Chapter 45 I saw it at the alley entrance, he kissed you.
Moonlight spilled across the threshold as Lou Yanxu sat in the hall brewing tea, touching her forehead as her thoughts drifted.
Time has passed, and she never imagined that the two of them would have to scheme and deceive each other like this. They had clearly pledged their lives to each other, but now they have ended up going their separate ways.
Who wrote that letter that misled Xu Congjing, and what was their purpose? This person is familiar with her habits and must have been planning this for a long time. Everything is still unclear. If this person cannot be found out, it will surely stir up another storm.
As her thoughts grew heavier, she unconsciously ground the tea leaves with both hands, just as Wan Qing'an returned.
The person paused for a moment, then slowly approached following the aroma of tea, subconsciously patting their clothes. "You...you're back so early today?"
Yes, I usually return home under the moonlight, so it's time for dinner. Lou Yanxu sifted out the tea leaves, glanced at her, and said, "I'm off today."
"Oh, yes..." She was slightly lost in thought, remaining motionless until the tea boiled and its rich aroma wafted into her nostrils.
Lou Yanxu sensed something was wrong. She poured a cup of tea, looked at the woman suspiciously, then poured another cup and beckoned her over, "Qing'an, come here."
Upon closer inspection, I was right. "His lips are bleeding." I then took out some ointment to apply.
To everyone's surprise, Wan Qing'an's eyes widened, two blushes appeared at the corners of her eyes, and her mouth was covered tightly, but the words came out from between her fingers, "It's not my blood."
My head buzzed.
The blood on her lips wasn't hers; it meant she had bitten someone else and made them bleed.
Recalling what she had just seen, Lou Yanxu's expression became slightly unnatural. She pursed her lips to suppress a smile. "Has Young Master Wen finally come to his senses?"
"You!" Wan Qing'an put her hands on her hips, making a move to cover her mouth. "You're making fun of me!"
The two joked and laughed for a while before settling down to sip tea and chat.
Lou Yanxu smiled, but her brows suddenly turned solemn. "However, I must remind you that I will try my best to persuade the Emperor to allow women to participate in the martial arts examination. This is probably our only chance, so we must not neglect our important business."
This return to Chang'an is not just for romance. If Wan Qing'an wants to break free from the control of the General's Mansion, she must achieve something and become independent, ideally by entering the imperial court as an official. She is simple-minded, possesses martial prowess, and comes from the General's Mansion. If she enters the army through the military examination, her future path will likely be much smoother.
Both of them understood these things.
Wan Qing'an picked up the tea on the table, skimmed off the foam, moistened her lips, and said solemnly, "Don't worry, I know that I can't rely on others forever, and I still need to take control of everything myself."
“Besides…” she grasped the cold hand opposite her, staring intently into his dark eyes, “I didn’t agree to his request.”
Lou Yanxu asked in surprise, "Why?" She had been looking forward to this peaceful day for many years. Wouldn't it be a pity to give it up when it was finally over?
Little did she know that Wan Qing'an valued her more than anyone else.
“We’ve been through so much together, and we’ve supported each other through the toughest times. I’ve long considered you family.”
“You are an enemy of Xu Congjing, and I will definitely support you no matter what. If he stands on the other side, then we can only be destined to be apart.”
The warmth from her palm seeped intermittently into her heart. Her face first showed surprise, then a smile began to spread across her lips. She wiped her eyes twice, her fingertips damp with tears. She could no longer hold back her tears, and hugged Qing'an tightly, releasing all the pain and grievances of the past few days.
Wan Qing'an's eyes also reddened. She patted her back to comfort her, "Just do whatever you want to do. Do whatever can ease the hatred in your heart. I will try my best to protect you."
If Lou Yanxu hadn't hidden her in the mansion these past few days, she probably would have been forced into marriage again as soon as she returned to the capital. She could never forget this kindness; they had helped each other in the past, and they could continue to do so in the future.
If they weren't worried that their eyes would be very swollen the next day, and that they might have cried their hearts out, they would have been more cautious and only got a small patch wet before going back to their rooms to rest.
The next day, Lou Yanxu tidied herself up and finished her official duties. On her way back to the mansion, she ran into Lu Hengzhi, who was waiting for her. She simply invited him into the mansion for a cup of tea.
The tea was the newly delivered Bijianmingyue, with a bright green color and a rich aroma of flowers and fruits as well as a delicate fragrance of orchids. It was fresh, sweet and refreshing on the palate, and Lou Yanxu liked it very much, drinking several sips. Lu Hengzhi noticed this and silently noted down this preference.
He gently placed his teacup on the table and explained the purpose of his visit: "Regarding the fire at the Court of State Ceremonial, the suspect has been sent to the Court of Judicial Review for trial, and there will be a result soon."
In reality, a corner that had accumulated silt due to years of water accumulation became one of the few places that survived the fire. A footprint was found there, and by following the trail, a few suspects were identified. After a trial by the Dali Temple, they were quickly turned on by the dog-eat-dog and began to deny everything they had seen or heard.
However, these were all confidential matters in the case and could not be disclosed even by the parties involved. Therefore, Lu Hengzhi did not elaborate, but he did not expect Lou Yanxu to guess it so quickly.
