Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Sharing a Bed

A sense of strangeness vaguely emerged in Zhe Rou's heart. Before she could think about it, she heard Lu Chen hum lightly, "After work today, I went to the residence of Prime Minister Xu. He is a man who likes elegance and loves incense. Maybe he was affected by the Xun Ling Shili Fragrance in his family."

When mentioning Mr. Xu Chong, Lu Chen's eyebrows turned slightly cold, and his voice was also tinged with fatigue.

Seeing his expression, the vague uneasiness in Zhe Rou's heart turned into worry.

Lu Chen once mentioned to her that Xu Chong was a man with a kind face but a cruel heart, and was very cunning.

The Xu and Lu families were old friends. At that time, Xu Chong was just an unknown Hanlin scholar, but Lu's father had already held the position of Vice-Chancellor and Prince's Tutor, and had always supported Xu Chong.

Unexpectedly, the Eastern Palace was later deposed for treason, and Lu's father was implicated and convicted. Except for Lu Chen's cousin Xie Yunzhou who knelt down to plead for mercy to the emperor, no one in the court or the country dared to speak for the Lu family. Xu Chong directly refused to let Lu Chen in, and left him to fend for himself on the road to exile.

In just four years, the situation changed and the Lu family fell into decline, but Xu Chong became the powerful Shangshu Pushe, and was deeply trusted by the emperor.

She didn't understand much about state affairs, nor was she clear about the old grudges between the two families. She just watched Lu Chen getting busier and busier every day. Compared to when he was in Taozhou, although he still had a smile on his face, he could not hide his fatigue and he looked much thinner.

Thinking of this, Zhe Rou couldn't help but feel distressed. She raised her hand and touched Lu Chen's cheek, and said softly to comfort him: "Bingyan, we don't seek fame, we only seek peace. If it really doesn't work out, our family will go back to Taozhou and live our lives as usual."

The air was quiet for a moment. Lu Chen's sharp and deep eyes slowly opened a little. He looked at her quietly for a while and smiled, "Don't be afraid. I know what to do."

"With you here, I'm not afraid." Zhe Rou smiled, stroked his temples, and looked at him with bright eyes, "My Alang, you are a dragon among men."

Lu Chen grabbed her fingertips and rubbed them unconsciously for a few times. He raised his eyes and looked over, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. He only called out softly, "妱妱..."

Zhe Rou smiled, feeling that Lu Chen was worried about something, but seeing that he was unwilling to talk more, she did not ask any more questions and just urged him to take a shower and rest.

The sound of gurgling water could be heard in the clean room. Zhe Rou leaned against the couch and casually picked up the medical book on the bedside to read it.

After turning a few pages, Zhe Rou's mind gradually calmed down. She was reading intently when the light in front of her eyes suddenly dimmed. Lu Chen leaned over, with a hint of fresh water vapor after a bath, snatched the medical book from her hand, tossed it aside, and said with a smile: "You don't need to practice medicine anymore, so why are you still studying so hard? Did I marry a teacher?"

"That won't do." Zhe Rou glared at him, then stood up and carefully laid the letter flat. "I'm also thinking of opening a pharmacy and selling some finished medicines and prescriptions."

"There's no shortage of money at home, so why bother working so hard?"

Zhe Rou smiled and said, "I want to find something to do."

It seemed like this would allow her to take root in the unfamiliar city of Shangjing. Lu Chen lowered his eyes and glanced at her. "Most of the pharmacies and medical shops in Shangjing are located on Maxing Street. I'll take you there someday. It's near Zhoubei Wazi, which is very lively at night. They also have your favorite fried lamb."

Zhe Rou's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Lu Chen chuckled softly, stretched out his long legs on the couch, and put his arm around her shoulders. Zhe Rou rested her head on his arm, and her body nestled loosely in his arms.

Lu Chen lowered his head slightly and saw that her dark black hair was loosely pulled to one side, revealing a piece of white and tender neck with a thin red thread wrapped around it.

She always wore the jade locket he had when he was a child.

