Chapter 106: Did Shen Mingyue Cut in Line Prematurely?

Xu Yunzhou quietly gazed at the old woman who had already fallen into peaceful deep sleep on the bed.

That thin, cold hand covering the back of his hand had completely loosened its grip, leaving only a light touch akin to attachment.

Extremely lightly and slowly, he withdrew his hand from that warm bond.

The movement was extremely gentle, as if afraid of disturbing a hard-won peaceful sleep.

He slowly stood up, turned to the few people behind him, his voice suppressed very low:

"She's asleep. The emotional fluctuation was too great, she spoke too much, it consumed too much mental energy. Let her have a good sleep."

Xu Xinyi wiped her tears and cast an incomparably grateful glance at Xu Yunzhou.

And so, the four quietly exited the inner room and gently closed the door.

...

Walking back along the quiet corridor they came from.

The atmosphere was somewhat silent, still permeated with that moving and slightly absurd lingering charm from just now.

Before reaching the front hall, Xu Yunzhou suddenly stopped his footsteps, rubbed his nose, and asked in a low voice, somewhat embarrassed:

"By the way, the restroom... where is it?"

He didn't feel it when his emotions were tense just now, but relaxing at this moment, that physiological need suddenly became clear.

Hearing this, Xu Xinyi immediately said:

"Mister, let me take you."

She looked at Lin Ruoxuan and Song Jiaru, adding:

"President Lin, Teacher Song, you can return to the front hall to rest first, or sit in the tearoom. I will bring Mister over shortly."

Lin Ruoxuan nodded:

"Okay."

Song Jiaru also gave an "mhm," but her gaze lingered on Xu Yunzhou's face for an instant seemingly inadvertently.

In that gaze, there seemed to be hidden a tiny bit of undetectable... grievance and resentment?

Big Brother... couldn't be... really going to "follow the dying wish," and with this Miss Xu... wuwuwu... I waited so long, guarded for so long, looked forward eagerly for so long... why hasn't it been my turn yet! Even lining up requires following basic laws, right!

Xu Xinyi deliberately didn't choose the nearest guest restroom, but led Xu Yunzhou through a side door toward the more secluded and private backyard direction.

This was deep in the old mansion, rarely visited by people.

There were finally no outsiders around.

Walking silently for a distance, Xu Xinyi suddenly stopped her footsteps, turned around, and faced Xu Yunzhou.

Under the dim yellow light, her face was somewhat blurry, but her eyes were very clear.

"Mister,"

She spoke, her voice very light, carrying solemnity,

"Just now... thank you for your cooperation."

She lowered her head slightly, her tone sincere:

"It's been a long time... since I saw Great-grandmother so happy, so at ease. That final smile of hers... I might not be able to forget it for my whole life."

Her cheeks seemed to uncontrollably flush slightly red again, but she quickly covered it up with a calm tone:

"You don't need to mind it too much. That was just the old person's... momentary wish and concern, a future she wanted to arrange for me using the safest method in her cognition."

"I won't take it seriously, and you absolutely don't need to have any psychological burden."

She looked at Xu Yunzhou, her eyes even carrying a trace of understanding and consideration:

"I know, this might be very sudden for you, and very... troubling."

Xu Yunzhou looked at her sincere eyes and smiled:

"I understand, you too, don't take it to heart."

Hearing this, a trace of hard-to-catch emotion, mixing relief and... extremely faint disappointment, seemed to flash extremely quickly through the depths of Xu Xinyi's eyes?

But she covered it up very well, just nodded, and restored that capable and proper posture.

Then, she took a half step back.

Opening up a little distance.

Toward Xu Yunzhou, solemnly, deeply, she bent her waist.

The angle of the bow was standard, the posture respectful, carrying a gratitude originating from the bottom of her heart.

"Thank you, Mister."

This bow was for that moment of perfection and tranquility at the end of Great-grandmother's life.

It was for that master-and-disciple friendship spanning nearly a century, drawing a warm period tonight.

Xu Yunzhou waved his hand, his tone more casual:

"No need to be so polite. The restroom is ahead?"

"Yes, follow the corridor forward, just around that corner."

Xu Xinyi straightened up and pointed the direction,

"I will wait for you right outside."

"No need,"

Xu Yunzhou turned around, walking toward the direction she pointed,

"You return to the front hall first, I recognize the way."

"Okay, then Mister please suit yourself."

Xu Xinyi didn't insist further, nodded slightly, turned around, and left along the way they came.

...

Xu Yunzhou turned around and walked toward the direction Xu Xinyi pointed.

