Chapter 46. It was very light, like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving ripples…
"Can't sleep?" Yu He'an turned his head, his gaze falling on her face. "What's wrong? Didn't you say that if I was here, you wouldn't have nightmares?"
It's so embarrassing to want my lower abdomen pressed.
I definitely can't tell him this reason.
The dim candlelight could barely penetrate the gauze curtains, but she was still worried about being seen through, so she quickly turned around and faced away from Yu He'an.
Pretending to be sleepy, he said, "Brother, I'm very sleepy, I'm going to sleep."
"Go to sleep."
Fortunately, I fell asleep very quickly, and those annoying troubles didn't come back after I fell asleep.
She settled down here, which was much better than in the story. After five days, her knee injury had improved considerably, but the bloating in her lower abdomen had become more intense.
Perhaps because it's closer to the Hanlin Academy, Yu He'an has been staying here these past few days.
Tell her what she needs and instruct Aunt He to buy it.
She was used to enjoying life, so she bought a rocking chair and placed it under the eaves, using it as an excuse to rest her legs and drift off into a daze.
It was as if she had simply moved to a different place and was still living a comfortable life.
As spring transitions into summer, the humid rainy season arrives.
Raindrops dripped from the bricks and tiles, forming a continuous string of beads, and the fine drizzle drifted in from outside the corridor.
A tall, upright figure, holding a blue umbrella, emerged from the rain. A large patch of his blue official robe was soaked through. He raised the umbrella, revealing an exceptionally handsome face, his brows furrowed with weariness, and a faint smile playing on his lips, just as it had a few days before.
"Brother, it's so early today." She looked outside, but the continuous rain obscured the time, and unlike Lanfang Courtyard, there was no sundial or water clock under the eaves.
During his normal shift, it was obvious at a glance that Yu Tan had been lying down for too long and had forgotten the time.
Have you had lunch yet?
Yu He'an stood under the eaves, folding his oil-paper umbrella. The umbrella tip dripped water from the eaves. He was holding a stack of files in his hands, which didn't get wet from the rain, but a patch of his sleeve was damp.
"I've eaten. Aunt He made scallion tofu, mushroom chicken, and a few other dishes." Aunt He is quite particular about food. In this small courtyard, she researches new dishes every day and lives a very fulfilling life.
Is it to your liking?
"Yes." The rocking chair swayed slightly, and the white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) spread out on the chair, reflecting her bright face, truly like a blooming epiphyllum.
All the clothes were purchased by Aunt He. Presumably because Yu Tan did not tell her his preferences, all the clothes were light-colored. To be more precise, almost all of them were moon white, light cloud, or mountain ash, to cater to his tastes.
When he brought Yu Tan back, he did not tell them her true identity. Aunt He must have mistakenly thought she was his fiancée.
Ever since leaving the Marquis's residence, Yu Tan has been in a daze, as if there were raging floods and ferocious beasts ahead that she could not avoid at all costs.
But they had to take this step eventually; their relationship shouldn't stop there.
This was merely a temporary stop for him, so he did not purchase any servants. He only kept a husband and wife, who were wandering swordsmen he had met during his studies. They had voluntarily chosen to live here in anonymity.
When he returned to the mansion, Aunt He stopped him at the gate.
"My lord, my wife has been eating very little these past few days, and she won't say anything when I ask her. Is it because the food I'm cooking isn't to her liking? Should we hire another cook?"
"I'll ask her." He waved his hand, signaling Aunt He to leave.
It wasn't the cook's fault, but rather that Yu Tan didn't want to cause any trouble. Even though he had clearly told her to settle down and stay there, Yu Tan was still very cautious, as if the proud young lady of the Marquis's mansion had never existed again.
No amount of persuasion will help. If you reveal too much affection beyond that of siblings, it will only scare her away. Just let her gradually adapt to the change.
"Say what you have to say." After saying that, he took the file and went to the small desk in the small hall.
"Hmm." She thought she should go out tomorrow, at least to see Doctor Xue, as her symptoms had worsened over the past few days.
