After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 3

Ning Bumo was not lying. The Late Maple Pavilion had been constructed specifically for maple leaf viewing. The forest within the courtyard was as vibrant as a blazing fire, and sitting in the pavilion while gazing out, the expansive maple leaves seemed to stain even the sky red. The vibrancy of the scene managed to disperse the lingering chill, leaving only a sense of vigorous vitality.

Mu Wan’s spiritual sense was keen, and he easily detected these atmospheric shifts. Influenced by his surroundings, his mood lightened considerably. By the time he sat down, the tray before him was laden with an array of treats: soft pastries, delicate pine nut cakes, and a thick, smooth red bean porridge. Each item was easy to eat, and the flavors were clear, sweet, and refreshing.

Shuang Yan, knowing that he disliked having people hovering around, had already quietly withdrawn, leaving Mu Wan alone in the courtyard.

The disturbance occurred at that very moment.

Shadows danced as a sudden, sharp sword light whistled through the air, brushing against Mu Wan’s cheek and grazing his hair. An ordinary person would have been terrified by the lethal intent, but Mu Wan remained calm. He rotated the teacup in his hand and picked up an empty porcelain saucer with his other hand.

“Pardon me, but the taste of this osmanthus cake is excellent. Please ask your master to prepare another plate.” The small, exquisite saucer was placed steadily onto the blade of the attacker’s sword.

The swordsman held his stance, clearly a master of his craft, yet he stood rigid, supporting a porcelain saucer while the person beside him leisurely sipped tea and enjoyed the scenery. It was a bizarre sight.

Shadow Eleven stood frozen, unsure whether to continue the mission. After a long moment of hesitation, he bit the bullet and replied, “Understood.”

The Prince had sent him to test whether the Princess Consort possessed martial arts, but instead of finding an answer, he had been intimidated. Logically, anyone encountering an attack would be terrified. If they possessed martial arts, they would at least resist. Yet, he felt no internal energy from the Princess Consort; he felt as if he were facing a commoner.

And yet, the target had clearly detected his arrival and remained completely unfazed. Was he feigning composure, or was he truly hiding his strength? Shadow Eleven could not tell. He honestly sheathed his sword and took the saucer to the kitchen to fetch more cake. His movements were fluid; clearly, apart from killing, he was also quite efficient at running errands.

It was just that wearing night-crawling gear in broad daylight looked particularly bizarre.

“Although, it seems just as strange to wear it at night,” Mu Wan muttered to himself, stroking his chin. He pondered this doubt, which often arose when watching television. “After all, they commit assassinations and must not reveal their faces. Night-crawling gear may be ridiculous, but at least it hides one’s features, right?”

He had assumed Ning Bumo was a loner, yet the Prince kept shadow guards in his household; his hidden leverage was far greater than he had anticipated.

“Ning Bumo…” Mu Wan thought about understanding his new husband’s situation. He lifted his hand to summon the system but lowered it again. “Forget it, too much trouble.” He would eventually find out; why expend the mental energy?

After wasting half the day in the garden, Mu Wan prepared to leave. Just as he stepped out, he heard hurried footsteps. A maid with disheveled hair appeared. She seemed to have been arguing with someone, her face flushed. Upon seeing Mu Wan, her eyes brightened, and she ran over. “Young Master, it is me, Xiaodie! I knew you would be here!”

Mu Wan recognized her instantly; she was the same maid from the previous night who had told him to be accommodating toward the Mu family.

While she spoke, several servants rushed over. Seeing Mu Wan and Xiaodie, their expressions shifted. They hurried forward and said, “Who gave you permission to collide with the Princess Consort? Leave with us immediately!”

“I am not leaving.” Xiaodie pushed them away, looking at Mu Wan with tear-filled eyes. “Young Master has always relied on me. How could he chase me away? Isn’t that right, Young Master?”

Her tone was overly intimate, causing the servants’ expressions to darken. Even if Mu Wan held the status of Princess Consort, he was still a man; the maid’s words were inappropriate.

Xiaodie, however, could not care less. At the Mu estate, Mu Wan had always obeyed her, doing whatever she asked. This time, her master had sent her along to keep an eye on the Young Master and prevent him from causing trouble. Yet, early that morning, she had been blocked from approaching the Princess Consort. How could that be allowed?

Now that Mu Wan was the Princess Consort, even if the Prince did not favor him, if he asked to keep her, these servants who judged people by their status would have nothing to say.

“Xiaodie?” Mu Wan spoke up. Under the expectant gaze of the maid, he smiled gently, his tone puzzled. “Who is that?”

The tone was as bright and innocent as ever, yet to Xiaodie, it felt like a sharp blade. The servants, adept at reading the room, saw this. Shuang Yan spoke coldly, “Did you not hear? Take this insolent slave who collided with the Princess Consort away.”

With that single sentence, Xiaodie lost her chance to speak and was dragged away before Mu Wan’s eyes.

Mu Wan glanced appreciatively at Shuang Yan. He had not expected the maid who had been frightened by a cat to have such a ruthless side.

Upon returning to the bedroom, Mu Wan found several large chests placed in the courtyard. Shuang Yan explained cautiously, “The palace sent people to deliver the Empress Dowager’s decree and rewards for the Princess Consort.”

Gifts for him? Mu Wan was finally interested. He signaled for Shuang Yan not to follow and returned to his room. Ning Bumo was indeed sitting there, with several sandalwood boxes decorated with auspicious clouds placed before him. The boxes contained a complete set of head ornaments: kingfisher-feather crowns, gold and silver hairpins, jewels, and pearls. No matter how he looked at them, they were accessories for women.

