fatigue
When that chilling and fierce aura suddenly swept over him, a thousand thoughts raced through Lin Xu's mind in an instant.
Dou Yanxun was known for his romantic and refined lifestyle in Mujing, with countless stories of poetry and wine. These tales spread from street corner to alleyway, mostly about his beautiful mistresses in Yuehuan Lane, his nightly revelry and drunken indulgence, and the widely circulated story of him spending a fortune on the courtesans of Bihua Tower, spending the entire night singing and dancing with them.
As he said, the riverbank is shrouded in thick fog, and there is no one around...
It was already 50% dangerous.
But when the only person beside him was Dou Yanxun, the danger jumped from five points to more than ten.
After all, given his personality, what wouldn't he do?
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat.
She had only intended to get close to him by any means necessary, but she forgot that he was a dissolute and unrestrained man, far from being a gentleman.
If he really takes a hard line, how can she protect herself in a critical moment?
Hidden in the lining of her inner garment was a short dagger. It was incredibly sharp, cutting through iron without making a sound. She had always carried it with her since her rebirth, precisely to protect herself in times of crisis.
I once sent Zhiyuan out to secretly investigate. She said that Dou Yanxun was weak since childhood and could not compare to his elder brother's strong physique. He even had to drop out of school to practice martial arts because of his illness.
Although she was a girl and appeared frail, her mischievous childhood had given her exceptional agility and skill, making her much stronger than the average rich girl. Moreover, since practicing archery with Liang Zhengyuan recently, her arm strength had improved considerably.
From this perspective, it's not like there's no chance of winning.
However, since Dou Yanxun loves fishing, he must be an excellent swimmer. If the two of them accidentally fall into the water during the fight, they might not be able to gain the upper hand.
She was in a state of great inner turmoil, her brows furrowed as she pondered how to draw her sword discreetly, when she heard Dou Yanxun's soft laughter ring in her ears.
His warm breath lingered around her temples, almost imperceptibly. Lin Xu could hear her heart pounding like a drum in her chest, her voice fervent as if it would leap out of her chest.
Her eyelids were lowered, and her raven-feather eyelashes were already trembling. In an instant, the finger of the person beside her landed on her cheek.
"Miss Lin came alone to this deserted riverbank at dawn; it's not necessarily just for such a refined pastime as fishing. Perhaps you could inform Mr. Dou—"
"What exactly are you thinking?"
His index finger gently touched her soft cheek, then moved down to her earlobe. It was as warm as his palm had been, sending a shiver through her. His thumb followed, also gently resting on her earlobe.
With just a slight pressure from two fingers, her earlobes turned bright red from the warmth and sensitivity they provided.
He was playing with her earlobe.
Lin Xu shifted her body, unable to endure it any longer. She only wanted revenge; how could she tolerate such humiliation from this dissolute scoundrel?!
In a flash, her right hand reached into the lining of her chest, but in an instant, before she could make a move, Dou Yanxun's fingers suddenly released her and slowly extended in front of her eyes.
But then I saw that he was holding a thin, sticky, grayish-green herb between his fingers.
Those peach blossom eyes shimmered with a languid light as they drifted across them.
She couldn't see what she looked like at that moment, only knowing that her cheeks must be as red as flames. She had just fallen into the water and struggled for a long time, so the herb must have stuck behind her ear and been hanging there for quite some time.
Her cheeks were burning hot, and even her breath was unconsciously tinged with heat.
As the red glow of her cheeks burned, Dou Yanxun glanced at her right hand resting on her chest and said calmly:
“Miss Lin, there is no need for you to undress. I am not worthy of such a favor.”
Ignoring her increasingly hot and red cheeks.
The small boat they were in had already drifted with the current to a spot not far from the shore while they were talking. Before she could react, Dou Yanxun took three steps at a time and jumped ashore.
Another gentle breeze blew in, dispelling the mist that had shrouded the river. At the end of the river, a bright red sun rose high into the sky, and in no time it broke through the clouds, shining brightly in all directions.
The view was filled with dazzling light, and Dou Yanxun's moon-white brocade robe shone with a faint, clear glow under the intense light.
He wore blue boots and a jade crown, exuding an air of nobility and arrogance.
Just watching his departing figure, Lin Xu felt a surge of hatred that made her heart clench.
She was only a tiny bit late.
She couldn't stop the slight trembling of her fingertips, trying desperately to calm the churning emotions still surging in her chest.
It was nowhere near as peaceful as the Weihe River where she was now.
Dou Yanxun, however, casually bent down, picked up the oar that had fallen into the water, and poked it a few times in the river. His dilapidated little boat came to rest on the shore. The few mandarin fish in the carved fish basket had long since lost their vitality due to dehydration. He frowned slightly, picked up the fish basket, and hugged it to his chest.
She turned around gracefully, looking at Lin Xu who was still standing in the river, a faint smile still lingering in her eyes and brows.
Amidst the dazzling brilliance, like a celestial mist spreading in all directions, the hazy light obscured the nonchalant expression in his eyes.
