Chapter 28

As evening fell, the group arrived at the new town.

Because it borders Yunxi Prefecture, the number of carriages and horses on the official road has increased significantly. Inside the high walls, pavilions have sprung up, and the two sides of the road are crowded with martial arts practitioners who are noisily competing.

Seeing that the road ahead was completely still, Luo Yan feared it would take several quarters of an hour to enter the city, and once inside, it would be inconvenient to drive. She suggested, "Let's walk from here on out."

If one is from a wealthy family, one will always bring a large retinue of servants when one goes out, and there will be people specifically to take care of the carriage and horses. As for wandering knights, they will either make friends along the way and hitch a ride, or they will go it alone.

The pairing of the two of them is truly rare.

She decided to abandon the carriage and raised her voice, saying, "This carriage is yours. Let's head back now before it gets completely dark."

The driver, who was hard of hearing, spoke louder than her: "Oh? You want black beans?"

Zhu Yun felt inexplicably guilty, and her tone softened slightly, "The physician said that you were originally weak and still need to be properly cared for."

Luo Yan didn't expose him, but looked up at him and asked, "I haven't drunk the contraceptive soup today, have I?"

Zhu Yun frowned: "You still have a fever, don't drink it."

"No." Luo Yan sat up in surprise, her wide-open dress slipping off her shoulders, then hurriedly pulled it back up. "Have Granny Liu bring it over now."

Putting aside her lack of status and identity, she is still in the prime of her life, and while she can enjoy life to the fullest, it would be too hasty to conceive and raise children.

Zhu Yun, unable to refuse, turned dark-faced and fetched a black medicinal soup that had been brewed earlier that morning from the outer room.

"Are you so resistant to having my child?" She changed into a lace dress with gold thread embroidery, simply styled her hair in a high bun, and wore an eye-catching gold bracelet on each side. Although the colors were intense, they did not appear vulgar on her exquisitely beautiful face; instead, they exuded a touch of noble beauty.

After everything was ready, Luo Yan served fragrant tea and leaves. He had an elegant appearance, resembling a handsome scholar, but in reality, he possessed a well-built physique that made one blush. As for his temperament, Zhu Yun seemed to be a man of his word, but with a little patience and a few well-placed compliments, he wasn't entirely inflexible.

Moreover, at these times, his narrow eyes would unconsciously curve upwards, revealing a youthful innocence that matched his appearance.

"Ah—" Shan Ying was brutally attacked, and Luo Yan had no choice but to snap out of her daze and glare at him.

Zhu Yun gave a cold, unresponsive smile: "What are you thinking about?"

Sensing the strong displeasure in his words, she quickly hugged Zhu Yun tightly, her breath brushing against his neck, and explained in a muffled voice, "What else could I be thinking? Of course, it's you, young master. Just seeing your face makes me happy."

"How happy are you?" The temporary residence was located in the city, and the carriage would take about 15 minutes to arrive. Young Master Hou subconsciously wanted to take out the files and flip through them, but then remembered that Luo Yan was beside him, so he gave up, though his expression instantly turned rather unpleasant.

Luo Yan felt utterly innocent, wondering how she had angered her ancestors again.

Suddenly remembering what he had said at the banquet—to have someone to talk to—she reverted to her old ways, clinging to his arm and asking nervously, "Young master, did your servant really want to cut off my head just now?"

He chuckled softly: "Once you leave the manor, you even change your title from 'slave' to 'servant'."

Luo Yan choked, thinking to herself that old habits from the 21st century were really hard to break. Fortunately, Young Master Hou didn't seem to mind, so she continued, "Young Master, my surname is Luo, and my given name is Yan, the Yan in 'Yan Shi Zuo Dui' (a poetic couplet)."

He nodded indifferently: "My surname is Zhu, not Hou."

As the pressure on his arm eased, Zhu Yun saw a look in Luo Yan's eyes that seemed to say, "Why didn't you say so sooner?" He couldn't help but chuckle, but he pretended to be serious.

