The little girls walked away as they spoke. Mu Xiaowu rubbed the embroidery on his waist and muttered, "It seems that Yan Zhai had something unclean last night. But why didn't I see the old lady they said yesterday? It is said that something happened to my grandson, and it is impossible for her to be a grandmother to show up. Is it because she is physically ill and it is not convenient to see people?"

As he was talking, Mu Crook's voice suddenly rang behind him, "This skirt is quite suitable for you, but it looks like a girl when you wear it."

He spoke casually, but Mu Xiaowu felt moved, walked to the mirror and turned around, taking a look back and forth. The skirt was cut from milky yellow satin, with a few light blue daisies on it, with harmonious colors and bright lines, elegant but luxurious, which is very consistent with her age.

There was a sound of birds outside the house, crisp and tender. Mu Xiaowu pushed the window open a crack, looked at the bright sky, turned to Mu Crooker and said, "I'll go out for a walk and come back later."

"Don't dirty your skirt." After the words fell, the sound of closing the door had already come. Mu Xiaowu jumped and stepped into the bright summer sunshine.

***

The sky after the rain was as clear as a piece of blue paper, with a few thin clouds, as if they were sunburned by the sun, slowly floating in the wind.

Mu Xiaowu wandered around the house aimlessly, and from time to time passed by a few girls, either holding boxes or carrying cages, walking in a hurry, obviously preparing for the evening banquet.

I smelled a scent of flowers in my nose. Mu Xiaowu looked forward, but saw a garden in front of me. Through the arch, I could see a lotus pond. More than a hundred lotus flowers danced lightly in the wind, reflecting the sunshine, as if they were rendered by vermilion red, which looked very beautiful.

Mu Xiaowu walked towards the garden. As soon as he arrived at the door, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from inside, which was Yan Qingcheng.

"The invitation was ordered to be delivered one month in advance, and the birthday hall was well arranged. The food and drinks at the banquet were delivered fresh this morning. I ordered people to check it out, and they were the best ingredients in the season. The houses of the far-far guests were also cleaned up, and I also asked someone to clean up a few more rooms for emergencies. Others such as brocade curtains, couplets, etc. have been prepared long ago. So, what else do you have to worry about?"

"Qingcheng, thanks to your management, Jiayan has been sick for so many days, and I really can't get rid of my father's birthday."

Another voice came. Mu Xiaowu recognized that the owner of the voice was Yan Yuchi's wife Xiangzhen, so he leaned his head to look into the door, but just this glance made her heart, which was still warm just now, cooled her.

Xiangzhen wore a moon-white low-necked gown and a light green pleated skirt underneath. She was not suitable for jewelry or makeup, and she was very elegant. She didn't look like the young lady of a family rich and wealthy family like the Yan family, but she looked like a scholarly lady. However, no matter how low-key she dressed, she still couldn't hide her quiet and gentle temperament.

This temperament is unique to women, and the mixture of weakness and beauty makes anyone who has seen her unable to help but have a desire to protect her.

However, Mu Xiaowu never had this temperament, although she was also a sweet-looking girl, although she was now wearing a delicate and beautiful dress.

Mu Xiaowu suddenly felt a little discouraged. The happiness brought to her by the skirt had already drifted away with a gust of wind. Now, she stood by the yard gate in annoyance, and her heart felt an indescribable feeling.

"How can my mother be safe? I went there once in the middle of the night yesterday, and I didn't have time to see her today." Xiangzhen's voice came again.

"It's much better, you know, her spirit has always been good and bad, and she often speaks unorganizedly, so I don't think she has to take her words too much." Seeing that Xiang Zhen was still frowning, Yan Qingcheng bent down and folded a lotus leaf, covering it on Xiang Zhen's head, and smiled, "Remember when I was a child? In summer, you are afraid of sunlight, so you often ask me to break lotus leaf for you to wear."

Xiangzhen finally had a smile on his voice, "Qingcheng, I don't have brothers and sisters, so I have always treated you as my brother. I have been married to your family for so many years, thanks to you, I don't feel like an outsider. Later, Jiayan... Well, Jiayan also likes you, and he pesters you if you have anything to do... Actually, I am very grateful to you, but... I don't say these words, you understand, right?"

The silence suddenly broke out in the courtyard. This silence aroused Mu Xiaowu's curiosity, but at the same time, an idea came to her mind: she shouldn't have stood here and eavesdropped on the conversation between the two. It was nothing just now, but now it can't.

She herself didn't know why she suddenly thought this way, but now there wasn't much time for her to think about it. She stood on tiptoe, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and was about to leave.

"I... will leave the Yan family after my father's birthday." Yan Qingcheng's words came out, and Mu Xiaowu felt that his tone was very different from what he had just now, as if there were too many heavy and indescribable emotions mixed in it.

She didn't understand, but she seemed to know that a little bit.

"You are leaving? Qingcheng, why are you leaving? Yu Chi often said that the Yan family has many major business and lacks help. You are leaving again, what should your elder brother do?" Xiang Zhen's tone was very anxious.

Yan Qingcheng smiled sadly, "You think of him in everything, but... have you ever thought of me?"

Xiangzhen seemed to be stunned for a moment, "Qingcheng, aren't you happy? This is your home, the home you have lived in since childhood. Are you uncomfortable here?"

Yan Qingcheng glanced at Xiang Zhen, and suddenly turned his gaze to the lotus pond. He stared at the swaying lotus flowers for a while before finally saying, "It has nothing to do with being in the place, but with the people around him."

"People? Are you having a quarrel with Yuchi? I know that his business philosophy is somewhat different. But gentlemen are harmonious but different, let alone you are brothers, so you can't discuss what's going on..."

Xiangzhen's words were interrupted by Yan Qingcheng. He looked at her eyes and his slightly red face reflected in her pupils. After a long time, he finally suppressed the surging waves in his heart. "He is my eldest brother, why can I have a quarrel with him? I just feel that the world outside is big and I don't want to be trapped in this house."

***

"These two people speak softly and confused, and they can't understand."

After running far away, Mu Xiaowu summarized the indescribable feeling in his heart, and also summarized himself in a very insightful way.

But no matter what, she felt much more comfortable now. After running out of sweat, she raised her arms and smelled the smell of sweat on her clothes while walking towards the yard where she lived.

"You have to be fumigated so that you can't be embarrassed at night. Yan Yuchi's eyes are like a knife hiding."

Just as she was thinking, her body was suddenly hit, but before she could see who it was, her wrists were tightly clamped.

"He's here, he's here."

An old woman with hair stared at Mu Xiaowu with her eyes that looked like dried apricots.
Chapter completed!