Chapter 30
Unaware that he had already glimpsed a few words, Luo Yan hurriedly put away the letter, went around the screen, and hid it in the camphor wood box in the bathroom where she kept her nightgown.
Zhu Yun, who was behind, stopped tactfully. Through the thin layer of embroidered cranes with their necks intertwined, she spoke in an extremely gentle tone: "Yanyan, I brought you a gift."
Her temples throbbed, and she thought to herself that someone's attitude had changed too naturally and too quickly; he had clearly been wearing a fierce expression as if he had caught his lover cheating when he first entered the house.
But the gift...
She quickened her pace unconsciously, glanced at Zhu Yun's hands behind his back, and asked demurely, "What is it?"
"Hands out."
Luo Yan did as he asked, and he helped her put on the cool, icy object by supporting her forearm.
The unprecedented harmony kept Zhu Yun going until midnight, seemingly insatiable. Luo Yan had already fallen into a deep sleep, her eyes filled with tears, her red lips swollen, looking quite pitiful.
He took the swelling-reducing ointment that Zhou Huanshan had offered, and gently spread it evenly with his fingertips. It felt cool and slippery to the touch, and before long his breathing became heavy again.
Zhu Yun pinched Luo Yan as a form of punishment, and seeing her slightly furrowed brow in her dream, he felt a little relieved, put on his outer robe, and walked towards the study.
Granny Liu was a loyal servant who always strictly adhered to rules. She was waiting outside the courtyard when she saw him come out. She curtsied and said, "Young Master, it is really inappropriate for you to favor Mistress Yan like this."
Zhu Yun nodded: "I know what I'm doing."
"Young master, please forgive this old servant for being nosy," said Granny Liu earnestly. "Madam has already chosen two maids who know her well, and they will be sent over once you return to the capital and move your residence. This mistress Yan is, after all, of lowly status and doesn't know proper etiquette, so you must not take her seriously."
His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his dark eyes held a menacing air about to erupt, but he ultimately did not lash out. He simply turned and strode away.
Zhu's father was addicted to women, and his once robust body, which had been strong on the battlefield, was wasted away in just a few years, leaving him with sunken cheeks. As a result, Zhu's mother was wary of the women around Zhu Yun, and even the maids were chosen to be dark-skinned and strong, so as not to make him fall in love too early.
Although Zhu Yun had ordered that nothing about Jinzhou, especially the existence of Luo Yan, be revealed to the capital, he still had doubts—
He wondered why he couldn't resist Luo Yan's teasing. However, it was not a good time to think too much at night, and coincidentally, the moon was full, and the bright moonlight shone in through the wide-open window.
Luo Yan inevitably recalled a few lines of poetry about reunion, and her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a deep sense of melancholy.
If I hadn't traveled through time, I probably would have already graduated from my dream university and become a freelance cartoonist.
In short, there's no need to rely on others' favor to live like this. Luo Yan wrung out her handkerchief, forcing a smile, "It's the same whether I go to the young master's courtyard or not."
A smile spread across Zhu Yun's eyes. He said nothing more and walked inside. He must have given instructions that only two attendants would accompany him, while the rest of the people dispersed.
Luo Yan stood there, staring blankly at the snow plum blossom pattern on the oil-paper umbrella, waiting for the fine, ant-like stinging pain to subside.
Not hearing the expected footsteps, Zhu Yun's brows furrowed, and he turned around: "Aren't you leaving? Are you waiting for me to invite you?"
She awkwardly stretched her legs and replied, "Coming."
Zhu Yun wasn't blind; he was just used to being waited on and had no consideration for others. He simply waited for Luo Yan to slowly move over.
Once inside his courtyard, with no one daring to look up, he wrapped his arms around the woman's slender waist and lifted Luo Yan up in his arms.
It's very light.
Zhu Yun glanced down at her and noticed that a certain part of her body was quite plump. He couldn't help but wonder why she was as light as a kitten.
Luo Yan was unaware of his scrutiny and obediently pressed against the boy's warm chest, refusing to let go even after entering the house.
This is a study, with stacks of books on the desk and glittering silver objects on the display shelves, which appear to be weapons such as daggers and grappling hooks.
He still had a letter to return home, and gestured for Luo Yan to leave.
Luo Yan suddenly tilted her head back and kissed his chin, meeting Zhu Yun's dark face, as if she wanted to continue kissing his lips.
He laughed in anger, casually tossed the audacious woman onto the chaise lounge, ignored her screams, and returned to his desk to read the letter home quickly.
Unlike the thick stack of letters, his reply was extremely simple, writing "Understood" in a flamboyant style, and then calling for his servant to come in and receive the letter.
Luo Yan was still reviewing her actions, after all, she had a wealth of knowledge but no practical experience. Especially recently, her repeated setbacks with Zhu Yun had greatly diminished her execution ability.
