Chapter 95 if·Shangguan Yun (2)

The following day, the group left Luoxia Villa.

Luo Yan rode in a carriage with her two elders, while Shangguan Yun rode on horseback with two senior disciples of Medicine King Valley.

Springtime had already arrived along the way, and the young man would occasionally lift the carriage curtain to pick out flowers that he thought were neat and hand them to Luo Yan.

The sunlight shone directly into his eyes, making Old Sun want to curse, but he saw the little girl opposite him smiling with her lips pursed, gradually winding the flower stems into a ring under the guidance of the servant.

Oh well, as long as the children are happy.

Upon arriving at Medicine King Valley, disciples of all ranks came out to greet them. Learning that the young master of Luoxia Manor was also there, the girls tiptoed to peek.

That's why Old Master Sun particularly disliked Shangguan Yun. The reckless brat, however, had a handsome face that had his disciples completely captivated.

But now that there's Miss Luo, the usually arrogant young man is eager to help her up and insists that she put her arm around his.

Old Sun felt a surge of satisfaction: "Young Yun, you've finally met your match."

Shangguan Yun glanced at her in confusion and muttered to Luo Yan, "Is he wishing me many happy returns of this day?"

"Shut up."

Luo Yan pinched her palms, enduring the soreness as she walked along the secluded path. The sky was dark, and the further she went, the fewer stone lanterns and candles she encountered. She ran into fewer and fewer people, and occasionally heard the chirping of cicadas all around her. The silence was eerily quiet.

Luo Yan deliberately slowed her pace and walked while leaning against the wall, as if the effects of the drug had reached their peak and she was powerless to resist.

After everyone had completely disappeared, a maidservant emerged from around the corner, accompanied by two servants, and blocked their path.

The maidservant wore a sinister smile: "Miss Luo, my young master requests your presence."

Luo Yan took a step back, but was powerless. Her face, flushed from the effects of the drug, showed panic: "What are you going to do?"

The maid's expression suddenly turned fierce: "Miss Luo, please don't make things difficult for us. We are just following orders. If you don't comply, we'll have to offend you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, two burly servants behind her blocked Luo Yan's retreat and reached out to grab her by force.

Just as they were about to reach her, they both cried out in pain at the same time.

"ah--"

A figure in black flashed out.

It was Yuan Ling. Her clear, gentle voice was tinged with a sob of grievance.

Zhu Yun's fingers hung at his sides, his wide, moon-white sleeves cascading down like flowing water, his lean body taut and stiff, brimming with a kind of suppressed power.

Her arm was pulled away in resistance, and Luo Yan quickly hugged his tense waist and abdomen even tighter, saying in one breath, "I don't want to marry him, cousin. You know, it's not just because he's old, but also because of my feelings for you—"

"Luo Yan." He interrupted without hesitation, his cold voice coming from above: "You have overstepped your bounds."

Luo Yan was slightly taken aback; this was the first time he had called her by her name directly.

"Then why didn't you push me away?"

After a few moments of silence, his voice rang out: "I will take your words today as if you never said them."

It turned out that it was just to preserve her last bit of dignity. The fingers on his waist and abdomen instantly gripped the strap of his jade pendant, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Luo Yan bit her lip and suddenly began to sob softly, her moon-white brocade robe instantly becoming dark with the stain.

The window was open inside, and for a moment, all that could be heard was the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo forest and the woman's soft sobs.

"Go back now that you've finished crying."

His voice was as hoarse and sullen as snow on a high mountain.

Luo Yan loosened her grip on his arm as if all her strength had left her, and took a step back. Several wrinkles immediately appeared on the man's waist and abdomen, and a few irregular stains spread across his back, making the once flawless brocade robe look like a crack suddenly appearing on a perfectly intact piece of fabric.

He had his back to her, and she could only catch a glimpse of his tense jawline in the shadows.

Luo Yan's voice suddenly turned somber, as if all hope had been extinguished, "Luo Yan knows that her status is lowly and she is not worthy of her cousin."

She took out an item from her hidden pocket and handed it to Zhu Yun from behind her back. "This is your bracelet. I strung it with three turns of silk thread, making it the strongest and it won't break again. However, one bead is missing. Black jade is too precious and rare, so I had to use the red jade I had to make up for it. I hope my cousin will forgive me for taking the liberty."

Zhu Yun turned to the side, staring down at the bracelet.

The jet-black, translucent jade was round and full, lying quietly in her snow-white palm. The red jade appeared even more intense, like blood, forcefully squeezing into the black and white, filling in the gap.

After a few breaths, her slender fingertips picked up the red jade, and together with the entire bracelet, slowly slipped it onto her wrist.

The jade beads collided with a soft "snap," and the man's powerful wrist was restrained.

Thank you.

Luo Yan picked up the brocade box containing the handkerchief that she had just placed aside, her voice soft and low: "I'm leaving. In the future... I won't bother my cousin anymore. I'm sorry for getting your robe dirty today."

Zhu Yun lowered his eyes, and the sunlight slanted across his thin chin, making the upper half of his face appear dark and indistinct.

