My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 54

“……？”

He really sure likes to overthink.

While Helan Ci was still hesitating, Lu Wuyou had already withdrawn, using a handkerchief to wipe the smudge of soot off his fingers. His gaze dropped, as if nothing had just happened, as if he hadn’t said anything at all.

It seemed that sitting down to have a proper conversation was no longer an option.

Helan Ci had never been very good at interacting. Most of the people she was familiar with were relatives—her cousin Yao Qianxue, or the younger female cousins in Qingzhou. Of course, this had something to do with her appearance as well.

In the past, she had rarely formed deep connections with others. In most cases, they barely knew each other.

Lu Wuyou was the first—someone she’d come to understand on a deeper level. Over these past days, she’d begun to feel like she knew him a little. Yet now, he suddenly seemed a bit unreadable again.

She held the tray in her hands and lowered her gaze to quietly watch him for a moment.

Whether it was praising him or cooking porridge for him in the middle of the night, it’s not entirely out of obligation—actually, she didn’t feel such obligation.

Perhaps more than anything, she just wanted Lu Wuyou to be a little happier.

But ever since that day—when he said he hoped to give her another choice—Lu Wuyou had seemed emotionally… off. On the surface, everything appeared the same. On the surface, everything seems the same; they still interact as usual and would still bicker sometimes.

He still guided her through training, still taught her how to shoot.

And yet, something subtle had shifted.

Helan Ci felt that his interest seemed lacking. Even when joking, there was a faint detachment in his tone.

She stared for a while before noticing the documents in front of Lu Wuyou. On closer inspection, they were almost all related to past memorials and reports concerning Yizhou—affairs from the region, and petitions from local officials.

Though he said nothing, he had clearly done quite a lot.

A faint warmth rose in her chest.

She then lowered her head and pondered for a while, saying, “Really don’t want me to add some fragrance to your red sleeves? Though I don’t know much about fragrances… I can grind ink, at least.”

Lu Wuyou’s pale-colored eyes lifted faintly, a little listlessly, glancing over her face before shifting away again. His tone still carried a hint of indifference: “No need. I’ll look for a bit longer before heading back anyway, since I don’t plan on writing anything… You should go back and rest.”

“No need. I’ll head back in a bit anyway. Wasn’t planning to write anything… You should return and rest first.”

Though his tone was gentle, the message was still clear: she was being dismissed.

But just earlier, he’d clearly looked like he really wanted to kiss her.

Helan Ci didn’t know what exactly Lu Wuyou was holding back. He didn’t seem to have lost interest—more like he was deliberately restraining himself.

Or was the problem herself?

Helan Ci recalled, “…Do you think I seem unnatural and deliberate today?”

Even if her praise had been a little stiff—because she rarely complimented anyone—it still felt pretty natural to her. Hadn’t Lu Wuyou accepted all her previous compliments just fine?

Last time, he was the one who asked her to make porridge!

This time she was being proactive!

Lu Wuyou pondered for a moment, then lowered his head and said, “If I have to be honest… just a little.”

Helan Ci simply sat down across from him. “Daren Lu, I think you’re biased against me.”

Lu Wuyou turned a page and casually replied, “That’s not the case. To wait for a tree to grow taller; forcing it to grow faster really doesn’t work…” As if afraid Helan Ci would overthink it, he smiled and said, “Miss Helan, I’m quite happy that you made porridge for me, really, I’m a bit flattered. But it’s so late now, you should go back and get some rest. Don’t think too much.”

…Right, and now he was flipping the script on her.

Helan Ci said, “I genuinely wanted to make porridge for you.”

Lu Wuyou smiled again and said, “I know. Just remember to cook it better next time.”

Impervious to oil or salt. Invulnerable to blade or spear.

For the first time in a while, Helan Ci felt the urge to talk back.

***

The capital city, which had been experiencing clear weather, suddenly started to rain.

At first, it was only a light drizzle in the afternoon. But after theYou hour¹, the rain grew heavier, falling without end. The sky became thick with mist and gloom, large swathes of dark clouds rolled in, and by nightfall, the rain was accompanied by streaks of lightning and thunderclaps, turning into a tempest.