“Well, does the Empress Dowager not know that her son married a man?” Mu Wan picked up a pearl hairpin and toyed with it. “She only gives useless things that cannot be sold. Wait until I am out of money and have someone sell them.”

The gloomy aura that had surrounded Ning Bumo was scattered by his words. After a long pause, Ning Bumo replied, “The Emperor’s gifts are registered in the imperial treasury. If they are sold, it will be discovered, and that is a capital offense.”

“How tragic. The Prince has to resort to selling imperial gifts? Won’t everyone be curious about where your money has gone?”

Ning Bumo gave him a thoughtful look. He was unsure if Mu Wan was saying this deliberately or simply mentioning it in passing. Regardless, Mu Wan was not mentally challenged; he was eccentric and acted according to his own rules. Remembering the report from his shadow guard, Ning Bumo grew increasingly suspicious of the man’s identity. Unfortunately, Mu Zhe rarely let this child leave the house, and information about him was scarce. If he wanted to know more about the former Mu Wan, he would have to start with the Mu family.

Recalling news from the palace, Ning Bumo said, “The Empress Dowager said it is fine if we do not pay respects for now, but the return visit to your family in three days must be prepared early so as not to give others grounds for gossip.”

“Is it really fine?” Mu Wan propped his chin on his hand, curious. “She is so lenient with you?”

Given that she had sent a pile of rewards consisting mostly of items for women, Mu Wan did not think she was easy to deal with. Ning Bumo sneered, but he did not explain his laughter.

Mu Wan detested people who made him guess. He changed the subject. “By the way, what are we having for lunch?”

Ning Bumo choked. “You only think about food? And you just finished a meal; why are you already thinking about the next?”

“Otherwise? Are you more important than food?” Mu Wan’s tone was filled with genuine confusion.

The two stared at each other for a long time. Eventually, Ning Bumo looked away, wondering why he was being so childish. Mu Wan, meanwhile, continued, leaning in to examine Ning Bumo up and down until the Prince wondered if a flower had sprouted on his face. “Besides, not eating leads to consequences like yours. Look, you have become uglier, which affects my mood.”

Ning Bumo was so angry he had to laugh. He was not a man who cared about his appearance, but for some reason, hearing Mu Wan’s tone made him want to argue. He had once been described as graceful and refined. Even if he could not match Mu Wan’s ethereal nature, he was certainly not ugly. Yet this person was being picky.

“Then, in the Princess Consort’s opinion, who is considered handsome?” He asked, his face losing some of its deathly pallor.

“I count as one, and you as the second,” Mu Wan said generously, making Ning Bumo’s pettiness seem trivial. “See, you are not happy even when I tell you the truth. Not eating will inevitably affect your appearance.”

Ning Bumo finally grasped the meaning. Mu Wan’s words seemed to be a way of urging him to eat well. The small flame of irritation that had existed was completely extinguished. Ning Bumo struggled for a long time before finally managing to choke out, “The Princess Consort is quite concerned about me.”

Mu Wan gave him a strange look, not knowing what the man was imagining. “If you think so, then so be it. Eat more. Do not look too terrible on the day of the return visit; you will embarrass me.”

This made Ning Bumo’s show of sentiment appear to be nothing more than wishful thinking. The Prince of Jing watched his new wife for a long time. Discovering that this did not make Mu Wan feel guilty, he finally gave up on his foolish behavior.

“So, you intend to go to the return visit?” Ning Bumo had assumed that with Mu Wan’s personality, he would find it troublesome and skip it entirely. He had even been mentally preparing excuses to smooth things over.

“Otherwise? They are the ones who must receive me respectfully; it is not as if I have to grovel before them. Why would I refuse such a thing?”

“Or does the Prince of Jing not guarantee that I will be comfortable at the Mu estate?” The provocative words accompanied the arrival of a cold, clean fragrance. Ning Bumo had smelled this scent when Mu Wan poured wine for him, but at the time, he had been filled with fury and had not noticed. Now, he recalled it clearly.

Mu Wan did not retreat; instead, he leaned closer. The narrowing distance made Ning Bumo uncomfortable. He instinctively wanted to back away but was held in place by a finger pressed against his brow. “Do not move.”

With that finger there, Ning Bumo really did not move, forced to watch as Mu Wan closely examined his features. His mind became a chaotic blank.

Finally, Mu Wan pulled away. Ning Bumo found his voice. “Why, why did you lean so close?” His tone was stiff, his eyes avoiding Mu Wan’s naturally, and even his ears turned red. Mu Wan, however, seemed to ignore the question, frowning in deep thought.

It was clearly a destiny of a dragon hidden in the deep, untouchable and noble. Yet, surrounding Ning Bumo was a black mist, eroding him. If the current Ning Bumo was a precious sword hidden in a scabbard, then this black mist was like a chain, binding him firmly in place.

Regrettably, Mu Wan had already become his spouse, and with their fates intertwined, he could not probe too deeply.

“Forget it. Since you served me so diligently, I suppose I can help you.”

Ning Bumo heard this clearly and could not help but say, “You only know how to spout nonsense.”

Despite the words, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. Realizing what he was doing, Ning Bumo immediately suppressed his smile. Given this fellow’s tendency to climb up the pole, he could never be too kind, or one day this person would be riding on his head.