Yu He'an was only standing under the corridor, four or five meters away from her, when she felt hot all over and the bloating in her lower abdomen intensified. She pressed her hand on her lower abdomen, but no matter how hard she pressed, she could not relieve the discomfort.
How did they manage to drain the ascites from my abdomen that day...?
She clutched the sachet in her sleeve and sniffed hard, only managing to detect a faint scent, which did nothing to alleviate her discomfort.
[Alert! Alert! The plot character Ji Yushang is missing, severely limiting the plot's susceptibility...]
[Emergency remedy.]
As the plot prompts rang in her ears, her hand pressing on her abdomen tightened, and a soft groan escaped her throat. Yu He'an's gaze drifted over.
"!!!"
"What."
The plot continues, and the storyline involving Ji Yushang has twisted to include her and Yu He'an.
The original plot had become sloppy and weightless; now that plot holes have been discovered, they have been fixed.
The deliberate avoidance turned into an emergency remedy, and it was still her and Yu He'an who were involved.
How could that be? They're siblings, not in that kind of relationship.
[Kiss him.]
a bolt from the blue.
[Time Limit: Two hours]
Why is there a time limit?
Kiss! How do I kiss you?
When she was four or five years old, she would pester Yuhe'an to buy her candied fruit. She loved sweets and always ate them quickly and eagerly.
She would often stand on tiptoe and kiss Yu He'an's face hard on the candy, making a loud splash, just because she was envious of it. Then, she would snatch the candy from his hand while he was in a daze.
I'm not a child anymore; I'm past the age where I can freely show affection to others.
If there were any way to kiss him without him knowing, that would be great.
She glanced inside and saw Yu He sitting behind his desk, organizing files. His brows were slightly furrowed, his knuckles gripping the files tightly, and he was supporting his head with one hand. Weariness was evident in his expression, yet he was trying to keep his spirits up.
It seems they are eager to become powerful, to quickly grow their wings, and to join the pursuit of fame and fortune.
When did Yu He'an become like this? If he really was chasing fame and fortune, why would he have spent three years studying abroad? She couldn't understand it.
He hurriedly looked away, gazing absently at the rain curtain under the eaves.
What could she do? If Yu He'an misunderstood her, she wouldn't even have a peaceful place to stay.
The third time he secretly glanced at Yu He'an, he was caught red-handed.
"What's the matter?"
She pondered how to accomplish this almost impossible task.
Looking at her weary expression, she suddenly understood.
If Yuhe is asleep, then no one will know what she does to him.
"Brother, what are you looking at?" She looked up, as if curious about a file.
"The case file from twenty years ago, the case of Zhao Ziyin, the former Minister of Rites, embezzling funds for water management."
She blinked. Did the Hanlin Academy need to manage these things? Shouldn't these be under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple?
Perhaps noticing her confusion, Yu He'an explained in a low voice, "Someone asked me to investigate."
"If you're tired, take a rest. You can look at the case files tomorrow. There's no rush to investigate the case right now." She lacked confidence, and because she was hiding something, her voice grew softer and softer.
To those with ulterior motives, it sounded less like advice and more like being yelled at that she was about to do something bad.
His hand holding the file stiffened slightly, and after a moment he placed it on the desk.
“I am indeed tired. I have been running between the Hanlin Academy and the Dali Temple these past few days. Yao Yao is right. We shouldn’t rush things.”
After speaking, Yu He'an leaned back, relaxed his shoulders and neck, and looked extremely tired. He rested his back against the back of the armchair and propped his head up as if he were dozing off.
She waited another quarter of an hour, but Yu He'an didn't move. She used the armrest of the recliner to get off the chair, and the rocking chair swayed again, making a slight sound.
She tiptoed to the desk and waved her hand in front of him.
There was no reaction.
She called softly, "Brother."
Yu He'an kept her eyes closed, completely unaware, and no one answered her.
She carefully walked around the desk, the cedar scent seeping into her body everywhere, and that uncomfortable feeling resurfaced. She barely managed to stand by bracing herself against the edge of the desk.
She still looked at him with unease; Yu He'an's eyes were tightly closed, his eyelashes casting shadows beneath them.
