Chapter 106 His tender gaze was as if he were looking at his beloved…

This feeling of intimate contact with a man's lips and teeth was extremely unfamiliar to Shen Qinglu.

But for some reason, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

It seems that not only in my dreams from my past life, but also in my dreams in this life, I've had similar feelings, like eating a soft, smooth candy, with stretchy, sweet strands.

The man's aura invaded with domineering force, yet it carried a hint of restraint.

She lay flat and endured it, feeling a little dizzy as she thought that she didn't seem to dislike this kind of physical contact. She frantically searched for reasons in her mind, thinking that it was because the other person's appearance and figure were excellent that she felt it was completely acceptable.

After the man's breath had left for a while, she seemed to be startled. Her eyelids twitched a few times before she slowly opened them and looked at the face hovering above her.

Handsome, repressed, like a volcano that has been dormant for thousands of years, seemingly accumulated over countless years, and has reached the critical point where it can no longer endure, ready to erupt at the slightest opportunity.

"woke up?"

Mu Hanshi's voice was deep and low. When he spoke, he deliberately lowered his head, first touching her nose with his, and then his thin lips lightly brushed against her lips and cheek.

It seemed like a declaration of sovereignty, but also a test, mixed with an unspeakable sense of caution.

She hummed in response, looking as if she had just woken up from a dream. Her bright red face looked somewhat blank, as if she had no idea what was going on.

His dark, jade-like pupils seemed veiled in mist, moist, clear, clean, and endearing, making one wish to cup them in one's palm.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, but the atmosphere didn't become awkward; instead, it became even more lively.

She seemed oblivious to the strange look in Mu Hanshi's eyes and the unusual way he was acting. Without any affectation, or even rather unladylike behavior, she yawned, her voice like a murmur, "I'm so sleepy. Is there something you need? If not, I want to sleep more."

"You can keep sleeping. I'll leave after I finish speaking."

How can I continue sleeping?

She slowly sat up, wrapped in the blanket. The mist in her eyes had dissipated, and her eyes were clear and bright, like the brightest star in the darkest night.

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

Mu Hanshi didn't rush to reveal his intentions. Instead, he lowered his eyes, as if his eyes could only hold her.

She became inexplicably nervous under their gaze, her slender white fingers gripping the brocade quilt cover.

There was a time when she was in poor health and spent most of her time in bed, and her adoptive parents and brother always indulged her. She would sit up on the bed and listen to them talk.

So she was momentarily dazed as she looked at the person who was leaning towards her on one side.

It was similar to how her brother had acted in the past, but there was something different. If her brother's actions stemmed from concern, then this person's actions were possessive and aggressive.

Is it something you're hesitant to bring up?

"no."

Mu Hanshi suppressed the crazy urge in his heart to disregard everything and immediately take the person away and hide them away. His clenched fist, which was so strong that his knuckles turned white, slowly opened and unfolded into a shape as smooth as jade and bamboo.

"Now that I'm out in the public eye, I'm afraid I'm already a thorn in some people's side. If you stand by my side, you'll surely be implicated. I'm thinking of postponing our marriage for now, and discussing it again after things are settled. What do you say?"

This is definitely another test!

Shen Qinglu was speechless, thinking to herself that as expected of someone from the imperial family, they were inherently more suspicious than others. Step by step, they tested her left and right, while pretending to be so sincere.

If one is careless and falls into the trap, and actually agrees to this suggestion that benefits oneself, one may lose the initiative.

"no!"

She resolutely refused, then softened her tone, which sounded somewhat affectionate: "Since we have decided to become husband and wife, we are one, and we should share both joy and sorrow. How can I sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor? I don't want to wait until later. I want to stand openly by your side as soon as possible, so that the whole world knows that I am your wife, the one who stands shoulder to shoulder with you."

The word "wife" stirred Mu Hanshi's heart, and his suppressed madness surged forth, quickly overriding his composure.

Have you thought it through?

