Chapter 7. What is the lady talking about... something shameful? ...
Mingwu held her breath, her fingertips sinking deep into the brocade quilt, almost tearing the silk to shreds.
The expected weight did not apply.
Only a deeper shadow, carrying the cold fragrance of ebony, descended heavily.
He stood by the bed, looking down at her.
Even with her eyes closed, Mingwu could still clearly sense that gaze. It was as cold as a blade, scraping inch by inch across her disguised flesh, looking into her soul, leaving her nowhere to hide.
She knew she had been found out.
Just as she hesitated whether to open her eyes, a very low sneer broke the silence.
"Your ability to pretend to be asleep has certainly improved."
His voice was deep, and his hot breath brushed against her ear almost imperceptibly.
They were too close.
Mingwu's heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand. She dared not open her eyes, her whole body stiffened and she dared not move, every nerve stretched to its limit.
It will break with the slightest touch.
She simply continued to pretend to be asleep, deciding to remain unchanged in the face of any eventuality.
After a long silence, the shadow that had been looming over her suddenly vanished.
Mingwu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He was always arrogant and disdained using force. Just like last time, after she only slightly expressed her reluctance, he told her to leave.
I imagine he will do the same this time. Perhaps for a long time to come, he will never set foot in her yard again.
A stinging sensation ran through my nose, and something hot welled up in my eyes, gushing out uncontrollably.
"Why are you crying?" His voice suddenly rang out.
He didn't leave?!
Mingwu suddenly opened her eyes and saw his tall figure walk to the foot of the bed in the darkness, after which the bed sank down.
Immediately afterwards, I felt a chill on my leg.
He lifted the brocade quilt covering her.
Before going to sleep, to allow the medicine applied to her ankles to be absorbed better, she removed her stockings and underpants, and even wore only a thin undershirt on her upper body.
Upon realizing her current predicament, Mingwu froze, unable to react.
A large, slightly cool hand precisely grasped her ankle.
Ignoring the pain in her ankle, Mingwu frantically tried to pull her foot back. However, the hand was like an iron clamp, and no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge.
Not only that, he pressed down on her knees even harder with his other hand.
In the darkness, her senses were amplified. She could clearly feel the calluses on his fingertips and the burning heat of his palm.
An itch started in my knees and spread throughout my body in an instant.
The temperature inside the tent rose rapidly.
The night was deep and all was quiet, except for the sound of each other's breathing, which gradually became heavier in the silence.
She strained to open her eyes, but could only barely make out the dark, tall silhouette at the foot of the bed. He was slightly turned to the side, his head lowered, his gaze seemingly fixed on her.
It was clearly early spring, a time when the weather was still chilly, yet she felt unbearably hot all over.
Fortunately... his upper body was still covered by a brocade quilt.
Wait, her upper body is covered, but what about her lower body...?
boom!
Her face burned as if on fire, and she hurriedly reached out to pull the blankets away.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through my ankle, several times more intense than ever before.
"ah!"
Mingwu was in so much pain that her face turned deathly pale, her forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and her body trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind.
Lu Yuan was a martial artist with excellent night vision. He took in every detail of her alluring appearance, from the blush on her skin to the glistening tears in her eyes.
I slowly pressed along the edge of her ankle with my fingertips.
The force applied was sometimes light and sometimes heavy.
Mingwu was like a fish on a chopping board, completely under his control.
Her body, her pain, even her emotions, were all exposed to his gaze and his palm.
"Madam is quite capable; even with this injured leg, she can still go to the opera."
A seemingly casual remark stirred up a storm in Mingwu's heart.
He knew; he knew everything.
She felt like a fool, a fool who was being manipulated by him.
Overwhelming grievances and anger surged forth, instantly shattering her reason.
Tears streamed down her face without warning, trickling into her hair. She bit her lower lip hard, trying not to let a sob escape her lips, her body trembling slightly from the effort to suppress them.
Lu Yuan's hand, which was pressing on her ankle, paused almost imperceptibly.
In the depths of his dark eyes, something extremely subtle seemed to flicker for an incredibly brief moment. It was so quick it was almost an illusion, instantly replaced by an even deeper chill.
