My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 35.2

Lu Wuyou clearly didn’t care at all. He supported her waist, lazily licking her lips every now and then. When she parted her lips, he teased her tongue playfully, as if playing some fun little game.

Helan Ci’s breathing was all over the place, and her arms, propped up on the table, were about to give out.

During the pauses between kisses, Lu Wuyou pressed his lips against hers and whispered, “I wanted to say this before, you knew to wrap your arms around my neck the first time, so why are you being so polite now…” As he spoke, he grasped her wrist through her clothing and said, “If you support yourself like that, it might not be as steady as wrapping around my neck. Why don’t you try it and see…”

His breath was slightly ragged, but his tone was very gentle and encouraging. It’s like when he was teaching her to train every day.

Helan Ci was always eager to learn anything, but she never expected to learn in such a situation. The powdery pink hue lingered in her eyes, and she instinctively raised her arms, slowly wrapped them around Lu Wuyou’s neck.
Lu Wuyou let out a low chuckle and kissed her even more indulgently.
Until He Lanci shifted her body and accidentally knocked a stack of scrolls off the table. A dull thud sounded, followed by papers fluttering to the floor.
Only then did He Lanci awkwardly push Lu Wuyou away and bend down to pick them up.
With her head lowered and panting, she muttered, “…Next time, don’t kiss me in the study.”

Lu Wuyou bent down to help her pick up the items, slightly out of breath, and said, “Isn’t this even more exciting?”

Helan Ci: “……???”

Lu Wuyou swallowed hard and said slowly, “Didn’t you want to get used to it? If you’re exposed to enough stimulation, maybe it won’t feel so stimulating anymore.” Then he added, “I kissed you very gently just now. I didn’t even—”

Helan Ci finally couldn’t help but interrupt him: “……Shut up!”

Lu Wuyou fell silent for a moment but couldn’t help but want to laugh. He smiled with the corners of his lips curling up, his eyes sparkling with a drunken yet clear brilliance, truly captivating, but unfortunately, no one was there to appreciate it.

“……Ahem, next time I won’t kiss you in the study.”

Helan Ci had just about finished gathering the fallen scrolls. Her bl00d was finally settling from the rush, though she was still afraid someone might walk in. Just now, holding onto Lu Wuyou, she had been so nervous she nearly forgot how to breathe.

“……Aren’t you afraid?”

Lu Wuyou said, “Afraid of what?”

Helan Ci said, “What if someone…”

Lu Wuyou laughed and said, “Were you afraid of this? I can sense when someone is approaching…”

Helan Ci finally remembered this point, feeling a bit more at ease. She bit her lip and said,“I guess it’s not impossible… it’s just…” She finally picked up the last scroll. “Forget it, I’m leaving.”

After finishing speaking, she quickly left.

Lu Wuyou watched her almost fleeing in panic, and couldn’t help but want to laugh a little.

Although it was a bit awkward during the day, in the evening, Helan Ci still earnestly sought out Lu Wuyou to continue training and strengthen her physique.

Lu Wuyou originally thought she was just being impulsive. Influenced by her delicate appearance, he subconsciously believed that a frail and petite girl like her wouldn’t be able to persist for long. Even so, he didn’t slack off because of that. But after seeing her persist day after day, he took it more seriously.

“I received a letter from my sister. She got delayed on the road due to some matters and might arrive a few days late, but…”

Lu Wuyou opened a box, took out a few items from inside, and placed them on the table.

“……I asked my family to send some things over. The things arrived early. See if they’re of any use to you.”

Helan Ci looked at the strange and unusual object in front of her, unable to discern its purpose, feeling somewhat confused: “……What is this?”

Lu Wuyou picked up one of the multi-layered bracelet-like ornaments and said, “Extend your hand.”

Helan Ci obediently extended her hand, and layers of bracelets that looked like stone and jade were placed on her fair wrist. They looked quite nice, although they were lighter than she had imagined. However, Helan Ci still found them somewhat difficult to adapt to. She gently shook the bracelets, and they made a dull sound.

Lu Wuyou said, “This is a device that can carry a person to high places. The mechanism is the two beads chain below. With a couple of turns, it can shoot out a hooked wire. It’s tough enough to cut through metal and stone. Once it flies out, it will spin twice. After it hooks onto something, you just need to turn it a couple more times, and it will carry you over. You might not be very skilled the first time you use, so practice using it a few times.”

Helan Ci exclaimed in surprise, “There’s such a thing?”

Lu Wuyou said, “Yes, it was my sister’s toy when she was little.”

Helan Ci: “……”

Lu Wuyou smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate it. this thing can pull up two or three adults without a problem. Even if you fall off a cliff, it’ll still work.” He explained further, “In a few days, there will be a banquet in the palace. Since you have received an imperial decree, you will probably have to go. They will search you when you enter the palace, so you can’t bring a dagger in. There are plenty of experts in the palace, so Zizhu can’t follow you in either. I might not always be by your side, so you should carry something for protection. This item just looks like a bracelet to most people.”

