Chapter 35. She returned his words to him. ...
Mingwu's breath hitched suddenly, and her hands clenched involuntarily, causing deep wrinkles to form on the smooth brocade beneath her fingertips.
Lu Yuan's gaze slid over Ming Wu's knuckles, which had turned white from excessive use, before returning to her pale face.
He repeated it again, unhurriedly and even gently.
"Awu."
tell me.
Why...did you leave me?
He leaned forward slightly, his face fully emerging from the shadows. The last rays of dusk illuminated his deep-set eyes and brows.
But in the depths of those usually calm and still eyes, a cluster of orange-red flames was surging.
Like a volcano about to erupt.
Danger!
Mingwu's hair stood on end, her heart leaped into her throat, only to be held down by an invisible force.
She couldn't afford to break ties with him; once she did, she'd never be able to escape.
She must... proceed slowly.
Mingwu composed herself, slowly lowering her eyelashes to avoid his gaze, which seemed to see right through her. She turned her head slightly, her voice deliberately softened, carrying the warm and gentle tone characteristic of people from Jiangnan.
He forced himself to speak, and said dryly, "I want to go to Lingyin Temple."
Lu Yuan's eyes flickered.
To get to Lingyin Temple, one needs to change into coarse cloth clothes, avoid all servants, and go in a way that is almost like an escape.
not to mention……
His gaze fell on Mingwu's right index finger.
It was unconsciously scraping the bedding rapidly over and over again.
This is her habitual action when she lies.
She's lying to him!
Lu Yuan should have been angry, but seeing her slightly furrowed brows and clumsy performance, the anger that had just risen in his heart miraculously dissipated.
He even found her appearance utterly ridiculous.
After receiving no response for a long time, Mingwu became somewhat uneasy and cautiously raised her head.
Lu Yuan was staring intently at her right hand.
Right hand?
Mingwu panicked and quickly grabbed her right index finger with her other hand. Then she realized she was overreacting and seemed to be trying to cover something up.
He quickly let go of her hand.
He stammered, trying to salvage the situation: "My hand is cramping."
After saying that, he wanted to slap himself.
Forget it, she's never been good at acting, and besides, she's facing Lu Yuan, the powerful prime minister who holds the entire court in his hands.
Her little tricks wouldn't fool him.
Mingwu slumped her shoulders in despair, almost giving up the struggle: "Okay, I am..."
"What are you going to Lingyin Temple for?" he suddenly interrupted, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Huh?" Mingwu was stunned and looked at him in disbelief.
Did he believe it?
In any case, this is the stepping stone that has been presented to us.
"Oh, I'm here to see the peach blossoms. I heard they're in really beautiful bloom."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Mingwu wished she could bite off her own tongue. Where would peach blossoms come from in early summer?
"It's lotus flowers." She almost rushed to correct herself, trying to cover up the obvious mistake. "Yes, I went to see the lotus flowers."
The room fell into dead silence, with only the rustling sound of the wind shaking the branches outside the window.
The forced smile on her lips had frozen, and Lu Yuan remained silent, his gaze upon her feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.
He found out.
He must know everything, but he deliberately doesn't expose her, just to enjoy her clumsy and ridiculous performance.
Lu Yuan asked in a low voice, "Just...to see the lotus flowers?"
Ming Wu: "..."
Whether Lu Yuan genuinely believed her or had ulterior motives, Ming Wu decided to play along. Since he wouldn't expose her, she would pretend not to see it either.
It's just acting, isn't it?
Who's afraid of who!
Mingwu glanced at Lu Yuan, then quickly lowered her head again.
"I heard that Zen Master Shanhui has returned, and I would like to go and ask for a peace talisman."
Whenever Zen Master Shanhui was in Lin'an, she would go to Lingyin Temple to ask for a peace talisman for Lu Yuan, praying for his safety and good health.
Mingwu deliberately only told him the beginning, wanting him to fill in the blanks himself.
Lu Yuan had obviously thought of these things as well. Once, Lin'an City was hit by a once-in-a-century heavy snowfall, and all the roads were blocked.
In order to obtain a talisman, Mingwu braved the bitter cold and walked for a whole day to reach Lingyin Temple.
Moved by her sincerity, Zen Master Shanhui made an exception and drew a talisman for her on the spot.
He didn't even glance at the amulet before throwing it into the stove and burning it.
Lu Yuan felt as if something was blocking his throat, a heavy feeling.
"I'll go with you tomorrow."
The abrupt and seemingly unrelated sentence left Mingwu somewhat bewildered.
However, Mingwu didn't ask, but instead pretended to be tired.
Lu Yuan noticed quickly and said gently, "Are you tired? You should get some sleep."
Mingwu obediently closed her eyes, initially just pretending to sleep, as she didn't want to face this man anymore. However, drowsiness slowly crept in, and her consciousness gradually blurred.
When Mingwu's breathing became long and even, Lu Yuan knew she was truly asleep.
He remained in that position for a few more moments.
Like a silent statue, only the turbulent darkness in his eyes betrayed the unease within him.
The sunlight outside faded, and the room became dim.
Outside the door, Xu Ming whispered a reminder that he should go to the palace, as he needed to discuss the border war with the military today.
Lu Yuan frowned slightly, feeling annoyed by the endless political affairs for the first time in his life.
He braced himself on the edge of the bed with one hand and slowly leaned over.
Cool lips landed very lightly on her forehead.
This was a kiss devoid of any emotion or desire.
The sunlight outside faded, and the room became dim.
