A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 191 The strong melon is not sweet
Seeing his thin lips pressed tightly together, unwilling to speak, Mu Qingcheng felt somewhat disappointed. "My lord," she said, "I understand your reasons for concealing this, but I do not approve of your actions. You are now the Prefect of the Capital, not a member of the Song family of the Duke's mansion. Some principles must be upheld from the beginning. Of course, I am merely a lowly coroner of no rank, and dare not question you, my lord. If I have overstepped my bounds, please punish me!"

"Coroner Mu!"

Song Shuyu felt a lot of anger simmering inside him, and he wanted to give her a good scolding, but when he saw the slightly hurt look in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh.

Therefore, he could only regulate his emotions, wretchedly turning his anger into joy, assuming that she cared about him and was afraid that he would follow in the footsteps of Liu Pei and Li Mu, disregarding justice and law for the sake of his family.

However, Mu Qingcheng was unaware of Song Shuyu's inner thoughts. Perhaps his excessive leniency towards her in the past gave her the confidence to be willful. She said coldly, "May I ask if there is anything else you need, sir? If not, this humble servant will take his leave!"

The anger that Song Shuyu had just swallowed suddenly surged up again. He approached her, his dark eyes fixed on her, just inches away. He thought to himself, if he continued to spoil her so unconditionally, would he have no standing in the family after they got married?

The two stared at each other, Mu Qingcheng frowning repeatedly. What kind of look was that from the master? It felt like he wanted to devour her whole! It seemed she had guessed right!

Suddenly, Song Shuyu leaned down, his handsome face drawing ever closer, his eyes blazing with intense heat. Mu Qingcheng's mind raced in an instant. She abruptly took a step back and cried out, "My lord, are you trying to silence me? I am but a nobody, my death is insignificant, but you are of noble birth, and you must not break the law and ruin your future!"

Song Shuyu froze on the spot!

His urge to kiss her was completely extinguished by her words!
His eyes widened in astonishment. "Mu Qingcheng, have you lost your mind? Where did your intelligence for investigating cases go? How did you figure out that I wanted to kill you to silence you, instead of wanting to kiss you... Forget it, I can't explain this to an idiot like you!"

Mu Qingcheng blinked, completely bewildered. "My lord doesn't trust me, yet he won't silence me? Then what... what was my lord trying to do just now?"

Since he met Song Shuyu, he has always praised her for being smart and intelligent and called her stupid, but this is the first time he has ever done so!
Therefore, Mu Qingcheng felt a little flustered, and at this moment she understood how Officer Liu was afraid that he would be abandoned by his superiors because of his lack of ability!
Song Shuyu's heart surged, and he suddenly leaned close to Mu Qingcheng, pulling her into his arms before she could react, and kissed her lips!
Mu Qingcheng stared in disbelief, her mind going completely blank for a moment!
She was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water, pure and captivating. She didn't wear lipstick, but her lips were pink, delicate and alluring.

Song Shuyu originally only intended to have a brief taste, but as soon as he touched her, his will slipped out of his control. He had no experience and just kissed her instinctively, again and again, insatiable!

It wasn't until Mu Qingcheng's consciousness, which had been soaring into the heavens, slowly returned to its original state that she cried out in alarm. She then turned her face away, raised her hand, and pushed him hard, at which point he finally came to his senses and hurriedly let go.

Their eyes met, and both of them blushed.

Mu Qingcheng was both ashamed and angry. She looked at the door of the council hall and made sure that the doors and windows were closed and no one could see or hear her. Only then did her tense heart calm down a little. She then scolded, "My lord, how can you be so disrespectful to your subordinates? The dignified Prefect of the Capital has repeatedly committed such shameless acts of lewdness!"

Song Shuyu subconsciously retorted, "What do you mean, 'again and again'? This is my first time..." "You..." Mu Qingcheng was speechless. The first time he kissed her was when he was not in a conscious state, and he didn't remember it at all. How could she bring it up on her own initiative?
Seeing her flushed face and unpredictable eyes, Song Shuyu quickly increased his defense, "I would never do anything like that, not even to any woman. I just couldn't help but tease you. No, it's not teasing, it was just that I couldn't help myself. Who told you to frame me like that? You kept talking about how I wanted to kill you, so I'll just... kill you then."

Mu Qingcheng could never have imagined that this act of silencing was not the same as the previous one.

She was so ashamed and angry that her eyes turned red. Last time, after being kissed, she slapped him and knocked him unconscious. This time, however, he was awake and did it on purpose, so she had to face him directly. Her embarrassment, shyness, and awkwardness were nowhere to be hidden and were all displayed in front of him!
She raised her right hand, hesitating between continuing to slap him or killing him with a single blow. However, Song Shuyu, assessing the situation, grabbed her right hand and began to play the victim, saying, "Qingcheng, please forgive me for the sake of my bloodied hands. I swear, I really didn't mean to take liberties with you. It's just that... I couldn't control my feelings."

"Song Shuyu!"

Mu Qingcheng gritted her teeth and, unusually, called him by his full name, "Didn't we make things clear last night? I'm not A-Yuan, not the wife you want to marry, do you understand? Is this how you treat me now?"

"Understood!" Song Shuyu nodded vigorously, her attitude extremely respectful. "You are Mu Qingcheng, not A Yuan, who was my lover when we were young. I've remembered that."

Mu Qingcheng's eyes widened. "Then why... why did you kiss me?"

"Because no matter who you are, I like you and want to marry you!" Song Shuyu said firmly and emphatically.

Mu Qingcheng was stunned for a moment, then pulled her hand back, turned her back, and desperately suppressed her wildly beating heart.

Song Shuyu paused for a moment, then continued, "Qingcheng, no matter what you think or what decision you make, I must tell you that I will not change my mind! I have never cared about your family background or status. I am confident that I can get my father and grandmother to agree. I don't need you to manage the household, keep accounts, or manage servants, shops, or land. Whether before or after marriage, you can do what you like. There is no need to clip your wings or compromise your principles."

Mu Qingcheng felt her throat was so dry and hoarse that she couldn't utter a single word!

Song Shuyu continued rambling, "I know you don't like me right now, and you're engaged to Mu Xun. I can wait, wait for you to slowly fall for me. But you... please don't deny me any chance, okay? I'm showing you my utmost sincerity so you won't have any worries. I hope you don't think I'm trying to force you to marry me. Forced relationships are never sweet. What I want is mutual love and a lifelong commitment."

"My lord!" Mu Qingcheng took a deep breath, concealing all her agitated emotions. She said, "Let's talk business! Romantic feelings are really not within my consideration. I just want to focus on my career!"

(End of this chapter)