CHAPTER 242: CHAPTER 230: EMOTIONS THAT SHOULD NO LONGER EXIST

At this moment, Mu Xian came in from outside holding a few letters, tidying them as he said, "Great General, these letters are from the Duke and—"

He didn’t finish his sentence and immediately froze.

Because when he looked up, he found the two people in the tent sitting intimately together, with Yu Wenye’s hand still resting on Shang Ruyi’s face, gently stroking the corner of her mouth. The atmosphere obviously wasn’t an ordinary one; that tender and ambiguous aura was palpable even with one’s eyes closed.

As soon as she saw him enter, Shang Ruyi immediately turned her face to the side, inadvertently revealing the tips of her ears flushed with heat.

Yu Wenye’s hand, however, awkwardly froze in place. After a while, as if regaining his composure, he glanced at Shang Ruyi and then turned his head to glare.

At that moment, he too felt somewhat bewildered.

Just a moment ago, his reaction from heart to body was unfamiliar and unsettling. He didn’t know why he acted that way, nor why a small gesture from Shang Ruyi could make him feel so out of control. Now, with someone interrupting his unchecked behavior, it didn’t seem like such a bad thing.

Yet, in his heart, there was still a faint trace of anger.

Mu Xian couldn’t help but feel distressed.

He hadn’t expected to walk in on such a scene, especially facing Yu Wenye’s eyes, which were clearly steaming with a hint of anger, making his legs turn weak. He could only stammer, "S-sorry—Young Master, I—"

Yu Wenye exhaled a deep breath before composing himself and asked, "What’s the matter?"

As he spoke, he stood up and walked over.

Mu Xian braced himself and presented the letters in his hand, saying awkwardly, "I just received a few letters forwarded from the post station. Please have a look, Young Master."

Yu Wenye reached out to take them.

But as soon as he extended his hand, he realized his thumb still carried a bit of the soup he had just wiped from Shang Ruyi’s mouth. With a frown, and without thinking, he instinctively brought his thumb to his mouth and licked it.

"...!"

At that, his entire body stiffened.

Not only him, but sitting on the bed, Shang Ruyi also froze upon seeing this scene. Clearly, Yu Wenye’s hand had left her cheek, but for some reason, the area he had touched suddenly felt a peculiar sensation again, especially at the corner of her mouth. It felt tingly and numb, as if his fingertip were still there, making her shiver and heat up all over.

The atmosphere in the tent grew even more tense.

It felt like the next moment, a mere pinprick would shatter the thin paper of the lantern that was only barely holding things together.

But at that moment, Yu Wenye seemed somewhat flustered. He quickly reached out to take the letters, speaking in a deep voice, "We’ll talk outside."

With that, he swiftly walked past Mu Xian, leaving without looking back. Mu Xian also seemed hurried; though he didn’t know what had happened, he felt as though he understood something, simply bowing quickly to Shang Ruyi before turning to follow him out.

Leaving Shang Ruyi alone, sitting on the bed.

Her heart pounding wildly.

Feelings she knew she shouldn’t harbor began to slowly grow and swell amidst her uncontrolled heartbeat at this moment...

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Meanwhile, outside the tent, Yu Wenye seemed to have calmed down.

His expression was normal as he opened and read through each letter. Although he knitted his brows slightly upon reading one, there was no significant emotional shift, and he simply returned all the letters to their envelopes.

Mu Xian stood aside, hoping his recent blunder hadn’t offended the Young Master.

Carefully, he asked, "Young Master, should we now—"

Yu Wenye said, "You can have the men start packing."

Mu Xian widened his eyes, "Are we preparing to return to the capital?"

Yu Wenye replied, "We can leave once the official orders arrive. But for now, we mustn’t act hastily. Pack everything neatly to avoid chaos at that time."

"Yes!"

Overjoyed, Mu Xian was about to turn and pass down the orders.

But after just a few steps, Yu Wenye called him back: "Wait a moment."

Mu Xian quickly stopped and returned to his side, "What else do you instruct, Young Master?"

"..."

Yu Wenye didn’t speak immediately; he only glanced at him, then after a moment, said faintly, "Tonight, you will personally lead a patrol. The entire Huangtu Ridge must be checked."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Mu Xian stood frozen in place like a solidified ice pillar, until he finally came to his senses—what he had done indeed had "consequences."

Dismayed, he muttered, "Yes..."

Drooping his head, he gathered a group of men to patrol in the bitter cold, snowy mountain weather. Looking back at his retreating figure, a faint smile tugged at Yu Wenye’s stern face.

But after the smile, his brows furrowed again.

In truth, he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to "punish" Mu Xian. Mu Xian had always been a close personal soldier since childhood and was the only one in the camp who could enter his tent without first reporting. What Mu Xian did just now was perfectly ordinary.

Why did he feel a fleeting moment of anger, wanting to banish the person far away?

Or rather, was it because he was interrupted?

What did he interrupt?

If Mu Xian hadn’t barged in just now, what would he have done?

Just thinking about this made Yu Wenye suddenly feel his breath quicken, his heart pounding wildly, making him agitated and restless—especially when he remembered how, under his thumb’s caress, Shang Ruyi’s soft, pale lips had regained a touch of color, like plum petals falling in the snow, so vividly captivating, seemingly exuding a faint fragrance...

What would he have done?

Yu Wenye suddenly dared not speculate.

All along, he had meticulously planned his life without allowing any misstep, nor allowing anyone around him to misstep and affect him. So even when marrying this unexpected bride, he had planned and arranged her into his life, not permitting her to become an obstacle.

But now, though she remained within his plans, his heartbeat and emotions had already gone awry.

Unexpectedly, they went awry because of her...

A heat, seemingly of anger, rose from within, prompting Yu Wenye to clench his fist.

He wanted to see how greatly she could disrupt him and whether he possessed the self-control to restore everything to order.

With that thought, as if making a decision, he slowly turned around and walked step by step back to the tent.

Inside, there was a quiet stillness.

Yu Wenye took a deep breath, extended his hand, lifted the tent flap, and entered.