, her face filled with surprise as she squeaked, "When did I say sothing like that?"
"When you were drunk," Lu Xun replied.
At once, Mu Qingshuang turned red and couldn't lift her head. If there was a crack in the ground, she would have wanted to hide in it.
Heavens! Heavens!
How could I say such a thing? Will he think I'm promiscuous?
"Lu Xun."
"That, that was just drunken rambling. Please, don't take it seriously," Mu Qingshuang bit her lip hard and stamred, "My loneliness isn't what you might imagine. I'm not that kind of woman."
Lu Xun smiled smoothly and said, "I understand. There's no need to worry."
Mu Qingshuang hesitated and mumbled, "Well, actually... a little."
"Hmm?"
"What did you say?" Lu Xun curiously inquired.
"Nothing, nothing," Mu Qingshuang shook her head repeatedly, blushing deeply.
In the following monts, the two of them chatted for a while, mostly about trivial matters in their lives. As the conversation flowed, they unconsciously drew closer to each other. It was just a tiny step away from being tightly together.
Mu Qingshuang maintained her pose with her chin propped up by her hand and gazed at him directly. She observed the young man's handso face, slowly becoming entranced, while he narrated various strange anecdotes. Rational thoughts had long since left her mind.
Should I just go for it now? I can't wait until the next ti we et. Just as Jingyi said, I'm already at this point, and a bit more initiative won't hurt. But what if I scare him away with my urgent desire?
My beloved is so shy. If I were to overwhelm him with my longing, what would I do then? I don't want to continue like this. Even though a slowly developing affection is suitable for my tastes, I'm over forty now. I don't want it to be a long, drawn-out affair. I just want to get him with the speed of lightning.
Oh well! No matter!
I'll get him first, but before that, I should ask him about his feelings towards .
Mu Qingshuang bit her lip gently and in a sweet voice, she asked, "Lu Xun, I have a question. Do you... do you despise being a widow?"
"Not at all."
"Besides, I know your situation," Lu Xun smiled and said, "Don't think too much, Shuang'er."
Just one simple "Shuang'er" caused a flood of emotions in Mu Qingshuang. She stared at him, her voice gentle and tender, "Is that really true?"
"How could it be otherwise?"
Lu Xun said with a trace of humor, "In this world, there's always soone who doesn't care about these trivialities, but cares about you more than anyone else because that person knows the pain you've been through."
Faced with this straightforward statent, the widow's lonely heart had beco fervent. She now wanted an answer, one that was crucial to her.
"Who might that person be?" Mu Qingshuang took the initiative, urgency in her voice, and pressed on with her questions.
Lu Xun didn't imdiately answer her. He quietly picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and then looked at the cup in his hand. He softly recited, "When does the silk-clad beauty co across dust, and when could love's visit be planned?"
With these verses, Mu Qingshuang, who had been well-educated from a young age, instantly understood the aning. She felt a mixture of excitent and joy.
"Why reject a thousand cups of green wine? A rosy visage can bother and slay."
As the words fell, Lu Xun put down his teacup and murmured softly, "Guess who it might be?"
Mu Qingshuang didn't speak, but her hazy eyes had already revealed her feelings at this mont. She had found the answer she longed for deep in her heart.
At this mont, Mu Qingshuang suddenly summoned the courage. Since things had already reached this point, there was no need to continue being reserved. If she continued to be reserved like this, the only one who would end up hurt would be herself.
Oh!
This naughty man, he's pushing to my limit!
In the end, following her inner thoughts, she no longer resisted. The mature and beautiful widow unexpectedly pounced on him, and in an instant, both of them ended up falling to the ground.
((TL PS: So, there's been many poems recited in this novel, here's a little interpretation of poems in this chapter;
"When does the silk-clad beauty co across dust, and when could love's visit be planned?"
aning- This poem speaks to the unexpected nature of love. It asks when a beautiful, refined person (the "silk-clad beauty") will encounter so hardship or challenge ("dust") and when love might appear for them, not necessarily planned or predictable.
Mu Qingshuang's interpretation: Lu Xun is using this poem to say that despite her being a widow ("hardship"), true love could still find her at any ti.
"Why reject a thousand cups of green wine? A rosy visage can bother and slay."
aning- This poem uses the taphor of wine to represent other potential suitors or distractions (the "thousand cups of green wine") compared to a truly captivating and passionate love ("rosy visage") which can both entice and overpower them.
Mu Qingshuang's interpretation: Lu Xun is saying amongst the other prospects, he himself represents the more powerful and passionate love ("rosy visage"). This directly answers her question of who the 'true love' in the previous poem is. /collection/257029
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