Chapter 384: Chapter 384

The disappearance of Mu Zhenzhen was only discovered by Old Mrs. Mu the next morning when she was delivering breakfast.

The room was in chaos, items scattered everywhere, and even all her clothes from the wardrobe were gone. Get full chapters from novel[f]ire.net

Old Mrs. Mu was frightened to death, but she didn’t dare to make a fuss. Now that Mu Zhenzhen was the daughter of the Old Mu Family, if word got out that she ran off with a man, the family would be utterly disgraced.

Old Mrs. Mu hurried to the old residence to discuss the matter with Mr. Mu. Mr. Mu’s reaction was much more dramatic than hers, immediately ordering a few sons to search along the road to the town.

"Overindulgence spoils the child, it’s all because of you, you pesky old hag, always coddling that brat, giving her the nerve to run away!"

Mr. Mu was deeply concerned that this would disrupt Mu Dade’s exam schedule and tarnish his reputation, and he berated Old Mrs. Mu mercilessly.

"Old man, your words have no conscience. Isn’t Zhenzhen your daughter? If you hadn’t been greedy for the dowry from Zhuangzi’s family, would our Zhenzhen have to marry such a person?"

Old Mrs. Mu had harbored this grudge for a long time. Back when the family needed silver for the eldest’s exams, many matchmakers had come, hoping to marry off Zhenzhen before Da De went off for his exams.

But the old man had been picky, fancying the fertile lands of Zhuangzi’s family and demanding a dowry of ten taels of silver for Zhenzhen to marry Zhuangzi.

"You’re quite skilled at twisting words, aren’t you? Weren’t you the one who sent Granny Sun to arrange the match with Zhuangzi’s family? Now you won’t admit it?"

Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu quarreled fiercely; Old Mrs. Mu’s sharp tongue laid bare Mr. Mu’s secrets in just a few sentences.

It’s a pity no outsiders were around, or they would’ve had a good laugh.

The whole family searched for several days but to no avail; even inquiries in town yielded no sighting of Zhenzhen.

The Old Mu family finally gave up their hopes of finding Mu Zhenzhen.

Mu Shuangshuang rested at home for two days, but by the third day, she was restless. Coincidentally, it was the day to deliver cold noodles, so she went to town with Lu Yuanfeng.

This time, the cold noodles from grinding the flour to making the dish were handled by Yu Liulang and Feng Xiaohua. She only offered guidance on the side, yet the outcome surprisingly turned out well.

The recent events brought Feng Xiaohua and Yu Liulang closer, with Luo Xiuxiu no longer a barrier between them. Mu Shuangshuang believed that with Yu Liulang’s diligence and Feng Xiaohua’s sincerity, their future would indeed become brighter.

On the way, Mu Shuangshuang sat on the wheelbarrow pushed by Lu Yuanfeng, feeling quite comfortable and at ease.

Lu Yuanfeng frequently asked if she needed to rest, his concern evident without words.

Perhaps because they had expressed their feelings for each other recently, Lu Yuanfeng no longer secretly glanced at Mu Shuangshuang; his looks were now overt and even more intense than before.

Mu Shuangshuang, having lived two lifetimes, had never truly been involved in romance and found herself defenseless against it. Throughout the journey, her face was flushed red, and she didn’t even dare to look at Lu Yuanfeng, afraid he would notice her unusual behavior.

Halfway along the journey, Lu Yuanfeng found a large tree to rest. Mu Shuangshuang initially wanted to refuse, but couldn’t resist his persistent offer of tea.

"Drink up, I added brown sugar and red dates," Lu Yuanfeng said, scratching his head a bit sheepishly.

Early that morning, his first task had been to prepare red date and brown sugar tea for Shuangshuang. Although the color turned out unappealing, he had tasted it and found it tolerable, hoping it wouldn’t be too unpleasant.

Yet even so, Lu Yuanfeng watched Shuangshuang uneasily.

Mu Shuangshuang lifted the teapot and took a sip. The sweet taste filled her mouth, and she took a deep breath, feeling deeply satisfied.

Looking up, she found Lu Yuanfeng staring at her, eyes intense as if trying to ignite her.

Lu Yuanfeng didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt extremely thirsty, especially upon seeing Shuangshuang’s red lips, the feeling intensified.

"Shuangshuang, may I... hug you?"

Lu Yuanfeng blurted out the words in a muddled state, and when he realized what he had said, he felt as if struck by lightning, utterly shocked.

He had actually... made such a request...

But, he really did want to hug Shuangshuang.

Mu Shuangshuang wasn’t much better; the moment Lu Yuanfeng spoke, her face, which was already as red as a monkey’s bottom, grew even redder.

She gently bit her lip, seemingly hesitating, before finally breaking into a smile.

At that moment, Lu Yuanfeng felt as if he had seen a fairy. The fairy possessed a pale, rosy smile, eyelashes like little fans fluttering, and that radiant smile instantly warmed Lu Yuanfeng like spring sunshine.

He carefully reached out, then pulled the long-yearned-for person into his arms, their hearts thumping against each other.

They remained immersed in this simple embrace until they heard the sound of an approaching cart, prompting them to quickly separate.

Mu Shuangshuang regained her senses, feeling secretly annoyed with herself for getting caught up in such a spell, embracing Lu Yuanfeng in broad daylight. Thankfully, no one had seen them, or she’d lose all face.

Compared to Shuangshuang’s fluster, Lu Yuanfeng was much calmer. With a silly grin, he packed their belongings neatly and helped Shuangshuang onto the cart, continuing towards the town.

Of course, he didn’t forget today’s essential topic: "Shuangshuang, is your stomach feeling better?"

He had consulted Zhang Huai Shu’s wife from the Cui Family, who said that women typically have their cycle for three to seven days, so Shuangshuang was likely still on her period.

Mu Shuangshuang took a deep breath to ease her nerves before speaking. "Better, let’s go!"

Lu Yuanfeng had initially discouraged her from going, as a trip to town can be tiresome.

However, Mu Shuangshuang insisted on discussing popcorn business today. Every time she went to town, she brought a large bag, but until now, there hadn’t been any return. If it wasn’t finalized soon, she would lose sleep over it.

Moreover, if the profits were significant, she could buy a few acres of dry land to plant some vegetables at the right time.

The journey took a bit longer than usual, pausing now and then. Fortunately, Fat Chef from Jiu Si Xuan had no complaints.

Mu Shuangshuang noticed a difference in Fat Chef today. He had changed out of his usual cooking apron and donned a new silver-gray outfit.

All his fat squeezed into the light-colored clothes made him look even rounder, yet his expression was warm and friendly, greeting everyone with a smile.

After someone took over the items Mu Shuangshuang brought, Fat Chef advised her and Lu Yuanfeng, "Our owner is here, in the private room upstairs, you should head up now!"