His brain was still replaying scene after scene in the inner room just now—Wu Xiuyun's tears, that improvised chosen song, the old person's final peacefully sleeping appearance...

And that outrageous "entrusted marriage" interlude.

He shook his head, pushed open the antique wooden door of the restroom, and walked in.

Backhandedly closed the door.

The restroom wasn't large, but excessively elegant.

Bluestone floor, purple bamboo folding screen, warm water flowing from an antique bronze faucet, a wisp of sandalwood smoke curling up in the corner, looking extremely like the style of a wealthy family in the Republican era.

Xu Yunzhou turned on the faucet, cupped some ice-cold water, and patted it on his face, trying to wash away that bit of inexplicable sense of vicissitudes in his brain.

Looked up.

That face in the mirror, gray Mao suit with a stand-up collar, handsome and clear features, it was just that the look in his eyes... no matter how you look at it, it seems like he just transmigrated back from the Republican era, about to light a cigar in the next second and say something like "Worldly affairs are impermanent, but the mountains and rivers remain."

"Tsk, this acting..."

He pulled a tissue, tearing it casually—

His movement suddenly froze.

In the peripheral vision of the mirror, a touch of light blue appeared behind him.

Xu Yunzhou slowly raised his head.

In the mirror, two meters behind him, a woman was standing silently at some unknown time.

A light blue knee-length dress, the waistline drawn in extremely tightly, outlining a waist that could be grasped with one hand and a curve perky to the point of a foul.

She held her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly, red lips holding a smile, the outer corners of her eyes flying upwards, carrying that kind of coquettishness that naturally hooks souls.

At this moment, she was looking unblinkingly at Xu Yunzhou in the mirror.

Her gaze focused, carrying exploration, and a trace of... playfulness?

This scene...

Inexplicably familiar?

A picture flashed through Xu Yunzhou's mind—the scene when Lin Ruoxuan first saw his "illusory figure" in panic in the mirror of her own bedroom back then.

Could it be that I have also become someone else's nurturing target?

Fuck, what am I thinking!

Now I'm the one being looked at!

Xu Yunzhou instantly turned around, looking vigilantly at the newcomer:

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Before his words fell.

That blue figure moved.

So fast it brought out an afterimage, yet elegantly as if dancing a tango.

Xu Yunzhou only felt a fragrant breeze rush at his face, carrying the sweet and cloying aroma of fully ripe peaches mixed with roses, so sweet it was cloying, yet hooking people's hearts into beating wildly.

The next second—

"Bang!"

His back had solidly crashed into the edge of the washbasin.

"You—"

Xu Yunzhou just wanted to open his mouth to question, but saw the woman before him—Shen Mingyue, he recognized her.

This was that post-00s little flower he quite liked when staying up late binge-watching dramas before, with spiritual acting skills, a pure yet lustful appearance, and a newly promoted TV Queen with extremely high national recognition!

Moreover, in those fragmented future hints, she seemed... to really be one of the targets he needed to "nurture" in the "future"?

What is she trying to do?

Cutting in line prematurely? And even forcing herself on him so aggressively?

Looking at his widened eyes, Shen Mingyue suddenly raised her right leg.

That long leg wrapped under the light blue dress, with beautiful and straight lines, lifted cleanly and neatly, the tip of her foot gently tapping on the wall beside him.

"Smack."

A slight sound.

The skirt hem naturally slid down due to this movement, revealing a section of even whiter thigh skin.

And the tip of her foot stopped at a position slightly above the side of his chest.

Truly good flexibility!

What an oppressive leg kabe-don.

Xu Yunzhou froze completely.

His line of sight uncontrollably followed that foot stepping on the wall upwards—slender ankle, smooth calf lines, further up... he braked his gaze in time, his Adam's apple rolling.

Shen Mingyue raised a slender finger, gently pressed it against her rosy lips, and made a "shush" gesture.

"Shh... Master, if you dare to refuse, dare to run away..."

She paused, her eyes curving into crescents, but explicit threat hidden in her smile,

"In the future, those future hints that the other 'Master' asked me to pass on to you, I will completely not cooperate with oh~"

Xu Yunzhou:

"..."

The corner of his eye twitched.

Another "Master"?

My future self?

This threat... is a fucking precise strike.

He subconsciously wanted to turn his head to look behind Shen Mingyue—is there an illusory figure of his future self watching there too?

Live broadcast?

This isn't very good, is it?

Although that is also myself, it feels so weird!

Also, how exactly do you guys usually address each other?

How did "Master" pop up?

What others call "Teacher," "Mister," "Tyrant," "Big Brother"... although varied, they are all considered normal.

You're directly doing roleplay over here?

My future self plays quite wildly!