Chapter 63: Hold me tight, tighter. In the carriage, Yun Yang was still in shock...
In the carriage, Yun Yang leaned against Xue Yu in shock, her dark eyes drooping, her usually pretty and bright face wrinkled, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Xue Yu suddenly thought of how she was like this in Youzhou, with a wrinkled face, pale and thin, and looked ugly when she cried.
Ugly and cute.
But now, her tearful appearance makes people feel so distressed.
Xue Yu reached out and tucked her messy long hair behind her ears, but she didn't hide.
It had been many days since she had been this close to Yun Yang. Ever since that night when she came to see him in her wedding dress, she hadn't even appeared in his dreams again.
But at this moment, with the beautiful girl in his arms, he had no extravagant thoughts at all, only indignation and bitterness in his heart.
For the sake of Lu Jie, she actually took the initiative to come to the prince for help. She clearly knew what the prince felt about her!
Who was Lu Jie? How could he be so important to her that she would get so entangled with him...
Xue Yu felt mixed emotions, and a sense of powerlessness came over him. The dagger in his sleeve scratched his skin and hurt, but this pain was no match for the fear in his heart.
When he entered the Crown Prince's bedroom, he was prepared for the worst, even carrying a sword...
Fortunately, her clothes were intact and she knew some kung fu.
Xue Yu once again wanted to thank his father-in-law for not being pedantic and for giving Yun Yang the ability to protect himself.
Yun Yang moved, and broke free from his arms as if waking from a dream. She moved to the side, lowered her head, and began to cry silently.
"How did he bully you?" Xue Yu asked.
Looking at Yun Yang's red eyes, Xue Yu realized that even if the prince did not take the final step towards her, a rift between him and the prince had already developed.
How early? Perhaps it was when the prince first came to Xue Mansion to look for Yunyang.
"He, he wanted to kiss me and said that it didn't matter if I married Zhang Qian, and he also wanted to have an affair with me secretly." Yun Yang said.
Xue Yu's throat rolled, his eyes grew colder, and he didn't say anything.
"Brother-in-law, how is your Kung Fu? Do you know Kung Fu?" Yun Yang suddenly asked.
"Yes. It's OK." Xue Yu was used to being modest.
Yun Yang looked lost and frightened, muttering, "Thank goodness we didn't start a fight in the East Palace just now, otherwise I wouldn't be able to protect you."
Xue Yu: “…”
Back at Jinxiang Pavilion, Yunyang wanted to take a bath and called Rong'er to prepare it.
Wherever the prince touched, she felt sticky and disgusting. She washed for a long time, scrubbing her skin until it turned red, and then she stopped.
Pushing open the bedroom door, Xue Yu had not left yet. He was sitting alone by the window with an expressionless face, staring at the dim night in a daze. There were candles lit in the bedroom, and his thin profile was as if carved by a knife, half in light and half in darkness.
"Brother-in-law?" Yun Yang bit her lip as her long hair cascaded down her chest. "Why haven't you left yet?"
"Come here." Xue Yu said.
Yun Yang became nervous from Xue Yu's deep gaze, feeling a little uneasy, and took a half step back. "It's dark now, and the lights are on. It's not appropriate for my brother-in-law to be here any longer."
Xue Yu pretended not to hear her. He walked up to her and asked softly, "Were you scared today?"
Yun Yang's eyes were swollen, he nodded slightly, and then shook his head.
She thought her brother-in-law would blame her for acting on her own, for knowingly committing a crime...
She felt conflicted, hoping that she was overthinking it and that her brother-in-law was only caring about her as a family, so that she could enjoy his care with peace of mind.
On the other hand, she also had some subtle thoughts, wanting her brother-in-law to treat her a little differently, different from how he treated Xue Jin, Xue Jingshu, and Xue Yao...
Whenever this happened, shame would seize her heart.
"I was naive, thinking the prince was a good man. My brother-in-law clearly told me many times not to meet him privately, but I didn't listen." Yun Yang said, holding back tears, "I didn't listen to my brother-in-law..."
Seeing her admitting her mistake with tears in her eyes, Xue Yu's heart was instantly filled with tenderness. Never mind, never mind, even if she had feelings for Lu Jie, he would not let her get rid of him, nor would he let her marry someone else.
Even without Lu Jie, there was Song Fanghe. Didn't he endure it all? Why is he blaming her now?
