Chapter 23 She Wants to Escape
The loud crash of the door being flung open echoed in the private room, making Mingwu's heart tremble.
It's him!
How could he... be here? Wasn't he supposed to arrive in the afternoon?
She deliberately changed into an inconspicuous plain dress and slipped out of Song Yuxuan's carriage. She thought she could finish her business without anyone noticing and then return quietly.
I never expected to run into him here.
How long has he been standing outside the door? And... how much has he overheard?
Mingwu's hand, which was resting on the edge of the table, suddenly clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into the soft flesh of her palm. The sharp pain barely suppressed the shock rising in her throat.
Song Yan, who had just been wearing a lazy smile, suddenly changed his expression and silently stopped playing with the white jade cup in his hand.
Chunnan, who was standing to the side, was utterly terrified.
Lu Yuan stood quietly at the door.
Backlit, his expression was obscured; all that could be felt was the chilling aura emanating from him, almost tangible.
Almost instantly, the temperature inside the house plummeted to freezing.
His unfathomable black eyes swept across the room without any warmth, finally landing on Ming Wu, whose face was deathly pale.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Only the melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drifting from the painted boats downstairs, accompanied by the sweet and poignant singing of the female singers, became the sole background in this deathly silent space.
Song Yan was the first to react.
He put down the white jade cup he was playing with, and his face once again displayed its usual, somewhat cynical smile.
He showed absolutely no embarrassment at being caught by the other party for secretly meeting up with someone else's wife and instigating her to divorce her husband.
"Cousin? When did you return? Why didn't you let me know beforehand? I would have prepared a banquet to welcome you back."
Lu Yuan ignored him.
His gaze, from the moment he burst through the door, was fixed firmly on Mingwu's face.
His gaze was almost tangible, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression, like the imminent collapse of a mountain or a tsunami. It ground against her pale skin inch by inch.
It made her tremble slightly uncontrollably.
She could almost hear her own bones groaning under the oppressive force.
She tried to turn her face away, but it was as if she were bound by invisible chains, completely unable to move. A bone-chilling coldness rapidly rose up her spine, instantly freezing her limbs and bones.
The room was eerily quiet; even breathing felt like a luxury.
Lu Yuan made a move.
He slowly took a step.
The dark brown official boots clattered softly on the polished wooden floor. Yet, in the quiet room, the sound was as clear as a heavy hammer blow, striking the tense nerves of everyone present.
With each step he took closer, the air in the private room grew thinner.
Chunnan could no longer bear it, her legs went weak, and she knelt down with a thud, her whole body trembling like a leaf.
The sudden noise startled Mingwu, and she instinctively tried to back away, her back pressed tightly against the cold chair back.
Song Yan even felt as if he had returned to the day of the palace coup, to the scene of Lu Yuan walking towards him amidst blood and severed limbs.
A chill ran straight up to the top of his head.
His face paled, and his fingers gripping the white jade cup tightened involuntarily.
A few breaths later, he smiled again.
"Why are you angry, cousin? My wife and I were just having a casual chat..."
Lu Yuan tilted his head slightly, his gaze finally landing formally on Song Yan's face for the first time. His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, carrying a sinister, barely concealed anger, as if his possessions were being coveted.
"As a member of the royal family, it is improper for Prince Ning to invite my wife in private, isn't it?"
Song Yan spread his hands with a grin: "Cousin, don't you know me? I've never been one to fuss over details..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yuan's icy gaze pierced through him like a knife.
“I don’t care what you do, but you shouldn’t have set your sights on my wife.”
Song Yan's smile froze.
Although Lu Yuan was his cousin, he was still a subject. As a prince, Lu Yuan publicly reprimanded him like this, showing him no respect whatsoever.
Lu Yuan didn't take Song Yan seriously. After speaking, he didn't look at him again.
He strode up to Mingwu, his tall figure completely blocking out the light coming through the window, casting a heavy shadow like a giant cage descending from the sky.
It completely enveloped her.
He lowered his eyes and looked down at her intently.
His voice was low and calm, revealing no emotion: "Madam is still recovering from her illness and should not sit outside in the wind for too long."
There's no wind in this room! That's blatant lying.
Of course, Mingwu dared not say this.
