Chapter 372 – Your family’s plum blossom is lost again (48)
“Grandpa Yan, Luoluo.” Mu Ci approached and spoke.
His voice was somewhat gloomy, unable to conceal the agitation in his heart.
Why were there suddenly someone else here? Why couldn’t her eyes be on him alone?
Luoluo, be good, don’t make him angry… okay? He was afraid that if he lost control, he might hurt her…
His emotions were too obvious. Not only did Yan Luzheng quickly notice, but even Zhou Zhuo, who had been silently standing nearby, slightly raised his eyebrows.
It seemed he had heard that the eldest daughter of the Yan family had a childhood friend who grew up with her. Was it this person standing before him?
This hostile emotion…
Mu Ci walked directly to Yan Luo’s side. Seeing that the little girl was keeping a noticeable distance from Zhou Zhuo, his heart calmed down slightly. Then, he noticed Yan Luo glance up at him before quickly lowering her head again, as if something had crossed her mind.
His heart tightened slightly.
Though highly intelligent, when it came to Yan Luo, Mu Ci was like a child with his favorite toy—easily unsettled by the slightest upset, clumsily fuming in his heart.
Especially after realizing that the girl he thought was entirely within his grasp could fly away at any moment, his unease and helplessness became even more apparent.
Combining her disappearance for the whole morning with Wang Shi’s situation, Mu Ci could vaguely piece together a connection—or rather, it was likely Wang Shi’s doing.
And if she was capable of such things, she must also know something. So, what did she say to Luoluo?
“I was just about to send someone to inform you. Luoluo got lost but has already been brought back,” Yan Luzheng responded, then looked at his precious granddaughter with a helpless expression.
Faced with Yan Luo’s complete lack of a sense of direction, getting lost every time she went out, he was speechless.
Then, his gaze shifted to Zhou Zhuo, a glimmer of admiration flashing through his eyes.
So young, yet already so calm and composed… Suddenly, Yan Luzheng paused, a sense of déjà vu washing over him.
His eyes moved to Mu Ci standing beside him. Mu Ci’s gaze was locked onto Yan Luo, completely unaware of Yan Luzheng’s scrutiny.
Come to think of it, the first time he met Mu Ci, he had a similar impression.
Looking at Mu Ci’s expression and Yan Luo’s demeanor—the deep possessiveness hidden in those heavy eyes—Yan Luzheng slightly raised an eyebrow before letting out a soft sigh. He then turned his attention back to Zhou Zhuo.
“Zhou Zhuo, is it? I was just discussing you with your Grandpa recently. He mentioned that your name was chosen from the <Classic of Poetry1>, carrying his expectations for you. Now that I see you today, it seems he chose well.”
‘There is a noble gentleman, refined like jade, polished and shaped2.’
Mu Ci : Ha, *spits*!
Filled with displeasure, he finally turned his attention to the person beside him.
One look and his agitation grew even harder to suppress.
Not bad-looking, tall and lean, with a smile on his face, reminding Mu Ci instantly of that dream he once had.
He wanted to hit someone.
This level of agitation was something Yan Luzheng had never seen from Mu Ci before, especially with such a clear target.
His eyes flashed with contemplation, but in the end, he merely had Yan Luo thank Zhou Zhuo before sending Zhou Zhuo off.
Mu Ci stood silently to the side the entire time. Yan Luo stole several glances at him but couldn’t discern his thoughts. Even his blackening value remained unchanged.
She pursed her lips slightly, said a word to Grandpa Yan, and turned to head inside, completely ignoring Mu Ci.
- The Shijing (诗经) is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry. It’s one of the Five Classics of Confucianism and holds immense cultural, historical, and literary significance in China. ↩︎
- 有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨 (Yǒu fěi jūnzǐ, Rú qiē rú cuō, Rú zhuó rú mó) is a famous line of the Shijing (Classic of Poetry). It describes a gentleman whose character is not innate but is actively and continuously cultivated and perfected through diligent effort, learning, and moral practice. Zhou Zhuo’s name Zhuo (琢 zhuó) is taken from the third part, and in itself meaning to chisel/carve (a jade). Presumably, the name was given in hopes that the child would continue to chisel (improve) himself to posses inner virtue and moral excellence, striving to become a gentleman as noble as the jade. ↩︎