Chapter 258: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 258: The First Heartbeat - Zhen'er’s Request (Part 2)
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At this moment, Xiao Ruiyuan was thoroughly enjoying teasing the little furball. However, in a few years, he would deeply regret his actions today.
When Mo Yan walked into the hall with a tray of tea, she was struck by the man’s smile, everything else fading into the background. Only his breathtakingly beautiful smile remained.
“Aowu—” The little furball, seeing its gentle owner, scratched at the air, seeking rescue. However, its owner, entranced by beauty, didn’t notice it at all.
Xiao Ruiyuan looked up to find Mo Yan staring at him in a daze.
Why was she looking at him like this? Didn’t she not want to see him? Would she think he was childish and mock him in her heart?
His mind was a mess, and he didn’t notice the struggling furball in his hand. As his grip loosened, the furball fell to the ground with a thud, landing face first.
The little furball, feeling wronged, got up and whimpered as it walked toward Mo Yan, seeking the comfort of its owner’s embrace.
Mo Yan snapped out of her daze, quickly set the tray on the table, and gently picked up the furball, softly comforting it. Throughout the process, she didn’t dare to look at Xiao Ruiyuan, suppressing the sudden flutter in her heart.
Both were afraid of being looked down upon by the other, yet their thoughts were on completely different wavelengths. The atmosphere became awkward once again, the room silent except for the soft mewling of the furball.
As the tension eased, Xiao Ruiyuan looked up to see the woman tenderly soothing the frightened tiger cub, her serene profile like a lively painting. His gaze softened, and his previously restless heart calmed.
Mo Yan’s initial flutter gradually subsided. Seeing the little tiger cub asleep in her arms, she smiled and finally dared to meet Xiao Ruiyuan’s eyes, missing the tenderness in his.
“Lord Xiao, did you come here specifically about the moldy rice issue?”
Xiao Ruiyuan’s gentleness vanished, and he nodded expressionlessly. He wouldn’t tell her that he came just to see her.
Mo Yan, noticing this, casually asked, “Lord Xiao, what are your thoughts on the moldy rice issue?”
Xiao Ruiyuan’s expression changed slightly. “Are you very concerned about this matter?”
Being experienced in officialdom, he could sense the careful probing beneath her words. He didn’t mind, but her excessive caution annoyed him.
“Yes.”
Mo Yan looked at him seriously, openly admitting her concern, though the slight tremor in her hand betrayed her nervousness.
Xiao Ruiyuan stared deeply at Mo Yan, as if trying to see into her heart through her eyes. “Why?”
From what he knew of her, if she was just worried about buying moldy rice, she wouldn’t have written to him asking for an investigation. That letter was likely a form of test as well.
Mo Yan’s face showed a bitter smile. She pointed to her own face and said, “If I told you that my current sickly appearance is due to the moldy rice, would you believe me, Lord Xiao?”
Xiao Ruiyuan’s heart tightened, sensing the conversation was about to get complicated. “I believe you.”
Hearing this, Mo Yan smiled. But that wasn’t enough for her to reveal everything. “Then, what are your thoughts on the moldy rice issue, Lord Xiao?”
Seeing how nervous she was, Xiao Ruiyuan understood the importance of this question to her. He answered earnestly, without any perfunctory tone, “I neither support nor interfere.”
Mo Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a bit more relaxed. “If consuming moldy rice could have very serious consequences, would you expose those who secretly sell it, Lord Xiao?”
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(End of Chapter)
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