Chapter 24 What kind of relationship do we have?
Lu Jinlan looked at the arm lying across her front, sighed inwardly, and gently patted it, "Yumian, don't do this."
Lou Yumin refused to let go, instead holding her even tighter, his warm lips brushing against her temple as he whispered a complaint: "That's not what you said that night."
Lu Jinlan had no intention of flirting and frowned slightly.
The man, observing her displeasure, awkwardly withdrew his hand and instead knelt down beside her.
He came back from the rain, and before he could even take a shower, he changed his clothes and hurriedly slipped away from everyone, sneaking into Lu Jinlan's room.
His hair was wet, and water droplets kept rolling down from the ends to his neck. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty and caution, like a stray puppy that had just been brought home, afraid of being rejected.
Lu Jinlan couldn't bear it in the end, so she put the handkerchief over his head and wiped it vigorously.
Lou Yumin was very clingy, nuzzling her hand and resting her head on her lap, and she was very good at taking advantage of her.
Lu Jinlan didn't know how to bring it up, but he took the initiative to ask, "Is Young Master Lin Cheng the person you admire?"
Lu Jinlan hummed in agreement. "I haven't confessed my feelings to him yet, but he probably already knows."
Lou Yumin smiled. "How could I not know? You were so protective of him today, even a fool could see that. Just confess your feelings to him, he likes you too anyway."
"Really?" Lu Jinlan hesitated. "I'm not sure if he likes me. He probably just has a crush on me."
Lou Yumin snorted and said sourly, "Men understand men best; I can see through his thoughts. Congratulations! Young Master Lin Cheng is handsome beyond compare and has an outstanding temperament; he's barely good enough for you. You'll probably be spending tonight with him, won't you?"
Lu Jinlan quickly said, "No, you misunderstood. He and I are not in that kind of relationship."
Lou Yumin paused for a moment upon hearing this, then his dark eyes lit up immediately. He leaned forward and unexpectedly pecked her lips. "Then you'll stay with me tonight. We're that kind of relationship."
ah?
Lou Yumin's train of thought took an unexpected turn, and Lu Jinlan was caught off guard. She was then tackled by the clingy dog and stole several kisses.
His straight nose brushed against her neck, making her feel a little ticklish. Lou Yumin's eyes and lips were full of smiles; Lu Jinlan had never seen him so happy before. So, Lu Jinlan felt embarrassed to keep a cold face and patted his head soothingly, "Don't be silly. Wuxin will come and call me if he sees I'm not going out."
Lou Yumin thought for a moment, "Then kiss me."
Seeing Lu Jinlan purse her lips, seemingly preparing to refuse, he quickly added, "You have no idea how I've been these past few days. I've been thinking about you every single moment. One night I dreamt that you came to see me. I was startled in the dream and hurriedly said, 'The academy doesn't have a break, how dare you come out? Go back quickly, don't let me make you miss your studies.'"
He sighed regretfully as he finished speaking, "Ah, I regret it so much when I woke up. If I had known it was just a dream, I wouldn't have let you go back. Was I too greedy...?"
Every word he uttered was heartbreaking, so Lu Jinlan simply silenced him with a kiss, not wanting him to continue. It wasn't exactly a romantic feeling, but their kiss was intense and unbreakable.
The knocking on the door instantly snapped Lu Jinlan out of her daze.
"who?"
"It's me," came Rinjo's voice.
Lu Jinlan took a deep breath, feeling guilty. Lou Yumin frowned in dissatisfaction, "I finally get to see you, but he sees you every day, and he still..."
"Shh!" Lu Jinlan covered his mouth and asked the person outside the door, "What is it?"
Lin Cheng: "The ginger soup is ready, do you want some?"
Lu Jinlan: "Uh, I'm going out for a drink later. I'm still changing clothes, so it's not convenient right now."
"Okay, then I'll take it to the living room to air it out first."
Just as Lu Jinlan breathed a sigh of relief as the footsteps faded into the distance, she heard another footstep approaching rapidly. "Jinlan, why are you dawdling? Come out now! I'm going to check on you!"
The door was pushed open with a bang. Yan Wuxin was stunned for a moment when he saw the two people who hurriedly got up, then shouted, "No wonder you refused to come out, so that's why you..."
Before Lin Cheng had gone far, Lu Jinlan pointed at Yan Wuxin and frantically winked at him while whispering to Lou Yumin, "Go out through the back window. I'll come talk to you again tonight."
Yan Wuxin scratched his head as he watched this furtive scene, his mouth still stammering, "So you... so you..."
Lin Cheng rushed over upon hearing the commotion, but Lou Yumin had already left. He only noticed that Yan Wuxin and Lu Jinlan had somewhat strange expressions, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Yan Wuxin replied curtly, "So she was taking a bath."
Lu Jinlan coughed and finished the whole bowl of ginger soup. "Let's go to the hall. Don't keep everyone waiting."
*
Xiang Ruzhen was quick and arrived at the hall first. Unwilling to talk to the servants, she poured herself a drink. As soon as Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin arrived, Xiang Ruzhen complained, "Where have you two been? I've been waiting for you!"
Yan Wuxin smiled and said, "I originally wanted to arrange for a few men to serve you, but I was afraid you wouldn't be willing."
Xiang Ruzhen: "I'm not willing, so I might as well be alone."
Lu Jinlan said, "What's the point of you doing it alone? It's more lively with more people. With so many of us, we should do something new and interesting. Even though the weather isn't cooperating, we can't waste this half-day."
