Chapter 45. Let Sui Sui act out, she spoiled him herself, indulging…

In the familiar embrace, an elegant voice drifted past the ear tips, causing ripples in the young man’s clear lake of a heart.

Gu Sui was stunned for a moment.

He had pondered for a long time what schemes this city lord might have, but he never imagined she would be Mu Jiulu.

She appeared so unexpectedly before him, just like she had at Yulu Tower half a year ago.

Gu Sui quickly pushed Mu Jiulu away, stood up and retreated a few steps, ruffling his hair that she had messed up, his voice muffled with anger.

“Why are you here? Weren’t you sick?”

Mu Jiulu adjusted her slightly crooked mask, let out a light sigh, and spoke with some resentment.

“Who told you not to go home and run to dangerous places instead? How else was I supposed to find you?”

Gu Sui bared his sharp canine teeth at her, looking fierce.

“You didn’t keep your word! You promised not to look for me for three months!”

Who wants to see her now? The matter of deceiving him hasn’t passed yet, Mu Jingyu hasn’t been caught either, he can’t vent his anger, he’s annoyed!

Mu Jiulu’s eyes darkened slightly: “Yes, but didn’t we agree that I wouldn’t look for you if you returned to the General’s Mansion? Now you’re not at the General’s Mansion.”

So naturally, she could come find him.

Gu Sui glared at her: “You’re twisting words!”

Mu Jiulu sat up straighter, her crimson light outer robe draped loosely over her shoulders, the collar of the inner garment also somewhat loose, the wide sleeves sliding down to her elbows as she raised her arms.

Red plum blossoms in full bloom adorned the alluring colored robes, entwined with gold threads, making the usually noble and aloof Regent appear unexpectedly seductive and charming.

Standing by the bed, Gu Sui glimpsed that faintly visible allure, blinked hurriedly a few times before quickly raising his head, the bob of his Adam’s apple on his slender neck becoming more obvious.

Mu Jiulu suppressed the slight curve of her lips.

It wasn’t in vain that she had asked Mu Congfeng for this gaudy set of clothes.

“What are you avoiding?”

She asked while stroking Sui Sui’s fur, the cat’s contented purrs mixing with the woman’s slightly playful voice, causing Gu Sui to bristle.

“Who’s avoiding!”

To prove he wasn’t so easily seduced, Gu Sui folded his arms and looked at her, his gaze fierce.

“Why are you wearing a mask! Do you think I won’t recognize you with a mask on?”

He questioned dryly, trying hard to control his gaze from glancing downward again.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to see me?”

Gu Sui: “……”

He angrily put his hands on his hips: “You’re just covering your ears while stealing a bell!”

Mu Jiulu asked in confusion: “Is that how this idiom is used?”

Gu Sui became somewhat embarrassed and angry: “That’s none of your business! I’ll use it however I want!”

“Alright, alright, you have the final say, you have the final say.”

Mu Jiulu quickly coaxed, and Gu Sui’s heaving chest gradually calmed. He turned his head away awkwardly.

“Come sit for a while, standing all the time must be tiring.”

Mu Jiulu patted the spot beside her. Gu Sui was indeed a bit tired, but he didn’t want to do as she wished.

“Who wants to sit next to you? Don’t forget we’re still in a cold war!”

Mu Jiulu’s expression became a bit more serious: “Let me correct you, it’s you unilaterally wanting a cold war with me. I don’t want it.”

Gu Sui: “……”

“Then I still won’t sit next to you. Who knows if you’ll get handsy!”

A cold war should look like a cold war!

“But aren’t you tired?”

Gu Sui gritted his teeth and said stubbornly: “I don’t believe I can’t find anywhere else to sit.”

So Mu Jiulu watched as the young man lifted layers of red gauze and walked out, searching left and right around the hall for a long while, before returning angrily not long after.

“How come there’s not even a single chair in this room of yours!”

How shabby!

Mu Jiulu covered her mouth with her hand: “Oh no, they were all taken for repairs.”

“You’re fooling an idiot.”

Mu Jiulu let out a light chuckle.

Gu Sui then realized he had become the idiot in question and rolled his eyes.

Truly exhausted, he sat down at the foot of the sandalwood bed with his arms crossed, staring intently at Mu Jiulu at the head of the bed to prevent her from approaching.

