My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 57

Helan Ci was slightly taken aback.

 

Was it alright to do that so frequently?

 

Her thoughts was probably written all over her face. Lu Wuyou stiffened for a moment, then threw her a light-hearted tone, saying, “If it still hurts, just forget it.”

 

Helan Ci hesitated to speak, not only because she wasn’t sure if she could handle it, but also because after such a night of turmoil, he still had to go to the Hanlin Academy and the daily lectures. He couldn’t always take leave, but if it is just one time… it seems like they could…

 

She was still lost in thought when Lu Wuyou, with his long fingers, played with the stray hairs at her temples and suddenly asked, “How has your training been?”

 

Helan Ci paused, replying, “It’s going fine, I suppose.”

 

Lu Wuyou had already taught her the basic postures, breathing techniques, and even a couple of simple sword forms. After memorizing them, Helan Ci practiced them on her own in the courtyard. Whenever the siblings encountered her, they would come over to give her some pointers, but most of the time, she persisted on her own.

 

She felt that after a period of time, her hearing and vision had improved, and her body had become much lighter. She no longer felt tired even after a short walk, and her strength had increased significantly compared to before.

 

…Although, her stamina was still greatly tested by Lu Wuyou.

 

Lu Wuyou said, “Then let me teach you something else. Swordsmanship is useful, but not very practical. After all, you can’t carry a sword around with you everywhere.”

 

Helan Ci couldn’t help but protest, “You knew that, then why!”

 

Lu Wuyou smiled slightly, “But it looks good.”

 

“……”

 

For a moment, Helan Ci thought he really resembled a peacock.

 

“Your martial arts skills should be enough for now, so learning some simple self-defense moves wouldn’t be a bad idea,” As he spoke, Lu Wuyou signaled for someone to lay out two mattresses on the ground. After testing the softness with his hand, he looked up and gestured to Qingye, “Come here.”

 

Qingye had an inkling of what was about to happen but didn’t dare to refuse.

 

Without hesitation, Lu Wuyou grabbed his arm and elbow, applying slight force with his shoulder, and effortlessly threw Qingye onto the mattress. He then continued to pull his arm, pressing the elbow and wrist, twisting his body to bend Qingye’s arm, pinning it onto the mattress. The movements executed very smoothly from start to finish.

 

Qingye grimaced in pain, “Ouch, ouch, ouch, young lord, can you lighten up please!”

 

Lu Wuyou turned his gaze towards the unblinking Helan Ci and said, “Did you see it clearly? If you didn’t, I’ll do it again.”

 

Qingye’s face changed slightly, and his voice trembled, “Young Lord, there’s no need for a second time…”

 

Lu Wuyou shot him a glance, and Qingye immediately shut up.

 

Helan Ci felt a bit embarrassed: “How about you be a bit gentler and slower?”

 

“Alright.”

 

So, Qingye was thrown back and forth three or four times.

 

He couldn’t help but say, “Young lord, you should get Zizhu to do this! I guarantee he won’t have a single complaint!”

 

Lu Wuyou replied naturally, “I choose you because your body instinctively resists, not wanting to be thrown by me, making it more suitable for demonstrations. What’s the difference between throwing him and throwing a piece of wood?”

 

Helan Ci roughly understood the movements, but hesitated as she looked at Qingye, also feeling a bit awkward, “Should I also practice with him…?”

 

Earlier, Lu Wuyou’s movements hadn’t involved much physical contact, but there was still some contact, even if they were only brief. Especially the moves like pushing the elbow or pressing the wrist. However, if she practiced with someone like Shuangzhi or other females, it might not have the same feeling as practicing with males.

 

Lu Wuyou raised his tone slightly, “Why practice with him? Practice with me.”

 

Helan Ci blinked, “Huh?”

 

Lu Wuyou waved his hand. Qingye, rubbing his arm, quickly scrambled away. Lu Wuyou pointed to himself, “Of course, you’ll practice with me. You can do whatever you want; I won’t resist.”

