Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Thoughts (Edited)

Zhe Rou was stunned.

She never thought that she would see Xie Yunzhou here.

No one knew how long he had been outside in the rain. His clothes were all soaked, and his black hair was soaked with water. Perhaps he had caught a cold in the rain, his face was a little pale, and his eyebrows and eyes looked even darker and more shiny than ink.

"Mingqi? Why are you here?"

Zhe Rou was slightly startled, but without giving it much thought, she hurriedly stood up and walked to the window. She carefully looked around outside, and seeing that no one was around, she quickly turned around, closed the window, and fastened the wooden bolt.

Xie Yunzhou stared at her without blinking, his eyes showing no sign of disguising his concern and nervousness. "Jiu Niang, how have you been lately?"

Zhe Rou's nose felt slightly sore, and she smiled at him reassuringly, "I'm fine."

Xie Yunzhou frowned, studying her expression. Water droplets kept rolling down his well-defined temples, dripping and dripping, and soon a puddle formed at his feet. "I came to find you because of what we said on the boat. If you don't want to reconcile with Lu Chen, I will find a way to send you away and find you another place to settle down."

Zhe Rou was stunned, her eyes feeling slightly hot.

Although she was planning to leave secretly, she didn't know how likely it was to succeed. At this moment, someone extended a helping hand at all costs. It would be a lie to say that she was not touched at all, but she really didn't want to cause trouble for others, especially Xie Yunzhou, who had such a close connection with Lu Chen.

Zhe Rou gritted her teeth and finally said softly, "Mingqi, I think you know Lu Chen's character better than I do. You two have been brothers for over twenty years, and your affection is rare. If one day you turn against each other because of me, it would be unworthy."

Not wanting her to refuse, Xie Yunzhou tightened his jaw slightly, his Adam's apple rolled slightly, and his eyes were dark and unclear. "Jiu Niang, are you willing to be restrained by him like this and let him bully you?"

Do you like him... that much? Even if it hurts, you still can't let him go?

Zhe Rou subconsciously clenched her palms.

She naturally didn't want to. But what could she do? Was she going to drag someone who had nothing to do with it into this? Furthermore, his identity was so different. If Lu Chen knew about it, who knew what kind of trouble it would cause.

"Mingqi, this is a matter between him and me. I will find a way to resolve it myself. I don't want to involve others." Zhe Rou pursed her lips and still shook her head to refuse. "It's getting late. Lu Chen will be back soon. You should go back first."

The room fell silent.

The night rain became heavier and heavier, knocking against the window frames and roof tiles, making a loud and clear sound.

Xie Yunzhou suddenly raised his head, looked straight at her, and said word by word: "Jiu Niang, you know what I am thinking."

Zhe Rou's eyelashes twitched slightly, and she lowered her head and fell silent.

"Nine Lady, I won't hide it from you. Your affairs have never been a nuisance to me, but rather something I enjoy. If I had to watch you suffer, that would be a burden."

Zhe Rou opened her lips, her throat slightly choked, "Ming Qi..."

Not sure if she would continue to refuse, Xie Yunzhou simply interrupted her, "Jiu Niang, don't worry. Others might not be able to handle Lu Bingyan, but I'm different. Sending you away is just selfish. You don't have to respond, and don't think too much. Just wait until we get on the boat, and I'll take care of everything."

Zhe Rou's heart began to pound rapidly.

After a long while, she finally nodded and said softly, "Thank you."

Xie Yunzhou's expression suddenly brightened, he pursed his lips and whispered, "Then I'll go first."

"……Um."

Xie Yunzhou raised his lips and smiled at her, turned and walked to the window, supported himself on the windowsill with one hand, jumped out, and his figure quickly disappeared in the thick night.

After watching him leave, Zhe Rou returned to the couch and was lost in thought for a long while. After calming down, she felt half uneasy and half regretful.

