Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Chapter 135 The Bright and Elegant Fake Gold 12

"What is this?"

"Yes……"

"Ah~"

"Um……"

Liu Yunshu's eyes widened, and the daze in her eyes instantly disappeared.

Her face flushed red, and she looked at Wen Zhimiao helplessly, "I'm sorry... Brother, I..."

Wen Zhimiao's usually indifferent eyes were now extremely dark, her unfathomable gaze fixed on her flushed face.

A low, hoarse voice rolled from his throat, suppressing his surging emotions: "What's the panic?"

He stared at the little girl who had unsettled him, his eyes filled with an aggression he himself was unaware of.

"Wasn't Yun Shu curious? Now do you know?"

Liu Yunshu's heart pounded like a drum under his gaze, and her cheeks burned as if they were on fire.

She instinctively took a step back, but Wen Zhimiao reached out and grabbed her waist.

His palms were burning hot, and although the pressure wasn't heavy, she couldn't break free. His aggressive gaze was like a net, trapping her completely.

"What? You want to run away as soon as you asked?" Wen Zhimiao's voice lowered a few decibels, and the hand on her waist tightened slightly, bringing the two of them even closer.

"No, no, we can't do that..."

Liu Yunshu placed her hands against his chest, her palms clearly feeling his steady yet slightly rapid heartbeat, her voice barely audible: "This... is not right."

He leaned down slightly, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling, filled with her delicate fragrance and the sweet aroma of osmanthus cake.

"What's wrong?" His voice was extremely low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible obsession.

Suddenly the carriage jolted.

Liu Yunshu suddenly widened her eyes, her hands clenched tightly, and she looked at Wen Zhimiao in disbelief.

……

Wen Zhimiao suddenly opened her eyes and sat up in shock in bed.

The lingering heat and panic from the dream remained in his eyes; his chest heaved violently, and cold sweat trickled down his temples from his forehead.

A faint tapping sound of a wooden fish being struck came from outside the window, but it couldn't pull him out of his chaotic thoughts.

Ever since that chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, he has dreamed about it almost every day...

From homemade at the beginning to now...

He clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the edge of the bed, the solid wood bed board making a dull "thud" that shook the bed curtains slightly.

A suppressed gasp escaped her throat. Wen Zhimiao looked down at her white knuckles, her eyes filled with lingering regret and panic.

It also carried a hint of barely perceptible greed.

The slender touch of her waist from his dream still lingered on his fingertips, and the faint fragrance of her body seemed to still linger around his nose.

And then there was that last unexpected twist... which was surprisingly fascinating.

That lingering thought, which he knew was impossible, grew wildly like vines, tightening around his heart.

I am annoyed that I have lost my sense of propriety, and I keep having such inappropriate dreams.

But deep in his heart, there was a greedy desire that he didn't want to wake up from, a greed for that moment of closeness, a greed for the image of him that was reflected only in her eyes.

He silently watched his younger brother, quickly put on his clothes, and rushed out the door.

He whipped his horse and galloped back to the Wen residence, then quietly scaled the wall and entered.

He stopped abruptly when he reached Liu Yunshu's bedside, his breathing still ragged.

Morning light streamed through the window, falling on Liu Yunshu's sleeping face. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and a faint smile seemed to linger at the corners of her mouth, suggesting she was having a sweet dream.

She was covered with a brocade quilt embroidered with orchids, and her exposed wrists were slender and fair, gradually overlapping with the image of him holding her in her dream.

He knelt on the bed, his gaze tracing her features inch by inch.

When she was fast asleep, she was not as lively and cunning as usual, but instead appeared soft and gentle.

His fingertips hovered above her cheek, paused for a moment, and then slowly fell, gently brushing against her soft temples.

Liu Yunshu seemed startled; her nose twitched slightly, and she let out a soft hum.

She turned over and leaned closer to him, her wrist resting on the edge of the quilt.

Wen Zhimiao's fingertips suddenly froze, and she even softened her breathing, afraid of waking her up.

He looked down at her sleeping face so close to his eyes, and the annoyance and panic in his eyes were gradually replaced by tenderness, while that bit of greed became clearer.

His Adam's apple bobbed again, and he carefully reached out, his fingertips gently touching her exposed wrist.

The warm, delicate touch overlapped with the reality of her dream, causing Wen Zhimiao's heart to skip a beat, and her fingertips to tighten slightly involuntarily.

Liu Yunshu seemed to be startled awake, her eyes half-open in a daze. "Brother...brother?"

For a moment, all was silent.

Wen Zhimiao froze, instinctively holding her breath.

Liu Yunshu, her eyes still blurry, mumbled sleepily, "Why did I dream about my brother again? This isn't right..."

Then he fell asleep again.

Wen Zhimiao remained kneeling on the bed, her gaze fixed on Liu Yunshu's sleeping face.

The jade bracelet swayed gently on her slender, fair wrist, making a soft, tinkling sound.

"Right...or wrong..."

Wen Zhimiao kept his eyes tightly closed, and the moonlight shone through the window onto his restrained profile, making his jawline appear even more taut.

