Chapter 33: The Empress Dowager’s Birthday—Keeping the Appointment
It was indeed very beautiful, but there was just that tiny little problem. Yuechun thought it over, then still asked, “Madam, this outfit really is very pretty, but isn’t it a bit improper to have your waist exposed?”
Hua Ling lowered her head and looked at her slender waist bared to the air. To be honest, she was quite satisfied with Xia Ziying’s figure. Look at how slim this waist was—if a man’s hands were a little larger, he could probably encircle it with both hands. Hua Ling said smugly, “If your master doesn’t treat me like a treasure, then I’ll go out and attract bees and butterflies on purpose. I’ll make him furious. How about that?”
“Madam, why must you act out of anger toward Master? Master will come to know how good Madam is eventually. The way Master looks at Madam now is already different, and he even specially instructed everyone in the manor to treat you with respect. Because of this, the young cousin miss was so angry she didn’t eat for an entire day.” Yuechun did her best to speak up for Mu Yelei, because servants like them all knew that though Master was cold-faced, he was soft-hearted and was actually a good person.
“Is that so?” Hua Ling had not known about these things. But on second thought, she and Mu Yelei probably would never become a real couple no matter what. He hated Xia Ziying so much; wasn’t the fact that he had never touched her after a year of marriage the best proof? Why should she go out of her way to annoy him? Besides, there were so many handsome men under heaven—why hang herself from one crooked tree?
Thinking of this, Hua Ling smiled faintly and said, “Even if I wanted to change now, I’m afraid there wouldn’t be time. It’s already time to go. It’s fine. Your madam isn’t afraid of a few rumors and gossip. Let’s go. Your prime minister is probably getting impatient from waiting.” After saying this, Hua Ling took the lead and walked out.
Yuechun could only shake her head helplessly. Now there would be a good show to watch—she just did not know whether the prime minister would lose his temper on the spot. Thinking this, she picked up the food box that had been prepared long ago and hurried after her.
Mu Yelei had already been waiting at the gate until he was impatient. He was just about to send someone to hurry them along when, turning his head, he saw a figure in peach red walking over from afar. Her steps were light, accompanied by a delicate tinkling sound. The style of her peach-red outfit was especially strange, with her slender waist exposed. From a distance, her skin looked fine and delicate, her figure perfectly proportioned; her flesh was like ice and jade, smooth and creamy. Mu Yelei felt his breathing suddenly grow a little hurried. He had never known that Xia Ziying, once dressed up, could be so dazzling and charming.
Seeing the way Mu Yelei looked at her, Hua Ling smiled faintly. Men really were all creatures ruled by lust; even this Mu Yelei, known as cold-faced, was no exception. “Can we go now, Lord Prime Minister?” Hua Ling asked, standing before him.
Hearing Hua Ling’s question, Mu Yelei came back to himself and immediately felt somewhat embarrassed. He quickly said, “Let’s go.” Turning around, he got straight into the carriage. He had even forgotten to tell Hua Ling to go back and change—how could such revealing clothing be worn outside?
Hua Ling followed behind him and got into the carriage. Yuechun and another manservant took another carriage and followed behind. Sitting in the same carriage as Mu Yelei, Hua Ling felt somewhat uncomfortable. After all, the person before her was, in name, her husband, yet the two of them were indeed very unfamiliar. The feeling was extremely strange.
Along the way, Mu Yelei still wore that eternally icy expression, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking at this moment. Hua Ling also did not want to have too much contact with him, so she sat quietly to one side, silently waiting for the moment they arrived at the imperial palace.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was both heavy and stifling. Hua Ling wanted to reach out and lift the carriage curtain to look at the scenery outside, but unexpectedly, at that moment, the carriage suddenly jolted violently, as if it had struck something. Hua Ling’s body was immediately thrown by the force toward the other side of the carriage.
Mu Yelei was also startled by this sudden accident. Before he could recover, Hua Ling’s body was already tilting toward him. If he did not catch her, Hua Ling would inevitably crash into the carriage wall and would surely be injured. After a moment of hesitation, Mu Yelei still stretched out his arm to stop her. But the force was too great, and it brought him along with her, slamming him into the carriage frame.
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Recommending Xiangxiang’s already completed story, “The Time-Traveling Peculiar Prince’s Modern Consort,” and the newly opened pit, “The Flower Dragon Teases the Phoenix: The Consort Wants a Letter of Divorce.” If you have time, everyone, please go take a look!! Hehe.