Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 202

~ TALK ABOUT THE TERMS WITH YUE WANG ~ 

 
Steward Qin, who had been waiting outside the entire time, came in with a plate of cold snacks. Seeing that Yue Wang was in a trance, he could not help but guess what had just happened. “Wang Ye, why has Miss Mu left? I’ve even prepared some snacks here!”

When Yue Wang came back to his senses, he couldn’t help but smile. Although it wasn’t obvious, Steward Qin, who knew him well, could tell at a glance.

“Uncle Qin, go find someone to notify Jin Lan and ask her to bring a thin cloak over. It’s still rather cold out in the garden.”

Steward Qin quickly agreed, “Yes, this old servant will go now.”

In the next few days, Mu Yunyao deliberately avoided Yue Wang, and she taught Ming Yin at the Su’s residence.

Ming Yin had been very focused on her studies, and in just a few short days, she had been able to achieve great results.

“Ming Yin, I’ve taught you everything you need to know, and the rest is up to you.

Ming Yin promptly nodded her head and bowed respectfully towards Mu Yunyao. “Thank you very much, Young Miss” If it wasn’t for Mu Yunyao, it was unknown when she would’ve been able to obtain this opportunity.

“Don’t be too polite. Remember what you’ve said before. When you really see Li Yuanyi, you must restrain yourself and never reveal anything. Also, you don’t use the medicine powder that I’ve given to you carelessly. You don’t let it out until I’ve told you so. Do you remember?”

“Yes. Young Miss, please be at ease. I will definitely not lose weight because of such a small matter.” After learning the art of assassination, she had wanted to infiltrate the Governor’s residence countless times to assassinate Li Yuanyi, but in the end, she resisted it. She would not be so quick, but she would make those black-hearted people pay the price.

Seeing her expression, Mu Yunyao relaxed, “Well, go back and get some rest.”

After Ming Yin left, Liu Liang brought back Qi Ming’s news. “Mistress, the news has been confirmed. The salt merchants are indeed colluding with the government to use the name of purchasing salt to pay the salt tax deficit.”

Mu Yunyao’s fingertips trembled as a smile flashed across her eyes. “Qi Ming has worked hard. When he returns, you’ll definitely reward him well.”

“This is what he should do.”

Mu Yunyao thought carefully for a moment before she picked up the letter, then she headed to Jin Xiu Garden next door.

Mu Yunyao had not seen Yue Wang for more than ten days since she had lost her composure. Now that she was outside the study, she still felt a little uncomfortable in her heart when she heard him call her in: “Greetings, Fourth Master.”

Yue Wang looked at Mu Yunyao, his eyes bright and indifferent, without a trace of abnormality. “You haven’t gone to the greenhouse these few days, the flowers inside have all blossomed, and now they’re expressly beautiful.”

“The weather getting warmed up on this day, and the flowers outside are already blooming, let alone the flowers in the greenhouse. The flowers are blooming freely outside.”

“From the looks of it, you seem to be very happy. Is there any news from Yangzhou City?”

“The letter from Qi Ming can confirm our previous guess was correct. The salt merchant indeed wanted to use the method of purchasing salt to fill the deficit!”

Yue Wang looked up and said, “These people are truly audacious.”

“Although the Imperial Court forbade the sale of private salt, in fact, in Jiangnan, there is 30% of salt sold as official salt. The rest of the 70% privately sold by these salt merchants. Even the government has repeatedly banned such a matter. The Emperor certainly knows that, but there is no means to investigate and deal with it.”

“That’s good as well. If these salt merchants abide by the law, we really won’t have the chance to interfere.” Yue Wang carefully thought about it and quickly thought about his plan. After that, he tried to find loopholes, and after a while, he said, “I will immediately get people to watch them, as long as they dare to do something in the transportation, I will have a way to snatch out the real salt.”

Mu Yunyao’s heart moved, and Yue Wang said with great confidence. From this, she could see that his foundation in Jiangnan was definitely not shallow, and it was hard to know how long he had been secretly setting it up. “Fourth Master, I’ve heard from Qi Ming that this time, he used around 6 million taels of silver to buy salt, and this is only the price of purchasing a large number of salt. If you sell this batch of salt, the amount of silver involved will be about tens of millions of taels of silver. Since the salt merchants dared to do so, they naturally have something to rely on it. You must be extra careful and not make any mistakes.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll personally keep an eye on him. Nothing will happen to him.”

Mu Yunyao’s eyes moved as the corner of her mouth lifted into a smile. “Then, have Fourth Master thought about how to split the silver?”

Yue Wang glanced at her with a faint smile, “Going to find out about the news is a credit. You teach Ming Yin. If she successfully approaches Li Yuanyi and helps with salt tax verification, it would also be considered a contribution. Because the most important thing is my main contribution, I can give you ten percent of it.

“Fourth Master Ning is too stingy, but you’re right, I didn’t contribute too much, so I won’t take even a single cent of the silver after I sell this batch of salt.” Mu Yunyao said with a smile.

Yue Wang’s heart skipped a beat slightly. It was not her usual style of doing things. “Even if it is 10%, it would still be worth millions of taels of silver. Don’t you feel sorry for it?”

“I don’t want the silver taels from the salt, but if I can find a way to get them elsewhere, you’ll give them all to me. What do you say?”

Yue Wang quickly thought about it. Apart from the fact that this batch of salt could acquire much silver, where else could he get silver? Mu Yunyao didn’t give him any time to think about this matter, “Fourth Master, earning silver depends on one’s ability. If your man has the ability to snatch the salt, then the silver that he sells will naturally belong to you. If I have a way to get silver from other places, then that silver will naturally belong to me. In this way, it is fair and impartial. Do you want to haggle over some small profits with me?”

Yue Wang couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright. I promise you.”

Mu Yunyao’s heart is full of joy. She quickly walked to the side of the table, grabbed a brush and paper, and made a written agreement. “Words have no basis. Let’s write it as proof!”

After signing the contract, Mu Yunyao carefully put it away, and then she felt at ease: “I won’t disturb Fourth Master any longer. I’ll be taking my leave.” Yue Wang looked at her back with a smile on the corner of his lips. The last time, Mu Yunyao was leaving the study in a hurry. She looked as calm as ever, but in reality, her heart was already in a mess. Otherwise, she would have left appropriately after saluting as usual, instead of forgetting the salute. It seems that she is not entirely unmoved.

Thinking of this conclusion, Yue Wang felt satisfied, as if he had done something huge.

When she returned home, Mu Yunyao immediately called out Li Liang over, “Liu Liang. Go and inform Qi Ming that Jingling City is ready and the shop is set on the other side of Ni Yun Fang. Tell him to prepare to open another Yibaoxuan as soon as possible.”

The salt merchants, as not make any mistakes, must make impartial inspections when buying salt in the salt mining area. That is to say that they will load the salt on the ship with enough weight. Therefore, as long as Yue Wang’s people can keep an eye on it, they will have a chance to snatch the salt. She did not have many people under her that she could use, and she did not have any plans for this batch of salt from the beginning. Instead, she took a different approach, starting from the salt merchants themselves. But don’t worry, everything has to wait for Li Yuanyi to come.

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 202

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 201

~ DON’T GUESS YUE WANG’S MIND ~ 

Ming Yin carefully reads the book Mu Yunyao gave her, but she doesn’t understand it thoroughly. What she could understand wasn’t very clear, and the things written on it weren’t many. The book only described some techniques that need to pay attention to, such as how the Lan Hua Finger (Orchid Finger) looked great when serving the tea or how elegant the skirt’s hem swayed when walked. After reading it, she paid extra attention to it, but she always felt very unnatural and would make mistakes from time to time.

(Orchid Finger)

After studying for a long while, Ming Yin still didn’t realize the essence, so Ming Yin directly took the boo to ask Mu Yunyao. “Young Miss, I have memorized the book, but I still don’t understand many things, o I would like to ask you to enlighten me.” Seeing Mu Yunyao again, Ming Yin still felt excited in her heart. She couldn’t help but blush before silently cursing herself in her heart. Young Miss and her are both girls and not coming age yet. How could she find her exceptionally attractive?

Just as Mu Yunyao was about to answer, she heard a knock on the door, “Fourth Master Ning said that he has something to discuss with you in Jin Xiu Garden, Miss.”

“Got it. I’ll be right there after I change my clothes.” Mu Yunyao thought that perhaps it was due to the salt tax’s matter, so she didn’t dare delay any further. After changing her clothes, she headed straight to Yue Wang’s study in Jin Xiu Garden.

“Greetings, Fourth Master. What did Fourth Master call me here for?”

Yue Wang raised his eyes, and a dark light flashed strangely under his clear eyes: “I heard that you were teaching Ming Yin, so I wanted to take a look together. After all, this matter is of great importance, and if Li Yuanyi notices any abnormalities, it would not be beneficial for our next actions.”

“Fourth Master’s words are reasonable, it just so happens that Ming Yin wanted to ask me just now, so I let her come here.”

Yue Wang nodded solemnly: “Ok.”

“Greetings, Master.” When Ming Yin saw Yue Wang, she immediately knelt down to salute, and her expression was full of admiration and respect. Mu Yunyao kept Ming Yin’s appearance in her eyes as she secretly thought in her heart. She usually saw Yue Wang only by herself and occasionally had Steward Qin, Yu Heng, and Yu Yi present, as they were the Yue Wang’s trusted aides. Although they were polite, they weren’t overly formal. It was the first time she saw other subordinates meeting with Yue Wang. Just by looking at it, she can see that Ming Yin respects Yue Wang sincerely.

“Get up. You initially wanted to ask Miss Mu something, then you should have asked.”

Ming Yin hurriedly nodded, her expression becoming much more solemn. “This servant would like to ask Young Miss, how can I grasp the essence of the book’s contents?”

“I just heard you say that you have memorized all the contents of the book?”

“Yes. I have memorized all of it by heart.”

Mu Yunyao nodded, “If that’s the case, then the next thing you should do is forget about the things you’ve seen in books.”

Ming Yin was puzzled. “I just memorized it. Why do I have to forget it now?”

“It is not to make you forget the contents of the book but to make you forget that you have seen the book. Only by forgetting this problem will you be able to integrate the contents of the book into your actions, allowing your every move to reveal the intent of bewitching others. Only in this way can you confuse others.”

