Chapter 13: Leaving Me Two Carp (3) Stealing a Kiss or Two.
Without hearing her words, Lu Guanque leaned over and pecked her on the lips without hesitation, then left and took a half step back as if nothing had happened.
The window was covered with mottled snow, and the faint aroma of agarwood drifted in the air, like a dream. Meng Xuanli sat on the bed, his body stiff, like a rudderless ship on the deep blue sea, misty and winding, like a fish under the boat that had swallowed the hook line. [1]
"you……"
Meng Xuanli was filled with doubts and wanted to ask Lu Guanque why he did this. However, she changed her mind and felt that Lu Guanque's behavior was reasonable.
Just as I was startled, I suddenly heard some kind words coming from above my head, like a spring breeze blowing through the willows, bringing lush greenery.
"If you don't like it."
"I won't do it."
"I won't force you to do anything."
His tone was extremely gentle, just like the rouge and powder in a girl's dressing table, which, when applied on the face, revealed a layer of beauty that could only be understood.
Meng Xuanli opened her teeth slightly, her face slightly raised: "It's... there's no coercion."
"really?"
Lu Guanque narrowed his eyes slightly, approached quietly, held her slender wrist, and rubbed her palm with his fingertips slowly and steadily.
Meng Xuanli's slender wrist trembled slightly, and she wanted to retract her hand: "...Seriously."
"In that case."
Lu Guanque chuckled, his breath brushing her earlobe: "Kiss again?"
He knew that she was shy and timid, so he did not act recklessly in front of her. He just went along with her temperament, pretending to be the most vulnerable to her defenses, and step by step tricked her into saying "seriously".
Lu Guanque let go of her hand, his eyes moving, his arms already supporting the soft blanket under her, leaning over and looking at her carefully.
Meng Xuanli's cheeks flushed and her earlobes were rosy. From his perspective, she looked like a firework, slightly lit, and with a "bang", it shook his heart.
Seeing her like this, Lu Guanque knew that this gentle mask had worked. The rain in his heart stopped and the clouds dispersed, and there was even a hint of sunshine in his heart.
Meng Xuanli quickly covered her lips and said awkwardly, "I'm still washing up."
Lu Guanque had intended to tease her, but seeing her like this, he couldn't help but laugh: "I won't tease you anymore, I'll help you call someone."
Meng Xuanli was slightly startled, his thoughts drifting, as if he had eaten candied plums, sour and sweet.
*
In the blink of an eye, early spring has arrived. The warm breeze is as gentle as the steam from a hot spring, floating in the air and making people feel intoxicated.
On this day, everyone in the Duke's Mansion was busy. Meng Xuanli sat in the corridor and listened to the servants counting the luggage.
"It's early spring and the weather is warm, which makes it easy to get sick. You'd better go in, girl." Chen Bi came over and put a cloak on Meng Xuanli.
After looking at Meng Xuanli's eyes, Chen Bi sighed: "I don't know when the girl's eyes will be healed. It's not a long-term solution to keep her sick like this."
Although Meng Xuanli couldn't see Chen Bi's face, after spending the past few months with her, she knew that Chen Bi was very considerate. No matter where she went, she would follow her, never leaving her side, just like a sister.
Hearing her say this, Meng Xuanli said in a gentle voice, "Mr. Su said before he left that he would be well this month."
Chen Bi smiled and gently took her arm: "Then I will accompany you to bask in the sun for a while, maybe you will be better tomorrow."
Hearing this, Meng Xuanli smiled slightly and said, "Yeah."
Just as she was thinking, she heard a gentle voice from a distance: "Ali."
Lu Guanque stepped forward and ordered, "You go down first."
"Yes." Chen Bi bowed his head hurriedly, curled his fingers, and left here.
After a pause, he leaned over to Meng Xuanli's ear and whispered, "In the garden ahead, the masons are paving the path. The bricks and stones are in a mess. I'm afraid you might fall. I'll carry you back."
