Chapter 71: New Leaves Before the Rain

  Seeing Murong Haoze really let go of his hand, Xue Lengyu's heart was delighted, and he quickly withdrew his hand, rolled up his sleeve to take a look, only to see that his originally fair and unblemished wrist had already turned red in one area, slightly swollen. Uncontrollably, anger arose, and he fiercely glared at Murong Haoze.

  I don't even know what kind of deep hatred it is, but somehow they were able to bring themselves to do something so cruel.

  Murong Haoze saw the obvious red swelling on Xue Lengyu's wrist and felt a twinge of regret in his heart. Although he couldn't apologize, he slowed down his tone: "If you had kept your promise, I wouldn't have done this either."

  No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't guess what kind of agreement they had between them. Xue Lengyu originally had a painful grip on her hand and was angry in her heart, so she wanted to turn around and leave.

  Murong Haoze saw Xue Lengyu was about to leave, his heart suddenly anxious, he wanted to reach out and pull her back again. His hand hesitated in mid-air for a moment before he reluctantly withdrew it, saying: "Miss Xue, please stay."

  Xue Lengyu paused, how did Murong Haoze's tone suddenly change to be so polite? Could it be that he really had some kind of deadly leverage in his hands.

  Xue Lengyu stopped in her tracks, seemingly having a change of heart. Mu Rong Haoze hastily said: "Miss Xue, please come to Da He Qian Zhuang for a chat."

  Xue Lengyu turned around and looked at Murong Haoze's face, which was unusually serious. She herself also wanted to figure out what had happened in the past, so she said: "Alright. If Mr. Murong is willing to talk to me calmly, I'm happy to accompany him."

  Murong Haoze's face finally revealed a smile, not that it had any particular meaning, but at least the stiff atmosphere between him and Xue Lengyu was slightly alleviated. Regardless of the actual situation, on the surface, it wasn't as tense as before.

  Xue Lengyu said: "Xiao An, you go to the market and buy some vegetables first, I have something to discuss with Murong Gongzi."

  "Yes." Xiao An replied, feeling a bit uneasy. It wasn't that she was worried about Xue Lengyu and Murong Haoze having something going on between them, but rather because of the intense killing intent she had just witnessed between those two, she was worried that Murong Haoze might not be good for Xue Lengyu.

  "Please." Murong Haoran half-turned around and made a inviting gesture towards the Da He Qian Zhuang.

  Xue Lengyu was about to take a step, Xiao An thought for a moment and finally said: "Miss Xue, do you need me to accompany you? I'm afraid..." If something happened to Xue Lengyu while he was with her, even if it was because of Mu Rong Haoze, Shu Li would not blame him. He was only worried that in the future, he wouldn't be able to mix in at the Wang Manor anymore.

  Xue Lengyu knew what Xiao An was worried about, and smiled: "Don't worry, go to the market and buy some meat dishes for my parents to supplement their nutrition. After you've finished shopping, come back. I'm just discussing some matters with Murong Young Master. If it's evening and I still haven't returned, you can report a missing person at the yamen or the Shuowang Fu."

  Murong Haoze's face darkened, and Xue Lengyu's words were really true. Although he didn't know why Xiao An was following Xue Lengyu, he knew that Xiao An was a person from the Mu Wangfu, and Xue Lengyu, an ordinary civilian woman, could have someone from the royal family serving by her side, which meant that Xue Lengyu and the Mu Wangfu must have had some connection.

  What is the connection, he didn't know, but he also didn't dare to act rashly. The relationship between the Mu Wang Fu and the Murong Fu was intricate, with one loss affecting both, and one honor benefiting both. If Xue Leng Yu had become important enough for the Mu Wang Fu to send someone to serve him, then he really needed to be more cautious.

  Murong Haoze forced a smile: "Miss Xue is joking. Xiao An, you go back first. I just invited Miss Xue to lunch, and someone will send her home in the afternoon."

  Murong Haoze said so, Xiao An slightly relieved, then said: "Then I will withdraw."

  Xiao An left for the market, and Xue Lengyu and Murong Haoze simultaneously retracted their smiles in a tacit understanding. Murong Haoze extended his hand once more: "Please, Miss Xue."

  Xue Lengyu nodded and walked into Da He Qian Zhuang, following Mu Rong Haoze up to the second floor.

  The past Xue Lengyu, and the current Murong Haoze, do not know what kind of bet is on their body. Xue Lengyu couldn't guess at all, but only vaguely felt that this was related to Xue Lengyu leaving the Wang Fu.

  The second floor of Dahe Qianzhuang is the place to receive distinguished guests, as well as Murong Haoxuan's private office. The decoration is different from downstairs, although not luxurious, but it shows that every detail has been carefully considered, and a hint of wealth and nobility can be seen in its simplicity.

  Murong Haoze led Xue Lengyu into a room, which was extremely simple, facing the street, with only a small table placed by the window and two chairs opposite each other. On the table, freshly brewed tea still steamed with heat.

  He carefully closed the door and said, "Please sit down, Miss Xue."

  The negotiations are about to begin, Xue Lengyu smiled and walked to the edge of the table, sitting down casually. Looking at Murong Haoze's expression, it seems that this matter is indeed not to be seen in public, otherwise, with his identity, he wouldn't be so nervous.

