Chapter 36: Undercurrent
Lu Huai saw his loyal king standing not far away, feeling as if his entire shameful appearance had been seen by him. He felt an indescribable panic. Just now, when he was anxiously playing the zither, had they already arrived?
Now that his veil was off, he could no longer rely on the fact that the other party might not recognize him just by seeing the upper half of his face.
She was too embarrassed to see him, nor did she want the king to witness her embarrassing and ungrateful behavior as a subject. Therefore, when she heard Chu Yuanting's words, she did not pay attention to the fact that he had misinterpreted her as Huaiyuan's lover, but instead snuggled further into his arms, which made her feel safe.
Lu Huai leaned on his best friend's broad and strong shoulders to shield his face, and his white hands trembled slightly on Pei Yujin's narrow waist. He only felt that he presented a shy and reserved look to Chu Yuanting, but he didn't know that in his eyes...
In his eyes, the woman in green named Liu Ying was like a bird with beautiful wings, obedient and clingy. She took the initiative to bury herself in the arms of her protector, thinking that she would be safe. However, she didn't know that the body she was hugging was probably burning with flames.
It is so pitiful and cute, and yet it makes other competitors who long for its protection feel jealous and heartbroken.
Since Chu Yuanting took power, he has been able to exercise both tact and determination in governing and seizing power. However, although he sometimes weighs the pros and cons and makes his own decisions, he is not a truly broad-minded saint who would suppress and sacrifice himself for others.
For him, having held a high position for so many years, it was uncommon for him to have anything he couldn't achieve or dare to do. Standing at the pinnacle of power, he didn't have so many pesky things to constrain him with morals and etiquette. Moreover, even if the performing artist and Pei Yu were in love, what good would it do? Without even a formal relationship, "she" was still a helpless, adrift duckweed.
The most beautiful woman in the world should belong to the strong man standing on the top of the mountain overlooking the world.
As early as the moment she glanced at him through the railing as she hurried upstairs, he knew that the space that had been vacant for more than twenty years would be filled. The veiled poem "Flowing Water" further demonstrated that this woman, besides her beautiful appearance, was also a woman of noble character and extraordinary talent, which further strengthened his resolve.
He knew full well that he wanted "her".
Instead of Pei Yu, whom he disliked so much at the moment, he personally held that slender waist in his arms, put his hands on her to feel her uneasiness and panic, and kissed her tenderly until she adapted to the new safe haven and accepted him.
Carnivores have their own toughness and predatory desires, and at this moment, in this arena of love, this lion who has always looked down on everything wants to bare his fangs at the tiger that has taken the initiative, and plunder the petite and fragile prey as his own trophy.
Chu Yuanting saw Pei Yu's possessiveness and desire to protect the woman in his arms, so he no longer thought of starting with this minister who was usually loyal and reliable but now extremely vigilant. Instead, he bypassed him and directly launched an attack on Lu Huai with a friendly face. The woman was hugged tightly and only had a thin shoulder facing him.
"Miss Liu Ying, I just heard your beautiful zither music. It was like hearing heavenly music, and I couldn't help but be deeply attracted by your grace. It just so happens that I also have some knowledge and experience in the art of zither, and I would like to discuss it with you."
"But there is one thing I'm confused about. Is it because I'm so scary that the young lady is so frightened and doesn't want to see me?"
Lu Huai had never heard the usually imposing emperor speak with such a tone of loneliness and grievance, and he felt truly troubled. Things had truly gone far beyond his expectations. Chu Yuanting's gentle demeanor clearly showed that she treated him like the woman she admired.
But he was not only a man, but also a court official of Dayong and an official of the emperor. Even if he had not married and was still single, such emotions would be despised by historians, not to mention that he was already married to Shen San.
If His Majesty knew that this woman was Lu Huai, he would probably feel disgusted and would not want to use him in the court in the future... Besides, he had just asked His Majesty to grant Shen San's marriage a few days ago. If His Majesty saw him, a married man dressed as a woman, it would probably create more resentment.
But he had already caused so much trouble today. Hiding behind Huaiyuan like a coward and attempting to deceive the emperor was absolutely wrong. Now the situation was urgent, and Chengyuan and Xuanning were still unsure what to do. If he continued to hesitate and feel embarrassed, his plan to intercept Hu Yan and Liao would be in vain.
We must cut the Gordian knot.
Lu Huai released his arm around Pei Yu, turned around, and bowed to Chu Yuanting gracefully. He didn't even try to soften his voice, and it was the same as usual. Except for being sensitive and not using the respectful title as usual in the court, he didn't want to hide it anymore.
"Of course not. Since you have sincerely invited me, I will have a chat with you."
However, when he seemed to be about to break free from Huaiyuan's arms, why did this man still use his iron-like wrist to restrain him and prevent him from moving?
