Chapter 77 Living in the Duke's Mansion
Shen You is right, Chu Xiao does indeed need to go to the palace, but Cui Yang has not yet returned from Jiangnan.
What exactly happened along the way from Jiangnan to Lin'an is unknown.
Moreover, if the current Wen Tingyuan is an imposter from Qi Wulin's faction, why would he deliberately leave behind such a dagger when killing the real Wen Tingyuan?
After all, it was through Wen Xiahui's knowledge that Mu Geng connected this case with Qi Wulin's faction.
More importantly, back then at the border between Wenxia and Daqi, Qi Wulin and his sons were clearly either dead or surrendered. So who exactly is this person impersonating Wen Tingyuan?
There are still too many questions.
The two men lowered their brows slightly, their minds deep in thought.
The room suddenly fell silent, and the sound of the wind outside the window became particularly noticeable.
Shen You's expression hardened, as if he had thought of something, and he said, "If Wen Tingyuan is really an imposter of Qi Wulin's remnants, then he deliberately left behind a dagger with Wen Xia's inscription, perhaps to lead the clues of this murder case to Wen Xia."
"Most murder cases in Lin'an City are investigated directly by the Jingzhao Prefecture. If the nature of the crime is serious and the impact is widespread, the case will usually be handed over to the Dali Temple for investigation."
Unless personally authorized by the emperor, the Criminal Investigation Department rarely takes over directly.
The officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Dali Temple will surely notice the insignia on the murder weapon. With some time to investigate, it will not be difficult to trace it back to the Wenxia Kingdom.
If the investigation leads to Wen Xia, it will no longer be a simple murder case; it could very likely trigger friction between the two countries.
Even if the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Dali Temple eventually realize that the dagger was deliberately placed there, they will have already wasted a lot of time.
Whether it's wasting time or causing friction between the two countries, it's exactly what the remaining members of the Qiwu faction want.
However, the man did not expect that Chu Xiao had already received a secret report that Mu Geng was ordered to investigate the matter. Therefore, the murder case did not fall to the Jingzhao Prefecture or the Dali Temple, but was directly tried by the Criminal Investigation Department in secret.
Having experienced that, Chu Xiao naturally associated the dagger with Qi Wulin's faction.
This action thwarted their plan, as Chu Xiao bypassed the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Dali Temple, and traced the matter back to Qi Wulin's faction.
Shen You spoke softly, revealing all her thoughts, but after a moment, she received no response from the man beside her.
She looked up in confusion, only to meet a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes. "...What's wrong?"
Chu Xiao's eyes were dark and brooding. The sharpness and solemnity he had displayed when discussing serious matters had vanished, leaving only a murky emotion churning in his pupils.
He bent down and gently embraced her, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke in a low, husky voice, "It's nothing."
It was only at this moment that I realized clearly and profoundly how foolish and arrogant I had been before.
The man's tall figure loomed over her, completely enveloping her. His broad shoulders blocked the candlelight, casting a shadow before Shen You's eyes.
Her waist was then lifted up, her feet left the ground, and when she landed again, she landed on the top of Chu Xiao's black gold boots.
Shen You couldn't stand steadily and could only hold onto his shoulders, but because of the hugging posture, she had to stand on tiptoe.
Chu Xiao's back was slightly bent, like a bowstring being drawn, trying his best to restrain himself and pressing her back.
Shen You was somewhat puzzled by his sudden change of mood, and felt that such a hug was too difficult for her.
She couldn't help but pat his shoulder, "Get up, you're so heavy."
Chu Xiao simply grabbed her waist with one hand, picked her up, and placed her on the table, then bent down again.
Two figures, one tall and one slender, embraced tightly, their breaths mingling and their warmth mingling.
His lips slowly landed on her neck, gently brushing against it, filled with tenderness.
I longed to delve deeper, yet I restrained myself from treasuring it.
But the more you try to endure it, the more unbearable it becomes.
Shen Youwei tilted her head slightly, her breathing becoming uneven from his kiss, but she did not respond to him at all.
Not getting a response from her, the person in front of him was clearly getting anxious.
Shen You could feel his heart beating much faster.
His high, straight nose rubbed against her neck, and his warm lips and tongue kissed her back and forth.
He really was like a large, wild dog, full of grievance and expectation, hoping to get a response from his owner, even if it was just a little bit.
“Chen You…”
He suddenly lifted his head from her neck, fiercely suppressing the aggression in his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice, "Will you kiss me?"
"Please kiss me."
I want him to be imbued with her scent, to be marked by her, ideally... ideally, to leave many marks like when he kissed her.
That's the only way to prove that he belongs to her.
Shen You's slender neck and fair cheeks were flushed, but she remained conscious.
She could see the desire in his eyes, as well as his eagerness and restraint, and couldn't help but slowly curl her lips into a smile.
Her slender fingertips touched his ear, gently stroking along the ear cartilage.
Shen You's gaze fell on his strong, broad shoulders and back, then followed his slightly hunched back muscles, and slowly moved downwards.
If he were truly a large dog with a tail, it would probably be wagging it wildly by now.
Shen You paused, about to withdraw his hand, when his wrist was grabbed and his soft fingertips covered the man's ear again.