She is still young and her mind is unstable. He can wait until she grows up a little and discovers his good qualities.
"Silly girl." Xue Yu sighed, "Don't be afraid, your brother-in-law is here, and the prince won't be rude to you again."
Yun Yang nodded obediently, and his shoulders relaxed.
When Xue Yu saw the dimness in her eyes fade away and her former liveliness reappear, he felt his heart full and full, and all his uneasiness and anxiety disappeared in her presence.
The room was very quiet. Yun Yang couldn't help but look up, and what she saw was Xue Yu's gentle eyes that could drown people. His thin lips were raised in an arc that made people blush and heartbeat. He didn't smile often, but when he smiled, his charm became more and more brilliant. His eyes were still staring at her.
"Hug." Yun Yang whispered, his dark eyes fixed on the tip of his shoes.
"What?" Xue Yu thought he had misheard.
"Brother-in-law, I'm scared." Yun Yang's voice was as soft as a mosquito.
It's okay to hug.
He was so close to her and his smile was so beautiful. Only when she was with him could her frightened soul return to its place.
Perhaps because she was still in shock, or perhaps because she was bewitched by him, at this moment, Yun Yang just wanted to get close to him.
These four words made Xue Yu's ears buzz and he could no longer hear anything. The sounds of cicadas and running water disappeared. He felt a slight pain in his heart and a faint sense of hot sweetness rising up.
Xue Yu took a deep breath and hugged her tightly in his arms.
Her face rubbed against his chest, and he buried his head in her black hair, breathing in her scent deeply. After a long moment, his voice became hoarse, "I'm here, Yangyang, don't be afraid."
The man's nose brushed against her temples, his lips brushed against her forehead and brow, his warm breath lingering around her ears and neck, causing the skin there to shudder. Yun Yang's heart was pounding, but she couldn't help but hug his shoulders, closing her eyes and mumbling as if in a dream, "Hold me tighter...tighter."
Xue Yu responded and hugged her tightly. The emotion in his heart was beyond words. Endless joy? Sweet after bitter? Neither of them could express it.
He just felt his eyes swollen.
Has this little girl finally come to her senses and noticed him? Until now, he has no extravagant expectations. As long as she can stay by his side obediently, after this period of time, he will take her away.
All his lifelong restraint was out of control at this moment. He lowered his affectionate brows, and his gaze, as if real, swept across her small nose and slightly open red lips aggressively.
The night wind blew gently, blowing the young man's wide sleeves, and he wrapped the girl tightly in his arms...
The moment he was about to lower his head to kiss her, Yun Yang turned her head away and pushed him away.
Her eyes were confused and empty, her chest was heaving slightly, her breathing was rapid, and her face was burning red.
She felt him approaching and he wanted to kiss her.
But unlike the disgust she felt after the prince approached, she did not resist at all, and was even excited and expectant!
At this moment, Yun Yang finally realized his own heart and his face gradually turned pale.
Seeing her like this, he leaned over gently and patiently and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Brother-in-law, you should know why I am going to ask the prince for help today. Can you agree to my request?" Yun Yang said softly.
Xue Yu stood up and took a deep breath.
Was she treating him like the prince, and only getting close to him if he agreed to help her save Lu Jie?
After a while, the young man released the woman in his arms and smiled softly, "Now that the prince has agreed to your request, you are going to offer yourself to him?"
Her breathing was still rising and falling. She avoided his gaze and slumped down in the armchair, muttering, "No. I didn't mean to do this. It was because my brother-in-law didn't agree to it that I went to the prince. I didn't know he would be like this."
"That's not the answer you asked." Xue Yu said, "Is it difficult to tell me the truth?"
In fact, she didn't need to say anything more. He had already guessed the answer from her hesitation and concealment. If he had been a step later, she would have offered herself to the prince.
When something happened to Song Fanghe's family, she never pleaded with him for him, but now, she really disregarded everything for Lu Jie!
A surge of jealousy and rage gradually gripped his heart, like a cold rain pouring down on his head. A wave of dizziness washed over Xue Yu, and he felt a little unsteady. He held onto the table and said fiercely with a tone of vengeful pleasure, "Don't ask for trouble again. As for Lu Jie, he's guilty of treason, and no one can save him. Give up!"
*
Several days passed, and Yun Yang did not give up running around for Lu Jie.