It was not until she heard a very familiar sound of footsteps in the yard that she suddenly came to her senses. She hurriedly lay back on the couch, pulled the quilt, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

As expected, Lu Chen quickly pushed the door open and walked in. The old wooden door creaked slightly.

Hearing Lu Chen slowly approaching, Zhe Rou's heart began to beat rapidly. She took a deep breath secretly, faced the couch, and tried her best to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.

It seemed like he just came to check on her and make sure she was still in the room.

Lu Chen did not stay long. He just looked at her silently for a while, then turned and walked out, closing the door lightly. The sound of water splashing came from the bathroom.

An unknown amount of time passed before Zhe Rou felt something sink beside her. Lu Chen got on the couch, lifted a corner of the quilt, and pulled her into his arms from behind.

He had just showered briefly in the bathroom, his entire body covered in moisture. With warmth, he pressed against her soft body, murmuring, "Miss."

Zhe Rou closed her eyes and did not respond.

Soon, warm lips fell on the back of her neck, kissing and biting gently.

She had always been very sensitive there, and he soon aroused her to the point where her back felt numb and her hair stood on end.

Zhe Rou suddenly felt uncomfortable, pushed away his hand that was wandering around her waist, and said vaguely: "Don't make trouble, I'm sleepy."

Hearing the sound, Lu Chen tightened his arms around her, rubbing her cheek, his hard nose across her slender neck, his breath hot and heavy, all falling on her neck.

He didn't know where the interest came from. Zhe Rou was preoccupied and didn't bother to agree with him. Just as he was about to move forward a few inches, he suddenly heard Lu Chen's hoarse voice ringing out in the dimness.

"Do you know where I went tonight?"

Zuo was just busy collecting evidence of his enemies' crimes. Zhe Rou pursed her lips and ignored him.

"I killed Wang Zhonggan."

Suddenly, a white light flashed outside the window, and a muffled thunder exploded overhead.

His voice was low, with a hint of mockery in his tone, "What a pity, dying so easily is a bargain for him."

Zhe Rou was stunned for a moment, then opened her eyes in astonishment. After a long while, she turned around and looked over, "He is a third-rank official..."

Lu Chen pinched her chin, staring at her closely with his dark eyes, and asked tentatively, "Miss, are you worried that I'll get into trouble?"

Zhe Rou frowned in resistance.

"Don't be afraid, I've already taken care of everything." Lu Chen chuckled, turned her over, pressed down, and bit her ear with his hot lips. "It won't be long before the matter in Shangjing is over. I'll take you back to Taozhou."

The two of them were too close, and Zhe Rou could clearly sense that something was wrong with him. The aura around him was very unusual. Zhe Rou's face changed slightly, and she couldn't help but want to hide in the couch.

Lu Chen was in a murderous mood tonight. His blood was boiling and he was entangled in passion, but suddenly he saw the pair of black eyes of the person under him were clear and bright, without any emotion or desire, and even a hint of impatience.

As if a bucket of cold water was poured on him, Lu Chen froze in place for a moment, staring at her with his dark eyes for a long while, then suddenly turned over and got off the bed, striding out barefoot.

This small courtyard is just a temporary place to stay, and all the utensils are simple and casual. Now there is only cold water drawn from the well in the bathroom, which is just what we need.

After a long time, the sound of water gradually subsided. Lu Chen pushed the door open and came out to see Zhe Rou already face-first into the bed, sound asleep. The candlelight was dim, and the thin gauze draped, hazily reflecting a beautiful and soft curve, like a crabapple blossom in spring, sleeping alone through the mist.

Lu Chen slowly walked to the edge of the couch and sat down. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he felt an indescribable powerlessness in his heart.

Tonight he was out risking his life, and was caught in the cold rain for most of the night, his heart full of murderous anger and depression. But when he returned to the courtyard and saw the warm yellow candlelight shining through the window, it was as if some missing thing was filled in an instant, and his heart suddenly calmed down.

He absolutely cannot live without Jiejie.

But now, although she was clearly beside him, she seemed to be separated from him by thousands of mountains and rivers. There was no longer any gentleness or response from her, only vigilance and resistance.

