Mu Qingshuang couldn't believe that her beloved had already arrived in her backyard. Her face was filled with unexpected delight. She suppressed the intense excitement deep within her and spoke to her maid, "Quickly attend to him, and tell all the servants in the mansion that nobody is allowed to step into the backyard. If anyone disobeys, there will be consequences."

"Yes, Madam."

The maid hurriedly complied and was about to leave when Mu Qingshuang's voice came from the inner bedroom.

"Wait! Tell him that I... I'll need half an hour before I can come out to see him. Also, be smart; there are things that shouldn't be said or asked about." Mu Qingshuang emphasized seriously.

"Madam, rest assured, I haven't seen him today," the maid earnestly replied.

Mu Qingshuang smiled gently and said, "Later, go to the account room and collect fifty taels of silver."

"Thank you, Madam!"

After receiving a generous reward, the maid left happily, leaving Mu Qingshuang sitting at the edge of the bed, excited on her own.

Hastily throwing off the covers, revealing her voluptuous figure beneath the loose nightgown, she went to the wardrobe and carefully selected a plain dress. However, she picked one that was slightly smaller, as it best accentuated her curvaceous figure.

".."

"I'm even starting to learn from her," Mu Qingshuang thought to herself. Wearing a slightly tight dress was a trick she had learned from Su Jingyi, that cold but sultry lady. To be honest, it was quite seductive.

Her slender fingers pinched the green ribbon, giving it a gentle tug. As the belt dropped, the sides of her robe suddenly parted, losing contact with her bare shoulders, and with a rustling sound, the robe, along with the belt, fell. She then put on the plain dress, which, however, felt a bit tight.

"I hope it won't burst. It would be so embarrassing if it did," Mu Qingshuang muttered, biting her lip. She then approached the vanity mirror and began to carefully groom herself.

Meanwhile, Lu Xun sat in the pavilion, sipping tea and enjoying pastries. The maid, a young woman who was a rare beauty herself, sat beside him. However, Lu Xun, who had swum in the vast ocean, had already lost his fascination for such small streams.

"When will your mistress come out?" Lu Xun put down his teacup and asked in a hushed tone.

"According to the madam... I-I mean, the young lady will be out in half an hour. She... she might be dressing up," the maid replied respectfully.

Half an hour equated to an hour. It appeared that women from different times and cultures were all the same. Lu Xun licked his lips, picked up the teapot, and refilled his teacup before leisurely sipping the tea. Occasionally, he took a piece of osmanthus cake and indulged in its sweet flavor.

The maid discreetly observed Lu Xun, who had captivated her mistress. She slowly understood why her mistress was smitten. Anyone would be captivated by such a handsome, elegant, and sturdy man, unlike some other young masters who would tumble at the slightest breeze. And crucially, he exuded a hint of rogueness.

After an unknown amount of time, the door to the room was slowly opened, and Mu Qingshuang, beautifully dressed, emerged from the room. With graceful steps, she walked toward the backyard, catching sight of her long-awaited young man from afar. She took a deep breath, slowly and leisurely walking towards the pavilion.

"Madam."

Seeing Mu Qingshuang, the maid respectfully withdrew and left the pavilion to the handsome man and beautiful woman.

Mu Qingshuang sat elegantly beside him without saying much. Extending her dainty hand, she picked up a teapot, poured herself a cup of tea, and then poured him one too. She gently said, "Have you waited long? I woke up to see the words on the spiritual mirror, and then... you were here."

"Not too long," Lu Xun replied with a soft smile. "I'm used to it."

Indeed, he had gotten used to it. The three demonesses around him were never punctual. Even the widely revered Su Jingyi, known as the contemporary fairy, was no exception.

For instance, the little demoness clearly promised to let him rest for the duration of an incense stick burning, but she always appeared before even half of it had burned. The big demoness was the same, and as for the little fox, she'd be clutching snacks in her arms, unwilling to leave until she spent money on something else.

Finally, there was Aunt Su. At first, he thought she would be more punctual, but he soon realized that she was even worse than the three demonesses. She would say she'd snuggle for a moment but end up staying for two hours. His arm even went numb that one time.

"That's true."

"In matters of indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun, the little fox is quite proactive; but otherwise, she's quite lethargic," Mu Qingshuang raised her head and stared directly into his eyes with a gaze filled with tenderness. She asked coyly, "Why did you come to see me?"

"I..."

