Chapter 72 Your Fault "I'm hungry, but I want to eat you first."...
Meng Yu's expression hardened, and she glared at him. Butler Cao lowered his head even further.
Seeing his reaction, she knew it was pointless to say anything more, so she simply got up and walked out. But when Steward Cao saw this, he staggered around to the front of her, knelt down with a thud, and pleaded anxiously, "Madam, please don't make things difficult for this old servant. If you need to go out to buy anything, this old servant will send two people out and they will definitely buy it for you."
As Steward Cao knelt down, all the maids in the room, including Hua Yi, knelt down as well. Meng Yu frowned and had no choice but to retreat to her chair, taking a deep breath to suppress the anger rising in her heart.
The sunlight reached the threshold, and although it was only a few steps away, it felt as if it were at the ends of the earth, so unreachable.
“Zhi Mian said this morning that she was going to Xun Man Lou to buy roast goose, but she hasn’t come back yet. Have someone take a group of guards out to look for her. If I still don’t see her return in an hour, don’t stop me.”
Her last sentence felt like a knife tip pressed against his neck. Butler Cao trembled in fright, dared not say another word, and hurriedly left.
Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, fell on the bare branches, soon covering them with a blanket of white. The water in the teapot was added again and again, and the charcoal fire in the stove was lit time and time again.
An hour passed quickly.
As early winter approached, the weather was gloomy and cold. A maid sweeping snow under the eaves saw Steward Cao lift his clothes to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly run into Longxiang Pavilion.
A short while later, the lady who had "come back to life" left Longxiang Pavilion in a hurry, wearing a cloak. Steward Cao followed behind her with his head down, his face full of panic.
The maid was surprised, thinking she had misjudged. She rubbed her eyelids, but there was no sign of them anywhere in the courtyard.
"That's strange. Didn't the general order that the lady not to go out?" the maid muttered, continuing her work with the broom. The snow was mixed with mud, making the ground look dirty as she swept.
Steward Cao dispatched thirty guards to search every street and alley in the capital, but they still couldn't find Zhimian within an hour.
Human life was at stake, so he didn't dare stop Meng Yu any longer.
After leaving Longxiang Pavilion, she didn't head straight for the main gate. Instead, she led a few guards to Lu Xiuyi's study. But as soon as she arrived at the study door, she ran into Chuze, who had brought military affairs.
He reached out and blocked her way, his attitude firm: "Madam, this is a sensitive area of the study. You cannot enter without the young master's permission."
Meng Yu stared at him coldly for a moment, then turned away.
Thinking she had given up on coming in, Chu Ze lowered his eyes, reached out and pushed open the study door. Just as he was about to step in, he felt a chill seep into his neck.
He looked down and saw a sword pressed against his neck and shoulder, the coldness emanating from the blade like a biting north wind, penetrating to the bone.
"Let me in. I'll just grab one thing and leave," Meng Yu said, sword in hand, braving the cold wind.
Chu Ze remained motionless, as if he were sighing: "Madam, you are no match for me."
Before the last word had even finished, Meng Yu only saw the figure in front of her flicker, and then, bang! In the blink of an eye, the sword was knocked to the ground. She reacted immediately, pulled out the hairpin from her hair bun, and held it to her throat. Her clear, piercing eyes were full of determination: "Do you think your sword is faster, or my hairpin?"
Chu Ze looked alarmed and hurriedly said, "Madam, don't be impulsive."
Meng Yu still refused to let go: "Let me in, I'll just grab one thing and leave."
Sunlight bathed her, creating a dazzling array of colors, like a rose in the desert—beautiful yet poisonous. Chu Ze couldn't help but wonder whether his master's encounter with her was a good thing or a bad thing.
He sighed: "What do you want?"
"Lu Xiuyi's waist tag."
What do you need the waist tag for?
Hearing him say that, Meng Yu glanced at Butler Cao, who lowered his head guiltily. She immediately understood that Butler Cao had not reported Zhi Mian's disappearance.