Ming Yin thought about it carefully for a moment, felt that he had realized something. She wanted to distinguish it carefully but couldn’t grasp it. “Young Miss, forgive me if I am presumptuous. Could you please demonstrate your previous technique in brewing tea?”

Mu Yunyao nodded, “Alright. I’ll show you again and slow down my movements this time. Then I’ll explain it to you in detail, and you can experience it carefully. Try to understand it better.”

Ming Yin hurriedly nodded. “Thank you, Young Miss.”

After hearing the instructions, Steward Qin quickly brought the things used to make tea. He then glanced at Ming Yin appreciatively, determined to give her the silver using Yu Heng’s deducted monthly payment. Mu Yunyao sat down and raised her hand gently to adjust her sleeves, “I’ve heard that the popular art of enchantment is to confuse the human eye. This method can make people indulge for a moment, even maybe they are fascinated. But the final result is often to hurt others and hurt themselves. The truly superb art of enchantment is to confuse people’s hearts. Only when people are bewitched can they be attracted and fall in love. You can’t extricate yourself from being truly addicted, even if all people tell him you are a liar, even if your heart is broken, and still can’t bear to watch you cry.”

Ming Yin couldn’t help but move her gaze along with Mu Yunyao’s movements, watching her arranging her clothes elegantly and slowly boiling water to make tea. The corner of her mouth rose slightly, a bit deeper than her usual smile. It is this shallow point that showed a completely different breath. An exciting feeling once again surged through her heart. She couldn’t help but think that after she had the chance to revenge, she wants to serve as a maid beside Miss Mu and felt her life could be considered complete.

Mu Yunyao took the jade carving spoon and placed the tea leaves in the teacup. She raised her eyes to look at Ming Yin. But suddenly met the gaze of Yue Wang, and her heart skipped a beat.

At this moment, Yue Wang was looking at Mu Yunyao with all his attention. It was a completely brand new Mu Yunyao he had never seen before. Her eyebrows bent over, and it makes her radiance was rippling. Her face was pink and red, her beauty was flawless, her lips were full of words and smiles, and her fingertips were slightly upturned. Her every move was enchanting Yue Wang, and he once again recalled the legend of the Snow Fox in Western Guangdong. A fox is born with a spirit, which can absorb the essence of heaven and earth. When the Snow Fox turned into a human, which could charm all living beings. The current Mu Yunyao was the incarnation of the Snow Fox.

Looking at her, Yue Wang felt his usually calm heart suddenly become restless. His voice was sounding like a drum. He moved like a rabbit, making him feel flustered and anxious. He just wanted to hold his chest with his hand.

At this moment, Mu Yunyao realized that her behavior was inappropriate. Her chest abruptly stopped breathing, and her face unconsciously flushed red. Her heart was full of regret for her carelessness.

This blush was like a huge rock that fell right into Yue Wang’s heart, causing him to tremble, and he quickly forced himself to look away.

Ming Yin couldn’t help but swallow her saliva. People always yearned for beautiful things, and now, Mu Yunyao was like a ball of light in her eyes, attracting her to want to get closer regularly. She couldn’t help but mutter, “Young Miss....”

This voice directly broke the charming atmosphere in the study room. Mu Yunyao put down the teaspoon in her hand as if nothing had happened and smiled as usual: “Ming Yin, did you remember what I did just now?”

Ming Yin lowered her head in embarrassment. “Miss Mu, this servant was distracted just now. I’m sorry....”

“Nothing, just watch it next time.”

Ming Yin felt very ashamed. She and Li Yuanyi had a blood feud that could not be solved, so she always wanted to learn faster. She could not make any mistakes after meeting him. Now that Miss Mu had taught her in detail, Ming Yin can’t help but lose her mind. How can she fulfill her long-cherished wish if she goes on like this? Thinking about it, she knelt down directly: “Young Miss, I will definitely work hard...”

Mu Yunyao stepped forward and helped her up, “Alright. It’s not a big deal. You only need to take it slowly. Since you’re worried, let’s go out. I’ll accompany you for a walk and relax. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to understand it without a teacher.” After she finished speaking, she accompanied Ming Yin out.

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 201

Incurable Chapter 6 Part 2

Da Tou and Er Tong were in Mu Wan’s bedroom. She went in to retrieve them while Liu Qianxiu waited in the living room.

Her apartment was small, decorated, neat, and comfortable. On the table, a single cup. By the dining area, a single chair. Little details like that told the same story over and over.

A woman living alone.

Mu Wan came out carrying the cat bed in her thin arms. A light blanket covered it, and beneath the fabric, two tiny bodies wriggled. She looked up at Liu Qianxiu, eyes large and bright.

“I’ll take them to your place,” she said. “Otherwise,e it’ll be hard for you to carry them while driving.”

It wasn’t only that. Mu Wan wanted to know where he lived so she could find the place if she needed to check on them. He said he had experience raising kittens, but experience could be exaggerated. Mu Wan didn’t trust easily.

Liu Qianxiu’s expression stayed level. His eyes remained deep and still. He only said, “Alright.”

Mu Wan suddenly felt petty.

So, besides the cat bed and the cats, she packed more supplies, nearly half a box. Then they went downstairs, one carrying the cat bed, the other carrying the box.

They ran into a neighbor across the hall. The woman’s gaze lingered on Liu Qianxiu a little too long before she looked back at Mu Wan and greeted her.

Mu Wan wasn’t close with the neighbors. She smiled and nodded, then followed Liu Qianxiu to his BMW X5.

Lin Wei had joked that a doctor and an eighteen-line actress were about the same, but there were differences. At Liu Qianxiu’s age, Mu Wan couldn’t be sure she’d afford a place like Nanfeng Apartments, let alone this car.

It was Mu Wan’s first time entering the home of a man who lived alone. She wasn’t particularly on guard. With Liu Qianxiu, it felt unnecessary. Compared to most men, he was more like a Daoist than anything else.

Nanfeng Apartments were expensive, and his building was among the best, with open views and a prime location. The apartment itself was huge, easily over two hundred square meters. The moment she stepped in, she smelled agarwood.

The scent was clean and piercing, the kind that went straight to the head.

White Qi’nan agarwood, the sort that could be more precious than gold.

Mu Wan’s home was already simple. Liu Qianxiu’s was even simpler, yet the simplicity carried refinement, quiet luxury. The lamp, the low table, the rug, none of them looked ordinary. You could imagine the owner’s temperament just by standing there.

Detached. Unworldly. And unmistakably expensive.

Liu Qianxiu bent to set the box down. He pulled out a pair of brand-new slippers and offered them to her.

“Wear these.”

He was inviting her further in.

Mu Wan adjusted her grip on the cat bed. The blanket had slipped, and Da Tou and Er Tong wriggled underneath, meowing.

“Thank you,” she said, and slipped on the slippers.

They were clearly his. They are a little big. Mu Wan’s narrow, pale feet disappeared into the light coffee-colored cotton-linen. The soles were firm but surprisingly comfortable.

Liu Qianxiu didn’t say anything else. He picked up the box and headed toward a room. Mu Wan followed.

Before he even opened the door, something black slid across her feet.

Mu Wan took a startled step back.

“Zhou Yi,” Liu Qianxiu called, gaze steady.

Mu Wan looked up.

A sleek black cat stood by the low table, watching her. Its pupils were golden slits, sharp and strange even in daylight. At Liu Qianxiu’s call, it answered with a single, calm meow.

“This is your cat?” Mu Wan asked. The black cat felt almost supernatural, and the name made it even worse. Zhou Yi, of course. A Daoist’s cat.

“Mhm,” Liu Qianxiu replied, and opened the door.

It was a dedicated cat room.

A floor-to-ceiling balcony connected to it. Soft rugs covered the floor. A large cat tree spread like branches. Everything was spotless: the litter box, the bed, the water fountain. Near the window, a smaller area was sectioned off with glass like a nursery, clearly designed for kittens.

Inside the glass nursery, supplies were neatly arranged, everything she’d bought in panic and more.

Mu Wan set the cat bed down.

Liu Qianxiu moved with practiced ease. He mixed the formula, warmed it, and fed Da Tou and Er Tong, who were already meowing like they’d been starved for days.

Mu Wan squatted beside the bed and watched him feed them, his hands steady, his motions familiar. Her earlier worry and suspicion felt unnecessary. Experience was experience. He really did know what he was doing, and he did it better than she had.

Once that relief settled, Mu Wan prepared to leave. She looked down at Da Tou and Er Tong, then thought of Zhong Fen at the hospital. Slowly, she slipped her hand out from beneath the kittens.

As she rose to say goodbye, a small sound appeared beneath the quiet rhythm of the kittens sucking on the bottle.

Her stomach.

Not loud, not soft. Just perfectly timed.

Mu Wan blinked.

Liu Qianxiu had already looked over.

His lips pressed into a thin line as he glanced down at the bottle, then pulled it away once it was empty. He lifted his eyes to Mu Wan.

“You didn’t eat?”

The question stripped away the awkwardness. Mu Wan smiled instead, eyes bright, and admitted it easily.

“No. When I go back,k I’ll just…”

“Do you eat noodles?” Liu Qianxiu cut in.

Mu Wan froze for half a beat, surprised. Her lips parted slightly, lashes long over eyes that caught the light.

“You… make noodles?” she asked.

“Mhm.”

“Then yes,” Mu Wan said immediately.

Then her brain caught up and stalled.

She looked at Liu Qianxiu and realized what she’d just agreed to sounded a little too… eager.

The author has something to say:

Mu Wan: I am responsible for driving the car today. You all stay in the car, and none of you can run away.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 6 Part 2

Incurable Chapter 6 Part 1

Liu Qianxiu drove Mu Wan and Zhong Fen to a pet hospital.

The moment they walked in, Mu Wan explained what had been happening. The veterinarian took Zhong Fen straight away, and a staff member guided Liu Qianxiu and Mu Wan to a waiting room.

The waiting room was divided into small glass cubicles. Inside, there sat a round table and two chairs. Through the glass door, they could see the veterinarian examining Zhong Fen.