After sitting in silence for a while, Lu Chen raised his hand to smooth the loose hair on her temples, lifted the quilt and got on the bed, stretched out his arms familiarly to hold her in his arms, and fell asleep together.

Zhe Rou was preoccupied with her thoughts, and Lu Chen was right behind her, his warmth hard to ignore. Although she managed to fall asleep, her sleep was not peaceful. Hazy dreams came one after another, causing chaos and fragmentation.

It was as if she had returned to the battlefield in the north that year. The surroundings were shrouded in fog, and flocks of crows flew across the sky. She didn't know how long she had been traveling in the desert when she suddenly saw Lu Chen, covered in blood, kneeling in the yellow sand with his eyes closed. The soft armor on his body had long been broken, and several long swords had pierced through his heart and lungs. Blood dripped down, slowly gathering under him into a dazzling crimson stream.

Her eyes flashed violently for a long while before she looked towards the sword with trembling hands. The person holding the sword was actually Xie Yunzhou.

She was stunned and opened her mouth, but no sound came out. When she turned around again, the person holding the sword was herself again. Her hands were wet and sticky, covered with hot red blood, and you couldn't even see the original skin color.

I don’t know when it was, the wind and rain outside became heavier, and suddenly there seemed to be thunder exploding above my head.

Zhe Rou's shoulders trembled, and she suddenly woke up with a start, blurting out, "Lu Bingyan!"

"Xiaoxiao?" Lu Chen finally woke up and reached out to touch her cheek.

Zhe Rou hadn't recovered from the nightmare yet. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her body felt so weak that she had no strength left. She had to let Lu Chen half-help her to stand. The next moment, a slightly cool cup of tea touched her lips. A stream of warm tea moistened her lungs, bringing a light aftertaste of sweetness, which eased her mind a little.

"Did you dream about me?"

Hearing a hint of pride in his tone, Zhe Rou bit her lip tightly. After a while, she sneered, "I dreamed that you were dead."

Lu Chen was not annoyed, but seemed to be in a very good mood. He kissed the top of her head lightly and chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't die."

After feeding her tea, Lu Chen laid her down, patted her back soothingly, and coaxed her softly, "Don't be afraid, go to sleep."

Zhe Rou lay back on the couch in a daze, but she hadn't come back to her senses yet, and waves of fear could not stop rising in her heart.

Although she had resentment and hatred towards Lu Chen, she had never thought of harming his life. She only hoped that they could live in peace from now on and forget each other. If he and Xie Yunzhou really turned against each other because of her, she was afraid that she would never have peace for the rest of her life.

Noticing that she was still a little stiff, Lu Chen held the back of her head with one hand and held her tightly in his arms. He gave her light kisses all the way down, from the top of her head to her eyebrows, and then lingered on her lips, gently rolling and sucking them.

There was no aggressive aura that made her resist, but rather an extremely familiar intimacy and tenderness, with a touch of gentle soothing.

That year, she went to the desert alone to look for him. She witnessed the brutal killings and bloodshed on the battlefield and was tortured when she returned. For more than half a year after that, she would wake up from her dreams every night. Only with his comfort and companionship could she slowly fall asleep and sleep soundly until dawn.

There had long been a huge gap between their hearts, but such a familiar touch and breath still made her heart tremble slightly.

She couldn't explain why, but his gentle comfort made her want to escape even more than his previous harsh coercion.

Zhe Rou instinctively wanted to retreat, but the house here was simple and the bed was cramped, barely enough for two people. She had nowhere to hide.

Sensitively aware of her changes from before, Lu Chen used more patience and slowly kissed and teased her.

Zhe Rou unconsciously tilted her neck back, gasping for breath, clutching the quilt tightly, her slender fingertips turning white from the force.

Hot sweat gradually seeped out of her cheeks. She was about to be sent there, but he stopped at this moment, hanging her in an extremely cruel way, making her feel uncomfortable and unable to move up or down.

