Chapter 44 Since A-Wu is here, why doesn't she come in...?
The tent was cramped, and his scent filled the air.
Mingwu stiffened, imagining herself as an unfeeling piece of wood, letting him hold her tightly in his arms.
He even breathed very softly, afraid that the slightest movement would cause him to lose control.
Time flowed slowly amidst the oppression.
After a long while, the tension that had been pressing down on her finally eased.
Lu Yuan propped himself up, no longer pressing down on her, but hovering in mid-air, an inch above her.
He reached out and gently brushed the back of his fingers against her slightly cool cheek.
Mingwu's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she resisted the urge to turn her head away.
Her obedience pleased him.
A faint smile curved his thin lips as he asked softly, "Are you hungry?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Mingwu's stomach growled. In the quiet tent, the faint rumbling sound was exceptionally clear.
Two blushes suddenly appeared on Mingwu's face.
So embarrassed, I wished I could instantly turn into a wisp of smoke and disappear.
That's so embarrassing.
Lu Yuan was taken aback at first, then chuckled softly.
It wasn't the insincere, cold laugh he gave in court, but a genuine, joyful, and relaxed laugh that truly resonated from his chest.
Laugh, laugh, laugh, what's so funny?
Mingwu, enraged and embarrassed, glared at him fiercely. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she put on a show of bravado.
Lu Yuan smiled even more happily.
He reached out and pinched her burning earlobe, his voice still tinged with amusement.
"It was my negligence that caused Madam to go hungry."
The warmth of his fingertips made her tremble slightly, and she instinctively wanted to pull away.
But he had already withdrawn his hand.
He then leaned against her side and stared at her intently without blinking.
His gaze was so focused that her small, bewildered reflection was clearly seen in his deep phoenix eyes.
Mingwu turned her face away uncomfortably.
He made a move to get up, but Lu Yuan remained bent over, showing no intention of moving aside.
"Get out of the way."
She finally couldn't hold back and reached out to push him.
Lu Yuan didn't make things difficult for her anymore, and chuckled softly. He took her hand, which was pressed against her chest, and with a little force, lifted her off the couch.
"Let's go."
He led her to the outer room.
The meal was already prepared, a table full of her favorite dishes.
Lu Yuan personally took the chopsticks and carefully served her the food.
They removed the fish bones and peeled the shrimp with fluid, natural movements, as if they were a loving couple deeply devoted to each other.
The servants standing in the courtyard all lowered their heads and lowered their eyes, but their hearts were filled with turmoil.
Although it wasn't the first time I'd seen the Prime Minister like this, I still found it hard to believe every time I witnessed it.
The prime minister, who was once a powerful and aloof figure in the imperial court, was now patiently serving his wife her meal.
Mingwu lowered her eyes, looking at the dishes that were gradually piling up like a small mountain in her bowl. Lu Yuan was putting the last peeled shrimp into her bowl.
Seeing that she hadn't touched her chopsticks for a long time, he asked softly.
"But these dishes don't suit my taste?"
He turned to look at the steward beside him, his brows furrowing in displeasure.
The steward's face turned ashen, and he fell heavily to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold ground.
The room was eerily quiet; even the wind outside had stopped.
Mingwu tightened her grip on the bamboo chopsticks, picked up a shrimp, and began to eat it in small bites.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan's lips curled up slightly. He raised his hand to signal the steward to step back and spoke gently to Ming Wu.
"Awu, try this one."
He picked up a piece of the tenderest part of the steamed shad and placed it in her bowl.
Mingwu picked it up and ate it.
It was clearly her favorite food, but it tasted like nothing at all.
Time seemed to stretch out, each breath passing exceptionally slowly.
"Prime Minister."
Xu Ming strode in and whispered a few words in Lu Yuan's ear. Lu Yuan's expression hardened slightly, and he glanced at Ming Wu.
"I have some important matters to attend to, Awu, please take your time."
He put down his silver chopsticks, got up and left, his clothes stirring up a cool breeze.
-
In the afternoon, Mingwu went to see Chunnan.
The maid was seriously injured, with multiple abrasions and a broken left arm, and needed to rest for a period of time.
Mingwu sat on the edge of the couch, looking at Chunnan's pale face. Her heart felt heavy and astringent, as if something was blocking it.
