Chapter 32 Your Excellency, your wife has disappeared! ...

Lu Yuan deliberately made his footsteps heavier, thump, thump, thump. As if he wanted to crush the bluestone slabs under his feet.

Mingwu seemed not to hear her, not even turning her head.

Lu Yuan's face grew increasingly gloomy. He caught up with her in a few steps and grabbed her wrist.

Mingwu struggled a few times but couldn't break free. Finally, she turned her head, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, her anger clearly visible.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

Her puffed-up expression was like a splash of clear water, miraculously extinguishing the raging fire in his heart.

Lu Yuan's expression softened a bit, and his fingers relaxed, his calloused fingertips unconsciously caressing the delicate skin on her wrist.

Why are you walking so fast?

His voice was deep, and the warmth of his fingertips sent a shiver down Mingwu's spine.

Lu Yuan's lips curled slightly, clearly satisfied with Ming Wu's reaction. He leaned forward slightly and whispered something in her ear.

Mingwu's cheeks flushed red instantly, from anger.

She raised her foot to kick him, but forgot that she was standing on the edge of the steps.

She lost her footing and swayed to the side. Just as she thought she was going to fall down the steps, a strong iron arm grabbed her waist.

He pulled her back.

Her face slammed into his firm chest.

She could clearly hear his heart pounding heavily beneath the robes, like the drums of a battlefield, each beat striking her eardrums.

A warm, soft body suddenly entered my arms.

In that instant, Lu Yuan felt as if his heart had been lightly tickled by a feather. The tingling sensation was like a tiny pebble falling into a calm lake.

Ripples spread out in circles.

At the entrance of the banquet hall, several ministers, seeing Lu Yuan leave, were also about to leave. Just as they stepped out, they saw two people embracing in the courtyard.

All around was silent, as if time had stopped.

Only the sound of their intertwined breaths remained.

Lu Yuan's gaze lingered on her slightly parted red lips. His dark eyes were deep, and his Adam's apple bobbed. He slowly lowered his head, his chin brushing against her loose strands of hair.

Lu Yuan suddenly snapped out of his daze and quickly turned his head.

His sharp gaze shot towards the entrance of the banquet hall.

The ministers were terrified and hastily retreated, several of them falling to the ground with screams of pain.

Mingwu came to her senses.

She realized that she was pressed against him, her hands tightly gripping his clothes, in an intimate posture.

Her face flushed red, then turned pale.

She had decided to leave him and stop loving him, yet she would repeatedly succumb to his advances. She couldn't understand why.

Lu Yuan affectionately nuzzled her face and asked softly.

"What are you thinking about?"

Mingwu frowned, trying to push him away: "It's nothing."

The aloofness in her words caused Lu Yuan's smile to freeze for a moment, and his expression darkened slightly.

"Didn't you think about anything? Then why don't you watch where you're going when you walk? You're so reckless and clumsy. What kind of behavior is that?"

What if he hadn't caught her in time and she had fallen and gotten hurt?

Mingwu raised her eyes and glared angrily at Lu Yuan.

Would she have fallen if he hadn't touched her inappropriately?

You bastard!

He was the one who did something wrong, yet he scolded her!

Mingwu raised her hand and punched his chest. But he caught her, then raised his foot and stomped hard on the toe of her black official boot.

Still not satisfied, he spun it left and right a few more times.

Lu Yuan's expression changed slightly, and he let out a muffled groan.

Mingwu seized the opportunity to break free, and Lu Yuan, worried about hurting her, kindly let go. As soon as she was free, Mingwu quickly went down the steps and kept her distance from him.

When his arms suddenly felt empty, Lu Yuan felt a sense of loss, as if a hole had been opened in his chest, leaving him feeling empty and desolate.

Then look at her expression, as if she's trying to avoid it at all costs.

My breathing faltered.

Mingwu saw his handsome face darken as he stared intently at her, making her feel uneasy.

On the sky, even the sun seemed startled, hiding behind the clouds. The entire world suddenly darkened.

Mingwu nervously gripped the corner of her sleeve; the thin touch startled her. She then remembered that he had snatched the document she had hidden in her sleeve pocket.

She couldn't afford to offend him too much before she got the documents back.

Adjusting her facial expression, she said weakly, "If you hadn't suddenly grabbed me, how could I have missed a step?"

Three parts grievance, two parts fragility, and one part blame.

After saying that, she secretly glanced at Lu Yuan.

Seeing that his complexion had improved, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It really worked.

This was taught to me by a courtesan whom my mother secretly hired at great expense before my marriage.

When she loved him, she would never have bothered with such things. Now that she doesn't love him anymore, she's using them.

How ironic.

Lu Yuan slowly walked down the steps: "So, it was my fault?" His tone carried a hint of doting affection that he himself was unaware of.

"It's naturally your fault," Mingwu thought to herself.

Lu Yuan's gaze slid across her face inch by inch, naturally not missing this subtle expression.

A pleased smile played on his lips as he approached her without making a sound.

"If it weren't for me, you would have already tumbled down the steps, utterly humiliated. Is this how you treat your savior?"

A savior?

How could he possibly have the nerve?!