Sure enough, Luo Yan quickly came closer again and called out sweetly, "Young Master Zhu, are you the Zhu of 'Zhu who fills the sea with skill' or the Wei of 'Zhang who is familiar with Wei'?"

"The former." With her wedding date approaching, Yu Rui had no intention of making a big fuss, so she arranged all the wedding arrangements herself. Luo Yan, after recovering from her illness, also helped to take a look, showing great enthusiasm.

That day, the two were embroidering a wedding handkerchief together when they noticed a note inexplicably in their thread basket. Luo Yan unfolded it and read: "Tao Hong is seriously ill and will not live much longer."

She looked around nervously, then lowered her voice and asked Yu Rui, "Where did this basket come from?"

Yu Rui shook her head blankly: "I bought it five days ago, and I didn't see anything last night."

Tao Hong and Luo Yan were close, but she was only vaguely acquainted with Yu Rui. The note could only have been addressed to her. Why choose such a covert method when she could have come to the Zhu residence openly and honestly?

Luo Yan stood up: "I have to go now."

"Don't panic." Yu Rui escorted her to the courtyard. "Discuss everything with Young Master Zhu. High-ranking families value rules the most. If a servant causes any trouble, it's common for them to be beaten to death."

"good."

Upon hearing that Zhou Huanshan would soon be setting off for the capital, all the prominent families in Jinzhou held banquets to see him off, and Zhu Yun was also busy attending the banquets, so busy that he barely had time to rest.

Luo Yan said to the coachman, "To Master Zheng's house."

As Yu Rui said, only Zhu Yun is the true master. Rather than throwing ourselves into chaos and having the Zhou family demand people, it would be better to go find him first. With his current favor, as long as Luo Yan whispers something in his ear, it shouldn't be difficult for him to meet Tao Hong.

Thinking this way, she gradually calmed down.

Master Zheng owned a villa called Baihua Mountain Villa in the east of the city. In spring, the mountain was covered in colorful blossoms, making it one of Jinzhou's famous scenic spots. However, the road there was narrow and bumpy. Riding a horse was fine, but taking a carriage was quite a hassle.

Xiangye also said, "Wait a minute, don't upset Master Yan."

This body, having grown up secluded in the inner chambers, was truly fragile. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Luo Yan's stomach churned violently. She lifted the carriage curtain, her lips pale, and said, "Let's rest for a while."

She leaned against a thick branch and gagged twice. Her long eyelashes quickly became wet with water, glistening and trembling, looking both pitiful and adorable.

"Tap—tap—"

Zhu Yun was really cold, and Luo Yan was afraid that she would say too much and make a mistake, so they ended the conversation there.

She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and peered out with a hint of curiosity, but her view was completely blocked by the tall horse ridden by the attendant. So she moved to the other side, and this time she saw a long street with sparse lights, clearly not a prosperous place.

Luo Yan glanced at Zhu Yun without showing any emotion, wondering if he was here to investigate the corrupt official Wang Caifu.

"Young Master," Luo Yan hooked her pinky finger around his hand, which was casually resting at his side, "you will take back my indenture, won't you?"

Zhu Yun disliked her clingy manner and immediately withdrew his hand, commenting, "Noisy."

Zhu Yun reached down and examined it himself, barely believing her words, and reiterated, "Is today the right time?"

Luo Yan was captivated by his fleeting tenderness, feeling as if she were melting into a pool of water. Her fair toes rubbed together helplessly, and she nodded shyly.

Going with the current always leads to smooth sailing.

Zhu Yun's forehead was damp with sweat, yet her movements were restrained. Their tongues continued to entwine and linger, the unexpected pleasure causing her eyes to glaze over, easily ignoring the soreness and pain.

She couldn't help but open her red lips to take what she wanted from Zhu Yun, her passion fierce, yet at the same time, it made both of them feel deeply satisfied.