Chunnan was in so much pain that her forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, but she still forced a smile to comfort her.
"Don't worry, Madam, I'll be fine after some rest. It's all my fault for being useless; not only did I not help, but I also caused you so much worry..."
Her voice trailed off, filled with melancholy.
If she hadn't been captured, and if the lady hadn't tried to save her, perhaps the lady would have already escaped.
She didn't really understand why the lady wanted to leave the Prime Minister's residence so much.
In her opinion, the Prime Minister treats his wife very well now.
Such meticulous care, such enviable favoritism—even they, the servants, could sense the Prime Minister's change.
The Prime Minister gave the lady everything she wanted; and he prepared things she didn't even ask for.
Isn't this a case of hardship finally giving way to happiness?
Chunnan couldn't understand it.
“Madam, now that Miss Qi has been expelled from the manor, the Old Madam will no longer cause you any trouble. Madam…”
Mingwu interrupted Chunnan in a deep voice.
"Chunnan!"
Chunnan hurriedly got out of bed to apologize, but her left arm hit the bedpost, causing her to turn pale with pain.
Mingwu quickly held her down.
"I know you mean well."
...
After leaving Chunnan's room, Mingwu stood alone on the corridor for a long time.
The early summer breeze carries warmth, brushing against the half-drawn light gauze curtains, swaying like smoke.
Actually, she had thought about just leaving it at that.
What women want is nothing more than a sense of security, isn't it? Now that her position is secure, his attention has turned to her...
She has obtained what she once asked for.
What else could she possibly be dissatisfied with?
But she was unwilling to accept it.
The wounds we've suffered cannot be completely erased with a simple "past".
However, Chunnan's injury served as a wake-up call for her.
She could no longer act so rashly; she had to plan carefully. She could disregard everything for herself, but she couldn't let those who genuinely cared for her suffer.
Her mind was in turmoil, and she wandered aimlessly.
After passing through the moon gate and around the rugged artificial hill, I realized that I had already arrived near the study.
This is Lu Yuan's study, a forbidden area within the mansion.
Mingwu stopped and was about to turn and leave when she heard two hushed voices coming from the half-closed window of the study.
One of them was Lu Yuan.
Mingwu's heart tightened, and she subconsciously crouched down, hiding behind a clump of dense green bamboo nearby.
"...She was unconscious for a longer period of time this time than last time."
It was Lu Yuan's voice, tinged with worry.
Another aged voice replied respectfully.
"Your Majesty, the mother Gu and the offspring Gu share the same origin and coexist... Especially... the mother Gu in Your Majesty's body will affect the offspring Gu in Your Majesty's body. Your Majesty's prolonged coma is due to the offspring Gu's increased dependence on the mother Gu... Your Majesty, rest assured, once the mother and offspring Gu mature, these symptoms will disappear..."
Mingwu felt a loud "boom" in her mind, and her blood seemed to freeze instantly.
The mother Gu was indeed on him.
All around was completely silent.
The summer breeze that had just brushed against my cheeks had vanished, and the rustling of bamboo leaves was no longer audible. It was as if the sounds of the entire world had been suddenly emptied by an invisible hand.
In fact, when Zen Master Shanhui asserted that she was afflicted with the Mother-Child Gu poison, she did not entirely believe it in her heart.
Such mysterious things seemed like legends in storybooks; she preferred to believe that she had contracted some kind of strange illness.
But now, I'm hearing it with my own ears.
She could no longer deceive herself.
First it was the Separation Gu, and now it's the Mother-Child Gu. He really thinks too highly of himself.
Mingwu gave a bitter laugh and looked up at the blue sky that was cut by bamboo leaves.
The sunlight stung her eyes, and although it was early summer with a warm breeze, she felt as if she had suddenly fallen into an icy cave in the dead of winter.
It's so cold.
"Madam, what are you doing here?"
A voice suddenly rang out, startling Mingwu so much that she trembled all over.
She turned her head and saw Xu Ming standing at the intersection, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat. Before she could respond, she heard the study window creak open.
A tall figure appeared at the window.
It's Lu Yuan.
His gaze fell on her, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Since A-Wu is here, why don't you come in?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Mingwu: After a brief period of confusion, her belief has become even stronger—to leave.
Next up is the plot point of the fake death mentioned in the text.
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