Chapter 43 Her true feelings could never be found again…
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Mingwu nipped it in the bud.
Who is Lu Yuan? The powerful Grand Secretary, a man of immense wealth and influence. How could he willingly offer himself to be poisoned by the Gu poison, taking such a risk?
But what if the mother Gu isn't on him...?
Mingwu frowned, her long nails unconsciously digging into her palms.
She carefully sifted through the possible candidates around Lu Yuan in her mind: Xu Ming? Several trusted advisors? Or those secret guards whose names she didn't even know?
After a short while, she felt a throbbing sensation in her head, as if she were being tightly bound by invisible threads, which tightened and tightened, making it hard for her to breathe.
She realized with dismay that she knew very little about Lu Yuan.
She had no idea what kind of influence he wielded outside, or how many men he commanded. Even within the Prime Minister's residence, what she could access was merely the tip of the iceberg.
No wonder her escape plans were nipped in the bud each time.
The only time I managed to escape the city was thanks to Lu Cang's help...
And what about her?
Looking around, I found myself completely isolated and helpless.
Ming family?
If they knew she intended to escape, they would probably tie her up and send her back to the Prime Minister's residence immediately, lest they delay their path to advancement by currying favor with Lu Yuan.
Lu Cang?
She hasn't been seen since she returned to the manor. Chunnan vaguely mentioned that she seemed to have been sent far away by Lu Yuan to the harsh border region.
Prince Ning's Mansion?
She wasn't familiar with her at all. The only person she had some connection with, Song Yuxuan, was someone she hadn't seen in a long time.
Mingwu closed her eyes weakly, her thick, long eyelashes casting two fragile shadows on her pale cheeks.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Yuan's voice suddenly rang out, startling her heart.
Mingwu suddenly opened her eyes, meeting his probing gaze.
Those deep, wind-like eyes were filled with dappled sunlight, seemingly gentle, yet they seemed to penetrate all her pretenses, reaching the most hidden corners of her heart.
Mingwu subconsciously turned her head away.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."
Lu Yuan's gaze darkened.
How could he not realize that she was just going through the motions? Ever since she woke up that time, she had become increasingly distant from him.
Lu Yuan knew that it was indeed his negligence that day that caused her to suffer.
Later, he also seized his mother's power to manage the household and expelled Qi Lan from the Prime Minister's residence. He even personally promised that she would be his only legal wife in this life, the mistress of the Prime Minister's residence.
He believed he had given her everything he could, even offering her his heart, which he had never given to anyone before.
But what about her?
Lu Yuan reached out and gently stroked her slightly cool cheek with his fingertips.
Mingwu subconsciously took a half step back, avoiding his touch.
Lu Yuan's hand froze in mid-air, and the temperature in his eyes gradually cooled.
Over the years, he has risen to the highest ranks of officialdom. When has he ever needed to be so careful in trying to please someone?
Who in the court and among the people did not bow down to him?
But with her, he couldn't even get a sincere look from her.
"very good."
Lu Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
The mountain wind swept through the treetops, making his dark blue robes flutter loudly, and the air pressure around him was frighteningly low.
Mingwu lowered her eyelashes, but she could feel his suppressed anger descending upon her like a tangible force.
She knew she had angered him again, but her body reacted faster than she could think.
Just when she thought she was about to suffer his wrath, Lu Yuan suddenly bent down and picked her up in his arms.
He quickly caught up and forcefully picked Mingwu up in his arms.
"Since you're tired, let's go back to the manor."
"Let me go..." Mingwu struggled to get down.
"Don't move."
Lu Yuan raised his hand and lightly patted her side of the buttock. It wasn't hard, but it carried an undeniable warning.
The crisp sound was exceptionally clear on the quiet mountain path.
Mingwu froze instantly, even the tips of her ears turned a light red, and she was completely unable to move as if she had been acupunctured.
The accompanying guards all lowered their heads, keeping their eyes down and even their breathing quiet, for fear of disturbing the Prime Minister and his wife's "romantic moment."
"You..." Mingwu was both ashamed and angry, her eyes slightly red.
Her expression of shame and indignation dispelled Lu Yuan's earlier frustration.
He smiled slightly, a hint of doting in his eyes, and whispered in her ear.
"Move a little more, and I won't mind letting everyone see how much I love my wife."
These words successfully stopped her struggle.
Mingwu bit her lower lip, finally burying her face in his chest and falling silent.
The cool, ebony scent emanating from him lingered around my nose, mixed with a very faint... medicinal smell?
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat.
Lu Yuan has always been in good health and rarely needs medicine. Besides, she hasn't brought him any medicinal meals in a long time.
The smell of medicine...
She subconsciously took a deep breath, trying to discern the scent again, but it had already dissipated in the mountain breeze, as if it had just been her imagination.
As Lu Yuan felt the person in his arms finally settle down, a triumphant smile flashed across his eyes.
He pulled her closer, holding her even tighter in his arms, and carried her steadily down the mountain.
The early summer sun bathed the two embracing figures in a warm glow, making them look like a loving couple from afar.
