Chapter 34: Encountering Danger in the Mountains

The young gentleman looked eagerly at Li Ruantang, his beautiful phoenix eyes glancing at the two small red flowers in her hand, then shyly lowering.

His hint was obvious, and how could Li Ruantang truly not understand? She paused for a moment, casually removed the leaves from both small red flowers, and took half a step closer.

The wide sleeves swayed gently in the wind, lightly brushing across the young gentleman’s cheek, evoking a delicate, soft tickle. He curiously looked up, immediately noticing the whiteness of Li Ruantang’s arm exposed as her sleeve slid down when she raised her arm.

Ah!

Meng Jun quickly averted his eyes, his face reddening even more. He didn’t mean to see it, but the young gentleman was still curious at heart, and with a glance from the corner of his eye, he secretly looked again.

Li Ruantang was quite fair-skinned.

He had accidentally seen it a few times before, but never for this long. The young gentleman quietly raised his eyebrows, his gaze falling on Li Ruantang’s slightly pursed lips.

The girl in front of him looked very serious, just like when they first met in the capital. Back then, Meng Jun thought Li Ruantang was scary, but now—

The young gentleman gently tugged at her sleeve, his eyes full of joy, “Wife-master, are you done yet?”

“Almost, almost done.”

It was Li Ruantang’s first time pinning flowers for a young man, and she was already shaky and nervous. Now with the young gentleman tugging at her sleeve and urging her, her fingers holding the small red flowers became even sweatier.

Wei Dan and the others, who had hidden themselves nearby, all watched with wide eyes.

Leaving everything else aside, the world lady’s flower-pinning skills were truly incompatible with her cold demeanor. Everyone looked at the two small red flowers that had obviously wilted a bit next to Meng Jun’s tied-up hair, shaking their heads and secretly guessing how Meng Gongzi would react when he saw them later.

Li Ruantang was also feeling anxious.

Especially now, as the young gentleman took out a copper mirror from his small bundle and was happily sitting on a rock, looking at himself from left to right.

She secretly observed Chiu Chiu’s expression, seeing that he kept smiling, her heart sweetened, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Wife-master.”

“Hmm?”

“If you see pretty flowers in the future, will you give them to me?” the young gentleman asked carefully.

Li Ruantang laughed. What kind of question was that? If she didn’t give flowers to her own husband, who else would she give them to?

“Silly boy.” She gently tapped Chiu Chiu’s brow and said with a smile, “Do you think I’d give them to someone else?”

“Then let’s pinky swear.”

Words alone weren’t enough; he had to make a proper agreement with her.

“Alright, alright.” Li Ruantang good-naturedly agreed.

The smile on her lips hadn’t yet reached her eyes when, who knows what the young gentleman suddenly remembered, the young man who had just been so happy suddenly became melancholic.

“Wife-master.”

Meng Jun sat down close to Li Ruantang, hesitating to speak, and took the steamed bun she handed him, chewing it without tasting.

When they returned to the capital, those people would surely not let her go, and who knows what vicious schemes they would come up with. Whenever he thought of this, Meng Jun’s heart ached terribly, especially since once they returned to the capital, Ruantang would no longer be his wife-master…

If she knew how he had fallen off the cliff back then, she probably wouldn’t pay attention to him anymore.

His dejected gaze briefly swept over the Hu family sitting on the other side. Aning was handsome; once they returned to the capital, it wasn’t impossible that Li Ruantang might take him as a servant.

At that time, only he would truly be an outsider.

Thinking of this, the young gentleman’s expression drooped even more. He really didn’t want to go back that much. Although life here was a bit poorer, he was very happy.

He let out a long sigh and turned to look at Li Ruantang, “Wife-master.”

Chiu Chiu’s call sounded pitiful, “Do you think we can get out of Long Mountain Gully today?”

He had been walking slowly, and Li Ruantang had already stopped to rest several times to take care of him. It was now nearly noon, and if they truly couldn’t get out, they could actually make do for another night in the mountains.

According to what Sister Wei said in her letter, once they returned to the capital, only one calculation after another awaited Li Ruantang. Unfortunately, Mother wasn’t in the capital now, and he was just an inner courtyard young man, with no opportunity to speak up for her.

Meng Jun frowned with worry. Although delaying wasn’t a solution, at least they could delay for one more day.

Seeing her young husband’s worried expression, Li Ruantang thought he was just afraid of holding them back. Her heart softened, and she quickly rubbed the top of his head, comforting him in a low voice, “Don’t worry, after we turn these two bends, we’ll be almost there.”

“…Oh.”

The young gentleman, hiding his private thoughts, became even more dispirited. He ate a few bites of the steamed bun in his hand, then put it back in the oiled paper bag. He listlessly leaned on Li Ruantang’s shoulder, glanced at the three Hu family members resting with their eyes closed against a big tree not far away, and suddenly had an idea.

Yes, he could pretend to sleep!

It was the hottest time of the day now. If he slept a bit longer, delaying their journey, they could return to the capital one day later.

The young gentleman was simple-minded; he acted as soon as he thought of it. He immediately yawned several times, rubbed his eyes, and was about to lean against the big tree for a nap.

Li Ruantang found it amusing but didn’t dare laugh out loud. Her young husband had been dragging his feet since morning, and now he was full of energy pretending to sleep.

The contents of his letter had already been reported to her by Wei Dan.

“Silly boy.”

Li Ruantang smiled faintly. Even if he delayed their return to the capital, those preparing to move against her wouldn’t stop all their arrangements because of this.

It was just that Chiu Chiu was young and inexperienced, so he used the most foolish and direct method to protect her.

Reaching out to embrace the young gentleman who was pretending to sleep, Li Ruantang’s heart melted completely. She gently stroked Chiu Chiu’s tightly closed brows and eyes, landing on those thin lips that always clamored for kisses.

Soft and sweet.

“Silly Chiu Chiu.”

She curved her brows and eyes, nodding to the Hu family across from her. What must be faced must eventually be faced; avoidance was never a solution to problems.

Li Ruantang stood up and carried her sleeping young husband on her back.

Eh?

The young gentleman couldn’t help but open a sliver of his eyes. What was going on?

Wasn’t Li Ruantang still injured?