Meng Xuanli nodded and carefully grasped his sleeve. "My Lord, I haven't had my eyes checked since Mr. Su left. I want to go get them checked again tomorrow."
She had been following the prescription and taking the medicine without interruption for days. However, her eyes never saw the light of day. She was anxious and wanted to go for another checkup.
Otherwise, this eye will always be blind and walking will be very difficult.
"I'll go with you."
Lu Guanque's tone was very calm, making it impossible to guess his emotions.
Meng Xuanli lowered his eyes and said softly, "I heard there's a new pharmacy in the east, and a lot of people have been going there to get medicine recently. Can we go there too?"
"Of course."
His warm breath brushed against her hair: "We will stay at Puyuan tonight."
Meng Xuanli's eyelashes trembled, and the powder on her face seemed to be scattered all over the floor: "Let's go tonight?"
Lu Guanque hummed, leaving no room for doubt: "In the future, we will live there."
Meng Xuanli leaned back slightly, swallowing softly in his throat, and said carefully, "But isn't the Duke's Mansion empty?"
Lu Guanque brushed the loose strands of hair across her forehead with his fingertips, turned around, brushed his sleeves, and leisurely sat down on the edge of the kang. "The Duke's Mansion has been undergoing renovations these past few days, and it's been quite noisy. Your eye disease hasn't healed yet, so it's inconvenient for you to rest. Puyuan is quiet and peaceful, with few people around. Let's go there early, which might be beneficial to your health."
So that's how it is...
Meng Xuanli had lived in the Duke's Mansion for over two months. Because of her blindness, the servants, though respectful on the surface, inevitably gossiped behind her back. A few days ago, she overheard a few things, and while she didn't reprimand them outwardly, she felt deeply uneasy. If she could move to Puyuan sooner, perhaps she could have a quieter time.
"What are you thinking about?" Lu Guanque's voice suddenly approached.
"Nothing." Meng Xuanli quickly gathered his thoughts. "Everything is up to the prince's arrangements."
Lu Guanque poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to her: "Sit here and don't wander around. Once I have taken care of everything, I will come to pick you up in person."
Meng Xuanli nodded in agreement, and the heavy burden in his heart fell to the ground.
The maids and servants at the Duke's Mansion were very efficient, and within a few hours, they had the boxes and valuables properly put away. Chen Bi had already gone ahead and made arrangements at Pu Garden.
As dusk fell, Meng Xuanli was the only one sitting alone in the large flower hall. Lu Guanque had just finished taking care of his external affairs when he walked into the flower hall and took her to Puyuan Lanyue Residence.
The Pu Garden had fewer attendants than the Duke's Mansion, and the surroundings were a bit quieter. Meng Xuanli sat on the warm couch, leaning against the curtains, and whispered softly, "Miss, this garden is full of pear trees. In spring, the blossoms are like snow, so beautiful."
Before he finished speaking, Meng Xuanli's nose moved slightly, and a faint fragrance of pear blossoms quietly seeped into his heart.
Seeing her concentrating on sniffing the piano, Chen Bi couldn't help but loosen his grip when wiping the piano with his hands.
“Zheng——”
There was a muffled sound, and the sound of a piano suddenly appeared.
"What's wrong? Is the piano broken?" Meng Xuanli put down the beads in his hand and hurriedly stood up to check.
Before her toes touched the ground, Chen Bi hurriedly stopped her: "Miss, be careful."
"If the prince knew that the young lady had gone to the fields like this, we servants would be afraid..."
Chen Bi's voice was slightly worried.
"He's not here now," Meng Xuanli pursed his lips slightly, frowning slightly, "Is Qin okay?"
Chen Bi quickly replied, "The zither is fine, just a little dusty. I'm cleaning it right now."
Meng Xuanli calmed down and said, "It's good that you're not hurt."
This zither was originally purchased by Meng Xuanli at a high price by Chen Bihua. At first, she was afraid of wasting the money and hesitated to play it.