 

Helan Ci, slightly nervous, asked, “Really?”

 

Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow, smiling provocatively, “After all, we’ve been so close in so many places, what else is there for you to feel shy about?”

 

Helan Ci felt embarrassed. Trying to make her face expressionless, she said, “Then I’ll do it!”

 

She tried to imitate the movements Lu Wuyou had shown earlier, but he remained completely still, letting her fumble and try to maneuver him. It wasn’t difficult to lock him with her arms, but when she attempted to use her shoulder to throw him over, she got stuck.

 

Usually, when watching Lu Wuyou move with ease over rooftops, his body seemed weightless. Now, she realized just how much taller he was than her, and how his size wasn’t for nothing. When his weight pressed down on her shoulder, it felt heavy, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move him. After a while, she barely managed to throw him over.

 

After the throw, Helan Ci was also exhausted. She lost her balance and toppled towards Lu Wuyou.

 

Lu Wuyou, leisurely lying on the mattress, didn’t feel any sense of being thrown. When he saw her fall, he even reached out his hand voluntarily.

 

Helan Ci, trying to brace herself with her arms to get up, didn’t expect Lu Wuyou to suddenly pull her around the waist. She lost her strength for a moment, and her body collapsed onto him, her soft body pressing down, entirely pressed to him.

 

Lu Wuyou’s breathing slightly faltered as he held her waist, his voice dragging, “Miss Helan, why are you… throwing yourself into my arms?”

 

Helan Ci said with slight annoyance, “I just lost my balance.”

 

Lu Wuyou, in the soft strands of hair falling around her shoulder, took a gentle sniff of her unique scent. His voice became somewhat ambiguous, “Miss Helan, you really are soft.”

 

Helan Ci’s face became slightly hot, and she replied, “Isn’t everyone’s body soft? Or are you…”

 

The word “hard” got stuck in her throat. She felt like something wasn’t quite right.

 

She tried to push herself up with her arms, but Lu Wuyou pressed down on her waist again, as if pressing on an acupoint. It was both sore and numb, making her suddenly weak. She had not fully recovered from her previous discomfort and had even less strength now.

 

Lu Wuyou said, “Just lie down for a bit… Is your back also uncomfortable? Let me give you a massage.”

 

Helan Ci lay on top of him, caught in a dilemma. She turned her face slightly to the side, her chin resting on Lu Wuyou’s shoulder. She bit her lower lip, and indeed felt his fingertips lightly pressing against her waist.

 

“…Is this posture really necessary just to massage my waist?”

 

But Lu Wuyou didn’t answer her question. Instead, he said, “You’re way too light. You’re not short either—Is it that when I’m not around, you don’t eat at all?”

 

Helan Ci said, “I didn’t! I ate well.”

 

Ever since she started exercising, her appetite had even increased. She didn’t avoid any food either. But she really didn’t seem to have gained much weight.

 

Lu Wuyou continued massaging her waist for a while, soothing the tension and discomfort there. Lowering his head, he caught sight of her quivering lashes, and the faint blush lighting up her hibiscus-like face. She was truly dazzling beyond compare. He couldn’t help but drop a light kiss on her forehead. Warm fragrance and soft jade in his arms, that faint scent filled his nose completely. On the night of that thunderstorm, this scent had somehow bloomed to its fullest.

 

He murmured under his breath, “If I hadn’t seen you eat with my own eyes, I’d really think you lived on dew and flower petals. Speaking of which, Miss Helan that night was really…” Lu Wuyou couldn’t help but smirk, or perhaps he didn’t really want to hold back, “…so vibrant and charming.”

 

Helan Ci’s face flushed hot again.

 

Just what was this man doing now!

 

She couldn’t help but say, “I’m getting up. If you want to lie down, then lie here by yourself for a while!”

 

This was seriously improper.

 

What if someone comes in—though the probability is low—and sees the two of them tangled on the ground? That would be beyond baffling. And with the dampness these past few days, there might even be bugs crawling around.

