192 Express Your Feelings Honestly

orward and smiled, saying, "Where are you talking about I woke up long ago and walked around the city inside and out. But I didn't see Junwei. Why didn’t he tell me when he had something to do Wouldn'...192. Expressing Affection

192. **Affection

The three Xu family young masters indeed arrived in Ruyang City early the next morning as Feng Zhirao had said. Just by looking at their travel-worn appearance, it was evident that they must have traveled all night long. This made Mo Xiuyao secretly unhappy since he hadn't yet told Ye Li about this news. Why did they rush over for no reason Ela wouldn't run away just because they were here. However, he completely failed to consider the Xu family's overwhelming joy upon learning that Ye Li was still alive. If circumstances had allowed it, they might have brought their entire household to the northwest.

Ye Li was extremely delighted about her three brothers' arrival. Recently, she'd been very idle; both doctors forbade her from handling any official matters, and Mo Xiuyao went even further by not allowing her to do embroidery or needlework either. Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, all she could do was take leisurely walks in the gardens of their residence or occasionally read some books. Ye Li felt that she had never been so idle in both this life and her previous one.

After going through another near-death experience, seeing her family again naturally brought unspoken excitement and joy. "Second Brother, Third Brother… Fifth Brother, you…"

"Elder Sister Li!" The youngest Xu Qingyan couldn't help but show his delight as he moved to grab Ye Li's hand in the usual manner. Mo Xiuyao standing nearby raised his hand to keep them apart and smiled faintly: "Fifth Brother, since Ela is now with child, you must be extra careful."

Huh Xu Qingyan seemed only just to notice that his cousin was no longer as delicate and slender as before. Her shape, though not yet plump, accentuated her swollen abdomen in a way that made him nervous, leaving him at a loss for what to do as he looked pitifully at Ye Li, completely ignoring Mo Xiuyao's strange term of endearment for her. On the other side, Xu Qingze raised his eyebrows and gave Mo Xiuyao a cool look.

Ye Li smiled as she patted Xu Qingyan on the shoulder: "It's been so long, Fifth Brother has grown taller. Let's sit down and chat."

Seeing Ye Li being seated in the main seat by Mo Xiuyao, Xu Qingyan blinked his eyes不甘地眨了下，看了看葉璃，隻得在徐清鋒的下手坐了下來。徐家眾子中他的年紀最小，其他人哪怕是徐清柏都比葉璃大半歲算是哥哥，隻有他纔是葉璃的弟弟。兩人相差也不算多，從小就是一起長大的，與其他哥哥護著葉璃不同，徐清炎卻是從小被葉璃護著的那個，他從不當葉璃是表姐，隻覺得就是親生的姐姐。徐家搬離京城的時候還因為葉璃不能同行而哭鬨不休，差點冇也跟著留在京城了。徐清柏雖然年幼，但是墨修堯的佔有慾他卻絲毫冇有漏過眼底，當場對墨修堯的不滿就成倍的增長了。這個傢夥害得璃姐姐為他做這做那不說，還險些丟了性命，現在什麼意思居然還敢防著小爺？！少年人的報複是可怕的，當場徐清炎就決定了墨修堯不讓他纏著璃姐姐，他偏要纏著璃姐姐！

Of course, Mo Xiuyao also received Xu Qingyan's ill-intentioned provoking gaze. His phoenix-like eyes darkened slightly as he coldly swept a threatening look at Xu Qingyan. Could Xu Qingyan be someone who would be intimidated by just one glance He raised his eyebrows and gave Mo Xiuyao a toothy grin.

This side was engaged in a fierce battle of gazes, while Ye Li and Xu Qingze as well as Xu Qingfeng were having a pleasant conversation. Ye Li looked at the much more composed Xu Qingfeng after not seeing him for some time, and asked curiously, "Why are my second brother, third brother, and fifth younger brother all together"

Xu Qingfeng laughed brightly and said, "I was originally in Northwest. As for Little Five, when I heard about the trouble you got into back then, he left home overnight heading north but got lost on his way south. Happily enough, I found him and brought him to Northwest." What Xu Qingfeng did not mention was that he had spent a couple of months around Hongzhou with Xu Qingyan in hopes of finding Ye Li.

Eventually, they met up with Xu Qingze who was heading for his new post in Hongzhou, and the three brothers were reunited. However, it wasn't appropriate to let outsiders know about their whereabouts, so even Xu Qingze didn’t mention them to Mo Xiuyao. During those months when Mo Xiuyao was preoccupied with worries, he naturally did not pay attention to such matters.