He withdrew his hand.
The movements were swift and decisive, as if the brief touch just moments before was nothing more than a form of punishment.
"If it hurts, remember it."
He stood up, his tall figure once again completely enveloping her, his voice returning to its previous coldness and hardness.
"Remember this pain, so you won't do anything foolish or overconfident again."
The footsteps faded into the distance, without a trace of lingering affection.
The wind stirred by the fabric of their clothes instantly lowered the temperature inside the tent to freezing.
-
The next day, Mingwu woke up to find that her foot was not as painful, and the swelling had subsided considerably. She had originally thought it would hurt for several days, but she hadn't expected the imperial physician's medicine to be so effective.
It was mostly healed overnight.
Mingwu's mood visibly improved; she wasn't usually one to hold grudges. Growing up unloved by her parents had taught her to comfort herself in all things.
No matter how sad or heartbroken you are, sleep it off, have a good cry, and the next day will be a brand new day.
Chunnan carried in a copper basin and was startled to see that Mingwu had already gotten off the bed. She quickly placed the basin on a wooden shelf and went to help Mingwu.
"Madam, how can you get out of bed? The imperial physician has instructed that you need to rest."
Mingwu smiled and shook her head: "It's alright, my foot doesn't hurt anymore." As she spoke, she gently lifted her skirt, revealing her right ankle.
Chunnan squatted down and examined her carefully: "She is indeed much better." Her face showed confusion, "But the imperial physician clearly said that she would be in pain for several days, how could she be recovering so quickly?"
Could it be that the imperial physician was being conservative? But that shouldn't be the case; imperial physicians always downplay the severity of the situation and would never exaggerate.
Mingwu's heart skipped a beat, and the scene of Lu Yuan pressing on her ankles last night suddenly flashed into her mind.
She was in so much pain at the time that she didn't notice. Looking back now, she realizes that while it hurt a lot when he pressed on her, she also vaguely felt a warm, swollen sensation as he pressed on her.
It was that airflow that, like a sharp blade, forcefully broke through her blocked muscles and bones.
Mingwu's fingertips trembled slightly.
Could it be... that she misunderstood him? Was he actually... healing her wounds?
My heart was pounding, as if something was about to burst out of my chest.
-
Mei Yuan also sent someone to deliver a message, telling her to rest in the courtyard and pay her respects after her foot injury had healed.
In the days that followed, Mingwu recuperated in the hospital.
That day, she sat by the window, gazing at the bright spring sunshine outside. Her fingers unconsciously caressed the pear wood dressing case.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Mingwu snapped out of her daze and quickly hid the vanity box in her sleeve.
Chunnan came in, puffing up her cheeks.
"The Prime Minister actually placed that woman in the Lan Courtyard."
Mingwu knew about Lanyuan; it was a beautiful courtyard next to the East Courtyard. When she married into the family, the courtyard was still under renovation.
“That’s where the matriarchs of the family have lived for generations, how could the Prime Minister…” Chun Nan suddenly realized her slip of the tongue, covered her mouth in annoyance, and looked at Ming Wu nervously.
"Madam, please don't be angry, perhaps it is..."
These past few days she had tried her best to keep news of that man from the madam. Unexpectedly, today she let it slip herself.
Mingwu's breath caught in her throat, as if it were blocked by thick mud. Her thin body trembled slightly, and her fingers gripped the wooden box tightly.
The carved edges of the box pierced my fingertips.
A subtle pain spread from my fingertips to my heart.
As usual, she went to the Plum Garden to pay her respects. On her way back, the steward was directing the servants to plant trees on the road she often took. They were osmanthus trees.
"We never planted osmanthus trees in the manor before, why are there so many this year?" a servant asked his companion in a low voice.
The companion glanced at the busy butler and lowered his voice, "It's all because the new one who came to the manor likes him..."
"What are you talking about?"
The steward sternly ordered them to stop, then, as if sensing something, looked up and saw Mingwu standing at the crossroads. He paused for a moment, then smiled and bowed. He then instructed the servants to move the saplings blocking the way.
Mingwu waved her hand: "No need to trouble yourself, you can continue." With that, she turned and stepped onto another path.