After taking two light breaths, Zhe Rou's half-closed eyes opened slightly, with a hint of moisture in them.

The light between the bed curtains was dim. Lu Chen's dark eyes stared at her intently, like a male beast waiting for an opportunity to hunt in the forest in the depths of spring. His gaze gradually captured her languid appearance. After a long while, he whispered, "Miss, do you want me?"

This guy is becoming more and more vile and shameless. Everything he did before was just an illusion. This strong and vicious side is his true face.

Zhe Rou was filled with shame and anger for a moment, and refused to do as he wished. She raised her hand to push him down, but he grabbed her wrist instead.

"Tell me, do you want me?" A rough palm with thin calluses reached into the hem of the clothes.

Zhe Rou said nothing, only feeling a subtle and long tingling sensation spreading from one end to the other. Her body felt swollen and sore, and she felt an indescribable sense of emptiness and discomfort.

"Jiaojiao, do you want me?" Lu Chen's eyes turned red, hot sweat rolled down his neat hair, and he still stared at her stubbornly.

Zhe Rou was like a fish out of water, gasping for breath under his fingers, but the more she did so, the more stubborn she became. She gasped lightly, bit her lips tightly, and turned her head away.

It doesn't seem like the passionate love between a man and a woman, but more like a patient competition and fight between a hunter and his prey.

Hot sweat rolled down his face. Lu Chen couldn't stand her stubbornness and finally gave in. He reached out and pulled her cheek, leaned over and kissed her deeply.

"Lu Bingyan!"

Zhe Rou whimpered and bit his shoulder angrily, the smell of blood instantly spreading between her lips and teeth.

He was a bad person to begin with, and with her by his side, it was naturally impossible for him to be a true gentleman with a pure heart and few desires.

The green gauze curtains were slowly drawn tightly, and streams of sweat oozed out from between the cramped bed curtains. I fell into a drowsy state and didn't know what time it was. The sound of rain outside the house became a patter and a rustling sound.

Zhe Rou rested tiredly in the brocade quilt.

Lu Chen retracted his arms and held her tightly in his embrace. His hot breath, accompanied by sweat, fell on her brow. "I remember, your mother's birthday is next month. Daxiangguo Temple enshrines your father and her eternal lamp. You must go back and burn some incense."

After a pause, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from her temples, "After this is settled, we'll go back to Taozhou. It's almost time to visit Xiao Wu's grave..."

Lu Chen lowered his voice and, as if coaxing her, slowly spoke of the trivial, ordinary, yet heartwarming daily life. After their intimacy, in the dim and hidden room between the bed curtains, there was an especially bewitching power.

Zhe Rou, however, no longer indulged herself in it. Her heart felt cold and clear. She raised her head and looked at him quietly, "If it were to happen again, Lu Bingyan, you would still act like this... right?"

Their eyes met, and looking at her clear and bright eyes, Lu Chen's heart suddenly tightened.

Do you regret it?

Since she left, he had asked himself this question many times during the long sleepless nights.

However, regret is useless. He cannot regret, nor does he dare to regret.

Ever since his father died and he was thrown into exile, returning to the capital and taking revenge has become his obsession. No matter what, Xu Chong must not die a good death, but he will never let go of his sister.

She was so gentle, and as long as he held her close to him and coaxed her lovingly, he didn't believe that things wouldn't turn around.

Lu Chen gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and held his breath, and replied, "No. Yaoyao, I can't."

Zhe Rou understood his hesitation for a moment, and couldn't help but laugh at herself in the darkness, her heart sinking.

She curled up in the quilt and nodded perfunctorily, "That's good."

Hearing her words, Lu Chen's mind suddenly relaxed. He leaned over and kissed her hot cheek, then whispered in her ear, "Miss, live a good life with me from now on, and never leave me again."

Zhe Rou closed her eyes, her fingertips touched the soft cloth pouch under the pillow, and she quietly clenched it, unwillingly not saying a word to refute.