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墨書 Inktalez
It turned out to be an assassination attempt...
Soon, Shen Muhan grabbed something to wrap Xia Muxin up, and then he walked straight out the front door.
"Master!"
Ming Yi had been waiting outside. Seeing Xia Muxin wrapped up with only her eyes exposed, he stifled a laugh and respectfully cupped his fists towards Shen Muhan.
"What happened?"
Shen Muhan carried Xia Muxin towards another guest room. Xia Muxin noticed that this room was not the one they had originally booked, but she chose not to ask, wanting to hear what they would discuss next.
"Miss Su is in a deep sleep, but... those people took poison beforehand, and we didn't have time to remove the poison from their mouths."
Having followed Shen Muhan for so long, and with Xia Muxin present, Ming Yi knew very well what could and couldn't be said.
"Alright, you can leave now."
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Muhan spoke up, and soon after, there was only the faint sound of the door closing.
"Uncle, are you going to stop them from investigating further?"
But Xia Muxin was quite clever. She was confident that Su Xiuning wouldn't act here; if anything were to happen, it would be on the way rather than upon arriving at Zhushan County. The only explanation for this was that there were those who did not want Shen Muhan to thoroughly investigate the whereabouts of the donations.
Moreover, their actions were not meant to kill anyone to silence them; they simply lacked the capability. It seemed they were just trying to buy time to clean up after themselves. By the time an investigation occurred, it would be unlikely for any evidence to lead back to them.
Shen Mu tossed aside the thin blanket covering Xia Muxin and tucked her into the quilt. Noticing that she was still looking up at him, waiting for his response, he lightly hummed in acknowledgment before using his internal energy to dry his hair.
Seeing this, Xia Muxin shrank back into the corner of the bed, realizing that they would be sharing a bed again that night. She turned away, choosing not to speak further.
She needed to rest well; after all, she was going home tomorrow. It would be embarrassing for her parents to see her with panda-like dark circles under her eyes.
Shen Muhan was well aware of Xia Muxin's little thoughts. A smile crept onto his lips as he slipped under the covers, wrapping his large hand around her slender waist. He felt her body stiffen slightly and silently chuckled, speaking softly, "Just sleep well; we have to get up early tomorrow."
Huh???
Xia Muxin's eyes brightened at the implication that he wouldn’t tease her tonight.
In truth, no matter how much they played around, it was still Shen Muhan who ended up at a disadvantage. Even though they were close, they had yet to take that final step. The feeling of being able to see but not touch was something that Uncle Shen had suffered through, yet he couldn't help but want to tease her...
The next morning, Xia Muxin woke up but found no sign of Shen Muhan beside her; even the quilt had grown cold.
A sense of unease crept into her heart as she hurriedly dressed and hastily combed her hair before rushing out the door.
"Brother Muhan! What... what happened? How did you get hurt?"
From a distance, she heard Su Xiuning's choked voice. Confused, Xia Muxin hurried toward the sound and saw Shen Muhan sitting in a lounge chair, his right hand bandaged and his chest wrapped in layers of gauze. Red stains were seeping through the fabric, and his face was pale as paper, looking weak and silent.
Ming Yi was also injured but not as severely as Shen Muhan. At that moment, he was crouched beside him, tending to his wounds and wrapping the gauze that still needed to be secured.
Xia Muxin felt a wave of confusion wash over her; she was utterly bewildered. Hadn't he been holding her while they slept last night?
How could she not remember anything from later on? When had she fallen into such a deep sleep? Feeling a wave of sadness, she rushed forward and called out stiffly,
"Uncle..."
At that moment, Shen Muhan's lifeless eyes finally shifted, and upon seeing Xia Muxin, his lips twitched slightly, yet no sound emerged.
Xia Muxin crouched down beside Ming Yi, ready to take over his clumsy actions. Just then, Ming Yi tied the gauze into a knot, his lips moving as he managed to utter a few words from his throat,
"Boss, it's done."
