Chapter 87 Soul Swap

So soft.

Zhu Yun instinctively curled her fingertips, lingered over the touch, and savored the elusive feel of the hand.

After a dozen or so breaths, his reason gradually returned, and he realized that there was a beautiful body in his arms, and her breathing was steady and long, as if she were in a deep sleep.

Where did this woman come from?

He lifted his heavy eyelids, and the moonlight slanted in through the gauze curtains, enough to make one see the room's decor—it was his bedroom at the headquarters.

Zhu Yun frowned, trying hard to recall the scene from a moment ago: he remembered that he was in the study of Huachao Pavilion, holding a classic book in his hands. He had just opened the title page when darkness fell, and when he opened his eyes again, this was the scene before him.

"Miss!" Lilan exclaimed, almost unable to keep her voice down: "Who could it be? You've only just arrived in Shengjing and don't know many people at all."

“Yes,” Luo Yan’s voice was light and airy, as if carried by the wind, with a hint of amusement in her thoughts: “If I hadn’t arranged for someone to inform Zhu Yun in advance, I probably would have really died there.”

Lilan thought for a moment and guessed, "Miss, could it be that Supervisor Cheng is an enemy?"

"No." Luo Yan denied it decisively, her tone sarcastic: "Cheng Feng is just a minor official of the sixth rank, not even worth mentioning in Shengjing. He's practically on his deathbed. Why would someone go to such lengths to send experts to kill his betrothed? Who would do such a losing proposition?"

It's no wonder Lilan guessed that way. After all, when Luo Yan hired several people to hire a group of low-class Zhuhu people to impersonate bandits and assassinate her, she used the name of Cheng Feng's son. A filial son who misses his deceased mother and can't stand his stepmother who is about to marry into the family, with his longing for his mother and his sorrow for heaven and earth, is a very suitable excuse.

Lilan's expression changed: "Miss, could you be from the Zhu family?"

Now, besides Cheng Feng, the only people connected to Luo Yan are from the Zhu family.

“If it were someone from the Zhu family, Zhu Yun would not have come.”

Lilan instantly understood. If they were from the Zhu family, how could they not know that they had arranged for a Zhu family guard to tip off Zhu Yun?

But neither of these things made Lilan even more flustered. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "Miss, when we return to the city tomorrow, I will send someone to find those people from Zhuhu and ask them what's going on."

Luo Yan shook her head: "We won't be able to find out. If the other party could replace the person so easily, how could we find any clues? We are outnumbered and outmatched. We have to let Zhu Yun investigate this matter."

Since the other party could send such a skilled person to kill her, they must be of considerable power and status.

Lilan, however, was not entirely convinced by Zhu Yun and asked hesitantly, "But is Young Master Zhu really capable of handling this matter, given his cold and indifferent nature?"

Luo Yan firmly believed, "He saved me today, which means he's involved in this matter. He'll send someone to investigate."

It's a real shame, though; if this person hadn't interfered, it would have been an excellent plan.

She knew that Zhu Yun had been going out of the city recently to handle an official matter, and that Baoming Temple's return to the mansion and Zhu Yun's return to the mansion would both take the same main road.

Based on this, she arranged a great show.

The group of people from Zhuhu hired in the name of Cheng Feng's son could neither take her life nor hold off the Zhu family guards for long, until Zhu Yun arrived to rescue her.

She bribed another guard from the Zhu family to lie in wait on Zhu Yun's way back home. When Zhu Yun passed by, she pretended to have accidentally bumped into him after fighting her way out of the encirclement, and asked Zhu Yun to rescue her. She then used the excuse that it was getting late to stay overnight at the temple.

Even if Zhu Yun was unwilling, out of respect for her aunt, he would not turn a blind eye to her misfortune and ruin his reputation as a gentleman.

Even if the Zhu family interrogates those people from Zhu Lake afterward, they will only confess that Cheng Feng's son killed her. She might even take this opportunity to make a scene and cancel the marriage.

But her plans were completely disrupted.

The Zhuhu people, who were not skilled in martial arts, were replaced by real assassins. They appeared at the agreed location on time, so much so that Luo Yan did not notice anything amiss at first. Otherwise, she would not have gotten off the carriage at all, but would have directly taken Lilan away in the carriage.

Fortunately, Zhu Yun arrived in time. The process was a bit bumpy, but the result was not too bad.

Recalling the events of today, Luo Yan suddenly couldn't help but laugh.

When she hugged him from behind, she naturally felt his whole body stiffen instantly, but she deliberately hugged him even tighter, eager to see how the aloof and polite gentleman would react when he was intimately close to her but unable to push her away.

Therefore, she could clearly see his tense waist and abdomen due to his discomfort, his sharp and clear jawline, and his hands that tried to push her away several times but did not have the chance.

No wonder he was the one she chose at first sight.

Born into a noble family with generations of high-ranking officials, he was the only son of the eldest branch of the Zhu family. At the age of twenty-one, he became the Grand Secretary, holding a high position and great power. He was deeply trusted by the emperor and possessed extraordinary talent, making him a figure of great admiration. It was said that he had never been close to women, making him the perfect candidate.