  Confirmed that no one was around, Murong Haoze sat down in front of Xue Lengyu, his face calm and serene. He picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea, pushing one cup towards Xue Lengyu: "Yu Shan Xin Ye, this is your favorite tea."

  Xue Lengyu took a sip and puckered, a modern girl who was used to drinking Coke couldn't taste anything special, and said lightly: "Now it's just ordinary."

  "Ordinary?" Murong Haoze slightly raised an eyebrow: "This Yuqian Xinye, is the imperial tribute tea, besides the palace, only our Murong family can drink it. Isn't this the tea you used to love drinking the most?"

  Xue Lengyu, despite her humble origins, somehow possessed an air of nobility. Perhaps it was this that caught the eye of Murong Haoyuan. What she loved most was to be by his side, brewing a pot of new leaves before the rain, quietly waiting. Whether reading books or admiring the scenery.

  And this imperial family's treasured, priceless new leaves before the rain, became Murong Haoran's favor towards her.

  Knowing that the Murong family is wealthy and noble, Xue Lengyuan quietly took another sip: "If there is no love, even the most precious things are ordinary. If it's what's in your heart, even a mouthful of clear water has its own sweetness."

  Murong Haoze did not expect Xue Lengyu to say such a thing, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond. The two sat opposite each other, yet were speechless. Each of them was guessing in their own mind.

  In Murong Haoze's heart, with Xue Lengyu's temperament, if he loved someone, he would love them wholeheartedly, and if he lost them, he would lose them completely, without any regrets. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to that bet in the first place, which ended up getting him kicked out of the mansion. But now, Xue Lengyu seems a bit different somehow. It's hard to put a finger on exactly what's different, but it feels like his words and actions are still firm and unyielding, yet less impulsive and stubborn, with an added hint of rationality.

  That woman who was once impulsive and transparent now seems to be shrouded in an invisible veil. She says she loves what has changed, but it's unclear if there's a deeper meaning behind her words.

  Xue Lengyu didn't know what Murong Haoze was thinking in his heart, she wanted to speak up but didn't know how. Afraid that if she said something wrong, Murong Haoze would notice something unusual and lose the opportunity. Therefore, she could only choose to remain silent, waiting for the other party to speak first, then slowly probe. Even if Murong Haoze had some unseemly handle in Xue Lengyu's hands, once he was discovered to have forgotten everything about his past, then there would no longer be any capital.

  For a moment, the atmosphere was so depressing that it made people feel suffocated.

  A cup of tea was drained, and Mu Rong Hao Ze couldn't help but ask: "What do you want?"

  Xue Lengyu raised an eyebrow, with a hint of a smile, and looked at Murong Haoze, still not speaking. Since he couldn't hold it in anymore, she would just wait a bit longer, and he would naturally say more.

  Murong Haoze felt a inexplicable sense of frustration in his heart, and all along, he had thought that Xue Lengyu was under his control, even though she had something on him. He had taken advantage of her personality and weaknesses, and didn't care about it. But now, he didn't know what to do, otherwise, he, who always prided himself on being calm and composed, wouldn't have suddenly burst out with such strong murderous intent in the middle of the street.

  Murong Haoze's palms were sweating. Since that day, he knew this was a road of no return, but he couldn't help himself. He could imagine what would happen to him, but how could he bear to let her suffer with him?

  Her fingers lightly tapped on the table, Xue Lengyu slowly opened her mouth, choosing her words carefully: "What do you think I want? What are you willing to pay?"

  After hearing Xue Lengyu's words, Murong Haoyue was even more convinced of his own speculation. The woman who had once been unwilling to compromise for love had changed now. A cold smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth. Did she want money? That was easy to arrange.

  For him, problems that can be solved with money are not problems. Even if Xue Lengyu opens her mouth wide and asks for more, how much more will she dare to ask?

  Murong Haoze said coldly, "If the new leaves of Yushan are no longer your favorite, then what you want is nothing but wealth. And I'll pay it out, so why bother asking knowingly. But I'll do my best anyway."

  Murong Haoze said that he would do his best, and Xue Lengyu listened, her heart involuntarily secretly shocked. This sentence came out of his mouth, and it was undoubtedly clear that the weight of this secret had been spoken. A secret willing to make Murong Haoze pay everything.

  Xue Lengyu said: "If so, I don't want the money."

  "What do you want?" asked Murong Haoze.

  It's free, which makes it troublesome.

  Xue Lengyu said: "I don't like the rumors between us."

  Xue Lengyu firmly believed that there was nothing between her and Murong Haoze. Not even a hint of ambiguity existed.

  "Do you want to back out?" Mu Rong Hao Ze furrowed his brow.

  "It's not that it can't be done." Xue Lengyu thought for a moment, then said: "I only have one request. For you, it shouldn't be excessive."

  "Let's hear it." Murong Haoze poured himself another cup of tea.

  Xue Lengyu sipped the rainfront new leaf tea that was not suitable for her taste and said, "Mu Rong young master, you should also be able to notice that I am different from before. In these few days after leaving Mu Rong's residence, I have thought a lot and understood many things. So, this rainfront new leaf tea, I no longer like drinking it, and some things that I used to care about, I no longer care about."

  It's on shelves now! Thanks for everyone's support along the way, I'll work hard to reach 7,000 this month. If you have any votes or whatever, come and get it...