After muttering to himself, he found a spot in front of the door and lay down contentedly.
As drowsiness overwhelmed him, Mu Wang flared his nostrils slightly and suddenly caught a whiff of rich fragrance.
His almond eyes twitched. He threw off the quilt and got up. "Have you lit incense?"
Worried that the incense might set the bedroom on fire, Mu Wang fought back his drowsiness. He propped his fist against his lips and yawned. Stumbling, he walked towards the door.
The strange fragrance wafted over. For some reason, a hint of shyness welled up in his heart. He gently tapped his bent finger on the door frame.
"Qu Yue, the incense isn't out yet. How can you be asleep?"
He pressed his ear against the door frame, trying to catch her response.
All he could hear was her steady breathing.
"..."
Mu Wang cursed under his breath for this "idiot". He reached out and pushed the door open.
The first thing that caught his eye was Qu Yue's bed. She was sleeping very soundly, lying straight on her back with her hands on both sides of her body, neatly tucked under the quilt.
Mu Wang stopped in his tracks. His breathing seemed to have hit a standstill.
Although her sleeping posture was perfect, she had a bad habit of only wearing an undergarment to bed.
At that moment, the flimsy fabric could hardly hide her fair neck. As she breathed, her chest rose and fell, adding a certain allure.
For a moment, he didn't know where to look. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally remembered why he was there.
The shyness of a young man was magnified infinitely at that moment. He unconsciously rubbed his palms against his sides. Like a headless fly, he paced back and forth in the room.
After searching for a long time, he couldn't find the incense burner.
Mu Wang put his hand on his hip and frowned in confusion. "Who would steal your incense and hide it?"
In her sleep, Qu Yue seemed to have overheard his complaint. She murmured discontentedly.
Like a meowing kitten, her soft sound tickled Mu Wang's heart, sending a wave of itchiness through him.
He snorted impatiently. He cast a glance at the sleeping woman on the bed. A sweet smile spread across his face, and he even smacked his lips.
"Fine. I owe you one."
Resignedly, he opened the window for her. After closing the door on his way back, he leaned against it and sat down, closing his eyes to doze off.
This way, if there was a fire, he could quickly take Qu Yue and escape.
Before he knew it, Mu Wang drifted into a sweet dreamland.
In a corner unnoticed by both of them, a figure in purple and red stood on the roof, gently fanning himself. In his charming fox eyes, there was a glint of interest.
---
Perhaps Qu Yue had been exhausted in the previous few days, or maybe she knew Mu Wang was outside protecting her. She slept soundly through the night.
At dawn, she was awakened by the crowing of roosters. She threw off the quilt and sat up on the bed. Suddenly, she locked eyes with a pair of almond eyes.
Those eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles under them, staring intently at her.
She was startled and let out a scream. "You! What are you doing in my room!"
Mu Wang rubbed his eyes and stood up, propping himself up with one hand. "You're really something."
"I should have just left you alone last night. Let your bedroom burn down."
Qu Yue's mind was already groggy in the morning. After this shock, she was even more confused. Mu Wang's cryptic words only added to her bewilderment.
She blinked slowly for a long time before finally managing to say, "Huh?"
Mu Wang opened the bedroom door. "Hurry up and wash up."
They still had to prepare for the burial. She didn't have much time left.
After Mu Wang left, Qu Yue smelled a lingering scent of clove oil in the air.
She stared at Mu Wang's retreating back. "Strange. I didn't light any incense."
Did Mu Wang light it?
Qu Yue couldn't figure out the reason from Mu Wang's ambiguous words. She shook her head and went out to wash up.
Then, she headed to the main hall.
Mu Wang was already there, counting the burial items. Qu Yue stepped forward to help. Mu Qing arrived late.
As the host of the mourning, he was dressed in mourning clothes with a white ribbon around his head. However, there was no trace of grief on his face. Instead, his face seemed to have a faint glow.
Xie Qichi, as the emperor, had come yesterday and would not participate in the funeral ceremony today.
But Wen Wuyou and Ning Yanzhi showed up at the door on time to see their good friend off.
Unlike their previous attire, today they both changed into plain white mourning clothes. Although they were wearing the same clothes, they looked completely different.
Wen Wuyou was known for his amorous nature. His mourning clothes were loosely hanging on him, yet he still carried the dignity of a general. Ning Yanzhi had always been well - behaved. Every fold of his mourning clothes was carefully arranged, looking very proper.
Mu Wang noticed that Qu Yue had stopped working. He followed her gaze and saw the two men. Immediately, a sense of annoyance welled up in his heart. "What are you daydreaming about?"
"No!" Qu Yue quickly nodded at the two of them and turned around to help Mu Wang organize the things.
Mu Yao and Song Luo were very late because of the caning they received yesterday.
They only showed up, supporting each other, when Qu Yue and Mu Wang had packed everything and everyone was about to leave.
No one had expected that there was also a woman with a three - year - old child standing in the main hall.
She was also dressed in mourning clothes. Her high cheekbones protruded on her thin face. Her eyes were red and swollen, obviously from crying all night.
As soon as the child saw Qu Yue, he ran quickly towards her, stretched out his arms, and hugged her legs tightly.
He called out in a childish voice, "Stepmother!"
The woman looked embarrassed. She stood at the door, nervously rubbing her hands. She forced a smile and apologized, "Madam, I'm really sorry..."
This sudden incident caught Qu Yue off guard.
She stood there stunned for a long time. She almost dropped the list of burial items in her hand.
Not only her but even Mu Wang beside her raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
This woman who had been out of sight for three years, why did she suddenly show up today?
Different from their surprise, Mu Yao and Song Luo both sneered maliciously.
Qu Yue, you'd better give up your rewards today!
The woman wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. She trembled as she stepped over the threshold. "I'm really sorry to come today, but I really miss my husband..."
As soon as the word "husband" came out, it shocked everyone present.
Qu Yue stood there stunned for a while. She tightened her grip on the list. Her voice trembled with shock. "Are you... Mu Yuan's concubine?"
"Yes, I am." The woman nodded, sobbing.
Qu Yue's pupils dilated slightly. Her deep breaths showed her disbelief.
She knew about this woman.
Before their marriage, Mu Yuan had told her that he had had a wild night.
But because the woman's status was low, he didn't take her into the marquis's mansion. Instead, he kept her as a concubine in a house outside the city.
Mu Yuan had also said that no matter what happened in the marquis's mansion, she didn't need to get involved. She just needed to know that the marquis's mansion would ensure that she had enough to eat and wear for the rest of her life.
Qu Yue carefully sized up the woman. Her gentle voice was filled with confusion. "Since Mu Yuan told you that you have nothing to do with the marquis's mansion, why did you come?"
The woman knelt down on the ground with a thud. "Madam, I have no intention of disturbing my husband's funeral. I'm just a concubine. I haven't seen my beloved for three years, and now I've heard that he's gone. Please, let me see him off for the last time!"
Qu Yue was about to agree when she heard a male voice behind her.
"Wait."