Ye Li frowned and said, "Isn't the third brother in the army" Given Xu Qingfeng's special status, it would be impossible for him to leave without attracting notice from above. This led Ye Li to suspect that Xu Qingfeng had deserted. Xu Qingfeng waved his hand and chuckled, "The Emperor isn’t really intending our XU family to produce another military general; I simply said that Little Five left home, so after a few days, he approved it." Ye Li felt somewhat apologetic. She knew that Xu Qingfeng must have faced much rejection in the army, not just because of his status as a member of the Xu family but also due to his relation with Princess Consort Ding.

"How are Grandfather and Uncle" Ye Li asked anxiously. The secret agents naturally reported back such information, but nothing could replace hearing it from her relatives.

Xu Qingze said calmly, "There's a war happening in Southwest now; the fourth brother has been recalled to the capital. Great-Uncle’s intention is for him and Father to seize an opportunity to resign and retire, but the Emperor might not agree. Grandfather and father are fine, as for my eldest brother…" Xu Qingze frowned and said, "He only sent a message saying he's in the south, but we don't know exactly where or what he’s doing." The movements of the Dustless Scholar were so unpredictable that even the secret agents and Tianyi Pavilion might not be able to locate him with certainty.

Ye Li frowned slightly and said, "According to recent calculations, only my fourth brother's whereabouts is under Mo Jingqi’s control. Could this make Mo Jingqi suspicious of our Xu family" Xu Qingfeng sneered coldly, "When did the current Emperor ever stop being suspicious of us As long as Grandfather is still alive and the XU family doesn't openly rebel against him, even for his own reputation's sake, he wouldn’t dare do anything to harm Grandfather, Great-Uncle, or Father."

"Third brother," Xu Qingze frowned disapprovingly at Xu Qingfeng. Xu Qingfeng huffed and remained silent. Ye Li’s pretty eyebrows knitted together tightly. Understanding the history of her family now made Ye Li feel that she could understand Grandfather and Uncle's thoughts. With her eldest brother in the south, second brother, third brother, and fifth younger brother all in Northwest, even if the Emperor wanted to do something against their Xu family, he wouldn’t be able to catch them all at once. As long as Great-Grandfather and Great-Uncle were still in Yunzhou, and Uncle was still in the capital, even if our Xu family had ties with Dingwang Mansion because of me, the Emperor wouldn't dare easily accuse our Xu family of disloyalty. After all, as the leader of literati and scholars across the land, their influence was indeed far-reaching; forcing them into rebellion would only bring disaster upon him. Great-Grandfather and Great-Uncle… were爭取西北的時間。

Taking a deep breath, Ye Li’s heart was calculating that no matter what, she would go to Yunzhou when she went to the capital city for the Blue Void Flower.

The three of them had only chatted for half an hour before Mo Xiuyao stood up and smiled at Ye Li. "Li’li, it is time to have Dr. Shen examine your pulse. Also, let Qingze and others take a rest since they came here overnight. We will set up a banquet in the evening to welcome them" Looking at the dusty three people with tired expressions, Ye Li felt regretful and said, "I forgot that Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Fifth Younger Brother had been on a tiring journey all along. I just kept talking with them nonstop. Eldest Brother, your courtyard is still reserved for you. Why don’t you and Second Brother and Fifth Younger Brother take a bath first before resting We can talk later."

Looking at Ye Li with wide eyes, Xu Qingyan said, "Sister Li, Little Five hasn’t been able to chat much with Sister Li yet."

Ye Li smiled as she looked at the young man who was taller than her now and said with a smile. "Eldest Brother’s courtyard is right beside the main one. We have plenty of time left. When you are well-rested, you can come to chat with me anytime." Xu Qingyan’s eyes lit up when he heard that and happily asked, "Really" Glancing at someone suspiciously, he said, "There won’t be anyone who doesn’t allow Little Five to chat with Sister Li then" Ye Li patted his head and smiled. “How could there be Fifth Younger Brother is the only brother of mine. Who wouldn’t let me talk to you” Xu Qingyan gave Mo Xiuyao a triumphant look, who lowered his eyes as an eye-slash passed across him. He said with a smile, "Li’li is right. If Li’li wants to chat with Fifth Younger Brother, she can do so anytime since he’s still young and has plenty of time." This meant that apart from chatting with Ye Li, Xu Qingyan was a useless person who just ate and drank without doing anything else. Xu Qingyan gritted his teeth, smiling even more brightly as he said, "Senior Brother is right! I will often stay by Sister Li’s side so that Senior Brother won’t be busy dealing with state affairs while Sister Li feels lonely!"

