Chapter 83 if·Yuan Shuyun (6)

Zhu Yun jumped up, drew a Tang sword from the antique shelf, and stormed out.

But after taking two steps, he stopped. It was Ah Kong who was in charge of imprisoning Cui Wuyang and Miao Rong, and he hadn't asked about it at all. At this moment, he felt a sense of bewilderment as he looked around with his sword drawn.

He winked at Qin Yan, who hurriedly bowed and reported back, but Luo Yan had already caught up with them.

She waved her hand: "Qin Yan, let me and A-Yun have a few words alone."

He clearly knew something; in fact, he was connected to the person behind it all.

Luo Yan concealed the wariness in her eyes, a hint of doubt appearing on her face: "What does this mean? Does my cousin suspect that someone harmed me today?"

Zhu Yun's expression was complicated.

Looking at the man's solemn and handsome face, Luo Yan couldn't help but lower her head and smile.

Seeing his brows furrow, Luo Yan's eyes sparkled with a clever and mischievous light, and she smiled slightly, saying, "Cousin, are you worried about me?"

Zhu Yun said coldly, "I'm talking to you seriously."

Luo Yan blinked, looking completely sincere: "I was also asking my cousin seriously, so why didn't he answer me?"

Zhu Yunmo stared at her with his dark eyes, saying nothing, but he was clearly displeased.

Despite the oppressive gaze, Luo Yan still smiled, but straightened her tone: "Since you're worried about me, cousin, I should answer your questions seriously."

Zhu Yun's face darkened as she teased him repeatedly, but mindful of the important matter, he refrained from reprimanding her and instead gestured for her to answer with his eyes.

Luo Yan's smile faded, as if she were lost in thought. Her expression gradually darkened, then hesitation and fear surfaced: "Actually, at first I wasn't quite sure if I had accidentally fallen into the water, but after my cousin mentioned it, I thought about it carefully, and it's true that someone pushed me. Since my cousin has asked this, has he found out anything? Is the person who pushed me today the same group of thieves from last time?"

A hint of "as expected" flashed in Zhu Yun's eyes.

Luo Yan noticed this subtle detail, and it was indeed true. Today, there were only the attendants and Princess Jia's people on the painted boat, as well as Zhu Yang and the other two. The person who pushed her into the water was the same group of thieves.

Seeing Zhu Yun remain silent, Luo Yan softly called out, "Cousin?"

Zhu Yun pursed his thin lips and said with a serious expression, "He failed today, so he won't act as conspicuously in the future. Hiding is not a long-term solution, but it's safer to reduce going out. When you do go out, be more cautious. If necessary, you can send someone to find out what's going on."

Isn't finding Wen Feng just finding him? He's always kept his distance from her, so why would he offer to help her now?

Something's not right.

He seemed to see through her thoughts, and with an interpretive tone, he added, "Now that you are staying at the Zhu family's residence, it is both morally and logically my duty to ensure your safety."

Is that really the case? Luo Yan didn't believe it. His help to her couldn't possibly be out of affection. He was indifferent to people, always minding his own business and keeping clear distinctions, so it couldn't be out of courtesy or obligation.

Therefore, it can only be because of the person behind the scenes.

Luo Yan lowered her eyes to hide the gloom in them, and her gaze suddenly stopped on the hand that had been holding his sleeve.

Last time under the crape myrtle tree, she tugged at his sleeve in the same way, and he ordered her to let go. But this time, he seemed to be preoccupied with important matters and didn't even notice that she had been holding on for so long.

He believed that Zhu Yun was a gentleman who knew how to conduct himself properly, was self-disciplined and followed proper etiquette.

But Luo Yan happens to be the kind of person who is most likely to take an inch and then a mile.

When she looked up again, Luo Yan's face was full of emotion, and her eyes were glistening with tears: "Thank you, cousin. With your help, Luo Yan will definitely get through this ordeal safely."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, and her fingers quietly reached out to Zhu Yun's hand, as if to take his hand.

With the movement, half of the cloak opened slightly, revealing the undergarment she had hastily changed into, which had been hidden under the cloak. The summer clothes were made of thin material, and her exquisite figure was faintly visible.

The moment her fingertips entwined with the back of his hand, Zhu Yun's eyes darkened. As if finally realizing what was happening, he dodged her hand and smoothly pulled his cloak shut, closing the half-open spring-like garment. The series of movements were fluid and effortless.

