Chapter 26

After soaking in cold water for fifteen minutes, Zhu Yun's restlessness dissipated. He put on his undergarments and came out of the bathhouse, where he saw Luo Yan standing by the window enjoying the breeze.

"Yanyan".

She turned her head at the sound, but was looking at the wall, with her hands on the windowsill pretending to be busy.

Zhu Yun lifted his eyelids inquisitively, and when he heard the waiter knocking on the door, he withdrew his gaze, first bringing the steaming late-night snack into the room, and then saw Luo Yan slowly approaching with small steps.

Under the same roof, even though she used the act of scooping porridge to avoid eye contact, her delicate face flushed red from her forehead to the tip of her chin, and her long eyelashes trembled violently.

In an instant, Zhu Yun's doubts turned into joy.

He kicked away the round stool next to Luo Yan's feet and patted his knee: "Sit."

"I don't want to." She bent down to reach for the other hand, which gave Zhu Yun the opportunity to easily pull her into his arms. His stiff arm was across Luo Yan's waist, and she was so embarrassed that she cursed, "How could you do this?"

Zhu Yun's ears tingled from the shout, and she looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

She pursed her lips and, with Xiangye's help, dismounted. "I'm going to find the young master over there; you don't need to come with me."

Zhu Yun stood with his arms crossed under the tree. A few steps away, a majestic horse was drinking from the river. Luo Yan hugged him from behind, casually patting his waist, and said lazily, "The weather is really nice today."

He didn't reply, staring coldly ahead. She shamelessly pressed Zhu Yun to her chest, saying shamelessly, "This is consensual, it's not a transgression."

Zhu Yun was already moved, and his arms unconsciously tightened, as if he wanted to knead her into his bones.

Luo Yan's period was almost over. Considering her body, she nudged him and said, "I'm afraid it's not possible today. How about I use my hand?"

Zhu Yun raised his eyes, reddened with desire, and stared at her intently. A bead of sweat slid down his forehead and disappeared into his clothes.

Just when Luo Yan thought he was about to get angry, she was gently picked up and placed on a soft cushion.

She noticed that Zhu Yun's hands were clenched into fists, and his reaction showed no signs of abating, clearly indicating that he was trying his best to endure. She immediately hugged his lean waist and said softly, "Is Young Master going to find another woman?"

Zhu Yun picked up the travelogue of the northern frontier from the table, rolled it into a tube, gently patted the back of her hand, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "In this courtyard, besides you, where else is there a woman?"

After Luo Yan let go, he downed a cup of cold tea and forced himself to look at You Zhi. Zhou Huanshan, however, was quite drunk and shouted in a rough voice, "Don't hold back, everyone! Come on, let's drink until we drop!"

Immediately, he raised his hand and slapped it hard, making a "smack" sound.

Luo Yan didn't need to turn around to guess that Zhou Huanshan's palm had hit the woman's buttocks.

She felt extremely uncomfortable, knowing she couldn't just stand there idly any longer, so she quietly moved closer to Young Master Hou. The light fragrance dispelled the smell of wine, and Young Master Hou turned his head, his expression slightly cold.

This was Luo Yan's first time being close to a man, and being stared at by his emotionless and desireless eyes made her feel hot and embarrassed, as if both annoyed and ashamed. In the dim light, her cheeks blushed naturally, like ripe apples.

"Young Master..."

She called softly, then leaned completely against him.

Upon seeing this, the attendant drew his sword as well.

Luo Yan was truly frightened at this moment, burying her head in the finely stitched front of the young master Hou's robe, her thin shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

Young Master Hou lifted his eyelids, signaling his men to step back, and then used two fingers to pinch the back of her neck and move her away.

Finally, he wiped himself on a handkerchief, with a look of disgust.

Luo Yan: ……

She blinked innocently, not daring to make any further rash moves.

However, if Luo Yan remained silent, it seemed the young master intended to stay silent until the banquet ended. His cold attitude made Luo Yan uneasy, so she had no choice but to tug at his sleeve and ask, "Young master, will you take me back?"

Young Master Hou smiled without saying a word. His already striking appearance was enhanced by the curve of his lips, but the words that came out of his mouth were cold and unsympathetic.

He said, "Let's discuss it further."