Luo Yan strives for excellence in everything, and naturally, she deserves the best husband to match her. She chose him to help her get rid of the Luo family, that disgusting couple, and her younger brother who wouldn't even call her "sister," despite sharing the same bloodline that disgusted her.

But she hadn't expected that actually implementing it would be so interesting.

Seeing her suddenly laugh, Lilan shrank her shoulders and asked, "Girl, what are you laughing at?"

Luo Yan smiled and said, "I was just thinking that no matter who the other party is, it would be good if he could stir up some trouble, so that I wouldn't have to rack my brains to figure out how to get close to Zhu Yun."

She only has two months.

Lilan was horrified: "Girl, are you crazy? That man is going to kill you!"

"Don't worry, of course I won't put my life or death aside. It's just that the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. We have no clue what to do right now, so we might as well wait. The more moves he makes, the more flaws he will reveal."

"But the young lady has already injured her foot today; if it happens in the future..."

"His foot was injured, but it wasn't entirely his fault."

Lilan's eyes widened: "What you mean, young lady..."

Luo Yan nodded calmly.

She deliberately took the opportunity to fall to the ground, which she could have easily avoided as Zhu Yun retreated, but she didn't.

The pain was so intense that she almost fainted, but in those few moments of blurred consciousness, she became uncontrollably excited again.

Zhu Yun was very proper; since he had injured her foot, he would definitely not ignore her. This was a bargaining chip for her, a chip that would come in handy more than once in the future.

Lilan was even more shocked, but after the shock came immense heartache. Looking at Luo Yan's thickly bandaged ankle, her eyes reddened: "Miss, you will definitely get what you want. It's all Yao's fault for being so cruel, and the head of the family too. How could he sacrifice you to pave the way for the young master? The young master is his own son, but isn't you the same? If Madam were still here, she would never have treated you like this!"

Luo Yan patted Lilan's hand, "Just like you said, my mother would not be able to bear to see me suffer, and she will protect me from below."

Lilan sobbed, "You were just trying to comfort me, Miss. When have you ever believed in ghosts and gods?"

Luo Yan smiled and said, "Since you know I'm comforting you, why are you still crying? You have things to do tomorrow, so get some rest. Oh, by the way," she held up the rabbit, "this rabbit that Huizhen found is very well-behaved and cute, remember to thank him."

Luo Yan handed the rabbit she was holding to Li Lan. Li Lan bent down and released the rabbit. The nimble white rabbit darted into the grass and disappeared in a flash.

Lilan smiled through her tears: "Of course, Huizhen is very clever. If he hadn't told us about Young Master Zhu's whereabouts, we would have been in a lot of trouble. I would have known even without you saying it."

The door creaked open and closed, the sound gradually fading away with the wind.

As dusk turns to dawn and the sun rises in the east, the mountaintop is still shrouded in thick, damp mist in the morning.

"Young master, everything is ready. We can return to the city now."

Zhu Yun had eaten breakfast early in the morning and was now sitting upright reading Buddhist scriptures in the temple. Even in private, his back remained as straight as a pine tree.

His mind cleared considerably, and he slowly closed the Buddhist scripture, asking, "Where is Miss Biao?"

"It seems that Miss Luo went to the main hall early this morning."

In the spacious hall, wisps of incense smoke curled around, and the statues of gods and Buddhas stood solemnly. Bright sunlight shone on the back of a slender woman kneeling on a prayer mat.

Luo Yan knelt before the Buddha statue, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes with utmost devotion.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Luo Yan slightly lifted her eyelashes, then closed them again.

"May all the gods and Buddhas bless you. I, Luo Yan, have only two wishes. First, that my mother may rest in peace in heaven. Second... that I may marry the one I love and stay with him forever. If my wishes are fulfilled, I will certainly spend a large sum of money to have the gods and Buddhas in the temple recast in gold."

Every word he spoke was powerful and clear, ensuring that anyone who walked outside the hall heard every single one.

Wen Feng felt something was off and whispered to his master, "Young Master, what about Miss Biao and Supervisor Cheng...?"

Zhu Yun lowered his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, "Don't gossip about others. This matter has nothing to do with us."

Hearing this, he awkwardly shut his mouth.

Zhu Yun raised his hand, gesturing for the maids behind him to enter the hall.

Several maids, having received their orders, carefully stepped into the hall, saying, "Greetings, Miss."

The woman kneeling on the prayer mat trembled and turned around. Luo Yan looked flustered because her most private wish had been seen by others.

The head maid explained, "Miss has a foot injury and is unable to walk properly. We have been ordered to help you back to your residence."

"On orders?" It was unclear whether she was acting on her aunt's orders or Zhu Yun's. She'd only touched his hand briefly, yet he was now treating her like a venomous snake.

Luo Yan smiled politely at the maids, her radiance blending seamlessly with the sunlight, causing the maids to momentarily lose their senses. After regaining their composure, they hurriedly stepped forward to help her to her feet.

After she stood up, Zhu Yun, who had been standing outside the hall, naturally came into her view. The wound on his hand had been treated and was wrapped tightly in bandages.

