My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 27

The auspicious veil had not yet been lifted to reveal the bride’s face when the bride pressed it down with her delicate finger.

Xiao Nanxun paused his movements, and saw the bride holding her veil with one hand and pointing to the wedding wine¹ placed on the table not far away with the other. Xiao Nanxun naturally understood her intention in an instant, and thus his action of lifting the veil also came to a halt.

The cold smile at the corner of his mouth deepened, and in an instant, he put down the auspicious veil and turned to get the wine.

Originally, Xiao Nanxun planned to use coercion. After all, Helan Ci had already lost her virginity. He thought about what words to use to force her to submit. On the wedding night, she would definitely not want any trouble, only enduring in silence and letting him do as he pleased. Later, he could use this to blackmail her and slowly achieve his goals—besides, that lawyer didn’t seem like someone who would live long. If he were to die, could the young widow still escape from his clutches?

Now he suddenly finds it quite interesting.

Xiao Nanxun has never married and has no nominal wife. It would be nice if they acted as a husband and wife tonight. While pondering this, he casually extinguished the candle and picked up the wedding wine and handed it to the bride.

Xiao Shao’an’s heart was pounding rapidly. She had originally thought that even if she got caught, being able to drink a marriage toast with Brother Lu would be a way to settle her regrets. If she could hear a few words of tenderness from him, then tonight would be worth it. After all, he hadn’t spoken to her in such a long time.

Who would have thought he would be so considerate to turn off the lights!

Heaven has helped me!

Xiao Shao’an took the wedding cup, entwined her arm with the other person, her heart filled with a sweetness like honey. She sipped the wine under the veil, finished it sip by sip, and did not feel any bitterness or unpleasantness.

Xiao Nanxun was also in a great mood at this moment, mainly because Helan Ci was always so fearful and trembling every time they met, like a frightened bird, unlike the current obedient and docile demeanor.

For a moment, the air seemed to become joyful.

After finishing the wedding wine, Xiao Shao’an cleared her throat, trying to imitate Helan Ci’s voice to call out Lu Wuyou’s name.
That woman didn’t even know how to seduce with her voice; her voice was soft and gentle, and even without ‘pinching’ her voice, there was an alluring quality to it. Before Xiao Shao’an could even imitate the voice and utter the word “霁,” the other person didn’t even lift her veil and pressed her down onto the bed.

Xiao Shao’an was taken aback for a moment.

She immediately realized. It must have been that night when the two of them got drunk the unspeakable had happened, so now Brother Lu is being so reckless. Although it makes things easier for her, she still can’t help but feel a pang of bitterness in her heart.

This bitterness barely passed her heart, and Xiao Shao’an felt the hand touching her chest stop.
Xiao Nanxun also felt something was off. From what he had seen earlier, no matter how much it shrank, this mountain range would not be so barren (br3ast). Upon closer inspection,he found that the figure of the woman under him was completely different from Helan Ci. He had been so dazed just now that he didn’t even notice.

Without a doubt, he was tricked again.

Xiao Nanxun suddenly felt furious, yanking the woman beneath him and throwing her to the ground, coldly saying, “Where’s Helan Ci?”

Xiao Shaoan was still immersed in the sour and sweet feeling, when she was suddenly dragged off the bed and thrown hard. Her buttocks hit the ground, and her tailbone hurt so much that she squealed in pain. At that moment, her brother’s voice suddenly rang in front of her.

Startled, she suddenly gasped, disregarding the pain, and with a trembling voice, she exclaimed in utter disbelief, “…Brother? Brother? No… it can’t be you, right?”

This sound, to Xiao Nanxun, was no different from the sound of thunder. How could it be possible, absolutely impossible… He relit the candle, bent down, and slowly lifted the veil.

In the dim light, Xiao Shao’an’s dull and shocked face gradually became visible.

“Ahhhhh——”

Recalling what he and Xiao Nanxuan had just done, Xiao Shao’an couldn’t help but cover her face and let out a loud, mournful cry.

****

Halfway through the wedding banquet, someone leaned over and whispered a few words into Lu Wuyou’s ear.

He quickly showed signs of being unable to handle the alcohol, apologizing and saying he was indeed a bit drunk and wanted to go rest for a while.

The close colleagues immediately showed knowing, ambiguous expressions and teased, “You want to go see the new bride, right?”

“I understand, I understand. Ji’an has been busy for half the day. You go ahead first, so Miss Helan won’t be kept waiting.”

“Exactly, the wedding night is a crucial moment, don’t miss the auspicious time.”

“Ji’an really is a winner in life. He was born from a poor family, and now he’s married such a remarkable wife. Others can only envy.”

At this moment, in the tea room on the third floor of the restaurant.

Helan Ci had just lifted the veil to breathe. She took a couple of sips of the tea, but since she had applied lipstick, she was afraid it would stain the cup, so she didn’t drink much.

Perhaps fearing she would be bored, Lu Wuyou even left her two poetry collection books. At the door stood a black-clad attendant named “Zizhu.” Before leaving, Lu Wuyou instructed her that if she needed anything, she could ask Zizhu.

