Blood scab
Lin Xu felt as if thousands of ants were crawling on her chest, gnawing at her mind, fearing that if she wasn't careful, she would be reduced to ashes.
A slight breeze drifted through the curtains, enough to clear her mind somewhat. In the darkness, Lin Xu tightened her throat and whispered:
"That's right. My cousin Ying and I have known each other since childhood, and we are very close."
As she listened to Dou Yanxun's breathing gradually return to normal in the silence, a flash of white light appeared before her eyes in a daze!
Before she could dodge, she saw the hilt of the knife being thrown onto the bed, where it immediately sank into the thick satin.
Dou Yanxun propped himself up with one hand, and with the other hand, he quickly took off his undergarment.
In the darkness, she could vaguely see his strong and powerful chest, and a thought flashed through her mind in an instant.
Whether it was Zhao Qi's own words or rumors from the outside world, it was mentioned that Dou's illegitimate son was handsome but physically weak, and had to drop out of the martial arts school due to frequent illness, so his health was very poor.
But even in the dim light, the figure in front of her did not appear to be weak or sickly.
In fact, on that day in the dark alley, he had a brief exchange with Dou Yanxun, and in just a few moves, he was restrained and unable to move.
She hadn't thought about it carefully at the time, but now, in retrospect, she realized it was because she was too nervous and had momentarily overlooked it.
I should have known that this person was just hiding his true abilities.
Dou Yanxun, however, did not give her much time to think. After a few gropes, he grabbed her right hand and reached straight towards his body.
Lin Xu, who had initially been somewhat surprised and doubtful, panicked instantly and whispered, "This...this is..."
But she fell silent after touching his arm.
Even though the area is almost completely healed now, the jagged scars can still be felt with just a light touch. She can't see them clearly in the darkness, but she is still frightened by the hideous and prominent scars and pulls her fingertips away.
"Last time at Shaojing Garden."
The person holding her hand firmly in his palm spoke casually, offering only a few words as if he knew her concerns and was answering them, or as if he were just casually mentioning the past.
Even after a long period of recovery, the scars from that day are still so deep, you...
She closed her eyes, and her mind was filled with the image of Dou Yanxun, covered in blood and looking utterly disheveled, bursting into her private room that day.
The cramped private room reeked of blood. The two of them barely managed to evade the pursuit and search of the guards. If something had happened then, would he have already lost his life?
“That day you were alone and unarmed in the same room as me, and I didn’t touch you.”
Dou Yanxun calmly picked up where she left off, "Even back then, when we were alone by the river and in the dark alley of Lanye, if I really wanted to do something wicked, I would have had plenty of opportunities to do it without anyone noticing, and I probably would have succeeded long ago..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but he still gave her some face, trying to discern the faint indifference and disdain in Dou Yanxun's tone. The murderous intent that had been hidden earlier had vanished without a trace.
Lin Xu couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, but quickly nodded and softly agreed:
“What my husband says is absolutely right. That’s why I’ve come to understand this as well. I was just being petty and presumptuous before. From now on… I won’t do that again.”
With her weapon now in the enemy's hands, she was extremely determined to survive. She shamelessly called herself a villain, her words filled with self-blame and flattery towards him.
As the saying goes, a great man can bend and stretch, and Lin Xu didn't care about this verbal humiliation.
Dou Yanxun raised an eyebrow and then said:
"But your brother is indeed worried about your younger sister's safety, and what he said earlier is indeed reasonable." His voice didn't sound any different, still with his usual nonchalant tone.
To atone for her mistake and further dispel his concerns, she spoke with a hint of ingratiation, nodding repeatedly in the darkness:
“My cousin has always been a worrier, but he finally agreed because I was so eager to marry him. I suppose those rumors were just misunderstandings. In my eyes, my husband is quite remarkable in both his words and actions.”
The person sitting opposite hadn't spoken for a long time, but when they did speak again, it was as if they couldn't help but let out a soft groan because of pain.
Lin Xu hurriedly looked forward. She had been so engrossed in expressing her loyalty that she hadn't even noticed that Dou Yanxun had taken the knife back into his hand.
At that moment, he was actually holding a knife in one hand, pointing it directly at the scar on his right arm! Before she could react, she saw the tip of the knife flick slightly, and Dou Yanxun remained expressionless.
The previously formed scabs were then disturbed and loosened again.
Even though it was completely dark, she could still clearly see the bright red blood vessels quickly spreading out along the scar.
Dou Yanxun tilted his body, and the blood dripped down his arm onto the bed.
Lin Xu stared blankly at his shadow shrouded in the darkness, and after a long while, she understood and felt a chill run down her spine.
"No one will bring this up again."
His deep voice was faint, seemingly devoid of any emotion. Lin Xu couldn't see his expression or know what he was thinking, but her heart started beating inexplicably fast.
He had just threatened her with a knife, but now he was willing to hurt himself to help her cover up a lie.
In the silence, she felt a small, dark flame burning fiercely within her.
She didn't know what to do, opened her mouth, and finally mustered up her courage—
Lin Xu held his breath and leaned forward.
In the still darkness, she felt for the warm breath between his fingers, reached out and touched his lips. Before Dou Yanxun could react, she leaned down and left a gentle kiss.
.
She slept soundly all night, a rare occurrence. Dou Yanxun lay obediently on the outside, maintaining the same position the whole time. Lin Xu, on the other hand, was extremely restless once she fell asleep, a fact she was well aware of. Therefore, when she woke up in the morning and saw that her pillow was still empty, she felt a little disappointed.
