Chapter 92: Bad Heart
After a night of tenderness, Dugu Yuan’an got up early and sat at the table reading the medical texts. This time she was truly reading the medical texts. Xue Mu, on the other hand, was still sleeping soundly on the bed. Actually, this was also her fault. Having suppressed herself for nearly two months, finally being intimate with Mu’er, how could she be satisfied with just once? She had to ask her to accommodate her.
“…Mmm, Yuan’er.” Xue Mu turned over in her sleep, murmuring something in a low voice. Then she woke up with a start, sat up, and shouted, “Ah, Yuan’er!”
Dugu Yuan’an looked at her from the table. Memories of last night’s shameful events flooded back. Xue Mu touched her somewhat dry throat and snorted loudly, “Pervert! Rogue! Full of wicked tricks! Bad heart!”
Dugu Yuan’an took a sip of hot chrysanthemum tea and said slowly, “Up? Then put on your clothes quickly, or do you want me to punish you again?”
Xue Mu pulled the quilt over herself, narrowing her eyes. “You are not allowed to look anymore!”
Dugu Yuan’an turned her face away. Xue Mu pulled down the bed curtain to block her figure and quickly put on her clothes. Her whole body felt sore and numb, all lingering problems from Dugu Yuan’an sealing her acupoints last night. She was filled with indignation: One day I will punish this woman properly!
“I know what you are thinking. You want to punish me properly, right?” Dugu Yuan’an turned the page composedly. Xue Mu snorted. “Yes! So what if I thought about it!”
Dugu Yuan’an raised her eyebrows. “Mu’er, what did you say just now?”
Seeing her nonchalant expression, Xue Mu felt guilty for no reason and muttered, “Can’t you be gentler to me? Look at how you bit me…”
Dugu Yuan’an smiled. “So what?”
Seeing her stubbornness, Xue Mu strode to the table, drank Dugu Yuan’an’s tea in one gulp, and said clearly, “If you have the ability, bite me until my whole body is covered in marks!”
Dugu Yuan’an laughed. “I’m not that bad.”
Xue Mu ran out angrily.
**
After resting and reorganizing, Xue Mu and Dugu Yuan’an arrived at the Xue Star Tower. Diwu Miaofu was stuffing several wine jars into the carriage. Seeing Xue Mu arrive, she said, “Sister Xue, is it okay if I take a few jars of your wine?”
“Take them if you want.” Xue Mu said, “Don’t take too many, or the horse won’t be able to pull it.”
“It’s not that scary, can’t pull a few jars of wine…” Diwu Miaofu muttered as she jumped to the ground and ran back into the tower to move wine. Leaning on double crutches, Dugu Yuan’an said, “Miaofu took so much wine. Are you going to finish them all on the way?”
Xue Mu smiled. “How is that possible? You think I’ll drink all the time, but actually Miaofu alone can drink all the wine.”
Xue Wuluo walked over and said to Xue Mu, “Young Mistress, you and the Young Madam are about to depart. Can you take Wuluo along?”
“You want to find Mu Ruo’s trace, right?” Xue Mu said.
Xue Wuluo hesitated for a moment and said, “Can the Young Mistress allow me to leave Hanfeng Town alone and go to Jiangnan?”
Thinking that Xue Wuluo’s love for Mu Ruo was indeed as deep as the sea, Xue Mu said, “Yes, but be careful on the road.”
Xue Wuluo bowed deeply. “Thank you, Young Mistress!”
Xue Wuluo ran towards the back door of the main building. Dugu Yuan’an said, “Mu’er, are you sure about letting her go out alone?”
“Her being alone is much more convenient than traveling with us.” Xue Mu tilted her head and said to her, “Besides, if we meet Mu Ruo, do you think Mu Ruo would be willing to talk to Xue Wuluo, or talk to you and me?”
Dugu Yuan’an frowned and thought, “I’m just worried Mu Ruo took the wrong path.”
“No matter how we guess or worry now, it’s useless. Unless we meet her. I believe Mu Ruo will definitely show up near Huangding Mountain. We might as well try.” Xue Mu said, “Just bring Sister Miaofu, the three of us will go to Jiangnan together.”
Dugu Yuan’an said, “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
After taking the wine jars, Diwu Miaofu took several roasted chickens, several large pieces of braised beef, and a large bag of dry food. “Sister Xue, is this enough for the journey?”
Xue Mu scolded laughingly, “You silly girl, is this little food enough for you alone?”
Dugu Yuan’an said with a beaming smile, “Anyway, I don’t eat much.”
Diwu Miaofu raised her eyebrows proudly. “That’s right, Sister-in-law doesn’t eat much! Miaofu eats more, Sister Xue eats less, isn’t that fine!”
“Taking food from my Xue Star Tower and provoking me like this, you deserve a beating!” Xue Mu swung her hand back to hit the acupoint on her waist. Diwu Miaofu swayed to avoid it and got into the carriage giggling.
“Look, look.” Xue Mu complained to Dugu Yuan’an. Dugu Yuan’an just smiled indifferently. “Who told you to provoke her on the road? I haven’t said anything yet.”
Xue Mu narrowed her eyes and carried her directly onto the carriage. “My wife can say whatever she wants!”
Half an hour later, they set off from the east exit of Hanfeng Town. Dugu Yuan’an insisted on riding a horse by herself, making Xue Mu roll her eyes in anger. Afraid of an accident, she had to ride a horse alongside her. Diwu Miaofu drove the carriage, singing loudly, “Willow catkins float, water flows leisurely, Jiangnan misty rain surrounds the small boat—”
“Is this a Jiangnan folk song?” Dugu Yuan’an turned back to look at Diwu Miaofu. Xue Mu blew two breaths to remind her to look at the road ahead.
“I heard a boatman sing it on a small boat.” Diwu Miaofu continued singing cheerfully, “Wind blows gently, rain hasn’t stopped, steps linger deep in the pavilion, heroes fight for fame, laughing at how many dreams come to nothing—”
Xue Mu laughed. “Fortunately, you, me, and Sister Miaofu don’t sing badly, otherwise we would suffer a bit on this trip.”
Staring at the road ahead, Dugu Yuan’an said softly, “Then if I sang badly, would you be unwilling to listen?”
“Listen, of course. If my wife wants to sing a song, how can I not listen?” Xue Mu laughed loudly. “I said it, at most suffer a bit!”
Dugu Yuan’an snorted lightly. “Bad heart.” With that, she clamped the horse’s belly and galloped forward suddenly.
Xue Mu turned pale with fright and shouted, “Don’t let the horse run so fast!” After speaking, she also pulled the reins hard, chasing after Dugu Yuan’an.
Diwu Miaofu cried “Oh my,” thinking: If my carriage runs too fast, won’t the wine jars fall over? Then she thought again: Whatever, if the wine jars break, I’ll just ask Sister Xue to compensate. So she waved the long whip, and the two horses neighed and galloped forward!
“Stone bridge slants, walking alone on the road, the road of Jianghu is long and far, laughing at everything without complaining…” Diwu Miaofu’s singing voice rose leisurely behind Xue Mu and Dugu Yuan’an. The wind between heaven and earth brushed past their clothes, making their sleeves flutter like clouds.
The sound of horse hooves was rapid. The surrounding rural scenery retreated rapidly, and the road ahead unfolded before their eyes.
At this moment, although Jiangnan was far, it was within reach.