 

Lu Wuyou fixed his eyes on her for a moment and said, “Clearly you took the initiative to throw yourself into my arms, and yet Miss Helan is so heartless. I…”

 

Helan Ci had already pushed herself up.

 

Lu Wuyou also sat up, resting an arm on his bent knee, his peach blossom eyes slightly drooping as he sighed, “You don’t understand romance.”

 

***

 

Coming out of the clean room, Helan Ci was drying her hair when Lu Wuyou suddenly handed her a document.

 

She looked at it puzzled. “What’s this…?”

 

Lu Wuyou said, “Just read it and you’ll know.”

 

The document recorded what seemed like a conversation in a tavern. The gist was that one person said it was satisfying to see Li Ting become a fool now—serves him right for being so arrogant and self-important before, losing his position as heir, turning into a waste. Other person said it was not for nothing that they had a maid forge the letter on their behalf; Li Ting really believed that the famed beauty from the capital could fall for him. Seeing his self-delusion then falling into humiliation, It was truly laughable. Others joined in agreement.

 

Helan Ci came to realization. She thought that this matter now felt like something from another lifetime.

 

She still remembered being relentlessly pressured by that former Cao Shizi, but now looking back she no longer felt so angry, fearful, or resentful—probably because now, she lives such a good life.

 

“I wanted to find out who forged the letter sent to Li Ting, so I looked into it. Since too much time had passed, it wasn’t easy to check. Unexpectedly, I just happened to run into them at a tavern—they’re all good-for-nothings who rely on their family’s name to get by in the capital,” Lu Wuyou said casually. “I had someone give them a good beating. They probably wouldn’t even guess who did it. The list is attached at the end. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll come up with another way.”

 

Helan Ci looked at the unfamiliar list where she didn’t even know the faces, and said, “Thank you, but why did you suddenly…”

 

Lu Wuyou said, “I’ve never felt this uneasy before. The self-defense moves I taught you are just in case—after all, I can’t lock you up by my side. I still hope you can go wherever you want without worrying every time you step out the door.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “I should find a way to get promoted quickly.”

 

Helan Ci: “……?”

 

Why did he suddenly switch topics like that?

 

“Oh, right…” she suddenly remembered. “You still haven’t said how you’re going to cause trouble for Xiao Nanxun and how you plan to help Miss Anding?”

 

Lu Wuyou tapped his knuckles lightly on the table. “It will be all because of his own fault for committing too many evil; he will surely bring about his own downfall.”

 

***

 

Lately, a new play called “Breaking the Marriage Fate” had begun circulating in the teahouses and opera troupes of the capital.

 

It told the story of a young master from a powerful official family who tore apart a pair of lovers and forcibly took the woman as a concubine. In the end, he tortured her to death then claimed she had died of illness. The soul of the tragic young woman drifted out of her body and reunited with her former lover. One scene called “Lingering Soul’s Lament,” featured sorrowful and winding lyrics, the aria tender and plaintive, as if weeping and mourning—it moved people to tears.

 

The lover, upon learning the truth, was determined to avenge his beloved. However, with no way to seek justice from the officials, he ended up being beaten to a pulp after filing a complaint. The soul of the pitiful girl accompanied him all the way through thick and thin, sharing life and death together. After much hardship and tribulation, the ending was, of course, that Heaven revealed the truth, the emperor saw through the lies, and justice was served. The corrupt official was punished, and the lovers’ grievances were redressed. Most stunning of all was the final scene—just as the young master was attempting to flee in the night, a divine bolt of lightning struck from the heavens and killed him on the spot, right off his horse.

 

Due to its intricate twists and deeply moving plot, it quickly became popular among the people of the capital.

 

Ordinarily, this would be nothing, but the problem was that someone had spread a rumor, saying the story wasn’t made up. The girl who was said to have died of illness but was actually tortured to death was supposedly the daughter of a court official of the eighth rank, the Prefect of Chaotian Prefecture in the capital.