After personally sending Xu Qingze and the other three back to their courtyards for rest, Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao with a disapproving expression as she sighed. “Little Five is still just a child; why are you so competitive about this” She naturally saw how Xu Qingyan interacted with Mo Xiuyao earlier on but did not say anything about it. At that moment, when she saw Mo Xiuyao’s gloomy face and his tightly pursed lips, he looked like an angry kid. Mo Xiuyao snorted softly before saying after a long pause, “He is already fifteen years old; how can he still be called a child”

Ye Li reached out to pull the taut face of Mo Xiuyao who was as handsome as ever and smiled. "Even if he were twenty, he would still be my younger brother." After that, she sized up Mo Xiuyao from head to toe while tilting her head slightly and said, “Speaking about that, Mo Xiuyao, have you developed a habit of becoming envious lately Don’t you fear being sickened by the sourness when eating all sorts of envy” Ye Li could tolerate how Han Mingyi was choosy and critical but considering what she knew about Han Mingyi’s thoughts, she had never treated him as closely as Feng Zhirao or Qin Feng. But if he started criticizing Xu Qingyan too, that would be a bit excessive. The most important thing is that Ye Li really could not understand where such vigilance of Mo Xiuyao came from. In her opinion, there was hardly anyone who compared to Mo Xiuyao in terms of martial arts skill and intelligence or power. He had never lacked confidence when it came to her either before this. If it were because she just returned from a tribulation, it would be too exaggerated since she had been back for more than half a month.

Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li in his arms as he lowered his head and bit the fragrant cherry lips gently while saying softly, "I cannot allow myself to become jealous Li’li, you are not allowed to be nice to other men; it will make me angry."

Ye Li helplessly said, “Little Five is not any other man.” Xu Qingyan was her brother whom she had loved and treated as a younger brother since childhood.

"Other than you, I see everyone else as other men," Mo Xiuyao decided in a domineering manner. Ye Li almost wanted to roll her eyes at him when he said that. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her round tummy while laughing and asking, "Then what should be done about him Dr. Shen and Doctor Lin both said he is a boy; isn’t he also an other man" Mo Xiuyao naturally responded, “Of course. When he’s born, I will throw… give him to Mr. Qingyun to raise on his lap. Mr. Qingyun’s students must be outstanding.” He would hate them for being outstanding but if not knowing that Li’li only saw the Xu family as elder brothers and they only viewed Ye Li as a younger sister, he would have gone mad from jealousy long ago. Under Ye Li’s threatening gaze, Mo Xiuyao unwillingly swallowed back the word “throw” and used a more tactful expression.

Ye Li felt that one day she would be driven to death by this man. Turning around in Mo Xiuyao's embrace, facing him directly, she reached out and pinched his face, "Mo Xiuyao, he is your son!" Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the round place, snorting coldly, "Some other man’s!" He had disliked that thing for a long time. If not for her pregnancy, A’li wouldn’t have almost lost her life due to her inconvenient movements. And if not for her pregnancy, he wouldn’t have had to endure and refrain from being intimate with A’li… Just because Shen Yang, that scoundrel, said... Recalling Shen Yang's mischievous old face made Mo Xiuyao feel even more annoyed by this person hiding in A’li’s belly. Of course, he also bore some responsibility. He swore that after this child was born, he would never let A’li get pregnant again—it was dangerous, troublesome, and annoying!

Ye Li had completely lost her patience with such an immature man, but seeing the pitiful and stubborn look in his eyes made her feel inexplicably fond of him and sympathetic toward him. She could no longer summon up any anger at all. Tugging Mo Xiuyao to sit down, Ye Li sat on his lap without hesitation, pulling his face towards her, "Young Master, can we not be so immature" Mo Xiuyao discontentedly bit down, biting onto Ye Li’s delicate fingers but unwilling to apply force, only lightly biting and releasing them. "This King is not immature, even if I am, you are not allowed to look down on this king," he said.

Resting against Mo Xiuyao's embrace, Ye Li sighed softly. Shen Yang had mentioned Mo Xiuyao’s condition when taking her pulse for her inadvertently. If it were a common household during normal times, she wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with this kind of possessiveness, as it proved that Mo Xiuyao truly loved her. Even if now she felt slightly worried in her heart, she also had a thread of happiness. But right now, she couldn't let Mo Xiuyao continue to feel so unconfident about himself. She knew that the time she fell off the cliff unleashed all kinds of negative emotions such as self-doubt, resentment, and helplessness hidden deep within Mo Xiuyao's heart, amplifying them infinitely. Although Mo Xiuyao seemed to always blame the reasons for her falling down on the child or Prince Momo Jingqi of Southern Zhen or Su Zuodie, in his heart he actually felt that it was all his own fault. He believed that his inability to protect had led to the dangers she faced. Ye Li wanted to talk about this with him, but facing Mo Xiuyao, she always didn't know how to start.