Lu Chen's eyes dimmed slightly, and he hugged Zhe Rou into his arms again, lowered his head to find her lips, lingeringly sucking and kissing her. As their breaths intertwined, his warm palm with thin calluses reached in along the hem of her clothes, grasped that soft spot familiarly, and rubbed it carefully with his palm.

"妱妱."

A low and gentle murmur echoed in her ears. Zhe Rou unconsciously tightened her legs, tilted her neck back and breathed softly, murmured his name between her lips and teeth, "Lu Bingyan..."

The room gradually became quiet, and only the intertwined and rising sounds of breathing could be heard. The night wind blew through the courtyard, and the banana leaves under the eaves rustled, as if shaking off a cloud of spring rain.

Zhe Rou opened her eyes in a daze, looking at the gauze tent that swayed like water waves, and vaguely remembered the pomegranate tree she had planted in the courtyard in Taozhou. Unfortunately, they had moved to Shangjing before it bloomed.

She panted lightly and raised her hand to stroke Lu Chen's brow. "I want to plant a pomegranate tree in the yard..."

Lu Chen understood her thoughts, and leaning against her sweaty forehead, he chuckled softly, "Okay."

"On the swing... set up a bamboo shed, and relax and read in the summer..."

"Yeah." His breathing was rapid, but his movements became more gentle, sometimes slow and sometimes deep according to her reaction. "I'll do as you say."

Zhe Rou blushed, gently closed her eyes, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

She likes to settle things bit by bit like this, as if her heart also settles down, making her full of hope for the future.

"Still want to... um——"

The rest of the words were blocked back. He seemed a little dissatisfied and bit her ear lightly, his hot breath blowing into her ear, "Focus."

…

By the time the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, it was already past midnight. Zhe Rou's eyelids felt heavy and she was so tired that she was half asleep and half awake. After a while, she fell into a deep sleep.

It's late at night and the moon is swaying gently.

Lu Chen looked at her peaceful sleeping face, watched quietly for a long while, reached out and brushed the sweat-soaked hair on her temples behind her ears. The light in the curtain was dim, reflecting the hazy shadow of the moon. A hint of darkness flashed in his eyes, but he couldn't see it clearly, and he quickly disappeared into the darkness.

**

Perhaps because she had been tossing and turning for too long last night, Zhe Rou slept very soundly. She didn't know what time it was when she woke up. The curtains were drawn tightly and the light was dim.

Her whole body felt sore and weak, and Zhe Rou reached out to her side in a daze, but found nothing.

After a moment of confusion, she reached out and gently lifted a corner of the bed curtain to look out.

Lu Chen had gotten up at some point and was already wearing a ivory-white robe with arrow-sleeves and cloud patterns. He was standing in front of the screen, adjusting his sleeves. Seeing Zhe Rou wake up, he walked over, touched her face, and whispered, "It's still early. If you're sleepy, just sleep a little longer. There's no rush to get up."

"Um."

Zhe Rou was really tired, so she nodded and lifted the quilt.

Lu Chen turned around and picked up the slipper on the table. "I'll probably be back late today. If you want to eat, don't wait for me."

Zhe Rou lazily wrapped herself in the quilt. After hearing what he said, she casually asked, "Aren't you taking a day off today?"

She remembered that today was the ten-day period, and Lu Chen was now in charge of the Dragon God Guard's duties, so according to the rules he should have a rest every ten days.

Lu Chen paused for a moment as he fastened his belt, then nodded imperceptibly, "I should have taken a rest, but some military matters need to be dealt with as soon as possible."

Zhe Rou responded softly, still a little sleepy, with her eyes slightly closed, and she didn't notice the strangeness in his expression.

After tidying his clothes, Lu Chen glanced at her with lowered eyes, then walked out of the main hall, walked along the stone steps and corridor, and went to Songchunyuan where Zheng Lanbi lived.

Passing through an inner door in the middle, you enter the small courtyard. Two tall and straight sycamore trees in the courtyard are about to sprout new leaves, and a few clusters of camellias in front of the house are in full bloom, with pink clouds, red ribbons, and jade-like dots.