 

Two years ago, she was chosen as a concubine and entered the Second Prince household. She was once thought to be on the verge of soaring to great heights. But just over a month ago, her body was carried out in a thin coffin and buried hastily. They said it was a sudden illness. Yet her family and relatives refused to believe it. Her father even led men to secretly dig up the coffin at night, hoping to examine her body. But the Second Prince found out, and her father lost his official position.

 

The matter had been tightly covered up, but somehow, the rumor got out. It was told in vivid detail, as if someone had witnessed the wounds on her corpse firsthand. It was even said that the girl had once been in love with someone else, only to be torn apart by the Second Prince—just like the plot of Breaking the Marriage Fate. The entire capital was soon awash with gossip.

 

Opera troupes no longer dared perform the piece and quickly pulled it from their repertoire, which only made the rumors seem more believable.

 

Then came another rumor: that the girl’s father, forced and humiliated by those in power, had no choice but to hang himself. The scandal stirred up even more whispers and outrage across the city.

 

The rumors had spread to this extent, and officials began submitting memorials, demanding a thorough investigation into the matter to clarify the truth. Gradually, more officials submitted memorials, accusing the second prince of misconduct. Some even took the opportunity to propose that the second prince  be married off and sent to his vassal state soon, far away from the capital. For a time, there were a lot of discussion about this.

 

Inside the Second Prince’s mansion, the atmosphere was no less turbulent.

 

Xiao Nanxun’s gaze was cold, like the biting winter wind of the first month, his tone slow and heavy: “Why is it that such a simple matter can cause such a big mess?”

 

The guards and eunuchs knelt in a row on the ground, all trembling, not daring to speak.

 

Xiao Nanxun asked again, “Who handled the corpse?”

 

This time, they managed to push out a scapegoat.

 

A eunuch immediately prostrated himself on the ground, cried loudly:

“This servant really did handle everything properly! The body was buried—how could I have known they would dig it up?! It must be someone from His Highness the Eldest Prince’s side! They must have had people watching our estate day and night! This servant was just… just careless for a moment and fell into their trap. Your Highness, this servant knows he was wrong! This servant knows he was wrong!”

 

Xiao Nanxun had long known that his seemingly gentle and timid older brother was no harmless sheep. In fact, he was the one who most resembled their father—not only in looks, but in temperament as well. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that their father disliked his eldest brother.

 

It was just that no one expected his true colors to show so soon.

 

All because of a woman.

 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t called a physician for her—her body was frail after the miscarriage and couldn’t hold on, that couldn’t be blamed on him. And what’s more, it was her own foolish delusion; she had secretly poured out the contraceptive medicine. He had never intended to follow in the footsteps of his imperial father, having some lowly illegitimate son to trouble himself.

 

But in the end, it still counted as an imperial heir. The truth, therefore, was difficult to speak aloud.

 

Xiao Nanxun casually flipped through the memorials of impeachment against him. The officials bold enough to submit such memorials were, for the most part, people tied to his older brother’s faction, with complicated networks behind them. A small portion were those who had pledged allegiance early on, and the rest were just trying to muddy the waters.

 

He felt a twinge of irritability. His pampered hand adorned with a jade ring pointing at the kneeling eunuch begging for mercy, saying, “Drag him down, give him two hundred board lashes, hit him hard. If he couldn’t hold on, roll him up in a mat and take him away.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The surroundings fell silent, with only the eunuch’s continuous pleas for mercy and wails as he was dragged away.

 

Amid the screams, Xiao Nanxun found a sliver of calm and began discussing countermeasures with his subordinates and advisors.

 

When it ended, he leaned back wearily against the long bench, and once again, his thoughts wandered to the extremely beautiful girl that he couldn’t get.

 

The two thin horses¹ sent to the Zhuangyuan’s residence were completely still, as if they were dead. Should he send more people over, or… Clearly, there were plenty of women eager to bear his children, so why was it that she refused?