He took a large step back, his sharp gaze piercing her with a questioning look, freezing her face, which was a mixture of gratitude and shyness.

Zhu Yun's voice suddenly turned cold: "Have you completely forgotten what I said last time?"

Luo Yan looked up, her clear eyes full of innocence: "It was just a gesture of gratitude, why is my cousin so angry and upset? Aren't we cousins?"

She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Zhu Yun's face seemed to be covered with frost: "For seven years, men and women have not sat together. Miss Luo, you should understand the principles of propriety, not to mention that you and I are not real cousins."

"You are already engaged, so you should respect yourself even more."

His words were blunt and uncompromising, even addressing her as "Miss Luo," and his last sentence completely captivated Luo Yan.

Luo Yan's bright eyes were like a clear spring, allowing one to clearly see any emotion in them. At this moment, the hurt rising in her eyes was particularly obvious. Zhu Yun pursed his lips, and his fingers hanging at his side twitched slightly.

After a few moments of silence in the room, Zhu Yun turned her eyes to the door and said, "Remember what I told you. I'm leaving now."

After he turned around, the grievance on Luo Yan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold gaze tinged with sarcasm.

The reaction was even more intense than the previous two times; a single touch seemed capable of killing him. Luo Yan, so unconventional, couldn't understand what kind of life he had led for the past twenty-one years. His constant preaching of propriety and benevolence—didn't he feel suffocated at all?

“Cousin,” she called out to him, “If you don’t want to see me, why are you helping me?”

Zhu Yun did not turn around. His tall and slender figure blocked most of the light from the doorway. His voice was calm: "Once a promise is made, there is no reason to go back on it."

"What a gentleman," Luo Yan thought sarcastically.

The man was about to step out of the room when he suddenly stopped, as if he had sensed something. He then quickly turned around and strode back.

His sword-like eyebrows furrowed deeply, and his dark eyes reflected a sharp, cold light: "Hide, someone's coming."

Someone's here?

Luo Yan's hearing was not as acute as that of someone who practiced martial arts. Zhu Yun could hear footsteps that she couldn't, and could even guess the size of the person coming from there and whether they practiced martial arts.

His urgency suggests that the person has come to kill her!

She then came to her senses. The palace maid who had taken the imperial physician to write the prescription had not returned for a long time, clearly leaving her alone in the room on purpose. The palace maid said that the Consort had ordered that no one should be missing, but Zhu Yun was able to leave the main hall. It was likely that Lan Hui and the other two had also been deliberately sent away.

The room was simply furnished and spacious, with a corner of Qing Le Lake visible from the window. Where could one hide?

"It's too late."

Zhu Yun continued.

It seems the only option is to hide underwater in the lake; at least that will buy us some time.

Just as Luo Yan was about to speak, a large hand suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his arms.

The moment her back pressed against his strong chest, Luo Yan was stunned for a moment. Before she could react, Zhu Yun grabbed her by the waist and stepped out of the window.

There was a small patch of soil connecting the wall to the lake, but it was so narrow that only one person could stand there.

Zhu Yun clearly realized this as well, and tightened his grip on her waist, bringing them even closer together, a situation they had no choice but to be.

He practically lifted her up in his arms. Luo Yan had her back to him and couldn't see his expression, only the flowing lake water in front of her and the strong arms around her waist. He was wearing wrist guards today, and unlike his usual lean figure in loose robes, his sharp muscle lines were particularly prominent.

Luo Yan placed one hand on his head, seemingly just to maintain her balance. As she expected, his whole body stiffened considerably, so she gripped him even tighter.

He held her in his arms and carefully stepped onto the narrow muddy surface, moving to the side wall.

That way, even if the other party looks out the window, they won't see that they are hiding outside.

Footsteps echoed into the room. Luo Yan's back was pressed tightly against the left side of the man's chest. His rapid heartbeats pounded against her back, and the heat emanating from her back was scalding.

Luo Yan turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of his chest as he deliberately suppressed his breathing, and his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

He mouthed: Don't move.

Luo Yan turned her head back, her slightly upturned lips hidden in the shadows.

"Damn it! Where is he? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him?!"

A familiar, high-pitched voice suddenly rang out from inside the room.

It really was him!

With a thud, the palace maid knelt on the ground, her voice filled with extreme panic: "Eunuch Xu, this servant didn't know! This servant just saw the physician off and went to greet you, who knew that Miss Luo would disappear in such a short time!"

