Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Mistaken Identity

The night was deep and dark, with a half-moon hanging high in the sky, casting a bright light on the ground.

Zhe Rou had already gone to bed and fallen asleep, but was awakened by a series of chaotic noises in the yard while she was half asleep.

The villa here does not occupy a large area. The secret well for storing ice in winter is located in the northwest corner of the backyard, not far from the main house. The sounds of the guards coming and going are particularly clear and audible in the dead of night.

Zhe Rou turned over in a daze on the couch, pulled up the quilt to wrap herself up, and was about to continue sleeping when someone knocked on the door urgently.

"Has my wife rested?"

It was Nan Heng's voice, slightly tense.

Zhe Rou slowly opened her eyes and sat up, hugging the quilt: "What happened?"

There was silence outside the room for a moment, and then Nan Heng's hesitant voice rang out, "Madam, I have an urgent matter. Could you please open the door and allow me to report in person?"

Zhe Rou paused, then said, "Okay," and then replied, "Wait a moment."

She got up, put on her clothes, went to bed to put on her shoes, casually tied her hair into a bun, and went to open the door.

But as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Nan Heng kneeling upright. The moonlight in the courtyard was clear, reflecting the dense beads of sweat on his forehead, and the expression on his face was extremely anxious.

"I don't know what happened to my husband, but he suddenly developed a high fever and kept calling for ice. This morning, when I was changing his dressing, I saw that his wound was still red and ulcerated. He's been soaking in ice water like this. I'm afraid he's in serious trouble. Please help me, my lady!"

Although it was a little late at this time, there was no curfew in the capital, and a doctor could be hired from a clinic outside. Zhe Rou frowned subconsciously and didn't want to pay too much attention to it.

Seeing her hesitation, Nan Heng made up his mind and leaned forward to kowtow, "Madam!"

Zhe Rou was startled and stretched out her hand to stop him, but Nan Heng had already bowed down firmly.

After a moment of silence, she pursed her lips and said, "Why bother? I'll go."

Seeing that she finally agreed, Nan Heng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

In an emergency, we have to make do with the temporary solution. At worst, we can wait until the man wakes up and then he can confess his crime and accept the punishment.

Without further delay, Nan Heng stood up swiftly and led Zhe Rou to the front yard.

A thin layer of snow covered the bluestone path, reflecting a cool glow in the moonlight.

When Zhe Rou walked into the study, she saw only two candles lit in the bathroom, casting flickering shadows on the damp walls. The light behind the screen became increasingly dim and misty.

"Lu Bingyan?" Zhe Rou walked in, stood behind the screen, and called softly.

There was no one in the inner room who responded, and only the faint sound of dripping water could be heard.

Zhe Rou couldn't help but frown, picked up a candlestick from the table, slowly walked around the screen, walked closer, and looked over.

Lu Chen was leaning back in the bathtub with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, his Adam's apple prominent, one arm sticking out wetly, resting on the edge of the tub as if exhausted, water droplets dripping slowly along his taut skin. The water in the bathtub was rippling gently, and the floating ice had not melted. With the slight rise and fall of his chest, it kept spinning on the water's surface, colliding with tiny, crisp sounds.

Seeing that his breathing was heavy but still steady, Zhe Rou breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously, and opened her lips slightly. Just as she was about to call him again, she suddenly smelled a faint fishy and sweet smell in the air.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked over in the candlelight, and the dim light illuminated the small space inside.

It's blood.

The candlelight flickered, and the thin and strong forearm was covered with scars, some old and some new, as if it had been cut by a piece of porcelain. The skin and flesh at the wound were hideously curled, and blood mixed with ice water dripped drop by drop along the slender fingers, forming a pool of light red on the blue brick floor.

"Lu Chen!" Zhe Rou's hand trembled, and the candlestick almost fell out of her hand. She couldn't help but open her eyes wide and said in panic, "You...what are you doing?"

As if he heard her voice in a trance, Lu Chen opened his eyes very slowly and looked at her with difficulty.

His face was wet, and it was hard to tell whether it was hot sweat or cold water. His inky black hair was soaked through and stuck to his pale forehead in a mess. The corners of his eyes were abnormally red, and his eyes were hazy and distracted. He drifted for a long time before he managed to gather a trace of clarity, but it seemed as if he couldn't even make out who was in front of him.

Zhe Rou's heart tightened suddenly, and she felt that the situation was not good, "...Lu Bingyan?"

He still didn't respond.

With human life at stake, she had no time to dwell on her previous grudges. She immediately reached out to feel his pulse.

Lu Chen had clearly been immersed in cold water for a long time, but she only felt the wetness and coolness when her fingertips touched his wrist. Her fingertips paused for a moment, and she realized that his skin was terrifyingly hot.

It's like being drugged.