 

***

 

Helan Ci was truly worried about Lu Wuyou. “This rumor… it wasn’t really you who spread it, right? What if they trace it back to you?”

 

Lu Wuyou patted her shoulder soothingly. “They won’t. It’s a pity, the play is already over now, you didn’t get to see it. The one who wrote the lyrics was genuinely talented. Of course, submitting the impeachment memorial wasn’t just my doing either. Public sentiment plays a role—Xiao Nanxun never had the people’s support to begin with. And besides, this matter isn’t baseless.” Afraid she might still worry, he explained further: “Do you know Dongfeng Buye building?”

 

Helan Ci nodded: “That shop?”

 

“Yes, the one with a very large business. Your wedding dress was made by their tailor shop. But it’s not just tailor shops—they’re in inns, restaurants, theaters, and more. And they have one business unknown to most: buying and transmitting information. Sometimes, they’re no less effective than the Jinyiwei.” Lu Wuyou took a piece of pastry and brought it to his lips. “I told you my family is part of the Jianghu sects, but we do a lot of business with Dongfeng Buye Tower. Their master is an old acquaintance of my uncle. He gives me a lot of favors, so it’s easy to withdraw money or  get help from them… Do you still remember the black iron token I gave you before the wedding?”

 

Helan Ci nodded again. “It’s in the clothing chest. Do you want me to go get it?”

 

“No need. I just wanted to tell you that the sign is like a token. If you ever need anything, you can take it to any Dongfeng Buye shop, and they’ll help you.”

 

Helan Ci felt as if Lu Wuyou was just about to confess all his family’s secrets to her.

 

While she was still thinking that, Lu Wuyou suddenly said, “Open your mouth.”

 

Helan Ci was caught off guard. A piece of pastry had appeared right at her lips. She froze, feeling a bit embarrassed at being fed like this. She was about to take it with her hand, when Lu Wuyou repeated, “Open your mouth.”

 

Helan Ci had no choice but to open her mouth.

 

Lu Wuyou, feeling satisfied, fed the pastry into her mouth and asked, “How does it taste?”

 

Helan Ci chewed a few bites, pushed it with her fingers then swallowed, and said, “Not bad.”

 

Lu Wuyou asked, “Only ‘not bad’?”

 

Admittedly, this was one of the less sweet pastries among Lu Wuyou’s favorites, but for Helan Ci, it was still very sweet. Of course, it was tasty—just a little greasy.

 

Lu Wuyou pondered, “Could it be that you’re too sweet yourself, so you can’t taste the sweetness?”

 

Helan Ci was shocked, “……? What nonsense are you talking about?”

 

Lu Wuyou replied, “Can’t help it. You can’t taste yourself, after all. Inside and out, it’s all very sweet, like you’re full of syrup—squeeze you a bit, and it just overflows…”

 

Helan Ci quickly interrupted him: “What kind of description is that! Stop talking!”

 

Lu Wuyou chuckled lightly, placing the finger that had just brushed against Helan Ci’s lips to his own lips, gazing at her with his peach blossom eyes, and said nonchalantly, “You know I like sweet things, so I want to taste everything…”

 

Helan Ci decided to slip away.

 

On the way, she passed by that Mu Ling’s room. He was still lying there sickly. The doctor said it was just a minor injury, yet somehow he’d been bedridden for this long. She remembered Lu Wuyou telling her this man had remarkable vitality, and that his wounds healed quickly.

 

But right now, this pale, frail young man with his long black hair hanging to one side looked like he’d collapse at a gust of wind, coughing now and then.

 

Hua Weiling hadn’t been going out much lately either, staying home to care for him.

 

“When will you get better?”

 

Mu Ling coughed weakly again. “I don’t know… It may have triggered an old illness…”

 

Hua Weiling sounded confused. “How can getting hit by a signboard trigger an old illness?”

 

Mu Ling weakly smiled and said, “Perhaps… I was hit by a signboard before, too.”

 

Hua Weiling said, “…Aren’t you just too unlucky then?”

