Chapter 38
"Host, host."
"The villain is about to kill the male lead."
A series of ghostly howls woke Luo Yan from her deep sleep. Her eyelids were heavy, as if they were stuck together.
Is the surgery over?
I vaguely remember my brother promising to take me to see the aurora borealis. Hopefully, he can keep his promise now that I'm discharged from the hospital.
Lost in thought, Luo Yan was struck twice in the abdomen by a heavy object. She frowned, thinking it was a mistake by the surgeon, when she heard a strange child's voice urgently saying, "Host, wake up, host, wake up."
Luo Yan struggled to open her eyes a crack, and what she saw was shimmering blue water with plump mandarin fish swimming around.
At the same time, the disordered memories are put back into place.
She looked down at the snow-white puppy sitting on her belly: "Snow Baby?"
"You're finally awake." Xuebao spun around excitedly, but it clearly forgot its own limitations and stopped obediently when it saw Luo Yan's pale face.
The worries that had been weighing on Zhu Yun's heart instantly vanished, and he even smiled noticeably as he knelt down in front of her.
The perspective shifts, this time he looks up at Luo Yan: "The one who assassinated me was the seventh prince of the current dynasty. If that day had happened to be the flood season, I would no longer be alive at this moment."
After two days of peace and quiet, Luo Yan had almost forgotten the despair and urgency she felt when her life hung by a thread.
At that time, life and death were both 50/50 chances, no different from a high-stakes gamble.
Seeing her moved expression, Zhu Yun continued, "He didn't get any benefits from me, but I did lose quite a few trusted men. To be honest, this period has been the most miserable time of my life."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan felt a surge of pity and finally lowered her eyes to look at him, her expression no longer as cold as before.
Zhu Yun smiled and her voice became even gentler: "The journey to the capital is still far. If the enemy finds us first, we may be at a disadvantage. Therefore, it is inevitable that we are a little paranoid. Please forgive us, young lady."
He spoke at length, kneeling on one knee on the footrest, explaining in a soft and gentle voice.
Luo Yan rarely looked down at him to examine his appearance, and she noticed that his pupils were extremely dark, his eyelashes were thick, and the tips were slightly upturned. Because he was looking up at her, his peach blossom eyes seemed to be curved like hooks, which were exceptionally captivating.
She coughed lightly and said awkwardly, "Are you trying to comfort me?"
Zhu Yun hesitated: "I have never... coaxed a woman."
The implication is that they don't know if this can be considered "coaxing".
Luo Yan was inexplicably pleased, but out of modesty, she pursed her lips and remained silent, lest the lightness in her tone be revealed.
Zhu Yun's gaze softened. He knew she was just a simple-minded young woman and he shouldn't have any doubts, so he spoke up: "Miss Luo, just now—"
But Luo Yan's expression suddenly turned cold: "Why haven't you moved the screen over yet? I need to rest."
Zhu Yun was slightly taken aback, not understanding why she was angry again, but she did as she was told and moved the curved screen to the center, separating the daybed from her.
Immediately, a rustling sound came from the other end. Zhu Yun stopped, bowed, and blew out the candle.
Moonlight streamed into the room through the gauze window, faint and hazy.
Zhu Yun listened carefully to her breathing and, finding it didn't sound tired, took the initiative to strike up a conversation, intending to ease the tense atmosphere between them. He asked, "Miss Luo, how about we go to the bookstore tomorrow? Haven't you been wanting to find some storybooks to read?"
Miss Luo, Miss Luo, Miss Luo.
She was eating them one after another, and her ears were practically calloused from it.
Luo Yan said coldly, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Jiang, but it's not necessary."
The long-unheard form of address made Zhu Yun's brows furrow. He suddenly became alert, remembering their respective identities, and in an instant, all his smile vanished.
Seeing that he remained silent, Luo Yan smiled secretly and decided to call him that from now on.
Thinking Zhu Yun would fall silent, she buried half her face in the quilt, trying to drift off to sleep. Unexpectedly, he spoke again as if nothing had happened: "Are you really going to let your 'death' go unnoticed?"
When the conversation turned to business, Luo Yan turned around and answered him truthfully: "I'll take it one step at a time. I don't want to make any decisions right now."
She believed she had no ties to this place, but after sensing the lingering influence of the original owner, she could no longer ignore Grand Tutor Wen and the old members of the Luo family. Moreover, according to Zhu Yun, they would pass through Yingzhou on the way, and Luo Yan actually had the idea of returning to the manor to take a look.
At the very least, she wanted to know how Aunt Liu would deal with the maids left behind by her birth mother, Madam Wen, and the several maids who had grown up with her.
Luo Yan took the opportunity to tell him, "But there is one thing I have already decided on—Young Master Jiang, just assume that the eldest daughter of the Luo family is dead. Go back to the capital and dissolve the engagement first."