Meng Yu bluntly stated, "Zhi Mian has disappeared. Steward Cao has sent people to search every street and alley in the capital, but they haven't found her. I'm going to take my waist token and go out of the city to look for her."
"I'll help you find her; you don't need to leave the manor."
Meng Yu refused: "No, I want to go out of the city to find her myself."
To them, Zhi Mian was insignificant. She couldn't guarantee whether they would do their best to search for her after leaving the manor, so she couldn't entrust her life to them.
Knowing that Meng Yu would not back down, Chu Ze had no choice but to compromise: "My wife and I will go together. Even without your waist token, we can still leave the city."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu thought for a moment and then agreed. To prevent him from secretly doing anything, she still held the hairpin tightly and did not allow anyone to come within half a foot of her.
The carriage passed through the bustling streets and soon arrived at the city gate. Meng Yu lifted the curtain and looked outside. Chu Ze didn't even dismount. He waved to the guard, who then jogged over. He whispered a few words, and the city gate opened.
There was a dilapidated temple in the southeast, northwest and southwest of the city. To save time, Chu Ze divided his troops into three groups and ordered them to search along the way.
Meng Yu didn't want to wait for news, so he told the coachman to ride with the troops heading southwest.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as they arrived at the dilapidated temple, the guard who had rushed in to search hurriedly ran out and reported, "Madam, Miss Zhimian is inside."
Meng Yu was overjoyed and, without waiting for the coachman to bring over the low stool, immediately jumped off the carriage and ran inside.
But as soon as they entered the door, a faint smell of blood suddenly rushed into their nostrils. Zhi Mian was lying on the ground, covered in blood and unconscious.
Seeing this, the surrounding guards were at a loss, looking at each other and not daring to step forward. A bad feeling crept into Chu Ze's heart.
Meng Yu's legs went weak instantly. She stepped forward shakily, squatted down, and checked her breath with trembling hands.
The warm breath enveloped my fingertips.
Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, calmed down a little, and she immediately collapsed to the ground.
Seeing her expression, Chuze knew that Zhimian must still be alive, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward to carry her back to the manor to find a doctor, saying, "Madam, she is seriously injured. We must go back to the manor immediately."
Meng Yu did not refute.
But just as he was about to bend down and pick Zhi Mian up, his face turned pale instantly.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Chuze pause, Meng Yu quickly frowned and asked.
The temple was desolate and dilapidated, and Chuze's voice echoed in the empty, ruined temple: "Her left leg is broken."
After returning home, the doctor came to diagnose her and tried every possible method, but could only guarantee that Zhi Mian's walking would not be greatly affected in the future, but it was absolutely impossible for her to recover to her original state.
Hua Yi went to brew the medicine.
Meng Yu stayed by her side all by herself.
"Girl, I'm fine." Her first words upon waking were a strained smile as she spoke to Meng Yu.
Meng Yu swallowed back her tears, tucked her in, and asked, choking back sobs, "I heard from Hua Yi that you went out to buy me roast goose. Do you know who brought you there?"
This must have been done intentionally. Chuze has been leading people to investigate everywhere, but so far there has been no news.
Zhi Mian shook her head: "That person was wearing a mask and all black clothes. All I know is that he was a man, but he did say something before he broke my leg."
"What did you say?"
"This is revenge, and today is just the beginning."
After listening, Meng Yu pondered for a moment, then asked, "What time was it when he took you to the dilapidated temple?"
About half an hour ago.
As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell silent. Half an hour ago, she had asked Steward Cao to go out and look for her. If she had been able to leave the manor and the city at that time, would she have been able to save her in time?
***
When Lu Xiuyi received the news and rushed back from Xiying, Meng Yu was already sitting in the room, quietly drinking tea.