After filming, Mu Wan had rushed home and mixed the formula for all three kittens. Da Tou and Er Tong ate well. Zhong Fen barely drank and then threw everything up.

Not only that, Zhong Fen looked wrong. While Da Tou and Er Tong crawled and rolled around the nest like two tiny storms, Zhong Fen shoved its face into the corner of the bed and stayed there with its little backside sticking up. Mu Wan tried feeding it twice more. Each time, it vomited.

That was when panic finally bit.

Newborn kittens without a mother’s milk had almost no immunity. One careless draft, one bad feeding, and they could be gone. Zhong Fen was spitting up and fading fast. Mu Wan changed clothes, bundled them up, and ran out to the pet hospital.

At the door, she ran straight into Liu Qianxiu.

Now they sat across from each other, one on each side of the round table, both watching the vet through the glass. The entire time, neither spoke.

The room was so quiet it felt sealed.

Mu Wan broke it first.

“How did you find my place?”

The sound appeared abruptly in the stillness. Liu Qianxiu turned his head slightly.

Mu Wan’s hands were clasped on the tabletop. She looked at him directly. When his gaze met hers, she smiled, lips curving upward as if she could soften the question into something harmless.

“Patients brought into the ER by ambulance have address records,” he said.

“Oh.” Understanding flickered across her face. Her eyes lowered briefly, fingers pressing together once, then she looked up again with a calm, negotiating expression.

“I asked you in the hospital. You said the calico wasn’t your cat.”

Meaning, you have no right to take her kittens back.

“I did.” Liu Qianxiu heard the unspoken part. His face stayed calm. “But you can’t raise them.”

The words were light, almost casual.

The impact was not.

Mu Wan licked her lower lip, then turned her head. Through the glass, the veterinarian was holding Zhong Fen. Zhong Fen’s tiny paws kicked wildly. The glass muffled its voice, but Mu Wan didn’t need to hear it to know it was crying.

“It’s my first time,” she said, voice steady. “I’ll do my best.”

“They’re too small,” he replied. “It’s easy to lose them.”

Mu Wan went quiet, because he was right.

The past few days, she hadn’t slept well. The kittens were in her room, close enough that she woke up repeatedly at night to check if they were still breathing. She wasn’t the soft-hearted type. She’d never had pets before and hadn’t wanted any.

If she returned these three to Liu Qianxiu, she could easily buy a purebred cat instead, prettier, healthier, easier.

But it wasn’t the same.

These three had already slipped into her life, filling the empty parts with noise and warmth. She called herself their “stepmother,” but it felt more like their real mother. Their mother had died the moment they entered the world, and they clung to her instinctively. That dependence gave Mu Wan a satisfaction she didn’t want to admit she needed.

Every morning, she woke to milky little meows, soft as breath, gentler than the first strip of sunlight.

Feelings grew fast. And once they took root, they didn’t pull out cleanly.

Mu Wan wanted these three.

She tried to think of a way around it. Nothing came.

So she forced herself to calm down and let her thoughts shift to Liu Qianxiu instead.

She didn’t understand him.

He had only fed the calico occasionally. The calico hadn’t entrusted him with its babies. And weren’t Daoists supposed to be detached, unbothered, free of desire?

Mu Wan stopped trying to make it make sense. Her brows knit slightly, as white snow pressed into a crease.

“Then what do you want?” she asked.

Liu Qianxiu met her eyes. The sharpness in her gaze was back now, no longer polite. He didn’t seem bothered by it. His voice stayed quiet and even.

“I’ll raise them first. When they’re a little bigger, you take them back. If you’re worried, you can come to my place anytime to see them.”

The air conditioning ran cold. Liu Qianxiu sat there with that pale, clean complexion, long limbs, and an expression that rarely changed. He looked like someone wrapped in mist, distant and untouchable, like a deity who had wandered into a room meant for ordinary people.

Mu Wan propped an elbow on the table and leaned in.

She stopped when she was still a fist’s distance away.

“Doctor Liu,” she asked softly, “did you know me before?”

The words landed lightly, like a ribbon skimming water, leaving only a shallow ripple.

Her arms braced her, her green halter top framing skin that looked almost too bright under the cold light. Collarbone half-revealed, shoulders straight, bone structure elegant. Her pupils were clear and dark, reflecting his face as she studied him.

It wasn’t a glance. It was an examination, slow and deliberate, as if Mu Wan were drawing his brows and eyes with her gaze.

Liu Qianxiu lowered his eyes slightly. The faint scent of her drifted closer. He looked at the soft red at the corners of her eyes, the shine of moisture there, and his voice dropped, deep and cool.

“Why do you think that?”

Mu Wan leaned back and tapped the table once with a fingertip.

From her ER admission, to his attention on her birthmark, to running into him at dinner, to him personally showing up at her door over the kittens, he didn’t feel as distant as his reputation suggested. Or maybe he wasn’t distant from her.

Yet everything he’d done had an explanation. The birthmark could have been mistaken for a wound. Dragging Mu Wan back to the dinner was because she was his patient. She showed up at her home because she refused to give up the kittens over the phone.

He wasn’t chasing her.

He was chasing survival for three fragile lives.

Mu Wan didn’t answer the question. She only said, “You still haven’t answered mine.”

“I don’t know you,” Liu Qianxiu said. “I just want them to live.”

Mu Wan withdrew her arms fully, widening the space between them again. Then she smiled, soft and bright.

“Fine. Then thank you.”

The conversation had the shape of custody negotiations.

She wanted to raise them, but first, they had to survive. They were both acting for the kittens’ sake. There was no reason to become enemies over ownership.

The examination results came back. Nothing severe. Without mother’s milk, newborn kittens had weak immunity, and even a draft could trigger vomiting. Zhong Fen was still too small for medication, so the hospital wanted to keep it under observation for two days.

Once Zhong Fen was settled, Liu Qianxiu drove Mu Wan home.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 6 Part 1

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 200

~ NEW TEA BREWING TECHNIQUES ~ 

Mu Yunyao agreed. “Alright, since you’re so determined, I’ll choose to believe you this once. I hope you won’t disappoint me!” 

Ming Yin was so delighted that she cried tears of joy. She hurriedly knelt down and saluted. “Thank you, Young Miss!” 

“Quickly get up.” Mu Yunyao thought about it and carefully explained Li Yuan Yi’s situation to Ming Yin in detail, “Miss Ming Yin, You should know how Li Yuanyi’s character is as well. He likes beauty, So if you want to approach him this time, you must start from this aspect.

Of course, I won’t let you really be bullied and humiliated by him.”

Ming Yin nodded and said, “Yes, I’ve heard from Shopkeeper Qin.”

Mu Yunyao carefully looked at her expression. Seeing that she didn’t cower in the slightest, she was quite satisfied in her heart. “Alright, since that’s the case, I’ll teach you some new tea brewing techniques.”

“Making tea?” Ming Yin was a little surprised. She initially thought that Mu Yunyao would teach her to seduce people, but she didn’t expect that it would be tea brewing techniques.

Mu Yunyao naturally guessed what she was thinking and couldn’t help chuckling, “Don’t underestimate tea brewing techniques. Most people have drunk their entire life’s worth of tea and still haven’t figured out the real tea brewing techniques. There are many things that you can’t understand about making tea and tasting tea. It’s not a problem at all to attract one or two people.”

“Please guide me, Young Miss.” Ming Yin hurriedly nodded.

“It’s hard to explain it alone. I’ll have Jin Lan prepare the tea set and show it to you.”

Mu Yunyao raised her voice and called Jin Lan and brought up the things she had prepared.

Ming Yin looked at them carefully and found that they were all tools for making tea. There was nothing special about them, so she could not help but become more curious.

Mu Yunyao knelt behind the table. After taking in a light breath of air, she said to Ming Yin, “Look at it carefully.”

Ming Yin quickly sat down, and when she saw Mu Yunyao raise her hand to receive the water, she couldn’t help but open her eyes wide. What she learned was assassination techniques, so she used to observing her words and expressions. Just a moment ago, Ming Yin noticed that the aura around Mu Yunyao’s aura around her body suddenly changed. Although she has a smile on her face, her breath is cold and detached, even with an almost imperceptible sense of alienation. In the blink of an eye just now, her body seemed to have gained a bit of charm. That kind of feeling can’t describe in detail with words. It did not have the allure of a brothel girl, nor did it deliberately reveal her figure. Her behavior seems to be the same as usual, but it always gave off a striking aura, which could not help but make people involuntarily immerse all their minds in the past.

Even Ming Yin herself didn’t notice. The more she looked, the softer her breathing became. Moreover, she couldn’t help but lean forward involuntarily, wanting to look more carefully. Mu Yunyao gently closed the teacup, its lid colliding with the teacup as it emitted a slight sound. She slowly raised her eyes and looked at Ming Yin, a light flashing across her eyes. It was as if there were sorrow and melancholy in her eyes. But there is nothing happen. It makes people feel itchy and can’t help but want to explore carefully.

After a while, Ming Yin finally came back to her senses when the teacup was placed. She hurriedly stood up, her face slightly flushed red. “Young Miss, I lost my composure just now.”

Even now, she could still feel the throbbing in her heart, and she filled with admiration for Mu Yunyao. As a woman, she felt that Mu Yunyao had been particularly captivating when she made tea. If she is a man, Min Yin will lose her heart. 

Mu Yunyao smiled as she pushed the teacup over. “It’s finally brewed with great difficulty. How does it taste?”

Ming Yin looked at her carefully. Mu Yunyao no longer had the aura from before on her body and had returned to her estranged appearance. It made Ming Yin feel abnormally disappointed in her heart. She could not help but slap her face. “Young Miss, I …”

Mu Yunyao chuckled as she took out a handkerchief and swept it in front of Ming Yin.

She didn’t smell anything unusual, but Ming Yin felt her spirit leaving her body from the strange atmosphere. “Young Miss, I was carefully observing your every move just now. There’s nothing abnormal. When did you do it?”

“When you just entered the room.”

Ming Yin couldn’t help but blink her eyes. “It’s actually so early?”

