After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 102

Qun Qing closed her eyes for a moment and reopened them. In front of her, Jian Su pursed his lips slightly and looked at her with caution. 

“Madam, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Qun Qing replied.

Perhaps it was from bowing her head all day, but her vision felt somewhat blurry. She pressed firmly on the side of her neck, feeling a wave of dizziness surge to her head. Thankfully, Lu Huating’s carriage stood quietly in a secluded alley, the lanterns unlit—clearly, to avoid alerting Master Duer to their association.

Seeing no one around, she quickly climbed into the carriage. The faint scent of alcohol wafted toward her as she leaned back against the cushions.

“Let’s go,” Lu Huating said in a low voice, instructing Zhu Su to drive the carriage. Qun Qing leaned against the side of the carriage, glancing from the corner of her eye at Lu Huating’s pale fingers in the dim light. He was quietly applying medicine to the wounds on his fingers while listening to Jian Su speak.

Jian Su said, “There’s a gambling house within Yunzhou’s borders, technically under Liu You’s name. That young master often visits for a few rounds. The Xin family’s bank has a hidden stairwell leading underground—beneath it lies the gambling den. It sees a large amount of cash flow, and the stakes are high.”

“How high?” Lu Huating asked.

“There are gamblers who bet everything they have—even their lives may be staked there, though they don’t know it yet.”

Lu Huating simply nodded.

Jian Su lowered the curtain.

Qun Qing asked, “Gambling is prohibited under Dachen law, so why are there more gambling houses now than in the days of Chu?”

Lu Huating replied, “The so-called private treasuries of aristocratic families—like the Lü  family’s funds controlled by Meng Guangshen—aren’t hidden vaults of buried treasure. They’re liquid silver, concealed in plain sight. And the safest way to hide that kind of money from the officials is to embed it within the revenue and expenditures of establishments like restaurants and gambling houses.”

Qun Qing resisted her dizziness. “So, the gambling houses in Yunzhou and Xuzhou are part of the Lü  family’s private asset? The funds from Siye Tower and Xuzhou have already been recovered. If this round goes smoothly, how much is left?”

Lu Huating said, “I had assumed there wasn’t much left in the Lü family’s private treasury—otherwise, Yunzhou wouldn’t have needed to embezzle disaster relief funds and divert them northward to support the prince’s recovery efforts.”

He suddenly leaned in slightly toward her ear. 

“Thanks to you, Madam, I no longer have the patience to wait another four years.”

His voice carried a cold undertone of entanglement. Qun Qing knew he was referring to how, in their past life, he had failed due to the poison she administered. This second life held far more meaning for him—but what was the point in bringing it up now?

Her expression was blank. For matters that couldn’t be undone, she never liked to dwell on them.

Lu Huating’s gaze deepened slightly. Then he noticed her ear had turned red, as had her neck. Without a word, he quietly shifted away.

“How many bolts of yunjin brocade are still needed?” he asked.

“Twenty bolts,” Qun Qing answered. “I can’t help but feel this isn’t just coincidence—first, Yunzhou presents substandard cloth as tribute, then Official Liu buys up the city’s brocade ahead of time. Yet this particular batch was listed for trade and has completely vanished from the market. It’s almost as if they’re deliberately toying with me.”

Lu Huating turned his eyes toward her and fixed his gaze.

When this man stared at someone, his gaze was so piercing it felt like being held at knifepoint. Qun Qing looked straight back at him. Only then did he smile faintly. 

“Madam knows well that Yunzhou borders Southern Chu. They’ve repeatedly reported frictions with the southern border, asking the court for troops. But both I and Prince Yan believe that the friction is a pretense—the real intent is to ask for troops and money.”

Qun Qing said, “You suspect that Official Liu is colluding with Southern Chu? That taking the yunjin brocade was a move to sabotage the peace talks?”

Then she realized—he had been watching her earlier to see, from her expression, whether she had been given any mission by Southern Chu.

In that instant, a wave of fury rose to her head, followed by a surge of dizziness so intense she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.

Lu Huating stiffened. “Madam?”

Seeing she didn’t respond, he quickly reached out and touched her neck, checking her pulse. Only then did he notice her entire face, under the glow of the lamp, was flushed.

“Advisor.”

“I will prepare you some hangover soup,” Lu Huating instructed after sniffing the scent of alcohol. He withdrew his hand. That “ash water” must have been mixed with strong liquor. Even though she didn’t swallow it, just tasting it was enough to intoxicate her.

He carefully supported Qun Qing onto the couch. Once she sat properly, he turned and locked the carriage door.

Then he removed his outer robe and went into the inner chamber to bathe.

Given his habit of cleanliness, he couldn’t tolerate damp clothes for long—even with injuries, he would insist on bathing at once.

When he returned, Lu Huating was slightly startled.

Under the lamp, Qun Qing was still quietly embroidering a scripture banner. If not for the continued flush on her cheeks, he would have thought she was completely sober. When she saw him, she set down her needle and looked at him with clear, steady eyes.

She usually regarded others with wary vigilance. Rarely did she look at someone with such openness. Her eyes, lit by the lamp, appeared pure and full of trust and longing.