After a long while, he finally got up.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped his slender fingers, wiping them very slowly and meticulously.

Once he was certain there were no flaws, he quietly got up, pulled the quilt closer to Liu Yunshu's shoulders, and then turned and left the room, his movements as light as a breeze.

He stepped out of the room, looked at the moon obscured by dark clouds, and his eyes were filled with an unspeakable undercurrent.

Liu Yunshu slowly opened her eyes, glanced at the direction of the door, raised her hand to her nose and smelled it, letting out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

The next day, Liu Yunshu was walking towards Madam Wen's courtyard.

As I passed by the Jingsi Courtyard, Wen Zhimiao was walking out of the courtyard.

"Brother! You're back from Huguo Temple? When did you get back?"

Liu Yunshu stepped forward with delight, her silver-red skirt brushing against the fallen leaves on the steps, making a soft rustling sound.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Wen Zhimiao, her excitement undisguised. "I thought you were going to stay a few more days."

Upon hearing the voice, Wen Zhimiao paused almost imperceptibly, then turned her head, concealing all the turmoil in her eyes, and simply replied, "Last night."

"Last night?" Liu Yunshu blinked, then took a half-step closer, her nose brushing lightly against his sleeve.

"Didn't they say the prayers would last for several days? This morning, Mother was saying that she would have the kitchen make some nourishing soup for you when you came back."

Her breath, carrying the crispness of the morning dew, drifted over, and Wen Zhimiao subconsciously took a slight step back.

His fingertips recalled the sensation of touching her wrist last night, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly: "No need for that."

"How could it be troublesome?" Liu Yunshu smiled and tugged at his sleeve, her fingertips gently gripping the fabric.

"You were busy at Dali Temple for so long, and then you went there to pray for blessings. You must be tired. Come on, let's go to the maternal courtyard together."

The warm fingertips touched her sleeve, and Wen Zhimiao froze.

He wanted to pull back but was afraid of pulling too hard and upsetting her, so he could only let her pull him forward.

Sunlight filtered through the locust trees on both sides, casting dappled shadows at their feet.

Her silver-red skirt occasionally brushed against his dark fabric, then quickly separated, but it was enough to stir his heart.

When they arrived at Madam Wen's courtyard, the old woman was bringing up freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea.

Seeing the two enter together, Madam Wen exclaimed with delight, "When did Zhi Miao return?"

Liu Yunshu first helped Madam Wen sit down, then sat down beside her, and pulled Wen Zhimiao to the chair opposite her as well.

"Mother, my brother came back last night without saying a word. I only found out when I bumped into him just now."

Madam Wen gave Wen Zhimiao a reproachful look, picked up a teacup and pushed it in front of him.

"Why are you coming back at night? You didn't even send someone to let us know beforehand. The roads are slippery at night; it's so worrying."

Wen Zhimiao picked up her teacup, took a sip, concealing the unease in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "The matter was settled early, so we didn't bother anyone."

"You should have said something sooner." Madam Wen shook her head helplessly, then turned to Liu Yunshu, her tone softening.

"Yunshu, the crab roe xiaolongbao you mentioned yesterday, the kitchen just steamed them this morning, quickly have the old lady bring them to you."

"Thank you, Mother!" Liu Yunshu replied with a smile, but her eyes glanced at Wen Zhimiao almost imperceptibly.

Seeing that he was staring down at the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup, with the tips of his ears slightly flushed pink, she couldn't help but smile.

Before long, the old woman brought over steamed buns and several plates of delicate side dishes, the steam carrying a fresh and fragrant aroma.

Liu Yunshu picked up her bamboo chopsticks, but first placed a small steamed bun on the porcelain plate in front of Wen Zhimiao.

"Bro, you definitely didn't have breakfast, right? This is super delicious."

Wen Zhimiao looked up and met her bright, sparkling gaze.

He silently picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and the delicious broth melted on his tongue, just like her…

After the meal, Madam Wen sat down and said softly to Liu Yunshu, "Shu'er, you have come of age. Although I am reluctant, it is time to put your marriage on the agenda."

She paused for a moment, then said, "There's no rush to get married, but we need to take our time choosing a partner to avoid being mistreated after marriage."

"Mother, I don't want to get married. I want to stay by your side forever."

Liu Yunshu held Madam Wen's hand, her voice soft and gentle.

His eyes quickly swept over Wen Zhimiao across from him, noticing that Wen Zhimiao's hand holding the teacup suddenly tightened, his fingertips turning white, and a slight smile playing on his lips.

Madam Wen patted the back of her hand and said with a helpless smile, "Silly child, what girl doesn't get married? I'm just letting you take a look first, not settling down right away."

"I won't look!" Liu Yunshu puffed out her cheeks and deliberately scooted closer to Madam Wen.

"Unless... unless Mother can find someone more capable and better-looking than my brother, I won't marry him."

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

Wen Zhimiao suddenly looked up, her gaze towards Liu Yunshu deep and intense, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.