Chapter 27 Three Invitations to Yu: "Yan Yan is afraid of blood, how come I didn't know?"...
As soon as the two entered, Qin Musui smiled and said, "What a coincidence, I didn't expect Miss Ning to be here as well."
He barged into someone else's place with such a nonchalant attitude. Ning Sui couldn't stand his seemingly calm and relaxed demeanor. She almost gritted her teeth and said, "Unfortunately, this room is mine. Please, both of you, leave."
Meng Yu stood behind the screen, head down, not daring to even breathe loudly, only listening intently to Lu Xiuyi's reaction.
She's so afraid of dying, yet she ran into a funeral procession. She's really had the worst luck today.
It's rare for someone to go out, and they even went to Xiazhen Pavilion, a place usually frequented by daughters, only to run into Lu Xiuyi, that persistent plague.
Just as she was concentrating, a slight rustling sound suddenly came from outside the screen. Huaiyin, looking alarmed, gently tugged at her sleeve and pointed outwards with her palm facing outwards.
Meng Yu glanced in the direction she was looking at, and when she saw what Lu Xiuyi was flipping through with his fingers, she felt her head suddenly explode with a "buzz".
That is...
Her notebook...
Fortunately, Ning Sui saw this and snatched it back, saying coldly, "General Lu has only just entered the door and you're already rummaging through other people's things. Is this the kind of manners a general should have?"
“This doesn’t seem to belong to Miss Ning either! I saw it downstairs just now, and there was a young lady sitting here,” Lu Xiuyi said with a slight smile, seemingly changing the subject. He turned his head to look behind the screen, his deep, husky voice carrying a meaningful smile, “This young lady is a guest, why not come out and greet her?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Yu's heart jumped into her throat.
As she pondered how to respond, Ning Sui spoke first, glancing at him with disdain and sneering, "General Lu, I haven't blamed you for trespassing, but how could you possibly ask a young woman to come out and meet two strange men?"
Lu Xiuyi raised an eyebrow, unconvinced: "Miss Ning is also a woman. If you can move freely through a military camp full of men, why can't this young lady..."
"Lu Xiuyi!!!"
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp shout suddenly rang out.
Meng Yu looked up and saw that it was indeed Qin Musui who had spoken.
Under Qin Musui's surging anger, Lu Xiuyi remained silent for a moment before completely giving in: "Fine, fine, I won't say anything more."
Every time Ning Sui's name is mentioned, Qin Musui is like a dynamite can, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. No one can say a word about Ning Sui in his presence.
With Ning Sui blocking her way, Meng Yu was just about to calm down a bit when, in the next instant, Lu Xiuyi's deep voice struck her like thunder: "I think the words on that page look quite like those of an old friend of mine. Even if it's offensive, I'd like to meet him."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Xiuyi lifted his foot to walk behind the screen.
“Lu Xiuyi,” Ning Sui’s expression hardened, and she immediately walked around the chair to block his way, sternly rebuking him, “Don’t go too far. If you rush over like this and damage her reputation, can you take responsibility for her?”
"Sure!" Lu Xiuyi smiled nonchalantly, responding without the slightest hesitation.
"You..." The atmosphere suddenly became tense, but Ning Sui still stubbornly stood in front of him. She was speechless for a moment after being blocked by his words. Her eyes, which were flashing with cold light, gradually became extremely determined. "Let alone the similarity of handwriting, even if people look exactly alike, there must be several examples in the world. If General Lu insists on seeing her today, then he can only hope that he can step over my dead body to get past her."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyi lowered his brows and looked at her.
After a moment, Lu Xiuyi chuckled, glanced sideways at Qin Musui who was staring intently at him, then turned to look at Ning Sui, his eyes still following the person behind the screen: "With him here, what can I do to you? Alright, after talking for so long, I'm hungry too, let's go! Young Master Qin."
Only after Lu Xiuyi had gone far away and his footsteps could no longer be heard did Meng Yu dare to come out from behind the screen.
Ning Sui had already sat back down in her original seat, and just smiled and invited her to sit down, without asking anything.
After joking around for a while, Meng Yu finally couldn't help but write: "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm avoiding him?"
The "he" in question naturally refers to Lu Xiuyi. Ning Sui understood perfectly, and simply smiled, "If you're willing to talk, you'll naturally do so. If you want to keep quiet, I can't force you, can I?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu couldn't help but laugh. In the end, she told Ning Sui about her encounter with Lu Xiuyi.
Upon hearing this, Ning Sui was filled with rage and cursed Lu Xiuyi as worse than a pig or a dog, for using kindness to blackmail him, and for being so hateful!