Unlike the flattering and clever Qingye, this Zizhu appeared quite cold and unfeeling.

“In the name of the Young Lord, I have come to protect the Young Madam, and I will definitely fulfill my duty even if it means death.”

Helan Ci almost thought that Lu Wu You had secretly hired an assassin. As for that “Young Lord,” Lu Wuyou still casually said, “Just a title, don’t mind it.” In any case, Helan Ci ultimately decided to stay quietly in the room.

Hearing footsteps outside, and Zizhu’s “I’ve met the Young Lord.”

Helan Ci quickly covered her head back with the veil and sat back down.

Lu Wuyou’s footsteps were very brisk, almost as if he floated up to the third floor. He paused at the door and knocked.

Helan Ci said a bit nervously, “Come in.”

The footsteps were light, and Lu Wuyou’s tone was also very cheerful, carrying a subtle sense of delight. A smile lingered in his words, as if inviting her to join in some mischief, saying, “There’s going to be an exciting event at the residence soon. Do you want to see?”

Helan Ci said, “What kind of event?”

Lu Wuyou smiled and said, “You’ll know when you get there.”

“Are we leaving now?”

“Yes, but no more riding in the carriage…” Lu Wuyou’s tone shifted, and he smiled mischievously, “I’ll take you over using qinggong (lightness skill).”

Helan Ci remembered the last time, and her face suddenly turned a bit pale, then a bit red, but fortunately it was hidden under the veil and couldn’t be seen clearly.

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Lu Wuyou asked softly again, “… Are you going?”

Helan Ci hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity quickly overcame her fear of flying in the air. She said softly, “Can you… fly a bit more steadily?”

“So you’re afraid……”

Lu Wuyou’s chest trembled slightly with laughter, then he stepped forward, picked her up by the waist, and said, “Miss Helan, let’s fly higher.”

When he said fly higher, he meant that they would change from jumping on the roof to jumping on the treetops. It was indeed more stable, but the scene seen through the veil was even more frightening. It felt like they were almost touching the clouds, and he could still hear the sound of birds flapping their wings. The ground was so far away it was almost invisible, and the figures seemed to shrink into tiny dots.

Feeling the slightly chilly night wind blowing, Helan Ci quickly closed her eyes tightly, clutched the veil, and curled up in his arms, not daring to move around casually.

They slowly descend.

Lu Wuyou lightly tapped his toes, stepping onto the eaves, and gently placed the Helan Ci on the roof ridge, saying, “Alright, just sit here.”

Helan Ci looked down and realized that a few feet below this place was facing Lu Wuyou’s residence, with tree branches casting shadows. She looked at the eaves and tiles, recalling the direction, and suddenly remembered that there was indeed a tall tower facing the street behind the Lu mansion.

It just happens to be perfect for overlooking—though ordinary people would never think to come here to overlook.

Lu Wuyou sat beside her, and HelanCi could see through the veil that one of his legs was stretched out straight, while the other was propped up, his arm slightly resting on his knee. The groom’s traditional attire, a large red robe, was somewhat casually laid over the slanted roof of the tall tower.

Then he held up his long finger and made a “shh” gesture, saying, “Listen.”

Helan Ci lowered her head to listen, and after waiting for a while, he heard some indistinct arguing coming from the direction of what should have been their new room. Then came a woman’s scream, which grew increasingly shrill, almost to the point of breaking down.

“……How could it be you! How did you get here! Shouldn’t it be Brother Lu? Oh my god, I just did…”

The woman’s voice became increasingly shrill, and then it seemed someone covered her mouth.

The voices inside gradually grew quieter, and after a while, it seemed like a man was furiously trying to suppress his anger, his voice filled with rage. Even from a distance, Helan Ci found the sound somewhat spine-chilling.

Before long, a man and a woman walked out of their new house, almost fleeing through the back door.

Lu Wuyou lightly pointed with his fingertip to a tree branch outside their courtyard and introduced it to her: “The shadow over there is the Jinyiwei who just came over after hearing the noise.” Then he pointed to another spot, “Over there are the Dongchang guards. I wonder if there are any other spies. Our wedding day is really lively.”

Helan Ci snapped back to reality from her astonishment and said, “……Just now, it was the Second Prince and Shao’an Gongzhu?”

“I was just being cautious, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen…” Lu Wuyou rested his chin on one hand and raised the other to lightly snap off a branch that was obstructing his view, saying, “I had everyone in the house to take a break and only left one or two people to keep watch. Who would have thought that Xiao Nanxun would take advantage of my presence at the banquet to sneak into the bridal chamber and attempt something untoward? Of course, I also didn’t expect Xiao Shao’an would ask her maid to knock out the maid who replaced you, trying to pretend to be the bride.” He said in a sincere tone, “When I heard this I was also surprised.”

