Chapter 6! Chapter 6! Beasts!
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
The familiar carved beams and painted pillars at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence were all distorted and faded, becoming a blurred background. Only that sentence, like a thunderclap, repeatedly exploded in her blank mind.
He brought back a woman.
His hasty departure; the important person the princess spoke of; the couple on the stage singing their vows of eternal love; and that phrase, "the Qi family girl"...
The sun had somehow disappeared into the clouds.
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened, as if the entire world was shrouded in a thick haze.
The excruciating pain from the forceful pressure on her ankle was like a dormant volcano suddenly awakened. The sharp pain exploded from her joints, instantly tearing apart her will to hold on.
Suddenly everything went black, and my body swayed uncontrollably.
Chunnan reacted quickly and caught her. When she touched her, she felt that her whole body was ice-cold, and even her fingertips were trembling slightly.
"Madam, perhaps... perhaps it's not what you think..."
Chunnan managed to squeeze out a few words of comfort, her voice so weak that even she herself couldn't believe it.
Song Yuxuan was also startled. She was playful by nature, but not a bad person at heart. Seeing Ming Wu looking so fragile, as if she might fall apart at any moment, she was shocked.
He was filled with remorse.
"Sister-in-law, don't listen to those people's nonsense. My cousin might be..." He stopped there, unable to find a good excuse after thinking for a long time.
"Princess."
Mingwu's voice was extremely soft, as if it drifted from a great distance, carrying a strange calmness that instantly silenced Song Yuxuan.
She slowly, extremely slowly, turned her head, her gaze passing over the high walls of the Prime Minister's residence and landing inside.
"Thank you for today, Princess."
She nodded slightly, lowered the carriage curtain, her movements as stiff as a marionette.
"Chunnan, let's go back."
The carriage curtains fell, blocking out the light and all the prying and noise from outside, and the carriage became dark again.
In the darkness, Mingwu's stiff back collapsed like a landslide. What followed was overwhelming exhaustion and a dull, almost numb pain.
It spreads from the heart to every part of the body.
"Yes, madam."
Chunnan's voice was choked with sobs. She could feel the weight of the lady leaning on her increasing, and the frail body seemed as if it might break at any moment.
The carriage entered the hanging flower gate, traveled for a while, and finally stopped at a crossroads.
"Madam, we've arrived."
The driver's voice carried a barely perceptible sigh.
The courtyard is located in a remote area, with winding paths in front of it, making it impossible for carriages to pass. One can only get off here and walk.
Chunnan carefully helped Mingwu down from the carriage.
The coachman watched the mistress and servant walk slowly down the path and shook his head regretfully.
The lady was gentle and kind to her servants, never harsh. Such a good person… Ah, he was just a lowly coachman; how could he possibly concern himself with the affairs of his master?
He had no choice but to drive away silently.
Mingwu was completely oblivious to the driver's sigh.
She felt dizzy and disoriented, her body was alternating between hot and cold, and her eardrums felt like they were filled with hundreds of bees buzzing, giving her a splitting headache.
"Second Sister-in-law!"
Sensing Chunnan suddenly stop, Mingwu weakly lifted her heavy eyelids.
My vision was blurred, but I could make out a tall and imposing figure standing not far away.
Was it him?
No!
He brought another woman back to his residence, and perhaps he is with that woman right now...
Lu Cang strode closer and was shocked when he saw Ming Wu's pale face and her swaying posture.
"What happened to my second sister-in-law? She was fine when I greeted her this morning, but in just half a day, how could she..."
Recalling what he had just heard—that his brother had brought back a woman—and seeing Mingwu's current state, he immediately understood.
An indescribable feeling welled up inside me, and I instinctively reached out to support her.
"Third Young Master!" Chun Nan warily reached out her arm to block him, her voice filled with suspicion.
Lu Cang froze abruptly, realizing his rudeness, and slowly withdrew his hand from mid-air. However, his worried gaze could not leave Ming Wu's pale and fragile face.
For the first time in his life, a strong sense of resentment quietly began to grow in his heart.
His resentment towards his elder brother Lu Yuan, whom he had always admired.
He immediately turned and ordered his attendant, "Quickly, fetch the imperial physician!"
The attendant received the order and rushed off.
Lu Cang himself did not leave, but instead pursed his lips and nervously followed a few steps behind the master and servant.
Sudden!
Chunnan stepped on a protruding rock and fell forward abruptly. Mingwu, whom she was supporting, also lost her balance and lurched forward.
In that instant, time seemed to stretch out infinitely.
In Mingwu's blurry vision, the patterns on the bluestone path rapidly magnified.
She instinctively tried to reach out to brace herself, but her right leg was completely powerless. She heard Chun Nan's terrified scream and the crisp sound of tearing fabric.
The expected pain did not come.
Suddenly, a hand appeared between her and the ground, firmly supporting her shoulder.
"...Husband?"
Mingwu looked up, her vision blurred by tears, and saw Lu Cang's face suddenly freeze.
Her fingers were gripping his sleeve tightly, the pale silk was crumpled beyond recognition, and it was stained with her tears.
It wasn't him.
She was overwhelmed by immense loss and embarrassment.
Just then.
A sharp, urgent neighing of a horse suddenly shattered the silence.