He paused at the doorway, coughed lightly, and seeing no reaction from the person inside, he lowered his head somewhat guiltily before stepping inside and breaking the silence: "How is Zhi Mian?"
Meng Yu still didn't raise her head.
Lu Xiuyi sat down beside her and patiently continued, "If you are missing anything, just send someone to the storeroom to get it. If the manor doesn't have it, send someone to buy it from outside."
“I don’t know. How can someone like me, who can’t even leave the house, be qualified to send someone out to buy things?” Meng Yu put down his teacup, chuckled, and looked up at him. “Do you know that if you hadn’t stopped me, I might have been able to save Zhi Mian, and she wouldn’t have had to suffer the pain of having her leg broken?”
Lu Xiuyi was taken aback by her words, as if he had touched on something painful. He took a deep breath, which made her eyes instantly dim.
"Before that fire, I had complete trust in you. I never stopped you from going wherever you wanted. Now that things have turned out this way, don't you have any faults at all?"
His tone was calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant, but the subtle bitterness in the last syllable revealed his true feelings.
Lu Xiuyi's words struck Meng Yu like a thunderclap. She was stunned for a moment, then withdrew her sharp gaze. Her tone, which had been sharp before, was now as calm as still water: "Get out. I don't want to see you right now."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyi wasn't angry. He also felt that she needed time to calm down, so he said, "Take a good rest," and then turned and left.
Perhaps knowing that Meng Yu wanted to be alone, Lu Xiuyi dismissed the maids standing outside before leaving. At this moment, the eaves were empty, the golden setting sun spread across the courtyard, the wind swirled the fallen leaves, crows cried, and a desolate silence filled the air.
A drop of water suddenly fell on the table, and within moments it left a faint stain.
The setting sun streamed in, staining her ankles. Meng Yu propped her forehead up, tears wetting her temples.
From the day she boarded the ship in Xuzhou, everything seemed to have started because of her.
If Aunt Shen hadn't been thinking about her marriage, she wouldn't have wanted to leave Xuzhou and travel all the way to the capital.
If Lu Xiuyi had been able to control her emotions after saving her, and had waited a little while, she would have been able to confirm the safety of Aunt Shen and Huaiyin, and thus would not have gotten into trouble with Lu Xiuyi.
If she offends Lu Xiuyi, and can stay quietly by his side as his maid and endure the humiliation for a while, wouldn't he possibly get tired of her?
If she had refused the alternative arranged for her by Aunt Shen after the marriage and stayed in the General's Mansion, would Zhi Mian have avoided this calamity?
Lu Xiuyi's words lingered in my ears for a long time.
Meng Yu's face was partially hidden in shadow and partially blended into the sunset, her tears reflecting a faint crimson hue, and her heart sank.
After leaving Longxiang Pavilion, Lu Xiuyi returned to his study, intending to deal with the military affairs that had piled up that day. However, his heart was pounding with anxiety, and he kept picking up and putting down his pen, unable to calm down at all.
He was feeling down and wanted Chuze to bring him a pot of wine, but then he remembered that he had gone out to investigate the day's events.
Thinking of this, his heart calmed down a little, and he sat down to deal with military affairs.
***
The night was quiet, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys.
The charcoal fire crackled and popped as everyone outside the kitchen watched the scene inside with astonishment. Suddenly, they saw Diexue helping someone slowly walk in from outside, so they quickly curtsied to the newcomer and said, "Greetings, Madam Zhuang."
Mother Zhuang nodded and, through the open hinged window, saw people bustling about inside. She gave Diexue a wink, and Diexue immediately led everyone away from the courtyard.
White smoke billowed from the small hole in the pot lid, drifting into the air and disappearing.
The water has boiled.
Meng Yu stuffed a piece of firewood into the pot, got up and opened the lid. The chicken skin had turned golden yellow, and a fragrant aroma wafted into her nostrils.
"It smells so good!"
Mrs. Zhuang, leaning on her cane, walked in with a smile, lifting the curtain.