When Zhu Yun finished his work, he saw her staring blankly out the window, her delicate eyebrows furrowed into a small "川" character, giving her an inexplicably humorous air of feigning sorrow for the sake of composing a new poem.
He stretched out two fingers and pinched Luo Yan's fair face. His gaze unconsciously swept over her full, luscious red lips, recalling the sweet taste he had savored a few days ago.
I was slightly tipsy at the time, and I don't remember many of the details.
Zhu Yun was hesitating whether to try it again when Luo Yan sat up and asked him, "Has Young Master had dinner yet?"
"Hmm." Luo Yan knew he was teasing her, and she was almost amused and annoyed, but she had to suppress her expression and softly called out, "Young Master~"
Little did he know, a smile played on her lips, while her eyes were fiercely rebuking him. This not only made her beautiful face even more vibrant, but it was also a novel experience for Zhu Yun.
He let out a soft chuckle: "Not going to keep pretending? Who was it that just said they knew the rules and were polite?"
Luo Yan remained silent, blinked her large, almond-shaped eyes, and silently began to coax him.
Zhu Yun raised an eyebrow and said, "If you were to plead with me, perhaps this young master would be willing to step in and intercede on your behalf?"
“No.” Luo Yan sat up, her face filled with worry. “If the Fang family is truly innocent, Lord Zhou will release them. Otherwise, if you rashly plead for them, they might turn around and stab you in the back, and I will become the sinner.”
As a member of the Zhu family's inner quarters, Luo Yan was bound to suffer the consequences of her actions, and she would never risk her hard-won peaceful life.
Little did she know, to Zhu Yun, it sounded as if she was thinking of her in every way. Though insignificant, it was heartwarming.
Zhu Yun's attitude softened. He walked out of the courtyard, summoned two trusted confidants, and ordered them to go to the Fang residence immediately to fetch the person.
After giving some instructions, he returned to his room, but Luo Yan was no longer on the bed.
He curled his lips into a smile and stepped into the inner room. He saw a raven-feather-colored brocade quilt bulging out like a continuous snow-capped mountain, with two delicate arms exposed.
His gaze shifted slightly upwards, and a large expanse of white came into view. Her neck was long and slender, and her shoulders were rounded. With just a glance, he knew that she was completely naked, and Zhu Yun felt a surge of heat rising from her head to her waist.
He turned around awkwardly, a hint of lust creeping into his usually indifferent eyes.
Luo Yan lifted her foot and gently touched him through the fabric: "Young Master, may I help you?"
Zhu Yun gripped her calf, his tone ambiguous: "You distrust me so much? Do you think I would go back on my word?"
Luo Yan's courage, which she had mustered for half a day, vanished instantly, and she stiffened, saying, "Young Master, I didn't mean to..."
He didn't want to see Luo Yan show fear. There were countless people in the world who feared Zhu Yun, but the person in the room didn't need to be.
"How can I help?" Zhu Yun's voice was slightly hoarse as he gently stroked the beauty mark at the corner of her eye with his fingertips.
Her fair face gradually flushed a light pink from his teasing. Luo Yan's eyes flickered as she vaguely replied, "Is this alright?"
After she finished speaking, her soft, boneless little hand covered his face, as if igniting a fire in the blazing sun, making the heat even more intense.
She gleaned some clues from Zhu Yun's restrained expression and gradually became more adept at it. Her pair of moist eyes also focused intently on him; at this moment, silence spoke louder than words, bringing Zhu Yun immense satisfaction.
However, not long after he had broken his vows, he had not touched Luo Yan for four or five days. Even though she tried her best, he still could not relieve his desire.
"You're tired already?" Zhu Yun asked with a mischievous smile.
Luo Yan never expected him to be so tireless, and pleaded in a gentle voice, "Young master, please spare me."
It sounded pleasant to the ear, and his throat moved noticeably.
Without being taught, Luo Yan nestled into his arms, her lips brushing against his earlobe as she softly whispered, "Yan Yan likes you so much, Young Master, so much..."
Zhu Yun instantly tensed up, like a string about to be released, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
His reaction pleased Luo Yan as well. She kissed Zhu Yun's chin and asked in a gentle tone, "Is the young master satisfied?"
Zhu Yun's eyes were red at the corners. He pulled Luo Yan into a slightly fierce kiss, swallowing her teasing words and leaving the room filled with spring light.
She gave a disappointed "oh," and knowing that Zhu Yun wouldn't offer any special concern, she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his well-defined hand. Once their fingers were intertwined, she suggested, "May I order dinner?"
To Zhu Yun, Luo Yan's force was as light as a feather. His silence for two breaths, without withdrawing his hand, was tantamount to tacit consent.
