Chapter 28. Yes, no. The Prime Minister's skills are absolutely terrible...
Ask him?
As before, she humbly and hopefully begged him for a little bit of pity. And in return, she received a bowl of bitter, cold contraceptive soup?
Did he know how piercing her gaze was every time Granny Qin brought in that bowl of medicine?
Contempt and disdain, as if she were not the lawfully wedded wife of the Prime Minister, but a lowly plaything whose beauty he used for his pleasure.
Yes, in his heart, his wife has always been only Qi Lan.
She, Mingwu, was nothing more than a usurper, a vessel used to cultivate the Gu poison.
Therefore, he forbade her to bear him children.
So when she first married into the Prime Minister's mansion, she was punished by being forced to kneel in public by the old lady simply because she was late getting up one morning.
From that moment on, she became the biggest laughing stock in the eyes of the entire household.
She felt lost and helpless, wanting to find him, to hide under his wing and seek a sliver of protection. But she was forbidden from stepping into the East Courtyard.
He finally arrived under the moonlight at midnight.
He didn't even notice the tear stains still visible in her eyes before pulling her onto the bed, his heavy, burning body pressing down on her without warning.
The dryness, devoid of moisture, brought a tearing pain, instantly crushing her forced composure and grievances.
She couldn't help but sob and complain to the old lady a few times.
His movements abruptly stopped, and his face immediately turned cold: "The bride must pay her respects to her husband morning and evening; this is the proper custom."
Before he finished speaking, he had already stood up, his dark robes billowing in a cold wind, and disappeared out the door without a trace of regret.
Now, he actually expects her to abandon the last shred of her self-respect and beg him?!
The humiliation and sorrow surging in her heart almost overwhelmed Mingwu. But a clearer, more resolute voice boomed in her mind:
She wanted to leave Lin'an! To leave him!
For this only way out, she could temporarily lower her self-esteem, which had already been trampled on and was now worthless.
Her thick, long eyelashes trembled a few times before slowly drooping down, concealing all the emotions churning in her eyes.
When she looked up again, she met his scrutinizing gaze.
His gaze was sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to cut open her skin and look straight inside.
Mingwu longed to be like before, feigning a love-hate relationship with him, coiling around him like a snake, hooking her arms around his neck, and whispering in his ear in the sweetest voice:
"My husband."
But she really couldn't do it.
I'm worried he'll find out.
So she hurriedly lowered her eyelashes, avoiding his piercing gaze. Her eyes fell on the buttons on his dark-colored robe.
I'll do anything to leave him forever.
She closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she reached out and slowly climbed onto the button.
My fingertips suddenly touched the warm skin on his neck.
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat, and she opened her eyes. Seeing that Lu Yuan didn't react at all, she finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Where she couldn't see, Lu Yuan's fingers, hidden beneath his sleeves, suddenly clenched into fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
Because of panic and inner resistance, this action, which should have been done countless times and was very familiar, now felt clumsy, stiff, and unfamiliar.
Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly.
A night breeze blew in through the half-open window, gently lifting a corner of the gauze curtains, which then quickly retreated in embarrassment.
The knotted buttons were pushed outwards little by little, inch by inch. The dark silk threads were wrapped extremely tightly, as if silently resisting her.
Finally, the frog clasp came loose.
One, two...
Her clothes were slightly open, revealing a line of pale skin in the candlelight.
His skin was like a piece of fine, cold jade, or like the first snowfall of early winter.
Against the backdrop of the dark fabric, the white was dazzling.
The candlelight cast a soft shadow on the hollow of his collarbone, rising and falling slightly with his breath.
The dark-colored clasp was painstakingly untied by her fingertips, pushed out little by little, inch by inch. The dark silk thread was tightly bound, as if silently resisting her touch.
Her fingertips suddenly stopped.
He was only wearing an outer garment.
What a beast!
Mingwu wanted to back away, but the large hand encircling her slender waist tightened.
She was forced to press herself against him, her cheek against his burning skin. She could even feel the boiling blood beneath the pale blue veins on the side of his neck.