Ming Wu was furious and glared at him. Her eyes were tinged with a crimson hue from her anger, which, in Lu Yuan's eyes, gave her a breathtakingly alluring charm.

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

"They say that a life-saving grace should be repaid with one's body. How does my wife intend to repay her husband? Hmm?" His voice was deep, and the last "hmm" was drawn out for a very long time.

It was like a hook that plucked at Mingwu's heartstrings.

And those deep, dark eyes were now brimming with affection.

Mingwu was stunned. When she regained her composure and looked over again, those eyes had returned to their usual indifferent and cold expression.

I must have been seeing things.

How could someone as cold-hearted and indifferent as him possibly have such a deep and affectionate gaze?

Then Mingwu despised herself.

She no longer loved him and decided to leave. What did it matter to her whether he had a heart or was cold-hearted?

That's something Qi Lan should consider.

As long as she, the ex-wife, gets the necessary documents sooner, she can leave Lin'an.

All emotions cooled down at that moment.

Lu Yuan frowned as he looked at Ming Wu, whose face remained indifferent.

He could clearly feel her anger and emotion for him... but in that instant, it was as if a flame had been suddenly extinguished by cold water.

"you……"

Mingwu interrupted coldly, "It was my carelessness. Thank you for your help earlier, Prime Minister."

Lu Yuan frowned even more: "Are you angry?"

He disliked her aloofness and distance. He preferred her to act like she used to, to be affectionate and angry with him.

Mingwu said calmly, "No." Then she turned and left.

Lu Yuan stepped forward and grabbed Ming Wu's arm.

"What are you so angry about? You were fine just now!"

Good? What's good about it?

A wave of sorrow washed over Mingwu. Her love, her resentment, her struggles... suddenly seemed ridiculous.

She lowered her eyes: "I'm tired, I want to go back and rest."

Lu Yuan stared at Ming Wu for a while before finally letting go of her hand. Ming Wu turned and boarded the carriage without any hesitation, and the curtain fell.

Lu Yuan felt inexplicably uneasy, as if something important was about to leave him.

He twitched his fingertips, and finally stepped towards the carriage.

The carriage moved forward slowly.

Inside the carriage, the air seemed to have been sucked out, making it feel cramped and oppressive.

Mingwu sat in the farthest corner, her back pressed against the car wall. Her eyes were slightly closed, and when Lu Yuan entered, she didn't even lift her eyelids.

Her indifference towards him was more unbearable to him than any argument.

That nameless fire, mixed with the bitterness of jealousy, surged through his chest, almost burning away his reason.

Lu Yuan suddenly stood up: "Stop the car!"

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Lu Yuan had already jumped off and ridden away on horseback.

The driver seemed somewhat at a loss.

Mingwu said calmly, "Let's go."

As the carriage traveled down the street, Mingwu looked at the bustling crowd and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

If she were to leave the Prime Minister's residence...

--

The study in the east courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence.

Lu Yuan sat upright at the table, his gaze fixed on the object wrapped in brocade, motionless.

Xu Ming was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.

After returning from the Prince of Ning's residence, the Prime Minister stared at the cloth bag without saying a word for more than an hour.

What happened at the Prince Ning's residence? But he hadn't heard of any unusual activity at the residence today.

Is it a matter of the court? That's even more impossible. The court is now entirely under the Prime Minister's control; if there were any trouble, he couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

The Prime Minister went out with his wife today, but returned alone.

Could it be... that you had a fight with your wife?!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Xu Ming abruptly shook his head in denial.

Rumors circulated that the Prime Minister harbored feelings for Qi Lan and had a past relationship with her. However, those close to him knew that the truth was far from the truth.

The Prime Minister's heart has always been set on power.

He once said: "Feelings are the most useless thing."

Therefore, the matter must be decided in the imperial court.

Xu Ming nodded vigorously.

After hesitating for a moment, he quietly retreated to the door, beckoned a guard, and whispered his instructions.

"Go and quietly find out what's going on in the lady's courtyard."

The guard obeyed and quickly left.

Normally, no slightest sound in the room would escape Lu Yuan's ears. But at this moment, he was completely unaware of Xu Ming's subtle movements.

His entire focus was on that cloth bag.

The unease that had been lingering in my heart never dissipated; instead, it intensified.

The image of Mingwu's indifferent, lifeless gaze kept replaying in my mind's eye...

Lu Yuan felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his chest tightly, the pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he finally slowly raised his hand, his fingertips touching the smooth, cool brocade.

Throughout his life, he was ruthless and decisive, capable of turning the world upside down with a flick of his wrist.

Aside from the fear of nearly drowning in a lake when he was eight years old, he has never been afraid in the slightest, even when he was in a deadly situation or facing a massive army.

But at this moment, facing this thin cloth bag, he actually felt a sense of fear.

He feared that the letter inside might truly be a love letter from Song Heng, confirming his suspicions and proving that Ming Wu's heart truly belonged to someone else.

If that's the case, what should he do?

Just then, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, followed by a panicked shout that rang out like thunder.

"Your Excellency, something terrible has happened! Madam...Madam has disappeared!"