Chapter 95 Murdering one's own wife
This little thatched hut had been uninhabited for about half a year, and it was covered in dust. Lu Jinlan touched the table and got his hands covered in dust.
Seeing her frowning, Chi Li comforted her, "This is how it is in the countryside. Marquis Lu comes from a wealthy family, you've never lived in such a dilapidated house before, have you? Don't worry, I'll clean it up, it'll be clean soon."
As Chi Li spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, pulled out a crumpled rag from the corner, and skillfully began cleaning.
Lu Jinlan rolled up her sleeves in a mocking manner, "Let me help you."
Chi Li laughed and said, "This is not something you women can do. You're not used to doing these trivial things, so I'll do it."
This was exactly what she wanted to hear, so Lu Jinlan said, "Then I'll go out and hunt a couple of wild game, and we'll have an extra meal tonight."
She wandered around the neighborhood, caught two pheasants, and caught a fish in the river. Then she found a clean, large rock and slept for half an hour.
After waking up, Lu Jinlan waited until Chi Li had finished packing before returning to the thatched hut with two pheasants and a river fish.
I was startled when I pushed open the wooden door. The hanging cobwebs and dust had all been cleaned up, and all the clutter had been put away in the corner. The room looked brand new.
The once dusty wooden table was polished to a shine, finally revealing its original color. The old wooden bed was covered with a thick layer of dry straw.
Chi Li cut a piece of the fabric he had bought and used it to make a bed sheet. With the fine silk draped over it, the dilapidated thatched hut was instantly transformed into a rural vacation-themed room, which actually had a unique charm.
"You're back?" Chi Li's gentle voice sounded from behind.
When Lu Jinlan turned around, she saw that he had changed into the light blue clothes she had bought for him, and his complexion looked much better.
He had probably just washed his face; the hair at his temples was slightly damp and still had traces of water.
The condensed water droplets rolled down the smooth lines of her face, leaving winding trails until they passed her Adam's apple and disappeared into her collar.
Lu Jinlan was speechless for a moment, "Do you... want me to wipe it off?"
Chi Li awkwardly turned to the side and wiped his face with his sleeve, explaining, "I just got my clothes dirty, so I went to the river to wash them."
Lu Jinlan smiled to herself: Who wears white clothes to clean? It would be strange if it didn't get dirty.
Chi Li put down the basin and basket, hung the washed clothes on the tree branches outside, and only when she came in did she notice what Lu Jinlan had brought back.
"You hunted so much game? Enough for us to eat for two or three days. Go and rest for a while. There's a pot here. I'll get it ready and start cooking. We'll be able to eat soon."
Lu Jinlan was surprised: "The Holy Man can cook? I thought someone of your status was someone who didn't know anything about worldly affairs."
Chi Li smiled, quickly lit a fire to boil water, and chatted with Lu Jinlan at the same time.
“A saint is not born a saint. When I was a child, I was just like any other ordinary boy in the world. I learned to do laundry, cook, sew, and clean, and I dreamed of marrying a good wife, bearing her daughters and sons, and living a simple and peaceful life.”
Lu Jinlan asked, puzzled, "Then why do you want to become a saint?"
Chi Li sighed, "When I was little, I didn't understand. I just liked playing with poisonous creatures. Gradually, I learned to raise and control them. The elder in the clan said I was the chosen one. I was only thirteen years old when I was able to raise poisonous creatures. Just then, the previous generation's holy man passed away, and the elder in the clan recommended me to participate in the selection. I was selected immediately."
Chi Li sighed again, "Being a holy man was alright at first, except I couldn't marry or live with my family. The people in the Holy Cult respected me greatly, and they would collect poisons from all over to present to me. But when I was eighteen, the Emperor summoned me to the palace, and from then on..."
Chi Li's eyes reddened, and she quickly lowered her head, not wanting her to see.
Lu Jinlan, lying in bed, sighed upon hearing this, "Actually, someone with your personality isn't suited to enter the palace, nor is he suited to be the emperor's consort."
Chi Li was taken aback, and her hands paused abruptly. "Why? Everyone advised me that this is the best thing in the world. I should be happy that it happened to me."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "For most people, it's a good thing. But everyone has their own ambitions, and we can't generalize about everything."
Chi Li murmured, "Everyone says that being the emperor's consort is incredibly glamorous, and you can have anything you want in the palace."
Lu Jinlan said, "The palace has everything, but fine clothes, sumptuous food, and dazzling wealth are not what you want. Since it's not what you want, what's the use of it no matter how glamorous it seems to others?"
