Chapter 41 Male Lead

Xiao Yu panicked. She understood. Now, the only way to survive in Baisheng was to clear her name, unless she went into seclusion in the deep mountains. But what about the young lady...? Did she really want the young lady to live this life of escape with her?

Xiao Yu hesitated. She glanced at Song Luoning unconsciously, then rolled over and lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling.

She herself didn't care, but a pampered young lady like her couldn't withstand such a turbulent journey.

At the same time, she really didn't want to be separated from the young lady, because not only would she be sad, but the young lady would also be heartbroken.

What should we do?

Xiao Yu was at a loss for what to do.

Song Luoning's thoughts raced. No, no matter what, she decided to keep this lecherous man at bay for now. Song Luoning curled her fingers and hesitated, "Husband, have you thought this through?"

Have you thought it through?

Xiao Yu was stunned for a moment. The thought of separating from Song Luoning made her very sad. She pursed her lips, turned over and hugged Song Luoning. She must have thought it through. She couldn't bear to part with the young lady.

Song Luoning stiffened, reached out to push him away, hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed her hand on Xiao Yu's waist, closed her eyes and pressed her face against Xiao Yu's chest, her emotions a jumble.

Seeing that Xiao Yu did not make any further moves, Song Luoning breathed a sigh of relief. The next second, she felt a cool sensation on her lips as two soft lips pressed against hers.

Song Luoning froze, forgetting to breathe.

A moment later, Xiao Yu's coaxing voice echoed in the quiet room: "Be good, relax, open your mouth."

This young lady doesn't even know how to kiss. Although she has no practical experience, she can't help but feel that she has a wealth of theoretical knowledge.

She was afraid that if she didn't remind the young lady, the young lady would suffocate her.

"Hmm~" Fireworks exploded in Song Luoning's mind, and after the brilliance, everything went blank.

That lecherous scoundrel!

Realizing what had happened, he no longer cared about calming her down. He quickly pushed her away, turned around, his cheeks burning, and his heart inexplicably racing.

This lecher is getting bolder and bolder.

"Wife." Startled by being pushed away, Xiao Yu was taken aback. Wasn't everything fine just now? What happened to the young lady?

"Don't talk to me~" Song Luoning's voice trembled as she closed her eyes. In the quiet room, only their heavy breathing could be heard.

After an unknown amount of time, Song Luoning's eyes regained their calm: "Husband, please rest early. Luoning is tired."

She didn't know how she felt about this lecherous man; she felt both anticipation and inexplicable fear. Song Luoning closed her eyes, looking slightly tired. After a while, a tear slowly slid down her cheek.

Hearing that Song Luoning was tired, Xiao Yu calmed down, lay back down in his seat, and kept glancing at Song Luoning out of the corner of his eye. After a pause, he pursed his lips, his fingers rubbing repeatedly under the blanket. In a moment of impulse, he turned over and pulled Song Luoning into his arms, coaxing her in a stiff tone, "Be good, go to sleep."

Song Luoning's body stiffened slightly, and her ten fingers slowly curled up. This lecherous man... she couldn't muster any strength to push her away.

"My wife, can I..." Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, her heart filled with panic, then gritted her teeth and said, "Can I kiss you one more time?"

That soft, yielding feeling... if the young lady hadn't pushed him away... Xiao Yu felt unsatisfied, if only he could...

Just as she was hesitating whether to kiss her directly or wait for the young lady's consent, the young lady suddenly turned over. Before she could even feel happy, she felt a pain in her leg and lost her balance, falling to the ground.

"You're not allowed to come up here," Song Luoning said coldly.

"?!" Xiao Yu was stunned, staring blankly at Song Luoning. After a long while, he tried to see Song Luoning's expression by the moonlight.

How did I kick myself out of bed?

Wasn't everything fine just now?

Song Luoning's chest heaved, feeling ashamed and angry. This lecherous man kissed her, and then had to ask her about it.

She should just stay on the ground and reflect on her actions.

After a while, seeing that Song Luoning hadn't spoken again, Xiao Yu felt wronged. He glanced at Song Luoning again but didn't dare to say anything more. After a long while, he straightened his clothes and lay down on the ground.

Seeing that she had truly calmed down, Song Luoning raised her hand to her chest and remained motionless for a long time.

He glanced at the person curled up on the ground, closed his eyes, and sighed softly: "Come on up."

"Hmm?" Xiao Yu subconsciously got up and looked towards the bed. After hesitating for a moment, seeing that Song Luoning didn't say anything, he quickly jumped onto the bed, lay down, pulled up the covers, closed his eyes, and did it all in one go.