“Although there were bewitching arts in the world, the hearts of people were complicated and difficult to distinguish. Some people liked peonies, while others loved the green lotuses. Who could guarantee that the bewitching arts would be able to stir up all the hearts of people? What’s more, I’m solely not proficient at all and can’t teach you in a short time. I can only let you learn some quick techniques. Since this is a quick technique, you naturally have to be extra careful in your arrangements.”

“Young Miss, you are really considerate, which is really admirable.”

“Take this book back and read it carefully. Also, think about my little movements when I brewed the tea just now. The more subtle it is, the more it will be invisible, so no one will notice it or be aware of it and take precautions against it.”

“Yes.” Ming Yin carried the book back to the Jin Xiu Garden and thinking about Mu Yunyao’s actions when she was making tea. The more she thought about it, the more fascinated she felt. She always senses that her every move was charming and natural, like a beautiful and gorgeous peony. Just blooming quietly, and it can attract countless colorful butterflies flying around without any unnecessary movements.

The moment Steward Qin walked over, he saw Ming Yin’s soulless expression: “What’s wrong with you?”

Ming Yin’s heart skipped a beat as she snapped out of her shock, “Shopkeeper Qin, I... I was thinking about something.”

Steward Qin nodded his head, “Has Miss Mu taught you how to approach Li Yuanyi?”

With this reminder, Ming Yin remembered how abnormal she had just now. Her face reddened, and she quickly lowered her head, “I’ve had taught by Young Miss. I still need to go back and practice making tea. I won’t disturb Shopkeeper Qin any longer. This servant will take leave.” Finished, she bowed directly, turned around, and leave hurriedly.

Steward Qin had initially just asked without thinking. However, when he saw Ming Yin’s appearance, he was suddenly shocked in his heart: Why was that girl acting so abnormal earlier? Could it be that Miss Mu taught her something extraordinary?

However, from the time he went to Miss Mu’s place until his return, it had only been half an hour. What could she teach in such a short time? Besides, Miss Mu is still young, and her way of doing things is too cold. What can she do to make Ming Yin act like this?

No, the more he thinks about it, the more he feels that something is amiss. He better informs Wang Ye as soon as possible. The next time Ming Yin goes to study, he must have Wang Ye to follow along, or he will always feel that something will happen! After making up his mind, Steward Qin immediately went to the study room. He placed down the teacup in his hand and pretended to be unintentional as he said, “Ming Yin, this girl looked extremely reliable at first, but now it seems that she is flustered and panicked. I just asked her about her studies with Miss Mu. I didn’t expect that she would leave with a blushing face. I wonder what exactly did Lady Mu teach her?”

Yue Wang frowned. The brush in his hand snapped and made a crisp sound.

Steward Qin looked over innocently and said with ease, “This batch of brushes are not good. Later, I will deduct two months’ worth of Yu Heng’s silver.”

Yue Wang nodded: “En, does Uncle Qin know when Ming Yin will go to the Su’s residence again?”

“This old servant will go down to inquire about it now.”

“Alright.”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 200

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 199

~ OLD FEUD ~ 

Following the opening of Yi Bao Xuan, Qi Ming’s status was quietly promoted. After many inquiries, he finally confirmed the salt purchasing matter and directly sent the news back to Jingling City. 

Mu Yunyao passed the letter from Qi Ming back to Yue Wang and asked, “Fourth Master, what do you think?”

Yue Wang placed the letter on the table and lightly tapped it with his finger: “This thing is definitely not normal.”

Mu Yunyao nodded in agreement. “As long as the officials aren’t stupid, they naturally won’t buy a large amount of salt at this critical moment. However, they did it, and there must be a reason behind it.”

“Buying salt now will cost a lot of silver. Seeing that the salt tax was going to be checked, this enormous amount of silver would make the account very unsightly. Once this matter was reported to the Emperor, there was a possibility that His Majesty would punish them. However, they were naturally willing to take such a huge risk, so the biggest reason may be that there is something wrong with the silver.”

Over the past few days, they had also gathered a lot of information. They also know something about salt merchants’ deficit in salt tax. The most likely reason was that the salt tax hole was too big, and the salt merchants were unable to fill it in immediately, so they come up with such countermeasures.

Mu Yunyao also had this kind of conjecture in her heart. “If there really is a problem with the silver, then this matter will be easier to handle.”

Yue Wang nodded his head slightly. “There is a shortage of silver taels, so buying and transporting salt is natural. However, the salt tax has made a very detailed investigation in this respect. The amount of salt purchased, the ships are loaded, the routes they travel, where they are shipped, and how they are distributed. They all had their own rules and regulations. If the salt merchants wanted to collude with the government to make a fraud, they would definitely try their best to disguise themself as thoroughly as possible. There won’t be too much of a problem when purchasing the salt and loading the ship. The most likely problem is during the transportation process.”

“When Fourth Master said this, I remembered some things. I heard that the price of salt fell a lot a few years ago, and the salt merchants were extremely dissatisfied. When transporting salt, the salt ships were deliberately affected by the flood, and a large amount of salt fell into the river, causing a shortage of salt for a time. The people rushed to buy it, and the price rose several times in a short time.”

“Do you mean they might do the same again this time?”

“I was only guessing randomly. I’m not sure.” Mu Yunyao didn’t say too much.

Yue Wang’s brows twitched as he quickly thought in his heart: “I will get someone to check on them as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

When Mu Yunyao returned home, she began to study the information regarding Li Yuanyi carefully. The more she read, the tighter her brows creased.

Jin Qiao brought out a cup of tea and said, “Miss, Miss Ming Yin has arrived.”

“Bring her in.”

The injuries on Ming Yin’s body had already healed long ago. At this moment, she saw Mu Yunyao and bowing deeply, “Greetings, Young Miss.”

Mu Yunyao indicated for Jin Lan and Jin Qiao to withdraw before speaking. “Miss Ming Yin, no need to be so courteous. Please take a seat.”

Ming Yin had a slightly perturbed expression on her face, and after she sat down, her fingers lightly twisted the hem of her skirt. From time to time, she would raise her head to look at Mu Yunyao.

“The reason why I invited you here, I presume that Shopkeeper Qin has already told you about it?”

“Yes, I already know.”

Mu Yunyao nodded, “This matter may have many difficulties for Miss. If you feel that it’s too much or reluctant, you can tell me directly. I’ll discuss it with Shopkeeper Qin and choose someone else.”

“No!” Ming Yin stood up abruptly with a slightly hurried tone. “I am willing to do this. Please give me a chance.”

Mu Yunyao looked at Ming Yin and let out a faint sigh in her heart. Earlier, when she was discussing with Steward Qin, he had recommended Ming Yin to approach Li Yuanyi. After careful inquiry, she found out Li Yuanyi had injured all of Ming Yin’s family members.

Seeing Mu Yunyao fall into silence, Ming Yin stepped forward and kneeled down. “I don’t know if Young Miss has ever heard Shopkeeper Qin say that I’m an orphan. However, my parents didn’t abandon me, but all of my family members got killed by a treacherous!”

Mu Yunyao got up and helped Ming Yin up, “I heard from Shopkeeper Qin that your family has a grudge with Li Yuanyi, but I don’t know the specifics. If you are willing, you can tell me in detail.”

“Ten years ago, my father was the Magistrate of Linjiang City, and Li Yuanyi was still the Governor of Linjiang City. When Linjiang City was hit by a drought that only happened once every hundred years, the Imperial Court ordered relief and send out the food. My father checked the granary according to the imperial edict, and he found that the grain within the granary had missing. Instead, it had been replaced with bags of mud and sand. Later, only after a lot of investigation did he find out that it was Li Yuanyi who secretly kept the grain and sold all the grains, exchanging them for silver taels!”

“After I came to Jingling City, I had occasionally heard of what happened in Linjiang City ten years ago. I didn’t expect that your father was actually the Magistrate of Linjiang City — Lu Yan. Since Lord Lu has found out the truth, could it be that he has thought of a way to expose him?”

Thinking of the past, Ming Yin couldn’t stop shivering, and her hatred twinkled in her eyes: “My father is an upright official, so when he saw that there was no food available in the city, he wanted to report the matter to the Imperial Court. Unfortunately, the Li family has too much power, and Li Qingzhou is the prime minister of the imperial court, so before the news comes out of Linjiang City, he intercepted it. After that, Li Yuanyi fabricated evidence and planted the matter on my father. Even now, when someone mentions him, the citizens of Linjiang City began to curse loudly....”

Mu Yunyao sighed. “That’s right. Ten years ago, the Li family’s power was at its peak. Although Li Yuanyi was a subordinate of the Li family, once this matter was brought to light, the Li family’s reputation would be affected greatly. The Li family would naturally try their best to conceal it.”

Ming Yin wiped away her tears. “At that time, I was still young. It was the old housekeeper who had thought of a way to save my life. It’s a pity that too much time has passed, and I can’t find any evidence....”

Mu Yunyao didn’t know the truth about what had happened in Jingling City, but she believed in steward Qin’s character and believed in Yue Wang’s ability to select his people. If there really a problem with Ming Yin, she would have definitely screened out long ago. Therefore, what she said is very likely to be true: “It has happened for many years. I also mourn for Miss Ming Yin.”

“Young Miss, I must have this chance to get close to Li Yuanyi. No matter what the price is, as long as you give me instructions, I will do my best to comply!”

Mu Yunyao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, “I can give you a chance, but can you guarantee that you won’t reveal anything?” After all, if the Linjiang City matter is real, there would be a blood feud between Ming Yin and Li Yuanyi. When the time comes, seeing his enemy actually in front of her, she may not be able to control and going to kill him?

Ming Yin’s eyes are firm: “Please rest assured, Young Miss. I know that the things that year were absolutely impossible to accomplish by Li Yuanyi alone. There must have been the protection of the other members of the Li family, so I will not act rashly and will work hard to find evidence to make the person who framed my father pay the price and return my father an innocent!”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 199

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 198

~ OPENING OF YI BAO XUAN ~ 

 

In Yangzhou City, after more than a month’s meticulously repaired of the garden, a signboard that said Bu Xian Luo officially hung. After hanging a few firecrackers, fifty Si Cha stood on both sides, gracefully leading the invited customers into the garden. 

They had heard of the reputation of Bu Xian Luo in Jingling City. Rumor said that even the Emperor was drinking tea that was sent up by Bu Xian Luo. Just based on this, they would have to go in and have a cup first.