Lu Huating lowered his gaze. He had already changed into clean clothes, though his dark hair was still damp and loose around his cheeks. Being stared at like this, he actually felt a bit self-conscious—like his appearance was somewhat improper.

But that fleeting thought was quickly suppressed. He slowly walked toward her, gently lifted her chin with his fingers, and took in her unguarded expression.

After a moment, Lu Huating suddenly smiled.

It was a pity—she would never remember how she looked like this while sober.

The door creaked open. Zhu Su brought in the hangover soup, and Lu Huating said, 

“Bring paper and brush.”

Zhu Su responded and brought another bowl as well.

Zhu Su asked, “What do you need paper and brush for this late at night?”

“I’m thinking about how to arrange the defenses at the site,” Lu Huating replied.

Jian Su turning over said, “That place is narrow and well-hidden—if someone wants to hide there, I’m afraid it’ll take quite a bit of effort.”

Zhu Su gave a small nod.

Inside the room, Lu Huating spread a sheet of paper across the table. His brush moved fluidly over the surface, sketching rapidly. Occasionally he would glance up, quickly outlining the figure of a person. When he noticed Qun Qing trying to rise from the bed, he said softly, 

“Don’t move, madam.”

Qun Qing sat still for a while longer.

Before the painting was complete, a rustle of robes sounded. Lu Huating turned his head to see Qun Qing had already squeezed in beside him, her gaze fixed on the painting.

The woman in the painting wore the same style of dress and hairstyle as her—a typical Yunzhou look—but the face had yet to be drawn.

“Madam, what do you think? Is it good?” Lu Huating tilted his head and asked her on purpose.

Qun Qing stared for a moment and unexpectedly smiled.

That smile bloomed like plum blossoms in winter, catching Lu Huating off guard. She reached out for a closer look, but her hand bumped the candleholder, knocking it over with a start. Lu Huating quickly caught it, the vivid red wax spilling down the surface.

Just after wiping the wax from his hand, he saw her dip her finger into the wax on the table and begin smearing it playfully over the painting—insisting on blotting out the lips of the beauty in a red, messy blur.

Lu Huating rolled the painting up forcibly, and Qun Qing showed a hint of disappointment.

A thought stirred in his mind. He reached into a drawer, took out a case of rouge, and opened it. Seeing it was a deep crimson shade, he turned Qun Qing toward him and dabbed some on her lips.

His fingertips were cool. Qun Qing’s lashes trembled slightly, but she didn’t move away.

This unexpected compliance only fed Lu Huating’s viciousness.

He dipped into the rouge again and, as though finishing a delicate painting, applied the color bit by bit until her lips were fully coated in red.

Qun Qing rarely wore such vivid colors—she wasn’t used to how it looked. The bl00d-red hue made her pale skin even fairer. Her dark eyes looked at him, and there was something disturbingly enchanting in her gaze.

Lu Huating stared at her for a moment, then abruptly pulled out a white cloth and wiped it all away.

He turned to leave, but Qun Qing suddenly grabbed his hand.

Her fingers were as cold as jade. The chill pierced through the stinging cuts on his hand and spread like lightning to his heart. Lu Huating lowered his gaze, quietly watching her hold on to him.

Qun Qing had completely forgotten propriety, clinging to him like a child trying to keep a playmate from leaving.

He didn’t pull away. Instead, he guided her to the table, glanced at the hangover soup, and said,

“Drink it.”

Qun Qing picked up the bowl and drank, then held her hand again.

Lu Huating paused, then slowly returned the grip. As her hand was taken, the unease in Qun Qing’s expression faded. Lu Huating led her to the bedside, and the two sat down without a word.

He looked at their joined hands, as if they were a lock binding him in place—unable to move, unable to think.

“Advisor, I just got the news.” The door suddenly opened, and Lu Huating looked up sharply and said in a cold voice

“I’m afraid the Governor’s side can no longer keep things hidden.”

“They say three Southern Chu assassins snuck into the Governor’s manor and went straight for the room where the ‘Princess Consort’ was staying. One of them stabbed her in the belly with a sword—only to find it was just a pillow inside. Old Cai and the others were terrified out of their minds and fled during the night with their bedding. The Governor’s manor is now brightly lit, claiming to search for assassins. But in truth, Official Liu has already left in his carriage to pay a visit to Your Highness and the Princess Consort.”

“What about Liu You?” Lu Huating asked.

“He’s still at the gambling den,” Jian Su replied. “He usually stays there for a few days around the middle of the month. With the crowd and all the noise, he probably hasn’t heard the news yet.”

“We move now. There’s no time to lose.” Lu Huating grabbed his outer robe and took a short arrow from the table. He inspected its sharp point, aligned it with one hand, and said, “You two, transfer all the guards to the Princess Consort’s side. We leave at once.”

He glanced at Qun Qing’s expression. “Where did this hangover soup come from? It’s not working.”

Zhu Su said urgently, “That’s the strongest brew we have! The ash water was off—it must’ve contained more than just wine. It’ll take longer for the effects to wear off. Advisor, should we leave Madam here?”

“This inn is too easy for Official Liu’s men to search. She can’t stay here like this. The safest place for her now is by my side.” Lu Huating tightened his grip on Qun Qing’s hand, helped her into the carriage, and said, 

“Let’s go and meet Liu You.”