With his explanation, Helan Ci completely understood and was suddenly filled with dread. If she had really stayed in the house…

But then Lu Wuyou continued, “Don’t worry, if you stay in the house, nothing like this will happen. It’s not that I can’t have someone guard the door; it’s just that it will be a bit tricky to handle at that time. Right now, this is much simpler. Just pretend that nothing happened.”

Helan Ci: “Won’t it implicate us?”

Lu Wuyou supported the back of his head with both hands and leaned back, his tone somewhat casual: “Of course not, we weren’t even at the residence. They were the ones trying to do something shady and ended up messing it up… Oh, right.” He seemed to remember something and sat up again, “Let me help you lift your veil.”

“Weren’t you the one who said we should keep some sense of ceremony?”

Lu Wuyou smiled and said, “Originally, I thought that since marriage happens only once in a lifetime, it should be done with complete propriety and perfection, leaving no regrets. But now I think, with the gentle breeze and the bright moon in the sky, it seems quite nice too.”

Tonight is a full moon, and indeed the moonlight is enchanting. A silver disc hangs high in the dark sky, overlooking the thousands of lights in the capital city, and the light that spills down is extremely gentle.

The top of the tall tower is originally an excellent place to admire the moon, and the serene atmosphere makes one feel slightly intoxicated.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Wuyou slightly leaned closer to Helan Ci.

HelanCi also tilted her body slightly and turned her head.

Lu Wuyou’s fingers traced along the edge of the cover, gently lifting it upwards.

Having worn this veil for most of the day without seeing anyone, she didn’t feel much about it. At this moment, however, Helan Ci inexplicably felt a bit nervous.

The veil was lifted, revealing a hint of Helan’s porcelain-like jaw and her lips, which were even more dazzling with lipstick. Her lips were beautifully shaped, with full, enticing lip beads—adding a bit made them thicker, while taking away made them thinner—perfect for kissing.

Lu Wuyou paused for a moment, then simply lifted the lid off.

Helan Ci was caught off guard, her long eyelashes “whooshed” up, revealing a pair of eyes so beautiful they made everything else pale in comparison. Yao Qianxue had personally applied her makeup; in fact, she hadn’t used much powder, but she was already extraordinarily beautiful. Just a little enhancement made it even harder to look directly at her. It made one feel that from the brow to the corner of the eyes, from the tip of the nose to the lips, every part was fascinating.

He wondered if such beauty is allowed to be seen by others?

Lu Wuyou was momentarily stunned.

If it were just this face, he had seen it many times, but today she was wearing that extremely luxurious big red wedding dress he had personally gifted her, making her already stunning beauty even more radiant. In a daze, Lu Wuyou seemed to have returned to that night.

In the dim light on that hall, the girl appeared delicate as if boneless, her face flushed like a soft pastry, her eyes glistening with tears, looking at him with a mix of helplessness and a hint of longing.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Helan Ci saw him in a daze, so she looked down at her own wedding attire. It should be fine, and she touched her head to check; the phoenix crown and gold hairpins were also in place. She looked at Lu Wuyou with some confusion.

And over there, Lu Wuyou was lowering his gaze, inexplicably leaning closer.

Helan Ci propped herself up on the roof with one hand. When she noticed Lu Wu You’s gaze landing on her lips, she panicked for a moment and stammered, “…… What are you doing?”

She didn’t realize that her voice was soft and gentle.

Just as he was about to get closer, Lu Wuyou suddenly came to his senses, quickly pulling away at lightning speed. The groom’s auspicious robe also rolled to the ground, and he pressed his hand to his forehead, realizing that he had just lost his mind.

The lingering images from that night were too strong, making it impossible for him to completely detach, which is why he was easily swayed just now.

HelanCi noticed his slightly flushed cheeks and suddenly remembered the faint smell of alcohol on him, leading to a guess: “Did you drink a lot?”

Lu Wuyou also just remembered that he was forced to drink at the wedding banquet, and said, “…not too much, just a hundred cups.”

HelanCi: “……??? Isn’t that not a lot?”

Lu Wuyou said, “I can drink a thousand cups and not get drunk.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Just a little bit tipsy.”

Helan Ci thought he was bragging: “Don’t put on a brave face. Let’s go downstairs and I’ll get you some hangover soup.” Sometimes, when her brother drank too much with his friends outside, she would also ask someone to cook it and send it over.

Lu Wuyou turned to look at her, and at this moment, his eyes were indeed very clear, and his expression was also lucid, not at all like someone who was drunk.

“I’m really not drunk.” He casually pulled out the flask he had bought when they sneaked to watch the show. “I could even share a toast with you.”

Helan Ci looked at him suspiciously and asked, “So what were you trying to do when you leaned over just now?”

“……”

Lu Wuyou paused, holding the wine glass, and said, “……I wanted to wipe off your lipstick.”

1. a ceremonial drink shared by the bride and groom, symbolizing their union and commitment to each other. This tradition, known as “Jiaobei Jiu” (交杯酒), involved the couple drinking from two separate cups that were later joined together, signifying the joining of their lives.