“My wife…” Xiao Yu began.

"Shut up!" Song Luoning said coldly.

Alright, Xiao Yu wisely closed her eyes. After all this commotion, she, who was originally hesitant, had now made up her mind. For the sake of the young lady, she could not bear the stigma of being a murderer.

Isn't it just the capital city?

The next day, Xiao Yu woke up first as usual. The young lady in his arms was so well-behaved that he couldn't help but want to kiss her. Of course, Xiao Yu didn't miss the opportunity and secretly kissed her for a while. She still tasted the same as last night, incredibly soft. However, he didn't dare to savor her as much as he did last night, just taking a small bite to satisfy his craving.

Just as she was feeling smug, a commotion arose outside. The beauty in her arms frowned slightly, snuggled closer to her, leaving only one ear exposed. It was rare to see the young lady with such a soft side, and Xiao Yu's heart softened instantly.

"Search every room, don't miss a single one!" came the chaotic footsteps from outside.

Xiao Yu was taken aback. Searching for people?

She glanced at the young lady in her arms, reluctant to wake her, but thinking of the search being discussed outside, she finally hardened her heart and whispered in her ear, "My lady, wake up quickly."

"Mmm~ It itches~" the young lady groaned, turned over, and turned her back to Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu smiled helplessly, then leaned closer and raised his voice slightly: "Wife, wake up first, it seems something has happened outside."

The warm breath sprayed onto the sensitive skin of her ears, and Song Luoning's body stiffened, instantly waking her up.

That lecherous man actually took advantage of her while she was asleep!

Just as she was about to erupt, Xiao Yu covered her mouth: "Shh~"

A loud knocking came from outside the door: "Open the door now!"

Song Luoning was startled and stared at Xiao Yu with wide eyes. Xiao Yu nodded to her. After a while, Song Luoning came back to her senses, disregarded everything else, pushed away Xiao Yu's hand, and took out her clothes from the bundle: "Change into these."

"..."

"Open the door now, or we'll kick it down!" The knocking on the door intensified.

Song Luo steadied her breathing and calmly asked, "What is it?"

The man outside said, "The Prince of Chang's mansion was burglarized last night. We suspect the thieves are still in the city. We are ordered to capture the thieves and now we need to check if you are harboring any thieves here."

Song Luoning pursed her lips: "Okay, everyone, please wait a moment, I'll open the door right away." She gestured to Xiao Yu to quickly change her clothes.

What did Song Luoning mean by this? Why was she making him change into her clothes? However, seeing Song Luoning's serious expression, Xiao Yu didn't dare to dawdle and quickly changed. But Song Luoning's clothes were too small. The sleeves were too short, and they were uncomfortable to wear. The skirt was fine, but the upper body looked awkward no matter how you looked at it.

Song Luoning opened the door, and several men dressed as soldiers rushed in, saying impatiently, "What are you doing in there? Why didn't you open the door for so long?"

Xiao Yu: "Didn't I just wake up?"

The soldiers, growing impatient, glanced around the house and, seeing only two women, said to the others, "Let's not continue searching here." With that, they went to the next room.

Song Luoning breathed a sigh of relief, but her brows were tightly furrowed. Judging from the current situation, the Changwang Mansion probably already knew that Xiao Yu had come to Qingzhou, and the city gates were probably already sealed.

She glanced at Xiao Yu, a girl with striking beauty and bright, lively eyes. Song Luo Ning clenched her fingers, suppressing the inexplicable emotions in her heart.

"My lord, let's dress like this for the time being."

"Huh?" Xiao Yu was taken aback. Why was he suddenly being asked to wear women's clothing?

However, it's not impossible. Song Luoning had been staring at me the whole time; perhaps she was captivated by my good looks.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yu couldn't help but grin foolishly.

"..."

“Husband…” Song Luoning opened her mouth, about to speak.

"Sister-in-law." Chen Yu ran over, "Who were those people just now...?" Seeing Xiao Yu, she paused, staring at her, "And this lady is...?"

"..."

Xiao Yu couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Song Luoning found it amusing and covered her mouth to explain, "She's your cousin."

"Cousin?!" Chen Yu's expression exploded. Realizing what had happened, she looked disgusted: "Why is my cousin dressed like this?"

Song Luoning gave Xiao Yu a look, and Xiao Yu went over and closed the door: "The portrait those people are holding looks a lot like your cousin. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, your cousin will dress as a woman from now on. You will call him 'cousin' from now on, understand?"

