Chapter 8, below the noodles: "Don't move, there's something near your mouth."...
After a moment's thought, Meng Yu quickly knelt down and wrote, "This servant has made a mistake, please punish me, Master."
Lu Xiuyi's eyes flickered slightly, finding it somewhat amusing. He said gently, "Didn't I say I wouldn't blame you? Besides, this was something someone deliberately did. You've done your best, so what's wrong with that?"
Meng Yu shook her head: "This servant is referring to what happened to Aunt Li before. At the time, this servant thought that Master was making a mountain out of a molehill, but now that I think about it, it's no wonder that Master Chu was so angry about something that could endanger his life."
She has always been able to distinguish right from wrong, and now that she knows the reason, she should naturally apologize to him.
Seeing this, Lu Xiuyi lifted the covers, stepped forward, grasped her shoulders, and gently helped her up: "Get up first. What's past is past, there's no need to bring it up again. Besides, I don't care at all."
The moment he grasped her hand, his movements and tone were unusually gentle. Meng Yu suppressed her trembling body and the urge to rebel, calmly taking a step back and bowing her head to write: "Thank you, Master. Are you hungry, Master? This servant can make noodles."
At this moment, she truly felt that not being able to speak was a good thing, at least it avoided a lot of embarrassment when she was writing with her head down.
She wanted to make noodles for Lu Xiuyi herself, not because she had any good intentions towards him, but because it was still unclear who sent the assassin, who was the mole in the kitchen, and so on. She was worried that if someone saw that the assassination had failed, they would try to sabotage the food again.
So just in case, it would be best for her to do it herself.
However, Lu Xiuyi was delighted when he saw the line she wrote, thinking that she cared about him more and more, so he said, "Even if I am not hungry, I can eat two more bowls of the noodles you made yourself."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu frowned slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.
She found his words strange and unsettling.
Since Lu Xiuyi had already said that, Meng Yu didn't press him further. She curtsied to him and went to the kitchen to make noodles.
***
It was past dinnertime, and there weren't many people in the kitchen except for Aunt Li and two other cooks.
Upon seeing Meng Yu, the three women immediately smiled. Aunt Li was the first to ask, "Are you hungry, young lady?"
Meng Yu shook her head and took out the words she had written earlier: "You all go out first! I need to make something for the young marquis to eat."
Upon learning that the item was for Lu Xiuyi, the three swallowed back any flattering words they were about to say and quickly went out.
It goes without saying how picky that person is. Now that they don't have to lift a finger, they're happy to be free, lest their work doesn't meet his expectations and cause him trouble.
Meng Yu first washed the pork bones and simmered them to make a soup. Then she took out two spoonfuls of flour and kneaded the dough. After kneading the dough until it had a certain elasticity, she spread it out, cut it into strips, put it into the pot to cook, and served it with green vegetables, fried eggs, and the simmered soup.
Lu Xiuyi was already seated at the table when Meng Yu brought the food and placed it in front of him.
The noodles contain meat, vegetables, and eggs, and they smell delicious.
Lu Xiuyi couldn't wait to try it, and suddenly his eyes lit up. In no time, he wolfed down the whole bowl of noodles.
Finally, he praised without reservation: "The soup is delicious, and the noodles are very chewy. Your cooking skills are no less than those of the chefs in the mansion. Do you often make this at home?"
Lu Xiuyi glanced down at her hands; they were fair and delicate, not like someone who did rough work all year round.
Meng Yu's noodle-making skills were brought from her previous life. After her soul transmigrated here, she was served in her daily life, so there was no need for her to go to the kitchen to cook. As a result, her hands became fair and tender.
Lu Xiuyi must have thought of this as well, so she naturally couldn't lie.
Meng Yu smiled and wrote with her head down: "If you like it, that's good. My mother loves noodles, and I make longevity noodles for her every year on her birthday."
The twilight streamed in through the window, creeping up her profile. Strands of hair fell across her chest. She smiled gently and serenely, her ethereal beauty exuding an indescribable tranquility and grace.
Lu Xiuyi was momentarily mesmerized.
Feeling the burning gaze directed at him from the other side, Meng Yu's heart pounded, and she was about to look up and remind him.
Lu Xiuyi coughed lightly and lowered his head, saying, "Your noodle-making skills are so good, make me a bowl of longevity noodles next year too!"
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yu was startled and suddenly looked up. Just as she was wondering what was going on, Lu Xiuyi stepped out and said, "You must be tired today. You don't need to stay here tonight. Go back and rest. Come back to work tomorrow."
Lu Xiuyi's words were like a thunderclap, suddenly and violently striking Meng Yu's heart. She stood there stunned, unable to recover for a long time.
Should I make him longevity noodles next year?
What did he mean by that?
Didn't they say they'd let her go in three months at most? She was still thinking that after three months, she and he would never see each other again.
Sensing that she was still standing there, Lu Xiuyi turned around and couldn't help but raise his voice: "Aren't you leaving? Do you want to stay here and serve me while I take a bath?"
Lu Xiuyi's words instantly pulled Meng Yu back from her shock. When he mentioned serving him during his bath, she suddenly remembered what had happened before, and her face turned red instantly. She immediately fled in panic.
***
Back in the room, Aunt Chen Niang rushed over, grabbed her and spun her around several times. Seeing that she was unharmed, she seemed relieved to have survived a disaster, but still asked worriedly, "Yu'er, the young marquis was attacked, are you really not hurt anywhere?"
Meng Yu looked exhausted, but not wanting Aunt Shen to worry, she still smiled and gestured, "I'm fine, Aunt, don't worry."