Luo Yan didn't hold back her kiss, planting it on his beautifully shaped lips. Then she pushed open the door and, with the servants' airs of authority, said, "Young Master wants some hot soup noodles, less noodles, less soup, and more meat."
Zhu Yun suppressed the rising corners of his lips and looked away before Luo Yan could turn around.
During her school years, Luo Yan's grades were above average, but this was the result of pressure from both her teachers and parents. If she had relied on her own initiative, she probably would have fallen to the bottom of the class long ago.
Zhu Yun seemed to love reading very much; his carriage had been filled with books.
He was flipping through a book of policy essays, and Luo Yan, not daring to disturb him, propped her chin up and openly examined it.
Zhu Yun's face was half hidden in darkness, and the other half was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. In modern terms, she looked like the embodiment of both a devil and an angel.
Perhaps she had been staring at him for too long, because Zhu Yun put down his book and waved.
Luo Yan obediently sat down, tilting her little face up to ask, "What are your orders, young master?"
Zhu Yun said, "You waited for me today just to eat a bowl of soup noodles with less noodles and less soup but more meat?"
Before Luo Yan could take a closer look, a hot, delicate kiss landed on her heart. She instinctively shrank her rounded shoulders, her fingers twisting her dress into a mess.
Seeing her hesitation, Zhu Yun chuckled and glanced at her delicate white hands with an ambiguous look: "I won't let you get away with this so easily today."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan opened her misty eyes and said with slight dissatisfaction, "How can you call that dismissing someone? Young Master was clearly panting very happily at that time."
Having practiced gentlemanly doctrines for over a decade, Zhu Yun found it difficult to refute her foul language. He applied slight pressure with his pinky finger, seemingly grazing it unintentionally, and as he wished, Luo Yan trembled, revealing her vulnerable state.
She bit her lip tightly and looked at Zhu Yun with alluring eyes as she apologized.
In bed, everything was full of romance. Zhu Yun naturally didn't take it seriously, and readily yielded to the strength of her arms, leaning down to kiss her rosy lips, gently caressing them, while asking, "Is today the right time?"
Luo Yan had initially worried that he would be too rough and cause her unnecessary suffering. However, after a few days of getting to know each other, she found that he was very eager to learn and knew how to apply what he had learned to other situations. He could make her sweat profusely with just his fingertips.
Moreover, whenever Luo Yan showed a pained expression, Zhu Yun would stop what he was doing and wait until he deduced that she was in a state of pleasure before continuing to "torture" her.
Thinking of this, Luo Yan raised a finger to touch his brow, thinking to herself that she now understood this mysterious young master better.
Born into a prestigious family, he was intelligent but had no need for pretense with others, so he rarely concealed his arrogance, which seemed to be ingrained in his very bones.
Or perhaps it was because he was experiencing his first taste of sex and was full of youthful vigor, and Luo Yan just happened to catch his eye.
Unlike Zhu Yun, who was preoccupied with his own thoughts, Luo Yan, excited by the prospect of being able to remove his name from the register, clung to him for a long time that night. Lovemaking between a man and a woman should be about mutual pleasure, and although she was exhausted, she felt incredibly satisfied.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, Luo Yan slowly awoke, her eyes drawn to the unfamiliar carved beams of the room. She paused for a moment, then remembered that she had spent the night in Qingfeng Courtyard.
The area that had been ravaged no longer ached, only her knees were bruised from kneeling. Luo Yan rubbed them casually, then got up and dressed.
She assumed Zhu Yun wasn't in the mansion, so she walked out with her hair down and no regard for her appearance, only to find someone playing chess at a round table in the courtyard.
I suddenly understand how Zhu Yun felt about her reading random stories.
Luo Yan, being shy, said uncertainly, "Wouldn't that be too deliberate?"
Just as Xuebao was about to answer, sensing the little villain nearby, she "whooshed" into a wisp of green smoke and slipped away through the window crack. Seeing this, Luo Yan folded the half-dry letter, looked it over, and hid it under her pillow.
When Zhu Yun pushed open the door and entered, she peeked out from under the curtain with evasive eyes and asked in a muffled voice, "Why are you here?"
He glanced back casually, his tone calm: "I'd like to play chess with you."
"Playing chess? Playing chess is great." Luo Yan pulled him away from the bed. "Why don't we go to your room? I like your jade chessboard."
"Um."
Just before entering, Zhu Yun suddenly stopped, touched her soft, long hair, and said, "You tidy up the chess box first, I'll make a pot of hot tea."
The sudden tenderness caught Luo Yan off guard, and she bit her lip shyly, "Okay."
As soon as the girl turned around, the smile in Zhu Yun's eyes vanished. With a gloomy face, he returned to Luo Yan's room and lifted the bed curtains embroidered with lush green bamboo.
He wanted to see what his young wife had been hiding lately.
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