The torrential curtain of rain crashed down with a relentless patter, and soon the sound of rain engulfed the entire capital.

“This rain is really heavy tonight!”

“Who knows how long it’ll last? Do you think it’ll stop by tomorrow?”

On the streets and in the alleys, pedestrians scrambled for cover.

This used to be the time Helan Ci feared most—because the roof of their residence was truly unreliable. With rain of this intensity, not just her west wing, but several other rooms would begin to leak. Worst of all was usually the study.

She still remembered once waking in the middle of the night, throwing on only two layers of clothing, and rushing out with oil cloths to help her father rescue the books in the study. She nearly caught a cold that time.

The roof of the Lu residence, however, was indeed solid. Even with the rain pouring down like this, not a single drop leaked in.

Since coming to the capital, she had rarely had the chance to sit idly under the eaves and enjoy the rain—watching the droplets splash on the ground, seeing the saplings and freshly bloomed yellow flowers sway in the rain, the beaded curtains of water falling from the roof’s edge.

A cool wind, laced with dampness, brushed against her face—refreshing in its own way.

Helan Ci wrapped her cloak tighter and lifted her gaze to the sky.

She frowned in worry for a while, then slowly relaxed as lightning flashed and thunder rolled overhead.

The streaks of lightning in the sky looked like cracks tearing across a canvas—bright, jagged, and gone in an instant—each shaped like some clawing beast. She tilted her head up, studying the patterns, wondering if she should sketch them later, when she suddenly heard a clear, pleasant voice by her ear: “Sitting out here—don’t you feel cold?”

Helan Ci turned her head and saw Lu Wuyou, “It’s not too cold yet.”

As her voice fell, she felt Lu Wuyou press down on her shoulder. A wave of warmth being transmitted to her shoulder, instantly warming her entire body, as if she were soaking in a bath.

Lu Wuyou lifted the hem of his robe and sat down beside her. “What were you looking at?”

Helan Ci answered honestly, “Watching the rain.”

Lu Wuyou looked up as well and said after a moment, “Don’t worry—I really did have someone properly repair the roof at Helan Manor. Even with rain this heavy, it shouldn’t leak.”

Helan Ci turned to look at him, pondering how to speak so that he would feel she was naturally expressing gratitude.

Unexpectedly, Lu Wuyou tilted his head slightly and pressed down on the floor as if about to rise.

Helan Ci tugged at him and said, “Actually, I was still thinking—when we did the land surveys, didn’t we ask some folks from farther out? They seemed pretty wary of the plum rain season… With a downpour like this, if it keeps up for days, won’t their farmland flood? Also… didn’t you say the Qinglan River just overflowed its banks?”

Lu Wuyou pondered, “It depends on how long this rain will last, but it’s hard to say. However, the Ministry of Revenue should be prepared.” He also frowned slightly and said, “I will have someone keep an eye on it.”

This is a bit of an overreach, after all, with Lu Wuyou’s current official position, no matter how much more he did, it would still be beyond reach.

At most, he could submit a memorial to advise, but not manage it himself.

Seeing Lu Wuyou still intending to leave, Helan Ci tugged at him again. “If you’re not busy, let’s talk a little longer.”

Lu Wuyou raised a brow at that. “What are we talking about today?”

Helan Ci said, “Not the things you don’t want to talk about. Let’s talk about something else. For example… you once said you chose to stay trapped in the capital because there was something you wanted to do—so what is it? Why did you want to become an official in the first place?”

Pulled back by her again, Lu Wuyou had no choice but to sit. He spoke casually, “What else could it be? Naturally, I wanted to hold great power.”

Helan Ci: “…”

Seeing the indescribable expression on Helan Ci’s face, Lu Wuyou suddenly laughed again. No matter when he smiled, with that face of his, it always carried a certain elegance and charm, with a flirtatious allure. All the more so now, with his brows relaxed and easy going look.