“Miss, you don’t know, I almost fainted when I heard that you and the young marquis were attacked,” Huaiyin said with a frown. “We wanted to go up to see you, but the second floor is heavily guarded now, and we were stopped downstairs. They said you were alright, but we can’t be at ease if we can’t see you.”
Given what had happened, their concern was understandable. Meng Yu shook her head and said, "I'm really fine, just a little frightened. Things aren't safe on the ship right now, so don't go out unless you have to. I don't have to keep watch later, so I'll sleep here tonight."
Thinking back to what had just happened, Aunt Shen was still shaken and didn't ask any more questions, only nodding.
After taking a bath and having a meal, Meng Yu leaned out the window and watched the river view for a while, seeing the boat sail past layers of mountains and gradually enter the plains.
Judging by the time, we should arrive in Longtang in another half month.
Longtang is famous throughout the world for its shadow puppetry, as well as its kiln-roasted chicken and crab roe pastries. Meng Yuguang's mouth watered just thinking about it. Before, in Xuzhou, she rarely left her home, and her knowledge of this dynasty was limited to the casual conversations her mothers had over tea. She could only learn about the local delicacies from books.
When Meng Yanqing was transferred from Xuzhou, he took everyone with him except for the mother and daughter. Even Xu Mama, who served Aunt Shen, quietly left as well. His actions clearly showed that he intended to abandon them.
Without their interference, Meng Yu was even more relieved. Besides, she didn't believe that she and her stepmother, who were both able-bodied, couldn't earn enough to eat.
Not long after, Meng Yanqing sent a letter, using many excuses to insist that they go to the capital.
Meng Yu was unwilling at first, but Aunt Shen was overjoyed, and since their old house in Xuzhou had been sold off, they had nowhere to go for the time being, so she had no choice but to agree.
***
Meng Yu didn't know when she fell asleep.
The previous dream returned, the suffocating feeling of being submerged in water and the chill of being embraced by a man permeated her entire body, and overwhelming fear instantly enveloped her, causing her to wake up abruptly.
The plain-colored curtains reflected in her terrified eyes. After a brief moment of stunned silence, Meng Yu regained her senses, moved her stiff arms, and propped herself up on the edge of the bed.
Thin rays of sunlight seeped in through the window, falling on the yellowed wooden table and refracting into a golden ray.
Huaiyin brought in breakfast. Seeing that she was awake, she put down what she was holding, wet her face towel, wrung it out, and handed it to her. She looked at her closely and asked in surprise, "Miss, you went to bed early yesterday. Why are your dark circles still so heavy?"
After washing up, Meng Yu sat down at the dining table and said lazily, "I didn't sleep well last night. By the way, what time is it now?"
"It's just past 9 AM."
It's so late...
Meng Yu was so startled that she suddenly looked up.
"It's strange, usually if the young lady sleeps until this time, the young marquis will definitely send someone to urge her to sleep. But today is strange, not a single person has come to knock on the door."
Huaiyin spoke casually, treating the matter as a joke, but Mengyu couldn't hear what she was saying. She only ate two pastries in a hurry, said "I'm going to my shift. Tell Tong Xiaoniang" and then rushed upstairs.
Strange.
It is indeed very strange.
Although she saved Lu Xiuyi yesterday, given his personality, Meng Yu didn't think he would be so kind.
When they arrived on the second floor, they found Lu Xiuyi already drinking tea and reading a book.
Hearing the voice, Lu Xiuyi lifted his eyelids from between the lines and turned his head to look over. He saw Meng Yu with her head down, slightly out of breath from running, and with some pastries still on the corner of her mouth, indicating that she had eaten in a hurry.
He couldn't help but say gently, "I'm not in a hurry to be served here. Next time, walk slower and be careful not to fall."
Is there a next time?
Meng Yu really didn't want to, but his sudden gentleness really frightened her. She didn't know what Lu Xiuyi was planning. Just as she was feeling uneasy, she suddenly heard the person opposite her say, "My belt is loose. Come over and tighten it for me."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu quickly walked around the table.
Lu Xiuyi put down his book, stood up, and faced her directly.
The belt was tied at the back. Meng Yu bent down, trying to get behind Lu Xiuyi, but there was a window sill on her left and a round chair on her right, so she couldn't get around.
She wanted to ask Lu Xiuyi to turn around, but his body remained as immovable as a mountain. She had no choice but to raise her hands and gently wrap them around his waist.
The moment Meng Yu grasped his belt, she was slightly taken aback. The buckle was tight; where was it loose?
Just as she was wondering what was going on, a cool hand suddenly touched the corner of her lips. She instinctively flinched and immediately let go, trying to back away.
Lu Xiuyi seemed to have anticipated this, and suddenly wrapped his other hand around her waist, forcing her to bump against his chest with a little force.
Caught off guard, Meng Yu hurriedly reached out to block in front of her chest, her face flushed with anger, and she looked up at him with resentment and confusion.
Lu Xiuyi ignored her gaze and met her eyes without a care, chuckling, "Don't move, there's something near your mouth."
He gently smeared the pastry crumbs on his hand and gestured for Meng Yu to see.
Meng Yu looked down and struggled. He didn't hold her too tightly, and she easily slipped out of his embrace with a little effort.
Her face was originally light and radiant, flawlessly white, but now, flushed with anger, it appeared even more rosy and delicate, making one's hands itch to touch it.
Lu Xiuyi resisted the urge to pinch her cheek and smiled faintly: "Were you frightened yesterday? Your eyes look puffy, it seems you didn't sleep well."
She was frightened, but not by the assassin.
To Meng Yu, Lu Xiuyi was more terrifying than a flood or a ferocious beast.
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