I was originally going to ask him if I had bothered him.
This sleep did alleviate some of the long-standing fear and apprehension that had plagued them since their marriage. Now that he had discovered the hidden dagger, and that they had once again escaped unharmed... Having gone through another life-or-death experience, half of their worries were gone, and even their footsteps seemed lighter.
Zhu Ling helped her wash her face with a hot towel, and then rinsed her mouth with fine salt and warm tea, which made her feel more awake. Qing Mo had already arranged breakfast, and she moved to the west side room of the outer hall to eat. The warm morning sun shone gently on the floor, instantly warming her body.
As usual, Granny Chang brought two maids to tidy up the bed. She walked in with a sullen face. Lin Xu glanced at her and quietly picked up a red bean paste candy pod to eat.
Sure enough, a moment later, Granny Chang came out with light, quick steps, followed by two maids carrying the bedding that had been changed the night before. Granny Chang glanced at Lin Xu furtively, then quickly bowed and greeted him.
Good morning, Second Young Mistress.
She continued to slowly finish the sugar tart, without even lifting her eyelids. The morning light streamed in through the carved window, falling gently onto her shoulders, which made her originally elegant and calm face appear even more stern.
Lin Xu picked up the teacup again, watching the green leaves rise and fall at the bottom, and raised an eyebrow:
"Granny Chang gets up very early. I've always seen her work tirelessly, and her hands are never idle. I suppose that the capable are always busy, and her mouth skills must be excellent as well."
Granny Chang, still half-bowed, lowered her head even further upon hearing this, her face flushing red and then pale, and she said awkwardly:
"Second Madam, please stop joking with this old servant. This old servant has always only done what is his duty."
Zhu Ling, standing to the side, curled her lips and said loudly:
"It seems that Granny Chang is very clear-headed. She knows exactly what is her duty and what is not. As an elder here, she naturally knows very well, and there is no need for our young lady to personally teach and discipline her."
Despite her young age, Zhu Ling spoke with neither servility nor arrogance, never diminishing her presence even when facing the elders in the household who relied on their seniority. Now, she is increasingly displaying the demeanor of a head maid.
Even though Granny Chang was unhappy, she didn't dare to vent her anger in front of Lin Xu. She could only agree repeatedly. The two maids behind her were so frightened by the stern demeanor of the gentle new bride that they didn't dare to breathe.
Lin Xu casually raised his hand, signaling them to step back.
Presumably, after today's incident, the villa will be quiet for a while from now on.
She drank a few more mouthfuls of porridge, and after finishing her breakfast, she checked the time and went to pay her respects to Madam Bai before finally finding some free time. She dismissed all the servants and went to her study to grind ink. She slowly ground the fine lampblack ink with water, and soon a faint fragrance filled the air.
Holding the large wolf-hair brush in her hand, she picked up the brush, her mind brimming with words, but when she actually put pen to paper, she suddenly didn't know where to begin.
After hesitating for a long time, a few drops of ink had fallen onto the paper. Lin Xu heard a chirping bird. Looking up, she saw Little Red, hanging under the corridor not far away, looking up and chirping at her.
With a slight smile, she began to write calligraphy on light-colored paper adorned with double-petaled lotus flowers at the four corners. Only after the ink had dried did she carefully place each letter into an envelope.
The three letters consisted of a letter home to express her longing, a reply to Liang Zhengyuan who was thousands of miles away, and another to Liao Yan, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
After finishing all this, she quietly summoned Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan to mail the three letters intact.
.
The weather was getting colder day by day, and winter was just around the corner. Even so, she still liked to sit in the courtyard when she had nothing to do.
Although the afternoon sun was brief, it warmed people up, adding a touch of hope compared to the gloomy grayness.
She was wearing a thick mink cloak, a congratulatory gift from her sister-in-law when she came of age. It had finally come in handy. This year was bitterly cold. Although there was no snow, the cold wind was biting and made one's bones ache. If it weren't for this thick cloak unique to Hecheng, she didn't know how she would have survived this winter.
She sat serenely on a carved stool, her eyes lowered, gold and silver threads dancing on her fingertips. Every now and then she would look up and glance at Little Red and Little Gray, who were playing with the golden birdcage hanging under the eaves.
Several thick layers of cattails were laid in the carved birdcage to provide for them during the winter. The two parrots would peck at each other and chirp incessantly in their spare time. Little Red held its head high, and Little Gray, annoyed by Little Red, was not to be outdone. It leaped up and started fighting with Little Red.
Half a month passed quickly, and she had finished embroidering the entire double dragons playing with a pearl pattern. She rubbed her sore shoulders and neck, and was about to go to the inner room to change and rest when she heard a servant's soft voice calling from outside:
"Second Young Mistress, there's a letter for you outside," she added softly before finishing, "It's from the Princess's residence."
She stopped, and Zhu Ling took the letter from the servant and handed the envelope back to her.
The cover was decorated with a purple floral pattern, and the note was written in neat handwriting as “To Lady Lin”, along with several elegant and luxurious red seals.
Upon opening the envelope, the handwriting inside was clear and neat, the content brief yet carrying an undeniable authority:
"At noon three days later, Princess Duanhe's residence will host a banquet, and we cordially invite Lady Lin to attend and share in the winter snow."
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