Just as the atmosphere was bustling, a shop opposite Bu Xian Luo also put off firecrackers, and the lion dance invited to cheer as well. For a moment, Bu Xian Luo completely suppressed!

The people couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes as they saw the red silk curtain lifted, revealing a big golden signboard on the door: Yi Bao Xuan!

“Yi Bao Xuan, does the name mean jewelry seller?”

“But they can choose to open the restaurant across from the Bu Xian Luo at this time. No matter how I look at it, it looks like a tea shop.”

“Who said anything good. Isn’t it open for business now? Let’s go in and take a look.” Wu Minzhi was naturally invited as well. When he saw Qi Ming standing at the entrance of Yi Bao Xuan, he was keenly aware of the coldness in his eyes and could not help but step forward and ask, “Why is Mister Qi here? I assume you’ve also received a post from Bu Xian Luo. Let’s go in together and have a cup of tea.” Qi Ming regained his senses and greeted Wu Minzhi. “Greetings, Chief Wu. There’s no need for tea. I’ve just opened my Yi Bao Xuan and have a lot of work to do. Now, if you come to Yi Bao Xuan to buy clothes and jewelry, I will give you the best Longjing Tea. If Chief Wu is interested, you can come and choose one or two pieces for your wife, and the clothes in here are no worse than those in Ni Yun Fang.”

Wu Minzhi’s eyes lit up, and he handed the post to someone else. He walked into Yi Bao Xuan and said, “Mister Qi’s clothes and accessories are really gorgeous. However, I heard that the embroidery skill of the small owners of Ni Yun Fang is unparalleled in the world, which is hard for ordinary people to compare.”

“Her embroidery skills are indeed good, but she taught everything she knew without holding back. Her reputation has earned a lot, which has left her with quite a bit of harm. The female embroiderers that I’ve found are no worse than the small owners of Ni Yun Fang. I have full confidence in this.”

“Isn’t Mister Qi in the salt business? Why do you want to set up Yi Bao Xuan? “

Qi Ming laughed heartily and purposely started a conversation, “It’s just for fun. I can’t make it to the stage. I’ve let Chief Wu laugh.”

Seeing this, Wu Minzhi didn’t pursue the matter any further. Instead, he selected several clothes solemnly and brought them back to the residence.

In the following time, Qi Ming spent money like water. He said to buy things from Yi Bao Xuan to get Longjing tea. He really did not hesitate to send it out at any cost, which affected the business of Bu Xian Luo.

Later on, rumors began to spread that the First Prince, behind Qi Ming, was dissatisfied with Ni Yun Fang, and the reason was that Cai Yue Pavilion had been sealed off and had an unexplained relationship with it.

The First Prince wooed Cai Yue Pavilion and was very likely to have Cai Yue Pavilion in his pocket, which will make him wonder how convenient it will be for him. However, who would have thought that Cai Yue Pavilion was involved with Ni Yun Fang. After helping to teach the embroidery needle technique, they had angered the Emperor and had even given the order to seal Cai Yue Pavilion.

As a result, the First Prince was naturally furious at Ni Yun Fang. Since they can’t display the Emperor’s golden signboard publicly, he had someone open a shop to suppress it. Rumor said that a treasure shop had opened the opposite of Ni Yun Fang in Jingling City, and the business was extremely flourishing.

Wu Minzhi sat at the head of the table, while the Cao family and Wei family sat below in the parlor. Wu Minzhi put down the teacup and said slowly, “Brother Cao, Brother Wei, I believe you know a little about why the two of you have invited to come here. The person sent by the Emperor to inspect the salt tax is the Governor of Liangjiang, Li Yuanyi. He is the cousin of the First Prince and belongs to the First Prince’s faction. There’s bound to be turmoil in Jiangnan. If we don’t get a pulse, we might be the ones to fall the next moment.”

“Brother Wu’s words are reasonable. However, we do not have much of a plan for what we should do.”

Wu Minzhi thought for a moment. “What do you think about this guy, Qi Ming?”

They all knew about Qi Ming’s actions in the past few days, and their thoughts varied: “That peony brought up by Qi Ming definitely isn’t an ordinary plant. To be able to find such a flower, it proves that he has a wide range of sources and that his skill and financial resources should not look down on.”

“After that, he set up Yi Bao Xuan, and in the past few days, he spent no less than several hundred thousand taels of silver. He seemed to be uninhibited and unrestrained. But in reality, he was extremely meticulous and had a goal in mind. Even the shopkeeper Bu Xian Luo suffered a loss in his hand. We had never heard of such a style before. It could be something that revealed after being nurtured by a large family.”

Wu Minzhi frowned, “I already have doubts in my heart. The timing of his appearance is a bit too coincidental. We have just received the news that the person who came to check the salt tax is Li Yuanyi, and he immediately sent us a greeting card afterward. The next move, quite a bit public, and it seemed that they didn’t care to hide. They are looking at us with eyes that are not lacking in contempt. The backers behind them are likely greatly respected. “

“Listening to Brother Wu’s words, we all felt increasingly uncertain. Could it be that this guy, Qi Ming, was sent by that person?”

Although he did not say it explicitly, everyone present understood that the person he was referring to was the First Prince, Ling Wang, who was in the Capital.

Wu Minzhi was silent for a moment. “No matter what, we have to deal with him carefully. If he really is the one who sent him here, we might have to rely on him. there is nothing wrong with being careful.”

“Brother Wu’s words are reasonable. Please give me your guidance on what to do next.”

“We should observe Qi Ming carefully, let’s people hold on a little bit, and don’t conflict with him. In addition, we can send some people to divulge more or less about the salt tax matter, as long as it does not involve us. That way, even if something really happened in the end, we can only say that there was no proof, and we could not find any evidence.”

“Alright, I’ll get someone to do it immediately.” Wu Minzhi nodded his head and said solemnly, “Because of the heavy snow during the winter and the volatile price of the salt before, we have accumulated a lot of salt. Besides, we have a slight deficit in salt tax earlier, so we need to find ways to make up for it. All the silver comes and goes. We can’t figure out Li Yuanyi’s style of conduct, and we don’t know how many benefits we’ll be able to get from him. It also takes a lot of silver to test and manage the goods. Therefore, it is peculiarly necessary to hide the privates’ stuff in our hands with the help of the name of official salt this time. We must not make any mistakes and secure that nothing happens. Otherwise, we’ll probably suffer a huge loss this time.”

“We hadn’t transported out a large amount of our private salt, and we also had a large amount of silver in our hands. A lot less salt tax had been paid before, so when Li Yuan came to investigate it, he could see at a glance that there was a flaw in it. As a result, we needed to take out some silver to make up for it.” The salt merchants were wealthy, but the silver was not endless. He was very distressed when he spent a large amount of silver in his hand. After thinking about it, he came up with a good idea. He used the name of the government to purchase a large amount of salt, then this batch of official salt accidentally sunk the ship during the transportation, and the salt disappeared in the water without a trace. He can use the silver that was in deficit in the name of purchasing salt. The silver had spent, and the salt had converted, so it was a good deal. As for the actual situation, who could go into the river and check it out?

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Incurable Chapter 5 Part 2

At noon, after his shift, Liu Qianxiu went to the security office and requested the surveillance footage from the past two days.

The bushes by the hospital entrance saw little foot traffic. Cars, though, were always parked nearby.

The video played. Liu Qianxiu fast-forwarded.

When a figure appeared, he clicked once and stopped.

On the screen, a woman with long limbs and an easy, clean silhouette stood before the bushes. She bent down and reached in. When she straightened again, there was a small, furry bundle in her arms.

She looked awkward holding it, like someone trying not to crush something fragile. She spoke briefly to another woman beside her, then lifted her head and glanced in the direction of the camera before walking out of frame.

The feed shifted angles.

Light and shadow moved across the screen. In the dim reflection, Liu Qianxiu’s features looked deeper, farther away than they should have, as if the camera couldn’t capture him either. His gaze stayed on the frozen image, eyes reflecting the screen’s glow, still and quiet like a deep pond.

The security guard leaned in, took a look, and then, clearly distracted by the woman’s looks, tried to steer himself back to a safer topic.

“What’s she holding? Kittens?” he asked. “Strays, probably. That lady’s got a kind heart. They’re really small, though. Hard to raise. Not sure they’ll make it.”

Liu Qianxiu stood, thanked him, and walked out.

Mu Wan got Liu Qianxiu’s call just as she was lowered off the wire rig.

After days of rain, the air was thick with heat, sunlight steaming it into a damp burn. Mu Wan stood in the shade near an old city wall, dressed in a male costume for a period drama. Sweat had flushed her face red.

“Hello,” she said.

Her forehead itched. She scratched lightly, and sweat slid down her fingers.

“This is Liu Qianxiu.”

His voice was the same as ever, deep and cool, like spring water running over stone.

It was unexpected.

It was Monday. He was back at the hospital today. Mu Wan remembered telling Lin Wei she’d treat him to a meal to apologize once he returned, but filming had swallowed her whole. She’d forgotten.

“You’re back,” Mu Wan said, polite and warm. She crouched slightly, the heat trapped inside the costume rising against her skin. Her smile held steady. “I’m really sorry about last time, and thank you. My wound’s healed. If you’re free after work today, let me buy you dinner.”

“No,” he said.

Simple. Clean. No room for negotiation.

Mu Wan’s smile tightened, like a cloud drawing itself in. Her tone stayed bright anyway.

“Then why are you calling me?”

In his office, it was quiet. Only the crisp sound of paper shifting. On his desk, an ambulance record lifted at one corner as the air conditioning breathed over it. He spoke with the same calm, steady restraint.

“I want the cats.”

Mu Wan understood immediately.

He’d been close to the calico. He probably knew it’d been pregnant. He came back from leave, found the calico dead, pulled the footage, and saw Mu Wan take the kittens.

But the first time they met, she’d asked if the calico was his. He’d said no—a stray.

So what right did he have to claim her kittens?

Mu Wan pressed her tongue to her teeth and smiled, lazy and unbothered.

“Oh?” she said. “Which one?”

Her voice changed when she teased. It opened slowly, like a flower uncurling petal by petal, releasing something warm and unmistakably feminine. For a second, she became that “cat” again.