She pursed her lips, sat motionless, and looked down at the tea swaying slightly in the white porcelain cup, pretending not to understand what he meant.
Lu Yuan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as he reached out his hand to her.
"don't want."
Just as his fingertips were about to touch her sleeve, Mingwu recoiled violently as if avoiding a flood or a ferocious beast.
Her movements were so large that she knocked over the half-full teacup in front of her.
The warm tea poured out, instantly soaking the tablecloth, and the dark water stains spread rapidly.
The teacup rolled a few times on the table before crashing to the floor and shattering into several pieces.
Lu Yuan's hand remained frozen in mid-air.
His fingertips were only an inch away from Mingwu's sleeve.
His face remained calm and expressionless, but on the back of his hovering hand, the bulging veins silently bulged, revealing his suppressed anger.
The air froze completely.
Even the tender singing downstairs was cut off at that moment.
Inside the private room, it was so quiet that you could hear the dripping sound of tea falling from the table, and the barely suppressed chattering of Chun Nan's teeth.
Prince Ning had seen Lu Yuan angry before, but this was the first time he had ever seen him so restrained and patient.
He couldn't help but turn his gaze once again to the woman who was enveloped by Lu Yuan's tall figure.
She lowered her head, revealing a long, fair neck as graceful as a swan, and her beautiful cherry lips naturally curled slightly upwards.
Even though her body trembled slightly under Lu Yuan's imposing aura, her slender back remained stubbornly straight, refusing to bend even slightly.
Song Yan had seen many beautiful women.
But this was the first time he had ever seen someone so delicate, resilient, and charming.
My heart skipped a beat, and a strange emotion, a mixture of amazement and pity, quietly began to grow within me.
He cleared his throat and said with a smile.
“Cousin, my sister-in-law is just here at my invitation to discuss some small matters. Your entourage is rather intimidating and quite abrupt for her.”
Lu Yuan's sharp gaze suddenly swept towards Song Yan.
“This is my family matter; Prince Ning is meddling too much.”
Before he finished speaking, he bent down and scooped Mingwu up in his arms without saying a word.
"ah!"
Mingwu gasped in surprise and instinctively struggled and twisted.
Suddenly, a large hand pinched her buttock lightly. Then, his lips were almost touching her earlobe, and he whispered a threat in a voice only she could hear.
"Move again, and I will pin you down on my lap right in front of Prince Ning and teach you a lesson."
As he spoke, his hot breath hit her earlobe and entered her ear.
Mingwu froze, her ear tips instantly turning bright red.
It's anger.
Beneath her skirt, the hand that was pinching her buttocks even gave her a nasty rub with its thumb.
Mingwu opened her eyes wide in disbelief.
Beast!
How dare he... how dare he act like this in front of others...
Mingwu's breath caught in her throat, her long eyelashes trembled violently, and she froze, too afraid to move.
I cursed that bastard a thousand times in my heart.
Lu Yuan was pleased with her obedience and chuckled softly. He rewarded her with a kiss on the forehead, then carried her away.
Song Yan's expression was somewhat unpleasant. He knew that Lu Yuan's move was both a declaration of sovereignty and a warning to him.
"Tsk, is my cousin going to put on a show of marital bliss in public, making everyone envious?"
Song Yan's tone was somewhat sour.
In fact, ever since he saw Mingwu in Wuyi Lane, he had been amazed by her beauty. So, when his younger sister Song Yuxuan mentioned that she wanted to consult a female household...
He immediately agreed and even asked her to come out and meet him.
Lu Yuan kept walking, only glancing sideways as he brushed past Song Yan.
"If Prince Ning is envious, he should petition the Dowager Consort to select a virtuous and gentle princess for him as soon as possible."
After saying that, Lu Yuan carried Ming Wu out of the private room.
The guests inside Xianle Tower were all astonished to see Lu Yuan carrying a woman out. Lu Yuan's cold gaze swept over them.
They all lowered their heads in unison, eyes downcast, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Until that figure disappeared outside Xianle Tower.
The guests then gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.
"It is said that Prime Minister Lu is not interested in women, and he is not intimate with his newlywed wife. But now he is holding a girl in public. I wonder which noble family this girl is from."
"It should be the Qi family girl. Isn't it rumored that she is the one Lu Xiang cherishes most?"
