Chapter 86 Being held in Lu Yuan's arms

Her voice was soft and gentle, like willow catkins scattered by the wind.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan lowered his eyes and looked at it carefully.

To allow him to see her clearly, the person in front of him tilted her head slightly. Her face was unadorned, and her long, thick eyelashes fluttered like startled butterfly wings. The corners of her eyes were slightly red, and her eyes were moist.

Lu Yuan frowned, seeing that she did seem to be in some discomfort, and couldn't help but recall what had just happened in the prison cell.

Could it be that he accidentally got it on his skin while smelling poison?

His heart sank. He disregarded the differences between men and women, raised his hand to touch her trembling eyelids, and examined her closely.

"My eyes are a little red, but I happened to have some heat-clearing and detoxifying ointment with me."

After looking at it, he took out a bottle of blue ointment from his sleeve and dissolved it between his fingertips. "It might be a little irritating, so bear with it."

Jiang Zhi nodded, and moved a little closer to him to make it easier for him to apply the medicine.

The height difference between the two was quite large, so Jiang Zhi stood on tiptoe, grabbed his clothes with both hands, and leaned towards him, so that there was almost no gap between them, as if she were throwing herself into his arms.

Lu Yuan's expression was somewhat unnatural, as if he was not used to such intimate contact with someone in public. But because it was Jiang Zhi, he did not feel much resistance and let her be.

He pressed his fingertips, smeared with ointment, to the corner of her eye, and heard her hiss as she involuntarily tried to pull her head back.

"Don't move." Lu Yuan's voice was extremely low, and one hand firmly gripped the back of her neck, making it impossible for her to move back.

Yan Wenhong was sitting in the carriage when he saw two familiar figures on the street and was startled. He immediately told the driver to stop the carriage.

He lifted the carriage curtain and looked over, only to see that the eldest daughter of the Jiang family was being held in Lu Yuan's arms, her head raised, seemingly doing something.

Lu Yuan, who was known for his coldness, had a gentle expression on his face that he himself didn't even realize. He held the back of her head with one hand and applied something to her face with the other.

Yan Wenhong was utterly amazed.

What kind of tricks does Miss Jiang have that make Lu Yuan, who is usually indifferent to women, so devoted to her?

It seems I must maintain a good relationship with her in the future.

Lu Yuan applied the medicine to Jiang Zhi and then used his fingertips to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

The skin beneath his palm was smooth and delicate like solidified cream, and her crimson lips were slightly parted, her neck forming a graceful yet fragile arc, her face filled with undisguised trust, "Lord Lu, is it ready?"

Ignoring the strange feeling in his heart, Lu Yuan gave a faint "hmm".

Jiang Zhi closed her eyes for a while to adjust before opening them. She blinked her sparkling pupils, and feeling that there was nothing unusual, she smiled brightly, "It's much better indeed, thank you, Lord Lu."

Just now, even with her eyes closed, Lu Yuan was still able to stare at her without any restraint.

Now, however, he stiffly turned his gaze away, afraid that she would notice his abnormality, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's alright."

Just then, a spoilsport voice came from the side, "Lord Lu, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Lu Yuan's previously warm and friendly expression immediately turned cold. Following the sound, he saw Yan Wenhong get off the carriage and cup his hands in greeting to him.

What do you want?

Despite his enthusiasm, Lu Yuan remained indifferent, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing slightly. He cautiously took half a step forward, standing in front of Jiang Zhi and blocking most of her figure.

Yan Wenhong seemed oblivious to his awkwardness, and simply smiled, asking, "Lord Lu, are you still busy with the Crown Princess case? Have you made any progress?"

Lu Yuan, his jaw clenched, gripped the embroidered spring knife beside him. "If Lord Yan is interested in this case, why don't you come with me to the imperial prison? I'll make sure you understand everything clearly."

"No need, no need." Yan Wenhong immediately felt embarrassed and gave up the idea of ​​asking any more questions.