Fortunately, Yuhe An was so exhausted that he was completely unaware of all of this.
She leaned in carefully and quickly placed a kiss on her cheek.
It was very light, like a dragonfly skimming the water, the ripples spreading out and disappearing into the spring water.
If it weren't for the slight sheen of water on her handsome face, no one would have known she had stolen a kiss from him.
Seeing that Yu He'an was still asleep, she lifted her skirt and tiptoed out of the outer room, not yet sitting down on the recliner.
"My lady, I've made a new dish, come and try it..."
Her hand, which was supporting her on the recliner, froze. She had just done something wrong and had been caught red-handed. She glanced inside guiltily, and only when she saw that the person was still asleep did she feel relieved and walk into the kitchen.
Aunt He must have been a relative of the previous owner of the house. She referred to herself as a servant, but she didn't have that kind of humility. Instead, she seemed like a half-friend. She felt at ease and walked around the small puddle in the yard, lifting her skirt, towards the kitchen.
Yu Tan hurriedly fled, not noticing that on the armchair, the person who should have been fast asleep had half-closed eyelashes that couldn't hide the darkness in his eyes, and his fingertips were lingeringly caressing the places she had touched.
A smile spread across his face as the corners of his mouth turned up.
They were mutually in love.
Because of what she had done, Yu Tan felt guilty for a long time. Fortunately, Yu He'an was as usual and managed to get through the ordeal.
Perhaps the plot discovered the loophole and wanted to fix it when it first actively issued a mission.
The first time was holding hands.
The second time was a kiss.
What will the third time be...?
She shook her head, not daring to think about what would happen next, or how she would get away with it next time.
When he woke up in the morning, Yu He'an had mentioned that he wouldn't be coming back here in the evening. He should be going back to the Marquis's residence. Before he left, she stood in the courtyard, staring at his back for a while, without saying a word.
She wanted to know how her grandmother was doing and whether she had gotten sick from being upset by her.
She also wanted to know about Lanxin, Qiaoxin, and Huixin's injuries. She had seen them that day, and they were serious. Had they recovered?
In fact, she simply watched Yu He'an leave in silence.
Back in the house, I found a moon-white veil, put it on my head, and planned to go out to deal with the most important ailment first; the rest would have to wait.
"Wife, don't go out today." Aunt He stood under the tree, drying flowers with a winnowing basket.
"What happened?" She pulled the veil over her head.
Aunt He smiled and said, "I'll make taro cakes later. When you come back, it won't be hot anymore."
Over the past few days, they have become quite familiar with each other. Aunt He's greatest hobby in life is cooking, and she usually only shares it with Uncle Chen. It's not easy for a new person to come along.
"If my wife absolutely has to go out, wait a while, keep it warm in the pot, and it will still be warm when you come back to eat it."
Her illness cannot be delayed any longer.
She nodded, lowered the gauze curtain, and strode out of the mansion. She walked around the alley and headed to the main street, where people lined both sides to watch the spectacle.
The constant whispers kept getting into her ears.
"Lord Yu drove the barbarians a hundred miles outside the border, and they dared not cross the Ghost Peak Mountains again. This will at least ensure peace for the Great Zhou for a hundred years."
"This military merit will surely lead to promotion and a higher rank..."
"His eldest son, Yuhe'an, is the top scholar in this imperial examination and has entered the Hanlin Academy. He is not yet twenty years old."
There were envious whispers all around, and people were keeping their voices down.
"Actually, the arrogant Yu Tan before was not the lady of the Marquis's mansion. I heard that sixteen years ago, it was Yu Tan's mother who had evil intentions and switched her with another woman. Yu Tan was given the wrong life of wealth and honor and grew up to be an arrogant good-for-nothing, while the real lady of the Marquis's mansion was left to wander in the countryside and grew up to be a beautiful and outstanding person."
"Fortunately, the old lady of the Marquis's mansion discovered it some time ago and kicked the person out."
The burly man said, "We raised them for sixteen years, and now we're just kicking them out like that."
The burly man, who knew the secret, lowered his voice and said, "It's already merciful that they didn't beat her to death with sticks."