Seeing her like that, as if she would immediately charge at the enemy as soon as she had a sword in hand, Meng Yu quickly reassured her.
Upon hearing that Meng Yu, in order to avoid Lu Xiuyi, actually wanted to marry someone she didn't know well and even took the initiative to propose to him, Ning Sui was surprised and couldn't help but scold her: "Although you have tested Jiang Xuanli and the people around you praise him, I still believe that appearances can be disguised and time will reveal true character. Moreover, whether our personalities are compatible can only be known after a long period of getting to know each other. How can you treat your life's most important matter as a game?"
Ning Sui's words were extremely reasonable. Faced with Lu Xiuyi's invisible pressure, she was indeed grasping at straws in desperation. Meng Yu smiled bitterly, unable to utter a single word, only nodding repeatedly.
After a long pause, she said, "He has already rejected me, and judging from the situation just now, Lu Xiuyi must have already recognized my identity."
Ning Sui held her hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, this is the capital city, where laws and regulations apply. If you don't want to, how can they just take it from you?"
Ning Sui is still too naive.
Meng Yu had no intention of exposing him. She knew Lu Xiuyi's character better than anyone else. If he feared the laws and regulations, he wouldn't have forced her that day. However, judging from the current situation, the series of events before were no coincidence. Lu Xiuyi might have found out her true identity long ago.
But instead of rushing to their door, he caused a series of problems.
Meng Yu was genuinely afraid that his current inaction was actually a prelude to a major move.
***
After Lu Xiuyi appeared at Xiazhen Pavilion, Meng Yu completely lost the desire to talk to Ning Sui. After explaining the situation to her and talking for a while, she casually chose a few ordinary pieces of jewelry and returned to Qingli Courtyard with trepidation.
After Huaiyin recounted the day's events to Aunt Shen, the two became even more worried. Mengyu pondered for half a day and finally came to a conclusion: when soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it.
She considered packing her bags and leaving the Meng family immediately, but given the current situation, it was questionable whether they could even leave the capital. Since Lu Xiuyi had already discovered her, he was likely to have planted spies around the Meng residence.
If Lu Xiuyi really did have spies around her, wouldn't he know everything about her past relationship with Jiang Xuanli?
As I pondered this, a sudden sense of being watched came from behind me.
Despite the bright sunshine of June, Meng Yu felt as if a chill had crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, slowly arriving from the distant winter, instantly enveloping her entire body.
She froze for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and ran outside.
Meng Yu looked around in alarm. Everything around her seemed perfectly normal, as quiet as a stagnant pool.
Huaiyin, unaware of what had happened, hurriedly followed Mengyu out, only to find her looking around in horror, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.
"Girl, what's wrong?"
Meng Yu raised her hand: "Don't you think someone is watching us?"
Upon hearing this, Huaiyin followed Meng Yu's gaze and looked over, but found nothing amiss. She concluded that Meng Yu must have been frightened by Lu Xiuyi today.
Old Madam Meng suffered another headache in the afternoon, and Concubine Shen had just been summoned by Madam Yuan and had not yet returned.
Fortunately, Meng Yu didn't see her like this, otherwise she would have been worried sick.
Huaiyin sighed, stepped forward to help Mengyu into the house, and said gently, "Miss, you are too tired today. Go back and rest for a while. Don't think about anything and relax."
Meng Yu knew she didn't believe him and didn't want to explain further, so she went inside to rest.
As it turned out, Meng Yu's guess was confirmed the next day.
The following afternoon.
Lu Xiuyi's sudden visit to the Meng family caught even Meng Yanqing off guard. He put down what he was holding with a shocked expression and hurriedly left the study.
When Meng Yanqing arrived at the front hall, the butler had already served tea. The man was leisurely holding the teacup and gently brushing away the tea foam on the surface of the water.
Meng Yanqing, hunched over, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and walked over in a strained voice. He bowed and said, "This humble official greets the General. Is there anything you need for my sudden visit?"
Lu Xiuyi raised his hand, and Meng Yanqing straightened up and sat down to his lower left.
"It wasn't anything serious, but today I happened to be on leave, so I went to the pharmacy and bought two top-quality ginseng roots. I suddenly remembered what you said last time that Miss Meng had suddenly fallen ill, so I had someone pick up two doses of medicine specifically for treating rashes."
Lu Xiuyi's voice was calm, as if he had truly come for this purpose.
Meng Yanqing broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, still unable to understand why Lu Xiuyi had repeatedly tried to befriend him.