Zhe Rou's expression changed slightly, and he calmed himself down. He subconsciously lowered his voice and whispered, "Just bear with it for a while, don't move. I'll ask someone to boil some medicine for you. Just drink two doses of the heat-clearing and laxative prescription and you'll be fine."

Seeing that the matter was urgent, she did not dare to delay any longer. After giving her instructions, she turned around and walked out in a hurry.

Lu Chen endured the torment until this moment, his consciousness had already become blurred and chaotic. After exhausting the remaining bit of his consciousness, he could only barely make out that the person talking next to him was her.

It would have been better if he hadn't recognized him. Once he did, the heat in his body surged even more intensely, like pouring a pot of boiling oil, the evil fire instantly ignited, burning into a prairie fire in the blink of an eye.

Zhe Rou was about to reach the door, and just as her fingertips were about to touch the door frame, she heard a loud "splash" behind her, as if ice water had splashed onto the ground. The sound was particularly clear in the silent bathroom.

Zhe Rou's heart suddenly jumped.

Just as she was lost in thought, a strong wind carrying water vapor suddenly blew over from behind her, and a wet, naked arm passed across her ear, slamming the door shut with a bang.

A few drops of cold water splashed onto her cheeks, causing her to shudder.

Before she could even scream, she was turned around by a brute force, and her back suddenly hit the hard wooden door. The next moment, Lu Chen grabbed her into his arms, and pressed his hot body tightly against her, trapping her between the door and his chest.

Lu Chen's breathing became increasingly rapid and heavy, his body temperature scorching. Even through several layers of clothing, she could feel his violent heartbeat very clearly.

"Miss...don't go..."

The wet heat wrapped around his ears. Zhe Rou knew that something was wrong with him. She raised her hand to push his hot and hard chest and coaxed him in a low voice: "Bear with it for a while, I'll go and fry it... mmm..."

Before she finished speaking, Lu Chen could no longer bear it. He put one hand on her slender waist, forcing her to get closer to him. With the other hand, he held the back of her head, lowered his head to find her soft lips, and kissed her without saying a word.

As her breathing struggled, her heart began to beat faster, and the pounding pain in her chest made Zhe Rou feel more and more uneasy. She instinctively struggled a few times and whimpered, "Lu Bingyan, wake up!"

Sensing the cool and soft struggle of the person in his arms, it aroused the desire deep in his body that was becoming increasingly difficult to control. The veins on his forehead throbbed rapidly, and Lu Chen completely lost control. He picked her up by the waist with one hand and walked out of the bathroom quickly.

The outer room was a study, which only had a bamboo couch for taking a nap, which could not accommodate two people. Lu Chen didn't even look at it, but walked straight to the table with the person in his arms, raised his hand to sweep away the debris on the table, and put her on it.

Paper, ink, brush and inkstone were scattered all over the floor, and the whole place was in a mess.

Before Zhe Rou could come to her senses, her back had already hit the hard table. She hurriedly propped herself up, but suddenly she felt a chill in front of her. Then, hot thin lips pressed down on her, burning her so much that she shuddered suddenly.

She felt panic in her heart, and she couldn't tell whether it was fear or something else. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes. Seeing that she couldn't break free from Lu Chen, she bit his shoulder hard.

She was not the type of person who was pedantic and self-indulgent and who would stubbornly make herself suffer. Moreover, they had been married for many years and were very familiar with such matters. However, this situation was absolutely unacceptable. Lu Chen was so out of control that it was frightening. She was terrified and completely unprepared.

Lu Chen's eyebrows knitted together in pain, and he subconsciously raised his head, looking directly into a pair of beautiful eyes filled with tears. He felt dizzy for a moment, and suddenly remembered the question he had asked that day -

"In your heart, I'm looking for you just for this?"

"What else?"

They were just three light words, but they seemed to be wrapped in the coolness of wind and snow, like an ice blade piercing the heart, tearing a crack in the chaotic mind.

Lu Chen's whole body suddenly froze. He was still panting rapidly, but his movements came to an abrupt halt.

"Xiaoxiao..." After gritting his teeth and calming down for a long time, he trembled and hugged her in his arms. He pressed his forehead against hers and gently touched her wet eyelashes with his thin lips. His voice was hoarse and almost inaudible, "I didn't want to teach you..."

Her knuckles crackled as large beads of sweat dripped down her chin, spreading out on her disheveled clothes.

After a long while, Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, and he grabbed her delicate wrist, rubbing it gently with his fingertips, "Help me for once..."

Zhe Rou unconsciously clenched her palms, and suddenly remembered the shocking and hideous scratches on his left arm. Her heart was filled with mixed feelings. She pursed her lips, lowered her head and turned away.

He waited for a moment with a low pant, and seeing that she didn't seem to resist much, Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled slightly. He used some strength in his hands and led her into his already wet clothes.