Eunuch Xu raised his hand and slapped the palace maid hard across the face, angrily saying, "Useless! The master ordered that the person be dealt with cleanly. Do you know how difficult it is to act outside? Today you failed and alerted the enemy, making it even more difficult to act in the future! You failed to keep an eye on the person, ruining the entire plan. Tell me, how should I deal with you to appease the master's anger?"

Xu Gonggong's voice rose, like a black venomous snake hissing and flicking its tongue, making even Luo Yan's heart skip a beat.

The word "master" he used immediately brought to mind Xiao Ying. However, Luo Yan's intuition told her it wasn't Xiao Ying. Judging from Xiao Ying's words and actions, she was just a pampered princess who was naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world. Although she deliberately tried to get close to her, she didn't harbor any malicious intentions.

On the surface, Eunuch Xu serves Xiao Ying, but secretly he works for others. Of course, it's also possible that the opposite is true: Xiao Ying is actually quite cunning, and her innocent appearance deceives everyone, causing her to lower her guard.

The palace maid trembled so much she could barely speak. She kowtowed several times, her voice trembling with sobs, and said, "Please spare me, sir! For the sake of my many years of service to my master, please give me a chance to make amends."

Eunuch Xu chuckled, but his voice was cold: "Then why don't you hurry up and find her? I don't believe that she can escape when everyone in Shuizhi Palace is one of our people."

Luo Yan slowly tightened her grip on Zhu Yun's wrist, her soft thumb and forefinger touching his hand directly outside the wrist guard.

The man behind them suddenly stopped breathing, and the soft, wet ground beneath their feet suddenly loosened, causing the two of them to slide downwards.

Her waist tightened as the man quickly bound her waist to steady her and turned her to the side.

As if afraid she would cry out, he covered her lips with his well-defined knuckles. His palm was large, and the lower half of her face was covered by his palm. The hot breath she exhaled from her nose and the wetness on her lips were reflected in his palm.

His breath came from behind, heavier and stronger, onto her neck.

Inside the room, Eunuch Xu suddenly shouted to the palace maid, "Wait! There's a noise outside!"

Luo Yan bit her lip and held her breath. The sounds they had just made were extremely faint, yet they had been heard by Eunuch Xu, which showed that his martial arts skills were not low, and could even be described as unfathomable.

The palace maid responded and walked to the window.

“Eunuch Xu, Qing Le Lake is outside. Miss Luo doesn’t seem to be hiding here.”

Eunuch Xu also went to the window to take a closer look, but there was indeed no sign of anyone hiding. He pondered the little noise he had just heard and snorted coldly: "She must have jumped into the lake and swam away to escape! The intelligence service never found out that she could swim. She even had to learn to swim by herself. She is really cunning by nature. Hmph, I wonder who she took after."

Luo Yan heard everything clearly and sneered inwardly.

This was because the Luo family mansion was a dangerous place from which she could not escape. When she was twelve years old, her stepmother abandoned her in the wild. The first thing she did upon returning to the mansion was to try to secretly learn some self-defense techniques. That's when she learned to swim.

As he walked out of the room, Eunuch Xu said, "Let's go, search downstream along the lake!"

The two left quickly, but unsure if it was a trap, Luo Yan and Zhu Yun remained motionless, even pressing themselves closer to the wall.

Only when there was no sound coming from the room for a long time did the two of them finally feel relieved.

Zhu Yun was about to withdraw his hand when he met the girl's bright and clear eyes.

He covered most of her face, leaving only her bright, smiling eyes visible.

But the smile seemed mocking: Didn't you say that I'm engaged, and that we're not real cousins, and shouldn't overstep boundaries?

So what are you doing?

Qin Yan seemed to sense something, stiffly tilting his head back to meet a handsome face that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

Zhu Yun twirled her beloved dagger between her fingertips and said gently, "Bad temper? Sullen face? Hothead?"

"Your subordinate knows his mistake." Qin Yan knelt down and begged for forgiveness, but suddenly a good idea came to him. "Your subordinate has a good thing to offer to the young master."

"Um."

"My uncle and Elder Sun worked together to develop a medicine." He hesitated, finding it difficult to speak, and said, "It's a contraceptive for men."

Zhu Yun paused for a moment, caught the fallen dagger, and coughed lightly: "Hurry up and get it."