 

Mu Ling said, “No matter. Meeting Miss Hua is a stroke of luck in three lifetimes.”

 

Hua Weiling propped her chin on her hand and pondered, “No, I think you might have started having bad luck since you met me. How about we keep our distance?”

 

Mu Ling immediately started coughing violently, as if he was about to cough up his lungs, shaking the heavens and the earth. If he had a fake bl00d pouch, Helan Ci would’ve suspected he was about to perform an impromptu bl00d-spitting act right there.

 

Hua Weiling had no choice but to support him again, gently patting his back and saying, “Okay, okay, okay, I won’t leave, I won’t leave…” She muttered, “What kind of illness is this anyway…”

 

Helan Ci suddenly recalled someone else’s magnificent performance from a long time ago.

 

Lu Wuyou saw it too and looked like he had a lot to say but didn’t know where to start. He walked over and said to Hua Weiling, “Don’t mind him. He’ll be fine in a bit.”

 

Mu Ling’s face had turned red from coughing.

 

Hua Weiling kept patting his back and replied, “Brother, you’re so heartless.”

 

Lu Wuyou rolled up his sleeves. “Then step aside, I’ll pat his back, and I guarantee he’ll be cured. Besides, I’ve studied medicine; haven’t you only studied poison?”

 

Hua Weiling said, “…But last time, you nearly made him cough up bl00d.”

 

Lu Wuyou casually replied, “Better vomit it out—stagnant bl00d needs to be expelled.”

 

While Hua Weiling was still hesitating, the sickly Mu Ling hurriedly covered his mouth and coughed politely. “N-no need to trouble Lu Daren, I-I’m fine now…”

 

Helan Ci really didn’t know who she should worry about first.

 

Back in their room, Lu Wuyou asked, “The banquet to receive the Northern Di envoy is coming up soon. Are you going?”

 

Helan Ci still felt a lingering unease. “Then can you not go?”

 

“The Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites are both responsible for the reception, so it’s quite hard not to attend,” Lu Wuyou said, turning his gaze. “Unless you want to meet that little prince from Northern Di alone? Oh, he seems quite infatuated with you.” He imitated Luo Chen’s tone, speaking in exaggerated rises and falls:

“I fell in love with you at first sight. I like you. I want to pluck the stars from the sky just to give them to you…”

 

Helan Ci was extremely embarrassed and couldn’t help but interrupt him, “I don’t! Can you stop being so sarcastic?”

 

Lu Wuyou continued leisurely, “Why is it okay when he says it, but not okay when I say it?”

 

He was no longer distant now, nor kept that impenetrable barrier that kept people at bay. But it seems that once a person is set free, they can never go back.

 

Helan Ci subconsciously retorted, “He wasn’t doing it to make fun of me!”

 

“I wasn’t trying to make fun of you either.” Lu Wuyou pressed his palm against her waist, as though he was particularly fond of that spot. “Undoubtedly, I was flirting. Miss Helan, you even bit my throat before—bit me until my mind was in turmoil. Why are you so reserved now?” He tilted his head, revealing the smooth, jade-like curve of his neck to her. “Why don’t you bite me again? Things were too chaotic then, I didn’t get to properly savor it.”

 

Helan Ci stared dumbfoundedly at the neck being offered in front of him, with the slight movement of Lu Wuyou’s Adam’s apple.

 

“I was angry at the time, i thought you didn’t have to take that kind of risk!”

 

That was back during the land survey, when the two of them were escaping from the pursuers.

 

Lu Wuyou tilted his head and said, “So you’re not angry anymore? Oh, Miss Helan is the type who goes wild when she’s angry. Well, I can think of a way. Tell me, what could make you angry right now?”

 

Helan Ci pushed his neck, saying, “I’m already angry now.”

 

“Then why not bite me?” Lu Wuyou smiled. “Didn’t I tell you I’m an easy person to deal with? You can bite me wherever you like…” He suddenly seemed to remember something. “Didn’t you almost bite my shoulderthat night²? Your mouth was open already—why didn’t you go through with it?”