The cool fingertips slid across the slender waist and abdomen with distinct blocks, instantly triggering waves of numbing shivers, and the thin muscles contracted uncontrollably for a moment.

Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled violently several times, leading her to continue, until her slender and soft five fingers curled up and closed together.

The touch was cool, soft and delicate. Lu Chen shuddered suddenly and a suppressed groan escaped from his throat.

All the blood in his body seemed to suddenly gather in one place, making his body tenser and tenser, like a fully drawn bow.

Ming Lie had no place to vent his pleasure, he couldn't help but hold her cheeks, lowered his head to find her lips, slowly kissed and sucked her, rolling and rubbing against her.

Zhe Rou was forced to raise her face, her breath intertwined with his, the ambiguous swallowing sound lingered in her ears, and her breathing was filled with the familiar masculine scent, mixed with a bit of blood. The lights in the house went out at some point, leaving only the faint moonlight leaking in from the window. The blurred and dim light magnified each other's senses inch by inch.

The touch of his palm became more and more distinct, and her fingertips were slightly numb from the heat. She wanted to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter, and she couldn't get away at all.

Sensing the retreat of the person in his arms, Lu Chen pecked and kissed her neck, finally burying his head against her neck. His breathing became hotter and hot sweat slid down his hard nose, soaking her delicate skin. "Miss... help me..."

"I tried it myself... and it didn't work..."

His voice was hoarse and restrained her, yet it also carried a rare hint of fragility, like an order, but more like coaxing and pleading.

Zhe Rou froze for a moment, then bit her lip and closed her eyes.

Not knowing what kind of strong medicine was added to the spices, Lu Chen couldn't remember how many times he tossed and turned in her soft palms, intermittently, until the sound of the fourth watch clapper came from outside the window, and the evil fire in his body seemed to gradually subside.

By this time, Zhe Rou was already too sleepy to open her eyes. She just leaned against his chest in a daze, her whole arm was so sore that she was too lazy to move even a little bit.

Lu Chen stretched out his long arm, pulled out a clean outer robe for changing, wrapped her tightly, carried her back to the main house, put her on the soft couch, removed her half-soaked clothes, and changed her into dry inner clothes.

He got up again and fetched a basin of warm water, soaked a handkerchief in it, wrung it out, and then took hold of her ten slender fingers, carefully wiping them clean one by one from the fingertips to the gaps between them.

Before he could clean up, Zhe Rou had already fallen into a deep sleep.

She curled up tiredly in the brocade quilt, her thick black hair was disheveled, her lips were rosy and moist from being kissed, her fair profile was reflected in the candlelight, and her whole body looked like a piece of jade soaked in a gurgling mountain spring, shining and bright.

She is lovable everywhere.

If she wasn't by his side—

Just thinking about this made the blood in his body freeze, and even breathing felt like being scraped by a cold knife through his lungs.

He absolutely could not stand it.

It will never be allowed.

Using his long fingers to brush away the scattered hair on her temples, Lu Chen lowered his head and kissed her lips lightly. Then he lifted the quilt and got on the couch, lying down beside her. Before closing his eyes, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tighter.

Lu Chen was extremely tired after tossing and turning all night. He woke up much later than usual. It seemed that it was already dawn, but the four corners of the bed curtains were tightly drawn, and a few rays of sunlight could vaguely see through.

Beside him, Zhe Rou was sleeping soundly, her warm breath gently brushing against the pillow, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes, trembling slightly with her breathing, revealing a hint of laziness.

Looking down at the person resting his head in his arms, the intimacy of last night resurfaced in his mind. Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled, and his eyes traced over her gentle and soft outline.

"妱妱."

She was still sleeping, but she unconsciously rubbed against him, her hair brushing against his arm, causing a slight itch.

Lu Chen's heart was moved for a moment, and he gently stroked her messy hair with his fingertips. He couldn't help but lower his head to find those two bright red and plump lips and kissed them teasingly.

I don’t know what kind of good dream she had, but there was a faint smile on her lips, and she hid aside because she was itchy.

It had been so long since he had seen her so gentle. Lu Chen's eyes felt a little sore and his heart was beating hot.

He smiled silently, followed her with his thin lips, held her cheeks, and gently kissed her slender white neck.

Zhe Rou was exhausted from being busy last night. She slept in a hazy state, her consciousness floating in and out. She couldn't tell where she was or whether she was dreaming or awake. She felt that she was in Yanziwu, as if she went to the mountains to collect herbs. Someone was holding a freshly picked grass stem and gently scratching her neck.

"Don't make trouble..." She smiled dazedly, with a lazy and relaxed tone in her voice, "Mingqi..."

Lu Chen froze for a moment, as if the blood in his body had turned cold.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes were red, and his face was expressionless as he stared at her sleeping face which still had a smile on it.

"Miss, who are you calling?"