After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 6

Mu Wan, however, took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him.

“Did you drive Xiao Die and the others away?”

Ning Bumo, who had made up his mind to ignore him, hesitated for a moment before asking in return, “Are you saying you still want to see people from the Mu residence?”

It was Mu Wan who had initiated the conversation, so it was not as if Ning Bumo were being delusional.

No one likes to have their thoughts dissected, but when the analysis hits the mark perfectly, it is a different matter. Those little maidservants from the Mu family were indeed troublesome. They were completely loyal to the Mu residence and had even suggested that Mu Wan should endure more, clearly showing they did not hold him in any regard. Given this, driving them away was indeed the best course of action.

“Thank you.”

The reaction, entirely different from just moments ago, left Ning Bumo feeling pleasantly surprised. This even caused him to relax the standards he had just set in his mind. Looking at the lingering sorrow that had been etched on Mu Wan’s brows for some time, he asked, “Why have you been frowning all this time?”

“I have encountered a troublesome matter.”

Since he had already received the benefits promised by Chu Xueqing, Mu Wan naturally had to fulfill the agreement as promised. However, he knew absolutely nothing about Chu Xueqing, nor did he understand where her lingering resentment stemmed from, or if it had anything to do with the Mu family.

And then there was the Mu family itself. He could feel that something was off, but he could not trace any further details for the time being. Ultimately, he needed to recover more of his strength.

“System, is that task of yours temporarily unavailable?”

The sudden mention caught the system off guard, and it hurriedly stepped forward, saying, “It is available, host, it is available.”

Although Mu Wan’s method of completing the last task had been incredibly shady, and he was currently chatting happily with Ning Bumo, the system still held a glimmer of expectation. Seeing him take the initiative to speak, it assumed he had figured things out and said with delight, “According to the plot, after entering the Mu residence, everything here makes Mu Wan uneasy. Only Xiao Die and the others, who came with him, are his support.”

Having said this, the system itself went silent.

As it happened, Xiao Die had just been driven away by Ning Bumo.

“In short, Mu Wan is dissatisfied with the servants in the Prince’s residence in every way. He dislikes their proximity and even intends to drive away the senior staff of the residence. Because of this, Ning Bumo’s dissatisfaction with him continues to deepen.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Mu Wan agreed so readily that the system began to wonder if he truly understood anything at all. However, if Mu Wan were to drive people away without reason, given Ning Bumo’s personality, he surely would not tolerate it.

While the system was mumbling to itself, Mu Wan had already steered the conversation toward another topic.

“Have you investigated my family’s situation? For instance, my mother and her relatives?” Being able to maintain a group of shadow guards meant this man clearly held some power.

Unexpectedly, this question sparked a train of thought in Ning Bumo.

“If you are referring to Magistrate Chu, I do indeed have some faint memories of him.” After all, when Ning Bumo was a child, the man had served as an imperial tutor for the princes for a time. Though it was not long before Chu Guangyuan was sent out on a mission, where he eventually passed away from exhaustion due to his tireless work during disaster relief, Ning Bumo still had a slight impression of him.

“After Magistrate Chu sacrificed himself, your mother also passed away from excessive grief. Two years later, Mu Zhe married his current wife, the Qi woman. As for anything further, I can help you investigate, but you must answer one question for me first.”

As Mu Wan looked at him curiously, Ning Bumo asked the question that had troubled him for a long time since the banquet: “Did you speak back then? Why could no one else hear you?”

Since Mu Wan had been able to cure his illness and grant him a new lease on life, Ning Bumo already knew he was extraordinary. But knowing it was one thing; seeing something that defied logic displayed clearly before his eyes was quite another. He disliked things that broke common sense, even if the current Mu Wan posed no threat to him and had even helped him multiple times.

However, once doubts took root in his heart, worry would unconsciously follow.

He did not believe he was lucky enough to have someone like this suddenly appear by his side. Someone who could cure his illness, possessed mysterious abilities, and asked for nothing more than a quiet life with him.

Moreover, he was just a lame prince who had recently suffered a military defeat, with enemies watching him like tigers waiting for their prey. With Mu Wan’s capabilities, as long as he showed even a glimpse of them, he could certainly win the favor of others and live a more comfortable life than he did now, rather than bearing the title of a male spouse and having to be held back alongside him.

Unless the other party wanted something, or there was something he possessed that Mu Wan desired.

His suspicious gaze remained locked onto Mu Wan, but the latter did not take the bait. Instead, resting his chin in his hand, Mu Wan asked with a smile, “Why do you not suspect that you suddenly gained the ability to hear others’ thoughts? For example, this?”

Mu Wan lifted the curtain of the imperial carriage and pointed toward a group of people in the distance. In an instant, their voices became audible.

“This is the carriage of Prince Jing and the Princess, right? It seems the Prince is already fine, but I wonder how the failure in the Lingzhou battle will be handled.”

“Prince Jing may be able to hide, but his subordinates cannot. I heard the surviving generals from this battle have already been escorted to the capital; it seems they will be interrogated in the coming days.”

Ning Bumo could no longer hear the rest of the conversation. He was immersed in the suddenly amplified sounds and what they had been discussing. He looked at Mu Wan with surprise and uncertainty, and only when he met the smile on the man’s face did he suddenly realize he had been played.