Xiao Yu: "..."

I didn't expect the young lady to be so good at bluffing. What do you mean by saying the portrait looks a lot like her and she doesn't want to cause trouble? Then I saw Chen Yu nodding blankly.

I was speechless for a moment.

Song Luoning glanced at Xiao Yu and said to Chen Yu, "Could you please go to the clothing store and buy your cousin a dress that fits her well?"

Hmm? But speaking of which, the young lady is quite considerate.

Xiao Yu was very satisfied with Song Luoning's arrangements.

Song Luoning took out the money and handed it to Chen Yu, who then left Mingpinlou with the money.

The officers and soldiers who were arresting people continued their search, but they had already moved to the other side. Song Luoning and Xiao Yu's room was on the right side of the stairwell. Standing at the door, they could see the hall downstairs, while those standing below could not see up due to the angle.

First floor hall.

Leading the group was a handsome young man in fine clothes, tall and slender with a face like jade, with two rows of soldiers standing behind him.

The officers and soldiers who had just come up to conduct the search hurriedly went down another staircase and bowed to the man, saying, "Your Highness, we did not find any suspicious persons."

The man looked displeased and flicked his sleeve: "Let's go, continue searching."

At this moment, a bright and beautiful woman stepped out from behind the counter: "Young Master Xiao, what do you take Mingpinlou for? You can't just come and go as you please. In just this short while, you not only disturbed my customers, but also caused damage to some items. How are you going to compensate me for that?"

Ming Zhiqing doesn't tolerate anyone. If she likes someone, everything is fine. If she doesn't, you'd better not mess with her, or she'll make you suffer. The man in front of her happens to be the latter.

"You..." The man was about to lash out, but upon seeing the woman's face, he clenched his fists and held back, his handsome face contorted as he suppressed his anger.

The person who came was none other than Miss Ming, the owner of Mingpinlou. Not only was she incredibly wealthy, but she was also a royal merchant. The fact that she married the daughter of a former prime minister while being a woman was enough to shock the world. This matter shocked the entire capital at the time. Speaking of which, we must mention her wife, the most beautiful woman in the capital, whose talent and wisdom were no less than those of any man.

Furthermore, the former prime minister was fiercely protective of his own son-in-law, and for so many years he had stood by him. Now, Miss Ming was someone Bai Sheng couldn't afford to offend. Even his father, the Prince of Chang, had to give her some respect. The reason was simple: all the officials in the court were the former prime minister's protégés.

He's just a minor prince, barely making a name for himself in Qingzhou, but outside of there he's nothing. Besides, his father had long planned to win over Miss Ming. His useless younger brother, now emperor, only cares about enjoying himself and has completely forgotten about him and their father. And here he is, still scheming for him. If only he had been emperor...

A hint of jealousy flashed in Xiao Chengze's eyes. Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. He quickly changed his expression and smiled, "Miss Ming is right. The Changwang Mansion will definitely compensate Mingpinlou for its losses."

Ming Zhiqing didn't stand on ceremony and called over the shopkeeper: "Go and take stock of the losses, and then take two people to the Prince Chang's residence to say hello."

"Okay." The shopkeeper held the abacus in his hands, and the waiter followed behind him. The two of them worked together to count the items.

Xiao Chengze's face was gloomy, and he looked like he was holding back his anger.

"Wife, who is that person?" Xiao Yu turned to look at Song Luoning.

Song Luo's eyes flickered: "That man should be Xiao Chengze, the heir of Prince Chang, and that woman is Miss Ming, the owner of Mingpinlou. I had the honor of meeting her once in the capital..."

What?! Xiao Chengze?!

The male protagonist in the book?

Xiao Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she felt inexplicably flustered, so much so that she didn't hear a word Song Luoning said afterward: "I...I'm not...Song Luoning..."

Will Song Luoning meet the male protagonist in the book and be like the one described in the book?

I previously speculated that their relationship was based on mutual benefit, but that's just speculation. What if it isn't? Does Song Luoning truly love him? Is she willingly playing the role of the woman behind the male lead?

Xiao Yu felt dizzy and lightheaded, with an inexplicable sense of panic. He subconsciously grasped Song Luoning's hand and hesitated, "My lady, that young master is quite handsome, isn't he?"

Song Luoning frowned, withdrew her hand, and said in a colder tone, "Does my husband like this?"

What do you mean she likes this kind of thing?

She was afraid that she would like that!

Xiao Yu gave a wry smile: "Don't you think he's quite good, my wife?"

