My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 31.1

Helan Ci didn’t feel anything at first, but after hearing his words, she suddenly felt a bit weird.

Last night, he kissed her so passionately that her legs went weak, but here, if someone sees them… That particular booklet pressed to her chest suddenly started to feel hot again.

After Lu Wuyou finished speaking, he indeed made no move, just proceeded to pack a few things and asked her, “Do you want to take a break here for a while? Or should we head back now?”

Helan Ci said, “…… Let’s go back.”

Lu Wuyou checked his cousin’s studies again, said goodbye to his uncle and aunt with Helan Ci, and then got on the carriage to return home.

After that, he took a nap.

Helan Ci then began to pack up her dowry that she had brought over. Qingye had someone help her move things around. He also handed her the keys to the storeroom, saying kindly, “Furen, if you find anything missing, just give me your orders, and I’ll have someone buy it right away.”

She politely said no.

But some things still need to be discussed with Lu Wuyou. However, he slept through lunch and didn’t wake up until the afternoon.

Qingye hurriedly explained for him, “The young lord is sometimes like this. Furen, if you’re in a hurry, I, uh, um…”

Helan Ci said, “I’m not in a hurry, let him sleep.” However, she still looked a bit strange, “…I thought he was a diligent person.”

Qingye cleared his throat and said, “The young lord is quite diligent most of the time, especially when reading; he becomes so engrossed that he forgets to eat and sleep. However, recently there hasn’t been much to do, so he just… cough cough… Furen, please don’t misunderstand!”

Helan Ci thought that Lu Wuyou probably hadn’t told him; they were just using each other as a stopgap measure—after all, there was no need to maintain Lu Wuyou’s image in front of her.

As she thought of this, she actually became a bit more patient.

Another hour passed before there was any movement inside.

Helan Ci knocked on the door and heard a relaxed voice from inside say, “Come in.”
She pushed the door open and saw a young man half undressed, facing away from her. The hem of his nightwear was draped over his elbow, exposing his bare shoulders and chest, revealing a powerful curve that tapered down to his waist…

The two looked at each other.

Helan Ci said “Sorry to bother you” and then closed the door.

Lu Wuyou’s voice finally sobered a bit: “……I thought it was Qingye.”

Helan Ci stood at the door, she said somewhat awkwardly, “It’s okay.”

However, she usually adjusts very quickly.

After a while, Lu Wuyou said again, “I’ve changed my clothes. Do you have something to say?”

When Helan Ci entered, Lu Wuyou was tying his belt, his long hair falling loosely, slightly disheveled, with a tuft of messy hair sticking out awkwardly from his forehead. He had his eyes half-lowered, looking exceptionally languid.

Helan Ci thought for a moment and said, “Do you need my help?”

Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow at her: “…… You can?”

Helan Ci walked over, picked up the crescent-shaped comb from the side, stood on tiptoe, raised her hand to tidy his hair, pressed down the stray strands, then picked up the hair crown and hairpin, and deftly styled his hair.

Lu Wuyou’s gaze left Helan Ci’s porcelain-white, slender neck, and he said somewhat self-consciously, “I didn’t know that you even know this…”

“Learned it at the Academy in Qingzhou.”

This matter is not easy to elaborate on. Helan Ci learned how to tie men’s hair and wear men’s clothes, and even learned men’s movements and manners. The main reason was to be prepared for the future, so that if she ever found herself in trouble and needed to escape, it would be more convenient to disguise herself as a man—she indeed learned some very useless things.

It was only after they came out of the bedroom, then she started discussing with him.

Lu Wuyou listened silently to her detailed explanation before saying, “Have you been to the storeroom?”

Helan Ci shook her head.

Lu Wuyou led her inside, where various items were piled up—gold, silver, and jade ornaments, precious medicinal herbs, timber, including the brocade bestowed by the Emperor last time, and some large and small boxes. Before Helan Ci could understand his intentions, she saw Lu Wuyou dragging out a large box from below. Upon opening it, it was filled with gleaming silver ingots, and the dimly lit storeroom still had the effect of dazzling the eyes.

——This style really resembles that of bandits!

Helan Ci was dumbfounded.

Lu Wuyou said casually, “Take out some, you can use it whenever you need it. If this is not enough, let me know.” He thought for a moment and added, “You don’t have to consult me on everything, just make your own decisions.”

Helan Ci was really shocked right now.

She really wants to ask him, how big of a bandit is your family? Are we really safe?

Won’t they ever be betrayed in the future?

Seeing her expression, Lu Wuyou couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and smiled, “Anyway, you and I are now grasshoppers on the same rope. If we stick our heads out, we will be hurt. It’s better to enjoy ourselves while we can……”

Helan Ci lowered her voice and, with an unusually serious expression, said, “… Lu Wuyou, tell me the truth, is your family really bandits?”

“……?”

Lu Wuyou’s voice slightly changed, staring at her for a moment, seemingly finding it absurd: “Haven’t I already told you?”

Helan Ci still couldn’t understand: “But where do these, these many things, Jianghu sects got from…”

Lu Wuyou said, Lu Wuyou said, “Do Jianghu sects not do business? The world is bustling, and all come for profit; the world is restless, and all leave for profit¹. Helan Daren is a good official, but there are some things he fails to see clearly. In this world, there are few gentlemen and many petty people. Wealth is profit, fame is also profit. Seeking it for oneself is profit, and seeking it for the people is also profit. Desire…”

Before he could finish, Helan Ci cut him off. “Enough with the nonsense.”