Mu Jiulu sighed somewhat helplessly.

When will he finally vent all his pent-up anger and reconcile?

Having the young man so close yet not being allowed to touch him, it was a bit too much to bear, sigh.

“I haven’t settled accounts with you yet. Tell me, what’s the deal with this city lord’s mansion!”

Gu Sui asked with a stern expression, his face taut.

“Why are you the city lord of Chaoyang City? Where did those explosives come from? How much stock is left? And what exactly are you planning to do?”

Mu Jiulu’s gaze was somewhat resentful: “I am your wife-master after all, why are you interrogating me like a criminal?”

Gu Sui turned his eyes away, his long eyelashes like crow feathers trembling slightly, his voice low.

“Do you know how worried I was when I learned about the explosives in Chaoyang City? I was afraid they would plot against the Central Plains, attack the capital. I thought of ways all night, but it turns out it was your people. I worried for nothing!”

A hint of distress flashed in Mu Jiulu’s eyes: “I’m sorry. Now that I’m here, you don’t need to worry about anything anymore.”

“Did you get hurt on the battlefield? Your body has only just recovered, you absolutely can’t keep overexerting yourself. You need to rest properly.”

The sudden gentleness and concern made Gu Sui feel inexplicably aggrieved. He bit his lower lip, looked at Mu Jiulu, and suddenly felt rebellious.

“I won’t! I just won’t listen to you. Who told you to always deceive me!”

Mu Jiulu was wronged by this: “When have I always deceived you? It was just that one thing, and I’ve already admitted my mistake.”

“You have! You didn’t tell me you had people in Chaoyang City either!”

“You didn’t ask me either.”

During their conversation, Mu Jiulu inadvertently moved a few inches towards the foot of the bed. Gu Sui, whose emotions were fluctuating quite intensely, had not yet noticed this small change in distance.

“Listen to me, alright? You should know what the situation in Chaoyang City was like before. I sent people to infiltrate six years ago, establishing Qianjin Tai and Zhisha, and spent three years carefully managing them.

Three years ago, I went to Chaoyang City not just to investigate a case, but also to bring Chaoyang City, which was independent of the three factions, completely into the empire’s territory. But I had an accident midway, and then I met you.”

Mu Jiulu spoke earnestly. Gu Sui listened quietly, his jaw tense.

“During that time when there was no news of me, Yingge continued to manage Qianjin Tai and Zhisha according to the original plan, constantly expanding them, until I returned more than a year ago.

Because of various matters at court, I changed the original plan for Chaoyang City. I didn’t let Yingge and the others take action, but ordered them to secretly collect raw materials and develop gunpowder.

You were determined to kill Mu Jingyu with your own hands, but I didn’t want you to set foot in a chaotic and lawless Chaoyang City where you could lose your life at any moment. That’s what led to subsequent events.”

Gu Sui’s lips parted slightly, his expression somewhat dazed.

“So it was… because of me?”

Mu Jiulu exhaled deeply: “Gu Sui, I’ve said before, you can rely on me. You should trust me. I really won’t deceive you again.”

Gu Sui’s eyes trembled slightly, an indescribable sourness welling up in his heart.

How could this person be like this? Not even letting him be angry properly. They agreed on three months, but now, not even a month had passed, and she came looking for him, saying these heart-stirring words.

“Gu Sui?”

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Mu Jiulu called out tentatively. Gu Sui suddenly glared at her fiercely.

“Ahhh, you’re so annoying!”

Mu Jiulu rubbed her nose, feeling somewhat bewildered.

“Why are you unhappy again? You weren’t this difficult before…”

She mumbled softly. Gu Sui, who vaguely heard part of it, raised his eyebrows.

“What did you say!”

He was being difficult? Where was he being difficult!

He had fought enemies all the way, captured cities, guarded Liangzhou, and even risked his life to come to Chaoyang City to capture Mu Jingyu. How dedicated was he!

Where! Was! He! Being! Difficult!

Mu Jiulu accidentally spoke her thoughts aloud and immediately regretted it.

“Nothing, nothing. You misheard. Sui Sui is the best behaved, not difficult at all.”

Gu Sui’s body trembled, unable to accept this form of address.

“What are you calling me that for? It’s so mushy!”

Mu Jiulu: “How is it? You used to call me ‘baby’, didn’t you?”

