Chapter 57 Difficult to Coax
What's going on?
That icy-faced guy actually put food on Chen Yu's plate. She just couldn't believe there was nothing going on. Thinking about it carefully, Chen Yu had been quite dependent on Liang Chengqiu back in Qingzhou, and Liang Chengqiu was very fond of Chen Yu...
It seems there are clues to follow.
Xiao Yu cleared her throat: "Xiao Yu, has something good happened to you lately?"
It seemed like they were just having a casual chat. Chen Yu was confused. She looked up at her, wondering why she was suddenly so concerned about her. She thought about it carefully and replied honestly, "No, what are you referring to?"
Since they arrived in the capital, everything has been fraught with danger. What good could possibly come of it for her?
"It's nothing. You seem to be smiling quite happily, and Officer Liang is smiling a lot more too," Xiao Yu said casually.
Chen Yu: "..."
Liang Chengqiu: "..."
Unbeknownst to others, the people involved were all taken aback, their eyes darting nervously to each other, each seeing shock in the other's eyes.
Seeing his guilty conscience, Xiao Yu was even more convinced of their relationship. He immediately had an idea, but he wasn't in a hurry to expose them. He smiled at Song Luo Ning and asked, "What would you like to eat, my wife?"
Song Luoning glanced at her indifferently: "Husband, you can use your own. Cuizhu is here." Her clear voice was tinged with coldness.
"..." After hitting a wall, Xiao Yu touched his nose, winked at Song Luoning, and after a while, silently withdrew his hand, looking at Chen Yu again: "I really don't know what you're so happy about?"
Still reeling from the shock, Chen Yu was suddenly called upon again. Startled, she lowered her head guiltily, feeling like she was being pricked by pins and needles. She secretly kicked Liang Chengqiu's calf, glared at him fiercely when he looked over, and then lowered her head to continue eating.
After lunch, Chen Yu felt like she had been granted a pardon. She didn't dare to look at Xiao Yu at all and took Jiang Wanrou's arm as they walked towards the courtyard.
"Why are you in such a hurry, child?" Jiang Wanrou said.
"Nothing, I'm just sleepy," Cheng Yu mumbled.
Jiang Wanrou gave her a strange look.
Feeling embarrassed by Jiang Wanrou's stares, Chen Yu pulled her aside and said, "Anyway, I just want to go back."
As they spoke, the two had already outpaced the others by several steps. Xiao Yu glanced at them indifferently, since the person she was looking for wasn't her anyway: "Officer Liang, may I have a word with you in private?"
"..." Chen Yu's body stiffened, biting her lip, knowing that what was coming would eventually come, but she didn't expect it to be so soon.
"Auntie, let's go back quickly, I'm so sleepy," Chen Yu said anxiously.
"You child, slow down..." Given this girl's nature, she has never taken a midday nap since she was a child. What's wrong with her today?
Before Jiang Wanrou could even ask, Chen Yu released her hand, pretended to yawn, and fled towards the courtyard.
Over here, Song Luoning got up with Cuizhu's help. After hearing Xiao Yu call out to Liang Chengqiu, she glanced at her indifferently, paused for a moment, her expression was gloomy, and left the side hall without saying a word.
Only Xiao Yu and Liang Chengqiu remained in the side hall.
Xiao Yu didn't hide anything, especially knowing that the other party seemed to have feelings for Chen Yu. She cleared her throat and smiled, "My mother and cousin have been well taken care of by Constable Liang during this time."
Liang Chengqiu looked up and waited for her to continue.
Xiao Yu considered for a moment: "You're not in a hurry to go back, are you?"
Liang Chengqiu nodded, indeed not in a hurry to go back, especially... She lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them: "Young Master Xiao, please speak frankly."
Just as Xiao Yu was waiting for those words, he smiled and said, "I plan to hire you to protect me. The fee is... well, ten taels a day, a month." Whew, he almost said one tael a day. What a close call.
She knew she didn't have much of a fortune. If it were just a tael or two a day, her meager savings would probably be gone before the case was solved. Her father-in-law was also eyeing her money-making business. What would she use to support her young mistress when they returned to Linyang County?
"You want to hire me?" Liang Chengqiu frowned, his face expressionless and his voice calm. Xiao Yu felt a little uneasy.
Now that she had spoken, she didn't want to give up so easily, especially since the other party might become one of her own: "Well, Constable Liang is highly skilled in martial arts, but how much does he earn in the county government each month? Besides, Constable Liang is at the age to settle down and start a family. Hasn't he thought about earning more money?"
Settling down and starting a family?
Liang Chengqiu was taken aback, staring at her. He was already quite certain that she knew something, and calmly said, "Twenty taels a month."
The county magistrate's monthly salary was two taels of silver. Xiao Yu's words really struck a chord with her. If she were to marry Chen Yu in the future, her salary would definitely not be enough.
Since she has this opportunity, she doesn't mind earning more.
Xiao Yu's lips twitched. He really didn't expect that Constable Liang would raise the price on the spot, even though he looked at such an upright person. He had no one else he could trust right now, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, twenty taels it is. I'll leave my safety to you for the time being."
Liang Chengqiu nodded: "How do you want me to protect you?"
"It's fine at home, but when we go out, you have to protect me closely. You have to follow me wherever I go," Xiao Yu said.
The male lead is powerful and influential, and she can't think of a better solution for the time being. Having a trustworthy person by her side to protect her makes her feel more at ease.