"Husband, do you think he's good?" Song Luoning's voice turned completely cold as she glanced coldly at Xiao Yu before turning back to her room.

Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment and then followed.

"Get out!" The door slammed shut.

"?!"

Why should Song Luoning let her leave? Just because she met the male lead once, has she changed so much?

Xiao Yu stared at the closed door, lowered her head, and her eyes were about to overflow with grievance. She pouted, and after a long while, she came back to her senses, but her mind was still blank, and her gaze remained fixed on the door.

The door suddenly opened, and Song Luoning appeared with a cold face: "Come in!"

Xiao Yu bit her lip, suddenly realizing something. Her eyes reddened slightly, as if she had suffered a great injustice and the culprit was right in front of her.

Seeing this, Song Luoning's heart skipped a beat, and she tightened her ten fingers hidden under her wide sleeves.

“Wife…” Xiao Yu looked at her.

"Come in first." Song Luoning loosened her fingers, sighed slightly, turned around and sat down at the round table, her voice more consoling: "If you have feelings for him, I advise you to give up as soon as possible. He is not suitable for you."

Is it right for you but not for me?

Xiao Yu felt even more wronged. Song Luo Ning liked the male lead after just one meeting? What about their previous relationship?

Thinking of Xiao Yu, whose tears were already falling uncontrollably, Song Luo Ning felt a tightness in her chest as she looked at her tears. She stood up and took out a handkerchief to wipe them for her. It would have been better if she hadn't wiped them, because now the tears were flowing even more. She felt a little helpless.

Do you like it that much?

“It’s not that I don’t want you to like him, it’s just that the court is in turmoil right now. He is the heir of Prince Chang, and Prince Chang is ruthless in eliminating dissidents in court. He is really not a good person.” Song Luo Ning sighed and said softly, “Why are you crying like this?”

Not a good man?

Xiao Yu stopped crying, blinked, and wondered if she had misunderstood that Song Luoning liked him, and that Song Luoning didn't actually like the male lead at all.

Xiao Yu suppressed his excitement: "Song Luoning, you don't like him, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Song Luoning frowned, stopped what she was doing, looked up at her, and said coldly, "I don't like him."

dislike.

She really misunderstood Song Luoning. She said that she and Song Luoning were in love with each other, so how could Song Luoning like someone else?

Xiao Yu burst into tears of joy and hugged Song Luoning tightly: "I thought you liked him and didn't want me anymore, sob sob~"

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably again: "Waaah~"

That lecherous scoundrel.

Song Luoning sighed softly, gently wrapped her arms around her waist, and whispered, "I don't like him, don't cry."

"I know, I know now, boohoo~, I just couldn't help it~" Only Xiao Yu's sobbing and occasional sneezing could be heard in the quiet room.

Song Luo Ning sighed, realizing that the more she tried to comfort him, the harder he cried. She curled her fingers, hesitated for a moment, then gently patted Xiao Yu's back and said softly, "Xiao Yu will be back soon. Don't let her see you crying..."

Xiao Yu was stunned, then wiped away her tears with her sleeve: "Mother... Madam is right, we can't let her see."

Xiao Yu hiccuped.

Song Luoning gently curled her lips into a smile, then solemnly said, "I don't like him. Prince Chang now sees Father as a thorn in his side. I'm worried that if he finds out our identities, he might harm us. So, you've had to wear women's clothes for a while. We'll be safe once we return to the capital."

We need to leave Gyeongju first.

“I understand, my wife. I am a woman, so there’s nothing wrong with changing back into women’s clothes. According to you, we should leave here as soon as possible. Let’s pack up and leave when Chen Yu comes back,” Xiao Yu said.

Song Luoning smiled and pushed her away, sitting down on the stool again: "The Prince Chang's mansion is arresting people, and I'm worried that the city gates have already been sealed."

What?

The city gates are already sealed? Xiao Yu was startled. What should he do if they are sealed?

"Wife, let's go take a look first. Maybe it's not as bad as we thought." Xiao Yu was uncertain.

"Yes, I'll listen to my husband." Song Luoning smiled.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"..." Xiao Yu was taken aback, and he and Song Luoning looked at the door at the same time, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

"Sister-in-law, it's me." Chen Yu's voice rang out from outside the door.

Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief: "Wife."

Song Luoning nodded, then walked towards the door. Opening it, she saw Chen Yu standing outside, covered in sweat: "Something terrible has happened! There are soldiers everywhere outside..."

Xiao Yu made way for her to come in, glanced at Song Luoning, and pursed his lips: "What do you think, my wife?"