Chapter 59 Four Nightmares Madam, may I stay here tonight...?
The night was as dark as ink, but the house was brightly lit, and the fragrance of orchids wafted through the air.
Meng Lingyao had just finished washing up, her black hair cascading over her shoulders. While Songlan was instructing the night watch maid, she took out a wooden plaque from the bottom of a drawer on the lower level of the dressing table, a drawer that was rarely opened.
It was the same piece that Pei Xu had casually given her earlier.
By the bright candlelight, I examined it carefully. Perhaps now that I knew its purpose, it seemed quite extraordinary.
The wood is delicate and warm to the touch, with a grain resembling natural cloud and water patterns. The edges of the token are polished to a smooth, rounded finish, and it feels warm to the touch.
No wonder Manager Wei's expression changed drastically and he became extremely respectful when he saw this token at Linlang Pavilion that day; it turns out it was a token that allowed him to directly command the businesses under his command.
But when Pei Xu handed it to her, he did so casually and nonchalantly, as if handing her a piece of wood picked up casually in the mountains, which made her think it was nothing special and she put it away after using it once.
"Miss, what are you looking at?" Song Lan's voice sounded from behind. She picked up an ivory comb and gently combed Meng Lingyao's long hair. "You've been looking at it for a long time, so focused."
"Look at the mountains of gold and silver."
"Whoa!" Songlan peeked out and couldn't figure it out either. "Isn't this just a wooden sign?"
The most special thing about it is that it has Pei Shaoqing's name engraved on it.
Meng Lingyao gently stroked the engravings on the token with her fingertips and said with a smile, "It's worth much more than our Juxianglou restaurant."
Songlan was filled with reverence. "Then this servant will sew a small cushion for it tomorrow and enshrine it properly."
Meng Lingyao pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, "Do you still have any of the brocade left from the one you used to embroider the shoes for me last time?"
"Yes, miss. There's still quite a bit left."
Meng Lingyao raised an eyebrow. "Let's use that one."
Songlan blinked, feeling something strange that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
But the young lady always had a deeper meaning, and the fabric was of excellent quality and elegant color, so using it as a cushion was not a waste.
Songlan responded crisply with "Yes," and continued combing her hair, sighing, "Miss, Pei Shaoqing gave you such a precious thing so early on. He must have been in love with you for a long time."
Meng Lingyao paused slightly as she played with the token, and the fabricated story she had told Zhou Xiwen on the pleasure boat that day suddenly came to mind.
At the time, she casually mentioned that Pei Xu was deeply in love with her, just to make up an excuse. Now, looking back, it couldn't be more true.
She looked up at the bronze mirror. The person in the mirror had beautiful features and long hair like clouds. Even without the carefully applied makeup from the day, she was still incredibly beautiful.
It must be admitted that, aside from his appearance, Pei Xu has another undeniable advantage—
He has excellent judgment.
"You've combed it a hundred times," Songlan reported softly, putting the comb back in its place.
Meng Lingyao put away the token, her expression turning serious. "Songlan, tell me again in detail what happened after we parted that day."
Songlan frowned, clearly still shaken by what had happened that day. "Miss, do you suspect something?"
“In the emergency, I subconsciously thought it was Lin Yunshu who did it.” Meng Lingyao sat on the soft couch with her knees bent, her hands resting lightly on her knees. “Now that I think about it, something doesn’t seem right.”
Lin Yunshu and she did have some old grudges, but in the end, they were just some girlish thoughts, nothing more than deep-seated hatred. Even if she had some feelings for Zhao Xu, her decisive choice to enter the palace showed that those feelings were quite faint.
It would be somewhat plausible if she added laxatives or rashes to the drink. Even if it turned out she was the one who did it, it wouldn't be a big deal. But dangerous drugs…
That's really going too far.
She is currently favored by the Emperor, and there's no need for her to get herself into trouble over some petty squabble between young girls. Besides, having her personal maid give the order so openly leaves too much room for suspicion.
No matter what Lin Yunshu is like, she wouldn't be that stupid.
Songlan seemed to be deep in thought. "I'll think about it some more."
Since she had already recounted the story once, when she mentioned it again, Songlan indeed recalled more details. "When the appointed time arrived that day, everyone gathered in the corridor, but Miss was nowhere to be seen. We waited for about half a cup of tea's time, but you still didn't return, so we hurriedly split up to look for you."
She frowned as she recalled, "I wasn't familiar with the villa and took many detours... But there was one place that seemed quite suspicious! It was around the corner of the artificial hill behind the corridor. I saw a man dressed as a servant looking around furtively. I was in a hurry at the time and didn't think much of it. Now that I think about it, that was the busiest time of the banquet. Everyone was so busy that they didn't have time to rest. How could a servant have time to wander around in such a place?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Lingyao's eyes sharpened. "Indeed suspicious. Do you remember what that person looked like?"
"I was in too much of a rush, and I didn't get a good look." Songlan shook her head, tapped her forehead, and said regretfully, "I only remember that he was a man of medium build, dressed..."