Facing those affectionate eyes, Lu Xun chose to hold back the words on his lips. He smiled gently and said, "I came for a few things and to see you."

Mu Qingshuang, who was already smitten, automatically ignored the first half of his sentence. Her ears only caught the latter part, and an intense feeling of shyness erupted from within her, coursing through every inch of her body,

He came to see me. This means I already have a small place in his heart. No, let's be bolder; he must have taken a liking to me!

Mu Qingshuang lowered her head, gripping a corner of her skirt tightly, almost crumpling it. Her cheeks were burning, even her breathing became rapid, and her eyes were misty with emotion.

"Actually..."

"I missed you too," Mu Qingshuang said softly, with a shy and alluring expression. She continued, "Each night, the green windows witness wind and rain, does my yearning reach your heart?"

".."

Lu Xun, in the face of the alluring widow's open expression of her heart, suddenly felt a bit powerless. If it were in the past, he would have already embraced her, teaching her how a man behaves when faced with such seduction. However, the numerous mundane matters in his life now felt like shackles, restraining his every move. Even if he had the courage to be reckless, he had to consider how many lives he had.

"These osmanthus cakes are really good. How many did you prepare for me?" Lu Xun picked up a cake, silently enjoying it before gently asking.

Mu Qingshuang froze, feeling a bit disappointed as he seemed to ignore her heartfelt confession. However, she wasn't overly discouraged; perhaps she had been too hasty. After all, over time, their feelings could grow.

"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, so I didn't prepare enough," Mu Qingshuang replied in a tender voice. "Next time, I'll make sure to have enough."

"Alright."

"Then I'll come again next time," Lu Xun put another osmanthus cake into his mouth, then took a sip of tea. He asked, "Can you find a few skilled seamstresses for me?"

"Hmm?"

Mu Qingshuang looked at him with curiosity and asked, "What do you need seamstresses for?"

"They'll make a few pairs of socks for me," Lu Xun replied.

Mu Qingshuang hesitated for a moment and said, a bit timidly, "If you don't mind, I can do it. I'm quite skilled with needlework."

Lu Xun furrowed his brows, feeling a bit skeptical, but considering her as a widow who stayed at home all day, she probably had excellent needlework skills. Perhaps she was the right choice.

"Alright."

Lu Xun took a stack of papers from his pocket and spread them out on the stone table, saying, "These are my sock designs, specially made for women. Called stockings."

Mu Qingshuang looked at the intricate and dazzling designs, feeling a bit overwhelmed. But when she heard that they were for women, she suddenly felt a little uneasy.

So I'll make the socks for him, and then he'll give them to the little fox. What's the difference between this and being a concubine?

"Can you understand them?" Lu Xun looked at her expectantly, whispering.

Mu Qingshuang shook her head with a somewhat aggrieved expression, muttering, "Are these for the little fox?"

"These are for you," Lu Xun smiled and opened the second piece of paper, saying, "These are for the little fox."

Oh! I misunderstood him!

Mu Qingshuang suddenly blushed, filled with embarrassment yet slightly touched within.

"It's a bit daring," Mu Qingshuang said shyly, "But I've never seen such socks before. The sock cuffs reach all the way to the hips. Isn't that a bit too long?"

Long?

I haven't even taken out thigh-high stockings yet!

"Ahem."

"I want this kind of effect," Lu Xun coughed and continued, "In terms of material, I use soft and elastic spider silk from Western Regions to achieve a subtle and seductive visual appeal. It starts from the toes, goes up along the shins, and wraps around the entire thigh."

This...Facing Lu Xun's avant-garde modern art thoughts, the mature and alluring widow was nearly going crazy. She envisioned these long stockings made of Western Regions spider silk, tightly wrapping around her slender legs, and the crucial part was that they were subtly transparent. Wouldn't that reveal everything?

Heavens! This is too embarrassing!

"Is it... too much? Too much against conventional norms?" Liu Xun observed the blushing and flustered widow. He awkwardly added, "I...I'm the kind of person who likes to challenge old ideas, to break free from the constraints of conventional wisdom, and not be confined by societal norms."

Mu Qingshuang was at a loss for words.

"Let's have some tea. I'll put it away." Lu Xun reached out to put away the stockings' design.

However, at that moment, a delicate and fair jade-like hand gently grasped his hand.

"Don't."

"I really like it. I want to wear these...." Mu Qingshuang turned her face to the side, biting her plump red lips, and said with a bit of a whimper.

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