She sighed inwardly, but said firmly, "I've made up my mind."

Mu Hanshi's tall body leaned more and more towards her, his deep gaze like an invisible net, as if he wanted to cover her up and then capture her.

"Once you've made up your mind, you can't go back on it."

This person was indeed testing her!

Shen Qinglu looked at the dark fire in the other person's eyes and nodded.

After an unknown amount of time, the scent left by the man in the room gradually faded, and the night returned to silence.

But people's hearts were stirred up, like ripples spreading outwards, and could no longer find peace.

She simply slipped on her shoes, got out of bed, and went outside to wake Renchun.

Ren Chun rubbed her sore neck, thinking to herself that she had slept too soundly and hadn't even heard the girl get up. At the same time, she was also puzzled as to why the girl would go out at this hour.

"Young lady, where are you going?"

"I'm worried about my older brother, I'll go check on him."

She was indeed worried about Yu Jingxian, but it wasn't out of brotherly affection.

After all, she had risked her entire life for her own and those she cared about's livelihood, so naturally she couldn't tolerate anyone ruining her plans.

As the eldest son of the Yu family, Yu Jingxian was highly regarded by Yu Zhiheng and Shen Linlang, so he naturally received the best treatment.

Compared to Yu Jingliang, who didn't live in the mansion often before, his courtyard not only had a good location, but also an extremely elegant layout, showing the understated luxury of a scholarly family.

Two unfamiliar female servants stood guard at the entrance; both appeared to be highly skilled.

When they saw Shen Qinglu, they all bowed in unison.

Shen Qinglu said to them, "I have something I want to say to my elder brother, please step aside."

The two looked at each other, and one of them unlocked the door before silently retreating to the yard with the other.

Renchun stepped forward and pushed the door open.

A candle was lit in the room. Passing the embroidered screen depicting the Four Gentlemen, one came into view of a large, carved bed. Amidst the brocade-covered bedding, Yu Jingxian was fast asleep.

Shen Qinglu's eyes turned cold. "Tie him up!"

*

Yu Jingliang was in a daze, feeling colder and colder as he slept, and he couldn't move his body. It felt like something was strangling him, and he was very uncomfortable.

He muttered to himself, half asleep and half awake, that the servants in the mansion were not careful enough. The mattress must be too thin, and the quilt must not have been properly aired and beaten recently.

"Help! Help!"

He called out several times but received no response. Gradually, he became more alert and irritably half-opened his eyelids.

Suddenly meeting a pair of pitch-black eyes startled him awake. He stared in disbelief at the person who had appeared in his room, feeling as if he had seen a ghost in the middle of the night.

"You...how did you get here?" He barely moved before realizing he was bound hand and foot. A wave of panic washed over him, and his face paled. "You...what do you want?"

Shen Qinglu looked at him, her face expressionless.

Her face was cold and pale, her eyes dark and unfocused, like a beautiful ghost on the run.

A chill ran down his spine for no reason, and he screamed, "Help! Help!"

The sound carried outside, and the two maids heard it clearly. They looked at each other, both with hesitant expressions.

Ren Chun came out of the house and said to them with a smile, "This matter concerning the eldest young master cannot be resolved without being ruthless. Madam is like this, and so is the eldest young lady; they are all doing it for the eldest young master's good."

The two quickly agreed and turned their heads away with great tact.

Inside, Yu Jingxian called out for a long time but no one came. He became increasingly frightened, and his voice trembled as he cried out, "What do you want to do... I... I am your brother... If Mother finds out you have treated me like this, she will definitely not forgive you!"

"Brother?" Shen Qinglu's face showed a mocking expression, a half-smile on her lips. "What qualifications do you have to be my brother? Just because we are blood relatives, does that mean I have to respect and honor you?"

"You...you..." Yu Jingxian was terrified. He stammered for a long time, unable to utter a rebuttal. His face grew paler and paler. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out, "I'm going to tell Mother! I'm going to tell Mother!"