Lu Yuan straightened up, took one last deep look at Ming Wu, who was still oblivious on the bed, and then gently lowered the hanging curtains.
Then, he turned around and strode out.
-
The next day, sunlight streamed in through the half-open window, casting a blinding white glow on the curtains.
Mingwu tapped her still groggy head and asked with her eyes closed, "Chunnan, what time is it?"
"Reporting to Madam, it is almost 9 AM."
Is it that late?
No! That's not Chun Nan's voice.
Mingwu suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.
This isn't her room either.
Memories of yesterday flooded back.
Mingwu abruptly ripped open the collar of her nightgown and looked down at her left arm. She remembered that yesterday, she had suddenly experienced a sharp pain in the inside of her left arm, and then she had fainted.
On her fair skin, a mark the size of a mung bean was clearly visible.
The mark was shaped like a delicate five-petaled flower, and it was blood red. Just looking at it gave one a chill down their spine.
It's a Gu poison!
She had assumed that the substance would have been eliminated from her body after the blood transfusion. Unexpectedly, it not only remained but had become a shackle preventing him from tracking her.
The reason I was caught this time is because of this thing.
Mingwu clenched her fists tightly, her eyes filled with intense hatred.
She wanted to get revenge on Lu Yuan, to make him taste the suffering she had endured. This thought grew wildly, only to be ruthlessly crushed by reality in the next second.
He was the prime minister who held immense power in the court.
She was just a weak woman, powerless and without influence; he could crush her with a single finger. What revenge could she possibly seek? It was utterly delusional.
Just then, with a "whoosh," the curtains were suddenly pulled open, and blinding sunlight flooded in. Mingwu instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.
Through the gaps between his fingers, he could see a tall figure standing in front of the bed, backlit.
Mingwu was startled and hurriedly straightened her clothes.
She glared angrily at the still-standing man and questioned him in a very unfriendly tone.
Why didn't you say anything before coming in?
That's incredibly rude.
They completely forgot that they were still husband and wife, and that the concept of etiquette did not exist between them.
Lu Yuan awkwardly looked away and raised his hand to his lips to cough as a cover.
"Get up and eat quickly."
He uttered a curt remark, then turned and walked away quickly, his steps not as steady as usual, but somewhat disordered and unsteady.
After washing up, Mingwu came out of the inner room. She immediately saw Lu Yuan sitting upright at the desk.
He changed into a moon-white robe, and his dark hair was tied up with a jade crown. He held a book in one hand and casually placed the other on the table.
The well-defined knuckles tapped the tabletop gently and rhythmically.
The sunlight streaming in through the window was filtered into tiny specks, falling on him and casting a soft golden hue over him.
It made him become gentler.
Hearing the sound, Lu Yuan raised his gaze from the book, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Are you starving?"
He placed the book on the table, stood up, and instructed the servants to prepare the meal.
Soon, a steaming meal was served, filling the table to the brim. All of them were Mingwu's favorite dishes.
Lu Yuan sat opposite her, personally picking up the jade chopsticks and serving her food.
"Eat more, you were frightened yesterday."
His voice was gentle, and his actions were even considerate as he placed a deboned piece of fish into her bowl.
Mingwu looked at the snow-white fish in the bowl, then glanced at him.
His face was expressionless, but the oppressive atmosphere around him dissipated, replaced by a kind of... almost cautious gentleness.
This is very abnormal.
Mingwu mechanically picked up her chopsticks and ate in small bites.
Lu Yuan spoke to her from time to time, the topics were ordinary, about the weather, whether the dish suited her taste... it was all just him trying to make conversation when there was nothing to say.
He is clearly not good at these things.
That's true; it's always been others who cater to him. Before, it was always her chattering away while he ignored her.
Now that she's not cooperating, he's killed the conversation several times.
Mingwu laughed inwardly, but showed no sign of it on her face. When Lu Yuan brought up another topic, Mingwu said something indifferently.
"Your Excellency, one should not speak while eating or sleeping."
Lu Yuan's face froze.
Last year's Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner was the first time Mingwu had eaten with her whole family, because the Ming family didn't value etiquette. During the meal, Mingwu said something...
He coldly rebuked him.
The phrase used is: "One should not speak while eating or sleeping."
Lu Yuan still remembers how her face turned completely red and how flustered she looked.
My breath hitched slightly, and I felt a tiny prick in my chest.
For the first time, Lu Yuan realized that some of his words and actions were indeed inappropriate. He wanted to say to that lonely and helpless woman: I'm sorry.
He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
He will make it up to her in the future.
After this brief incident, the two did not exchange another word during the entire meal.
After the meal, the servants cleaned the table and served tea.
It is the finest West Lake Longjing tea.
Mingwu took a sip, and the fragrance of the tea spread between her lips and teeth, making her feel much better.
He glanced at Lu Yuan, who was still sitting, and couldn't help but remind him.
"Doesn't Your Excellency need to attend to other matters?"
Aren't you usually so busy with official duties that it's difficult to even meet? How come you have such free time today to have a meal and tea with her?
Lu Yuan smiled and said, "No rush."
Mingwu rolled her eyes inwardly.
Who cares if he's busy or not? What she really wants to say is, when are you going to get out?
Mingwu didn't bother looking at him anymore. She got up and walked out without glancing at him. Her pace quickened until she was almost running, lifting her skirt.
She was about to run out of the first moon gate.
Suddenly, five burly old women stood solemnly in the doorway.
"Madam, please return. The Prime Minister has ordered that you rest quietly and not leave the East Courtyard."
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