My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 32.1

That day, after Lin Zhang ran out of the mansion, Helan Ci never saw him again.

Instinctively, she turned to look at Lu Wuyou.

At this moment, Lu Wuyou had already put on his signature gentle and composed smile, even managing to look slightly frail, as if still recovering from illness. In truth, the last time he saw Lin Zhang was at the wedding banquet. But with so many guests present, he only had time for a brief exchange of pleasantries.Lin Zhang had given his wedding gift, then sat alone drinking before leaving—as for that awkward visit during his illness, there had been no chance to explain.

All in all, this situation was undoubtedly awkward.

Helan Ci felt extremely embarrassed. Lu Wuyou pretended not to feel awkward. Lin Zhang’s face instantly changed, looking as if he wanted to turn around and leave.And the only one in high spirits here seemed to be… Second Miss Wei.

Second Miss Wei bore some resemblance to her maternal grandmother, Xunyang Gongzhu—her features were bright, striking, and elegant, exuding the dignified air of a noble lady. However, being younger, she also had a small, sharp tiger tooth peeking out from the corner of her mouth, adding a hint of playfulness to her beauty.

She was undeniably good-looking, but unfortunately, she was also a notorious troublemaker—
the kind of young lady who would throw a sack over someone’s head in the middle of the night
and gallop recklessly through the streets on horseback.

She was undeniably good-looking, but unfortunately, she was also a notorious troublemaker—
the kind of young lady who would throw a sack over someone’s head in the middle of the night
and gallop recklessly through the streets on horseback.

Upon seeing Lu Wu You, Miss Wei Qi’s face lit up with joy. She immediately tried to step forward and speak to him, but before she could move—Lin Zhang grabbed her and held her back.

At this moment, Lin Zhang’s expression was truly unsightly. He lowered his voice and said, “Please forgive my rudeness, but… Brother Ji’an is already married.”

“And what of it—” Second Miss Wei stopped speaking, as if suddenly remembering something. “Aren’t you quite familiar with Lu Gongzi?” Then, her smile bloomed as brilliantly as a flower. “In that case… why don’t we all go together, arm in arm?”

The last four words were said particularly loudly, and they sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Helan Ci had heard rumors that this young lady was rather uninhibited, but today, she was witnessing it firsthand.

Lin Zhang looked like he wanted to drag her away directly, but he couldn’t actually do it. His face was full of helplessness, making anyone who saw him feel sympathy. He said, “Miss Wei, it’s really inconvenient to disturb people…”

Second Miss Wei sneered and stated bluntly, “Where do you think you’re not trying to disturb? I see you also want to step forward, don’t you? You were just staring at them in a daze earlier—are you still trying to pretend you don’t want to?”

The situation was once again turned extremely awkward.

Helan Ci and Lu Wuyou exchanged a brief glance.

Not only did Helan Ci find this situation utterly baffling, but even Lu Wu You felt at a loss for words.

After dealing with so many reserved, tactful people, encountering someone who spoke so bluntly and without regard for social decorum was…..quite terrifying.

Lin Zhang looks like he might faint at any moment.
“Miss Wei, what are you talking about?! I—I don’t…besides, Miss Helan is already Ji’an’s wife! Saying such things damages her reputation—”

Miss Wei Qi let out a cold snort and retorted, “Even her actual husband isn’t worried, so why should you be?” Then, she turned to Lu Wu You, flashing a charming smile. “Meeting by chance is a kind of fate. This is my first time here too—why don’t we explore together?”

Lin Zhang guessed by now that there was no saving the situation.

Lu Wuyou smiled , just about to speak, when Helan Ci tugged on his sleeve.

He understood and said, “Wait a moment, let me discuss it with my wife.”

The two of them went to the side and whispered to each other. At this moment, Helan Ci indeed felt that Lin Zhang had it a bit too hard. Although the engagement didn’t work out, the other party was indeed a good person. If Lu Wuyou were her proper husband, she might feel it was inappropriate to bring this up, but since they knew each other well, and Lin Zhang was somewhat implicated because of her, she felt that Lu Wuyou should be able to understand her intentions

Sure enough, ust as she was about to speak furthe, Lu Wuyou lowered his voice and said, “Do you want to help him?”

