Make up

After several days of rain, the moisture on the ground rose, making people feel sticky.

The dampness inside made people feel stuffy and irritable.

Xu Lanxin's heart, invaded by dampness, felt a little moldy, and she sat blankly on the edge of the bed.

Standing to the side, Xiao Xi was at a loss for words to comfort her daughter.

There has been no news for the past few days, and it's unclear whether the engagement has been called off.

A figure in blue entered her field of vision.

It's a bluefish.

Xiao Xi happily stepped forward to greet her. Qingyu nodded to her and knelt down in front of Xu Lanxin.

"He sent you!"

Lanxin looked at her, her expression both a question and a confirmation.

As always, Qingyu was a man of few words, only nodding slightly.

"Since you've chosen to follow me, that means you've accepted me. Don't contact me from there anymore."

"Yes, this servant is willing to follow you, young lady."

Lan Xin told her to get up and instructed her, "Go and arrange a meeting with the Prince of Yan'an for me."

Inside Lanya Pavilion, Xu Lanxin sat quietly, her fingers stroking the teacup, but she did not drink.

The noise in the hall had nothing to do with her.

The Prince of Yan'an had just stepped into the private room when he exclaimed in shock.

"Sister-in-law, you look so haggard, I almost didn't recognize you."

Lan Xin looked somber and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Young Master Yan'an, please don't call me sister-in-law anymore. I have already broken off my engagement with Lord Cen. From now on, just call me Lan Xin."

Yan'an was shocked to hear this and looked incredulous.

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud "bang," and then said, "Impossible."

"Yan'an, I've invited you here today because I need your help."

Xu Lanxin took a piece of paper out of her sleeve and handed it to him.

"I need three household registration documents and travel permits with names on them, according to the names on these documents."

Seeing that he had taken the paper, Xu Lanxin continued, "We also need three blank household registration certificates and travel permits with official stamps."

Yan'an suddenly raised his head, looked over, and said excitedly, "Are you leaving?"

Xu Lanxin took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and looked at him.

"Yan'an, I don't want to be controlled by others, nor do I want to be confined to the inner quarters. The world is so big, I want to see it."

Her eyes lit up as she looked towards Yan'an, filled with anticipation:

"Did you know? The place we are in is just a small corner of this earth. Several oceans divide the world into several large parts. At the end of the oceans, there are other countries and different kinds of people, some with blond hair and blue eyes, some with red hair and green eyes."

"Wouldn't it be a great pity if one could be confined to one corner of the world for the rest of one's life?"

"Zi Jin"

"Let's not talk about him, okay?"

Knowing what he wanted to say, Lanxin didn't want to listen, so she quickly cut him off.

"Yan'an, please don't tell him about the thing I asked you to do, and don't mention a single word about me in front of him in the future, otherwise, we'll sever all ties."

Yan'an was startled by her last words and finally nodded blankly.

After finishing her business with Yan'an, Xu Lanxin returned to the Xu residence.

They agreed to meet in three days to pick up the household registration and travel permit; these few days would be enough for her to prepare the rest.

As the sun set, Hsu Lan-hsin stepped into Yilan Garden again, her mood quite different this time.

From now on, there's no need to worry about these women in the inner quarters. Looking at this couple, I find them much more agreeable.

"Father, the wedding is approaching. Shouldn't my mother's dowry be sorted out and given to me?"

Lan Xin got straight to the point, not wanting to exchange too much pleasantry, since they weren't familiar with each other.

Xu Yingshan didn't reply, but turned to look at Feng Wanqing beside him.

She showed no sign of panic, but instead smiled apologetically:

"Look at me, I've been so busy choosing a husband for your second sister that I've forgotten about you. It's my fault, my fault."

She instructed the old nanny beside her, "Go and bring the late madam's dowry list to the eldest daughter."

The old woman, who was also pretending to be a master, feigned surprise and said, "Madam, have you forgotten that you gave the list to the eldest young lady a few days ago?"

Feng Wanqing looked like she suddenly realized something: "Look, I was so busy I didn't even realize it."

Turning to look at Xu Lanxin:

“Sister, since the list is with you, why don’t you send someone to check it against the warehouse before moving it?”

A red list was placed in front of her, and Lanxin turned her head and smiled at Xiaoxi.

She took it and handed it out.

"Madam, look, is this the one?"

The old nanny handed it to Feng Wanqing, who glanced at it and replied, "It's this one, no doubt about it."

Lan Xin smiled sarcastically to herself, then winked at Xiao Xi, who turned and left the room.

Xu Yingshan and his wife looked at each other, puzzled.

"Xin'er, is something wrong?"

After Xu Yingshan asked the question, he saw Xiao Xi bring someone in.

"This is?"

"Father, this is Granny Li, the nanny who came with Mother when she was born. Don't you recognize her?"

Xu Lanxin got up, took Li Mama's hand, led her forward, and then took the dowry list from the table and handed it to her.

"Granny, look, is this my mother's dowry list?"

"No, there are indeed some of the lady's dowry items on it, but more than half of them are missing."

After reading it, she looked at Xu Yingshan and his wife, her voice tinged with anger.

"Bang!" Xu Yingshan slammed his hand on the table, pointing at Feng Wanqing:

"You short-sighted fool, hurry up and give her the form."