"Alas, it's such a pity about the Prime Minister's wife; I've heard she's extremely beautiful."
...
As I stepped out of Xianle Tower, the sky suddenly darkened, thick clouds swallowed the last ray of sunlight, and rain began to fall without warning.
A misty spray of water rose from the bluestone slabs.
The slanting rain streaked across her plain-colored skirt, leaving dark watermarks.
Before she could react, a dark cloak, still warm from her body, was draped over her head without warning.
His unique aura instantly engulfed her.
Darkness enveloped him, except for the intricate cloud patterns outlined in silver thread on the edge of his robe, which reflected a faint, eerie light in the dim light.
Then, she felt herself being placed on a soft cushion.
The darkness that had been obscuring their vision was suddenly torn away.
The blinding light made her close her eyes uncomfortably, her long eyelashes trembling. When she opened them again, she found herself in a luxurious and spacious carriage.
Lu Yuan did not sit down immediately.
He half-squatted in front of her, one hand bracing against the car wall beside her, his body leaning slightly forward.
This position completely trapped her petite body in his tall shadow, leaving no room for anything else.
The two were very close together.
They were so close that their chests were almost touching.
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously wanted to push him away. However, as soon as her fingertips touched his slightly cool clothes, a strange tingling and soreness spread through her whole body.
It was as if their bones had been removed, leaving them with absolutely no power to resist.
His unfathomable black eyes were fixed on her, like a deep, cold, ancient well.
There was an undercurrent she couldn't fathom.
Mingwu felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze.
What are you going to Xianle Tower for?
Outside the car, a pale bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky! The blinding light, like a silver snake, darted in through the gap in the wind-blown curtains.
The dimly lit carriage was illuminated as bright as day.
In that instant, a bright light illuminated his face.
His eyes were as black as ink, and his jawline was so sharp it looked as if it had been carved with a knife.
Her half-drooping eyelashes were edged with an almost sharp silver in the cold light, and even the slight movement of her Adam's apple as she breathed was clearly visible.
When the light faded, his silhouette was once again shrouded in darkness.
Splash—
The sky seemed to have a gaping hole, and large raindrops pounded heavily on the roof of the carriage, making a pattering sound. This separated the inside and outside of the carriage into two different worlds.
Mingwu's heart was pounding, her fingers gripping the edge of the car seat so tightly that her nails almost dug into the wood grain.
She forced herself to remain calm and met his gaze.
"...I just came out for a casual stroll."
"Oh? Just taking a stroll? What a coincidence, you're in the same room as Prince Ning. If I didn't go, would you...?"
He was astonished to hear him use such despicable thoughts to speculate about himself.
Mingwu was so angry that she trembled all over.
The pent-up grievances, fear, and anger of the past few days instantly overwhelmed the dam of reason.
Almost instinctively, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face!
But who is Lu Yuan? How could he possibly be defeated by a weak woman like her?
She had barely raised her hand when he caught it with pinpoint accuracy.
Lu Yuan sneered: "What? Are you angry because I exposed your thoughts?"
His thumb, gripping her wrist, maliciously ground heavily against her delicate skin, leaving an ambiguous red mark.
Mingwu glared at him fiercely, her almond-shaped eyes burning with anger.
She struggled with all her might, trying to free her wrists from his grasp. However, the force binding her wrists was like an iron clamp, unmoving.
"Lu Yuan. You...you let me go. I didn't, I'm completely innocent with him."
"Completely innocent?"
Lu Yuan chuckled, but his eyes grew even more sinister. He leaned closer, almost touching her nose.
"A lone man and a lone woman in a room. Mingwu, do you think I'm a fool, or that everyone in the world is blind?"
His free hand suddenly rose and pinched her delicate chin, forcing her to tilt her head back. Her delicate chin...
“Tell me, where did he touch you?” His voice was terrifyingly low.
"Is it here?" He pressed his thumb hard against her lower lip, which he had pinched until it was white and slightly swollen.
"Or...here?"
His gaze slowly slid down her slender, delicate neck, lingering on her rain-soaked collar.
The thin fabric clung to her skin, clearly outlining her full curves.
Mingwu trembled violently from the implication in his words.
"Lu Yuan! You bastard! You shameless!"