Helan Ci said, “If you don’t want to, just pretend I never said anything.”

Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow and forced out a laugh, “Just to give you a heads-up, don’t expect me to seduce that Miss Wei… I’m a married man now.”

Helan Ci hesitated for a moment and said, “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that her attitude towards Young Master Lin is probably still influenced by her old feelings for you…”

Lu Wuyou chuckled lightly, “Seeing each other a few times counts as old feelings? Then what do you and Brother Lin count as?”

Helan Ci didn’t want to argue with him at this point and simply said, “I misspoke. In any case, it’s mostly because she’s likely still interested in you. You and her aren’t very familiar with each other, and she probably has feelings for you just based on your looks. Even if you’re married, she doesn’t seem to care… So, why don’t you pretend a little, let her be disappointed, make her think you’re not that great after all? Maybe she’ll get over it and appreciate Lin Gongzi instead.”

“Are you sure you’re not pushing Shaoyan into the fire pit?”

“……Anyway, he can’t possibly be any worse off than he is now.”

Lu Wuyou finally let out a sigh and said, “It’s not that I don’t want to, but do I have to ruin my image? What if Shaoyan misunderstands?”

Helan Ci said, “You both are in the Hanlin Academy, just find a chance to explain later.”

Her eyes were bright and clear, as if they had captured countless starlights and spread them within, without a trace of impurity. Lu Wuyou raised his hand to tuck back the fine strands of hair that had slipped down from her forehead, obscuring her vision, and said, “…… Alright then.”

And so, amidst Wei Er Xiaojie’s delight and Lin Zhang’s disbelief, the four of them actually started touring together.

The Lotus Pond extends outwards, and there is an even larger lake beyond it. Unlike the pond, this lake had fewer lotus flowers and leaves, and many tourist boats can be seen coming and going. Along the shore, rental boats were available, and many men and women could be seen rowing leisurely.

In fact, the customs in Dayong were relatively open—it wasn’t uncommon for women to take the initiative in courtship, nor was it taboo for men and women to interact before marriage. Of course, cases like Second Miss Wei—knocking someone unconscious, stuffing them into a sack, and dragging them to bed—was certainly unheard of.

are relatively progressive, and it is not uncommon for women to take the initiative in courtship. There are no strict rules against men and women interacting before marriage. who was knocked out and put in a sack are extremely rare. As for Helan Ci, she had to be cautious due to the many rumors about her. Additionally, her strict family upbringing and a face that tend to attract trouble was the reasons why she hardly dared to step outside.

Wei Er Xiaojie suggested renting a boat. She took out her silver coins to rent a large one, but the boatman shook his head apologetically and pointed to the dock, helplessly said, “All the large ones are rented out, only those small ones for two people are left, miss, what do you think…”

Lu Wuyou said, “Then we’ll take the small ones.”

Since he had spoke and no one opposed him, Second Miss Wei had no choice but to board another ship with Lin Zhang, filled with resentment.

The boats didn’t come with rowers. Men often don’t call the servant on board in order to show off their strength and spend time alone with the woman they are interested in. Lu Wuyou naturally picked up the paddles, but before he could start rowing, Helan Ci pressed his hand down, stopping him.

Lu Wuyou: “……?”

Helan Ci said, “I’ll do it.” She handed him the umbrella and took the oar herself.

Lu Wuyou looked at the paper umbrella in his hand and squeezed out a few words in disbelief: “…Are you joking?”

Helan Ci said, “I’ve learned how… You just sit there, and later you can put on a show for Miss Wei.”

She had indeed learned in Qingzhou, and the reason was… for the sake of convenience when fleeing if she ever fell into trouble, Qingzhou has many lakes and rivers, and even women often row boats and go into the water to catch fish.

Lu Wuyou said, “Exactly what kind of things have you learned…? Never mind. Just call me if you get tired.”

He thought that Helan Ci wouldn’t be able to row for long, or even if she could move the boat at all. After all, with her current appearance, not to mention rowing, no one would even be willing to let her carry anything heavy in her daily life.

So, Lu Wuyou held up the umbrella, resting his hand on his knee, ready to watch her performance.

