[GL]Whose Wife Is Always Acting Pitiful? Oh, It Turns Out It’s Mine 35

Chapter 35: Beneath the Thin Gauze

Xue Wuluo woke up on time at the Hour of the Rabbit.

The small building in the backyard also had six floors, providing accommodation for the Music Stars, Opera Stars, Zither Stars, Guardian Stars, shop girls, and others busy in the Xue Star Tower. Mu Ruo slept on the top floor in a large room with her own separate bath.

Xue Wuluo habitually walked towards the main hall in the front building. Halfway there, she remembered that she had been asked by Mu Ruo and the Young Mistress to rest for a few days, so she stopped. Standing there for a while, she recalled Mu Ruo’s unstable emotions yesterday and still worried in her heart. So she turned back and went up to the sixth floor with light steps.

At this hour, most people were deep in sleep. Arriving at the top floor, Xue Wuluo suddenly glimpsed a figure at the back door of the main hall—it was Young Mistress Xue. Dressed in red, she was walking leisurely towards the cold pool.

Why did Young Mistress Xue come back to the Xue Star Tower again today? Thinking this, Xue Wuluo strode towards Mu Ruo’s room. Four people lived on this top floor. Mu Ruo’s residence faced east, as she often said “purple qi comes from the east” (auspicious omen), bringing fortune and wealth from the east.

Xue Wuluo stood at the corner of the corridor, watching the golden light slowly rising from the eastern horizon. The wind was still very cool. She walked forward a bit, passing the room where Mu Ruo’s bath was located, but heard crisp cracking sounds of something shattering inside, which greatly surprised her.

Could it be that Mu Ruo is bathing in the pool early in the morning?

Xue Wuluo didn’t know whether to enter or leave. She stood dumbly outside, listening to the continuous cracking sounds from inside. Curiosity rose deep in her heart, wanting to know what Mu Ruo was doing inside. It didn’t sound like bathing.

She raised her hand, making a fist to knock on the door, when she heard a cold reprimand from inside: “Don’t come in!” The voice was full of vigilance. Xue Wuluo responded with a low “Okay,” and there was no sound from inside for a long time.

When the door was pulled open, a patch of pure white fell into Xue Wuluo’s eyes. Her mind went blank for a moment before she reacted and hurriedly closed the door behind her.

As soon as she stepped inside, she felt the cold air in the bath was too heavy, almost seeping into her body through her clothes. Mu Ruo was draped in a pure white gauze robe, her legs covered in water droplets, looking as if she had put on clothes in a hurry. Her eyes stared tightly at Xue Wuluo. “What are you doing here?”

Xue Wuluo looked at the square bath that wasn’t emitting any steam. The water was very clear. She frowned and said, “Are you soaking in cold water?”

“Nonsense.” Mu Ruo walked towards her barefoot on the stone tiles, her slender brows slightly knitted. “It was originally hot, just that the water slowly cooled down—you were sneaking around outside, did you think I didn’t know?”

Xue Wuluo stared at her gauze robe, her gaze hurriedly sweeping over her chest, and whispered, “You—your upper garment is wet, isn’t it uncomfortable?”

A smile appeared on Mu Ruo’s face, and she teased, “No one else can see me like this, but you saw.”

Xue Wuluo said, “You were in a bad mood yesterday, I wanted to come see you. I didn’t expect you… to get up so early to bathe.”

Mu Ruo reached out and hugged her. When her fingers touched the back of Xue Wuluo’s neck, Xue Wuluo trembled at the touch of those icy fingertips and said, “A-Ruo…”

Mu Ruo breathed gently, murmuring, “Take off your mask. I want to see your face.”

Knowing that Mu Ruo would forcefully pull it off even if she refused, Xue Wuluo obediently did so. Mu Ruo scrutinized her face, making her feel at a loss.

“I look ugly, don’t look.” Xue Wuluo felt that she and Mu Ruo were like a heavenly maiden and a filthy person from the underground. If not for their miserable backgrounds, they shouldn’t have met each other.

Mu Ruo said seriously, “Very beautiful. Your features are very good, just bad luck… Wuluo, you are really very good.”

Xue Wuluo slowly wrapped her arms around Mu Ruo’s waist, covered only by a layer of thin gauze. Her eyes felt hot, wanting only to tighten her arms and hug her hard.

Mu Ruo touched the half of her face with scars and said in a gentle and calm tone, “Have you ever thought about restoring your beauty?”

Xue Wuluo didn’t speak. Mu Ruo said, “Don’t you believe it? Actually, there is a disguise technique in this world. If you learned it, you would know how to restore your own appearance…”

“I won’t learn,” Xue Wuluo said.

Mu Ruo asked, “Why not learn?”

“Won’t learn,” Xue Wuluo said stubbornly. “I don’t want everyone to think I look good.”

“Do you think that if others discover you’ve been injured, they will show disgust and regret?” Mu Ruo said softly. “Wuluo, I won’t.”

Xue Wuluo immediately said, “I know! You won’t!”

Mu Ruo sighed. “Hug me tight, Wuluo. I only have you…”

Xue Wuluo hugged her tight as told, feeling her body icy cold, and was shocked. “Why is your body so cold?!”

Mu Ruo closed her eyes, leaning in her arms, her voice very low. “Carry me back.”

Mu Ruo’s bath room was connected to her bedroom by a secret door. Xue Wuluo picked her up, returned to the bedside through the secret door, and put her down slowly.

Mu Ruo pulled her hand. “Lie down, rest with me.”

Xue Wuluo shook her head hurriedly. “It’s not proper.”

Mu Ruo’s tone became domineering, her brows revealing a sorrow Xue Wuluo didn’t want to see. “Wuluo, accompany me.”

Xue Wuluo struggled for a long time before taking off her shoes, socks, and outer robe, and getting into Mu Ruo’s quilt. Mu Ruo said, “So cold, Wuluo.”

Xue Wuluo pulled her into her arms, using her own body heat to warm her. “After the sun comes out, go outside and bask a little, then you won’t be cold.”

“Silly, how can the sun be as effective as you are to me,” Mu Ruo said softly, resting her head on Xue Wuluo’s neck and shoulder, but accidentally pressing on Xue Wuluo’s right shoulder, hearing her muffled groan.

“The wound…” Before Mu Ruo could finish, Xue Wuluo interrupted, “It’s fine!”

Mu Ruo placed her head on the soft pillow. The two lay quietly on the bed. Xue Wuluo waited for Mu Ruo to fall asleep, but Mu Ruo kept her eyes open, staring at the roof beam.

After a long time, Mu Ruo finally spoke, “Wuluo, are you happy staying with me?”

Xue Wuluo didn’t know how to say sweet words. Although she vaguely realized she had strange feelings for Mu Ruo, she had never truly faced that thought in herself. She whispered, “Happy… very happy to be with you. You always take care of me.”

Mu Ruo gave a “Mm” and said, “I take care of you because I care about you. Do you care about me?”

Xue Wuluo said, “Care!”

Mu Ruo spoke no more. Xue Wuluo held her breath waiting for an answer. Looking down, she saw that Mu Ruo had already fallen asleep in her arms, and the body beneath the gauze robe gradually became warm.