"Nobody got hurt?!" She asked furious from his casual comment. "You're walking fine." He said confidently.
"That's not the point!" She said with suppressed anger.
Luo He frowned thoughtfully as if trying very hard to solve a difficult philosophical problem. By the time they reached home Jin Mulan was still furious. Luo He casually handed the chest of gold to Fei.
"Carry that."
Then he passed little Lin into Bing's arms. "Take her before she learns violence from her mother." Jin Mulan nearly attacked him again on instinct.
Bing quickly escaped with the child before the situation worsened.
Only after everyone dispersed did Luo He finally look back at Jin Mulan properly.
Then realization suddenly appeared in his eyes. "I get it you are embarrassed?"
Jin Mulan's entire face exploded red instantly.
Which answered the question perfectly.
Luo He looked genuinely fascinated by the discovery. "You'd rather punch the future emperor than accidentally hug him?" He actually laughed while saying it.
"Yes!" she snapped immediately. "Strange. Don't you think," he laughed.
Then his smile became slightly more mischievous. "But it wasn't accidental," he admitted calmly. "I needed you there."
Jin Mulan narrowed her eyes dangerously.
Luo He leaned slightly closer lowering his voice like a conspirator sharing gossip.
"Don't you remember?" he said. "The Crown Prince used to lust after you."
Jin Mulan froze briefly.
"And according to my sources and they are usually reliable he still hasn't forgotten you." Luo He looked deeply entertained by the thought. "I heard he even keeps a doll made after you in his bedchamber."
Jin Mulan's eyes widened slightly. "A very expensive one too apparently." Luo He said that with such calm restraints as if talking really casual but laughed out loud immediately after saying that unable to act calm and carefree any longer.
"You're lying." She said blushing into fifty shades of red. "Maybe." Luo He admitted cheerfully. "But doesn't it sounds believable enough." Then his grin sharpened.
"I simply wanted to give him a little glimpse of the real thing." Luo He said casually. Jin Mulan stared at him speechlessly. Luo He spread his hands innocently.
"What's wrong with showing off a little?" He asked his wife politely. "You are insane." Jin Mulan asked with a indifferent tone. "I don't punch people in the face like you do," he replied proudly.
"I just punch people on the face a little differently." Luo He said and leaned closer again voice full of amusement.
"Think about it from his perspective.
He catches the woman he desperately wants in his arms for just one second."
Then Luo He smiled lazily. "Only for her husband to take her away immediately afterward." Jin Mulan's face somehow became even hotter.
"That is psychological warfare." She said now her anger completely subdued by amusement. "But that is stupidity!" She said mocking him.
"That," Luo He corrected proudly "is style." Then he looked at her with complete seriousness for exactly one second. "If you had understood my plan earlier," he said calmly. "You could have enjoyed embarrassing him too."
Jin Mulan stood there silently staring at him. Half furious. Half embarrassed.
And unfortunately very small part of her knew he had absolutely done it on purpose just to mock the Crown Prince without throwing a single punch.
That made Jin Mulan's blood boil. Even after all his explanations he had still casually thrown her into the middle of danger and embarrassment purely because it amused him.
And the worst part she was starting to understand him well enough to know he would absolutely do it again. "I'm becoming used to this madness," she told bitterly.
Yet beneath the frustration another emotion lingered quietly inside her.
A strange warmth. Luo He trusted her enough to involve her in his schemes even reckless ones.
He relied on her strength, used her presence confidently and never once treated her as fragile. It irritated her endlessly. But deep down part of her liked it. Even if she would never admit it aloud.
Luo He suddenly tilted his head slightly.
"Should I kiss my wife's ankle and apologize for today?" He asked with his sincere and loving husband voice that no girl can resist. At least Jin Mulan think's of it that way.
Jin Mulan didn't answer immediately.
Instead she walked toward the bed calmly and sat down upon its edge spreading her legs. Then without a word she lifted one leg onto the mattress extending her left ankle toward him the same ankle he had kicked earlier.
Her expression remained cold. But the gesture itself was practically an invitation. Luo He stared at her for a moment before slowly crouching in front of her. Nothing had actually happened to her ankle.
Both of them knew that. Yet Luo He still treated it with exaggerated seriousness gently taking hold of her foot as though inspecting a grave injury. "Did my little baby got hurt?" he asked softly with obvious amusement in his voice.
Jin Mulan's eye twinkled. He lightly touched and kissed her ankle. "So," he continued "is my baby feeling better now?"
Then he stood up as though the matter had been resolved completely and turned to leave. Unfortunately for him
Jin Mulan grabbed him immediately.
"Don't even think you're escaping this easily."
Luo He looked back at her innocently.
"If you treat your wife badly," she said firmly. "You face consequences." There was still lingering annoyance in her eyes.
But there was also some thing else.
For days she had been injured weak and unable to move properly. After that Luo He had departed again throwing himself into politics, battles, schemes and now apparently another princess as well.
Meanwhile she had been left behind recovering. Waiting. Watching him drift farther and farther into chaos again.
So now that he was finally here.
Finally close enough to touch.
She refused to simply let him walk away smiling, with out talking full advantage of him. After all he was doing nothing but causing trouble all day. "So why can't you stay with me." She asked with quite interest.
Luo He noticed the emotions hidden beneath her irritation almost immediately. And for once he stopped joking. His expression softened slightly as he sat beside her. The room gradually became quieter. After that the anger between them fading into something smoother and more familiar.
Outside the mansion remained lively with servants and guards moving through the halls. But inside that room for a little while the noise of politics, war, schemes and rivalries faded into the background replaced by other noises.
Leaving only the two of them together again after far too long apart.