ng Qianqian and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance, and with perfect understanding, they let down the canopy.
Lu Yuan lifted the blanket, and ng Qianqian slipped in, burying her head in his embrace. The whole process was seamless, smooth as flowing water.
The slightly ajar door was pushed open.
ng Qianqian heard the sound of the door and gritted her teeth in frustration: The door wasn’t locked? Then why did I climb through the window?
Got infected by my dumb brother!
ng Qianqian hadn’t yet realized the gravity of the situation, not until a delicate, saccharine voice rang out again: "Master San~ I’ve made your favorite side dish to go with your wine."
ng Qianqian lifted her head from under the blanket, shooting a sharp look at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan mouthed silently: This is Luo San’s courtyard!
ng Qianqian: Oh, forgot. Go ahead, continue with your business.
She silently tucked her head back under the blanket.
The maid placed the tray in her hand on the table, sauntered to the bed, and with a sway of her slender waist, imdiately slumped against Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan grabbed a pillow and shoved her onto the floor.
The maid let out a lodious "Ouch," even her falling posture laced with coquetry and charm: "Master San, what’s going on? We haven’t seen each other for days, and the first thing you do when you’re back is treat Lian’er so coldly? Spit it out, are you seeing soone else outside?"
Lu Yuan frowned deeply.
He had been thorough, asking all the details, yet overlooked one crucial detail about Luo San’s private affairs.
Not only was Luo San a drunkard, but he was also quite the womanizer.
Drinking was tolerable, but won—
ng Qianqian pinched his waist sharply.
Lu Yuan involuntarily gasped in pain.
With a woman’s intuition, Lian’er sensed sothing amiss. She imdiately got up from the floor, rolled up her sleeves, and said to Lu Yuan: "Luo, is there soone hiding in your bed?"
Before Lu Yuan could respond, Lian’er had already spotted a pair of embroidered shoes on the ground.
"Well, well, Luo San! When you sweet-talked into coming back to your mansion, what did you promise? You said once you finished your important matters, you’d marry as your wife, and I’d be the only woman for the rest of your life!"
"I worked as a maid for you, and you really treat like a maid!"
"Spill it! Who’s the little hussy? Xiang Lian from the Red Chamber, or Du Juan from Spring Pavilion? Surely it’s not Peony from the Myriad Blossoms House?"
"Tonight, I’m skinning both of you alive—"
Lian’er seized the embroidered shoe from the floor and, filled with fury, swung it toward Lu Yuan and ng Qianqian in his arms.
ng Qianqian could never have imagined, not even in her wildest dreams, that sneaking off in the middle of the night to visit her husband would end in this fiasco.
Didn’t Luo San do this on purpose to spite them?
It was just a little robbery; did he really have to go this far to get back at her?
The sole of Lian’er’s shoe was already dangerously close to Lu Yuan’s face when, at lightning speed, Lu Yuan pulled out a stack of silver notes.
"You think you can buy off so easily?"
Lu Yuan pulled out another stack.
"Master San, enjoy yourselves at your leisure."
"My apologies for disturbing you, Master San."
"The dishes and wine are in the room. Let know if you need anything."
Lian’er walked out joyfully with the silver notes, making sure to close the door behind her.
The two of them sighed in relief.
"That was terrifying; we almost got caught," ng Qianqian said, patting her chest. "By the way, how did you co up with that idea?"
Lu Yuan replied, "Learned it from my mother."
ng Qianqian gave him a thumbs up. "No wonder she’s my mother-in-law!"
"Master San!"
The door burst open again.
ng Qianqian quickly ducked back under the blanket.
Lu Yuan asked coolly, "What now?"
Lian’er poked her head in, grinning sheepishly. "Should I handle Cui Yun and the others for you?"
Lu Yuan tossed her a gold ingot.
Lian’er caught it steadily, positively radiant with delight. "Don’t worry, Master San. If even a single female mosquito dares to fly in tonight, it’s my fault!"