“When I was young, that’s really what I thought,” he said. “After reading too many books, I started to think all that scheming and deception is fascinating.”

Helan Ci couldn’t help but blurt out, “…What’s so fascinating about that!”

Lu Wuyou said, “There’s endless joy in competing with others. It’s better than following the routine, doing what my mother does, what’s the point? That’s why I ran off to Qingzhou to study.”

Helan Ci felt a momentary envy for his ability to do whatever he wanted.

“Then, later when I was studying in Qingzhou, my teacher gave me four words: ‘Hé Guāng Tóng Chén²‘.” Lu Wuyou shrugged and laughed, “I was puzzled for a long time. You know how I was in Qingzhou, why would I need to learn these four words?”

…He really was quite arrogant.

But thinking about it, he wasn’t much different back then than he was now. Always graceful and gentlemanly, amiable and approachable, surrounded by friends, universally praised. Back then, he even had a rather pretentious nickname, “Carefree Gentleman.” He truly had no need to learn how to fit in.

“What happened next?”

Lu Wuyou said, “Later, I gradually understood. My mentor said that this ‘he guang tong chen’ is different from the common interpretations. He looked at my writing and thought I was too arrogant and proud, and even if my talents were outstanding, it was not suitable for me to hold an official position. He told me I’d mastered the Four Books and Five Classics and didn’t need to keep reading them. Instead, he asked me to work as a clerk under a county magistrate he knew well.”

Helan Ci was a bit surprised. “You actually did?”

“I did. It was a small county under Qingzhou. Treated it as a kind of field study.” Lu Wuyou’s eyes curved slightly as he looked over. “Oh, by then you had already returned to the capital. I stayed there for nearly half a year and came away with a lot of new thoughts. I also started to understand what my mentor meant. If an official doesn’t know the people’s suffering, then no matter how high his rank, he’s just toying with power. One or two, ten more of such officials—it makes no difference. The common people don’t care, and the country gains nothing.”

Helan Ci stared at him, somewhat dazed. “And after that?”

Lu Wuyou couldn’t help but say, “Why can you only say three words now? Normally, you’re not like this…”

Helan Ci rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I have a problem and must argue with you constantly. Go on, go on…”

Lu Wuyou shrugged and said, “That’s really it. A gentleman reads to know and act, to be wise. Being an official is not the goal, but a means. That’s why I actually admire Helan Daren quite a bit. Though some may think he’s foolish for not seeking personal gain, at least he knows exactly why he’s in office, and he lives by it. Unlike some officials who muddle along for decades just to embezzle a little more silver, not even knowing what they’re living for.”

Helan Ci fell silent for a while.

Lu Wuyou leaned on the ground and said, “Alright, I’m leaving now, Miss Helan, you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt something soft brush against his cheek. Turning his head, he saw Helan Ci withdrawing her face. He paused, realizing that she had just stolen a kiss.

Helan Ci’s face was a little flushed. She hadn’t meant to—it just happened in the moment. She just felt that Lu Wuyou looked exceptionally good at that moment.

Lu Wuyou opened his mouth slightly, forgetting what he was going to say.

Instead, it was Helan Ci who grabbed her skirt and tried to stand up first.

The rain in the courtyard had begun to ease. The flashes of lightning and thunder seemed to be fading as well. A fine drizzle fell gently, its sound soft like whispered words, even carrying a hint of tenderness.

Just then, a voice suddenly called out—

“Master! That… um, that Master Mu is injured again!”

The two of them froze.

It turned out that in the afternoon, Hua Weiling had gone out to enjoy the rain with him. No one had expected the night to bring such a torrential storm. On the way back, amid lightning and thunder, a tavern sign by the roadside had been blown down by the wind, hurtling toward Hua Weiling—

And this young master Mu had rushed forward and shielded her!

So now, he was… injured again.

Upon hearing this, both of their expressions turned subtly strange. Lu Wuyou’s expression, in particular, was very subtle.

Sure enough, as they passed by, they heard Hua Weiling saying, “You didn’t need to block it for me! It wouldn’t have hit my head anyway! I could’ve—never mind… does it hurt?” Her voice softened.