Everyone was discussing what to do when Lou Yumin arrived late. "Sorry I'm late."
Everyone glanced at him, and Fang Qing couldn't help but tease, "You've been looking gloomy all day, how come you're all smiles now? Did the rain make you happy?"
Lou Yumian shook the folding fan in her hand and said smugly, "My name is Yumian, so naturally good things happen whenever it rains."
Someone with a sharp eye asked, "What's written on your fan?"
Lou Yumian swiftly closed the fan, saying, "The love poem my beloved wrote for me is not something I can show to others."
Lu Jinlan felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this. She guessed that the poem on the fan was the one she had written for Lou Yumin, and that he must have copied his own inscription and signature along with it when he copied it. If Lin Cheng saw this…
Lu Jinlan quickly changed the subject, "I've thought of a game. Everyone, stop chatting and sit in a circle to listen to me."
Yan Wuxin's Leisure Manor was built specifically for leisure and was extremely spacious. It was raining outside, but several charcoal fires were placed inside to dispel the dampness. A dozen or so people sat in a circle in the middle of the living room, each on a soft cushion.
Lu Jinlan said, "This game is called 'I Have What You Don't.' Everyone holds up five fingers and takes turns saying what they've done. If someone else hasn't done it, they bend one finger. If someone else has done it, they don't need to move. The person who bends all five fingers has to be punished by performing a talent for everyone, how about it?"
Yan Wuxin agreed, "Great! That sounds interesting, let's play this."
The game began, and Lu Jinlan was the first to speak, saying, "I was once penalized by being admitted last."
"Alas." The crowd cried out in unison, each breaking off a finger.
Xiang Ruzhen said, "I once killed a tiger that weighed nearly 500 pounds."
"Sigh." Everyone sighed again, and they all broke off their fingers.
At this moment, Fang Qing couldn't help but say, "My lady, my two young mistresses, the great achievements you women have made are beyond what we men can even begin to comprehend. If you keep talking like this, we'll be punished before we even open our mouths."
Yan Wuxin, who was at a loss for words, quickly replied upon hearing this, "You're right, Qinglang. This is a pleasure resort, not an examination hall. Are you two here to compete for the top scholar title? Let's chat about some romantic matters and take care of these young men. I've got it, listen to me."
Everyone looked at her, and she made an "eight" gesture, saying, "I have eight answers."
Xiang Ruzhen smiled helplessly, "Talking about romance and nature has really hit the nail on the head for you."
Everyone burst into laughter. Fang Qing, holding Yan Wuxin's arm, said, "My lady, the eight of us shouldn't bend our fingers this round. Think about it, you have eight pairs, and even we only have you as our lady. This game is supposed to be about what you have that we don't, but you have us, and we have you, isn't that perfect?"
Yan Wuxin nodded repeatedly, "That's right, that makes sense."
So in this round, only Xiang Ruzhen, Lu Jinlan, Lin Cheng, and Lou Yumian bent their fingers.
Lu Jinlan smiled and said to Lin Cheng, "Tell us something they don't know, otherwise we'll be at a disadvantage."
Lin Cheng held up his two remaining fingers and looked them around. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "I've got it! I ran away from the wedding."
Everyone looked at him in shock; except for Lu Jinlan, everyone had lost a finger.
The atmosphere grew increasingly heated. Lou Yumin only had one finger left, and the situation was somewhat critical. He gritted his teeth and said, "I participated in the Hwarang election."
"Ah..." Everyone exclaimed in surprise, even Rin looked at him with astonishment.
Falling into prostitution is such a deplorable affair that most people would keep it a closely guarded secret. Whether Lou Yumin was driven by a desire to win or something else, she simply revealed it in public.
Lou Yumin didn't care about the looks from others. He simply said, "Those of you who haven't run for election, please bend one finger."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Lu Jinlan didn't know why Lou Yumin had said it, but since he had, she felt protective of him and couldn't bear to let him bear the strange looks alone.
Lu Jinlan said, "It seems I don't need to bend my fingers anymore. I voted in the Hwarang election, so you have it and I have it too."
Upon hearing this, Yan Wuxin quickly straightened his bent fingers and said happily, "If that's the case, then I don't need to bend my fingers either; I've already cast my vote."
Since Yan Wuxin had already said so, her subordinates naturally dared not say anything more. However, Lin Cheng looked at Lu Jinlan with complicated eyes, while Lu Jinlan braced herself and pretended not to see it.
Fang Qing smiled and nudged Lou Yu Mian: "You've said everything I wanted to say. What am I supposed to say? I need to think about it carefully."
Fang Qing's eyes darted around. "I've got it! I once fell into prostitution, but was fortunate enough to be rescued by my wife."
Yan Wuxin was so happy that he pulled him into his arms, "My darling is the smartest. I saved you, so I don't have to bend my fingers this time."
As everyone sighed, Lu Jinlan hesitated whether to bend her fingers, when she suddenly heard Lin Cheng say coldly, "I lost, I accept the punishment. I don't know any singing or dancing, I can only dance with a sword, please bring me a sword."
Fang Qing laughed and said, "What a coincidence, Yu Mian can also practice swordsmanship."
"Is that so?" Lin Cheng looked at Lou Yumin. "Then how about we have a fight?"
Lou Yumin slightly curled the corners of her lips, "Alright, I'll play along."
Lu Jinlan rubbed her temples helplessly, sighing to herself: "That woman, Wu Xin, married eight men and they all got along peacefully. I only have some involvement with two men, and they're already fighting?"
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