She suddenly raised her leg and used all her strength to strike the most vulnerable spot.
However, he was one step ahead.
His powerful, long legs rose up, pressing down on her legs with an absolute force.
He pinned her completely to the narrow space between his seat and her body, rendering her unable to move.
What made her most desperate was...
Even in such a humiliating and terrifying moment.
Deep within her body, she felt a surge of heat from his forceful closeness, his burning body temperature, and his aggressive aura.
Uncontrollably, waves of unfamiliar pleasure surged through her, a pleasure that filled her with unbearable shame.
The feeling, intertwined with fear and shame, almost tore her apart.
She felt her soul screaming and struggling. But her body betrayed her, like an uncontrollable spring stream, softening under his control.
Mingwu could no longer bear the immense embarrassment, and tears finally welled up in her eyes, sliding down her pale cheeks.
It slammed heavily onto the back of Lu Yuan's hand that was pinching her chin.
The tears were scalding hot, with a burning temperature that made his fingertips recoil sharply.
Almost in a disheveled state, he abruptly released his grip on her chin and wrist, as if burned by that tear.
He suddenly sat up straight, took a step back, and sat back down on the opposite bench.
He turned his head, pursed his lips, and looked out the car window at the street scene blurred by the torrential rain, his jawline taut.
Inside the carriage, only heavy breathing and the sound of torrential rain on the roof could be heard.
After a long pause, he finally spoke stiffly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible stagnation.
"Why are you crying?"
Mingwu was slightly taken aback, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes.
She never expected that Lu Yuan, who had just been furious like a ferocious beast, would let her go so easily.
Could it be... that what my mother said is true, that a woman's tears are the best weapon against a man?
Since that's the case... then she...
If she could, she really wanted him to fall in love with her, and then cruelly abandon him. She wanted him to experience the same pain she had gone through.
Of course, Mingwu also knew that this was just her unrealistic fantasy.
A cold-blooded, heartless person like Lu Yuan could never truly fall in love with anyone.
Mingwu lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes concealing the emotions within them. Her shoulders hunched slightly, and her voice carried a choked sob of relief and a deliberate air of weakness.
"I know... that Your Excellency has never liked me... but my feelings for Your Excellency are as clear as day and night... how could Your Excellency... how could you slander my innocence like this?"
"Is Your Excellency... trying to force me to my death?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "forced to death" in a soft, trembling voice, conveying her deep grievance.
Lu Yuan's pupils trembled slightly.
I knew perfectly well that her words were embellished and calculated.
But as I listened to her tearful accusations, a subtle yet sharp pain suddenly welled up deep in my heart.
It felt like countless tiny needles were pricking that softest spot, one after another.
He turned his head and looked at the little woman huddled in the corner, crying her eyes out.
She sighed softly, "That's not what I meant." Her tone was still stiff, but it had clearly softened.
Mingwu raised her teary eyes and pressed on relentlessly.
"What does the Prime Minister mean?"
Those almond-shaped eyes, clear and bright with tears, were now sparkling like a clear spring.
The faint blush of tears still lingered at the corners of her eyes, like peach blossoms just beginning to bloom in spring.
Her wet eyes looked at him, appearing exceptionally obedient, soft, and tender, yet also carrying a sense of lingering fear and vulnerability that evoked pity.
Lu Yuan's usually hardened heart was slightly softened by that gaze.
He stretched out his hand, his movements domineering yet deliberately gentle, and pulled Mingwu into his arms.
I shouldn't have said that to you.
His voice sounded above her head, soothing. But then, his tone shifted abruptly, becoming commanding.
"But you are not allowed to see Song Yan again. He is a very womanizer, and his approach to you is definitely not for good purposes."
This was the first time Lu Yuan had spoken ill of someone behind their back.
From an angle unseen by Lu Yuan, Ming Wu's lips curled into a sarcastic smile.
Is Song Yan harboring ill intentions?
What about you, Lu Yuan?
He is probably even more capable than Song Yan!
Mingwu buried her face deeper into his chest and nodded obediently.
"...I understand."
She only said she understood, without saying whether she would do it or not.
-
The rain had been falling for several days before finally clearing up on this day. After Lu Yuan brought Ming Wu back that day, he left again in a hurry.