Her voice overlapped with memory, the corridor, the heat of a drunk body pressing into him, slender arms tightening, the sweet burn of alcohol in the air.

She’d forgotten.

He hadn’t.

The air conditioning finally flipped a page on his desk. Thin white paper, a printed form. Name, phone number, address.

Liu Qianxiu did not answer.

On Mu Wan’s end, someone called for the next shot. Her attention snapped back to the set. Her voice returned to normal, professional.

“Sorry, Doctor Liu. The cats are mine. I can’t give them to you. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back to work.”

She hung up.

That afternoon, the nurses’ conversation had already moved on. Taobao’s mid-year sale. What was worth buying, what wasn’t. No one mentioned the calico again.

After a brief sigh, the dead cat faded from the hospital’s memory like frost falling off a branch, silent and gone.

Liu Qianxiu finished a surgery, signed off, and left work on time.

His car merged into the evening traffic, disappearing into the flow.

The sky had cleared that morning. The asphalt, baked all day, gave off dry heat. The patches of dirt, only half-dried, stayed dark brown, sprouting weeds that looked stubbornly alive under the shade of the triangular maple trees.

Compared to Nanfeng Apartments, this neighborhood was old and worn. Sunlight filtered cleanly through the treetops and landed on stained walls, making the whole place feel weathered, like a story that had lasted too long. Utility poles stood close to the buildings. Wires ran straight and messy across the rough exterior, linking one block to the next. Occasionally, a bird perched on an antenna strung between two buildings.

Liu Qianxiu walked into the first building of the second row.

The stairwell was dim and narrow, still holding the damp smell of rain that hadn’t fully dried. White paint flaked off the handrail. Rust freckled the metal like spots on a quail egg.

The building was old enough to creak with history. The entrance opened straight to the stairs. Beside the staircase was a basement door, dark and quiet, with junk piled nearby. The steps were low and smooth from countless feet.

A small window sat on the landing between floors. Rain had washed the glass clean. Sunlight poured in, cutting the ground into strange, bright shapes.

When Liu Qianxiu reached the landing between the second and third floors, he heard a door open.

He paused and looked up.

Mu Wan stood on the stairs above. She wore a green halter top and denim shorts, her long hair tied up, revealing pale, straight collarbones. Her neck was long, her face small and vivid. Her brows were slightly drawn as if she’d been worried, but when she saw him, the tension eased a little.

He stood with the light behind him, cold-white skin and deep features sharpened by shadow. In this cramped, shabby stairwell, he looked like fine porcelain buried in a shipwreck, only one corner exposed to light, yet impossible to mistake for anything ordinary.

Mu Wan looked down at him. Her red lips parted, and her voice echoed faintly in the stairwell.

“Doctor Liu, are you here for me?”

He didn’t answer her question.

His gaze locked onto her arms.

A blue-green blanket was bundled against her chest. Inside it, a black-and-white kitten, tiny and limp.

“What’s wrong with it?” Liu Qianxiu asked.

Mu Wan looked down at the bundle in her arms.

Inside the blue-green blanket, Zhong Fen lay limp, too quiet for something that small.

“It’s not doing well.”

The author has something to say:
Mu Wan: Oh? Which one do you want?
Liu Daochang: The unbehaved one.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 5 Part 2

Incurable Chapter 5 Part 1

Before heading home, Mu Wan and Lin Wei detoured to a pet shop.

It was Mu Wan’s first time raising kittens. She knew nothing. The clerk was enthusiastic, recommending one item after another, and Mu Wan nodded along. By the time she realized how far it had gone, she’d bought two full cartons.

While the staff helped Lin Wei carry everything out to the car and lock it in, Mu Wan stayed at the counter to pay. Lin Wei leaned on the register with her arms folded under her chin, watching Mu Wan swipe her card with a sigh full of emotion.

“You’re not even married yet, and you’re already a mom.”

The cashier was a young girl. She laughed. “That’s not unusual at all. Everyone who works here has cats.”

“You like them that much?” Lin Wei asked.

“We do.” The girl’s eyes lit up, as if she could already see the future. “Your kittens are still small now, but once they grow up, you’ll come home, open the door, and they’ll be sitting there waiting for you. They’ll meow like crazy to welcome you back. And with pets around, you won’t feel lonely anymore.”

“My three aren’t growing up anytime soon,” Mu Wan said, smiling politely.

She tried to imagine it, three cats lined up at the door, waiting for her, acting like she mattered enough to be missed. The picture felt strangely unreal. She’d gone too long without being anyone’s “waited for.” And right now, she was still in a daze from the whole situation, holding three lives in her hands and pretending she knew what to do.

“Cats grow fast,” the clerk said. “In less than two months, they’ll be running all over the place.”

Mu Wan took the receipt, thanked her, and got into the car with Lin Wei.

After Lin Wei dropped her off, Lin Wei was called away by someone from her studio. Mu Wan brought the kittens inside and set them on the sofa. She tore open the boxes, pulled out the tiny cat bed, mixed goat milk formula, and settled the kittens as best she could.

Once they were tucked in, she went into the bathroom.

Two days away had not made the mess disappear. It only made it uglier.

The water on the floor had dried, leaving behind stubborn stains where blood had mixed with it. Mu Wan lived alone. Even if an ambulance took her away, even if the wound healed, the chaos at home would still be waiting for her. No one would clean it but her.

She turned on the faucet and aimed the stream at the floor. The water came out hard and fast, slapping against the tile with loud, sharp sounds.

And through all that noise, she heard it.

A soft, babyish meow.

Mu Wan turned the faucet off instantly.

The last drops fell, nearly silent.

“Meow.”

This time she heard it clearly.

Her chest tightened as if something had overturned inside her. She rushed out of the bathroom.

She had put the kittens in her bedroom, in the corner by the foot of her bed. They were so small that even the smallest cat bed still looked huge, like a universe. Three fluffy little bodies lay inside it like three tiny stars, warm and trembling.

Their eyes were still sealed shut. Hearing Mu Wan’s footsteps, they lifted their heads blindly, tiny pink paw pads pressing against each other as they climbed over one another, searching for something they could not name.

Mu Wan grabbed the bottle, the one filled with goat milk formula, and brought it over. The little ones had just eaten, yet the moment the nipple touched their mouths, they latched on again, sucking with frantic determination.

Is this too much?

Mu Wan hesitated and pulled the nipple away.

Instant protest.

Three tiny voices rose at once, meowing helplessly, bodies wriggling and scrambling upward in outrage, as if she’d committed a crime.

Mu Wan panicked and put the nipple back.

By the time it was over, she was a mess. At first, she crouched, trying to stay composed. Then she gave up and sat on the floor. The tiles were cool against her legs, but sweat had still soaked her.

The three kittens were littermates, but none of them looked alike. One was orange, one was orange-and-white, and one was black-and-white. The orange one had a big head and a sturdier build, clearly the boldest. The orange-and-white one was mostly white, with only two orange spots along its back and tail. The black-and-white one had a pattern that split down its forehead like a neat center part.

Mu Wan stared at them, then did what exhausted people always do when they need to pretend they’re in control.

She named them.

The big-headed one became Da Tou. The orange-and-white one became Er Tong. The center-parted one became Zhong Fen.

After feeding them, she put the bottle away. Their bellies were round now, full and soft. They lay in the bed and meowed upward like they were still negotiating for more.

Mu Wan slid her hand into the bed.

The kittens sniffed her first, slow and careful. Then, one by one, they eased their tiny heads down onto her fingers, as if her hand was a pillow made specifically for them.

They fell asleep.

Her hand rested inside the bed, surrounded by softness. Three small heads pressed into her palm, warm as breath.

Outside the window, the light brightened. The weather had finally cleared. And somewhere deep in Mu Wan, something quiet began to grow.

She looked down at them, and the pet shop clerk’s words returned to her. The image of three cats waiting at the door, lined up just for her, suddenly had weight. Suddenly, it had shape.

They were like her in ways she didn’t want to admit.

Born without a father.

Left alone after their mother was gone.

Mu Wan’s fingers moved slightly, her lashes trembling.

“But you’re luckier than I am,” she murmured. “I had nothing. You have each other, and you have me.”

She paused, and the word came out with a self-mocking softness.

“Your stepmother.”

She laughed first, because it was easier than letting the feeling settle too deeply.

On Monday, the moment Liu Qianxiu arrived at his office, a young nurse reported in, careful but curious.

“Doctor Liu, the calico you feed sometimes died a few days ago.”

The pen in his hand paused.

He lifted his eyes. “How?”

“Hit by a car,” the nurse said with a sigh. “The head nurse mentioned it. She also said the calico had a litter. She planned to take the kittens home after her shift and find people to adopt them, but when she went over, they were already gone.”

The nurse’s worry gathered quickly, as if she couldn’t stop herself.

“Do you think someone took them? Newborn kittens are hard to keep alive. If they were adopted, that’s one thing, but I’ve seen news about people who look for kittens just to hurt them…”

Liu Qianxiu closed the file in his hands, expression unchanged.

“Prepare for surgery,” he said.

The nurse blinked, snapped back into work mode, and hurried after him. She’d assumed he would be upset. He fed that calico often. But from the moment she said the cat was dead, his face hadn’t moved at all.

Maybe the nickname “Daoist Liu” really fits. Detached. Calm. As if loss didn’t touch him.

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Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 197

~ YUE WANG, WHO JUST CAME OUT OF THE BATH ~ 

 
Liu Liang replied, “I heard from him that we had contacted the craftsman, but we are short of some new jewelry patterns.” 

Mu Yunyao slightly lowered her gaze. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Since that’s the case, then let’s let him open up two houses first, one being in the JinglingCity while the other is in Yangzhou City. I will have Shopkeeper Qin send some people in Bu Xian Luo to help him stabilize his position. We must spread our reputation first, regardless of how much money we spend.” 

“Yes, I will immediately send someone to tell Qi Ming.”

“Alright.”