"continue."
His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a sense of impending danger in the quiet night.
Mingwu didn't dare look at him and had no choice but to obediently continue.
The night was deep, the candlelight flickered, and the dim yellow light cast crisscrossing shadows on the gauze curtains.
The candle wick crackled and burst open, creating a tiny flame, and the light flickered violently.
The light danced on her pale, almost transparent face.
Her fine, long eyelashes twitched violently, and a strand of her dark hair had fallen out and was hanging down beside her slightly damp cheek.
At this moment, she was like a piece of beautiful jade that had been crushed to the ground, stunningly beautiful yet so fragile that it made one's heart clench.
Lu Yuan's gaze was fixed firmly on her face.
He took in every subtle hint of her panic, every inch of her feigned composure, and every tremor of her eyelashes.
He didn't stop him, but his Adam's apple bobbed silently. His eyes, as deep as an ancient well, were now as unfathomable as a dark sea, with turbulent undercurrents.
It seemed as if it would completely devour her at any moment.
As Mingwu unbuttoned the last button, Lu Yuan's hot and powerful hand suddenly covered hers.
The scorching heat instantly enveloped her soft, boneless saleswoman, the temperature so intense it made her very soul tremble.
Instinctively, she tried to pull her hand back, but he held it firmly, making it impossible for her to move.
That's enough.
His voice was low and hoarse, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
He raised his other hand, his calloused fingertips tracing her tightly pressed lips with extreme slowness. Then, he traced her taut jawline, bit by bit.
The touch was slow and light, like a general surveying his territory and declaring ownership.
Mingwu was forced to look up, her misty eyes staring at him helplessly, like a lamb nailed to an altar, waiting to be slaughtered.
"Is this what you're asking for?"
He whispered, his hot breath brushing against her nose, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
"Pathetically clumsy."
He paused, and a barely audible sigh escaped his throat.
"...Again, that damn seductress."
The moment the words left her lips, Mingwu felt a sudden dizziness.
Lu Yuan's strong arms suddenly tightened around her, lifting her up horizontally from her slender waist that seemed to break at the slightest touch.
The fear of suddenly feeling weightless and suspended in mid-air made Mingwu cry out in surprise, and her hands instinctively clung to his neck.
Lu Yuan's lips curled into a smile.
A loose black robe brushed against the table, knocking over the cup of tea that had long since gone cold.
The white porcelain teacup rolled onto the carpet with a dull thud, and the dark brown tea stains quickly spread.
The maids waiting in the dining hall had already lowered their heads, their faces flushed, and quietly retreated.
Lu Yuan carried her and strode straight to the large bed in the inner room.
Mingwu was gently tossed onto the soft brocade quilt. Before she could even struggle to get up, Lu Yuan's tall and imposing figure pressed down on her like a shadow.
His kiss landed hard, with a predatory intent.
Their lips entangled in a forceful, almost domineering embrace. The crisp scent of agarwood emanating from him mingled with the lingering fresh tea aroma in her mouth.
It creates a suffocating yet intoxicating vortex of ambiguity.
Mingwu's body was as stiff as a stone, her hands pressed tightly against his firm chest. Her fingertips turned white from the force.
She couldn't tell whether she wanted to push him away or hug him.
Each touch of their skin was scorching hot, igniting a fire buried deep within her. She kept her eyes tightly shut, stubbornly turning her head to one side, trying to escape.
However, Lu Yuan would not allow her to escape.
His hand easily subdued her, stroking her chest and feeling her rapid, panicked heartbeat.
Wherever the fingertips passed, it was like a wildfire, igniting a string of tiny flames, enough to burn everything.
She can't let herself sink any further!
Body and reason are being stretched to their limits.
Mingwu bit her lower lip hard, almost tasting blood, trying to regain some clarity from her depravity. However, this feeble struggle quickly crumbled under his forceful guidance…
-
The next morning.
As dawn broke, sunlight streamed through the thin gauze curtains, casting a hazy warmth over the brocade quilt.