Feng Wanqing was so frightened that she ordered someone to fetch the real dowry list.

After receiving the real dowry list, Xu Lanxin looked at Xu Yingshan.

“Father, your daughter is getting married soon. I was thinking of going to Bailing Temple to chant sutras and pray for blessings for a few days in a couple of days. I will tell Mother about this.”

Xu Yingshan said a few words of advice and waved his hand: "Go."

Early the next morning, Xu Lanxin went to the storeroom to check her dowry and moved it back to her room. She didn't touch the large items, but only had Qingyu pawn the items that could be pawned over two days.

Soon the day she had agreed upon with Yan'an arrived, and she and her entourage boarded a carriage bound for Bailing Temple.

Outside the main house of Qingzhu Garden, Qingyun paced back and forth, his face filled with a conflicted expression. Should he tell her about Miss Xu?

He didn't dare ask about what happened that day. When he accidentally mentioned Xu Lanxin, he was so frightened by Cen Yan's murderous gaze that he dared not bring it up again.

These past few days, Cen Yan's expression has been icy, and he rarely speaks except when it comes to official business.

"Come in."

Perhaps the people inside were disturbed by his noise and called him in.

The man kept his head down on the files on the table and didn't look up at him once.

Upon entering, Qingyun's expression of inner turmoil intensified, her features contorting inwards.

"My lord, the things you gave to Miss Xu in the past have been returned by Qingyu. I followed her and found that she pawned a lot of things."

Qingyun held his breath for a long time before finally speaking.

But then the man paused in his annotations, and a drop of ink fell onto the paper.

Seeing that he did not react, Qingyun continued, "A few days ago, Miss Xu made an appointment with the Prince of Yan'an at the teahouse and asked him to help prepare the household registration and travel permit."

The man looked up and saw that although he was dressed neatly, his eyes were tired and gloomy.

"Bring Yan'an here."

"Miss Xu and the Prince of Yan'an have arranged to meet at Bailing Temple. He should be there by now."

The man looked flustered and jumped up, finally unable to sit still any longer.

Bailing Temple has many believers, its incense is burning brightly, and it is always bustling with people.

Xu Lanxin also lit an incense stick today, hoping everything would go smoothly.

She sat in the carriage, feeling as if ants were crawling all over her, a mixture of anxiety and anger.

Because the agreed time with Yan'an had already passed by two hours.

"Qingyu, go and see if the Prince of Yan'an has arrived yet!"

The moment she lifted the curtain, a familiar face came into view, and Xu Lanxin was startled.

I can't quite put my finger on how I feel. There's shock, anger, and the pain of being bitten by ants, but no joy whatsoever.

She didn't really want to see him.

"Get down," a familiar voice rang out, startling her awake.

Qingyu turned around and looked at her, and she smiled back.

"You can go down now."

"Lord Cen, have you forgotten that I said we would never meet again, even in life or death?"

Lan Xin looked at him, her tone icy, her eyes devoid of any emotion other than indifference.

The two of them just stared at each other, and time seemed to stand still.

Cen Yan strode forward, pulled her close without a word, tightened his grip on her slender waist, and pressed the back of her head against him.

While she was still in a daze, his kiss landed, urgent and fierce.

As if he wasn't satisfied, he bit her, forcing her to let go. After penetrating her jaw, he forcefully explored inside, a domineering way of venting his anger.

Lan Xin was shocked by his actions. After regaining her senses, she began to struggle incessantly.

Unfortunately, the two were too far apart in strength to break free even slightly.

Left with no other choice, Lanxin bit him hard.

However, it could only make him stay for a second before he started demanding things again without any regard for others.

Blood spread throughout the mouth, with a strong metallic, metallic smell.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, the resentment that had been buried deep in Lanxin's heart began to erupt, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

The salty taste of her tears mingled with her blood, seeping into her heart.

Sensing something was wrong, Cen Yan opened his eyes and, seeing Xu Lanxin like this, was so frightened that he immediately let go.

Yet, as if afraid she would leave, he gave her a light, lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Freed from restraint, Xu Lanxin shoved him away and punched him.

After knocking him to the ground, I simply sat on him and hit him.

Seeing that her strength was waning, the man began to chuckle softly.

Xu Lanxin suddenly felt listless and prepared to roll over and get off.

But he grabbed her hands and continued to hit her.

"Not enough, keep going."

"Let go."

The force on her wrist disappeared, and Xu Lanxin glared at him hatefully before getting off the carriage.

Cen Yan caught up with her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her towards him.

Seeing her red eyes, I felt a pang of heartache.

This person is truly despicable. Just looking at his face makes Lanxin angry, and she raises her foot to kick him.

"Hiss," what is that? It must be an iron pillar.

He was in so much pain, but he was still standing there grinning like an idiot.

He held her hands tightly.

"Still angry? We can have more if you're still not satisfied."

Damn it, it's still her who's in pain.

"Lanxin, please stay?"

"No, let go, I don't want to talk to you."

Cen Yan kissed her hand: "Okay, I won't say anything, I'll just do it."

His kiss landed again, but unlike before, this kiss was gentle and tender, as if it were a precious treasure.

After a light kiss on the lips, I penetrated and entwined my tongue with hers.

The setting sun cast its golden rays upon the treetops, illuminating the two lovers in a beautiful scene.