"No matter how spacious and luxurious the palace may be, you only enjoy being with poisonous creatures. You possess beauty, are by the emperor's side, yet you are still expected to remain chaste. How difficult is that?"
He was facing an emperor who held supreme power, and when he himself was not strong enough, his striking beauty only brought him unease. He had to constantly worry about being violated, which must have been a very unpleasant experience.
Lu Jinlan sighed softly, "Ten years is more than three thousand days and nights. You don't need to tell me about the hardships I've endured; I understand them all."
"You understand?" Chi Li's eyes surged with emotion, and he choked out, "You're not a man, you couldn't possibly understand."
He was destined to live a lonely life, knowing he would never be able to marry a woman he loved and live a happy life, just as he had dreamed of as a child.
So, from the age of thirteen, he began a new fantasy, repeatedly telling himself: I am a saint, I will not fall for any woman. Because in this world, there is no woman who can understand me. No one is worthy of my betrayal of sacred teachings. I will dedicate my life to upholding chastity for the Holy Church.
For so many years, he had always maintained a strong sense of wariness towards women, until he met Lu Jinlan. He began to feel fear, because she might actually see right through him.
He had brainwashed himself for over a decade, determined not to allow anyone to shatter his illusions. He so desperately craved to be understood, yet he was also so afraid of being understood.
He frantically grabbed the fish from the basin and vigorously scraped off its scales, only to hear her whisper, "You're clearly a clean person, but you don't actually like sleeping on the floor, right?"
Chi Li froze. Lu Jinlan continued, "You slept in that small room because it was filthy and surrounded by poisonous creatures. The emperor wouldn't go there, and neither would anyone else. It was your place, making you feel safe, right?"
Chi Li suddenly looked at her, as if he had just met her.
He tried to find any trace of mockery, ridicule, or disdain on her face, but found none.
She simply looked at him tenderly and said softly, "I want to tell you that you're out now, you've left the palace, and everything can start anew. Where is your home?"
Chi Li stared blankly at her and answered woodenly, "In the mountain stronghold outside Fancheng."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "I happen to be going that way. Once we can leave the city, I'll take you home."
He could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face. He hurriedly wiped them away and said in a muffled voice, "I'll go out and tidy up. You get some sleep, and I'll call you when the food is ready."
*
When Lu Jinlan woke up again, four dishes and a soup were already laid out on the table. As soon as she smelled the aroma of the food, her stomach growled twice.
Lu Jinlan sat up, rubbing her stomach. Just then, Chi Li entered with a basin of water and said with a smile, "I was just about to call you. You're awake now. Wash your face before you eat."
Lu Jinlan washed her face and sat down at the table. Chi Li smiled and introduced, "I didn't know if you preferred stewed or stir-fried, so this chicken will be half stewed for soup and half stir-fried. I've already cleaned the other one and wrapped it in leaves; I'll cook it tomorrow morning."
"I also picked some mushrooms and wild vegetables, and made two vegetarian dishes. There aren't many seasonings here, so this fish is fried with chicken fat. I don't know if it suits your taste, but you can try it."
Lu Jinlan took the chopsticks, picked up a small piece of fish, her eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.
"I never imagined your cooking was so good. It's even better than what the royal chefs in your Jiang Kingdom's palace make."
Chi Li shook his head with a smile, "You're just talking nonsense. You've never eaten the imperial cuisine in the palace."
"Who said that? I ate it, I stole it."
The two chatted and laughed as they finished their meal, and then it got completely dark.
Chi Li was busy tidying up and going in and out, while Lu Jinlan stared at him, starting to think about how to sleep that night.
Soon after, she began to feel dizzy. She started to wonder if the Meizu people used witchcraft.
Why does she feel dizzy and nauseous whenever she has lustful thoughts?
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, then realized something was wrong and rushed outside to vomit violently.
Chi Li was startled. "What's wrong with you?"
Lu Jinlan waved her hand, "Tell me the truth, did you feed me something I shouldn't have?"
Chi Li protested, "I didn't! You've been so good to me, how could I possibly harm you? Besides, I ate what you ate, so why am I alright?"
Lu Jinlan: "How would I know? Maybe you just like to eat weird things."
Chi Li suddenly realized: "It seems... it seems that you outsiders believe that some mushrooms are poisonous. But we Meizu people often eat poisonous things and have never distinguished them, so I... I treated them all as food."