Is it tender affection or lingering murderous intent?
Dou Yanxun yawned slowly and closed his eyes. He was already very sleepy.
.
Madam Qi lay lazily on the soft couch. The crescent-shaped table by the window was filled with all sorts of tonics and beautifully packaged gift boxes, and there were even more that were too big to fit on the table. She had already instructed her servants to put them away in the storeroom.
The young maid standing beside her carefully massaged Qi Shi's shoulders with extremely gentle movements, but she still received three or four scoldings from Qi Shi in less than half an incense stick's time.
Now that Madam Qi is pregnant, her status in the Lin household is the most precious, and she is even more arrogant and domineering than before, making her, a mere maid, someone she cannot afford to offend. She can only serve her with even greater humility and deference.
Qi's well-maintained, slender fingers gently brushed across her slightly protruding belly, her expression quite smug.
Historically, a mother's status rises with her son's. She had finally managed to conceive this child through her own efforts, and immense wealth awaited her in the future. Lin Fu had never had a son in his life. If this pregnancy resulted in a boy, not only would the newlywed Gao Shi be unable to rise again, but even Lin Xu, who had previously held the highest position in the household, would never be able to recover.
Whenever she thought of this, she felt a surge of pleasure. Since the end of spring, she had been suppressed by Lin Xu for more than a few months. Not only did she receive no favor, but she also had no capable helper by her side. She was left alone and miserable in her empty room, watching Gao Shi laugh day and night, and even Lan Yue was able to serve the master in the study, while she was not!
For many years, Lin Xu, as the only daughter in this mansion, has enjoyed and squandered too much. Now, her good days are coming to an end.
Lin Xu is definitely leaving.
Since she had already fallen for another young master, as his stepmother, she naturally had to do her part. Qi looked down at her lower abdomen and suddenly felt the fetus inside her move slightly as if it were telepathically connected.
She immediately became excited, stroking her belly repeatedly. Even the fierce and vicious look on her face vanished, replaced by extremely gentle maternal love and tenderness.
Son, don't rush, wait a little longer.
She curled her lips into a smile, her eyes gleaming with an enigmatic light.
Mother will do everything in her power to take back what belongs to you.
.
When Lin Xu dragged his half-wet body back to his bedroom, he was so exhausted that he had no strength left.
She still smelled of the salty, fishy river water. Although her hair had been blown by the wind for a long time and was almost completely dry, the morning river wind was strong, and after being blown by it for a while, her forehead was starting to ache.
Zhi Yuan hurried over to help her change, her face full of worry, and said:
“Miss, you should rest well. You fainted suddenly after not resting for several days. You haven’t even finished the medicine you’ve been decocting every day, and now you’re running around again. You’ve fallen into the water and gotten your clothes wet. If you catch a cold, you’ll suffer a lot.”
His words were full of worry, and the tone was so familiar.
Lin Xu waved his hand, having already changed into clean, soft undergarments, his expression showing indescribable weariness. "Qingwu, go pour me a cup of tea."
She only snapped out of her daze when she heard a soft, slightly choked reply beside her.
Qingwu is gone. There is no more Qingwu.
The little girl, Zhu Ling, with tears in her eyes, handed her a cup of hot tea.
Since Qingwu's passing, Luoya Residence has often been shrouded in deep sorrow. Qingwu was the eldest in the palace and always played the role of an older sister among the many young maids. Now that she has passed away suddenly, only Zhiyuan and Zhuling are left to serve Lin Xu closely.
Feeling guilty for punishing Qingwu too harshly last time, Lin Fu instructed the steward to assign four maids to Luoya Residence. Including Granny Pei, whom Gao Youyi sent to take care of her daily needs, Luoya Residence now has nearly twenty servants serving her, not to mention the servants in charge of the small kitchen, flower room, or doing odd jobs. The total number would only be more.
Lin Xu usually had two relatively obedient maids, Liu Ming and Gui Ruo, guard the palace entrance, and no one else was allowed to serve her. Even so, she often felt that there was a pair of eyes watching her from the shadows.
She had been busy entering the palace to study before, but now she could no longer delay.
She sighed, holding the warm blue-and-white porcelain cup, and slowly sipped it. After finishing the cup of fragrant cinnamon wine, she lowered her eyes and stared blankly at the bottom of the cup.
Zhiyuan knew that Lin Xu was already in a bad mood, and just now, thinking of Qingwu, she remembered her sad memories. She hesitated whether she should speak up to comfort her, after all, she had seen Qingwu always do this in the past.
Then Lin Xu's extremely cold voice drifted over:
"When Mother came over that day, she mentioned that the person who lived with Qingwu had poured ice water on her bedding. Do you remember?"
Zhiyuan hurriedly replied, "This servant remembers."
Lin Xu gently put down the teacup in his hand, and his gaze slowly shifted from the cup to her, as if they were separated by thousands of miles.
"I remember the person who lived with Qingwu, wasn't it you?"
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