However, Helan Ci gripped the paddles, recalled the technique for a moment, and the next second—she actually moved the boat forward.

The boat left the shore and was sailing quite smoothly. She was breathing lightly, with a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Lu Wuyou shifted uneasily and said, “Don’t push yourself too hard. If you are tired, let me take over……”

Helan Ci’s chest rose and fell as she regulated her breathing, and she surprisingly still had the energy to explain to him, “When I was learning, the boatwoman told me that posture and technique are also very important. Sometimes, you don’t need too much force…”

Indeed, there are men around using great effort to row the boat, but the boat is only going in circles near the shore, not even able to sail smoothly.

Even so, this scene was still utterly ridiculous.

On the shore, some people who saw the scene were stunned, and they all felt their eyes were deceiving them.

There are many beautiful young ladies who go boating on the lake, but this is the first time they had seen a fairy-like lady rowing, and there’s even a leisurely young man holding an umbrella on the boat—everyone watched from a distance, puzzled and confused. Some people wondered if that young man was actually a woman disguised as a man, but his stature doesn’t match.

Meanwhile on the other boat, Lin Zhang was rowing when he noticed Second Miss Wei’s strange expression and turned to look. This sight startled him so much that he nearly dropped the oar in his hand, and he blurted out, “Miss Helan, how could… Ji’an shouldn’t have…”

Second Miss Wei at this moment also felt a bit uncomfortable, muttering, “Why doesn’t he help her…?”

“……How about I help you row one of the paddles?”

Lu Wuyou watched as another bead of fragrant sweat rolled down Helan Ci’s forehead. Due to the exertion, her cheeks were slightly flushed, as if she were drunk. Her red lips parted slightly, and even the tip of her nose was dotted with sweat.

Helan Ci panted lightly and said, “No need, one paddle per person would make it hard to maintain balance.”

Seeing her stubbornness, Lu Wuyou didn’t insist. Since he had already lost face, he simply took out a handkerchief and wiped her sweat.

Helan Ci actually said to him, “Thank you.”

This felt weird.

Lu Wuyou said, “That’s enough now. Just row for a little longer and then switch with me.”

Helan Ci replied, “…I can row all the way to shore.”

Lowering his voice, Lu Wuyou said, “…I don’t care about my face anymore. But can you at least leave me a little dignity?”

Helan Ci glanced toward Second Miss Wei’s indescribable expression in the distance and finally relented, “…Alright.”

As the small boat glided past lotus leaves, the oar splashed tiny droplets of water onto the delicate pink and white lotus flowers. Lu Wuyou looked up just in time to see a sweat droplet slide down Helan Ci’s chin, making her face appear even more radiant and stunning, like a lotus emerging from the water.

Something stirred in his heart. He casually plucked a lotus flower, intending to tuck it behind her ear.

However, before he could reach out, Helan Ci spoke: “This flower really suits you, it should look good on your head… It should be able to make that Miss Wei discouraged.”

Lu Wuyou: “……”

Helan Ci sincerely thought it suited him, and Lu Wuyou was speechless for a while. Then he actually tucked the lotus behind his own ear. After that, he extended his hand and said, “Alright, give me the paddle.”

And so Lu Wuyou paddled the boat back to shore with the large lotus flower on his head, and another quarter of an hour passed.

Han Ci tried hard to steady her breathing; Her inner garments were nearly soaked through a moment ago. She thought back to the last time she rowed a boat three or four months ago, she had less strength back then but didn’t feel this tired. She realized she had been spending too much time indoors lately.

Once they got off the boat, Wei Er Xiaojie’s enthusiasm had noticeably faded.

It’s just that Lin Zhang looked at Helan Ci and Lu Woyou with extremely complicated expressions. Helan Ci felt a little bad for him and couldn’t help but explain softly, “He just recovered from a serious illness, his body’s still weak.”

Lin Zhang was taken aback and asked, “Ji’an, you…”

Lu Wuyou pulled out the lotus and said, “No, it’s fine now, I’m just tired.” He turned to Helan Ci and said somewhat rudely, “Come here, help massage your husband’s arm.”

Helan Ci took small, careful steps over, obediently lowered her head to knead his arms and shoulders.

Lin Zhang: “……”

Second Miss Wei: “……”