He was pleased to see the expression of anger that Luo Yan dared not express on her face. He swirled his wine glass and a hint of pleasure flashed in his eyes.

Just as Young Master Hou was waiting with great interest for Luo Yan to beg him, he saw the girl suddenly wrap her arms around his and even boldly nuzzle him with her head.

Through the thin shirt, he could clearly feel the soft, plump mass on his arm, and his ears immediately turned bright red.

"Let go," he said unhappily.

"Since you've kindly helped me out of this predicament, please take me back with you," Luo Yan said, raising her bright little face and acting coquettishly.

Their eyes met, and he could clearly see the red stains on the woman's lips and the unique white thread that outlined the corner of her eye, making her incomparably beautiful.

Suddenly, Luo Yan was pulled into the young man's arms.

He looked young, but his build was already mature. His chest was broad and warm, quite different from the coldness on his face.

Luo Yan looked up and saw only his sharp jawline and slightly protruding Adam's apple.

She hadn't had a chance to take a good look around before, but now that she was in the arms of the young master, she could openly glance at the guests.

Apart from the three from the capital, all of them were from wealthy families in Jinzhou, and were fat and big-eared. Even the two young gentlemen were not as handsome as the young master Hou.

Her thoughts gradually drifted away, and the allure of the scenery floated out the window. Zhu Yun regained her usual aloof and self-possessed demeanor.

Seeing this, Luo Yan adjusted her front and tightened her bodice, then asked softly, "Young master, may I stay?"

Zhu Yun disliked things getting out of control and felt that being with her always resulted in a clingy and unserious situation. But when he caught a glimpse of Luo Yan's disheveled clothes and her bruised and battered face, he paused for a moment.

Luo Yan put on his outer robe and made as if to walk outside, but a gust of wind happened to rise, and she felt an itch in her nose, so she covered her face and sneezed.

"Wait," Zhu Yun called out to her, "This is a one-time exception."

Having received permission, Luo Yan beamed with joy and quickly occupied the chaise lounge, propping herself up to look at Zhu Yun: "Young Master, you haven't answered me about Yu Rui yet."

He mischievously pinched Luo Yan's cheek, leaving a faint finger mark on her fair skin, before speaking: "Tell me your idea first."

"Yanyan naturally prioritizes the young master's well-being. She doesn't care if it's Fang Da or Fang Er who's imprisoned, and she doesn't want the young master to plead with the imperial envoy. But Yu Rui is innocent after all. Young master, tell me, the Fang family has no official position or rank. Is it difficult to get a woman of low status from them?"

"Difficult," Zhu Yun answered decisively. At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Luo Yan was awakened.

The maidservant, holding a bowl of steaming soup, knelt motionless before the bed. Seeing her open her eyes, she said in a measured tone, "Please eat, Mistress Yan."

She then realized that the people in the manor had changed how they addressed her.

If Luo Yan were truly a native, she might beam with joy upon hearing this, but unfortunately she isn't.

She chewed the jujube with a bitter expression, and after overcoming the bitterness, she asked about serious matters: "Can I still go out today? I saw that hairpin yesterday and it was quite nice. I'd like to buy a matching pair of bracelets."

"This servant will help Mistress Yan change her clothes."

Practice makes perfect, and Luo Yan had already memorized the general route out of the mansion. First, she asked for a pair of gold bracelets and a jade thumb ring, then she inquired about a famous teahouse in Jinzhou, where she sat in a private room, leisurely sipping tea while listening to storytelling downstairs.

For her, it was certainly not as interesting as the movies and television shows of her previous life, but the old man spoke with great enthusiasm, occasionally clapping his gavel, while the tea drinkers below whispered among themselves, which was not without its own charm.

Xiangye and Xiangming adhered to the rules and insisted on standing no matter how much Luo Yan tried to persuade them. Luo Yan had no choice but to lean back slightly and ask, "What do you do in your spare time? Do you read storybooks?"

Xiangming smiled shyly: "This servant is illiterate, and I like to do some needlework during my ten-day holidays."

After saying this, he nudged Xiangye, and the latter had no choice but to reply, "This servant does not read storybooks, nor does she know needlework."

Luo Yan smiled and said, "I know what Xiangye likes to do. Young Master said you are skilled in martial arts, so do you like practicing martial arts?"