They said they were beaten to death with sticks
The person was right beside her. Yu Tan's hand, which was covering the gauze curtain, froze, and she hurriedly covered the curtain.
She already needed to avoid people, and the strong smell made her feel uncomfortable. She had to hurry and get to Doctor Xue as soon as possible.
"They're here, they're here! Lord Yu has returned in triumph!"
The people craned their necks to look at the street entrance. She stood behind a pillar under the eaves of the restaurant and secretly peeked out. A group of people rode through the streets on horseback, looking quite impressive.
On the main street, Yu Zheng rode a fine horse, wearing a lion-patterned silver armor, followed closely by several people. The woman on the left wore light armor and had a face that resembled Yu He'an by about five points.
The man to Yu Zheng's right had handsome features that had been sculpted by time, and his face, which had never been one to smile, looked even more serious. Against the backdrop of his black armor, he resembled a god of war, which frightened her so much that she quickly hid behind him.
"Yaoyao, it's you." The joy in his voice was undisguised, as if he had been searching for her for a long time and had finally found her.
The young man in the blue robe approached quickly, carrying with him a rich floral fragrance. As he drew closer, her restlessness subsided considerably.
"I heard about what happened the other day, but I haven't been able to find you. Where have you been? How have you been lately?"
"Everything is fine."
"You also know that the Marquis has returned to court and specifically came to see him?" After saying that, Chu Minglang realized that something was wrong and quickly stopped himself. "Old Madam Song must be too angry. After a few days, when her anger subsides, she will let you return to the manor. Don't worry too much."
She didn't even dare to dream of such a thing, so she pursed her lips and stepped back.
Chu Minglang smiled gently: "If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know."
She gripped her sleeve and made a not-too-unreasonable request, "Do you still have that sachet?"
"Is the original one useless? I need to send someone to send some over, but it will probably take a while." Chu Minglang's gaze wandered. He didn't want to give Yu Tan the sachet. Without the sachet to suppress her, Yu Tan would be unable to control herself from getting closer to him.
Even though it's almost the second month since the attack started, Yu Tan still looks so cold and aloof. I really underestimated her.
Now that her identity has been exposed, if even the sachet can't help her, there's really no need to continue the old relationship between her and Chu Minglang. It's best to just say goodbye.
"Yaoyao, why is that person staring at you?"
She followed Chu Minglang's gaze and saw Jiang Tingfeng, dressed in black armor, staring at her with a chilling look.
Jiang Tingfeng's gaze was too blatant, and Shen Wujiu and Zhao Qiuci's eyes also followed. The imposter always felt guilty and at a loss in front of the real heiress.
She was still wearing a veil, yet she was like an ignorant fish that had jumped ashore, its skin peeled off, and left to bask in the sun on the beach, struggling to breathe through its gills, each breath painful.
She should have listened to Aunt He and shouldn't have left the mansion today.
"Does he know you?"
To be more specific, that person liked the jade chrysanthemum.
Previously, his wavering heart, which had been wavering because Yu Tan was not the wife of a marquis, suddenly became firm. He wanted Yu Tan, regardless of her status.
He has already become an advisor to the First Prince. As long as the First Prince succeeds in gaining power, he will be a meritorious official who has helped the prince rise to power.
Even without marriage, he could support the Chu family on his own. His complicated feelings when he first approached her have now turned into pure love.
“Come with me, I will protect you.” He held Yu Tan’s wrist, his heart filled with unwavering determination, and his gaze met hers directly.
The provocations and disputes between rivals create a tense atmosphere, even across half a street.
It even escalated, with another, even more scorching gaze joining in, making her feel like she was being pricked by thorns. She turned around and saw Yu He'an standing on the street to greet people, his face cold and almost dripping with water.
If she didn't break free, Yu He'an would come and catch her right away. She didn't know where she got the strength, but she suddenly broke free. She didn't care about going to Doctor Xue anymore, and ran away in a panic, hiding behind the curtain.
Author's Note: Thank you, MiMao. LinYu Nutrient Solution.
Thank you for the nutrient solution; I tried my best to write more.
Be on time tomorrow
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