Chapter 23 Wedding Night, His Secret
Inside the two-story building, it was so quiet that you could hear each other breathing.
This was their first real space alone together, free from the scrutiny of the Lu family elders and the provocations of Ye Manrou and others; it was just the two of them.
There is also a 1.8-meter-wide wooden bed that stands out prominently in the center of the bedroom.
There was an indescribable, subtle tension floating in the air.
"You go first." Lu Jingyan put down his suitcase, his voice as deep as ever, but his eyes unconsciously avoided the bed.
Su Wantang nodded, said nothing more, took her change of clothes, and went into the bathroom.
The sound of rushing water filled the air, and a door separated the space into two worlds.
Lu Jingyan stood in the living room, his tall figure casting a long shadow under the light. He didn't sit, just stood there, like a silent sculpture.
After a long while, he finally moved, went to the kitchen, poured two glasses of water, placed one on the bedside table, and held the other in his hand, tilting his head back to gulp it down.
When Su Wantang came out, still damp from the water, the layout of the bedroom had changed.
The man pulled out a brand-new military green quilt from some cabinet and laid it out in a neat "tofu block" shape on the floor next to the bed.
A simple cot on the floor.
Su Wantang paused in her act of drying her hair.
She looked at the makeshift bed on the floor, then at the man who was about to take off his coat, and something inside her was gently touched.
This man is powerful, domineering, and even possessive to some extent, yet he adheres to a fundamental principle called "respect."
This is more powerful than any sweet words.
She put down the towel, walked up to him, and under the light, her freshly washed skin glowed white, and her eyes were like obsidian soaked in water.
"Lu Jingyan." She spoke, her voice clear and cold, breaking the silence of the room.
The man paused, then looked up at her.
"That day at the Peace Hotel," Su Wantang didn't beat around the bush, looking him straight in the eye and asking, word by word, "why were you in that room?"
This question had been lingering in her mind ever since she transmigrated.
From Shanghai to Beijing, the journey was fraught with twists and turns, but she always regarded it as a pure coincidence, an opportunity that could be exploited.
But after meeting the Lu family and Ye Manrou, she no longer believed in coincidences.
Lu Jingyan's dark eyes were unfathomable.
He didn't answer, but stared at her for a full ten seconds.
Su Wantang met his scrutiny calmly, her eyes not flinching in the slightest.
They are husband and wife, but also allies.
The worst thing for allies is information asymmetry.
Finally, as if confirming something, the man's taut jawline relaxed slightly.
He pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit down, while he leaned against the table, his tall figure looming over her.
"I'm back in Shanghai to investigate a case." His voice was low, carrying a chilling quality characteristic of a soldier.
Su Wantang listened quietly.
"A large quantity of military supplies was stolen during transport, and the impact is very negative."
"The clues led to Shanghai and pointed to a transshipment link that had business dealings with both the Su and Lin families, and then the connection was lost."
Su Wantang's heart sank suddenly.
The Su family, the Lin family.
Sure enough, this game of chess was interconnected from the very beginning.
“I arranged to meet my informant at the Peace Hotel to obtain a crucial piece of evidence.” Lu Jingyan’s tone was flat.
"He booked the room because he said it was safe."
"After I went in, I drank a glass of water." He paused, then gave a self-deprecating smile. "Someone tampered with it."
What happened next is self-evident.
He lost consciousness, and when he woke up, the person next to him was Su Wantang.
This explanation filled the biggest hole in Su Wantang's heart.
But new questions have arisen.
"Where is your informant?" she pressed.
Lu Jingyan's eyes turned cold: "After I woke up, I went to look for him, but he had disappeared. He must have been silenced."
Such ruthless methods.
Su Wantang's fingertips were slightly cool.
"Therefore, the people who plotted against me and the people who wanted to destroy you are the same group of people." This is not a question, but a statement.
Lu Jingyan looked at her, and for the first time, a clear expression of approval appeared in his deep eyes.
This woman is frighteningly intelligent.
“Yes.” He nodded. “Killing two birds with one stone.”
"Their original plan was to have your father, Su Zhenhong, bring reporters and the Lin family to catch you and the street thug having an affair. They wanted to ruin your reputation, completely abandon you by the Su and Lin families, and ideally force you to your death."
"And me, a promising young officer, appearing in a woman's room in the middle of the night, is also a disgraceful scandal. Even if the Lu family can suppress the matter, my military career is over."
His voice was calm, but Su Wantang could hear the undercurrents beneath that calm.
"Their goal is to use the scandal to remove me from my current position. At the same time, it will allow your fiancé, Lin Zihang, to 'legitimately' break off the engagement and then marry someone more useful to them without any obstacles."
A complete chain of conspiracy quickly took shape in her mind.
Destroying her was to pave the way for Lin Zihang's "promotion".
Destroying him was to purge dissidents from the military and remove an eyesore.
These two objectives were perfectly combined through a meticulously planned "catching the adulterer" operation.
In Su Wantang's mind, Ye Manrou's arrogant yet deliberately disguised face flashed by.
If Lu Jingyan were to truly be disgraced and discharged from the military, it would be the weakest point for the Lu family. At that time, if the Ye family were to step in with their "unwavering support" and offer "help," a marriage between the two families would become a natural and even desirable outcome for the Lu family.
What a brilliant move to undermine the enemy's strength! What a clever series of schemes!
From the Su family and Liu Liyun in Shanghai to the Ye family in Beijing, and even the missing Lin Zihang... an invisible net has enveloped everyone.
Seeing the quick thought and understanding flash across the girl's clear eyes, the last trace of doubt in Lu Jingyan's heart completely disappeared.
He doesn't need a parasitic vine that only cries and whine behind his back; he needs a comrade-in-arms who can fight alongside him.
He looked at her, and for the first time, a barely perceptible hint of weariness and vulnerability appeared on his usually cold and hard face.
"This matter involves high-ranking officials in the military." His voice was several decibels deeper than before. "Our opponents are very well hidden and very strong. I am in the open, while they are in the shadows."
"I need an ally who is absolutely reliable."
His gaze, burning and focused, was like two burning flames, firmly fixed on her.
“Su Wantang,” he called her by her full name, emphasizing each word with utmost seriousness, “you are more suitable than I imagined.”
This is not a love confession.
This isn't even a kind word.
This is more like a... heavy invitation, imbued with the scent of blood and fire.
He invited her into his perilous world, to become his most trusted ally, someone he could rely on.
This was his first positive definition of their marriage.
Su Wantang's heart was struck hard by these words.
She came from the end of the 21st century, fighting against illness and racing against death. She understands better than anyone how precious and rare an unreserved "trust" is.
She looked into the weariness in the man's eyes, and at the vulnerability he only showed to her.
Suddenly, I realized that this man has had a tough time too.
Su Wantang stood up, walked to the bedside without saying a word, and picked up the brand-new military quilt.
Lu Jingyan's eyes dimmed slightly.
Does she still want to sleep in a separate room?
Just as he was thinking this, Su Wantang walked up to him with a quilt in her arms, and without saying a word, threw the thick quilt all over him.
With a "smack," neither too loud nor too soft.
Lu Jingyan caught it instinctively, looking completely taken aback.
"The floor is cold, what if I get sick from sleeping on it?"
Su Wantang glared at him and said fiercely, "Don't die, I'm still counting on you to be my support."
After saying that, she turned around, took another quilt from the closet, and threw it onto the bed.
She herself, holding the thinner quilt cover, slept on the outermost side of the big bed.
One bed, two people.
This night was devoid of romance or sweet words.
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