Xiangye said "Yes," her face turning a dark red from the praise.

As the sunset glowed outside the window, the three headed back home. Luo Yan hadn't gleaned any useful information today, but she had received a heavy gold bracelet, which put her in a great mood.

After having dinner alone, she rolled up her sleeves and began to paint on the newly delivered desk.

With a wealthy man in the household, there were bound to be servants who would fawn over him. As for the upright characters, Luo Yan drew a female knight-errant based on herself. Whenever the wealthy man caused trouble, the female knight-errant would descend from the sky, her laughter and valor adding to the story's richness and depth.

She worked on her drawing until late at night, and only when she was about to go to bed did she remember Zhu Yun. She thought to herself that this guy was really cold-hearted, forgetting about her completely after sleeping with her, and he didn't show up at all all day.

Fortunately, there was still plenty of time, so Luo Yan decided to visit Qingfeng Courtyard again when it was light. However, when she woke up, her period had started.

The county magistrate's household did not treat them as masters, and the years of neglect caused Luo Yan to suffer from pain every time her period came. Therefore, she put aside all her thoughts and obediently rested in her room.

To prevent Zhu Yun from forgetting about her, she specially sent Xiangming to say that she would be unable to serve the young master for five or six days.

She asked Xiangming, "What kind of expression did the young master have when he answered you?"

Xiangming dared not presume to know her mistress's thoughts, and shrank back, shaking her head: "This servant does not know."

Luo Yan didn't expect Zhu Yun to have a conscience and come to check on her. After comforting Xiang Ming, she warmed her stomach with one hand by holding the incense burner, and flipped through the most popular novels in Jinzhou bookstores this year with the other.

After resting for four or five days, her complexion returned to its usual rosy glow.

Zhu Yun didn't appear during this time, so Luo Yan dressed up carefully, intending to stroll around Qingfeng Courtyard. If she was unlucky enough to find Zhu Yun had left the manor, she would buy some gold and silver jewelry to console herself.

Luo Yan suddenly realized that he was jealous. No wonder Zhou Huanshan's extra glances at her last night had provoked Zhu Yun to unleash his beastly nature. It seems that the higher one's position, the more likely they are to develop a desire for control, and the less they like others to covet what belongs to them.

She tiptoed, trying to attract Zhu Yun's attention, and said in a tone that was half resentful and half pleading, "Brother Chen, can you teach me how to ride a horse?"

Hearing her call him by his courtesy name out of the blue, Zhu Yun was taken aback for a moment. In fact, some inappropriate thoughts even flashed through his mind, such as wanting to hear her trembling voice and pitiful sobbing...

Zhu Yun's ears burned, and he put one arm around Luo Yan, easily lifting her onto the horse's back: "Hold the reins tight."

Her slender back nestled into his embrace, the softness and hardness touching, eliciting waves of heat, their intimate embrace mingling through the thin fabric.

His eyes softened, and he lowered his head, saying, "We'll pick a gentle pony another day, and let Shizhu guide you to get used to it gradually."

Shi Zhu was another of Zhu Yun's confidants. If the others could be described as having average looks, then Shi Zhu could be considered ugly. Luo Yan glanced at him without showing any emotion, reasonably suspecting that someone had made this arrangement on purpose.

"No, no, no." Luo Yan had just gotten some information out of the system and was full of fighting spirit. "Let's go to more places, the farther the better."

Although he didn't know her intentions, he could sense that Luo Yan was eager to get rid of something. His eyes suddenly sharpened, but his tone remained surprisingly gentle: "Since you can't sleep, why don't we set off immediately?"

Luo Yan remembered the river they had crossed on their way there; the current was swift, and it wasn't far from the inn. She immediately cupped his face in her hands and said urgently, "Let's set off now and come back in a little while."

She wrapped the hairpin that the system had transformed into in oiled paper, and before leaving, she still felt it wasn't enough, so she took out a wooden box and sealed it with another layer.

Dissatisfied with the lack of a clasp, she reluctantly used a hairband to wrap around the box.

Zhu Yun asked, puzzled, "What is this for?"

Can't you tell?

Luo Yan smiled at him, "Preparations before disposing of the body."