Looking up, I saw a chestnut horse galloping towards me with the force of a thunderbolt. Its speed was undiminished, and its high-flying hooves created a sharp whistling sound.
They were about to be trampled under their iron hooves.
They opened their eyes wide in terror, too late to react.
The horse had already charged close.
With a deafening neigh, the horse's hooves rose high and then slammed down, coming to a screeching halt just inches from Mingwu's skirt.
The dust kicked up covered her face.
On horseback, the man was still wearing the black brocade robe he wore that morning. He stood tall and straight, but his handsome face was covered with a layer of ice.
His cold gaze, fixed on Mingwu's pale face, lingered for a moment before shifting to her delicate white hand clutching Lu Cang's sleeve.
Mingwu released her grip abruptly, as if she had been burned.
Lu Cang hurriedly explained, "Brother, please don't misunderstand."
"It seems Third Brother is still too idle." Lu Yuan's thin lips parted slightly, his voice as cold as ice.
After saying that, he pulled on the reins.
The chestnut horse shot off like an arrow, brushing past Mingwu's skirt and disappearing from sight in no time.
Xu Ming came running up, panting: "Third Young Master, someone at the gatehouse is looking for you and wants you to go there now."
When did such a trivial matter require the head of his brother's personal guards to personally relay the message? Lu Cang knew perfectly well that this was his brother warning him.
Xu Ming urged again.
Lu Cang clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it. He gave Ming Wu a deep look, bowed, and took his leave.
"Help Madam back to her room first; the imperial physician will arrive shortly."
Following behind Xu Ming, Granny Qin stepped forward and, together with Chun Nan, helped Ming Wu walk into the courtyard.
Not long after Mingwu returned to the house.
Physician Qin did indeed arrive. This time, he was accompanied by a female physician.
Chunnan lowered the curtain, and the old woman physician went inside to carefully examine Mingwu's swollen and shiny ankle. She then withdrew and whispered a few words to Physician Qin.
Chunnan tucked Mingwu's feet into the bedding and rolled up the curtains.
Physician Qin then stepped forward to take Mingwu's pulse.
“How could you be so stubborn, Madam? This ankle sprain was already quite serious, and you forced yourself to walk for so long, causing blood stasis and almost damaging your tendons and bones.”
Chunnan turned pale with fright. She hadn't expected it to be so serious; if she had known earlier, she would have stopped the lady from going out.
After seeing the imperial physician off, they brought in the prepared medicinal soup. The thick, dark liquid emitted a nauseatingly bitter smell.
"Madam, it's time to take your medicine."
Mingwu slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on the bottomless bitterness of her wounds.
She stared at it for a long time, so long that Chunnan almost thought she was about to drift into a daze again. Finally, she reached out and took the bowl of medicine.
My fingertips touched the warm bowl, but I couldn't feel any warmth at all.
She picked it up and brought it to her lips. The bitter taste instantly filled her nostrils and rushed to the top of her head. She didn't hesitate, nor did she need to coax her with candied fruit as usual.
He simply tilted his head back and, as if drinking poison to quench his thirst, drank the entire bowl of thick, scalding hot, and bitter medicine in one gulp.
The medicine slid down my throat, leaving a burning sensation and a lingering bitter taste.
Seeing Mingwu like this, Chunnan felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and tears streamed down her face.
"lady……"
She wanted to say that the Prime Minister had summoned the imperial physician, showing that he still cared about his wife... but the words just wouldn't come out.
Mingwu seemed not to notice Chunnan's hesitation; she closed her eyes wearily.
"Turn off the lights, I'm tired."
The lights were blown out, and darkness instantly engulfed the entire room.
In the thick, impenetrable darkness, only the occasional chirping of insects outside the window and the faint, suppressed sobs of Chunnan outside the tent could be heard.
Mingwu lay there quietly.
The medicine was applied to my ankle, and it feels cool and refreshing; the pain has subsided.
The night makes people especially vulnerable, and all the things that were suppressed and avoided during the day swirl in the mind.
That woman...
Is he with that woman right now?
he……
A jumble of thoughts raced through my mind.
In the silence, Mingwu heard a faint sound coming from outside the tent.
Is it Chunnan?
She was about to speak.
Turning his head, he saw a tall, dark shadow cast on the bed curtains by the faint moonlight streaming through the window. The shadow expanded inch by inch as he approached, eventually enveloping the entire bed and swallowing up even the moonlight.
It's not Chunnan.
Mingwu suddenly tensed up, her fingertips gripping the brocade quilt.
The curtains were slowly drawn back, and a faint, familiar scent of ebony drifted in.
It's him!
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat, and she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Without sight, hearing and touch are amplified many times over.
He stood by the bed.
He remained motionless and silent, giving her a suffocating feeling that sent chills down her spine.
In the darkness, Mingwu heard her own heart pounding violently, thump! thump! thump! as if it were about to burst from her chest. There was also a very faint sound, the rustling of fabric.
He's here, take off your clothes!
What is he going to do?!
Mingwu's throat tightened, and her fingertips unconsciously dug into her palm.
The sound of his boots rolling across the ground was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, one step, two steps... until his figure completely enveloped her.
He just welcomed his beauty back today.
Now it's happening again...
That beast!
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