"Xiuyao." Reaching up and removing the mask from his face, Dr. Lin’s medicine truly wasn’t bad; although it had only been a few days, changes were already visible on Mo Xiuyao's scars. Even if they couldn’t completely disappear in the future, Ye Li believed that she would recover greatly. Reaching up to hook her fingers behind his neck, she placed a soft kiss on the scar on his left cheek. Mo Xiuyao was startled, hugging Ye Li and seemingly unable to react for a moment as he froze there. Kissing his cheek, Ye Li whispered softly, "Xiuyao, no matter how many people are in this world, only you are the most outstanding and best in my heart. Do you understand"

Mo Xiuyao’s long eyelashes fluttered once; looking at the beautiful woman before him with a blissful smile on her face. His wife, the only woman he had ever loved. She said that only she was the most outstanding and best in his heart, the soft words causing an endless sense of joy to surge in his heart, even more so than when his father praised him during his youth. But at the same time, it also brought up much guilt and resentment within his heart. Why couldn’t he have met you at the best point in my life

"Xiuyao, this world has many handsome men with talent and high status. However, I encountered you… I didn't encounter that young man from Dingwang Manor who relied on a bridge, but rather Duke Xiuyao of Dingwang. Do you understand Xiuyao, if we had met ten years earlier, I definitely would not have fallen in love with you," Ye Li murmured softly.

At the time, Mo Xiuyao was too young; so young that she felt him to be too immature for her. At that time, such a striking and dazzling youth could only be someone Ye Li wanted to avoid at all costs. And back then, Mo Xiuyao would certainly not have looked at a nameless lady of the Shangshu Mansion in any way different from others.

It wasn't that young Mo Xiuyao judged people by their appearance; it was just that he might not have ever taken women seriously. So even someone as beautiful as Su Zuodie was merely a former fiancée who had betrayed him. No love, no hatred. Without these ten years of experience, Ye Li wouldn’t have fallen in love with Mo Xiuyao, and Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t have loved Ye Li either.

They met each other at their worst points, but Ye Li felt that they had still found the right person at the right time.

"Then, does A’li love me now" Mo Xiuyao asked softly, his gaze unwavering on her beautiful face. He knew that what A’li was saying was correct, but he couldn’t imagine how he would have been if he had missed this woman in life

“I love you,” Ye Li said quietly without any concealment. She loved this man; she fell in love with him unknowingly. Therefore, she was willing to plan for his sake and do anything for him.

"A’li." Mo Xiuyao sighed softly in satisfaction, lowering his head to capture the long-desired soft lips, prying open her pearly teeth as they danced together, "A’li, I love you… This lifetime, this king loves only you."

“Reporting to Your Highness. The capital city…”

A sudden urgent male voice interrupted the passionate scene inside the room.

The only thing Feng Zhiyao could think of as he stood at the door was— it’s over! He had actually interrupted when His Highness and Lady were intimate. Most importantly, damn you two, why can’t you be intimate in a private place Even if there was a screen separating you, that would have been better. Mo Xiuyao, do you need to be so desperate The lady is pregnant!

－－－－－－Interlude－－－－－－

If they had met ten years earlier, A’li wouldn’t have loved Mo Xiuyao and Mo Xiuyao would not have loved A’li. Ten years ago, A’li wouldn't have liked the young and lively Mo Xiuyao; she was already psychologically older than most people of her age. To her, the Mo Xiuyao ten years ago was just a child, no matter how outstanding or accomplished he might be— he was still a kid who hadn’t grown up yet. Ten years ago, Mo Xiuyao wouldn't have loved A’li either; not because he didn't look down on her, but because that young man back then actually had no feelings for anyone.塵脫俗如同九天仙女入凡塵一般。烏黑的青絲隨意披散，僅用一根白色的絲帶輕輕束住。蘇醉蝶今年已經二十五歲，但此刻站在街道中央盈盈而立，看上去竟然比才十五六歲的葉璃大不了兩歲。"What are you doing here" Moxiu Yao frowned slightly, looking at her with a composed expression.Su Zuidie’s hand hi...