Hearing the sound, Meng Yu quickly put down the pot lid and went to help her in: "The kitchen is smoky, why did you come, Mom? If you have anything you want to eat, you can just send someone to tell us, why did you have to come all the way here?"
There were no chairs with backrests in the kitchen, so Meng Yu had to pull out a small stool from next to the shelf and help Zhuang's mother sit down.
"I was just bored and wandering around," Mrs. Zhuang looked up. "I hope I didn't bother you?"
Meng Yu smiled slightly and shook her head: "No."
Mrs. Zhuang peeked into the stove and saw four dishes laid out on it: sweet and sour lotus root slices, braised lamb tongue, winter bamboo shoots with duck breast, and minced meat stuffed tofu.
"You've made these by chance; they're all things that Yi-ge'er loves to eat," said Mama Zhuang with a smile.
Meng Yu smiled and said, "I heard from the servants that he refused to eat dinner, so I cooked some myself, including steamed chicken with goji berries and a three-delicacy soup. It was ready in no time."
Mrs. Zhuang seemed quite satisfied. After nodding, she hurriedly reminded her, "Yi-ge can't eat ginger, so don't put ginger in the dishes."
Meng Yu replied softly, "I know, I remember."
Madam Zhuang watched her silently for a moment, and saw that she was obedient and seemed to have lost her former sharp edges, as if she was determined to settle down and be the mistress of the general's mansion.
The firewood in the stove burned loudly, and the stove warmed the kitchen. She sighed silently and pulled Meng Yu to sit down on a small stool next to her.
"Although Yi-ge grew up in a wealthy family, he was a child with a tragic fate. His mother passed away early, and his father was extremely biased. For a long time, I was the only one who took care of him. After that fire, he thought you were really gone. He was depressed day and night and couldn't sleep. He almost followed you in death."
"Good child, I know you've come back feeling resentful, but could you please give him a chance, considering how sincerely he treated you?"
They stood close together, and the flickering firelight reflected in Zhuang's mother's yellowed eyes. Her distant voice seemed to pierce through the barriers of time, allowing Meng Yu to see his tragic childhood.
Meng Yu didn't give her a clear answer. After a long silence, she simply replied, "I remember what Mom said."
As she spoke, she got up and lifted the pot lid.
The boiling water thumped and bubbled. She gently poked the chicken leg with chopsticks, and no more blood seeped out. Then she turned to Mrs. Zhuang and said, "Mom, it's getting late. If you're done, I'll take it to him now."
Mrs. Zhuang nodded in agreement: "Don't worry about me, go on your way!"
Meng Yu packed all the vegetables into a food box and had Hua Yi carry it with her to Lu Xiuyi's study.
Upon hearing that Meng Yu was personally cooking, the anger in the hearts of those inside vanished completely, replaced by joy and anticipation.
Upon hearing the guard outside the door announce his arrival, Lu Xiuyi quickly sat up straight, his voice trembling as he said, "Quickly, let, let the madam in."
A thin layer of moonlight blanketed the courtyard. Meng Yu had Hua Yi wait outside, and when she went in, she saw Lu Xiuyi holding a brush and writing the first document.
Lu Xiuyi's study was filled with books. As soon as you entered, you could smell the scent of books in the air. She broke the silence first: "I heard you didn't want to eat dinner, so I made some of your favorite dishes. Would you like to come and try some?"
The person opposite him kept their head down and didn't say anything.
Silence fell in the room.
Thinking he didn't want to eat, Meng Yu was about to say that she would take it back first and reheat it and bring it over whenever he wanted to eat.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xiuyi caught a glimpse of her raising her hand to clear the dishes out of the corner of his eye, and immediately said, "My legs are numb and I can't stand up. If you could massage them for me, I might be able to go and eat."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Xiuyi was stunned, not by his tone of voice, but by the manner in which he spoke, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Meng Yu stopped what she was doing, hesitated for a moment, and finally walked over.
