What are his true intentions? Is he one of Consort Lan's men?
Meng Yuxiu guessed Chu Moyu's stance. At first, he thought he was Lan Fei's man, but if that were the case, his actions would be too flamboyant.
Moreover, after Consort Lan was dismissed, he remained unmoved and continued to do as he pleased, clearly indicating that he was not one of the Empress's people.
After Chang Lili escaped, he did nothing to harm her. He couldn't figure out Chu Moyu's modus operandi or his motives.
"My fight with him... was because of you, but it wasn't what you think." Meng Yuxiu was always straightforward and decisive, but he couldn't be frank with Chang Lili.
He could deal with Chu Moyu himself; he didn't want Chang Lili to get involved.
Chang Lili leaned closer to him with interest and asked curiously, "What is it? Do you know what I'm thinking?"
Meng Yuxiu readily stepped forward, saying with a mixture of indulgence and helplessness, "Alright, you're all smooth talkers. So that's how you think it is. Now that you've pledged your life to me, you mustn't have any more contact with other men."
His words were gentle yet firm, and a warm breath wafted over him, his familiar and pleasant scent almost touching. His sculpted features were captivating.
Chang Lili snapped out of her daze, immediately pulled away, and nervously glanced to the side. Seeing that no one seemed to be paying attention to them, she finally relaxed.
In reality, who could resist glancing in their direction out of the corner of their eye? But no one dared to do it openly, since Meng Yuxiu was standing right there!
"It's not that I wanted to associate with him. He came here on his own and insisted that I repair this weapon. I couldn't refuse, and he took advantage of the situation. There was nothing I could do. However, he's coming to pick up the sword in three days, so I have to give it to him." Chang Lili said absentmindedly, her face slightly flushed as she lowered her head and pretended to be busy.
Meng Yuxiu frowned, thinking to himself that Chu Moyu was thinking the same thing as him, also using the pretext of repairing weapons to try to run to the military manufacturing department every few days.
This was a method used by Meng Yuxiu, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to imitate it.
"Don't worry," he said, straightening his back and speaking with confidence, "How can we let Deputy Commander Chu keep running to this dirty and messy military workshop? Once the sword is repaired, I'll send someone to deliver it to him personally."
When he said this, he put on a very imposing air, but when Chang Lili looked at him, she always felt that there was a childlike quality in his words, which made her feel warm and soft in her heart.
But she was still somewhat indignant. When she had mentioned the “dirty and chaotic military workshop” before, she had felt many sharp gazes. But now, when she looked up, no one around dared to utter a sound, not even the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.
Chang Lili wanted to shout, "Do you know who I am? I'm the future general's wife!"
However, she suppressed the impulse and felt that this was fine. Although Chu Moyu had a first-class appearance, Chang Lili always felt that beneath that young exterior lay an unfathomable depth of cunning.
Unsolicited attempts to get close to someone usually have an ulterior motive, so it's best to keep your distance.
"Alright, I'll give it to you as soon as it's ready," Chang Lili said happily, feeling relieved.
Seeing that she was eager to sever ties with Chu Moyu, Meng Yuxiu's mood also improved.
Chang Lili suddenly leaned closer to Meng Yuxiu, and said mysteriously and solicitously, "General, when do you think we should start the third test?"
Meng Yuxiu's face changed instantly; his joy vanished, replaced by solemnity.
"Don't rush, prepare well. Wouldn't it be better to have more time to prepare?" His voice was gentle, like soothing a restless child.
Chang Lili sighed and said with some disappointment, "It's good, but dragging it out for too long isn't good either. Why do I feel like you're deliberately stalling for time?"
As she finished speaking, she squinted her eyes slightly to examine Meng Yuxiu.
Meng Yuxiu remained calm, but said with some dissatisfaction, "This is time I specially bought for you. You know how dangerous this matter is, so I naturally want you to learn more about mechanisms and such. It can't hurt."
Upon hearing this, Chang Lili recalled the books on mechanical arts that Meng Yuxiu had continuously sent her, which were not easily found.
She smiled brightly and leaned closer to Meng Yuxiu ingratiatingly, saying, "I was judging you by my own petty standards, General, please don't take offense."
Meng Yuxiu looked away, unwilling to look at her, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Afterwards, the two chatted casually about blacksmithing and forging. Looking at the sword left by Chu Moyu that needed repair, Meng Yuxiu recalled that rainy night when Chang Lili almost lost her life.
He found Chu Moyu to be utterly detestable, and the sight of his weapon made him feel disgusted. He left after a short while.
But things didn't quiet down on Chang Lili's side. No sooner had he left than Lu Ming shrank back, squeezed through the crowd, and jogged to Chang Lili's blacksmithing platform.
Chang Lili had almost finished her preparations and was about to take the longsword to be forged when she sensed someone sneaking close. Looking up, she saw Lu Ming staring intently at her with a nervous expression.
"What are you doing? What bad thing have you done?" Chang Lili asked, somewhat amused.
"The General won't come again, will he?" Lu Ming asked softly, then said reproachfully, "Sister Lili, why are you saying that about me? How could I do anything bad?"
Chang Lili laughed and said, "So you were hiding because you were afraid of General Meng. You're not even afraid of your own father, but you're afraid of Meng Yuxiu." Seeing that Lu Ming was still nervously huddled by the blacksmith's platform, she said, "Alright, he went back to work and won't be here for a while."
Lu Ming took a breath, straightened her back, and swaggered over to Chang Lili before saying, "I'm not afraid of him. I'm just thinking about my father. He told me not to run around and said he let me into the army without the General's knowledge. If I get caught, I'll be in trouble, and my father will be in trouble too!"
Chang Lili chuckled, thinking that both father and daughter were extraordinary people, and that they were indeed a family.
With Meng Yuxiu's incredible abilities, how could he not know about this? He simply chose not to pursue the matter.
"I heard that the incredibly handsome deputy commander of the Imperial Guards came looking for you, the most handsome man in the world! Is it true?! How come I didn't run into him? What bad luck!" Lu Ming's face showed a series of expressions: doubt, surprise, and resentment.
Chang Lili had a feeling that even if she didn't answer, the other woman could still talk on and on for hours.
"He didn't come to see me," Chang Lili said calmly.
"Huh? No way? How could my information be wrong? I've asked several people!" Lu Ming said in disbelief.
Chang Lili forced a helpless smile: "He's here to cause trouble."
"Looking for trouble? What trouble? He's so good-looking, what could he possibly want with you? You two have no grudge against each other," Lu Ming said, puzzled.
Chang Lili was taken aback for a moment before saying, "How come I never noticed before that your mind is so extraordinary?"
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