Mu Ling had another couple of layers of cloth wrapped around his head. Bl00d seeped faintly from his forehead, and it looked like his shoulder and back were also injured. Still, his cool voice came slow and calm: “I know. But before I realized it, I was already in front of you… It hurts a little.”

Hua Weiling carefully finished wrapping the bandage on his forehead. Her bright eyes had quieted, filled now with seriousness.

“Turn around, take off your robe. I’ll apply medicine to your back.”

Lu Wuyou coughed.

Hua Weiling looked up. “Brother, what is it?”

That Master Mu also gave a polite smile. “Greetings to Lu Daren and Furen.”

Lu Wuyou met his gaze.

Helan Ci had the distinct feeling Lu Wuyou didn’t look too friendly. But no matter what, the man had just saved Hua Weiling. She immediately said softly, “Thank you, Master Mu, for saving Weiling…” and offered a few polite words of gratitude.

Only then did Lu Wuyou follow up with a few words of thanks of his own.

Hua Feiling’s bad habit is that she becomes soft-hearted when she sees someone get hurt, especially when that someone got hurt to save her. Usually carefree and easygoing, she becomes as soft-hearted as can be. It was impossible for her to not care for him.

Lu Wuyou kept his gaze fixed on that seemingly harmless, faintly smiling Mr. Mu.

While Hua Weiling applied medicine to his wounds, he would occasionally let out a soft hiss, looking as though he were in pain. Hua Weiling, in turn, moved more and more gently, even asking in a soft voice if she should be even gentler.

Lu Wuyou suddenly remembered what he was doing when Helan Ci was applying medicine to his injury.

——Oh, if she let him talk less, he would be much more likable.

On the way back, Helan Ci noticed that Lu Wuyou remained silent the whole time.

She couldn’t help but worry, “That Mu Yunzi wouldn’t really have bad intentions, would he? Should I find another opportunity to remind Weiling?”

Lu Wuyou nodded but said nothing.

Helan Ci became even more worried: “What’s wrong? Is your throat uncomfortable? I… can make you some rock candy pear?”

“No need.” Lu Wuyou suddenly said, “Do I really talk too much?”

Helan Ci hesitated. “Shouldn’t you have realized that a long time ago? Why are you suddenly feeling sentimental about it now?”

“……”

After a while, Lu Wuyou finally said, “It’s nothing.”

***

At night, the rain eased up a little, but unexpectedly, the next day brought another downpour, seemingly even heavier than the day before.

Helan Ci couldn’t help but worry about her father’s leg. Her father had developed a leg problem after being soaked in the flood, and it always got worse on rainy days.

After notify Lu Wuyou, she went to Helan residence.

The steward saw her and quickly exclaimed with surprise, “Miss! Young miss is back! I’ll go tell the master right away.”

Holding the umbrella, Helan Ci looked around. This house, which had leaked for a long time, seemed to be holding up well this time. Especially the west wing where she used to live, it was now patched up airtight.

She walked quickly towards the study, and upon entering, she first heard a series of dry coughs.

Helan Ci’s heart tightened instantly.

“Dad…”

Helan Jin, seeing her arrive, quickly turned away, covering his mouth to stifle the cough before turning back to say, “It’s nothing serious, just an old ailment. Why did you come back all of a sudden?”

Her dad is actually not that old, but now looking at him, his back is already a bit hunched. It was a stark contrast to the tall and straight Lu Wuyou

The familiar desk is still piled high with documents.

Helan Ci didn’t look at the paperwork, softly asking, “Just came to check. Does your leg still hurt? Have you called the doctor for the cough?”

Helan Jin replied, “I told you it’s nothing. Why bother the doctor? A married daughter should visit her family less often to avoid upsetting her husband. Although Ji’an has a good temper, you shouldn’t be too reckless, lest it causes friction between husband and wife in the future.”

Helan Ci thought to herself, He’s even afraid she doesn’t have enough freedom.

