Bone Painting Coroner

Translator: Choufleur

In the blink of an eye, he had brought up a pot of quality tea and two plates of pastries, and was inviting Tang Si to sit down at the little balcony where Mo Ruo often drank his wine. "Shimu, you've just journeyed into the capital and must be tired. Please have a drink of tea and some snacks. Feel free to let me know if you need anything else."

"I want a pot of wine!"

"Wine?" The little apprentice boggled for a moment.

Tang Si tilted her head to the side and looked at him, frowning, "Why, do you not have any?"

"Of course there is!" the apprentice stammered, "but Shimu, why do you like drinking as much as shifu does?"

"Who on earth doesn't drink wine?" She raised her chin, "In our Houliao, stranger are those people who don't drink wine! You people of the Central Plains just love to have these rules and customs; something about only men can drink and not women. That’s plain discrimination!”

The little apprentice scratched his head, thinking that what she said seemed rather reasonable. He swallowed and cocked an arm on his hip. "Alright, I'll go get some wine for Shimu right now. Please wait a moment."

"Good!"

The apprentice scampered downstairs and went to the backyard to retrieve a pot of aged wine that Mo Ruo had kept in his collection, then hid it behind his back to secretly bring it upstairs. As he passed it to her, he reminded, "Shimu, Shifu had kept this wine away for a long time and said that it was of an excellent vintage. If you drink it, you must not betray me and must say that you took it yourself instead."

That's nothing! Tang Si took the bottle and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Shimu never breaks her word."

"That's good then."

"Alright, run along now. I'll tell you if I need anything."

"But..."

"But what?"

The apprentice looked around worriedly. "These herbs..."

NovelsToday

"Don't worry. I won't touch them!" Tang Si vowed solemnly.

The apprentice didn't say anything else and merely turned around and went back down.

Thus, Tang Si lifted the bottle and started drinking. This wine was undeniably the best she had ever tried and also the strongest.

Meanwhile, Mo Ruo finally broke free from the mob of patients around him. He flung his sleeves and quickly took the chance to escape, pushing several of his disciples forward as a shield.

Those patients saw that their chance was gone, so one by one they gave up with a sigh. It was as they said, the divine doctor was cold, aloof, and temperamental.

Mo Ruo hurried up the pavilion to avoid trouble, thinking that he could have a good rest. However, when he reached the top of the stairs, the first thing he saw was Tang Si, heartily drinking his wine. Her face was flushed red, her eyes bleary and dazed as she swayed against the balcony railings, shouting at the crowds on the street below. “You people of Great Lin just like to dawdle and split hairs over every little matter. And the people here... are all thoroughly bad. Always up to some dirty tricks, killing people left and right. If you’re so cap...capable, come directly at this miss instead!”

“However big the captial is, it’s still not as big as the grasslands of our Houliao!”

“It’s said that people of the Central Plains are smart, but I think that other than Ah Ji and my Ah Mo, you are all fools. Fools, all fools...” The girl’s hammered.

As she shouted, she swung the half-empty bottle from her fingers.

When passer-bys on the street heard the noise, practically all of them raised their heads to look, pointing and tutting at her, wondering, Which family is this little miss from? Why is she drinking like this? How improper!

Mo Ruo’s head hurt. He wrinkled his forehead and rubbed his temples. He really regretted it now. If he had known, he wouldn’t have agreed to let this woman follow him back to the capital. He sighed again and quickly pulled Tang Si back indoors, casually snatching the wine away from her.

“Wine, my wine! Why did you take my wine?”

“This is my wine.”

She was trapped and couldn’t break free of Mo Ruo’s grasp, and could only twist and struggle futilely within his embrace. Her entire body felt powerless, as weak as a limp noodle.

Mo Ruo was so incensed that smoke was practically coming out from his ears. However, that woman just had to squirm, laugh, and give up struggling, draping her entire body against his as she giggled happily. Her eyes still shut, she mumbled, “Ah Mo, your wine is really good. This is the best wine that I’ve ever drunk, so I’m definitely following you for the rest of my life. I want to drink your wine my entire life.”

“...”

“We’re now back in the capital. You said that you will definitely marry me. You can’t go back on your word. Ah Mo, when are you going to marry me?”

“...”

“My father said that if I remain this wild, he will simply marry me anyone. I don’t want to be married off to just anyone, I want to be married to you, Ah Mo, I want to get married... get married to you...” Tang Si mumbled drunkenly, her voice growing softer. Her head also started drooping, before her forehead finally thudded on his chest.

Ow! That hurt! A furrow appeared between Mo Ruo’s brows. He wanted to push the woman away, but the moment he let go, Tang Si’s body started sliding downwards. He had no choice but to scoop her up into his arms instead. That woman in his arms was still muttering something or another indistinctly as she rubbed her head unabashedly against his chest like a little cat.

Mo Ruo lowered his head to look at her. When this woman quieted down, she lost her usual arrogant and unreasonable attitude, and now looked much more womanly and docile. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently as her crimson lips moved as she muttered something. She really looks too much like Kong Yu!

In that moment, the disdain that originally filled his eyes suddenly drained away into a warm look and his tightly pressed lips curved into something of a smile. It was rare indeed to find such a Mo Ruo!

The little apprentice who first delivered the wine heard the disturbance and hurried upstairs, just in time to witness the scene. “Shifu, Shimu...”

In the past, Mo Ruo would surely have given him a sound bollocking just for that address of ‘shimu’, but now, he merely glared at him and asked, “Are you the one who gave her the wine?”

The apprentice stammered guiltily, “It’s... it’s shimu who said she wanted wine. Shifu, I...”

“Enough, go down. Don’t come up if there isn’t anything else.”

“Yes!” He scampered off immediately.

Mo Ruo carried Tang Si into his own room within the pavilion, put her down on the bed, and covered her with a blanket. Just as he turned to leave, Tang Si caught his hand. “Ah Mo, just when will you marry me?” She asked dazedly.

Mo Ruo looked at the hand that had caught his, intending to pull away. But on second thought, he flipped his hand and caught Tang Si’s hand instead, tucking it securely into the blanket.

“Ah Mo...”

“I’m here!”

“When will you marry me?”

“Tomorrow!”

“Then, will you go back to Houliao with me?” Tang Si turned her body, still rambling drunkenly.

Mo Ruo righted his expression and looked at her flushed face, actually starting to consider the question. Would follow this woman back to Houliao after they married, or would he have her remain in the capital?