Chapter 242 - 241: Awkward
The carriage left Tong City.
The return journey was not as urgent as the trip there, but they couldn’t afford excessive delay either.
They took a detour to Taipu Town and stopped outside the academy, where Mrs. Zhen took Du Yundi aside for some careful advice.
Du Yundi smiled and said, "Mother, when my third brother gets married in November and my sister comes of age, I will return to the Capital. Don’t worry."
Mrs. Zhen pursed her lips and smiled.
What mother doesn’t worry about her child? Even though she was used to Du Yundi studying at the academy, she still felt particularly concerned.
After two more days of travel, Du Yunluo unexpectedly got her period.
Aside from the first couple of months when the pain was overwhelming, she had been coping well, but she hadn’t anticipated such an aggressive onset while traveling.
The carriage jolted, and Du Yunluo lay there uncomfortably. It was autumn, and they hadn’t brought a hand warmer, leaving her without anything to warm up with.
Mrs. Zhen felt deeply sorry for her, using her hands to try to warm her, but it was of little effect.
The nearest inn was still several hours away, so Mrs. Zhen and Huaili decided to stop when they passed a tea stall.
With the carriage no longer shaking violently, causing bones to feel as though they might fall apart, Du Yunluo felt slightly better and dozed off in Mrs. Zhen’s embrace.
Huaili got out of the carriage and sat at the tea stall, inviting the servants to have some refreshments together.
Du Yunluo slept lightly, a thin layer of sweat occasionally forming on her forehead.
Mrs. Zhen gently wiped it off with a handkerchief, and when she raised her eyes, she saw Jin Rui beside her, looking pale. She couldn’t help but smile softly, "Frightened?"
Jin Rui lowered her eyes and slowly nodded.
Her own period had never been as dreadful as Du Yunluo’s; she could still walk, talk, and go about her day, much like Jin Ling.
Jin Rui had heard of some girls being uncomfortable during their periods, but she had never witnessed it. Being younger than Xue Ping’er, and not wanting to disturb other sisters who stayed in bed when unwell, she had avoided such situations.
"I thought only the first couple of times would be severe..." Jin Rui whispered.
Mrs. Zhen softened her voice, gently patting Du Yunluo’s back like soothing a child, "It gets better after marriage and having children. Every woman goes through this."
Jin Rui nodded, seemingly understanding.
Du Yunluo awoke after about half an hour, vaguely hearing voices outside and slowly opened her eyes.
Though the words were unclear, the voice sounded clear and familiar...
Was it Mu Lianxiao?
Du Yunluo widened her eyes and looked up at Mrs. Zhen.
Seeing her awake with such an expression, Mrs. Zhen immediately understood and chided, "You truly have a mule’s face and dog’s ears!"
Du Yunluo tried to grin, but a sudden cramp made her expression quite comical. Gasping for breath, she said, "Mother, I look perfectly fine; why would you say that about me."
Mrs. Zhen was both amused and exasperated, pinching Du Yunluo’s nose, "The Princely Heir is returning to the Capital as well. Riding is faster. He stopped midway seeing our carriage to greet us."
Du Yunluo responded and squeezed into Mrs. Zhen’s embrace, blinking, "Mother, my stomach hurts. Will we be delayed for long?"
"You need to rest for a while; we will continue soon. Once we reach the inn tonight, you’ll have a good sleep, and if you still feel unwell tomorrow, we’ll stay at the inn for a couple of days," Mrs. Zhen said gently.
"What about my fourth sister’s coming-of-age ceremony?" Du Yunluo asked.
"What else can we do? Once you’re better, we’ll travel day and night," Mrs. Zhen finished with a smile, pulling Du Yunluo from her embrace, "I need to wash up; you rest here with Jin Rui. No mischief."
Du Yunluo’s eyes lit up.
Nanny Zhao lifted the carriage curtain and assisted Mrs. Zhen off.
Du Yunluo leaned against the carriage, clutching Mrs. Zhen’s pillow, waiting expectantly.
Soon, someone sat in the coachman’s seat, and the curtain lifted slightly.
Du Yunluo looked straight ahead and met Mu Lianxiao’s deep and bright eyes.
Jin Rui gasped softly, looking embarrassedly at Du Yunluo.
Du Yunluo glanced at her, "What are you panicking about? Without mother’s permission, could he come over?"
Mrs. Zhen had said she was going to wash up, but it was obviously to let Mu Lianxiao come and talk to her for a bit.
Talking together would distract her from the pain. Besides, the entire Du Family surrounded them, with Huaili and Mrs. Zhen at the tea stall, Jin Rui, and herself in the carriage, and Mu Lianxiao sitting outside, leaving nothing for Mrs. Zhen to worry about.
After hearing this, Jin Rui lowered her eyes, thinking that the lady meant for her to keep an eye out and not allow any mischief.
Mu Lianxiao looked at Du Yunluo, smiling even though she didn’t look well, and asked, "I heard you’re not feeling well?"
Out of instinct, Du Yunluo bit her lower lip.
Though a couple in a past life, they weren’t married yet, so she couldn’t casually explain her situation to Mu Lianxiao and had to respond vaguely, hoping he wouldn’t press further.
Mu Lianxiao didn’t press further; his ears turned red.
The carriage had a metallic smell that martial artists were particularly sensitive to, and Mu Lianxiao quickly understood.
He remembered when Yun Qi had been troubled by this.
As a young boy, he knew nothing about it, and when his sister first got her period, both siblings were frightened. Yun Qi hurriedly sought help from a neighbor woman, worried his sister was gravely ill, leading to the woman’s amusement.
Mu Lianxiao just so happened to visit Yun Qi and saw the woman laughing uncontrollably.
After that, he understood that women went through this every month.
Realizing Du Yunluo’s situation, Mu Lianxiao awkwardly touched his nose and said, "Get some good rest."
Du Yunluo’s face flushed instantly. Being seen through was incredibly embarrassing, and she hummed softly, changing the topic, "Are you rushing back to the Capital?"
Mu Lianxiao also breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, my second brother’s wedding is soon."
Mentioning it reminded Du Yunluo that Mu Lianxiao’s wedding with Jiang Yunuan was this September.
Du Yunluo shifted slightly, tentatively saying, "I’ve heard Miss Jiang say she grew up with Lady, the eldest brother, and the second brother. From her tone, she seems more familiar with the eldest brother."
Of course, these words weren’t spoken by Jiang Yunuan.
The relationship between Jiang Yunuan and Mu Liankang was a conjecture and deduction from Du Yunluo in her past life. She believed her theories were reasonable, but without concrete evidence, she wanted to probe Mu Lianxiao for information.
Daring to speak so boldly was because Du Yunluo knew Mu Lianxiao wouldn’t seek Jiang Yunuan to confirm.
Mu Lianxiao’s eyebrows furrowed, his expression complex. After a long silence, he said, "She’s from my third aunt’s family, so it’s not surprising she’s more familiar with my brother.
You know, my brother’s been missing for a long time, and Master Kongming, whom you met at Qinglian Temple, became a monk because of it."
Du Yunluo’s eyes suddenly tightened.