Firstly, the one who was actually engaged to the Jiang family was the original owner of this body;
Secondly, I am not yet of marriageable age, so it is too early to talk about marriage.
As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. With her "death," she gained freedom. Why should she still follow the ancient custom of "arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers"?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun smiled and asked, "What do you mean?"
Why did I detect a hint of smugness in his words?
Luo Yan had her doubts, but she still told him, "We haven't seen each other for thirteen years. We don't have much affection for each other anyway. Even if we get married, we'll just be a miserable couple."
He vehemently denied it: "How could that be?"
Regardless of Jiang Chen's capricious actions, if he truly didn't want to, he would have broken off the engagement long ago; why would he need to send someone all the way to Yingzhou? Furthermore, with Luo Yan's beauty and temperament, how many men in the world wouldn't like her?
Zhu Yun listened attentively until she could no longer bear it, and finally said through gritted teeth, "Read less storybooks."
Luo Yan stuck out her tongue through the layers of gauze curtains and said lazily, "In short, you should go back and break off the engagement first, then find a wife who is beneficial to your career, and then rub that Seventh Prince in the ground."
She paused, a hint of sincerity in her voice:
"Don't get hurt again." After having breakfast with Luo Yan, Zhu Yun and his servants left the inn under the scorching sun.
Qingyan, still reeling from her master's miraculous escape, sobbed as she asked, "Your Highness, why don't you return to the capital immediately so that His Majesty and the Empress can see what the Seventh Prince has done to you?"
Zhu Yun chuckled and asked, "What am I like?"
"Oh dear, Your Highness, you have lost a lot of weight since you left the capital."
Qingyan entered the Eastern Palace to serve the Crown Prince at the age of six and was extremely loyal. Therefore, he said indignantly, "And that Lady Luo, a commoner, dares to order you around. She is really audacious."
Mentioning Luo Yan, Zhu Yun's expression turned slightly cold: "Don't be rude."
Qingyan was adept at reading people's expressions, so he immediately fell silent and began to ponder the identity of Luo Niangzi, whom he had only heard but never seen.
While still in a daze, she saw Zhu Yun enter Songlan Academy and was immediately moved to tears. She thought to herself, "His Highness the Crown Prince is truly studious; no wonder he is regarded as a role model by the entire capital."
"Shopkeeper," Zhu Yun asked in a serious tone, "where are the popular storybooks kept?"
Qingyan's eyes widened in disbelief, her pupils trembling violently.
Zhu Yun was always meticulous in his work. Even when selecting storybooks, he would carefully read through several pages, choosing those with outstanding writing and clear printing. He would then select more than ten books of different types, ranging from love and hate to legal cases.
Qingyan hurriedly stepped forward to take it, but Zhu Yun waved his hand: "No need."
After saying that, he personally picked up the heavy books.
"Your Highness, this is unacceptable." Qingyan lowered his voice and said with trepidation, "How can a servant rest while the master suffers? Let this servant do it."
Zhu Yun continued walking: "Since we are traveling incognito, please do not call Your Highness again."
Qingyan hurriedly replied "yes," and the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled down.
His own noble and unparalleled Crown Prince,
It's clear that the Red Phoenix Star has moved.
Luo Yan was startled awake by a loud cry.
She opened her sleepy eyes and was greeted by layers of antique-style gauze curtains, both beautiful and unfamiliar, leaving her momentarily disoriented.
Immediately, the latch was removed, and the noise in the corridor ceased, with voices gradually fading into the distance.
Luo Yan rubbed her temples, her head aching. As she regained consciousness, she guessed that it was Zhu Yun's subordinates who had come looking for her. She was always a light sleeper, and since she had been woken up, she couldn't fall back asleep, so she simply sat up, still wrapped in the quilt.
Last night, she said many things that were tantamount to severing ties with Zhu Yun. Thinking back on it during the day, she felt slightly embarrassed and didn't know how to face Zhu Yun.
Enough, let's remain still and respond to all changes.
Luo Yan washed her face with water, sat down in front of the bronze mirror, and tried to style her hair herself. So when Zhu Yun returned to the room, she had already styled her hair into an odd, messy bun.
His movements were much smoother today. In just a moment, he had tied his hair into a woman's bun just like Qingniang's, and then gently placed the heavy gold ingot in front of her.
"Wow, that's impressive." Luo Yan smiled slightly and explained her purpose: "Your young master is usually very taciturn, and I was just wondering who to ask him. It just so happens that you've come. I wonder if you could tell me about what you've seen and heard during this southern tour?"
Worried that Qingjiang might misunderstand, she added, "Just pick things like local customs and traditions that don't involve secrets."
The Crown Prince's southern tour is a matter of great importance.
But Luo Yan's attitude was calm and her eyes were clear, which made Qing Jiang's ears burn. He avoided important information and told her about the interesting things he had seen along the way.
This made Luo Yan cover her mouth and chuckle.