Clearly, it was Mu Wan who was responsible for his ability to hear those voices.

“Who exactly are you?” he asked in a low, pressing voice.

“To probe someone’s deepest secret, this bit of leverage is not enough,” Mu Wan said, flicking his fingers.

The faint, refreshing fragrance drew near once more. Ning Bumo’s body stiffened, and he felt as if his breathing had stopped. Just as he was frantically trying to think of how to solve this puzzle, the person before him slowly closed his eyes, his head dropping and falling directly into his arms.

“Hey, Mu Wan, do not play games with me!” Ning Bumo nudged his shoulder, but the person in his arms moved his arms weakly and remained unresponsive.

After doing this twice, Ning Bumo finally realized something was wrong.

Mu Wan, who had been so relaxed and mysterious just moments ago, had actually fainted.

He hurriedly turned the person over so that instead of his cheek pressing against his chest, he was resting in his arm. Looking closer, he realized something was indeed wrong. Mu Wan’s lips, which were already a shade paler than others as if he were sick, were now even paler. His lips were pressed together, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his face even held a trace of pain.

Stripped of that composed, superior air of someone who had everything under control, Mu Wan actually had a delicate and soft appearance that evoked pity. With his brows slightly knitted, it made one instinctively want to smooth away his worries.

Ning Bumo quickly shook off this near-insane thought, feeling even more bewildered.

Wasn’t this man a minor deity? Shouldn’t he have mysterious and unfathomable abilities? Why did he look so pained?

He wanted to help, but he was not a physician and did not know if a standard doctor could assist with his condition. He could only order, “Move faster! Return to the residence immediately and have someone bring a medical officer.”

Ever since his injury, Prince Jing rarely called for physicians, appearing quite averse to medical treatment. Now, for the first time in an age, he had sent for a medical officer, and no one knew what had happened.

His subordinates did not dare to delay, whipping the horses to speed back to the residence. When they opened the carriage, they saw the fainted Mu Wan being carried by Ning Bumo as they rushed toward the residence.

Was it for the Princess?

Recalling the series of actions Ning Bumo had taken to stand up for Mu Wan, everyone was quite surprised. They had originally thought Prince Jing was dissatisfied with Mu Zhe and was deliberately looking for trouble, but looking at it this way, did he truly value the Princess?

It was just that the Princess had been fine when they left, but had fainted upon returning. Together with the sickly Prince Jing, they were truly a pair of invalids.

Though the head steward, Lin Zhong, muttered these thoughts to himself, he did not dare speak out loud and respectfully invited a royal physician.

Ever since Ning Bumo became ill, the Emperor had dispatched a royal physician, permitting him to stay in the residence to monitor the Prince’s condition at all times. Now, he was just in time to treat Mu Wan.

However, when the physician took his pulse, he was at a loss for words.

“Your Highness, the Princess’s pulse is steady, slow, and strong.” The physician spoke, but did not know how to continue, as Mu Wan’s appearance and his pulse were truly quite different.

What he did not dare to say was that the Princess’s pulse seemed much healthier than his own—a man who had been practicing health maintenance for years—and felt as if he could live twice as long as he could.

He had expected that telling the truth would result in being scolded as a quack, but unexpectedly, Prince Jing acted as if he had already known, gave a nod, and told him to leave first.

The physician had his doubts but did not dare ask, hurriedly turning to leave. Only after stepping out of the room did he let out a sigh of relief.

He did not know if it was his imagination, but not only was the Princess physically unharmed, but Prince Jing’s own complexion also looked much better than before, and the gray, defeated aura that had followed his injury seemed to have vanished.

However, thinking of the complicated situation in the palace, the physician quickly cast these thoughts aside.

After all, as long as no one asked, it was better to play the part of a deaf and dumb fool.

It was within Ning Bumo’s expectations that the royal physician could not diagnose Mu Wan’s condition, yet the man in front of him had truly fainted from pain, and he did not know how to fix it.

Worried about Mu Wan’s condition, Ning Bumo did not rest well that night, keeping a close watch on him.

In the middle of the night, Mu Wan’s body suddenly turned cold; even Ning Bumo, sitting beside him, could feel the chill.

“Mu Wan? Are you alright?” He reached out to grab the man’s wrist, intending to check his condition with the medical knowledge he had barely managed to learn in the military camp. Unexpectedly, as soon as the man’s warm palm touched him, Mu Wan wrapped himself around him eagerly.

Though he was injured, he was still a grown man with natural warmth. To Mu Wan, who was freezing, it was a life-saving remedy. By the time Ning Bumo reacted, the two bodies were already pressed together. It was his first time being so close to someone, and Ning Bumo lost his composure in an instant, not knowing how to react.

“Mu Wan,” he called the man’s name, wanting him to maintain some sense of propriety, but all he received in return were arms firmly wrapped around his waist and a figure curling up into his embrace.

He could not wake him, and pushing him away felt too cruel.

But they were both men; was such intimacy appropriate? Yet, they were married. No, that was not right; even if they were married, there were no feelings between them. How could they act so rashly!