Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Jun Mo’s Thoughtful Attentiveness

Outside the window, birds chirped softly, and the sounds of people were few.

Su Li’s long lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.

The handsome face was so close, right before her eyes. Su Li’s gaze traced every inch of it, studying him intently.

She didn’t know how she had fallen asleep last night. She remembered that when she drifted off, he hadn’t yet gone to bed.

As she watched, she unconsciously extended a hand, using her finger as a brush, outlining his picturesque brows and eyes.

His ink-black hair intertwined with her dark tresses, spilling across the bed.

Elegant brows, handsome eyes, a gentle countenance – just as he always seemed. This man was as refined as jade, a celestial being descended from the heavens.

With his eyes closed, he appeared even more innocent and pure.

Normally, when his eyes were open, they were clear yet unfathomable, always carrying a faint smile, as if capable of embracing all things in the world, noble and transcendent.

His nose was tall and straight, his lips were beautiful, perfect beyond reproach.

Lost in her admiration of his beauty, Su Li’s slender fingertips were suddenly enclosed.

Su Li’s eyes widened, startled, like a student caught red-handed by a teacher for misbehaving.

"You... when did you wake up?"

She hadn’t noticed when his eyes had opened. Those eyes now radiated a deep warmth, and his lips curved into a half-moon arc.

Su Li tried to pull her hand back, but he drew it deeper into his mouth, his eyes devouring her with an intoxicating gaze.

Su Li’s face flushed crimson.

Jun Mo watched her pull the quilt over her face, a smile flickering in his eyes.

Whenever she got shy, she burrowed into the quilt. This childlike action filled his heart with boundless tenderness and affection.

He held her hand and helped her pull away the quilt.

"Li’er, you molested me first thing in the morning, and now you’re shy?"

Su Li looked at him and said, "When did I molest you? Get up quickly, we have to travel."

Jun Mo flipped over, pressing down on her. Of course, he was mindful of their proximity, supporting most of his weight with his arms on either side of her.

"No rush."

Su Li looked at the man above her. His gaze held a hint of mischief.

"You... what are you going to do?"

Jun Mo slowly leaned down and whispered two words into her ear.

Su Li’s beautiful eyes flew open wide.

She thought she had misheard him.

How could such a gentle and refined man utter such... vulgar words!

Before she could react, his lips claimed hers.

...

Half an hour later, the two finally emerged from the room, one beaming with a smile, the other with a look of resentment.

After breakfast, the group set off.

Jun Mo looked around and asked, "Has Mo Feng not returned yet?"

"Not yet. Shall we wait for him or go ahead?" Mo Yang replied.

Just as he finished speaking, Mo Feng rushed back, his footsteps hurried.

"Master, everything is settled."

Jun Mo nodded. "Let’s depart."

He turned and extended a hand, saying, "My wife, time to get into the carriage."

Su Li shot him a glare and boarded the carriage by herself.

Inside the carriage, Jun Mo diligently brewed tea, found the storybook Su Li was reading, and opened it to the page she had left off on yesterday.

He even thoughtfully arranged the pastries and fruits they had packed from the inn.

"Li’er, do you want to ride a horse or read your storybook? If you don’t want to read, I can read it to you. Or do you want to play chess? We haven’t finished that game from yesterday."

Su Li originally didn’t want to humor him, but the unfinished chess game lingered in her mind.

"Can you perfectly recreate the original chess board, piece by piece?"

Seeing that his beloved had finally spoken, even if her tone wasn’t particularly warm, it was enough to make him happy. After all, he was in the wrong.

"Yes, I can! Li’er, wait a moment."

Jun Mo took out the chessboard and began to set up the unfinished game.

Soon, Jun Mo said, "Li’er, look."

Su Li looked, and indeed, not a single piece was out of place.

Jun Mo handed her a chess piece, smiling, "Li’er, it’s your turn to make a move."

Su Li took the jar containing the pieces and picked one out.