-
When she regained consciousness, Mingwu first felt the soft touch of the brocade mattress beneath her, and a large, dark shadow looming over her.
She opened her eyes and met Lu Yuan's deep phoenix eyes.
He seemed to have just placed her on the couch and did not get up immediately. He braced himself on his arms beside her, trapping her between himself and the bed.
The dark blue robe hung down, intertwining with her plain-colored skirt.
"woke up?"
He spoke, his voice several decibels lower than usual.
Mingwu looked around and realized that she had returned to the Prime Minister's residence.
It wasn't the detached house where she lived, but his main house in the east courtyard.
She didn't remember how she fell into a deep sleep. Her last memory was of being on a mountain path, nestled in his arms, the faint scent of medicine lingering around her nose.
Then......
She had lost count of how many times she had fainted for no apparent reason.
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that every time I fainted like this, it was when I was with him.
And that strange medicinal smell.
She had worked in the medicinal herb industry and knew a thing or two about herbs. She was certain that the medicinal scent emanating from him was not from any medicinal herb she had ever seen before.
Then I thought of what Zen Master Shanhui said.
[As time goes on, when the mother Gu and the child Gu are together, some... reactions will occur.]
He had a strange medicinal smell, and she would always faint for no reason.
Could it be that the mother Gu is really on him?
"What are you thinking about?"
Lu Yuan's voice startled her from her thoughts.
He had moved even closer without her noticing, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling together.
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to push him away, but he grabbed her wrist.
"Awu hasn't told me what you were thinking just now."
His rough fingertips gently caressed the delicate skin on her wrist, stubbornly wanting to know what she was thinking.
Mingwu pursed her lips and did not answer.
The only thing she can still retain as freedom is her own mind. Now he wants to control even that?
Lu Yuan's eyes darkened slightly.
He disliked her expression, which seemed to suggest that she had nothing more to say to him.
Then she thought about how he had taken time off work to bring her out for a walk, but all she had ever thought about was how to escape from him.
The anger that had been barely suppressed at Lingyin Temple now flared up like wildfire in the wind, becoming uncontrollable.
"Remember, you are my wife, for all eternity."
He lowered his head and captured her lips.
This kiss carried a punitive meaning, allowing no refusal and no escape.
He forcefully pried open her teeth, wantonly stealing her breath.
It was as if he wanted to leave his unique mark on her through this method.
Mingwu tried to struggle, but before she could move, he easily grabbed her wrist, lifted it above her head, and pressed it onto the couch.
The burning heat seeped through my clothes.
What followed was his overwhelming aura, a domineering and possessive force that was slowly eroding her last line of defense.
She had nowhere to escape.
Suddenly, he stopped moving.
He lay on top of her, panting heavily, his forehead pressed against hers.
His eyes were tightly closed, and his brow was deeply furrowed, as if he were fighting a life-or-death battle with the beast within his body.
Mingwu could clearly feel that his muscles were taut like iron, every inch of them brimming with unreleased power.
It's like a fully drawn bowstring that could snap at any moment.
Mingwu held her breath and quietly backed away, trying to escape from under him.
The moment he moved, he suddenly opened his eyes.
Those phoenix eyes were unfathomable, their thick, dark color surging as if they were about to completely engulf her.
"Don't move, let me... catch my breath."
His voice was low and hoarse, as if it had been scorched by fire, carrying an undisguised sense of suppression.
Mingwu froze instantly, her breath caught in her throat.
Time stood still.
In the silence, her senses were amplified countless times, and she keenly felt that the aura around her was becoming increasingly unstable.
It seemed as if the collapse could happen in an instant.
Mingwu was extremely anxious and asked tremblingly, "Are you... alright?"
It wasn't that she cared about him; she just wanted him to control himself. Although she was still his wife in name only, she had already decided to leave.
She didn't want to have any further entanglements with him before leaving.
Lu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart, realizing that she cared about him.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her unique fragrance, and said in a muffled voice.
"Hmm, my head hurts a little."
Actually, he didn't have a headache; he just wanted her to care about him more.
In the past, whenever news of his headaches flared up, it was common to hear about it.
No matter how late it is, no matter the weather, she will always rush over in a hurry.
Even though he disliked people getting close to him and never let her into the house, she stubbornly stayed outside on the porch.
They stayed up all night.
What was his reaction when he heard Xu Ming whisper that "Madam is still guarding outside"?
Yes, he was in excruciating pain at the time, and upon hearing this, he merely frowned impatiently and even scoffed.
He felt she was putting on an act, that she was scheming and trying to gain his trust and pity with this cheap kind of care.
Looking back now, I realize how... ungrateful he was.
Only now does he understand that his unwavering waiting night after night, and his patient waiting without complaint even when turned away, were clearly a testament to her sincere and devoted heart.
But when he belatedly realized this...
Her true feelings can never be found again.
It felt like a knife was repeatedly grinding against my heart.
"Awu..." he called her name softly.
Don't leave me, otherwise, I don't know what I might do.
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