Chen Bi offered her a cup of warm tea and placed it beside her. She then gently placed the well-read music sheet on the table. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "There's something I've been holding in my heart for a long time."
Meng Xuanli sipped his tea and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Chen Bi looked around to see if there was anyone around. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Miss, since you want to learn the zither, why don't you let the prince teach you?"
Meng Xuanli felt a slight dryness in his throat.
She wanted to, too. But he was so good to her, so good that sometimes she forgot who she was. She didn't want to trouble him anymore, tire him, or cause him any more worries.
Thinking of this, Meng Xuanli's eyes were filled with dusk, and he felt an inexplicable mixture of sadness and joy in his heart. "Please keep the music sheet and the zither safe. When my eyesight heals, I will start by learning on my own."
After saying that, Meng Xuanli pulled Chen Bi and lowered his voice to a very low tone: "Don't let the prince know, understand?"
"I understand."
"Go ahead."
At that time, the full moon was shining, just like a blue and white porcelain cup filled with strong white almond tea. The blue and white contrasted with each other, and the breeze blew, and it seemed that it was about to overflow.
Lu Guanque walked into the inner room, but saw Meng Xuanli leaning on the inside of the bed, not asleep.
Lu Guanque lifted up the corner of his sleeve, cleaned his hands briefly, and sat quietly on the edge of the bed for a moment before asking, "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
Meng Xuanli hesitated and whispered, "I heard that you went to the palace, I..."
Before continuing, Meng Xuanli bit her lip and finally expressed her hesitation: "Does the prince want to sleep?"
"Yeah." Lu Guanque responded.
The candlelight in the room overlapped, and the dim light flowed, lingering on Meng Xuanli's face.
Lu Guanque took a closer look in the light and saw that she was wearing a thin, tight-fitting nightgown, her cheeks were flushed, her collarbone was powdered, and she had a girlish shyness and reserve.
Lu Guanque raised the corner of his lips slightly, leaned forward and sniffed, her fragrance all around him: "Why only one quilt?"
Meng Xuanli's throat moved slightly, and he replied carefully, "Before I could send anyone to get it, you came back."
Seeing that she was not dodging like before, Lu Guanque's heart moved. He held her hand in his palm and rubbed it gently. An indescribable emotion surged in his chest like waves.
These days, Lu Guanque has been working very hard on his acting.
Whenever he came back, he would stop for a moment in his study, just to watch her basking in the sun in the courtyard. After she left to help someone, he would pretend to meet her by chance and approach her to chat for a few words.
Late at night, while Meng Xuanli was sound asleep, he was like a thief stealing a beauty in his own house. He held his breath and quietly took her out of her nightgown in the dark. He looked at her body from head to toe carefully several times without any fatigue.
But after looking at her for too long, Lu Guanque couldn't help but feel hot-eyed and restless, so he moved closer, touching her lips, neck, and palms...
Steal a kiss or two.
However, most of the time, he was extremely restrained. After all, if Meng Xuanli found out about this, it would be difficult for him to get close to her in the future.
Lu Guanque's mind fluttered at this thought, and he couldn't help but increase the strength in his hands. Meng Xuanli frowned and tried to pull his hand back: "My Lord, you're hurting me."
How could Lu Guanque let her break free?
He pulled her into his arms, his breath brushing against her ears, his voice low and tender: "Cover me with a quilt tonight, okay?"
The author has something to say:
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References
[1] From the traditional Peking Opera repertoire "Wen Zhaoguan"
【Small Theater】
Lu Guanque: I am like a goose lamenting in the sky, like a dragon swimming on the shallow beach. I am like a fish that has swallowed the line, like a rudderless boat in the waves. Thinking about this and that makes me heartbroken. How can I look forward to tomorrow tonight... [Huang Xin]
Ali: [Oh oh oh]
Lu Guanque: [Clown]
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