Shortly after Zheng Lanbi got up, she recited the Shurangama Sutra twice in the small Buddhist hall. After she had washed and dressed with the help of a maid, she tied her hair tightly together on both sides of her temples and pinned it with only a thin silver hairpin. There was no other decoration in her hair, which made her look noble and elegant, with a reserved demeanor.

Lu Chen walked in, bowed to her and called out, "Mother."

Hearing the voice, Zheng Lanbi raised her head and looked at him with a hint of anger on her face.

When the Lu family was convicted, she, as an official's wife, should have been demoted to a slave. Fortunately, the emperor showed mercy and she was spared from being implicated. She was only allowed to stay in the Zheng family to live and practice in seclusion.

Even so, she had experienced the fickleness of the world and witnessed the warmth and coldness of human nature in the past four years. It was not until her son made military achievements and restored the Lu family's prosperity that she straightened her back again. But now, her son had humiliated her for a country girl.

"You still know that I have a mother?"

Lu Chen smiled nonchalantly, "Are you angry with your son, mother?"

Zheng Lanbi had a cold face and pursed her lips.

The atmosphere in the room was a little stagnant for a moment. Nanny Cui hurried to the ear room to ask someone to make some new tea. After a while, she brought in a plate of pine yellow cakes that Lu Chen loved to eat when he was young, and also poured him a cup of Yangxian Xueya that he usually drank, and respectfully placed it next to him.

Lu Chen turned his eyes away calmly, pretending not to see anything.

Zheng Lanbi looked at him in silence for a long moment, barely suppressing her anger. She ordered in a tight voice, "Aju, go down first. He's here to give a face to the guy in the East Courtyard. This has nothing to do with you."

Watching Aunt Cui retreat coldly, Lu Chen curled his lips, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "I know that mother doesn't like Ning, but she is her son's after all. Please don't make things difficult for her in the future."

"What kind of talk is that!" Zheng Lanbi couldn't help but scold, "Could it be that you really intend to make that country girl your legal wife?"

Lu Chen frowned and endured without saying a word.

Zheng Lanbi took a deep breath and said, "Let me ask you, when we met at the palace banquet not long ago, did Xu Shiliu Niang develop feelings for you? Is that true?"

Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, his brows furrowed slightly, "What kind of nonsense does mother listen to all day long?"

Zheng Lanbi didn't refute him, but looked up at him deeply. "You've just returned to the capital, and your foothold is still unsettled. You're looking for a capable wife. How can you ruin your career for a mere woman? Although Xu Chong and our Lu family had a grudge, he's now at the peak of his power, and the Xu family's second wife has even married the Third Prince. If you can marry into the Xu family, it will settle past grievances and greatly benefit your career."

"Four years ago, your father was convicted for his words, and you were stripped of your honors. From now on, you can only live as a warrior. In this world, scholars are noble and noble, while warriors are lowly. Are you willing to live like this? Even if you don't care, how can your father rest in peace in his grave? All you need is to find a good marriage. Later, with your meritorious service to the emperor and your relationship with the emperor as your brother-in-law, it will be easy to restore your honor."

Lu Chen was silent, his profile hard and tense.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zheng Lanbi's expression gradually turned cold, and her tone carried a hint of brooking no argument: "You are responsible for the Lu family's support. If you really like her and want to keep her as a concubine, I'm not against it, but as my wife, I will definitely not tolerate your willful behavior."

After a moment of silence, Lu Chen glanced at her and lowered his eyelashes. "I will take care of this matter myself. Mother, there is no need to mention it again."

He saluted, turned and walked out the door.

Zheng Lanbi suddenly stood up and called out to him, "Sanlang!"

"Are you really completely indifferent to Xu Shiliu Niang? Then where did you go yesterday?"

Hearing this, Lu Chen's expression changed slightly. Standing by the door, he slowly turned around, his thin lips pursed coldly, "What do you mean by this, mother?"

Seeing his strange expression, Zheng Lanbi's originally vague guess gradually became certain.

"You don't have to hide it from me." Zheng Lanbi raised her head slightly, feeling quite relieved. It seemed as if she had thought of something ridiculous. "Only an ignorant country woman like Ning would be so easily deceived by you and foolishly hope to become your wife."