Still, she nodded, “Understood. How about brother?”

Helan Jin sighed, “Said the rain was heavy, so he went out with someone to enjoy it. If only he were half as capable as Ji’an, well… It’s all my fault for being too busy with official duties back then and not raising him well.”

No wonder he was her brother.

They exchanged a few bland pleasantries, then Helan Jin suddenly asked, “You two didn’t quarrel, right?”

Helan Ci wasn’t sure if the awkwardness counted as a quarrel but still said, “No, we’re fine.”

Helan Jin said nothing further, then added, “I still have your betrothal gifts stored in your room—call someone if you need anything. Tell Ji’an not to keep sending herbs; his stipend at the Hanlin Academy isn’t high, better to save some. He did well in the last land survey; has he recovered from his injuries?”

Helan Ci said, “He should be… recovered.”

Lu Wuyou hadn’t let her get close recently, but since he moved normally, it seemed fine.

“You young people must be careful—not too reckless. If you can take the indirect route, then proceed slowly,” Helan Jin reminded her again. “Also, about that matter at the wedding banquet—you’re married now, Dad doesn’t want to keep bothering you. Even if I did, you wouldn’t listen much, but you should still be cautious to avoid discord between husband and wife…… In a few days, the emperor will host a banquet for the Northern Di envoys, and he has to go. There might be some awkwardness; don’t be stubborn and quarrel with him… I’ve been through it myself, I know how hard it is to marry a wife—always on guard day and night…”

Helan Ci nodded, then couldn’t help but say, “Father, I’m actually your daughter-in-law, right?”

Helan Jin, puffing his beard and glaring, said, “What nonsense are you talking about! I’m only doing this for you!”

Helan Ci said, “You cared about me a bit, but asked him ten times.”

Helan Jin said, “If he hadn’t married you, why would your father care about him!”

Helan Ci didn’t quite believe it.

Turning her thoughts again, she found it strange… Her father said “Ji’an, Ji’an” so naturally, why is she so conflicted about caling him the same?

Helan Ci pondered and then returned to the Lu residence.

The embroidered magnolia sachet she had shown to Yao Qianxue was finally almost done. After spending quite some time carefully knotting the threads at the bottom, smoothing it out. Then she lifted it up to admire in her palm for a moment before asking Shuangzhi a little nervously, “This time… it looks decent, right?”

Shuangzhi nodded earnestly. “Yeah! Especially impressive.”

Watching her young miss slowly and painstakingly embroider it stitch by stitch—while she herself wasn’t tired, just watching made Shuangzhi feel mentally exhausted. She nearly wanted to snatch it and finish it for her. But now, seeing her young miss finish it, brows relaxed and smiling, she felt a strange throb in her heart.

Even when sewing her dowry, her young miss hadn’t worked this hard.

Helan Ci breathed a sigh of relief and then stuffed the prayer slip she had gotten from Fayuan Temple into the sachet as well.

She was really attentive, and had been putting in a lot of effort.

She hoped Lu Wuyou would feel a little better and won’t be so unhappy anymore.

She still felt that confident and reckless demeanor suited him better.

So that night, she once again quietly delivered the sachet onto his table.

Lu Wuyou, like before, looked at her with a hint of surprise—pointing at the sachet, and said, “Did you embroider this?”

Helan Ci nodded and said, “Guaranteed.”

Feeling confident for a second, she then grew a bit uneasy because Lu Wuyou stared at it for a while without saying much. After a moment, he finally asked, “How long did it take?”

Helan Ci thought about it. “Quite a while.”

Lu Wuyou said, “Although…” He started to say something more, as if about to give a long-winded critique, but then he seemed to realize something. He fell silent and said, “Thank you.” Then he fastened the sachet into his waist.

Hmm?

That’s it?

Helan Ci was slightly confused. Did he not feel how sincere she was?

She couldn’t help but emphasize, “This really was sewn by my own hand, stitch by stitch. No one helped me.”

Lu Wuyou paused and said, “I know. I’ll wear it every day.”

How is this still counterproductive? wasn’t he being a bit too polite?