Helan Ci touched the object on his wrist and inexplicably felt a bit reassured.

“There are other items too, each with different functions—I’ll explain them to you…”

Because recently, Second Prince and Shao’an Gongzhu have been very well-behaved, their home life has been quite peaceful—Lu Wuyou goes to the Hanlin Academy in the morning, and returns in the evening to supervise her training, discuss the articles she read during the day, and sometimes even kiss her—Helan Ci hadn’t had a nerve-wracking moments in a long time.

When boarding the carriage to enter the palace, Helan Ci still felt as if she were in a different world.

Wearing the court attire granted by the emperor, she entered through the Donghua Gate alongside Lu Wuyou, who was dressed in official robes. While nobles entered through the Xihua Gate.

So, along the way, Helan Ci watched Lu Wuyou take two steps, then start greeting people—take another two steps, and greet again.

Helan Ci had never experienced this before. She rarely entered the palace and didn’t know many officials. Usually, when she went out, she only needed to maintain a faint smile. But at this moment, to avoid appearing too aloof next to the smiling and radiant Lu Wuyou, she had no choice but to start smiling, nodding, and then smiling again.

The other person compliments Lu Wuyou and also conveniently compliments her.

“Lu Daren, I have long heard of your wife’s great name, and today I have the honor of meeting her. It is truly a blessing of three lifetimes… This is my humble wife, wait, why are you hitting me?”

“Lu Daren, upon first seeing the esteemed lady, it feels as if the heavens and the earth have brightened!”

“Lu Daren, your wife really is…”

Before long, Helan Ci felt her face stiffen from smiling.
When there were fewer people around, she couldn’t help but rub her sore face, feeling a sense of admiration for Lu Wuyou.

Lu Wuyou, unfazed, said, “Actually, it doesn’t matter if you don’t smile. Anyway, they know you are more… well, just something to admire from a distance, not to be coveted.”

Helan Ci asked, “Aren’t they your friends?”
She still remembered the grand banquet Lu Wuyou held during their wedding.
Lu Wuyou replied, “Most of them only know my title and name. The fact I can match their names to their faces is all thanks to my memory. I don’t have time to make friends one by one.”
Helan Ci said, “… cough cough, I thought you could.”

Lu Wuyou glanced at her sideways: “You might have thought that before, but now, who do you think I spend the most time with every day? Don’t you know?”

It’s probably because Lu Wuyou seems to be too omnipotent, creating a misconception.

“Then… which ones have a good relationship with you, let me note down?”

Lu Wuyou said, “No need. If the relationship is really good, you can smile less, and others won’t mind.”

He reached out, wanting to pinch Helan Ci’s defenseless face.

Lu Wuyou used to think she was sharp and cutting, and even her beauty was equally striking. When she looked at people with her faintly smiling eyes, there was an indescribable sense of aloofness and arrogance. Now, he wonders if he was a bit too far off the mark back then. Where was the cold arrogance? With such a stunning face, sometimes she even looked a little silly.

Helan Ci didn’t notice Lu Wuyou reaching out. When his hand finally touched her cheek, she pushed his hand away and said, “What are you doing?”

Lu Wuyou replied, “Nothing, just wanted to pinch.”
Helan Ci was speechless. “You have your own face too, you know.”
Lu Wuyou naturally said, “…but it’s not as nice as yours.”
Helan Ci was taken aback, “……Huh? Are you out of your mind?”

Although Helan Ci always knew she was good-looking—she couldn’t possibly not know—but because the other person was also exceptionally handsome, Lu Wuyou had never looked at her with admiration because of her appearance since their first meeting in Qingzhou. Later, he repeatedly showed his lack of interest in her, making her always think that her appearance was quite ordinary in Lu Wuyou’s eyes.

This was normal; not everyone will be amazed by her and overly exaggerated reactions are quite rare. Helan Ci is still aware of this.

On second thought, maybe Lu Wuyou was just teasing her.

Lu Wuyou said, “Just speaking frankly. Alright, titled ladies needs to go that way, so we must part ways for now. Be careful.”

Unlike the birthday banquet at the princess’s mansion, the palace banquet is more formal.

Male officials were hosted by the emperor at the Huagai Hall, while titled women and family members were hosted by the empress in Kunning Palace. However, since the empress was currently in the inner palace with the empress dowager, practicing Buddhist devotion, the position was temporarily filled by Noble Consort Li.

To be honest, Helan Ci still doesn’t really want to meet Noble Consort Li, especially since she has to go into the Inner Palace, and the Second Prince’s whereabouts were still unknown.

She hesitated, and heard Lu Wuyou say again, “Alright, don’t be afraid. If anything really happens, I will come to find you. It’s a bit troublesome to enter the inner palace, but it’s not completely impossible.”

Helan Ci said, “…… You should be careful too. I heard that the Gongzhu seems to be coming today.”

Lu Wuyou rubbed his forehead and said, “Why does this feeling seem so familiar?”