She slapped her forehead. "I remember now! His clothes are slightly different from those of ordinary servants; he might be a steward!"
To manage affairs.
Meng Lingyao secretly made a note of it and let Songlan continue.
"Later... we moved to a more secluded spot behind a rockery," Songlan's voice trailed off, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "I'm very familiar with Miss's voice. I vaguely heard some noises that sounded like Miss's voice. I was both anxious and scared, so I mustered up my courage and called out a few times..."
To everyone's surprise, it was Pei Shaoqing who came out first, which really gave them a big fright. Later, when they saw him return to the stone cave and carry their young lady out, they were even more terrified and their whole bodies went numb.
Fortunately, having been influenced by her mistress in her daily life, she knew that no matter how surprised she was, she couldn't show it on her face. She managed to maintain her composure and not lose the dignity of the Meng family.
Meng Lingyao exclaimed, "What a fine woad!"
Songlan touched her face, smiled, and said, "At the time, Pei Shaoqing said that he would thoroughly investigate the matter and give Miss an explanation."
“That’s precisely why I feel that this matter might not be as simple as it seems on the surface.” Meng Lingyao nodded slightly. “If it really was Lin Yunshu’s doing, with his abilities, he would have found out everything long ago and would have told me the results today. But he said he was still investigating and asked me to wait. It’s clear that there’s more to it than meets the eye.”
She hesitated for a moment, then relaxed her brow. "Never mind, those who need to investigate will do it." She yawned slightly, a hint of moisture welling up in her eyes.
Seeing this, Songlan immediately said softly, "Miss, you must be tired after a long day. Please rest."
Meng Lingyao nodded.
Songlan turned around and extinguished a few candles, then lowered the bed curtains.
Meng Lingyao lay on her back on the bed, gazing absently at the sachet swaying gently above her.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later.
A few traces of drowsiness lingered in her eyes, and sleepiness washed over her like a tide, but a subtle resistance quietly awakened deep within her heart.
She didn't want to sleep.
Having gone through this three times, she had gained some experience.
Every time she made up her mind to get engaged to a certain man, it was the beginning of a nightmare.
The first three, without exception, are all like this.
Meng Lingyao turned over, lying on her side and looking out into the room, where the candlelight flickered. If her guess was right, she was probably going to be tormented by nightmares again tonight.
Beneath Lu Heming's gentle and refined exterior lies a tyrannical and cruel heart. Zhou Yizhi is fickle and heartless, never truly sincere. As for Zhao Xu, he may have genuine feelings, but his sincerity is so weak and vulnerable in front of his mother.
What about Pei Xu?
What kind of heart lies hidden beneath his calm and composed face?
Meng Lingyao sighed deeply, her hands unconsciously clenching the silk pillow beneath her.
"Miss," the maid on night duty outside asked softly upon hearing the noise, "Are you having trouble sleeping? Shall I go to the small kitchen and bring you a bowl of calming soup?"
Since she was repeatedly awakened by nightmares, Songlan specially instructed the kitchen to keep a calming soup on hand at night, just in case.
"No need, you should rest."
"Ai."
Meng Lingyao lay back down and blinked her sore eyes a few times. Well, she needed to sleep eventually; she couldn't let a man keep her from sleeping at all.
only……
Everything else is fine, but it's a pity about that physical appearance and that even more precious physique.
When he was dressed neatly, he was no different from an ordinary civil official. But when he took off his clothes, he was so...perfect.
Last time, we didn't get a full glimpse of the whole picture.
As her thoughts gradually sank into the sea of drowsiness, Meng Lingyao's consciousness slipped into sleep.
In the fragments of her dream, there was a house that was both familiar and strange. She couldn't see it clearly in the dream, but she knew that everything in the house, every flower, every vase, every table and chair, was exactly to her liking, as if they all came from her private preference book.
Even the daybed she was leaning against was incredibly comfortable.
Just as she was about to admire the elegant residence, a slight noise behind her drew her attention. Suddenly, the arms behind her tightened, pulling her firmly into a strong and warm chest. She then realized with a start that she had been resting in this person's embrace all along.
The embrace was warm as spring, like a perfectly warm fleece blanket wrapping her tightly, making one want to snuggle even closer.
"Madam..." Her earlobe was gently nibbled and rubbed by the warm, moist tip of a tooth, sending a tingling sensation through her entire body. She heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear, carrying a hint of pleading.
"May I stay in the inner room tonight?"
Almost instinctively, she slapped the man across the face.
"Don't even think about it!"
Even she herself was amazed by the familiarity of the movements in her dream, as if such a conversation had happened countless times.
An unexpected chuckle rippled deep within her ear. He wasn't annoyed at all, and whispered in her ear for a long time. His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze in March, yet he spoke words that made one blush. Meng Lingyao couldn't hear the specifics, but she felt soothed by his voice and that his embrace was exceptionally comfortable and warm.
She didn't know when, but she could no longer hear those whispers. She simply leaned quietly against that warm chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Her tense nerves gradually relaxed, and her consciousness sank into the deeper, warmer waters...
"Miss, Miss, it's getting late."
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