It was then that Xia Muxin noticed the swelling on Ming Yi's right cheek—it was as high as a fist and bruised all over, resembling a hematoma. One of his eyes had become a mere slit due to the swelling; it was nearly impossible to tell it was an eye unless one looked closely. When he spoke, she could clearly see the flesh on the other side of his face quivering, indicating that it must be very painful.
"Ming Yi, wait here. I'll go get some ice."
Xia Muxin was at a loss for words; it took her a while to regain her composure. Just as she turned to leave, a voice interrupted her.
"Boss's boss, it's useless. He's been poisoned by pig's head powder; even ten blocks of ice won't reduce the swelling."
The speaker was none other than Ming Peng, who had just arrived. After finishing his sentence, he knelt before Shen Muhan and pleaded,
"I apologize for being late; I hope for your punishment."
Shen Muhan merely waved his hand weakly and lowered his head again.
"This place is not suitable for staying long; we should leave as soon as possible."
Xia Muxin wanted to cry but found herself unable to. If all of this were true, they had to leave immediately. Even if it weren't true, they still needed to go—after all, their enemies had already begun their assassination attempts; what else could be far behind?
Moreover, with Shen Muhan severely injured, they had achieved their goal, but it was inevitable that they would take the opportunity to strike hard. At this moment, Ming Yi tightly grasped his slightly cold hand and suggested.
"Miss Su, given the dangers we face, how about we send you back to Kyoto for now? Once things settle here, we can send someone to fetch you."
Although Ming Yi was also injured, it was not as severe as Shen Muhan's. He could still move on his own, while Shen Muhan needed support to walk. Ming Peng carefully helped Shen Muhan up, and Xia Muxin quickly stepped in to assist. Before they left, Ming Peng worriedly turned to Su Xiuning and proposed.
"I..."
Su Xiuning was aware of what had happened last night; it was Ming Yi who had risked himself to save her. Otherwise, she would have been the one suffering. At that time, she had wondered why Shen Muhan had abandoned her again after such a significant incident. However, upon waking up this morning and seeing his condition, she hesitated.
"Miss Muxin, don’t blame yourself. The master did this only to keep you safe. As long as you are well, it is worth it for him to be injured."
Seeing a flicker of surprise in Su Xiuning's eyes, Ming Yi realized something was wrong and quickly addressed Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin was taken aback for a moment before regaining her composure. Instantly, her eyes turned red as she looked away.
Su Xiuning felt an inexplicable heaviness in her heart. She shot a cold glance at Xia Muxin and then noticed that despite his serious injuries, Shen Muhan's gaze remained fixed on her without wavering. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"I heard that Zhushan County has a new County Magistrate named Xiao Yan. Perhaps I should stay there for a while. Ming Yi, I hope you can write a letter to my father explaining the situation so that he won’t worry."
Shen Muhan's injury would surely spread, and if her family found out, they would definitely be concerned. She didn’t want them getting involved just yet; after all, she still hadn’t figured out her true identity or how the Ouyang Family had suddenly vanished. Therefore, she couldn’t go back but also couldn’t stay with Shen Muhan and the others.
Moreover, once her family learned that she was staying at the county office in Zhushan County, they would undoubtedly ask them to take good care of her and ensure her safety.
Xiao Yan...
Xia Muxin pondered over this name, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.
Suddenly, a small hand fiercely pinched Shen Muhan's waist, and he clearly felt his body stiffen. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he cast a helpless yet flattering glance at her. Xia Muxin, however, gave him a strange smile.
"It seems this is the only way now."
Ming Yi's eyes darkened as he looked at Shen Muhan. After receiving a nod from him, he helplessly spoke.
Soon after, Ming Peng helped Shen Muhan and the others into the carriage, while he took Su Xiuning to the county office. After settling her in, he left the office and drove the carriage toward Daimiao Mountain.
"Hey, are you done pretending?"
Inside the carriage, Xia Muxin propped her head up and stared at the two injured individuals for nearly half an hour. Yet they remained expressionless, not revealing any signs of weakness. She pointed her finger at Shen Muhan's blood-stained chest, raised an eyebrow, and said in a low voice.