Before she even got close, a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, and Lu Xiuyi's heart tightened involuntarily. Then he heard her ask softly, "Are both your legs numb?"
"Um."
Then, she half-squatted down, placed her hand on his leg, and asked, "Is this pressure okay?"
There was no sound coming from above. Meng Yu stopped what she was doing, looked up in confusion, and saw Lu Xiuyi quietly watching her, his ears turning red.
Their eyes met, and Lu Xiuyi immediately snapped back to reality, lowering his brows and replying hastily, "Yes, yes, that's fine."
Meng Yu then lowered her head and continued to massage his legs: "You're right. I was wrong before too. Come to think of it, since we got married, you've never treated me badly. You not only protect me in front of others, but you also do your best to give me the best. I'm sorry, I wasted your sincerity."
As she spoke, her voice trembled with sobs.
Lu Xiuyi was no longer angry. Seeing her take the initiative to admit her mistake, he was even more moved. He quickly pulled her to sit on his lap and said gently, "I have never blamed you. I said that as long as you are by my side, nothing else matters."
Her affection was too extravagant for him to hope for.
“I promise you, I won’t run away again. I will try to be a good wife,” Meng Yu said, her voice slightly choked. “Are you hungry? Why don’t we go eat first?”
The soft moonlight streamed in through the window, falling behind her and making her snow-white face appear almost divine.
Her tone and expression didn't seem to be lying. Lu Xiuyi pressed his forehead against hers, their noses less than half a centimeter apart.
He carefully examined every expression on her face, then suddenly smiled, his eyes filled with longing: "I'm hungry, but I want to eat you first."
The soreness he left behind last night was still imprinted on her body. Before Meng Yu could even refuse, she was suddenly placed on the bed.
The tall figure pressed down on him impatiently. Meng Yu quickly placed her hand on his chest, lowered her head, bit her lip, and whispered, "The door isn't closed yet."
Her face was flushed with a deep crimson. Xu Yin had just had tears in her eyes, and her thick, long eyelashes now seemed to be covered with frost, obscuring her watery eyes. Her ears, which had been hidden by her dark hair, were now exposed, like a layer of bright red roses.
Lu Xiuyi swallowed hard, his voice hoarse and restrained, as if it were burning hot from being exposed to the sun: "Without my orders, they wouldn't dare to break in."
As he spoke, he was about to bury his head.
Meng Yu quickly stopped him, pleading in a low voice, "Could you please close the door?"
Hearing her soft and sweet voice, Lu Xiuyi moved slightly away from her. He saw that her bright, watery eyes were filled with his image, and he could no longer utter the words of refusal. He could only suppress his desire and get up, saying, "Okay, I'll go turn it off."
Seeing him get off the bed, Meng Yu quickly took out a piece of sweet flag from her bosom and swallowed it. A slight sound came from the door, followed by the sound of footsteps coming from behind. She quickly turned to the side and closed her eyes.
A faint scent of cedarwood quickly wafted over.
"You fell asleep so soon?"
Lu Xiuyi's voice, tinged with a light laugh, lingered in my ear, the last syllable rising slightly, carrying a touch of nonchalant nonchalance and a hint of flirtatiousness. His warm breath brushed against my ear, as if trying to make me feel hot all over.
Seeing her butterfly-like eyelashes flutter gently, yet her eyes remained tightly closed, Lu Xiuyi felt a surge of interest. He reached out and placed his hand on her belt, tentatively asking in a low voice, "If you won't speak, then I'll do it myself?"
No, no, no.
Meng Yu laughed and turned over, but her movement was too big and too sudden, and she bumped into the person who was bending over her.
Caught off guard, Lu Xiuyi couldn't react in time and leaned down, landing right on top of her.
The soft touch immediately made him feel hot all over. Lu Xiuyi could no longer control himself and pulled her into a passionate embrace.
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