Those repeated calls of "cousin" made Lu Minghe willingly succumb to temptation.
But once he regained his senses, he realized that the person in front of him wasn't the one he longed for. Lu Minghe closed his eyes in anguish, his gaze coldly fixed on Lu Yi: "How did you find me?"
Lu Yi lowered his head, feigning fear, but in his heart he was thinking that Lu Yi really didn't remember.
She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My cousin didn't return home yesterday, and my aunt sent people to look for him everywhere. I wanted to help my aunt, so I brought a servant with me to help search. As a result, we unexpectedly found my cousin drunk and unconscious in a tavern."
Lu Minghe, now clear-headed, questioned, "If you're helping me find someone, why won't you take me back to my residence?"
Lu Yi's expression grew increasingly surprised, and she seemed to feel a touch of sadness as well: "Cousin, have you forgotten? You said you didn't want to go back to the manor and asked me to take you somewhere else." She lowered her eyes and said softly, "That's why I brought you to the inn... but you got drunk and seemed to mistake me for someone else..."
Lu Minghe tried hard to recall, but could only remember fragmented pieces. The more joy he felt in the dream, the more painful it was to see Lu Yi covered in marks upon waking.
He wanted to say something more, but the gentlemanly upbringing he received from childhood prevented him from saying anything more offensive to a mentally challenged woman.
He had always known that his cousin from the Lu family was cunning. No matter how cunning she was, if he hadn't been drunk and mistaken her for someone else, he wouldn't have given her the opportunity to take advantage of him.
Ultimately, whatever Lu Yi's intentions, he has already tarnished her reputation.
His character prevented him from turning his back on the king, but he still clung to a sliver of impossible hope, thinking that if he waited and hoped, perhaps one day Zhaozhao would see through the true nature of the King of Qin and change her mind.
But now, all those hopes have been dashed.
Seeing him standing there, his expression shifting, Lu Yi gritted her teeth and added fuel to the fire: "I know you have someone in your heart, cousin, and I don't dare to ask for anything. If you don't want to, just pretend nothing happened last night."
After she finished speaking, she propped herself up and bent down to pick up the clothes from the stool and put them on one by one. The messy bloodstains on the bedding behind her were also revealed.
Lu Minghe clenched his teeth, clearly going through an extremely intense struggle. Just as Lu Yi had finished dressing and was about to leave, he said with difficulty, "Since I've taken you, I will take responsibility. But I'm afraid I can't give you the position of my principal wife. If you're willing, I'll take you back to see my mother right now."
Although she had expected it, Lu Yi's heart still sank when she heard his blunt words.
She went to great lengths, not to become Lu Minghe's concubine.
However, thinking of Madam Ye, she reconsidered and thought there might still be a chance to turn things around. Therefore, she did not raise any objections, but simply obediently agreed, "I will listen to my cousin."
*
Lu Minghe took Lu Yi back to the Lu residence.
He didn't return home all night, and Madam Ye sent many servants out to search for him, but they couldn't find any trace of him. She was so worried that she barely slept a wink all night. While she was anxious and upset, her husband, Lu Lin, acted as if nothing was wrong, saying things like, "He's a grown man, he can't possibly get lost just because he didn't come home for one night."
Ye wasn't worried about him getting lost, but she was concerned that he might pick up some bad habits from other people outside.
Lu Lin went to court early in the morning and also sent someone to the Kaifeng government office to ask for leave for Lu Zhaohe. Only Ye Shi couldn't sleep or eat. She got up early and sat there, telling the old woman to keep an eye on the gatehouse so that her husband could report back as soon as he returned.
When the old woman finally came to report that her husband had returned, Madam Ye suddenly got up to greet him and asked in rapid succession, "Did your husband say where he went last night? Did he have breakfast?"
The old woman stammered for a long time before finally saying, "The young master didn't say that he came back with Miss Cousin."
Ye's expression suddenly froze, and her face contorted with rage: "Why did you return with Lu Yi, my lord?"
The mother-in-law shook her head repeatedly, knowing the mistress's temper, and dared not say more. But the servants all knew that the young master had not returned home all night, and that he and his cousin had gotten off the same carriage early this morning. A man and a woman alone together... it was easy to guess what had happened.
Madam Ye had clearly guessed what had happened. She was so angry that she felt dizzy and disoriented. The maid beside her caught her in time to prevent her from falling. After being helped to sit down by the maid, Madam Ye clutched her chest and said, "Perhaps it was just a bump."
Just as she was catching her breath, she saw Lu Minghe bring Lu Yi in.
Lu Minghe was still wearing yesterday's clothes, which were wrinkled. Lu Yi, who was walking beside him, tried her best to hide it, but her hair was casually styled, obviously done in a hurry.
Ye felt a chill run down her spine, but she tried her best to remain calm. She didn't look at Lu Yi, but asked Lu Minghe with concern, "You're finally home. Your father sent someone to the yamen to ask for leave for you. Don't go to the yamen today. Go take a bath and have breakfast first, then get some rest. Look at your dark circles under your eyes, it's quite frightening."
Seeing that she didn't ask where he had gone last night and ignored Lu Yi beside her, Lu Minghe knew that she knew what was going on.
He had no patience to beat around the bush with Madam Ye and said bluntly, "I was with Lu Yi last night. Mother has been urging me to get married, hasn't she? Lu Yi is someone I know well, and it would be a double blessing if we married into the same family. Mother, please send someone to the Lu family to finalize the marriage."
Madam Ye's expression froze, and the forced composure she had maintained completely crumbled: "Your mother hopes you will get married, but she also wants you to choose a virtuous and obedient woman, not someone with such ill intentions! She is not worthy to be your wife, let alone a concubine!"
After saying that, he glared angrily at Lu Yi: "Fine, I kindly took you in, and you repay kindness with enmity by seducing my son?!"
Enraged, Madam Ye lost her temper and shouted, "Guards! Tie up this wretched ingrate and send her back to the Lu family!"
She had previously sensed Lu Yi's intentions and wanted to find a marriage for him far away. However, Lu Yi was incredibly audacious and came to threaten her, saying that if she could have a good marriage and a grand wedding, she wouldn't necessarily insist on marrying her cousin. But if the marriage was bad and she was unhappy, she'd rather hang herself.
Fearing that she might do something that would cause rumors and tarnish the Lu family's reputation, Madam Ye had no choice but to compromise.
Who knew that Lu Yi, that slut, would actually climb into Lu Minghe's bed!
Ye was so angry that she gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear Lu Yi to pieces on the spot.
Lu Yi timidly hid behind Lu Minghe, tugging at his sleeve and whispering, "If Aunt doesn't agree, then let it go. Cousin, please don't let my situation damage the bond between mother and son. But please, cousin, give me some face and let me go back to the Lu family on my own."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