Clutching her gold and silver notes, her serpentine waist swaying, Lian’er floated back to her room, her face glowing with happiness.
ng Qianqian peeled back the blanket, sweaty and out of breath. "Now no one will bother us, right?"
Lu Yuan looked at her flushed cheeks and slightly parted red lips. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze and said, "Don’t go see Chen Long tonight."
"Why not?"
"He’s asleep."
"Oh."
ng Qianqian didn’t suspect anything, sat up, and fanned herself. "It’s so hot. I’m sweating all over from all this commotion."
Lu Yuan closed his eyes briefly. "ng Xiaojiu, watch your words."
ng Qianqian tilted her head and asked, "Aren’t you hot?"
Lu Yuan’s throat bobbed, and large beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, following the perfect line of his jaw and sliding into his collar.
ng Qianqian took out a handkerchief and gently wiped it for him, starting from his forehead, down to his cheek, and slowly to...
Lu Yuan grabbed her hand, taking the handkerchief from her. "I’ll do it myself."
ng Qianqian stared at him unblinkingly. "Are you shy?"
"No."
Lu Yuan kept his icy composure as he wiped away his sweat.
The scent of her fragrance lingered on the handkerchief, teasing his senses as if her fingertips were dancing across his body.
ng Qianqian stopped teasing him and chuckled. "Seeing that you’re okay, I feel reassured now."
Lu Yuan asked nonchalantly, "You... were really worried about ?"
"Of course I was worried about you," ng Qianqian said seriously. "The Pri Minister is a cunning old fox. If he figures out your true identity, he might kill you on the spot."
Lu Yuan’s expression shifted to seriousness. "I will find that child."
ng Qianqian sighed. "I wasn’t just worried about you because of the child Chen Long is looking for."
Lu Yuan considered for a mont and said, "The Chu Family case is connected to the Pri Minister. Over a decade ago, Chen Long’s adoptive family was slaughtered in retaliation by the Loulan people and Thousand chanism Pavilion. I suspect the Pri Minister had a hand in it, too. I’ll find the evidence of his cris. Even after so many years in the Pri Minister’s Mansion, I had no idea about that secret chamber, which shows just how incriminating its contents must be."
ng Qianqian stared at him seriously. "Who asked you all that? Can’t I just be worried about you because you’re you?"
Lu Yuan didn’t respond.
ng Qianqian beca anxious.
When she praises him, he takes it seriously.
When she’s being sincere, he doesn’t believe her.
"It’s getting late," Lu Yuan said. "You should leave."
ng Qianqian drooped her head. "Oh."
Lu Yuan, familiar with the terrain and guard layout of the mansion, adeptly evaded their surveillance and escorted ng Qianqian to a section of the wall in the northwest corner.
Inside the wall stood a short post, just the right height for climbing over.
"I’m leaving," ng Qianqian said.
"Hmm."
Lu Yuan responded.
ng Qianqian climbed the wall reluctantly, pausing every few steps to look back.
"I’m really leaving now."
"Hmm."
ng Qianqian jumped down.
Separated by the wall, neither of them moved away.
Suddenly, ng Qianqian clambered back up the wall, poking her head out. "I’ll co see you again tomorrow night."
Lu Yuan blinked in surprise. "Alright."
ng Qianqian grinned with satisfaction, then hopped down again.
Monts later, she poked her head out again. "Madam Du’s hand has healed. Do you want to bring you her braised pork?"
"No need."
"Oh."
For the third ti, ng Qianqian hopped down.
"But—"
ng Qianqian climbed the wall once more.
Watching her flushed face and the exertion written all over her, Lu Yuan finally reached his limit. He stepped onto the post, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her deeply.
It was neither a fleeting peck nor a brief touch.
It was a kiss full of unleashed passion and suppressed desire, holding her tightly as he kissed her fiercely, intensely, and profoundly.
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