Watching her jade-like hand tremble slightly as she held the piece, Jun Mo curved his lips into a smile.

Su Li glared at him, and Jun Mo immediately stifled his laughter.

In this game, Jun Mo lost very quickly.

Jun Mo held her hand, and Su Li tried to pull it back.

"Don’t move, I’ll rub it for you."

Su Li stopped struggling, letting him knead her hand with gentle pressure.

After a while, Jun Mo asked, "Does it feel better? Is it still sore?"

Su Li’s face was slightly red, and she intentionally kept a cool expression as she said, "If there’s a next time, I won’t talk to you."

Jun Mo didn’t answer, only saying aggrievedly, "Li’er, you can’t blame me. With a beauty in my arms, and besides, you provoked me first." Especially in the morning.

They weren’t married yet, so he couldn’t "fill his stomach," but couldn’t he at least "quench his thirst"?

He knew she was easily soft-hearted.

Sure enough, as soon as he showed a wronged expression, her tone softened.

"How did I provoke you? I told you to get a separate room, but you refused."

Jun Mo chuckled, "Alright, Li’er, look, the weather is so nice today. The next town is Bixia City, the land of sweet fruits. Let’s go pick some fresh fruits."

Su Li no longer dwelt on the topic and nodded, "That sounds nice. Let’s pick a lot, and we’ll have someone send some back to my parents and Consort De."

Bixia City wasn’t too far from the capital, only a day’s journey.

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Will this slow us down too much? We have serious business to attend to, not just sightseeing."

"No, we’ll be entering the city around noon anyway, and picking fruits won’t take long. Besides, after Bixia, it’s a water route, and then we’ll be riding horses, which will be faster," Jun Mo replied.

Su Li nodded, "I’ll listen to you."

It was a rare opportunity to visit the land of sweet fruits, and she also wanted to pick some herself.

Mo Yang drove the carriage swiftly, and since they departed early, they arrived in Bixia City by the sìshí (9-11 AM).

"Master, we’ve arrived in Bixia! Let’s find a place to rest," Mo Yang called out loudly.

The street was bustling with people; one had to speak loudly to be heard.

Jun Mo’s gentle voice drifted back, "Alright."

They found a small eatery. Everyone dismounted and got out of the carriage, then went in and ordered food.

"Li’er, have a bowl of white fungus soup." Jun Mo filled a bowl to the brim and placed it in front of her.

As they ate, voices from a neighboring table drifted over.

"Hey, have you heard? Elder Li San’s case is being retried today."

"I heard about it too! Eat quickly, let’s go watch the excitement when we’re done."

"Okay, who do you think that house should be awarded to?"

"I think it should be Zhang Mazi’s. After all, Elder Li San wrote the promissory note."

"I don’t know, it’s hard to say. Elder Li San is dead, does that promissory note still count? The Li family only has a ten-year-old girl left. Without that house, she might end up on the streets."

"Exactly! I’d say that Zhang Mazi is ruthless. As soon as Elder Li San died, he pulled out a promissory note from twenty years ago. He’s practically forcing the Li family girl to her death."

"Enough talk, eat quickly, eat quickly."

Su Li listened, understanding only bits and pieces, feeling a little curious.

"If you’re curious, we can go take a look after we eat," Jun Mo said softly.

Su Li was about to say it would delay their journey.

"Consider it a walk to aid digestion."

Only then did Su Li nod, saying, "Then let’s eat quickly, and we’ll go join the fun. If we encounter an unjust ruling, what do you plan to do?"

"Hand it over to a higher government office."

Su Li chuckled softly, "We’ve only been gone for a little over a day, and we’ve already encountered two cases. Don’t you think we’re like imperial envoys on a secret inspection tour?"

Jun Mo laughed, "If you find it interesting, then after we get married, we can truly become imperial envoys. We can travel and enjoy the local customs and scenery, and also do something for the common people."

"Sounds good," Su Li replied.

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