◇ Chapter 63 (63) Albizia Julibrissin
Anyone else would have heard the bold, direct invitation in his tone. But Bai Kang was different. He thought carefully for a moment and said, "The downstairs is spacious. How about I go upstairs with you after dinner?"
Lianzhi sighed.
He also had a way to deal with Bo Kang, and he said coquettishly: "But I just want to go back to my room, brother, please accompany me upstairs."
Upon hearing this, Bo Kang immediately said, "Then let's go up."
He's quite obedient. Lianzhi asked the waiter to take the food upstairs, and she dragged Baikang along. He seemed to be mumbling something, which Baikang found very cute. He asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Do you know who I am? Why don't you come upstairs with me?" Lianzhi glanced at him. "Aren't you afraid that I will deceive you?"
"You are Lianzhi," Bo Kang replied in a low voice. Lianzhi was unwilling to admit her identity, and she must have her own reasons. He would not expose her rashly. He wanted to say that he was not afraid, but when the words came to his lips, he changed his answer, "If you go back with me, it doesn't matter if you lie to me."
Lianzhi didn't reply. The waiter brought the food and wine into the room and set it on the table. Lianzhi grabbed a handful of silver coins and, before the waiter could go downstairs, stuffed them into his pocket. The waiter was overjoyed by his generosity and bowed, saying, "If you need anything later, please let me know!"
"Baby, where did you get so much money?" asked Bai Kang.
Lianzhi left without taking anything with her and even returned a large sum of money to him. How could she be so well-off now? Lianzhi glanced at him and said proudly, "I'm very rich now!"
Bai Kang still looked at him seriously. Lian Zhi felt puzzled. Bai Kang asked, "Who gave it to you? Are you still in contact with Liangzhou? Or was it that man..."
Why are you asking such a question? And that man, is he talking about Arus?
Lianzhi said angrily: "I don't have it. This is my own silver!" What kind of grudge is there between Bai Kang and Arus? Why do they always mention each other?
But seeing that Bai Kang's mood had improved, Lian Zhi stopped talking. After entering the room and closing the door, the rich fragrance in the room came to her face. While standing at the door and talking, Bai Kang could faintly smell a hint of fragrance, and he thought it came from Lian Zhi.
The incense burner by the window hadn't burned out yet, and wisps of white smoke drifted out. The fragrance was very unique and sweet. Lianzhi noticed him staring at the incense burner and took the initiative to speak: "This is incense produced in the North Sea. It's added with green tangerine and cypress leaves. It can also help you sleep. It smells good, right?"
Hearing him bring it up, Bai Kang shifted his gaze and began to survey other places. He was only staying at the inn, likely for a month or so at most. Lianzhi had even redecorated the room, hanging an orange gauze curtain over the bed and replacing the desks and cabinets with new ones, all decorated to his liking. It seemed he was indeed quite wealthy now.
But even in the Shangshu Mansion, Lianzhi never lacked anything. For six months, Lianzhi never redecorated the room, leaving it to the servants to tidy up, adding only a few decorations at most. Even when they later moved in together, Lianzhi never made such a request.
Do you feel that you can't stay long?
"Brother, come and help me pour some wine." Lianzhi was already sitting at the table and beckoned Bai Kang over. Bai Kang sat across from him and warned him, "You can only drink a little."
After saying that, he took the initiative to pour a glass of wine for Lianzhi.
He poured himself so much that the white porcelain bowl in front of him was completely filled. As soon as he took a sip, Lianzhi rushed over and shook his arm, "That's not fair! You poured so much for yourself, but only let me drink a little!"
He suddenly came forward, vying for the bowl in Bo Kang's hand, and almost bumped into his arms. The two were very close. Lianzhi had taken off her outer robe when she entered the room, and was still wearing the thin Helan tribe clothes underneath. Her warm and delicate skin rubbed back and forth against Bo Kang's, making him distracted.
It's very hot in the room.
"Baby, how about I get you a bowl of goat milk or corn juice?" Bo Kang coaxed softly. For some reason, he felt that the room was a little too hot.
The wine was strangely sweet, unlike the wine from the north. Northern wine was cold and spicy, burning your insides like a fire, unlike this bowl of wine, which was warm and made him look at the person in front of him with a hazy feeling.
"I don't want it. I just want to drink." Lianzhi said in a petty tone, "I'm from the Helan tribe. What's wrong with drinking a little?"
He drank the rest of the wine in one gulp and then poured two full bowls. Even through the veil, one could still see the smile in his eyes.
They all drank a little too much.
Lianzhi couldn't hold her liquor well, so after her third bowl, she collapsed into his arms. Baikang, who could hold his liquor well, was also a bit tipsy. He carried Lianzhi to the bed, and sleepiness washed over him.
He put the person down and covered the quilt again. After hesitating for a while, he was about to go back to his own residence, but Lianzhi opened her eyes and grabbed his sleeve: "Stay. My bed here is very soft."
Bai Kang was indeed very sleepy.
When he agreed to let Lianzhi stay, he realized something was wrong. How could he, a man who could work non-stop at the Ministry of Rites for four or five days straight, go without sleep for three days, and just wait for his day off to catch up on sleep, get so sleepy so easily? Not to mention that he had been busy recently and had been drinking, there were times when he was busier than this.
There's something wrong with that wine.
Bai Kang lay down, and was still thinking in the moment before he lost consciousness.
I guess there's something wrong with the incense too.