"Farewell." The news of the beast and the assassin spread quickly, creating an atmosphere of panic. However, all that was known was that Yuan Ling had encountered the assassin while hunting, and that Luo Yan and Zhu Yun had completely disappeared from sight. It was unclear whether Yuan Ling or Zhu Yun had given the order.

The camp was placed on high alert. The emperor was furious and lost all interest. He ordered the army to set off for the capital the next day and left the Yunyi Guard behind to investigate.

As soon as the order was given, the palace servants immediately began packing their bags, and the imperial guards also increased their patrols. The commotion did not subside until late at night.

In the stillness of the night, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard.

Outside a magnificent and imposing tent, the python patterns embroidered on the tent still looked awe-inspiring in the night. The tent was heavily guarded, while the inside was brightly lit.

A man in black approached and knelt down outside the tent.

"Sui Lin requests an audience with you, young master."

"Come in."

The man in black immediately lifted the tent flap and went inside.

The interior furnishings were even more luxurious, and the tent occupied a large area, yet it did not feel empty at all.

"Young master, those good-for-nothings have all been killed, and their eyes have been soaked and sent back to the palace. It should still be in time for Chi Nu to take them."

The man leaning against the mahogany couch was playing with a white rabbit. His thin fingers were so pale they were almost bloodless as he stroked the soft nape of its neck. His smile was both ruthless and playful.

As Sui Lin watched, he suddenly remembered the scene of him toying with the Red Slave. The Red Slave was a snake with a highly venomous body, named for its bright red color.

Seemingly noticing his subordinate's gaze lingering on the white rabbit for a few seconds, the man slowly curled his lips and said, "Don't worry, this rabbit is for my sister, I won't kill it."

Sui Lin hurriedly lowered his head and knelt down: "This subordinate dares not."

Xiao Zheng chuckled lightly: "Everyone has safely returned to their tents, right? Sui Lin, you know that letting her go this time will make it even harder for me to take action after we return to the capital. Not only that, but if Xiao Jing's people use this as an excuse to cause trouble, and Father is forced to abandon me and choose my brother, I will truly have nowhere to bury my body."

The Second Prince, Xiao Jing, was born to Empress Gu. He was gentle and kind, and there was a lot of support for him to be made crown prince. The Gu family and the Chu family behind Consort Qiong had always been evenly matched in the court, and even Xiao Jing and Xiao Zheng were evenly matched.

Below Xiao Zheng is his younger brother, the Seventh Prince, who shares the same mother. If Xiao Zheng loses, the Chu family will immediately switch their support to the Seventh Prince.

Sui Lin, fully aware of his master's predicament of being caught between a rock and a hard place, advised, "Young Master, the Seventh Young Master is still young. How can he be compared to the Young Master who is in his prime?"

"As long as they are born to the mother, the emperor will protect them like the apple of his eye. What difference does it make?"

With a fierce expression, Xiao Zheng grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of its neck and threw it aside in frustration. He then slowly walked over to Sui Lin, who was kneeling on the ground.

Her tone was slow and playful: "Sui Lin, why are you still trembling? You're overestimating me. You've accomplished something else today, why would I kill you?"

Sui Lin, who had been keeping her head down, looked up in surprise, then realized what Xiao Zheng meant by the other matter. "Thank you, young master."

"What? Judging from your reaction, you don't seem to understand why I'm doing this."

Sui Lin simply lowered his head and obediently said, "Young Master has his reasons, how dare I interfere?"

Xiao Zheng slowly walked back to the bedside and easily caught the rabbit that was trying to escape. He said to himself, "Hmph, what is the Cheng family? Lowly people don't even know their own worth. Since she wants to use us, we might as well do it without much trouble. It's shameful that Luo Yan was trampled on by such a coward."

After saying that, Xiao Zheng threw the white rabbit aside again, looking at it as if it were an ant.

Sui Lin lowered her head, her tone hesitant: "But what if His Majesty notices?"

Xiao Zheng chuckled, as if he had heard something extremely amusing. "You really underestimate my father. He already knew, otherwise why do you think she would have come to Xia Shou?"

Sui Lin looked surprised.

Just then, a male voice suddenly rang out from outside the tent: "Cousin, are you asleep?"

Xiao Zheng's face showed a hint of annoyance. He gave Sui Lin a wink, and Sui Lin, who was about to deal with the man, suddenly stopped when she saw Xiao Zheng raise his hand again.

"Come in." Luo Yan was helped by Li Lan and led to the side room by a young novice monk.

It was already quite late, and soon the young novice monk brought over dinner. The food at the temple was simple: a bowl of white porridge mixed with lily petals, a plate of vegetarian spring rolls, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.

Lilan bribed the young novice monk with silver and chatted with him for a few more minutes. Their conversation was not clearly heard through the window. Luo Yan held her bamboo chopsticks and calmly ate the simple meal.

With a creak, Lilan pushed the door open and came in: "Miss, it will be a while. I got some medicine from them. Let's apply it first."

Luo Yan slowly chewed the well-cooked lily petals in her mouth, the delicate fragrance swirling between her lips and tongue.

"good."