Meanwhile, Song Luoning returned to her room and sat down on the soft couch. A maidservant lifted the curtain and went into the inner room to fetch a thin blanket. She came out with a wronged expression and complained, "The young master is too much. He didn't say a word of explanation to Miss." As she spoke, she draped the blanket over Miss's legs.
"Stop complaining, go brew a pot of tea," Song Luoning said.
"Miss, won't you take a nap later?" Cuizhu asked, puzzled.
Song Luoning shook her head: "I'm not tired, you go and make some tea."
It must be that the son-in-law upset the young lady, otherwise why would she suddenly change her habits of so many years?
The little maid stormed out of the room.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, Song Luoning lowered her eyes, unable to hide the sadness in them. She sighed softly, realizing that she had ultimately failed to protect her own heart. Who could she blame but herself?
Moreover, she had been mentally prepared, but she didn't expect it to come so quickly. What good was being prepared? Her heart still ached. Song Luoning tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and a crystal-clear tear slowly disappeared into her temple.
After a while, the sadness in her eyes slowly turned into relief. Song Luoning composed herself, opened the book in her hand, and heard voices outside. A moment later, the door opened, and without even raising her head, she said in a calm voice, "Cuizhu, you don't need to serve me here anymore. You can go down now."
After a long while, the newcomer remained silent. Song Luoning raised her head, and when she saw who it was, her eyes flickered slightly.
"My wife." Xiao Yu blinked.
Just then, she happened to run into Cuizhu's maid, so she took the initiative to stop serving tea: "Would you like to rest for a while?" Xiao Yu put down the tray and squatted down at Song Luoning's feet, gently took the book from her hand, looked up at her with bright, sincere eyes.
Can eyes like those really lie?
Seeing that she didn't respond, Xiao Yu wasn't annoyed. He smiled and moved closer, resting his cheek on the young lady's lap: "Wife, did you miss me today?"
The seemingly normal intimacy made Song Luoning stiffen. She slowly curled her fingers, opened her mouth, and finally said, "If you are tired, husband, go and rest. Luoning wants to read for a while longer."
Xiao Yu responded softly, rubbing against her leg affectionately. The warm skin against the soft, thin fabric stirred a strange feeling in Song Luoning's heart, which she quickly suppressed. She said sternly, "Husband, you should be mindful of your words and actions during the day. What kind of behavior would that be?"
"Oh." Xiao Yu reluctantly raised her head, her little face scrunched up, looking aggrieved. "There's no one here either."
"Even if no one is around, does that mean we shouldn't restrain our words and actions?"
Xiao Yu choked.
The young lady didn't seem to fall for it. In the past, if she acted coquettishly, even if she was shy, the young lady would go along with her. She blinked, sat down next to the young lady, and dared not make any rash moves. She stared at her wife with a serious expression. She was really beautiful no matter how you looked at her.
Her gaze was lingering, sticky, and filled with the passion of a young man.
Song Luoning pursed her lips, picked up the book again, and felt her burning gaze. She curled her fingers, but couldn't concentrate on the book. After a while, she slowly turned to the side, and the tips of her exposed ears turned red.
Because of the proximity, Xiao Yu saw her at a glance. Overjoyed, his heart and eyes were filled with his wife. He subconsciously licked his lips, having kissed her more than once last night, and longed to kiss her again.
Even with Xiao Yu's thick skin, he couldn't help but feel his heart burning and his cheeks turning red.
"Luo Ning would like to take a walk in the courtyard. Please do as you please, husband." Song Luo Ning suddenly stood up, her face darkening instantly.
"..." Xiao Yu was taken aback, then stood up. What was going on? His wife seemed even angrier: "I'll stay with you..."
"No need, Cuizhu is enough to keep me company," Song Luoning coldly refused.
"Huh?...Oh..." Xiao Yu stared blankly as she stepped out of the room and disappeared from sight.
What exactly happened?
I didn't do anything, so why does the young lady seem even angrier?
Xiao Yu was confused.
Now she didn't even have a chance to speak. Xiao Yu hurriedly followed, but as soon as she reached the courtyard gate, she saw Cui Zhu whispering in Song Luo Ning's ear. Then, the young lady looked serious, turned around and glanced at her when she heard the sound, and walked through the flower hall without saying a word.
"Wife..." Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed.
After leaving the mansion, Song Luoning was helped into the carriage by Cuizhu. Xiao Yu was about to get in the carriage when an arm blocked his way. Cuizhu pouted unhappily and said, "Young master, you should go back to accompany Miss Yuanniang. Miss has important business to attend to at the Prime Minister's residence."
Xiao Yu: "..."
No, this clueless little maid is really bringing up the most sensitive topics. She knows that the young lady is angry with her because of this, yet she still adds fuel to the fire. Does she think she's not troubled enough already?
"Cuizhu, let's go." A clear, melodious female voice came from inside the carriage.
"Hey, here we are." Cuizhu glared at Xiao Yu angrily, then turned and got into the carriage.
Hey~, this disrespectful maid should have been replaced by the young lady long ago.
The carriage had already rumbled away into the distance, and Xiao Yu had no time to worry about that now. He hurriedly returned to the mansion, asked the steward for a horse, and nimbly jumped onto it.
"Young Master Xiao."
Xiao Yu turned around and saw that it was Liang Chengqiu. Without saying much, she said, "You've come at the right time. I'm leaving the manor now."
Liang Chengqiu nodded, and soon led out a horse: "Let's go."
"Do you know the Prime Minister's residence?" Xiao Yu asked.
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