After Liu Liang left, Mu Yunyao quietly sat there for a while before she got up and went to meet Yue Wang. Mu Yunyao’s heart skipped a beat when she saw his appearance. At this time, it was likely that Yue Wang had just finished bathing. His light blue robe caused the cold aura around his body to abate quite a bit. His dark hair spread out, part of his hair was fixed on the top of his head by a white jade crow, and some of it was scattered around his ears, softening the cold light in his ink-black eyes, making him look even more handsome. “Why are you looking for me so late?” They had just met in the afternoon. He thought that Mu Yunyao would be fine, so he took a bath and changed clothes early to rest. Unexpectedly, he heard from steward Qin that Mu Yunyao had arrived. He hastened to clean it up and rushed over, so he didn’t even have time to dry his hair.

Mu Yunyao stood up, feeling a bit nervous in her heart. She was too rushed just now and had forgotten to pay attention to the time. “I’ve disturbed Fourth Master. My matters aren’t too urgent. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” As she spoke, she stood up and left with her head lowered.

“Since you’ve come, if you don’t say anything, you make me worry for you.” Yue Wang sat behind the table and looked indifferently at Mu Yunyao.

If she left now, it became even more apparent that she wanted to cover it up. Mu Yunyao could only stop her steps and say, “It’s some news about Qi Ming. He found out that a large batch of official salt will be transported to the north through Jingling City recently.”

“Is it time to transport the official salt?” Yue Wang obviously also knew the way and felt that something was wrong when he heard it. He gently tapped his finger on the table, and his mind turned quickly.

Mu Yunyao stood in place, but her gaze involuntarily fell on his hair. Perhaps it was because he came in a hurry, but his hair hadn’t dried yet, but now that he sat down, there were water stains on his clothes. Although it was already spring, the night’s weather was still quite cold, which must be extremely uncomfortable.

However, Yue Wang didn’t realize it. “I will get someone to investigate more. It’s impossible to transport a large amount of official salt at this time. There must be a reason that we don’t know about.”

Mu Yunyao steadied her heart. “I was thinking the same thing, but it’s too difficult for Qi Ming to gain the approval of Wu Minzhizhi and his group in such a short time, so I wanted to help him stabilize his foundation as much as possible. It’s impossible to get some confidential information, but I can at least inquire a bit more about it.”

“What do I need to do?”

“I had discussed with Steward Qin before, and if you don’t mind, we’ll open Bu Xian Luo in Yangzhou City and Huai’an City. Now that Yangzhou city is ready, I want to assign some people to help Qi Ming build Yi Bao Xuan.” “Yi Bao Xuan?”

“Yes. If Ni Yun Fang mainly sells clothes, Yi Bao Xuan can sell some jewelry, rouge, and cosmetics, and can also make quite a bit of profit.” Mu Yunyao carefully explained the plan of setting up the Yi Bao Xuan.

After hearing this, Yue Wang couldn’t help but show a different color: “It is indeed an excellent idea to let Yi Bao Xuan climb up the ranks of Ni Yun Fang. No one will be able to link it with you, so this method is feasible. I will instruct Steward Qin to send some people to cooperate with Qi Ming.”

Mu Yunyao heaved a sigh of relief and took out a contract from her sleeve. “I am the leader of this Yi Bao Xuan, so I can’t let Fourth Master waste your efforts. I will give you thirty percent of the profits like Ni Yun Fang. How about it?”

Yue Wang took the written agreement, and after reading it carefully, he shook his head.

Mu Yunyao’s eyes moved slightly, “According to Fourth Master’s opinion, what percentage should I give to you?”

Yue Wang tore the contract: “I am only helping from the side. You don’t have to give me the silver taels. Previously, you were the one who controlled both ginger tea and Bu Xian Luo.”

Bu Xian Lou gradually established its foothold, and more and more news came back. He had already started to profit from this. Not to mention the large amount of ginger tea delivered to Western Guangdong had helped him exceedingly, and it could say that he still owed Mu Yunyao a favor.

Mu Yunyao laughed, “Since that’s the case, then I’ll take advantage of you this time.” Since Yue Wang was so generous, please don’t blame her for being impolite. She had never had anything against real gold and silver.

After talking about the business and taking advantage of it, Mu Yunyao was in a good mood and couldn’t help but kindly remind him, “The weather is cold at night, so Fourth Master should dry his hair as soon as possible. Otherwise, it’s easy for you to get chills. I’ll take my leave first.”

“I’ll send you back.”

“There’s no need. It’s only two steps ….” Mu Yunyao hurriedly refused.

However, Yue Wang had already stood up and lit up a lantern: “Let’s go. It’s dark now. Even if you go alone, I won’t be able to rest at ease.”

Under the candlelight, Yue Wang’s face took on a layer of haziness. His eyes, which were as black as night, also seemed to have a soft glow to them. His exquisite and handsome face seemed as if it carved from heaven.

Mu Yunyao fiercely bit down on her tongue and suppressed the ripples in her heart. She raised her hand to take the lantern in the hands of Yue Wang. “Fourth Master, you should go and dry your hair first. There’s only this little way. I can go back by myself.” With that, without waiting for Yue Wang to speak, she lifted up her skirt and walked out of the study.

Staring at her hastily leaving figure, Yue Wang couldn’t help but twitch his fingers and let out a faint sigh in his heart. He thought that Mu Yunyao had reduced her guard against him, but now it seemed that she was still full of caution.

Steward Qin walked over with a cloth towel in his hand. “Your Highness came in too much of a hurry and forgot to wipe your hair. Did Miss Mu leave?”

“Yes.”

Steward Qin handed the cloth towel with a face full of smiles. “This servant heard that you need to be especially patient in taming the Snow Fox. Because once the Snow Fox caught, you have to be extremely wary....”

“Uncle Qin, it’s getting late. Why don’t you go back and have a rest earlier?”

“Alright, Your Highness est early as well. This drop of water cuts through rocks, the rope saws the wood, the road is long and endless. It’s a long way to go, persevering, and struggling to make a thousand miles....”

“Uncle Qin, the things you’re carrying are too messy. However, it does make sense.”

Steward Qin seemed thrilled, “This old servant will definitely read more books when I return. I will try to recite more accurately next time.”

Yue Wang dried his hair and took out a red rope from his sleeves. Underneath the red rope was a crescent-shaped scented sachet made from twisted colored silk ropes, and underneath the scented sachet were two small silver bells, which shook slightly and jingling. It was very delicate and lovely. When he had pulled off the red rope from Mu Yunyao’s neck, he had actually left something behind. Sometimes he would take it out and shake it, which made his depressed mind would become calmer. Perhaps this was what everyone was referring to as fate.

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 197

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 196

~ KILLING A CHICKEN AS AN EXAMPLE TO A FOX ~ 

 
After taming the Snow Fox, Mu Yunyao felt a sense of novelty. Not only did she personally cook for the Snow Fox, she even trimmed its nails and fur as if she was treating it like a child. 

Yue Wang received the news from Yangzhou City and handed the letter to Mu Yunyao. His gaze swept across the Snow Fox lying on her shoulder, and his brows slightly moved. “The fox is cunning, and you have no defense against it like this. Aren’t you afraid that it’ll attack you while you’re not on guard?” 

Mu Yunyao slightly raised the corner of her mouth and raised her arm. The Snow Fox crawled from her shoulder to her palm, “Didn’t Fourth Master say that the Snow Fox in Western Guangdong has spiritual and extremely protective after being tamed? I think it knows what’s best.”

The Snow Fox licked Mu Yunyao’s fingertips ingratiatingly as it wagged its tail, trying its best to wrap it around her wrist. Its eyes were expressly intelligent.

Yue Wang was a little curious. He had seen other people taming the Snow Fox before but had never seen the tamed Snow Fox being so intimate with his master. “What did you do?”

Mu Yunyao narrowed her eyes, “Killing a chicken as an example to a fox doesn’t count?” She hadn’t taken Snow Fox for a few days of cooking in vain. Although the animal was not smart, it had a keen intuition and knew how to choose the most advantageous option.

Although the smarter the snow fox is, the more difficult it is to tame it. However, he somehow had an inexplicable feeling that Mu Yunyao had a plan, and it seemed like he had picked the right one.

Mu Yunyao raised her hand and put the Snow Fox on her shoulder as she carefully read the letter contents. The Snow Fox was so cute. Seeing she lowers her head, it couldn’t help but lower its head to join in the fun.

The Mistress and the Snow Fox had curved eyebrows and eyes that looked so similar, causing Yue Wang to look at them more than once. He felt as if feathers were gently floating down from his heart, and touching him felt a slight itch, causing his heart to tremble.

“Looks like giving him the peony was quite effective.” Mu Yunyao saw that Yue Wang was still in a daze after she finished speaking. She thought that he was thinking about something, so she couldn’t help but wait quietly at the side.

Yue Wang returned to his senses, involuntarily closed his eyes. The corners of his lips curled up: “This way, our next plan will be much more secure.”

“Yes. Did Fourth Master hear about the people who will send down to check the salt tax?”

“If nothing unexpected happens, it should be Governor Li Yuanyi of Liangjiang.”

“Surnamed Li?” Did the Li family members appear too frequently?

Yue Wang nodded slightly. “Li Yuanyi is a branch of the Li family, and the First Prince’s consort is currently from this branch. In all seriousness, the First Prince should address Li Yuanyi as his cousin.”

Mu Yunyao couldn’t help raising her lips and sighing in his heart. The entire Jiangnan will be bustling with noise and excitement, “The Emperor has sent people to check the salt tax, so it is natural that they want to clean up the salt tax and not let the private salt trade be too rampant. However, if they send all the Li family members to Jiangnan, it would be useless, right?”

Jiangnan had become the domain of the Li family. Why wouldn’t they take the opportunity to rein in the salt merchant and help the First Prince develop his wings?

“Imperial Father’s thoughts is meticulous, and his actions have always had his own rules and regulations. It is too difficult for outsiders to guess what he is thinking, but from the looks of it, Imperial Father should be somewhat dissatisfied with Eldest Brother.”

Mu Yunyao quickly thought of the recently sealed Cai Yue Pavilion. There was a rumor that the First Prince’s men had been active in the Imperial Court, hoping to help Cai Yue Pavilion obtain the Emperor’s reward and recognition. However, the results were not satisfactory.

“Fourth Master, do you know what the Governor of Liangjiang likes?”