 

Helan Ci suddenly recalled what the situation was like.

 

The sound of that night’s heavy rain seems to echo in her ears again.

 

She finally pushed him away in shame. “Normally no one likes biting people, alright?!”

 

Lu Wuyou let himself be pushed aside, still smiling as he said, “I don’t mind. You can be sharper-tongued too—I rather like you like this…. well, I was also very uncomfortable holding it in before. That really doesn’t suit me. But when my mind is idle, I can’t help overthinking things. I don’t like it either, but I can’t control it. You have to give me some time to feel like I’m not deceiving myself.”

 

Helan Ci still didn’t quite understand the latter part of what he said.

 

But somehow, she also felt that they were most at ease when they interacted naturally—although it would be best if Lu Wuyou could refrain from saying a few nonsensical things.

 

As she was still thinking this, Lu Wuyou poured himself another cup of tea.

 

He took a sip of the cool tea and said, “Can I say something a bit more honest?”

 

Helan Ci replied, “Go ahead.”

 

Lu Wuyou said, “You asked me before, and I was too embarrassed to admit it. During the suburban sacrifice, I told you I had no interest in matters between men and women—that wasn’t a lie. At the time, I truly thought so. But now…”

 

Helan Ci listened attentively. “Hmm?”

 

Lu Wuyou continued, “…I think I might have been a bit arrogant. ‘If you’re not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish’—it was indeed inappropriate to say that without experiencing it myself, so let me correct myself.” He paused, his not-so-stable Adam’s apple starting to slide again, “I’m not truly uninterested. At least when it comes to doing those things with you, I am quite interested.”

 

“……”

 

Why was he still talking about this topic so seriously?

 

Helan Ci felt her cheeks flush. After a moment of speechlessness, she said, “Am I supposed to feel honored?”

 

“It should be me who feels honored, getting to see a side of Miss Helan that no one else has,” Lu Wuyou said softly. “In fact, I feel a little lucky. Lucky that it was me. Otherwise…” He hesitated slightly, then changed the subject, “It really was a bit of a regret that my memory was so hazythat time³. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have forgotten something that made me so happy. Speaking of which, why was it so pleasurable?” He actually seemed to be seriously pondering it. “At one point I even thought—how could something this pleasurable exist in the world? You really can’t describe it properly without experiencing it. No wonder people get addicted to it…”

 

But Helan Ci fell silent for a moment.

 

She felt a faint and subtle displeasure in her chest.

 

In the past, she might not have minded—after all, when Lu Wuyou rambled nonsense, her most common impulse was to bite him. The displeasure had never been this noticeable. But now that thread of displeasure was clearly felt, even overshadowing her extreme embarrassment.

 

Unable to stop herself, she interrupted his stream of chatter. “So with someone else, would it be just as pleasurable? I mean… you haven’t exactly tried.”

 

Lu Wuyou turned to look at her.

 

Helan Ci raised her voice slightly and said, “You said so yourself!”

 

Lu Wuyou approached her.

 

Helan Ci lowered her eyes and revealed a hint of nervousness, as if she felt she shouldn’t be saying this. The light fell gently over her flawless features, beauty beyond compare. Her lower lip, which was bitten lightly, was as red as bl00d, seductive and bright, stirring up desires in those who beheld her.

 

“Alright, maybe I wasn’t clear enough. With anyone else, I wouldn’t be like this.”

 

Lu Wuyou leaned in close, his lips brushing faintly against her cheek. His voice had turned husky, carrying a hint of hoarseness and allure, like a creature in a tale tempting someone to fall: “Miss Helan, it’s only with you… that I have these thoughts.”

 

Helan Ci subconsciously tensed up: “What thoughts?”

 

Lu Wuyou said, “…… thoughts of wanting to go to bed.” Then, after a pause, he asked uncertainly, “Wait—were you eating vinegar⁴ just now?”