It was as if he had just noticed the woman behind him, and he exclaimed "Eh!" as he leaned forward to look.

"Who is this young lady? She looks somewhat familiar."

Jiang Zhi knew he was pretending not to recognize her, and was about to step forward to greet him.

Lu Yuan reached out and stopped her, his tall and imposing figure completely blocking her view and preventing Yan Wenhong from probing.

“The people involved in this case have nothing to do with you,” Lu Yuan’s unfathomable black eyes were sharp as a hawk’s. “Lord Yan seems to have a lot of free time?”

"No, I was on my way to the palace to report to His Majesty when I happened to run into Lord Lu and came down to say hello. Since Lord Lu is busy, I'll take my leave now." After inquiring about the relationship between the two, Yan Wenhong returned to his carriage.

Everyone says that Lu Yuan is a difficult person to get along with, and it seems that apart from Miss Jiang, he really doesn't give anyone a good look.

I'd better not make a fool of myself here.

Before leaving, Yan Wenhong avoided Lu Yuan's gaze and subtly gave Jiang Zhi a wink.

As the carriage drove away, Jiang Zhi feigned ignorance and asked Lu Yuan, "Lord Lu, who is this?"

“The heir of the Earl of Zhongqin, Yan Wenkang’s elder brother Yan Wenhong,” Lu Yuan said in a cold voice, “Ignore him.”

Jiang Zhi's face immediately showed disgust. "So it was him. No wonder I felt uncomfortable as soon as I saw him. Are Lord Lu and he very close?"

Her attitude made it seem as if if he agreed, she would despise him as well and never speak to him again.

Lu Yuan sighed helplessly, "Look at how I was talking to him just now, we seemed like we were on good terms?"

"Thank goodness," Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, "otherwise I really wouldn't know how to face Lord Lu in the future."

Lu Yuan gave a slight smile. "Let's go."

He knew that Jiang Zhi had changed her residence, so he did not stop when he passed by the Jiang residence.

From the outside, the Jiang residence appears unchanged, showing no signs of having survived a fire.

At that moment, two people came out of the door.

A tall, slender man, as long as a bamboo branch, with the youthful air on his face just fading, dressed in a dark brocade robe, looked like a young man from a noble family.

The other person, who looked to be over forty, was wearing a dark-patterned Hangzhou silk robe and was slightly overweight; he was probably a teacher at the academy.

Upon seeing the young man, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Jiang Ningzheng, her stepson, has finally returned.

"Greetings, elder sister; greetings, Lord Lu," Jiang Ningzheng greeted the two immediately upon seeing them. "This is Mr. Bai, the supervisor of Lanting Academy. I was just seeing him off when we met by chance. What a coincidence..."

Lu Yuan's expression was distant, exuding a cold and unapproachable aura. "Just business."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ningzheng said, "Then I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now, Mr. Bai."

However, Mr. Bai did not move his feet. Instead, he looked Jiang Zhi up and down, as if he were examining some goods. He frowned and seemed to be picking at her.

Jiang Zhi felt uncomfortable under his undisguised gaze. She frowned and stepped back, tugging at Lu Yuan's sleeve. "Lord Lu, let's go."

Mr. Bai watched the two figures leave and sighed, "Ning Zheng, if this matter can be accomplished, then I will definitely make sure you get into Lanting Academy."

“It is my sister’s good fortune that Mr. Bai, as the abbot of Lanting Academy, has taken a liking to her.” Jiang Ningzheng’s face immediately lit up with joy.

Mr. Bai said, "Her appearance is secondary; it's just a pity that her reputation is so bad. Today, she was even personally escorted by Lu Yuan. It's utterly shameful. If I hadn't heard you say that she had managed the household and was quick-witted, someone like her would never have been allowed to enter the Bai family."

“Of course, it is my elder sister who is lucky to have met such a great match. I hope Mr. Bai will guide her well in the future,” Jiang Ningzheng echoed.

Mr. Bai laughed and said, "Of course, of course."