He showed the remaining mushrooms to Lu Jinlan, who immediately went black and picked out a standard poisonous mushroom with a red cap and white stem from the basket.
"This is highly poisonous to normal people like us. You...you're trying to murder your own wife?"
Only she, with her profound skill, could still vomit. An ordinary person would probably be dead by now.
Chi Li said in a panic, "Don't be afraid, I'll summon the poisonous centipede right now. Let it suck the toxins out of your body, and you'll get better soon. You'll be alright, I promise I won't let anything happen to you."
Lu Jinlan became even more frightened upon hearing this, "No need, don't hurt me, I have my own medicine."
She quickly took out the antidote pill she had exchanged for in the system store and took one. The symptoms of her physical discomfort quickly disappeared, and her mind rapidly returned to clarity.
Chi Li was still worried, "Let the poisonous centipede help you clean up the remaining poison."
Lu Jinlan waved her hand repeatedly. She went to the river to wash up and came back to find Chi Li with red eyes, silently shedding tears.
Lu Jinlan smiled. "What's wrong? I'm not dead, why are you crying?"
Chi Li said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I almost killed you."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "That's true. I was just saying I'd take you home. I didn't take you home, but you almost took me home. But you didn't do it on purpose. Look, I'm fine now. Don't overthink it, go to sleep."
Lu Jinlan lay down on the bed, and Chi Li covered her with a blanket before sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Lu Jinlan: Aren't you going to sleep?
Chi Li hummed in agreement.
Lu Jinlan said unhappily, "You almost poisoned me to death and I didn't hold it against you, so you're afraid I'll bully you?"
Chi Li quickly shook his head and tried his best to explain, "I'm not afraid of that! I'm afraid that you might die suddenly in the middle of the night because the poison hasn't been cleared. I'm awake and can save you at any time."
Lu Jinlan smiled helplessly, "No, my antidote is more reliable than your poisonous centipede."
As she spoke, she grabbed his arm, forced him to lie down, and covered him with the blanket.
Chi Li said urgently, "There's only this one quilt. You're not feeling well, so I'll give it to you."
Lu Jinlan pushed the blanket towards him, saying, "We martial artists are strong and healthy, you can use this blanket."
Chi Li refused, saying, "I am much older than you, so I am your older brother. It is my duty to take care of you. I will cover you with this."
The blanket was pulled back onto Lu Jinlan, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
What kind of fate is this? She's the female protagonist of a wish-fulfillment novel, enjoying the same treatment as male readers. A stunningly handsome man lies right next to her, and yet they're arguing over a thin, tattered blanket—so innocent that no one would believe it if she told anyone.
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "Actually, I have a hot body. My husband says that when we share a blanket and sleep in the same bed, I don't feel cold at all."
The room was quiet for a moment. Lu Jinlan almost thought he had fallen asleep before she heard him say, "I'm not going."
"Not going anywhere?"
"Your bed."
Lu Jinlan chuckled. Okay, he wouldn't fall for it.
She could only try to save face by saying, "My dear sir, please don't think so badly of me. What I mean is that I'm hot and don't need a blanket at all."
As Lu Jinlan spoke, she rolled over and pressed herself and the blanket onto him.
Chi Li opened his eyes, her face was inches away. He held his breath nervously. He knew exactly what she wanted to do, but after a moment's hesitation, she only said to him, "Go to sleep."
She lay back on the bed, her back to him, but for some reason, she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
Chi Li felt her lean closer in the darkness and whispered in his ear, "What happens when a holy man loses his virginity?"
Chi Li whispered, "A holy man who has lost his chastity-preserving mark is guilty of a capital offense, which will bring ruin to his entire family."
"Is there a situation where the Holy Man was forced into it, and in that case, we can't blame him?"
Chi Li's face flushed. "I... I'm infected with poison, how could I be forced?"
Lu Jinlan sighed, "Alright, then go to sleep. Once you're asleep, I'm going to steal a kiss from you."
She turned over, crossed her arms, glared at the wall resentfully, and muttered under her breath, "A kiss won't make me lose my virginity."
The room was unusually quiet, and after a while, Chi Li still couldn't fall asleep.
Lu Jinlan was genuinely sleepy this time. "Are you so afraid I'll steal a kiss from you?"
"Hmm," he replied in a muffled voice.
"Sleep peacefully, I won't kiss you anymore." Lu Jinlan lay down silently.
Chi Li remained silent, feeling his heart pounding wildly. After much internal struggle, he finally uttered the words that had been lingering on his lips for so long: "I can... pretend to be asleep."
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