When he woke up again, he didn't know how much time had passed. He couldn't open his eyelids. He was so sleepy, his head ached like it was about to explode, and he barely managed to stay awake. He felt a chill all over his body, and he didn't know what was going on. There was a rustling sound around him, and the pungent smell of incense was still wafting towards the bed.
A soft, warm hand pressed against his chest and slid downwards.
It is Lianzhi's hand.
Sure enough, it was Lianzhi who deliberately knocked him unconscious. Could it be that she wanted to kill him?
The hands slid around a few more times, but failed to strangle him. For a moment, Bo Kang couldn't figure out the other party's intentions. He waited quietly for a while, and the other party finally made a move.
Lianzhi's hand finally stopped at his neck.
Bai Kang quietly raised his hand. He didn't know what drug Lianzhi had given him, but it was a little difficult for him to raise his hand, but he wasn't completely under the drug's control. Just as he was about to fight back, the other person held his shoulders and sat on him.
Bai Kang couldn't help but be stunned.
The rustling sound started again, and soon, soft thighs rubbed his waist, with the unique warmth of alcohol. Bai Kang seemed to guess what he was going to do, and he was incredulous.
There was a pain in her chest, and Lianzhi muttered softly, "He seemed to have bitten me like this last time?"
"Never mind, take another bite."
There was a dim candlelight in the room, and the aroma from the copper stove was curling up, with a subtle fragrance floating in the air. The only sound was the rubbing of clothes.
Bai Kang tried his best and did not resist.
By the end, Lianzhi was so exhausted she fell asleep. Bo Kang didn't think much of it and pretended not to wake up—he was afraid if he suddenly opened his eyes, he'd scare her and get angry again. That would have been cute, though.
Let's talk about it tomorrow morning. Anyway, he will bring Lianzhi back tomorrow and tell Da Ximi the truth that Lianzhi is his wife, and from then on they will act together with the officials of Daning State.
The next morning, the wind was clear and the air was crisp. With the windows open, the aromas in the room had completely dissipated, leaving only the chill of the north. Bai Kang opened his eyes and was about to lament that he hadn't caught a cold or fever after being frozen all night, when he suddenly thought of the person in his arms.
What if the lotus branches are frozen?
He lowered his head, only to find that his arms were empty and the bedding had long since lost its warmth, becoming icy cold.
Lianzhi disappeared again. Just like last time, she sneaked away after a night of pleasure. This time, she was even more abominable, not even willing to leave him a trace of her warmth.
"Sir, don't wait any longer. Let's go back first."
Two doctors from the Ministry of Rites stood on either side of Bai Kang, offering earnest advice. Bai Kang had already been sitting at the gate of the inn for four hours, frequently being glanced at by merchants and passengers entering and leaving, clearly regarding them as some kind of eccentric. Not to mention Bai Kang's face, which looked like he was in a state of lawsuit, so dark it reflected light.
Passersby secretly stared at them, and they glared back, holding up their badges. They were thankful that Bo Kang wasn't wearing his official uniform today, otherwise the Ministry of Rites' reputation would be...
"Sir, who is the person you are waiting for? Let us go find him!" The Minister of Rites was anxious. "If we stay any longer, the Minister will blame us!"
"You all go back, all of you." Bai Kang waved his hand and started to drive people away. He didn't let others wait with him, but when other people from the Ministry of Rites asked him who he was angry about so early in the morning, he couldn't say that he lost the lotus branch again, right?
No, it’s not lost. Lianzhi ran away by herself both times!
He wanted to ask someone to help find her, but wouldn't that expose the fact that his wife had run away?
People going out were huddled together, and Bo Kang could only stare at them one by one. He didn't even know if Lianzhi was still at the inn, but her luggage was still in the room, so she would be back sooner or later.
They waited until the afternoon, when the two doctors from the Ministry of Rites finally gave up and went back. A group of Rongcheng merchants left the post station, apparently heading out of the city. At the end of the group was a black horse with a shiny coat. Bai Kang sat at the door, and could only see the man driving the horse.
As he watched, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
He seemed to have seen that horse...
It was the black horse that bumped into him when they first arrived in Rongcheng!
Bai Kang immediately stood up. After leaving the post house, the man did not follow the caravan out of the city. Instead, he turned around not far from the post house and rode his horse back into the city. From a distance, Bai Kang could clearly see the man on the horse.
It’s a lotus branch!
Without time to think, he immediately gave chase. Lianzhi had already spotted him, and her speed was accelerating. No matter how fast Bo Kang ran, he couldn't keep up with the horse. It was obviously too late to rent a horse or a car now. He gritted his teeth, leaped onto the nearby treetop, pulled out the crossbow he carried, and shot at the horse's hind legs.
After two arrows, the horse neighed in pain and collapsed. Bo Kang wasn't skilled with a crossbow, but his accuracy was good. He quickly fired two more arrows, preventing Lianzhi from escaping. He quickly landed and grabbed Lianzhi just as she was about to hide in the alley.
Lianzhi struggled frantically, grabbed Bokang's arm and bit it. Bokang felt pain, but did not let him go. He turned Lianzhi to face him and lifted her veil.
The familiar face he had been longing for, the one that haunted his dreams, was now within reach. Although he had already confirmed that this little bead was undoubtedly Lianzhi, Bo Kang still breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the other person's face clearly.
It was indeed Lianzhi. It was really him.
The veil was blown up by the wind and fell to the ground under a tree not far away. When Bai Kang was about to speak, Lian Zhi covered her face and pushed Bai Kang hard: "How dare you!"
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