Mei Lin walked to the window.
Murong Jing He looked irritated and snapped, "Come inside. How can you talk while standing there?"
For some reason, Mei Lin found his irritated expression oddly endearing. Without any trace of annoyance, she walked along the wall to the main house's entrance and pushed the door open. Inside, a curtain separated the rooms. When she wasn’t around, the curtain was always pulled back so that he could see farther.
As Mei Lin entered, Murong Jing He had already turned his head, watching her approach intently. His sharp eyes gleamed with a burning intensity.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Mei Lin didn’t know where to place her hands or feet. It was only after she finally sat down on the edge of the bed that she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"What are you angry about?" Murong Jing He asked, his tone gentle, almost tender.
Tenderness... Mei Lin shivered inwardly, thinking she must be losing her mind. How could she associate tenderness with this man? She remembered that he had been gentle with her before, but that was just an act for Muye Luomei. Now, there was no need for pretense.
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about? Don’t tell me you’re really thinking of marrying that filthy villager?"
His words jolted Mei Lin, and she abruptly looked up, only to see Murong Jing He grinning mockingly. There wasn’t a hint of tenderness in that smile. Strangely, she felt a pang of disappointment. She forced a smile and said, "I’ve already turned him down..." After a pause, she realized how absurd the situation was. Getting upset over something so trivial seemed pointless, so she added, "That Wei fellow is indeed rather disgusting, but if one were just looking for someone reliable to live with, it wouldn’t be worth being too picky..." However, she thought to herself, that man wasn’t just disgusting—he was downright sleazy. Even if she were willing, she wouldn’t be able to accept someone like him.
Murong Jing He had no idea what she was thinking. He only found her smile incredibly irritating. His natural tendency to command and control flared up, and feeling uncomfortable, he coldly interrupted her, "Then why don’t you just go ahead and agree to marry him?"
Mei Lin froze, his sarcastic tone fueling her anger. Combined with the frustration she already felt from the whole situation, her mood darkened further.
"What does it matter to you, Murong Wangye, whether I agree or not?" she retorted, standing up abruptly and heading for the door. She wasn’t usually this hot-tempered, but his words made her feel unusually hurt. She thought it might be best to step away and cool down.
Unexpectedly, Murong Jing He smiled as she got angry.
"Don’t leave. I still have something to say," he said slowly.
Mei Lin looked down at him, seeing the innocent expression on his face. She felt both exasperated and amused. This man was truly impossible—when she tried to talk to him nicely, he would get moody and stubborn, but if she ignored him, he’d act as if nothing had happened. He was... truly someone she couldn’t figure out!
"What is it?" she asked, still a bit annoyed, secretly deciding that if he gave her attitude again, she wouldn’t bother with him anymore.
Murong Jing He had to tilt his head back to look up at her, a position he found uncomfortable. But he didn’t let it show and instead smiled, "I’ve been sitting here too long, and it’s uncomfortable. Help me change positions."
In reality, if Mei Lin went hunting, he would have to sit like this for half the day, but since she was here, he could change positions whenever he wanted.
"Do you want to lie down?" Mei Lin knew he was uncomfortable, so she didn’t argue. She bent over to adjust the pillows behind him while asking.
"Yes, on my side."
Suddenly, Murong Jing He became uncharacteristically obedient. Mei Lin glanced up at him, wondering what he was up to. Just as she was pondering this, she heard him say softly, "You’re my woman."
At that moment, she was holding him by the neck and pulling out the pillows, their heads so close that they could feel each other’s breath. When she heard his words, her movements froze, and then she saw him suddenly turn his head and lightly kiss her lips.
Mei Lin’s mind went blank for a moment. Murong Jing He didn’t rush her. When she finally regained her senses, she found him looking at her with a half-smile, his eyes filled with undeniable seriousness.
A wave of heat rushed up her neck, and she awkwardly turned her face away. She gently laid him down, turning him onto his side to face the room, and propped some clothes behind his back to keep him in that position. She didn’t know how to respond to what he had said, or maybe she even doubted whether she had heard him correctly.
But Murong Jing He didn’t stop there. Once she stood up, he repeated himself slowly.
"You’re my woman. You’re not allowed to marry anyone else but me." His voice was gentle, but the words carried a strong, possessive force that made her heart skip a beat.
Mei Lin’s heart missed a beat as she met his gaze, only to quickly look away, unable to withstand the intensity in his eyes. Her emotions were in turmoil, and it took her a while before she could force out a response, her voice as soft as a whisper.
"I wasn’t planning on marrying anyone else anyway..." As soon as she said it, she realized it sounded like she was agreeing to his unreasonable demand. Embarrassed and flustered, she quickly lowered her head and rushed out of the room, not waiting to see if he had anything else to say.
Murong Jing He watched her flustered retreat, his gaze softening as he chuckled quietly. But then he remembered that insolent Second Wei, and his eyes turned cold, filled with murderous intent.
Mei Lin’s heart was in chaos. Not knowing where to go, and not wanting Murong Jing He to see her like this, she wandered aimlessly until she ended up in the kitchen.
"Useless..." she muttered to herself once her heart finally calmed down. She didn’t realize that her lips had curved into a smile, and the joy was evident in her eyes.
After regaining her composure, she decided to boil some hot water and make tea for the two of them. Holding the water ladle, she found herself thinking of his words again. She bit her lip, torn between wanting to laugh and feeling embarrassed. But as she recalled his expression when he spoke, her heart fluttered, and she blushed, lost in thought.
"He’s such a liar... Can I really take it seriously?" she murmured after a while, trying to snap out of the feelings that made her knees weak. But despite her doubts, the warmth and sweetness in her heart didn’t fade.
Fortunately, she wasn’t the type to dwell on things. Realizing that no matter how much she recalled all the bad things he’d done, she couldn’t stop the feelings his words had stirred in her, she decided not to avoid or overthink it. Perhaps, she thought, this was what people called liking someone.
At that moment, when she reached this conclusion, her chaotic heart suddenly settled.
Liking... so be it.
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