It wasn’t like she hadn’t read books.

Lu Wuyou had been about to launch into a long speech, but since she interrupted him, he could only cough lightly and say, “Wealth and status are things people desire, but if they are not obtained in the right way, a gentleman will not accept them²… In short, stop overthinking things. You’re young, yet your mind is already filled with such pointless worries.”

As he spoke, he instinctively reached out, as if he were about to ruffle her hair like he did with his little cousins.

But halfway through, he suddenly realized it might not be appropriate. Awkwardly, he withdrew his hand.

Pressing a fist to his lips, he coughed again and said, “Alright, let’s go eat.”

The new cook was clearly much more to Lu Wuyou’s liking than the previous one.

He Lanci didn’t have many dowry items, so she finished organizing her belongings in just a day. The only things left untouched were the clothes Lu Wuyou had sent over, still piled up in the corner. Lu Wuyou glanced at them and couldn’t help but remark,

“Miss Helan, while I don’t mean to offend your fashion preferences, isn’t it inappropriate for a newlywed to dress as if she’s in mourning every day?”

Even he had changed into light moon-white or bamboo-green robes over the past two days.

Helan Ci answered honestly, “But most of my clothes are this color…”

Lu Wuyou said, “Didn’t I buy it for you? To avoid picking something you wouldn’t like, I had them choose one in every color, assuming you’d at least like one. Then, we could buy more in that shade.”

He Lanci hadn’t expected this and was momentarily stunned. After a pause, she said, “Thank you for your kindness, but I’m used to wearing my own clothes.”

Lu Wuyou thought about her reasoning for a moment. “……Just because the white clothes are cheaper?”

White cloth does not need dyeing, so it is cheaper than other fabrics.

Helan Ci hesitated to speak.

Shuangzhi couldn’t help but say, “It’s also because Miss believes that colored fabrics fade over time with multiple washes. They become blotchy and uneven, so it’s more convenient to just buy undyed ones.”

Lu Wuyou: “……”

It is a world he cannot understand.

Lu Wuyou sat on the chair, resting his chin on his hand as he glanced at the beautiful young woman who seemed somewhat awkward. He said, “Since I already bought them, why not at least try one on? Otherwise, if they just sit there gathering dust, getting eaten by moths, or turning yellow over time, it’d be a waste.”

Helan Ci roughly understood that Lu Wuyou just wanted to see her in different clothes, so she stopped resisting, opened a few of the chests, and asked him, “Which one do you want to see me wear?”

Lu Wuyou finally showed some interest. “Which one do you like?”

Helan Ci glanced at them. “I’m fine with any of them.”

They were all quite beautiful, after all.

Lu Wuyou said, “Then how about the apricot-yellow one?”

She took the clothes into the washroom to change. Not long after, she stepped out wearing the apricot-yellow Yuhua brocade dress. The slightly high waistline of the skirt made her legs look even longer, and her slender waist, though delicate, accentuated her curves. The color brightened her complexion, making her look even more youthful, with a touch of lively charm.

Helan Ci spun around to show Lu Wuyou and asked him what he thought.

Lu Wu You propped his elbow on the chair’s armrest, clasping his hands together in front of his lips, not knowing what he was thinking.

Seeing his silence, Helan Ci assumed he was dissatisfied. So, she went back inside and changed into a lake-blue one. This soft yan luo gown was incredibly light, with layers of the hem fluttering like a layer of delicate gauze covering her ankles. Helan Ci already gives an ethereal feeling, as if she didn’t quite belong to the mortal world. Wearing this, she looked even more like she was about to ascend to the heavens, exuding an even more overwhelming aura of immortal fairy.

Lu Wu You lowered his gaze and softly murmured, “Mm…”

Helan Ci didn’t expect him to still be dissatisfied, so she simply took off her skirt and took out a phoenix-tail dress in a vibrant shade of red. Since he had complimented her wedding gown before, she figured he must like this color. After changing, she even picked matching red hairpins to go with it.

But in the end, Lu Wu You remained silent.

Helan Ci said speechlessly, “…Do you want to see me try on every single dress?”

Lu Wuyou said, “…Is it making you tired?”

Helan Ci shot back, “Why don’t you try them on instead, Lu Daren?”

At this point, she was convinced that he wasn’t really interested in seeing her in different colors—he was just messing with her. Helan Ci can’t help but start recalling, what did she do to offend him? She was clearly very cooperative today.

Lu Wuyou stood up and said, “…They all look good. Just wear whatever you like.”

Then, after finishing speaking, he walked out.

Helan Ci was completely baffled and put the skirts back in the chest.

At night, before going to bed, He Lan Ci washed her long hair, taking a bit more time than usual. Just as she was wringing out the water and stepping out, she saw Lu Wu You leaning against the bed, holding something in his hands and reading.

At first, she didn’t pay much attention. She sat at her dressing table, using a dry cloth to absorb the moisture from her hair, hesitating slightly about whether she should get into bed.

Then, as she shifted her gaze, she suddenly realized what Lu Wu You was reading—it looked oddly familiar.

She hurried over, snatched it away, and and bolted out of the room as if she were escaping in a panic. The little booklet in her hand was thrown onto the table, and Helan Ci’s cheeks flushed red in an instant.

——The booklet was given to her by Lu Wuyou’s aunt. She then casually tucked it under her pillow but forgot that this bed was not only hers to sleep on.