Yue Wang was silent for a moment before his eyes moved slightly and flashed with a dark glint: “Beauty!”

Mu Yunyao couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s true. How can there be men that don’t like beauty in this world? Being fond of beauty is much easier. Could Fourth Master lend Miss Ming Yin to me for some time to cultivate?”

“Ming Yin practices the technique of assassination. If you want to use it against Li Yuanyi, I’m afraid the effect will not be too good. I can find someone else to send it to you. “

“There’s no need. I think Miss Ming Yin is an excellent person. Furthermore, with her assassination skills, she can prevent Li Yuanyi from using force to take advantage of her.” With the plan in Mu Yunyao’s mind, she couldn’t help but relax a lot. She placed the Snow Fox on her lap and gently stroked its back.

Seeing Mu Yunyao’s determination, Yue Wang did not try to force it anymore. His gaze fell on the Snow Fox, who was squinting its eyes, “Have you decided what to name it?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet. Do you have any advice for me, Fourth Master?”

“Snow Fox’s body is light, and it is dashing through the snow as if it was flying. How about just calling Taxue?”

Mu Yunyao’s smile was brilliant. I have to say that the name that Yue Wang thought of really fit her heart. The ferret raised by the young lady of the Su family was called Baixue (Snow White), and the fox she had raised was named Taxue (Snow Tread), so wasn’t that the perfect way to express her state of mind?

“Ok. Thank you for giving the name, Fourth Master.”

Not long after Mu Yunyao returned home, Cai Qing walked in, “Your servant greets Miss.”

“Is there something wrong with the person you’re watching?”

“In response to Miss, one of the two midwives watched suddenly caught in a fire last night. She slept soundly at night, and the house was burnt and collapsed. They were unable to escape, causing the entire family to lose their lives. While the other midwife came back from the delivery, she drank a little wine and slipped into the water and drowned.”

Mu Yunyao nodded and indicated to pass the Jin Lan purse on one side.

Cai Qing quickly refused, “Miss, I can’t accept this.”

“Let’s take it. This time I used the children of Ci You Bureau to inquire about the news. I have limited ability, and I could not bring all of them here to live, but with their help, the reward they deserve will not be small. Spring Day has also come, and with these silver taels, you will help them buy some clothes.”

Cai Qing quickly knelt down to thank her: “Thank you for your great kindness, Miss.”

“There’s no need to be like this. It’s just a few taels of silver. In the future, if they find out any useful information, they can send it to Jin Xiu Garden. If it’s useful, then I will give them some reward.”

“Yes.”

In the evening, Liu Liang rushed back with news of Qi Ming. “Mistress. Wu Minzhi and her men are extremely careful. Even after confirming Qi Ming’s identity, they are still wary of him. Qi Ming and her men did not get any useful information. But from other people’s mouths, they can vaguely sense that there will be a large number of official salt was about to go through jingling city via Xijiang River in a few days.”

Mu Yunyao’s heart stirred, “Seeing that the Emperor is about to dispatch people to check the salt tax, there shouldn’t be a large amount of official salt sell at this time.” Every time the salt tax was verified, the salt merchants would reduce the amount of salt sold. After all, at this time, no one dares to do anything with the salt tax, which will increase the cost a lot more than usual.

“It’s just a vaguely heard news, which is not necessarily true.”

“There will be no such news coming out for no reason. Telling Qi Ming to be careful and do not rush to investigate. The more stable this time, the more confused people will be. He should have been preparing for Yi Bao Xuan for some time. How is his preparation?”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 196

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 195

~ A TWO-COLORED FLOWER BLOOMED ~ 

 
He carefully lifted the peony that has half the height of a person onto the ground and gently removed the black silk cloth. Who knew that just as the silk cloth fell off, the peony within the flower pot shook for a moment before the flower bud slowly bloomed. Following that, a refreshing fragrance filled the air, which makes people feel refreshed.

“This… Could this be a flower demon?” 

Many people in the crowd cried out in astonishment. They had seen many peonies before, but this was the first time they had seen such a strange sight. The large flowers unexpectedly bloomed slowly in an instant. The flowers are purple with sweet-scented. People can’t help but admire it at a glance!

Wu Minzhi was shocked. He didn’t believe Qi Ming’s words when he said that the flower had a spirit and could choose their own masters. But now that Wu Minzhi had seen them with his own eyes, he felt that all the precious flowers he had collected were ordinary things. How could they compare to the spirit energy of the peony in front of him?

“Mister Qi’s gift is too valuable. I am truly flattered.”

However, Qi Ming shook his head directly. “Chief Wu, I’m really sorry. This flower didn’t acknowledge you as its master. It seems that there is still a destined person who hasn’t arrived, and I’m sorry that I’ve done so much to disturb you.” As he spoke, he motioned for the servants behind her to cover the peonies and ordered them to put them back in the box.

“Wait!” Wu Minzhi hurriedly stopped the boy in front of the peony flower. For people like him who love flowers like crazy, he finally got such a spiritual peony. It was even more exciting and happy than when he got married. At this time, if Qi Ming took away the peony in front of him, it would be like digging away his heart and liver. “Mister Qi, you can see that this flower blooms as soon as it sees me. Naturally, it proves that I am the one who is destined for it. As you have just said, a famous flower has a spirit and can choose its own master. Doesn’t it prove that it recognizes me as its master?” Wu Minzhi appreciates the peony in front of him. The more he looks at it, the more he thinks it is spiritual and lovely. Even the leaves feel quite different from other peonies.

Qi Ming still shook his head, “Chief Wu, look here....”

“There’s still a flower bud?” Under the shade of peony leaves, there was a flower bud that had yet to bloom. Moreover, its color seemed to be different from the purple peony that was previously open. “This....”

“Do you understand, Boss Wu? Only when two flower buds bloom at the same time will you be able to prove that this peony has taken you as its master. However, this is truly strange. Why is there only one flower bud blooming? Logically, it shouldn’t be?” Qi Ming frowned and puzzled.

However, Wu Minzhi’s eyes shone brightly, “Please wait a moment, Mister Qi. I will immediately call my wife out.”

“Huh?” Qi Ming was a little dumbfounded. People recognize Wu Minzhi for his love of flowers and plants, but he was even more famous for his love for his wife. Qi Ming heard that his wife was his distant cousin, but since she was young, her body was weak, and she has no way to give birth to children after marriage. However, Chief Wu still dotes on her and even doesn’t have a concubine room for her. Many people have sent beauties to Chief Wu. In the end, they had all returned in low spirits. Some of them had even angered him, making him feel rather unhappy.

Not long after that, they saw a delicate beauty that was supported by Wu Min. Her appearance was more refined than a flower, and her actions were as gentle as a willow leaf. They could not help but sigh: such a fragile beauty!

Wu Minzhi’s voice was low as he said, “Madam, this is the peony I’m talking about that it can choose its owner. Just as I stood in front of it, purple flowers were blooming. Let’s see. There was a flower bud left. Maybe it is related to my wife?”

Wu Minzhi’s wife greeted everyone with a voice as loud as a bird’s chirp, “Greeting to all the gentleman.”

“Madam, you are too polite.”

Wu Minzhi led his wife to the peony flower before bowing respectfully at the side, “Greetings, Madam. Please come up and have a look.”

Wu Minzhi’s wife smiled and nodded. She stepped forward and gently brushed away the leaves. Just as she approached, the peony that was initially closed immediately bloomed. For a moment, it was an indispensable beauty.

Wu Minzhi’s wife looked surprised. “This....”

The surrounding people exclaimed, “One purple, one gold, both are the kings of flowers. They are simply a perfect match!”

“That’s right. It’s a two-color flower, and it blooms at this time of year. It’s truly amazing.”

“The world is full of wonders. Today, I have truly gained experience. It turns out that flowers have intelligence as well....”

Wu Minzhi was overjoyed. “I knew this peony was here for you and me. Madam, please take care of your health and accompany me for a long time.”

Qi Ming at the side congratulated him. “It turns out that the owner of this peony plant is a loving couple. It seems like Chief Wu and Madam are its destined people.”

“Thank you, Mister Qi. This gift is too expensive. Please take a seat.”

No one in the hall dared to look down on Qi Ming anymore. He won the gratitude of Chief Wu, and his future is bound to be limitless. Not to mention that he had come from a mysterious background and even had obtained such a precious peony. In a few days, a new generation of salt merchants legend will emerge in Jiangnan.

In Jin Xiu Garden, Mu Yunyao dipped her finger in water and lightly flicked the peony’s petals. The peony unexpectedly bloomed in a flash, causing Jin Lan and Jin Qiao to cry out in alarm, “Miss, how did you do it? It’s really amazing!”

“It’s nothing but adding a little powder. I’ve seen someone who can change the color of the whole peony with just a little bit of water. That’s truly rare!”

Mu Yunyao placed the cup by her side and turned around to look at the dying Snow Fox in the cage. She took some dried meat from the side and passed it over, “Have you made up your mind? Do you want to follow me or starve to death?”

The Snow Fox lifelessly raised its head. Its current fur was dull and lifeless, and its pair of slightly red eyes did not recover the spirit it previously had. Smelling the aroma of dried meat, it involuntarily raised its head to look at Mu Yunyao’s hand. “Wu....”

Mu Yunyao’s eyes flashed with a smile. She opened the cage and took out the Snow Fox, stroking the fur on its back. “This place is no longer Western Guangdong. Even if I release you, you won’t be able to survive here. If you follow me, I will entertain you with delicious food.” The Snow Fox couldn’t understand Mu Yunyao’s words, but it was acutely aware of the trace of killing intent in her words. If the Sow Fox doesn’t let her wish come true, she will end the Sow Fox’s life on the spot. It couldn’t help but tremble and hesitantly turned its body over, revealing its furry belly, allowing Mu Yunyao to stroke its soft belly.

Steward Qin walked in. When he saw this scene, he could not help but exclaim in admiration, “The Snow Fox had tamed!” The belly was Snow Fox’s weakness. If it is not tamed, it will not dare to expose its belly. The smile in Mu Yunyao’s eyes widened. She reached out, tore a small piece of dried meat, and placed it next to the Snow Fox’s mouth. “The dried meat is too hard, so you should eat less. I’ll cook something delicious for you later.”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 195