Is Pei Long Yue Not Here?

• Chapter 20: Is Pei Longyue Not Here?

『Thank you Blanc0, IonicBeast7410, Favour_Agbaje_9284, BAM_AMVS, sami_funges, Stoic_Enjoyment and KurenaiRaydriR for your power stones~~』

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After the previous night's ordeal, Su Mu was utterly exhausted and slept until late the next morning.

When she opened her eyes, it took less than three seconds for her to scream in surprise. This startled the girl in her arms awake, who tried to snuggle closer and continue sleeping.

Suspiciously, Su Mu stared at the crystal-clear drool stain on her arm, her mind racing. This has to be drool, right? It must be!

Reaching out, she pinched Pei Xuanyin's soft cheek and pulled hard.

"Ouch... it hurts…" Pei Xuanyin, now fully awake, blinked her innocent big eyes at Su Mu, looking aggrieved.

Su Mu pointed at the drool on her arm and tapped Pei Xuanyin's forehead with her finger, demanding, "Look! Look! What have you done!"

"Uh... uh... ouch…" Pei Xuanyin clung to Su Mu's arm. "It hurts, Foxy. I was wrong, okay?"

She then leaned closer to Su Mu, who blushed and pushed Pei Xuanyin's head away, her heart pounding from the unfamiliar intimacy.

"You... you... you're not allowed to come any closer... and why are you in my bed?!"

Pei Xuanyin looked around in confusion, then said, "Huh? Yours? But this is my bedroom. If I don't sleep here, where should I sleep?"

Only then did Su Mu realize she had indeed slept in Pei Xuanyin's room last night. Embarrassed, she twitched her ears and sat cross-legged at the bed's edge.

Glaring at the chain on her ankle, Su Mu angrily asked, "Where is Pei Longyue?"

Pei Xuanyin, rubbing her eyes, rang a small bell by the bed and said, "I don't know. When I came back from my bath last night, you were the only one here. Maybe she returned to her palace."

Su Mu insisted, "Then take me to find her!"

At this moment, three maids entered: one carrying a tray of clothes and jewelry, another ready to assist Pei Xuanyin in dressing, and the third holding a washbasin with soft white cotton towels.

Su Mu sniffed disdainfully, "Damn aristocratic ways!"

But when Pei Xuanyin instructed the maids to wipe Su Mu's arm, Su Mu nervously said, "Thank you."

The maids smiled and helped Su Mu wash her arms and face. When one of them reached out to tidy Su Mu's disheveled dress, Su Mu quickly stopped her, "I can do this myself, no need to trouble you!"

The maid bowed and stepped aside.

Looking at her gauzy dress, Su Mu felt like crying. Curse this Pei Longyue! I'm a man yet dressed so girly, this is ridiculous!

Xiaobai's laughter echoed in her mind.

Su Mu fumed, "What are you laughing at? Stop laughing at me, Xiaobai!"

She jumped out of bed, barefoot, and ran behind Pei Xuanyin, who was at her dressing table. Su Mu realized she had several hairpins and ornaments in her hair.

Trying to pull out one, she yelped in pain. Glaring at the strand of hair caught on the pin, she threw it on the ground and stomped on it, making her ankle chain jingle.

Pei Xuanyin shook her head. Foxy is so mean. To avoid Su Mu's wrath, Pei Xuanyin pretended not to hear anything.

After finishing her makeup, Pei Xuanyin looked radiant. She had the maid draw a magnolia mark on her forehead to match Su Mu's. Satisfied, she turned to Su Mu, who was struggling with another hairpin.

Taking the pink-and-white embroidered shoes from the tray, Pei Xuanyin made Su Mu sit down, putting the shoes on Su Mu's small feet.

Su Mu, almost forgetting how it felt to wear shoes, reluctantly accepted them. Damn Pei Longyue must have planned this all along!

As Pei Xuanyin was about to put on the second shoe, Su Mu shyly moved away, insisting she could do it herself, but Pei Xuanyin stubbornly pulled her back.

Moments later, Pei Xuanyin clapped her hands, "Done."

Seeing Su Mu's hair sticking up from the violent removal of the hairpin, Pei Xuanyin carefully smoothed it down. Picking up the bent flower pin from the floor, she muttered, "Such a beautiful hairpin, why don't you like it?"

Su Mu turned away, grumbling, "Who would like that stuff? A single jade hairpin can hold up hair, why all these weird ones?"

Pei Xuanyin pouted, "But I think you look pretty with them!"

Frustrated, Su Mu stomped her foot, "Alright, I won't pull them out. Just take me to find Pei Longyue."

Pei Xuanyin beamed, "Okay!"

She skipped over to Su Mu, hugged her arm, and leaned against her.

Su Mu tried to push her away, "Get off me, you're heavy! You'll crush me!"

Pei Xuanyin giggled, "No, I won't!"

Su Mu gave up and let her be.

At the carriage, Pei Xuanyin happily jumped in. Su Mu followed, but her ankle chain caught, so she had to hop awkwardly onto the carriage.

…

"What! Pei Longyue isn't here?" Su Mu was furious.

Pei Xuanyin, worried, asked the chancellor, "Did my sister say where she was going?"

Fu Shenxing, struggling to hold back, wanted to scold Su Mu for disrespecting the empress but restrained himself seeing Pei Xuanyin.

Su Mu leapt onto the empress's desk, rummaging through drawers, muttering, "The key... where's the key?"

Fu Shenxing couldn't hold it any longer and yelled, "Stop! This is the Imperial Study, show some respect!"

Su Mu, equally loud, retorted, "Old man! Mind your own business, or I'll bite you to death!"

Showing her sharp teeth, she threatened Fu Shenxing.

"Outrageous, barbaric, rude! Why does Her Majesty keep this beast in the palace?" Fu Shenxing's beard trembled in anger.

Pei Xuanyin quickly signaled Su Mu to come down and apologized to Fu Shenxing, "Chancellor, please forgive her. She didn't mean it, she's just anxious. Can you tell us where my sister went?"

Fu Shenxing, calming down, turned away from the chaotic scene, bowed to Pei Xuanyin, and said, "Your Highness, Her Majesty has gone to Wuyue Sect to discuss matters regarding the demon punishment. It was urgent, so she didn't have time to say goodbye."

He paused and added, "By the way, Your Highness, I was going to see you to request the use of the Hongluan Mirror. Also, two disciples from Yunluo Sect will arrive in the capital soon to set up a formation. Your presence will be required."

Pei Xuanyin nodded, "I understand. You can leave it to me."

She discreetly kicked a small seal that had fallen near her foot behind her, awkwardly smiling at the chancellor.

Fu Shenxing glared at Su Mu and coldly snorted, bowing to Pei Xuanyin, "I take my leave, Your Highness."

As he left, he felt if he stayed any longer, he'd lose his temper with the unruly fox.

To be continued...