Chunnan asked worriedly, "Madam, are you... alright?"
Mingwu clenched her fists in her sleeves and forced a smile: "It's nothing, what could possibly happen to me? Let's hurry up and go, things are about to change."
After saying that, he quickened his pace and headed towards the destination.
The wind is picking up.
In the distance, a thick, inky cloud was rushing in at an alarming speed. The cloud churned and expanded, as if being torn into a hideous shape by an invisible hand.
The sunlight was gradually swallowed up, and the sky visibly darkened.
“Madam, that looks like Princess Xuan.”
Mingwu looked up.
Inside the pavilion, Song Yuxuan gazed blankly into the distance, her face showing a loneliness she had never seen before.
Hearing footsteps, Song Yuxuan quickly lowered her head to compose herself. When she looked up again, she had returned to her carefree, playful, and charming self.
Mingwu was not a curious person; she knew that everyone had secrets they didn't want others to know.
"Princess Xuan".
"Oh, sister-in-law, why be so polite? Just call me Yuxuan." Song Yuxuan stepped forward affectionately and took Mingwu's arm.
Ming Wu paused for a moment: "...Yu Xuan".
"Is my cousin-in-law going to find that woman?" Song Yuxuan asked with great interest.
Mingwu: "??"
"Cousin-in-law, you're coming this way, aren't you going to see Qi Lan?"
Qi Lan?
Mingwu looked in the direction Song Yuxuan pointed.
Not far away, an exquisite courtyard is nestled amidst lush greenery. The glazed tiles still gleam brightly in the darkening sky.
The golden bells under the eaves jingled in the wind.
The plaque bears two large, elegant characters: "Lanyuan".
Vigorous and powerful.
So this is Lanyuan.
Mingwu pursed her lips, her dark eyelashes lowered, like a thick, curled little fan, covering the emotions in her eyes.
"no."
With that, he took another step forward.
Song Yuxuan, however, felt that she was covering up. The courtyard and the lan courtyard were quite far apart, and there was another shortcut to the plum courtyard. If it weren't intentional, why would she have gone around to this place?
“Sister-in-law, why hide anything from me? I understand, I understand everything.” Song Yuxuan winked and, without waiting for Ming Wu to explain, excitedly pulled her towards the courtyard.
"Since we're already here, let's go and meet Qi Lan. Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll definitely be on your side."
“Sister-in-law, let me tell you, Qi Lan is the most pretentious and affected person ever. What kind of talented woman is she? Ha, back then…”
"Princess, the Dowager Consort is looking for you everywhere." An unfamiliar old nanny came running over.
Song Yuxuan's face suddenly fell.
"Alright, alright, I understand." She waved her sleeve impatiently and turned to Mingwu, saying, "Sister-in-law, I'll come to see you again next time."
Having said that, he hurriedly left with the old woman.
"Huh? What's this?"
Chunnan, with her sharp eyes, noticed what appeared to be a piece of drawing paper on the ground. The corner of the paper was dampened by the water stains on the bluestone slab, revealing a trace of ink.
"Perhaps it was left behind by Princess Xuan," Mingwu said.
Chunnan bent down and picked up the drawing paper.
It is a portrait.
"Oh! How could it be..." Chun Nan exclaimed in surprise.
Mingwu glanced sideways. The man in the painting was tall and elegant, with handsome features, and bore a resemblance to Lu Yuan.
It is Lu Cang.
How could the princess have Lu Cang's portrait on her? And then I remembered the heartbroken look on Song Yuxuan's face as she walked away...
Could it be... that she has feelings for Lu Cang?
"Keep this painting safe and don't let anyone see it. In the future..." it will be returned to its rightful owner.
Before the words were finished, the tightly closed courtyard gate creaked open. A tall figure walked out from inside, silhouetted against the fading light of the sky.
"What is it that you are talking about, madam... something that cannot be shown to others?"
"Prime Minister...Prime Minister!"
Chun Nan was startled, her hand trembling. Just then, a gust of wind swept by, and the drawing paper flew out of her hand. Chun Nan hurriedly tried to catch it, but missed.
The drawing paper twirled and turned in the air, landing precisely at Lu Yuan's feet.
The portrait faces upwards.
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