"Are they two deputy directors?"
He stared blankly for a moment, then laughed out loud, "It seems you've already made up your mind." The two officials pretended to have finished their business and left that day, but secretly returned to set the fire, then mingled with the firefighters and escaped in the chaos.
Lou Yanxu chuckled twice, "After all the back and forth, you can naturally guess most of it."
However, these two are just small fry, pushed out to take the fall. The real big shots are still hiding in the shadows, watching her every move. What's even more frightening is that it is still unknown whether the emperor wants to find this person out. After all, for the emperor, maintaining a stable balance of power among the various factions in the court is of paramount importance.
Lu Hengzhi had clearly seen through it as well. Although he was also worried, he still comforted her, saying, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Don't worry too much. I will do my best to protect you."
She nodded, not intending to think much of it, and simply focused on sipping her tea. But the two fell silent for a moment, and she couldn't help but drift off into thought, her hand unconsciously reaching for the stove, the scalding heat causing her to instinctively pull away.
Lu Hengzhi reacted quickly, grabbing her four long fingers and pulling them back, saying, "Be careful."
The danger was fleeting. He pried open her fingers and examined them closely. "Any burns?"
"It's alright." The coolness of their fingertips touching made her face flush, and she felt a little embarrassed.
Her fair and smooth fingertips were flushed red from the heat, but fortunately there were no wounds. Lu Hengzhi's mind raced, and he became bolder, staring intently at Lou Yanxu, refusing to let her pull her hand away.
She was clearly no longer resisting him, so why couldn't they take it a step further? His gaze was intense, fixed on her face and movements, deeply, deeply painting a picture of her in his eyes.
The gaze was so intense that Lou Yanxu could hardly bear it.
That's not right.
She was now consumed by hatred, and on the other hand, she was still pretending to be ambiguous with Xu Congjing. If she didn't reject Lu Hengzhi, what kind of person would she be? She tried to pull her hand back to explain, but was interrupted.
"Have you seen enough?" A cold voice rang in her ears. Taking advantage of Lu Hengzhi's momentary daze, Lou Yanxu pulled her hand back, turned her head and saw Yun Bing's nostrils flaring, his face bruised and dark as if he were about to unleash a thunderbolt. "If you want to be my brother-in-law, you'd better get in line!"
Lou Yanxu's brow twitched, and she stood up and pulled Yun Bing away, saying, "Come with me!"
She pulled him to the moon gate, her deep voice tinged with displeasure as she launched into a tirade, "What did I tell you before? He's not some vicious wolf or leopard; he's helped me a lot. You can't be rude!"
"He helped you only because he had ulterior motives towards you." Lou Yunbing gritted his teeth, recalling what he had recently learned about his sister's past with Xu Congjing in Chang'an, and thinking about what he had seen and heard before entering the mansion last night, a layer of murderous intent had already covered his eyes, "The one last night was no good, and this one is no different, officials are all the same!"
"I'm an official too. Do you have to beat around the bush when you insult me?" Lou Yanxu retorted immediately, still angry.
"What kind of thought process is that?" Yun Bing touched the bruise on his cheekbone, his voice sounding aggrieved, "That's not what I meant..."
Seeing his expression, her anger subsided somewhat, but he always acted without thinking when it involved her. In Chang'an, one wrong move could cost him his head, so how could she not give him a good scolding? If Lu Hengzhi really used his power to oppress people, his powerful background would only make him more difficult to deal with than Xu Congjing. What could they do then?
In reality, a lack of patience can ruin a grand plan!
Her mind was buzzing, but then a thought struck her, and she suddenly asked him, "What was that last night? What did you see last night?"
Could it be that he saw her and Xu Congjing bidding each other a tearful farewell at the alley corner? She prayed in her heart that it was no, but Yun Bing did not grant her wish. He turned his head and snorted coldly, "I saw everything. Right at the alley corner, he kissed you."
Lou Yanxu rubbed her forehead, then looked up and saw that he had minor injuries on his jaw and cheekbones. She immediately knew what had happened.
"Didn't I tell you to mind your own business? You wouldn't listen..." She was so angry she wanted to give him a good beating. "Did you go and cause trouble for him?"
Having already done it, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Lou Yunbing dared not look at his elder sister, but he stubbornly insisted, "Of course I'm going to beat him up!"
"It looks to me like you got beaten up." Xu Congjing was already quite skilled, and with Yun Lu by his side, this stubborn guy probably didn't even manage to touch a finger, just got a beating for nothing. Fortunately, judging from the severity of the injury, the attacker had held back. He was about to remind him to be careful next time, but the kid was incorrigible. "I'll practice more, and I'll be able to beat him."
Lou Yanxu's vision blurred. No wonder Qing'an said he wasn't suited to live in Chang'an; she hadn't listened to a single word of what she said, only thinking about using her brute strength to get revenge. Thinking about it, he realized that his childhood had been filled with hardship and incompetence, and he probably wouldn't have survived to this day. With that thought, he said nothing more.
He pressed his hand against the back of her neck, and after hesitating for a long time as she pondered her thoughts, he finally looked into her eyes and asked, "Sister, do you want to marry him?"
Her gaze paused briefly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and the hairs on her body stood on end.
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