He leaned closer, letting her touch him, and pleaded, "Shen You, kiss me."
Shen You stared at him intently, finally straightening her back in his arms, and pressed her red lips to his already warm lips.
Almost immediately upon touching her, he automatically opened his lips to welcome her in.
In their past intimate interactions, he was always in control.
Although he would prioritize her feelings, the fact that she could control his feelings during the kiss was quite novel to Shen You.
She mimicked his previous kisses, extending her tongue to slowly probe inside, gently and patiently sucking on it.
The room was very quiet. The girl's kisses were not as intense as his; even the sounds were very soft, gentle, and slow.
Yet such a light force was enough to make his blood boil.
Chu Xiao's back muscles tensed, his breathing gradually became heavy, and the veins in his neck throbbed more noticeably.
Shen You curiously reached out and touched it, and then, as if bewitched, pressed her red lips against the bulging veins.
He swallowed hard, his large hand unable to resist landing on the back of her neck, pressing gently against her, his voice low and hoarse, almost radiating fire, "Chen You, bite me."
These words jolted Shen You awake like a thunderbolt. She tried to sit up, but her head was held down by him. She managed to break free a little before he forcefully pushed her back down.
Caught off guard, the teeth struck his shoulder and neck directly.
"Hmm..."
Shen You frowned slightly, and her teeth felt a tingling sensation.
The fall was quite severe, and Chu Xiao disregarded any intimacy, quickly pulling her away and checking her lips and teeth.
Where are you injured?
Shen You looked at him with a mournful expression, without answering.
What kind of fetish is this?
Let her bite him?
Chu Xiao gently lifted her chin to examine her closely, the lust in his dark eyes completely vanished, leaving only worry.
Shen You's gaze fell on the side of his neck, where there were two very obvious marks on his wheat-colored skin.
Fortunately, the skin wasn't broken, and it should heal in a while.
Chu Xiao poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. After drinking it, Shen You put the cup back in its place and gently kicked him, signaling him to let her down.
She was still trapped on the table by him.
Chu Xiao looked at her and said in a low voice, "I want to discuss something with you."
"What's up?"
"Could you stay at the Duke's mansion for the next few days?"
Why...?
Shen You asked the question subconsciously, but before she could finish speaking, she realized why.
If all these things are related to Qi Wulin's faction, then Chu Xiao and Qi Jincheng are the ultimate targets of the rebels.
Qi Jincheng was in the palace, which was heavily guarded.
With Chu Xiao outside the palace, it would be easier to make a move.
She has a close relationship with him, so it's hard to guarantee that Qi Wulin's party won't set their sights on her.
In fact, after returning from Yuhua Mountain, he sent his guards to protect her, but now the situation is even more different, and he cannot risk her life.
However, he could not repeat the mistake he made four years ago, so he had to discuss this matter with Shen You.
Shen You understood his meaning and knew why he asked in such a humble tone.
He must have been thinking about the reason for their divorce four years ago.
Instead of answering directly, she asked in return, "What if I don't agree?"
"What are you going to do? Divorce me again?"
“No,” Chu Xiao’s pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly grasped her hand, his tone very firm, “That will never happen again.”
“Chen You…” His heart was in his throat, unable to settle down, but he still answered her question very seriously, “It’s okay if you don’t stay at the Duke’s mansion. I’ll just send a few more guards to protect you.”
Shen You looked at him, her clear and clean eyes reflecting his slightly nervous appearance.
She smiled and said, "Okay."
"I will stay at the Duke's Mansion for the next few days."
"But..." she hesitated, "won't this alert them?"
If it were just her leaving home alone, that would be one thing, but Chen Xiangning has already been 'hidden' by her.
With both young ladies absent from the vast Chengde Marquis's mansion, Shen Yao would surely discover this soon. If he were to communicate with "Wen Tingyuan," the latter would become suspicious of his situation.
However, Chu Xiao was not worried about this. "Don't worry, I've already had someone keeping an eye on him."
Even if Wen Tingyuan could sense something was amiss, he couldn't leave Lin'an City now.
"Judging by the time, Cui Yang should be back soon. With evidence, we can arrest him directly."
“Hmm,” Shen You nodded seriously, then covered his mouth and yawned.
The night was deep, and the frost and dew were heavy.
The room remained warm and cozy.
Chu Xiao lifted her off the table, walked around the stone-inlaid screen, and entered the bedroom.
"It's late, let's get some rest."
“Okay,” Shen You said, then covered her mouth and yawned again, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, her eyelashes wet.
Chu Xiao leaned down and kissed her lips, his hand beside her clenched into a fist, restraining himself from making any unnecessary movements.
Shen You came over late at night and had just gone through a mental battle. He was exhausted and had no mind to pay attention to Shen You's restraint.
Chu Xiao called for someone to prepare hot water and brought it inside. He took a towel, wet it, wrung it out, and carefully wiped her cheeks and hands. Seeing that she was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, he directly took off her skirt. Afraid that she would resist, he whispered to her as he took off her clothes, "You'll feel more comfortable if you take off your outer clothes."
As drowsiness overcame Shen You, she could no longer hear what he was saying, and with her eyes half-open, she let him do as he pleased.
Once she was down to just her undergarments, she nodded and fell headfirst into his arms.
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