The medicine was placed on the table. Upon hearing this, Meng Yanqing quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and replied, "It's nothing, thank you for your concern, General."
Lu Xiuyi waved his hand dismissively and said, "Lord Meng, please sit down. I have never been one to stand on ceremony, especially since we are at your residence."
"Thank you, General." Meng Yanqing sat down, pressing down on his trembling legs.
Lu Xiuyi took a sip of tea and said, "I saw your two daughters at the banquet last time, and they were indeed exceptionally beautiful and stunning. But I wonder about the third daughter..."
His meaning was crystal clear. Meng Yan was slightly taken aback, and could only tell the truth: "To be honest, General, the Third Miss is mute and cannot speak. If you summon her to see you, I'm afraid..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp gaze suddenly swept over him. Startled, Meng Yanqing immediately changed the subject and shouted outside, "General Lu is so kind as to get medicine for the Third Miss. Why don't you quickly invite her over to thank General Lu?"
The steward, Lin, who was waiting at the door, was startled and hurriedly went to the backyard to deliver the message.
At that moment, Zhi Mian was wiping the fence in front of the door. Upon hearing this, she immediately went inside and informed Meng Yu: "Miss, the master wants you to go to the front hall immediately."
The front hall is traditionally a place for meeting male guests. Even back in Xuzhou, Meng Yanqing rarely allowed her to go to the front hall.
Meng Yu was holding a teacup, feeling surprised. He glanced at Huai Yin, who understood and quickly asked, "Did Master say anything?"
"I heard that a general had prepared two doses of medicine for the girl's rash and sent them over, so the master sent Steward Lin to tell her to go and thank him in person."
Bang!
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu suddenly dropped the teacup in her hand, shattering it on the floor.
She hurriedly reached out to pick it up, but accidentally cut her hand.
***
Lu Xiuyi was sitting in the front hall, waiting with great interest. He couldn't wait to see Meng Yu's reaction when she saw him.
It's sure to be very interesting.
After waiting for a while, the steward came back and forth with his head down and his body trembling: "Reporting to the general and the master, the young lady accidentally cut her hand and fainted after seeing blood."
Unexpectedly, Meng Yu pulled this stunt at the crucial moment. Meng Yanqing frowned and cursed her in his heart for being useless, but on the surface, he quickly put on a fearful smile and cupped his hands to Lu Xiuyi, saying, "General, the Third Miss is timid and useless. Please forgive her."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Xiuyi slammed his teacup down.
Meng Yanqing was immediately startled, his knees buckled, and he knelt down: "General, spare my life! I will carry the Third Miss out, even if it means carrying her."
The man on the high seat scoffed, "What is Lord Meng doing? If I don't bring out a person who has fainted to see me, wouldn't it make me look like I'm abusing my power? If word gets out, what will His Majesty think of me? Is Lord Meng trying to put me in a position of inhumanity?"
A barrage of questions caught Meng Yanqing off guard, making him feel extremely uneasy. He lowered his head as low as he could, and his voice trembled like a leaf: "This humble official dares not, this humble official absolutely did not mean that, please be the general to understand."
“Very well,” Lu Xiuyi stood up. “In that case, I shall take my leave. If there is an opportunity, I will visit you again another day.”
After seeing off Lu Xiuyi, Meng Yanqing slumped into her chair and let out a heavy sigh, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.
Although being promoted and receiving a high rank is a glorious achievement, this life of constant anxiety is not as comfortable as it was in Xuzhou.
***
When Huaiyin went to the front gate to inquire and returned to tell Mengyu the news that Lu Xiuyi had left, she and Aunt Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yu'er, are you really alright with your hand?" Aunt Chen looked worried as she saw Yu'er wrapping her fingers around her fingers several times. Yu'er had just fainted, which had really frightened her.
If she were afraid of blood, she wouldn't have been able to study medicine back then. Meng Yu shook her head and raised her hand: "I'm fine. Look, my fingers are still very nimble, aren't they? Besides, I was just trying to scare Steward Lin. Otherwise, Father would have definitely made me leave."
Aunt Shen nodded.
Meng Yu smiled wearily: "You and Huaiyin can go out first! I want to rest for a while."
The two responded and stepped out.
Meng Yu was about to lie down when she noticed the door was still open. Too lazy to call for help, she got up to close it.
The moment the bolt fell, a pair of icy hands gently encircled her neck.
The familiar scent of cedarwood filled her nostrils, and Meng Yu's face instantly paled. The man's deep, husky voice then sounded softly in her ear: "Yan Yan is afraid of blood, how could I not know?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
