Chapter 73: The lingering night blurred the boundaries of taboos.

Shen Changfeng suddenly felt like all the gifts he'd carefully prepared for her had become a joke. Uncontrollable sadness welled up in his throat, making it feel clogged and uneasy. He was still making a final struggle, still insistently asking, "If you didn't still care about me, why were you in such a hurry to leave? Do you dare look at me and say what you just said again?"

Lin Meizhu stopped and said slowly, "What's the point of talking about the past? You keep saying you want to keep me, but have you ever thought about what you actually have to offer?"

These few simple words struck a deep note in Shen Changfeng's heart. He thought of the copper coin that had been given to him as alms, and his face turned extremely grim. He was speechless. What did he have to offer?

Throughout history, marriage has always emphasized matching social status. Now, he's a commoner, living on the brink of death, facing certain death at the hands of political enemies or bandits. He's so poor he can barely afford to eat, let alone provide her with a stable and prosperous life. His love has long since lost its credibility. Who would believe you, a prodigal, and endure hardship with you just for a few empty words?

He had never seen Lin Meizhu like this before; it felt strange to him. Her face was filled with obvious dislike and annoyance, and something hidden beneath her dark eyes, a certain emotion of disdain, concealed by politeness. If Lin Meizhu had loudly accused and cursed him, he might have felt better. But she, mindful of their marriage, maintained a shred of decency, even with all her disgust and contempt. It was her consideration for the greater good that made him look like an overconfident clown.

He could see that every part of her body was resisting his approach.

He is no longer worthy of her now.

It was only a few steps away, yet he suddenly felt as if an invisible mountain stood between him and her. Perhaps he would never be able to climb over it, never reach her. This thought made Shen Changfeng feel like he was falling into an icy cellar. He didn't even notice the patrolmen approaching. He was twisted by the arm and pinned to the ground. The unpleasant, low roar he emitted was like a head-breaking bloody struggle to break free from a cage, which caused waves of low hisses.

The noise resounded through the sky and echoed for a long time, finally settling into the night, with only the occasional scattered barking of dogs remaining.

Listening to the barking of a dog outside, Lin Meizhu rolled over again, half-pushing herself to her feet. She peered past the window lattice into the semi-dark wing opposite. After a moment's gaze, she spotted what looked like a figure moving. Though they were so far apart, and with the window obstructing her view, Chuqi couldn't possibly see her. She hurriedly lowered the curtains and lay back down, sighing softly. She wondered: Chuqi still awake? Was he busy with work, or just having trouble sleeping? Or perhaps, was his wound aching again?

Chuqi was originally going to Beijing and was only going to stay in Hubei for a short time. However, he turned down all the invitations, big and small, and followed Lin Meiju back to Jingzhou, saying that he wanted to see how the new house was being arranged before setting off again.

She knew that Chuqi was afraid that Shen Changfeng would come and bother her again.

After that day, Lin Meizhu didn't ask about the cause of the fight. She could roughly guess why Chu Qi had started it, but she was also a little surprised—it was so unlike Chu Qi's style. In her impression, he was always gentle and generous, not the kind of person who would resort to violence when faced with difficulties. So, whether in the enclosure or the lantern market, seeing Chu Qi's fierce look, she felt like he was a different person.

Why did the seventh day of the New Year become like that? Actually, you know it very well, don't you?

Lin Meizhu's heart grew even more turbulent. She gazed into the night and sighed, her fingers carelessly tapping the bamboo mat. Something seemed amiss. She froze, then glanced carefully, realizing she'd been lying on the far side, leaving most of the left side of the bed open. She cursed herself for having allowed such a bad habit to persist.

Just as she was about to move, she saw a familiar, sturdy figure sitting under the table. Lin Meizhu called out, "Cicada? Where have you been playing mischief so late at night?"

The shadow blinked, took a few steps closer to the edge of the bed, and its round eyes blinked gently, emitting a faint green light.

Lin Meizhu curled her lips and waved at it: "You are so kind. You knew I couldn't sleep and came to accompany me."

Xianchan bent its waist and crawled into the bed curtain. Lin Meiju leaned sideways and stroked its smooth fur. Xianchan squinted his eyes, tilted his head, and arched his palm in her hand, then reached out and moved something on the bed.

"Oh, you brought something? Want to give it to me?"

Lin Meiju looked down and met the pair of green bean-sized eyes. Both the man and the mouse screamed and jumped up from the bed at the same time.

When Chuqi ran into Lin Meiju's room, his clothes were not even tidied. Just as he was about to ask what happened, a dark shadow rushed out from the door. When the shadow raised its eyes and saw him, it let out an even more terrified scream, which scared him.

Chen Huisheng was a slow sleeper to begin with. When he heard the noisy shouting in the yard, he came over with a rattan stick in hand, without even having time to put on his shoes. He saw Chuqi and Lin Meizhu clinging to each other's sleeves and giggling non-stop. After asking, he found out that a mouse had gotten into Lin Meizhu's room. Chen Huisheng said angrily, "You're really going backwards! Xianchan would have to call a big rat in Lingnan "big brother" when he saw one! A little mouse scared the two of you like this!"

After saying that, he glanced at Chu Qi again and asked, "What's wrong with your face? Are you poisoned?"