As the last rays of twilight faded and darkness descended, only a few stars adorned the inky night sky, accompanied by the high-hanging moon, which illuminated the night with a touch of inky blue.

Under the moonlight, there was a gentle knock on the door of the side room.

Lilan hurried out, then opened the door a crack and called to Luo Yan, who was sitting on the clean and tidy bed reading a book.

Luo Yan didn't wait for his reply and turned to leave.

A gentle breeze blew in through the window, and the sweet fragrance was instantly dispersed like mist, leaving not a trace.

The man standing there swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his eyes filled with a dark, unsettling look.

Luo Yan staggered back a few steps, unable to support herself, and crashed into the stone wall behind her. She barely managed to stand by the wall, and with that movement, a ball of fire surged up from her abdomen, making her vision blur.

She hadn't expected to be so sensitive to the drug, and its effects were taking effect much faster than in most people.

Yuan Ling was agile, light yet powerful, and subdued the two servants in an instant. The two fell to the ground, scrambled to their feet, and fled with the maid who had been leading them.

Yuan Ling then turned to look at Luo Yan, who was leaning against the wall and breathing heavily.

Luo Yan's eyes were already tinged with red, and a thin layer of mist welled up in them. She struggled to keep herself from hunching over, and said with a mocking expression:

"Lord Yuan is following me?"

Yuan Ling seemed to find the scene before him extremely amusing, and sighed, "Your complexion is off, and you, who are usually very guarded, actually abandoned your maid and walked alone into the back woods. Your behavior is strange, so I followed you. You really didn't disappoint me, Miss Luo."

He glanced at Luo Yan with great interest: "Did they drug you?" As he spoke, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Or did you drug yourself?"

Luo Yan suppressed her rapid breathing, but her tone was icy: "It's none of your business."

Yuan Ling took a few steps closer, his smile seemingly provocative: "I didn't expect you to be so ruthless to yourself. What's it for this time?"

Luo Yan bit her lip to suppress the surging effects of the drug, her gaze towards him sharp as an icy blade.

“But Miss Luo, if the effects of the medicine don’t wear off, you’ll die here today, losing both your wife and your army. What should we do?” Yuan Ling’s sinister face flashed with a hint of amusement: “Why don’t you beg me for help?”

Yuan Ling approached step by step, his figure gradually enveloping her in darkness.

Luo Yan stared at him intently, her fingers digging into her palms to resist the surging effects of the drug, her lips bitten until they almost bled.

The scene before her eyes, however, became increasingly blurry beyond her control.

"girl!"

The moment Lilan's voice came, Luo Yan's palm loosened slightly.

Behind Lilan, a tall figure was mostly shrouded in shadow. The dim stone lamp cast the man's sharp profile onto the wall. His breathing was slightly disordered, whether from his hasty arrival or the effects of the drug was unclear.

Almost instantly, her expression softened, her eyes filled with grievance and helplessness, and she staggered forward, crashing into Zhu Yun's arms as if she had mustered the last bit of strength in her body.

"Cousin, save me."

His breathing became erratic, and his back arched uncontrollably, his muscles bulging in a powerful arc.

Luo Yan stared in disbelief, then quickly grabbed his undergarment and covered him with it.

Shangguan Yun smiled as he knelt up and pulled her into his arms: "Yanyan, let's get married."

"Marriage?" Luo Yan pointed with her finger. "You and me? How old are we?"

Hearing that she was concerned about her age but not opposed to marriage, Shangguan Yun breathed a sigh of relief: "An engagement is fine, as long as you can't leave, you have to take responsibility for me."

He took Luo Yan's hand and pressed it against his cheek: "I was the one who watched you grow up, and even... even when it came to menstruation, I was the one who looked up the medical books... Why does the person surnamed Cui have to come and separate us?"

Luo Yan was both amused and exasperated: "According to you, my cousin really is a super bad guy."

"That's true." Shangguan Yun kissed her fingertip. "In your heart, who is more important, me or him?"

"Of course it's you."

The boy's eyes suddenly brightened, and he pressed Luo Yan against his chest. Without any clothing to block the view, she could directly feel the warmth in his chest.

He whispered, "Please, don't leave me."

"I don't want to leave you," Luo Yan said slowly but firmly. "I like you."

Shangguan Yun was immediately excited and tightened his embrace: "My parents have agreed, and I know what Cui Wuyang is looking for. Tomorrow I will tell him to exchange our marriage certificate for the blood edict."

"Isn't this too fast?"

"No," he said, sounding aggrieved. "I don't even dare to close my eyes at night, afraid that I'll wake up and you'll run off with someone else."

Luo Yan patted his back reassuringly: "What I mean is, we can date first, and get married when our relationship is stable. As for children, I haven't thought about it yet."

"child?"

Shangguan Yun glanced quickly at her lower abdomen, only to find her breasts bulging. His limbs suddenly stiffened, and he didn't know how to continue holding her.

Where are you looking?!

His ears burned red, and he pretended to look at the top of the tent. After a moment, he shamelessly leaned closer and said, "Yanyan, I want to kiss you."

Luo Yan bit her lip and closed her eyes shyly.

The candlelight cast two silhouettes that slowly drew closer and eventually merged into one.