Mingwu woke up in a completely unfamiliar warmth.
Before she could fully regain consciousness, aches and pains from all over her body overwhelmed her.
She subconsciously moved slightly.
The heavy arm around her waist held her tightly in its embrace.
Her back pressed against his strong, broad chest, his steady heartbeat pounding against her bones through the thin fabric, making her heart tingle.
The air was filled with his unique, clear, and refreshing scent of agarwood.
Lu Yuan?
He's still alive?!
Countless times in my memory.
When I opened my eyes, there was an empty bed. My fingertips touched the spot where he had slept, and there was only a bone-chilling coldness.
The sense of loss that welled up in her heart at that time was so heavy that it could drown her.
She had hoped a thousand times in her heart, even just once, that she would wake up and see him still by her side. That would be the greatest satisfaction in the world.
now.
Not only did he not leave early as usual, but he also held her tightly in his arms with an absolute possessive attitude, as if she were a lost treasure that had been found again.
But why wasn't she filled with the joy of getting what she wanted?
Instead, it is an endless desolation and irony.
What does his current intimacy mean? A belated act of charity?
Mingwu squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the bitterness welling up inside. Carefully, little by little, she tried to move herself out of his arms.
She just made a move.
The arms around her waist tightened instantly, pressing her even deeper into his burning chest.
"woke up?"
The man's voice, just waking up, was low and hoarse, still carrying the lingering sleepiness.
Like rough sandpaper rubbing against her eardrums, the scorching breath then brushed against the skin on the back of her neck.
Mingwu's body suddenly stiffened.
Lu Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
In the hazy morning light, his deep eyes lost their usual sharpness and gained a touch of tenderness.
He didn't speak, but lowered his head, his high, straight nose gently brushing against the back of her slender neck. Then, his warm lips lightly pressed against the delicate skin of her neck.
It stirred a subtle shiver.
Why didn't you sleep a little longer?
Mingwu pursed her lips and turned her head away, ignoring her.
Lu Yuan, who had long held a high position and was used to controlling everything, had never been so turned away and ignored.
A hint of displeasure quickly flashed across his eyes.
With a flick of his wrist, he easily turned Mingwu upside down, forcing her to face him.
Their eyes met.
The resistance, grievance, and slight panic in her eyes, which she hadn't had time to conceal, clearly struck him.
However, when his gaze swept over the ambiguous red marks on her fair neck...
The discomfort I felt disappeared.
Mingwu was not used to such intimacy with him and subconsciously wanted to push him away.
But he easily grabbed her slender wrist, and with his other hand gently pinched her chin, forcing her to lift her face.
"Why are you hiding?"
His voice was deep as he gently stroked her delicate jawline with his fingertips.
"Last night...wasn't it good?"
Lu Yuan deliberately lowered his voice, the last syllable rising slightly. His gaze swept meaningfully over the marks on her neck.
The look in his eyes seemed to be admiring his own masterpiece.
Mingwu's cheeks instantly turned bright red, the color spreading all the way to her ears.
She felt that he was mocking her and humiliating her!
Even though he treated her like that, even though she had let go of everything in her heart, even though she was repulsed by him... she couldn't help but fall for him.
Her anger toward him and her shame at her own reaction caused Mingwu to lose her temper and speak recklessly.
"Yes, no. The Prime Minister's skills are terrible."
Lu Yuan's face instantly darkened.
Inside the bed curtains, the temperature plummeted to freezing.
The air felt stagnant, heavy and pressing on my chest, making even breathing difficult.
Mingwu unconsciously clenched the corner of the blanket, her knuckles turning white.
I wish I could bite my tongue off right now.
How could you say such a thing?!
Especially when she clearly felt the man's body, pressed against her, suddenly tense up, and a dangerous change was transmitted through the thin fabric.
A tremendous panic gripped her instantly.
"very good."
The name Lu Yuan seemed to have been spat out from between his teeth.
Before he finished speaking, he had already flipped over and pinned him down.
With a menacing aura of impending storm, she was completely shrouded in heavy shadows.
"I misspoke..."