In a hazy vision, I seemed to see a porcelain vase with red plum blossoms under the eaves, battered by wind and rain, finally tipped over to the side, gushing out water and spraying it, wetting the ground...

After a night of commotion, the brocade quilt was crumpled beyond recognition, and the bathroom was a mess. Zhu Yun changed his clothes, feeling refreshed. He glanced at Luo Yan, who was already fast asleep, and instructed Xiangye to fetch some fine writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones from the study, so that a desk could be added tomorrow.

On the way back to Qingfeng Courtyard, Liu Mama, who had served him since he was six years old, stepped forward and asked, "This old servant will go and prepare the contraceptive soup first."

"Wait a minute," Zhu Yun said. "Don't disturb her at night, it's the same if she drinks during the day."

Granny Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that the young master still remembered the rules, and bowed her head respectfully, saying "Yes."

No sooner had the door closed than an unfamiliar maidservant hurried over from the cobblestone path. Upon seeing Luo Yan, she bowed and said, "Mistress Yan, a guest wishes to see you."

Luo Yan chewed on a jujube, then asked after a moment, "You want a child?"

He hadn't expected it, but in ordinary families, wives and concubines all valued offspring, yet Luo Yan was the only one concerned about the contraceptive soup, without uttering a single complaint. Although it was a good thing, to prevent the principal wife from using it against him in the future, Zhu Yun felt that she didn't want a long-term relationship with him.

Although, he didn't initially intend for it to last.

"Have you ever thought about leaving Jinzhou?" Zhu Yun asked abruptly.

Alarm bells rang in her mind, and she quickly lowered her eyelashes, answering timidly, "I grew up in Jinzhou and never thought of leaving."

Zhu Yun also thought that if he rashly brought a mistress back to the capital, his mother would probably be the first to storm into the mansion. He needed to think it over carefully, so he let out a sigh of frustration and stopped asking questions.

Seeing that Luo Yan still had her head down and her face was pale, Zhu Yun rubbed her head and said, "Don't be afraid."

Luo Yan didn't know what he was referring to, so she smiled knowingly and said in a fake tone, "With you here, young master, I'm not afraid."

Luo Yan pressed down on him relentlessly.

A few large characters, displaying a strong survival instinct, floated onto the screen:

Host, shall we talk?

Unable to get rid of it, Luo Yan felt disappointed but could accept it. She raised her chin and silently said, "Speak."

A two-dimensional white dog rolled over and produced two lines of small text: "Escaping is useless. If the host fails to commence the mission within the allotted time, the protagonist will be unable to activate the plot, and the world within the book will collapse and restart."

"Reboot?" She opened her eyes wide in surprise.

The system continues: Just like resetting a phone to factory settings or formatting a hard drive, everyone's memories will be wiped clean, and the host's time of travel will also be adjusted.

Luo Yan slowly sat down, gripping the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white from gripping so tightly. Her voice trembled as she asked, "If the world restarts, might I be transported directly to a point in time where I've already met the male lead?"

This means that she will not go to Qingyuan Village with her grandmother, will not meet Zhu Yun, and will not make any friends.

Without her rescue, Zhu Yun might have died on a stormy night, before she transmigrated.

A chill rose from behind, binding Luo Yan like a giant net. Her limbs trembled uncontrollably, and her face turned completely pale.

The system hurriedly pulled up its history of deducted points: This is what I told you in violation of the rules. Activating the storyline will allow you to view the 100 Questions for Newcomers. It says that the mission reward is a brand new, healthy body, and the host will gain freedom.

"Really?" She was overjoyed and wanted to ask for more details, but the system immediately got angry upon hearing footsteps and transformed into the white dog embroidery pattern on the money bag.

The outside was eerily quiet.

So Zhu Yun hurriedly went around the screen without fastening his inner garment. The girl ran over and pounced on him, pressing her cheek against his chest, and said in a muffled voice, "A-Yun, let's go home."