Helan Ci couldn’t help but say, “Lu Daren, did you change into a different person under that shell? I feel like something’s off with you.”

Lu Wuyou raised his eyes to look at her, then quickly turned away and casually said, “Right, exactly, we’ve both switched…” Then he paused and added, “You’re overthinking.”

This won’t work.

Helan Ci finally raised her voice just a bit. “Lu Wuyou, haven’t I already told you, clearly and sincerely, that I want to stay? It’s a decision I’ve seriously thought through—not an impulse, not out of obligation.”

In truth, this was something that puzzled her.

Lu Wuyou had gone to great lengths to marry her and had even kept her father in mind—she’d only just learned from the steward at the Helan residence that Lu Wuyou still sent things over from time to time. Yet he never told her any of it—only to, in the end, want to send her away in the name of freedom.

It didn’t make any sense.

Helan Ci had long grown used to men approaching her with impure intentions, desiring her beauty or seeking to gain something from her—but Lu Wuyou wasn’t like that.; he already had everything he could want.

“I know.” Lu Wuyou said those three words, then after thinking for a while, added, “I never doubted that.”

Helan Ci said, “But you’ve changed.”

“…”

Lu Wuyou looked up at her.

Helan Ci said deeply, “You didn’t have so many twists and turns with me before, you just said whatever you thought.”

“I used to…” Lu Wuyou was momentarily speechless, then said, “Can’t you leave me have a little secret?” When he said this, his voice lowered, and surprisingly, he seemed a bit vulnerable, which was extremely rare. Helan Ci had never thought of him as weak.

She almost thought she imagined it.

She began piecing together everything she had heard and seen—the things Lu Wuyou had said, what Yao Qianxue had said, what her father had said, those two young ladies’ remarks—and suddenly arrived at an almost unbelievable conclusion.

She could hardly believe it.

Helan Ci had always known she was someone who lacked a sense of security and had always thought Lu Wuyou was the complete opposite.

He was confident and had enough ability to be fearless and capable of anything.

How could he possibly feel insecure?

Shouldn’t it be her who felt insecure?

But Lu Wuyou didn’t seem to believe that she genuinely wanted to stay by his side. Even if there hadn’t been that accident at the princess’s banquet, the current Helan Ci would still have been willing to marry Lu Wuyou.

So was the problem that she hadn’t given him enough of a sense of security?

At night, the rain outside still pattered softly, unending—like thoughts that refused to be cut off—accompanied by distant thunder.

The air seemed heavy with dampness.

Helan Ci was in no mood to enjoy the soft, misty sound of the rain brushing past her ears. She lay on the bed, her thoughts fixed on Lu Wuyou.

Just as she was about to drift off, she sensed a shadow enter from outside. She immediately awoke, catching sight of Lu Wuyou’s silhouette vanishing into the clean room, followed shortly by the sounds of him washing and bathing.

Blending into the rain.

She felt strangely nervous.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before he came out of the clean room. The bedchamber was unlit, and he made almost no sound as he moved toward the bed.

Helan Ci suddenly spoke. “I know what you’re troubled about.”

Her soft voice rang especially clear in the darkness.

Lu Wuyou paused just before getting into bed. After a long silence, he asked with a slight hesitation, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

After putting up with his moody and unpredictable temperament for so long, Helan Ci couldn’t help feeling a little fired up.

She sat up straight, summoned all her nerve, moved forward on her knees, and somewhat provocatively grabbing the collar of Lu Wuyou’s nightgown She looked at him with her untainted eyes, and clearly and slowly uttered the words she had always wanted to say but had never dared to.

“——Lu Wuyou, let’s consummate our marriage.”

Lu Wuyou was completely frozen.

Time seems to have come to a standstill here.

Only the sound of rain remains the same.

After an unknown moment, or perhaps a long time, he sighed with extreme restraint. A slightly damp palm covered her eyes, and his clear, gentle voice had turned hoarse beyond recognition as he said:

“Helan Ci, you need to understand… I’m not a saint.”