"No, Jingmei is usually very well-behaved. She might just not be feeling well today," Mu's mother quickly explained upon hearing this.
"I don’t see anything wrong with her," Mu Deyi scoffed.
Mu's mother wanted to say more, but Mu Deyi had already picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
In the past, the old master of the Mu family had set the rule of "no talking during meals or sleep," and though the rule had since been relaxed, Mu Deyi still strictly adhered to it.
Mu's mother had no choice but to lower her head and eat in silence.
...
When Mu Shi'an returned home with Mu Haoxuan and Mu Yongnian, Song Nianchu had already finished bathing and was lying in bed.
Her eyes lit up when she saw the two little ones.
"Sister!" Mu Haoxuan immediately rushed toward Song Nianchu.
But before he could reach her, Mu Yongnian grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
"You haven’t bathed yet. You’re dirty!"
"Oh." Only then did Mu Haoxuan realize and abruptly stop.
"Why did you two come back with your big brother?" Song Nianchu asked with a smile.
"Jingmei said they were disturbing her rest," Mu Shi'an explained.
Song Nianchu frowned slightly but didn’t say anything more in front of the children.
"There’s still hot water in the kitchen. Go take a bath first," Song Nianchu said.
"Okay!" The two little ones were already familiar with the place. Seeing that Song Nianchu wasn’t sending them away, they dashed off in a flash.
"I have to say, what’s the deal with your sister? How can she keep bullying people like this?" Song Nianchu had wanted to bring this up before but held back, thinking it was Mu Shi'an’s family matter and she, as an outsider, shouldn’t interfere.
But after this happening repeatedly, it was really testing her patience.
"My father is back, so she’ll tone it down a bit. But Yongnian is indeed getting older—it’s not appropriate for him to keep sharing a room with Jingmei. So, I wanted to discuss something with you." Mu Shi'an’s voice grew quieter toward the end.
"You want me to let Haoxuan and Yongnian stay here?" Song Nianchu saw his hesitation and cut straight to the point.
"Yes. But don’t worry, I can pay rent!" Mu Shi'an quickly added.
Song Nianchu suddenly sat up in bed and beckoned him closer.
Puzzled, Mu Shi'an leaned in. To meet her eye level, he bent down, resting his hands on the bed.
But Song Nianchu reached out and lifted his chin with her fingers.
Their eyes met, and a flicker of surprise flashed in Mu Shi'an’s gaze.
"I’m not interested in rent," Song Nianchu murmured, her red lips parting slightly.
"Then… what are you interested in?" Mu Shi'an’s voice was soft and low.
The huskiness of his tone sent a shiver down Song Nianchu’s spine. She leaned in even closer.
"What do you think?"
The distance between them was so close that Mu Shi'an only needed to tilt his head slightly to kiss her. He could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
"Mu Shi'an, your heartbeat is so fast," Song Nianchu teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
Mu Shi'an swallowed hard, wanting to defend himself, but no words came out.
"Kiss me," Song Nianchu whispered, her gaze dark and intense.
Mu Shi'an felt as if he were drowning in her starry eyes. Slowly, he closed the distance.
His cool lips pressed against her warm ones, the contrast sending a jolt through his chest, igniting a hunger for more.
But Mu Shi'an had no experience in this. Apart from gently moving his lips against hers, he had no idea what to do next.
Song Nianchu lightly pushed him back. Mu Shi'an looked at her, slightly dazed.
"Mu Shi'an, you really don’t know how to do this at all, do you?" Song Nianchu’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
She liked clean men—both in heart and body.
"I…" Mu Shi'an stammered, his ears burning.
Before Song Nianchu, he had never been in a relationship, let alone engaged in such intimacy.
"Mu Shi'an, let me teach you what a real kiss is." Song Nianchu grabbed his collar and pulled him down onto the bed, pressing her lips to his.
Her kiss was nothing like his tentative peck. She ravaged his lips, even slipping her tongue past his teeth, demanding he respond in kind.
Mu Shi'an felt completely enveloped by her scent, his entire body burning from the inside out.
But while Song Nianchu had some theoretical knowledge, her actual skills were still clumsy. The awkward position—her on top—soon left her breathless.
Just as she was about to pull back, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and a hand cupped the back of her neck.
The distance she had created vanished instantly as Mu Shi'an took control, kissing her so deeply it felt like he was stealing the very air from her lungs.
Her body went limp, and just when she thought she might pass out from lack of oxygen, Mu Shi'an finally released her.
Beneath her, his eyes were dark with unrestrained desire, a faint redness at the corners.
For the first time, Song Nianchu felt the raw intensity of a man’s desire.
And for the first time, she understood why people said men were quick learners in these matters.
She had only given him a small demonstration, and he had already surpassed her as the teacher.
This night was dangerous.
"So… do you like this rent?" His voice was low and teasing.
Before Song Nianchu could respond, a startled gasp came from the doorway.
"Ah! I didn’t see anything! I didn’t see anything!"
Song Nianchu snapped back to reality and quickly rolled off Mu Shi'an.
Mu Shi'an sat up, finding Mu Haoxuan and Mu Yongnian standing at the door.
"You two really need to learn some manners," Mu Shi'an said, his tone laced with warning.
Mu Yongnian immediately felt a chill down his spine—his big brother was angry.
"We’re leaving now!" Mu Yongnian grabbed the still-curious Mu Haoxuan and dragged him out.
"Do you think they saw anything? Did I just corrupt those kids?" Song Nianchu asked worriedly.
"From their angle, they couldn’t have seen much. You rest—I’ll go settle them down," Mu Shi'an reassured her.
"Where are you going to put them? You’re not sending them back, are you?" Song Nianchu grabbed his hand.
"If they’re staying here long-term, they can’t keep sharing our bed. Didn’t you clean up the room next door? They can sleep there from now on," Mu Shi'an said.
There was no way he was letting Mu Haoxuan sleep in their bed again.
That little rascal always monopolized Song Nianchu’s embrace, leaving him squeezed to the edge.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think Mu Haoxuan was the one who had married into the family.
"Fine. Go make their beds then, and make sure they don’t kick off the covers at night." After what had just happened, Song Nianchu was too embarrassed to face the two boys.