"Wherever the young master goes, young ladies present him with flowers and gifts, crowding the long street," Qing Jiang said vividly. "Because of this, we even disguised ourselves as down-on-his-luck scholars, which actually attracted the favor of the prefect's daughter, who cried and wanted to take the young master as her son-in-law."
Luo Yan listened with great interest, propping her chin up with her elbow, her eyes sparkling: "Does he have any noble ladies he's close to in the capital?"
"My young master never gets close to women," Qing Jiang vehemently denied.
After saying that, his gaze swept over her beautiful, unadorned face, and he hesitated before saying, "My benefactor is the first one."
"My benefactor, young lady?"
Qing Jiang nodded: "Young Master said that we were able to escape danger thanks to your help, Miss. Due to the circumstances, we had to pretend to be husband and wife, but in reality, we are innocent. Please rest assured, Miss, we are not gossipy people and will keep our mouths shut so as not to ruin your reputation."
She raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that Zhu Yun had concealed his identity as his "fiancée." Then she remembered that she had repeatedly urged him to break off the engagement, and perhaps he had taken her advice.
But for some reason, I felt inexplicably lost.
"It was nothing, no need to thank me." Luo Yan changed the subject and asked Qing Jiang, "Will your young master allow me to go out? If so, I'd like to go to South Gate Street to buy some clothes after sunset."
Just as Qing Jiang was about to reply, her ears twitched, and she looked at Hu Ti, exclaiming with delight, "Young Master!"
Zhu Yun carried a stack of books, his expression aloof, half his face hidden in the shadows, and he stood there silently for an unknown amount of time.
Qingyan wiped away his cold sweat and beckoned to his clueless colleague, "Quick, quick, come with me to the lobby to move some things."
Once the servants left, only the two of them remained in the long corridor, gazing at each other from afar.
Luo Yan hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting around, but she finally couldn't resist the temptation and happily accepted it.
Seeing that she was willing to accept him, Zhu Yun breathed a sigh of relief and took the initiative to say, "A group of people from nearby Conglan has arrived. I have already given orders: one person will travel by water to the capital, one person will go to inform the Prince of Anyue, and the other person will gather the other groups to come and join us. The remaining two attendants are named Qingyan and Qingjiang. If I am not there, I will leave them to take care of you."
Luo Yan was focused on the gold ingots and nodded perfunctorily.
Zhu Yun felt slightly helpless and asked in a low voice, "What would you like to eat for breakfast?"
She finally managed to muster the energy to reply, looking into Cong Lan's smiling eyes, and said with difficulty, "I'm already tired of Cong Lan's cooking."
The implication was that Zhu Yun should go and find new food.
"Didn't you rave about the freshwater prawns yesterday?"
Zhu Yun was extremely confused, and her words carried a hint of hesitation, "I remember, back in Chenjia Village, you weren't picky."
Luo Yan blinked innocently: "Eating it once is novel; eating it a second time will naturally make you tired of it. Besides, before going to Chenjia Village, there was only your grilled fish that was fishy and salty. Compared to that, Qing Niangzi's cooking skills were simply delicacies. What am I complaining about?"
With her mind preoccupied with the storybook, she simply said that bringing some plain porridge would suffice. Then, she looked hopefully at Zhu Yun, "You promised to accompany me to the bookstore yesterday, is that still true?"
“It counts,” Zhu Yun readily agreed.
Luo Yan hurriedly got up to hide the gold ingots, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the sun high in the sky. She opened the window, and the bright light made her unable to open her eyes, and the sweltering heat hit her in the face.
She immediately changed her mind and said considerately, "You must be very busy today, so I won't add to your troubles. How about this: after you're done, we can stop by the bookstore on the way?"
Zhu Yun choked for a moment, her smile froze slightly.
When talking about his beloved, Qin Yuan felt honored and quickly gestured to his brother to tell Luo Yan.
Qin Qian then replied, "Looking across the martial arts world, there are no more than five people under the age of twenty who are proficient in multiple weapons. They are truly geniuses."
The girl's hopeful gaze fell on his face through the hazy veil, and he felt encouraged. He continued, "Spring is nowhere to be seen at Lan Yue Tower, the ninth son of the Yan family in Younan, and Shangguan Chang of Luoxia Manor."
"Quickly tell me the most handsome one."
Qin Qian smiled helplessly: "There is also a wandering swordsman who entered the martial world two years ago, named Ye Ning, who is the person my sister mentioned."
Ye Ning,
The alias Cui Wuyang used when he traveled the martial arts world.
Luo Yan's heart pounded, and she stared stiffly at the bundle draped over the saddle. She remembered there were several maple trees on the lakeshore, their colors vibrant, also a deep crimson.
No wonder she saw everyone dressed so lightly along the way; no wonder she felt hot after riding for a short while and had to throw away her cloak; no wonder the winter snow on the official road had melted, making the journey incredibly smooth.
She asked in a trembling voice, "Young Master Qin, what year of Jingming is it now?"
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