Luo Yan pretended to only then realize he was standing outside, and opened her mouth in surprise: "Cousin, when did you arrive?"

She gripped the handkerchief tightly, her entire being radiating tension, and a strong sense of guilt inexplicably emanated from her.

Wen Feng, who was standing behind his master, suddenly realized what was happening. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Luo Yan's face was flushed with anxiety.

"Cousin...did you hear anything just now?"

Zhu Yun remained aloof, as if he hadn't heard the woman's thoughts and feelings at all, or as if he were oblivious to her subtle actions.

"Not yet. Have you packed your bags?"

Luo Yan watched him lie with a straight face, and sneered inwardly, feeling a surge of resentment. But on the surface, she pretended to be relieved and obediently replied, "I packed up early this morning, afraid of delaying my cousin's schedule."

Zhu Yun hummed in agreement and turned to walk out.

Luo Yan suddenly called out to him, "Cousin."

Zhu Yun asked with her eyes.

Luo Yan glanced at the person beside her, lost in thought. "May I dismiss everyone else?"

Fearing he wouldn't agree, she said earnestly in front of everyone, "I have something on my mind that I want to tell my cousin."

Zhu Yun turned his sharp gaze towards them, as if he could pierce through people's hearts.

Everyone around him kept their eyes down, heads bowed and silent. The air seemed to freeze, so quiet you could almost hear your own heartbeat.

Luo Yan's eyes were pleading, and her pearly teeth repeatedly clenched her soft lips, which glistened with moisture, making her look extremely nervous.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Yun finally spoke.

"All of you, step back."

The group quickly retreated to a distance of several feet.

Zhu Yun glanced at her indifferently, indicating that Luo Yan could speak.

Luo Yan's eyelashes trembled slightly with nervousness: "Cousin, are you still angry with me about what happened last night?"

"My cousin is overthinking it."

His voice was cold, like jade stones gently clashing.

My cousin is clearly still angry with me.

Luo Yan's emotions were quite intense, and Zhu Yun frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"You're overthinking it..."

"I'm sorry, cousin."

He was considerably taller than her, so she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him when she spoke. From above, one could clearly see the corners of her eyes suddenly reddening with grievance, her beautiful eyes overflowing with helpless tears, seemingly unintentionally captivating.

"Cousin, I was reckless last night."

As she spoke, Luo Yan lowered her eyes, her tone dejected: "Perhaps it was because I lost my late mother's belongings yesterday and then found them that I was so excited that I forgot to be polite. I hope my cousin will forgive me."

Silence returned.

A moment later, he said, "Do you remember what I said last night?"

Luo Yan quickly replied, "I remember, cousin."

Of course she remembered that he told her to uphold the proper boundaries between men and women and not to overstep them.

His gaze fell lightly on her face, his expression somewhat stern, not much more relaxed than before.

Out of consideration for etiquette, he didn't pursue the matter further, his voice cold and devoid of emotion: "Never forget etiquette again in the future."

Luo Yan immediately looked delighted, staring into his eyes and smiling brightly, "Thank you, cousin."

"The doctor has already been sent to fetch him."

Zhu Yun glanced at her feet almost imperceptibly, then turned and left without waiting for her reply.

Seeing that the two had finished speaking, the maids in the distance quickly rushed forward to help her, saying, "Miss, let us take you home."

Luo Yan seemed to have a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, and even her body relaxed considerably: "Thank you for your trouble."

The maids immediately felt a sense of goodwill and said with a smile, "This is our duty."

Even in Shengjing, Miss Biao's beauty was among the best. People could hardly take their eyes off her. Not only was her appearance impeccable, but she was also so gentle and polite in her dealings with others, making them feel like they were basking in a spring breeze.

It's just that his family background was rather humble.

The maids silently felt sorry for Luo Yan.

They looked down carefully at the path beneath their feet, kicking away pebbles and branches to prevent Luo Yan from tripping. If any of them had looked up, they would have seen that the seemingly delicate young lady in their eyes was now staring intently at the man's back, her smile not one of joy, but of a determined intent to possess her prey.

Don't forget etiquette again?

He adhered to etiquette, and even though she offended him, he still had someone fetch a doctor for her, not out of pity, but simply because of his adherence to gentlemanly conduct.

In his view, a gentleman is learned in literature and restrained by propriety. Without propriety, a person cannot live; without propriety, things cannot be accomplished; and without propriety, a nation cannot be at peace.

But she would surely tell him to forget etiquette and disregard manners.

After Luo Yan's figure disappeared into the bathroom, he leaned on the edge of the tub, panting. He thought to himself that his wife was not only passionate but also very infatuated with him. "Zhu Yun" must have taken pity on her infatuation and that's why he married her.

No ambition.

He cursed as he wiped himself, and because he was worried that Luo Yan would barge in again, he quickened his pace and even tied his sash into two tight knots.

Upon returning to the inner room, Luo Yan changed out of her outer robe and put on a middle garment that barely covered her thighs, then lay prone on the couch.

What did I say earlier? After he finished showering, I'd accompany him back to sleep.

"..."

Zhu Yun held his breath, his gaze drifting to the half-open window. Was it too late for him to jump into the lake and escape?