The old man pouted, clearly displeased. "Little Nian Nian, why are you..." The rest of his words were left unsaid.
"So childish!" Yun Shuniang propped herself up with the old man's water ladle, dodging backward before turning and returning inside the house.
The old man looked at Yun Shuniang's retreating back and the water ladle in his hand, sighing with regret.
This little Nian Nian was no fun! Truly no fun!
Mu Qi must have finished eating by now, right? Yun Shuniang lay on the bed, watching the shapes of the wind outside the window.
She couldn't help but think of Mu Qi, but immediately shook her head, trying to banish him from her mind.
"Old man, bring the wine."
"Little Nian Nian, we're supposed to abstain from grains," the old man licked his lips and glanced at the peach tree.
He then went to retrieve his treasured peach blossom wine and walked towards the main hall.
"Hey, Ancestor, drink slowly, I've been hoarding this wine for years!" The old man felt a piece of his heart being dug out as he watched Yun Shuniang drain the wine directly into her mouth.
Yun Shuniang ignored him and finished the entire jar.
"How is it? Little Nian Nian, is this wine good?" The old man poured himself a cup while asking Yun Shuniang.
"It has no taste. Why does it have no taste?"
The old man watched his dear disciple, who then flung the wine jar to the ground and collapsed onto a nearby table.
With a crash, the wine jar shattered into several pieces.
The old man looked at the very expensive wine jar, and another piece of his heart was chipped away.
That wine jar had a history!
The old man bit his lower lip tightly, then picked up the wine from the table and took a sip.
"Why does it have no taste? This damn wine!" Yun Shuniang muttered to herself, prostrate on the table, one hand pounding it.
"Little Nian Nian, my wine is exquisite. It's not that it has no taste, it's just that you drank it too fast."
"I drank it too fast?"
"Yes, don't you believe it? Try drinking another sip slowly?"
"Then why did you ask me?" Yun Shuniang glanced at the old man, as if he were a scoundrel.
The old man: "..."
He regretted asking her.
The old man slowly finished his cup of wine and then carefully put the other jar back under the peach tree.
"Little Nian Nian, go back to your room and sleep." After burying his wine, the old man nudged Yun Shuniang, who was still lying on the table.
Yun Shuniang didn't react. The old man nudged her again. "Little Nian Nian?"
"Don't bother me!" Yun Shuniang slammed her hand on the table, and a corner of the table, which had served the old man for many years, broke off.
The old man's heart ached yet again.
"Let's go back to sleep." The old man helplessly pulled Yun Shuniang up and dragged her towards the bedroom.
However, Yun Shuniang struggled incessantly.
"Let me go."
"Go back to your room and sleep. It's too cold here."
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Yun Shuniang.
"Who are you? Let go of my Little Nian Nian!" The old man looked at the well-dressed man with a fierce gaze, utterly astonished.
In the middle of the night...
"What are you making so much noise about? So annoying!" Yun Shuniang, awakened by the commotion, stood up from behind the man, propping herself up on the table.
She placed her hands on the man's shoulders, trying to push aside this dark human wall.
"Little Nian Nian, be careful." The old man's heart leaped into his throat as he saw Yun Shuniang getting closer to this mysterious man who had suddenly appeared.
However, Yun Shuniang seemed not to hear him. Halfway through pushing, she slumped onto the man's shoulder and fell asleep again.
Fearing that the man might have ill intentions towards Yun Shuniang, the old man immediately grabbed an axe from beside the house and turned to strike the man.
At this moment, the man had already turned towards Yun Shuniang. The old man cried out internally that disaster was imminent, then cried out that heaven was helping him, and swung the axe towards Mu Qi. Su Dan Novel Network.
However, at this moment, Yun Shuniang suddenly rushed in front of the man. Mu Qi turned around, and upon seeing what the old man was holding, he immediately pulled Yun Shuniang back.
The old man's brow twitched, and he dropped the axe straight to the ground.
"You're not allowed to hit my husband." Yun Shuniang, furious, struggled to run towards the man.
Both the man and the old man were stunned by her words.
The former was moved, the latter was shocked.
"You... you are Little Nian Nian's husband?" The old man pointed his trembling finger at the man.
The man did not reply. Facing the agile old man, Mu Qi erected sharp blades and high walls.
"Mu Qi, don't be afraid. This time, I will definitely protect you." The memory of Mu Qi, drenched in blood in her previous life, echoed in Yun Shuniang's mind again.
At this moment, Yun Shuniang's eyes reddened, and she tried to wrench her hands free from Mu Qi's grasp.
"Little Nian Nian, take a closer look. I am your Master!" The old man looked resentfully at the precious disciple he had just taken.
Although Yun Shuniang hadn't recognized him yet, the old man already considered himself her master.
The exasperated master and his beloved disciple perfectly encapsulated the relationship between the old man and Yun Shuniang.
The three were locked in a stalemate.
Until Yun Shuniang, unable to bear it any longer, fell asleep.
Mu Qi gently released Yun Shuniang, then glared ferociously at the old man.
The old man watched the man slowly approach him without any panic.
Seeing how carefully the man handled Yun Shuniang, even though he didn't know if Mu Qi was truly Yun Shuniang's husband, the old man could tell that Mu Qi cared deeply for Yun Shuniang.
Therefore, Yun Shuniang was currently safe.
"You are called Mu Qi?"
Seeing that the man did not respond, the old man continued.
"Little Nian Nian, how could she fall for someone full of malevolent energy."
The man paused at his words.
His fierce aura slightly subsided.
"You know her?" the man asked, his voice cold and wary.
"Of course, I am her Master," the old man said proudly.
The man did not comment, closely watching the old man's every move, standing protectively in front of Yun Shuniang.
Two hours later, the old man and Mu Qi were still guarding Yun Shuniang. Internally, the old man affirmed the man's perseverance.
He then poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of the man, raising the stakes. "You've been standing for so long, you must be tired. Would you like some tea?"
The man stared at the old man, not even glancing at the tea on the table.
The old man inwardly affirmed the man again.
"Kid, don't let my age fool you. Although I live out here in the wilderness, I'm actually very wealthy.
How about this? As long as you leave my disciple, I'll give you as much money as you want."
The old man watched Mu Qi's unmoved face and marveled inwardly. He truly hadn't expected anyone to resist the allure of money.
"How about this, I'll give you ample time to consider. You can come tell me anytime when you've made up your mind." The old man, unwilling to give up, continued to probe.
Little did he know what he would think if he ever learned that the man was the richest man in the capital.
The man's expression remained cold.
The old man: "..."
...
The old man chatted with the man, who remained wary of him, while Yun Shuniang slept.
The three spent the night like this.
It wasn't until dawn, when Yun Shuniang woke up from her hangover, that the stalemate was broken.
"Mu Qi." Yun Shuniang, who had dreamed of Mu Qi all night, slowly woke up, murmuring his name unconsciously. She clenched her small fists, which were resting on the table, and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm here." The man, who had been silent all night, finally spoke.