First, he went to the Lu Mansion with the Fourth Madam, and explained what happened that year to the Lu couple in the face of the Fourth Madam's hesitant gaze. Fortunately, the Lu couple were also kind people. They quickly recovered from their initial shock and supported Yun Yang who was kneeling.
Yun Yang accompanied the Lu couple on their visits, but unfortunately, the highest-ranking official who was close to the Lu family was Xue Yu. Yun Yang had already been rejected by Xue Yu, so he could only think of other options. He accompanied the Lu couple on their visits to many officials, and was turned down by some of them, but there were also some who were willing to mediate.
The Dali Temple's residence was a place where guests could enjoy a feast. The host was willing to entertain, so Yun Yang and the Lu couple sat down. While they were chatting, the Dali Temple official looked around and talked about something else. As he was talking, he saw a row of women dressed as dancers passing by on the opposite corridor. Their figures were graceful, their steps were light and elegant, and melodious music lingered in the air. The dancers danced to the music, and the Dali Temple official raised his glass to invite them...
During the banquet, there was a lot of laughter and conversation. The Dali Temple official looked at Yun Yang curiously and exclaimed, "I have never seen this girl before. Is she the wife of Master Lu?"
Yun Yang felt awkward for a moment. It was difficult to explain his identity. Although Madam Lu knew the origin of the matter, explaining it to others would be too much of a distraction. Then, thinking that Miss Yun could do so much for her son, their friendship must be extraordinary, she answered for her, "Your Excellency doesn't know, Miss Yun and my son didn't exchange formalities, so my son went to Lucheng. I hope your Excellency can help..."
Yun Yang leaned forward slightly, lowered his head and raised his wine glass, "Please, sir, save Lu Jie."
The gentleman's tone was filled with helplessness. "Just because of the relationship between the Lu family and my family, Brother Lu and I were both admitted to the imperial examination in the seventh year of Shunzhen. How could I not help you? Not to mention the word 'trouble'. But, little Lord Lu... Alas, I know you are here for this matter, but I still can't bear to refuse you directly. Today, we will not discuss political affairs, but old friendship. Drink, drink!"
Yun Yang, who was listening at the side, understood what this person meant. He was reluctant to refuse because of his friendship with the Lu family, but if Lu Jie was convicted, the Lu family would not be able to survive.
This banquet was considered the banquet that marked the severance of ties between us.
The stringed and wind orchestral music was still flowing slowly. Lord Lu sighed deeply, picked up the wine glass, frowned, and drank it all in one gulp.
As the cups were passed around, the drunkenness began to rise.
The Dali Temple Minister revealed some inside information. Lu Jie found many problems when he was counting the military supply accounts in Lucheng. After careful investigation, he found out that officials in the capital had embezzled military pay and food, and even handed a document directly to the emperor.
The sudden downfall of many officials some time ago was due to this. This incident has wide-ranging consequences, and many people want him dead, fearing that it will be difficult to reverse the situation.
Mrs. Lu immediately burst into tears, and her hands trembled so much that she couldn't even hold the wine glass.
"Cry if you want to, ma'am," said Lord Lu.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law. After Master Lu returns to the capital, I can't guarantee anything else, but I will make sure he suffers less in prison."
Madam Lu and Lord Lu were crying together, the Dali Temple Minister was also drinking to drown his sorrows, and Yun Yang was also gradually infected by their initial shock and grief, and picked up the wine glass.
She had been drinking since she was a child and was not easily drunk, but she had been feeling awkward with Xue Yu for some time and felt sad. She also had to run around for Lu Jie, which was hard work and she could not change the outcome at all. She became increasingly sad and only Du Kang could relieve her worries.
She hadn't had a heavy drink in a long time.
Both immersion and escape can make time pass quickly. Yun Yang cried and laughed at the same time, completely unaware that it was already dark.
After a few drinks, she was no longer as reserved as before. When she smiled, her eyebrows and eyes were curved, and she was extremely beautiful. When she didn't smile, her eyes were like ink, which made me feel pity for her and extremely stunning.
She had no idea that the Dali Temple Minister felt she looked familiar when he first saw her, and kept staring at her unintentionally.
Where have you seen it before?
The Dali Temple Minister stroked his beard and pondered, and suddenly remembered something. His eyes widened instantly, and he secretly called his attendants and whispered something.
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