“You know how much your mother has valued you all these years, but how have you repaid her?” Shen Qinglu’s mockery deepened, and her eyes grew even darker, like a night without sunlight. “If she wasn’t utterly disappointed in you, why would she lock you up?”

Upon hearing this, his mind seemed to go blank.

After he was knocked unconscious and woke up, he saw Shen Linlang and naturally seized the opportunity to complain about Yu Jingliang and Shen Qinglu, thinking that Shen Linlang would stand up for him.

Shen Linlang didn't say a word at the time, only looked at him with disappointed and heartbroken eyes.

Then Mei Xiaomei came and took his pulse. She said that fortunately, his poisoning was not severe and he would recover if he abstained from alcohol for a month or so. Then he heard Shen Linlang order people to lock the door and send people to guard the door.

"I haven't done anything wrong, so why is Mother treating me like this? It must be you. Did you say something to Mother? Tang'er is right, you did it on purpose. You can't stand to see us doing well, you're here to harm us..."

He spoke softer and softer, probably thinking about the supernatural possibilities, and his eyes were filled with horror as he looked at Shen Qinglu.

"How are you all?" Shen Qinglu's voice was indifferent, soft, and cold. "Grandmother, Yu Qingxue, your father, Yu Tang—which of these people is well?"

"you……"

"None of them were good, so they are all gone."

“It’s you…” His voice trembled even more, and he had already realized what was going on.

“That’s right, it’s me.” Shen Qinglu’s eyes were full of cold indifference. “Anyone who wants to harm me or prevent me from living is not my family, even if they share the same blood as me.”

After saying that, she moved closer, her dark eyes like bottomless black holes, staring straight at Yu Jingxian, "Including you! If you behave yourself and don't cause trouble, I'll just treat you as a freeloader and let you stay under my nose. But if you live a restless life, causing trouble for the family every day and bringing disaster upon yourself, then you'll be just like them, get as far away from me as possible!"

“I am Mother’s eldest son, I…”

"I don't care what you are!" she scoffed. "If you don't believe me, feel free to try!"

Yu Jingxian's breathing was rapid and heavy. His eyes held ruthlessness and indifference, yet he remained defiant and unwilling to accept defeat. "I am Mother's own son. Mother could never abandon me..."

"She certainly won't abandon you, but if you disappear from this world, then it's not a question of whether she wants you or not."

"you……"

Yu Jingxian was so shocked that his heart almost jumped out of his chest, and he swallowed hard.

She curled her lips into a smile, lowered her eyes, and looked at him with disdain. "I mean what I say."

After saying that, he called Renchun in.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to tell Yu Jingxian, "If you still want to stay in this family, you'd better be patient for a while. And you must not tell anyone else what I just told you, including your mother."

When Yu Jingxian looked into her terrifyingly dark eyes, he felt as if he were soaking in dark, cold water, filled with indescribable fear and discomfort. He dared not utter a single word of dissent.

She left the courtyard and told the two maids to go back and keep watch.

The night grew deeper and quieter.

The sky was like a giant scroll painting, with a bright moon and clouds on it.

She walked for a while, then looked into the shadows as if sensing something. "You heard everything?"

Mu Hanshi emerged from the shadows, walked closer with his hands behind his back, and said, "I heard you."

"Since we are about to become husband and wife, I will not hide it from you. I am not a big-hearted person, I don't care about many people, and I am somewhat cold-blooded. I am destined not to be a virtuous wife in the future."

"I think it's great."

Those who prioritize power and are willing to use any means to seize it are indeed unscrupulous. For such people, marriage is merely one of the means to achieve their goals, and the appearance and temperament of the woman they marry are completely irrelevant.

As she turned to look at him, she was met with Mu Hanshi's eyes, which were filled with deep affection.

Such a gaze...

It was as if he were looking at his beloved.

But how could that be!

Perhaps the moonlight was too dim, which is why she had trouble seeing clearly.