Perhaps out of concern, he left Xu Ming behind.
It was from Xu Ming that Mingwu learned that the affairs in Yangzhou were not yet concluded. After sending her back to her residence, he immediately returned to Yangzhou.
Mingwu sat by the window, sorting through the letters in her vanity box.
Her slender fingertips lingered on the yellowed pages as she looked out the window.
The sky was a clear, bright blue, like a piece of blue silk, with wispy white clouds floating on it.
"Chunnan, take all of these... and burn them."
Chunnan was startled; this was the lady's most treasured possession.
She asked cautiously, "Madam, are you sure you want to burn it?"
Mingwu remained silent for a moment.
My fingertips traced the cool wood grain of the box lid once more, as if I could touch the old days sealed inside.
After a long silence, she said softly, "Never mind... put it away." She paused, then added, "Put it somewhere I can't see it."
"……yes."
Chunnan carefully picked up the vanity box and turned to go to the side room.
In the courtyard, several crabapple trees, washed by the rain, had fallen petals, and their new leaves shone brightly green.
"Cousin-in-law".
Song Yuxuan's voice rang out from outside the courtyard. Before she could finish speaking, a pale yellow figure swirled in like a gust of wind.
Chunnan had just finished arranging her dressing case and came out of the inner room when she saw this and couldn't help but laugh and tease her.
"Princess, aren't you afraid that the Empress Dowager will send someone to 'invite' you back again after you sneaked out today?"
Song Yuxuan didn't care at all. She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks bulging, and mumbled indistinctly.
"No way."
"My mother is busy finding a wife for my brother right now. How could she possibly care about me?"
She proudly raised her delicate chin, swallowed the pastry, and her eyes were full of relief at escaping death.
"I can finally breathe again."
"Your Highness Prince Ning?"
Song Yuxuan nodded vigorously, looking disappointed in her.
"That's him, isn't it?"
"Isn't it infuriating? He's already twenty-three, and his backyard is completely empty. Forget about a principal wife or concubines, he doesn't even have a maidservant. Which young master in Lin'an City is like him?"
She leaned closer, her bright almond-shaped eyes darting around, and lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously.
"You don't know, my mother whispered to me in private, she suspects that my brother..." She deliberately dragged out the words and lowered her voice, "...whether he has homosexual tendencies."
"ah?!"
Chun Nan gasped in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief. She instinctively covered her mouth, her voice even lower than Song Yuxuan's.
"That...that Prince Ning...he really, really..."
She hesitated for a long time before finally saying "yes," but didn't dare to utter the word aloud, her face full of disbelief.
Then he realized something was wrong. Prince Ning's womanizing was known throughout the entire city of Lin'an. How could he possibly be a homosexual?
If Song Yuxuan hadn't said it today, she would have thought that Prince Ning had a large number of wives and concubines in his harem.
The main problem is that his reputation is really... bad.
Song Yuxuan glared and immediately defended her brother.
"Of course not. My brother told me himself that he has someone he likes. It's just..."
Her face fell, with a hint of regret.
"But... but that woman, alas, has already married someone else."
Chunnan found it hard to believe. Although Prince Ning's power was not as great as the Prime Minister's, he was still a prince and the current emperor's cousin. How could he possibly be unable to obtain a woman's affections?
"Is it that His Highness Prince Ning doesn't want to get married and is using this as an excuse?"
Song Yuxuan suddenly realized and slammed her hand on the table.
"Yes, how could I not have thought of that? My brother is so wicked. I even felt sorry for him, and he actually lied to me. No, I have to go and tell Mother about this."
Song Yuxuan said this and rushed out. But as soon as she got outside, she remembered that she still had important business to attend to, so she turned back.
He took out a tightly sealed plain envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Mingwu.
"Here, I almost forgot, my brother asked me to bring this to you."
Mingwu was taken aback at first, then she thought of how she had gotten rid of Zhao Yan, could it be...?
His eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out to take it.
Open the seal and take out the letter inside.
On the letter, Song Yan wrote:
The documents for the "female household" have been completed and are just waiting for the final official seals to be affixed before they can be delivered to her in a few days.
At the end of the letter, he added a sentence: if she wanted to leave the Prime Minister's residence, he could help her.
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