Although she also found it mushy at first, she accepted it later, didn’t she?

Gu Sui, bristling again, snorted: “I won’t call you that anymore, and you’re not allowed to call me that either!”

Mu Jiulu sighed: “How are you even more domineering than me?”

In plain words, he was still being difficult. But what could she do? She had spoiled him herself, so she had to indulge him.

Gu Sui retorted indignantly: “How am I as capable as you? You spent two years in the modern era and learned to make explosives. The firepower is quite strong too. You really didn’t waste your trip!”

Mu Jiulu’s lips curved slightly, her burning gaze falling on the young man’s face as she nodded.

“Indeed, it wasn’t a wasted trip.”

She brought back a lively young man, after all.

“Pah!”

Gu Sui rolled his eyes, ignoring her.

He had originally thought the city lord’s mansion had at least six years’ worth of gunpowder stockpiled and was terribly worried.

But now, calculating it, Mu Jiulu’s people had at most a year and a half to manufacture explosives.

If that was the case, his and Zheng Wan’s previous speculation about the city lord’s mansion having planted explosives in every faction in Chaoyang City didn’t hold up. It seemed only those few prominent figures on West Street had them.

After figuring this out, Gu Sui glared at her again with displeasure.

“You’re so daring. Aren’t you afraid that others will find out you don’t actually have much gunpowder, and they’ll send troops directly?”

“They won’t find out. And in the future, the city lord’s mansion will have more and more military supplies. For at least fifty years, Chaoyang City will stand undefeated.”

Mu Jiulu spoke confidently. Although her orders were rushed, she never did anything without certainty.

Gu Sui suddenly felt confused: “Since you’ve learned to make gunpowder, why don’t you tell the Ministry of War?”

“Because… of you.”

Mu Jiulu’s gaze was profound, hiding many complex emotions that Gu Sui couldn’t understand.

But one thing, he suddenly saw clearly at this moment.

“What are you doing? Back off! How did you get here already!”

Mu Jiulu had already moved to the latter half of the bed’s foot. Gu Sui exclaimed with widened eyes, his voice high-pitched.

Mu Jiulu, having been discovered, was somewhat disappointed, but she didn’t give up.

Only to see the Regent in red robes rotate her body, changing from facing Gu Sui to facing away from him.

Then, very obediently, she moved backwards.

Gu Sui: “!!”

Mu Jiulu slid in front of him before turning back around and pecking his thin lips that she had been longing for.

“Sui Sui is so soft.”

“Mu Jiulu!” Gu Sui was so angry he could smoke. “I told you not to call me that!”

They were in a cold war! Cold war!

“Alright, Sui Sui. Your wife understands, Sui Sui.”

Gu Sui gritted his teeth.

“Meow?”

The pronunciation of “Sui Sui” and “Mao Mao” was indeed somewhat similar. The little white cat on Mu Jiulu’s lap, somewhat drowsy, seemed to hear someone calling it and meowed confusedly, melting people’s hearts.

Gu Sui snatched Sui Sui into his arms, glared at Mu Jiulu, and stood up to leave.

Mu Jiulu grabbed his hand: “Where are you going?”

“Tired, going to sleep!”

“This bed is so big, enough to sleep on.”

Gu Sui looked down at her: “Who shares a bed during a cold war? Let go of me.”

Mu Jiulu rubbed her fingertips, her eyes flickering.

“If you want to leave, that’s fine, but put Sui Sui down. I brought it here.”

Gu Sui hugged the cat in his arms tighter and held it further away from her.

“Don’t even think about it. Sui Sui is my cat, it should sleep with me!”

Mu Jiulu persisted: “But you abandoned it and ran away from home, didn’t you? You didn’t want it first, so it’s mine now.”

Gu Sui: “I… you…”

“Meow meow.”

Sui Sui squinted its eyes watching them argue, meowing somewhat angrily.

Are you going to let this cat sleep or not!

Mu Jiulu: “Either you stay with Sui Sui, or you leave Sui Sui here alone. Choose one.”

“Meow—”

Gu Sui: “……”

“For Sui Sui’s sake, hmph!”

Watching the young man angrily kick off his shoes and climb into bed hugging Sui Sui, Mu Jiulu’s eyes curved in a triumphant arc.

It seems the meat fed to this little cat slave along the way wasn’t wasted.