Chu Qi touched his face, looked at his purple fingertips and said, suppressing his laughter: "I think I applied too much medicated oil just now."

After saying that, he looked at Lin Meiju, and they both laughed at the same time.

Chen Huisheng couldn't bear to watch it, so he shook his head and walked away.

Unable to fall asleep anyway, Lin Meiju simply walked into the courtyard in her slippers, took a few steps with her hands on her hips, and then, as if remembering something, she rushed somewhere with a clear purpose.

Chuqi dragged two chairs onto the patio and called her, "Why bother waking up Dahuang and Xiaohei? I'll just chat with you."

Lin Meizhu said, "I heard them barking just now, so they must not have fallen asleep." But she didn't bother to wake up the two dogs, and went back to sit on the bamboo chair.

The courtyard was silent, the frosty moonlight slanting through the sparse bamboo. Lin Meizhu leaned back in her armchair, the backrest tilting slightly as she leaned back. The cool summer breeze caressed her face, bringing such a pleasant sensation that she couldn't help but yawn. Chuqi was half a body length away from her, and as she began to stretch, he quietly rested his legs on the back of her chair.

Lin Meizhu opened her tearful eyes and forgot about her strength. Just when she thought she was about to fall backward, the chair snapped back to its right position. Looking back, Chu Qi stopped wiping his face and asked, "What happened?"

Lin Meizhu smiled knowingly, "Stop playing. Sit closer and I'll help you wipe it."

Chu Qi didn't bother to be polite with her. He handed her the handkerchief and said, "Are you not angry anymore?"

Lin Meizhu raised her eyebrows, wiped them twice, stepped back, looked around, and asked, "What do you think?"

Chu Qi felt a little guilty, "I thought you would blame me for being impulsive..."

Lin Meizhu replied without a second thought, "It was indeed impulsive."

It was not known whether she did it intentionally or not, but when she brushed across his obviously red and swollen jaw, her hand movements were no longer gentle, and Chuqi let out a slight "hiss".

Lin Meizhu was so disappointed: "You are so stupid! You don't even bring your servants with you when you go out! With your current status, how can you take action yourself? If the dog pounces on you, won't you dodge? At the very least, if you can't beat it, won't you run away? There is no shame in losing the fight, but standing there and getting beaten is the stupidest thing, right?"

Chu Qi smiled, "That's it?"

Lin Meizhu asked, "What else?"

The night wind brought the fresh air of the grass and trees in the courtyard, and the crickets in the corner chirped softly, overlapping with Lin Meiju's gentle voice.

"Even a clay Buddha has some earthy qualities, let alone a human being."

When Shen Changfeng mistakenly thought that he and Chuqi were having an affair, he really thought about taking Chuqi's life. Even if he failed, it was normal for Chuqi to feel resentment and anger towards him.

What's more, the source of all this is because of myself.

Lin Meiju tilted her head, staring at the scars on Chuqi's face, wiping them intently when she suddenly heard someone calling her.

"eleven?"

She murmured a response, her hands moving without stopping. The crickets' chirping died down at some point, leaving only the rustling of the swaying tree shadows. Chuqi's call became clearer.

"Eleven..." The last tone of the murmur rose slightly.

Lin Meiju was infected by the smile in the voice, but she also felt that his behavior of just calling out without saying anything was a bit childish, so she nodded good-naturedly, then put down the handkerchief and looked up at him.

He simply called her name softly, not in response, but as if seeking reassurance. Every time he heard her simple response, knowing she was there, the tiny light in his eyes would brighten a little, slowly condensing into a soft warmth, so warm that it felt hot. Lin Meizhu couldn't resist such a gaze, and gradually felt the heat on her cheek.

She vaguely felt that something seemed wrong, but for some reason, as if there was some invisible pull, she couldn't control herself and looked away. She heard her heartbeat suddenly become irregular, and her mind was dazzled by the bright eyes and red lips in front of her. The darkness blurred the boundaries of the taboo, captured her mind, and tempted her to fall bit by bit.

Chuqi's voice seemed to come from far away, misty and rustling across her earlobe, causing her eyelashes to tremble slightly.

"Eleven, do you know what I'm thinking?"

A gentle breeze blew, and she couldn't tell if it was the summer breeze or the breath of the seventh day of the lunar year caressing her face. It felt like freshly dried, fluffy cotton wool, itching yet soft and warm. Lin Meizhu's head was like a mess, and she couldn't guess what he was thinking for a moment, but she saw herself in those warm amber eyes.

The warmth of the gentle touch approached her nose, and she felt his face was also very hot, and subconsciously turned her face away.

Chuqi tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ears, gently supported the back of her head, and with his other hand quietly embraced her back as she tried to lean back.

A faint pine aroma lingers on the nose, with a slight bitterness, but the aftertaste is subtle and sweet. Is it bitter or sweet? I don't know... maybe a closer look... maybe a sip will tell...

She closed her eyes gently.

There was a loud "bang", followed by the sound of something shattering on the ground, as if a porcelain bottle was suddenly smashed to the ground, and the barking of dogs rang out one after another. Lin Meiju was startled and woke up from her dream. She pushed Chuqi's chest with her hands and turned her face away quickly. She had only one thought in her mind: Tanhualang's face was still too authoritative, and she almost couldn't control herself!