Before Mingwu could finish speaking, the man's lips and tongue silenced her.
Outside the door, Xu Ming looked up for the third time, gazing at the sun that had risen high in the sky, and was filled with astonishment.
Why hasn't the Prime Minister gotten up yet at this hour?
Normally, I would have to go to court before dawn, but today there is a grand court assembly.
Xu Ming hesitated for a moment, just about to raise his hand to knock on the door.
Faintly, one could hear the Prime Minister's voice, filled with gritted teeth, coming from inside.
"Tell me, am I good at it, or bad?"
Xu Ming: "???"
His hand, which was raised in mid-air, suddenly stopped, and his eyes widened instantly.
Then, he suddenly realized.
No wonder the lady has been so cold and indifferent to the prime minister lately.
It turns out that...
The Prime Minister is inadequate in matters of the heart, and his wife is disliking him?!
Xu Ming suddenly felt his feet getting hot.
She tiptoed back a few steps, wishing she could dig the words she had just heard out of her ears.
This is...this is a huge deal!
-
Mingwu woke up again, awakened by the feeling of hunger in her stomach.
The sunlight had grown brighter, streaming through the window and falling on the crimson gauze curtains, creating a thin layer of rosy clouds.
"woke up?"
A familiar, deep voice sounded from beside the bed.
Mingwu was startled, her body tensed instinctively, and she opened her eyes abruptly in fear.
The man had already rolled up one side of the gauze curtain and stood impeccably dressed by the bed.
He was dressed in a dark-colored casual suit with subtle patterns, and his posture was upright.
The bright sunlight outlined his silhouette, gilding him with a warm golden hue.
At this moment, his eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, and there was even a faint, gentle smile on his lips, making him look completely different from his usual self.
The unfamiliarity made Mingwu...uneasy.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Get up, aren't you hungry?"
His gaze swept over her slightly tired face, paused, and then his tone was teasing.
"Or...would you like me to dress you myself, my lady?"
As he spoke, he actually reached out and pretended to pull off her blanket.
"don't want!"
Mingwu hurriedly wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and shrank into the bed.
"Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore."
He straightened up, regaining some of his usual composure, and called out to the outside.
"Chunnan, come in and help Madam change her clothes."
After a short while, Mingwu, dressed neatly, sat in the dining room and silently picked up her chopsticks, facing the few dishes of congee and side dishes on the table.
There's no meat.
After being tormented for so long, Mingwu's stomach was completely empty, and she was so hungry that her chest was sticking to her back.
She didn't care about anything else, nor about the intense gaze from across the table, and started eating in small bites.
"Eat slowly, be careful not to choke."
Mingwu paused, then looked up at him suspiciously.
This man... could he have been switched with another man?
Or is he having a nightmare?
Otherwise, why is it different from usual? And why has it become so verbose?
Mingwu finished eating with her head down, and the maids quickly cleared away the bowls and plates and served her tea.
She picked up her teacup and sipped it slowly, but out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Lu Yuan sitting calmly opposite her, showing no intention of leaving.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he spoke up and asked the guest to leave.
"Isn't Your Excellency busy?" She deliberately emphasized the word "busy".
Lu Yuan smiled, like a satiated lion, and leaned back lazily into the wide rosewood chair.
He casually rested one hand on the carved armrest, his fingertips tapping lightly, but his gaze remained fixed on her.
"not busy."
Since she couldn't get rid of him, she would leave on her own. Mingwu put down her teacup and was about to get up to take her leave.
Lu Yuan calmly took something out of his sleeve and gently placed it on the table between the two of them.
It was a bright red invitation with gold lettering, the cover printed with intricate and gorgeous peony and auspicious cloud patterns, exuding a noble and dignified air unique to royalty.
"Invitation to the Dowager Consort's birthday celebration."
Mingwu's movements stopped instantly.
What is he doing...?
Mingwu's heart pounded wildly, almost bursting out of her chest.
Lu Yuan took in all her reactions and a smile played on his lips.
"The day after tomorrow, you will come with me to the banquet."
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