"Girl, it hurts..."
Shen Muhan's star-like eyes sparkled with amusement. Even as Zhaoxia Muxin shifted closer to her, he helplessly said.
Ming Yi closed his eyes and pretended to be dead; he saw nothing and heard nothing. Suddenly, a curtain fell down, and Ming Yi's lips curled into a smirk as his view was completely blocked by the curtain. It turned out that the leader had been prepared for this all along. No wonder he had so readily allowed him to sit in the same carriage.
At that moment, Xia Muxin looked at Shen Muhan with a mischievous grin that sent chills down his spine. Suddenly, she grabbed Shen Muhan's ear and whispered to him:
"Uncle, I think I should bring a few rivals to play with you."
Shen Muhan had initially tried to please her, but as soon as Xia Muxin spoke, his expression darkened immediately. He tightened his grip around her slender waist, and before she could let out a surprised gasp, he sealed her lips with his own...
"Father, mother, auntie, brother, sister-in-law, Xue Er, big sister is back! Big Brother is back!"
Songzi had been feeling low-spirited during this time; even practicing alone lacked its usual flavor. At that moment, on this cold day with light rain falling, while wearing a raincoat by the river to net fish, he spotted the carriage from afar. Upon recognizing Ming Peng as the driver, he forgot to grab his bamboo net and dashed home while shouting excitedly.
With that shout, he called out the neighbors, and the Summer Forest family rushed out, filled with excitement.
Xia Muxin's family had been anxiously waiting since she had mysteriously disappeared. Even though Ming Yi had sent someone to report that she was safe, they still couldn't relax. They had waited for over two months, and today, they finally received news of her return—how could they not be excited?
At that moment, Python Brother also emerged from his winter den, stretching his neck to look at the carriage in the distance along with the crowd.
Since Xia Muxin left, he had hardly ventured out of his little nest. Even though Songzi could call him out, Songzi had lost interest.
"Ugh..."
Ming Peng was overwhelmed by the scene. It wasn't just the Xia family; Aunt Liu's family had also come, followed by a large group of people running behind the carriage, including Er Dan and others.
As they approached everyone, he nervously tightened the reins, bringing the carriage to a stop.
Then everyone surged forward. Xia Muxin was the first to lift the curtain and step out of the carriage, jumping down with agility. Ming Peng went to the other side to help Ming Yi down from the carriage, while Shen Muhan was the last to emerge, reaching out his hand toward Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin helped him down as well; it was more of a pull than a support.
"This..."
Everyone was still buzzing with excitement, but upon seeing Shen Muhan and Ming Yi, they were filled with confusion and didn't know how to express themselves.
At that moment, Aunt Xia, holding three-month-old Xue Er in her arms, noticed this and her eyes turned red. She stepped forward and said:
"Let's go inside quickly; it's windy and cold outside."
Xia Jihua had already run off to prepare tea.
Xia Muxin, filled with curiosity, pinched the soft, tender face of Summer Snow Rose, her eyes crinkling with laughter. Summer Snow Rose was only a little over three months old, but she was plump and well-fed, having just learned to lift her head. At that moment, she stared intently at Xia Muxin.
"Come here, sister, let me hold you."
Seeing this, Xia Muxin couldn't help but be curious again and pinched her chubby cheeks once more. Then she opened her arms wide, seemingly waiting for the baby to come into her embrace.
This scene left everyone feeling inexplicably moved. Even though Young Master Shen was injured, Xia Muxin still had the energy to tease her younger sister, which puzzled them all. They looked at her with reproachful gazes.
Aunt Xia was also surprised by her daughter's actions and shot her a meaningful glance. Noticing Shen Muhan's downcast eyes, she thought that her daughter had bullied him and quietly said, "Muxin, hurry and help Young Master Shen inside to rest."
Only then did Xia Muxin turn to look at Shen Muhan. Seeing his pitiful expression like that of a wronged wife, she finally relented and said, "Mom, it's fine; it was all his father's doing."
- End of Chapter -
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