Seeing Chu Yuanting's eyes flashing with confusion and struggle when he raised his head and looked at him without covering his eyes, Lu Huai knew that even if this person had not confirmed it, he should have had some doubts considering the familiar voice, and he was already silent waiting for the other party to make the judgment.
Pei Yu didn't want to let him reveal his identity, so he pulled Lu Huai over, put him in his arms and made him face him. He even used his hands to gently tuck the few strands of hair that were messy in front of his face behind his ears in a very intimate manner.
"Sir, Yu and Miss Liu Ying have already pledged their lives to each other. She is shy by nature and is not used to having her face exposed to outsiders. Now she is suffering so much for Yu. I hope you will be magnanimous and give Yu some face and not make things so difficult for her."
After saying that, he looked at Chu Yuanting again, as if he was a really angry lover who wanted to protect his wife who was being targeted. He leaned over provocatively, and the two of them were so close that he actually put his lips to the side of Lu Huai's ear and gave him a light kiss.
Chu Yuanting, however, refused to accept the suggestion and sneered meaningfully, "What a good man who protects his beloved girl! If I want to get to know her, it's as if I have bad intentions and want to force Miss Liu."
He suddenly approached, less than three steps away from Lu Huai, who was frightened by Pei Yu's behavior and was pushing Lu Huai away, and Pei Yu, who was restraining him from exposing himself further. His voice was very low, but it made people's hearts shudder.
"Huaiyuan, do you think Lord Lu knows that your secret lover looks so much like him?"
Chu Yuanting took advantage of Pei Yu's relaxation of his control over Lu Huai, as he was trembling with fear because his words had been exposed in front of his sweetheart. He stepped forward and "rescued" the woman in the green dress. He stared at the elegant, yet very familiar face and revealed a hint of understanding.
As a man, she was a graceful and elegant young man, and as a woman, she was so pure and innocent. He felt a sense of familiarity, a sense of déjà vu, yet he was too stupid to pierce through the layer of cellophane, because the beauty was androgynous, and whether she was a male or female friend, she was too stunning and natural.
The confusion and anger just now, as well as the mixed feelings after knowing the other party's identity, finally converged into a fact that he found difficult to accept - even if the beauty who made his heart fall in love was Lu Huai, the minister he wanted to use, he still didn't want to let go.
Even this budding love should be traced back to an earlier time, when he could not help but peek at the elegant Bai Tan living in the corner in the court, and felt that it overturned his habit of not showing his emotions to others, and perhaps he had already fallen.
But he had never dared to face his own heart, and deliberately suppressed his pursuit of Lu Huai, even... doing the foolish thing of allowing his lover to marry someone else, personally cutting off his own possibility of getting him completely, and making him give his passionate love to a woman he didn't deserve.
It's ridiculous that as a king, he only realizes and dares to face his own feelings after the matter has become a fait accompli.
Chu Yuanting couldn't help but feel a little resentful. He knew that Pei Yu and Lu Huai might not be in that kind of relationship. It was he who had preconceived notions that there was something unusual between this pair of "a talented man and a beautiful woman". Perhaps the two were just pure confidants, and they acted so intimately in order to avoid the "danger" of him.
But was the burning love and possessiveness in Pei Yu's eyes when he protected Lu Huai truly fake? And why, with such dirty thoughts, could he be so close to Lu Huai? Did Lu Huai also acquiesce?
"Or maybe..."
The thought of the possibility of this two-way rush drove him on, and he slowly uttered a few words that deliberately distorted the facts, so that Lu Huai, the gentleman, would wake up from the astonishment of his interpretation of Pei Yu's thoughts. He suddenly felt ashamed and angry, and red clouds occupied Yubai's cheeks.
"Lord Lu, does Miss Third Chen know that you, her newlywed husband, have secretly disguised yourself as a woman in Huaying Tower and have become an inseparable, heaven-made couple with your close friend, General Pei?"
"If she knew that her husband, who was away on business, had done this, she would probably burst into tears."
Lu Huai felt suffocated when he heard him distorting right and wrong. He was so angry that he felt his heart aching. For a moment, he even wanted to break the principle that the king should be his subject. He wanted to turn away from this hateful king immediately.
His steps were a little unsteady, but fortunately Pei Yu, who was next to him, noticed it and took the green butterfly into his arms in time.
But even when Lu Huai was kissing his ear, he heard Pei Yu's explanation in a low voice, saying, "The situation is urgent, and we have no choice."
He really couldn't believe that he had a secret crush on her, because he had always thought Huaiyuan was in love with Chen San. But he was still somewhat affected by Chu Yuanting's words, and with a red face, he was about to leave his best friend's body, which was now making him feel an unusual heat.
Shen San was indeed his weak spot. Thinking about everything he had experienced today, he really felt that as a husband, he was really shameful and unworthy of her. However, he had not known that His Majesty's words could touch people's hearts so much. It was really too heartbreaking.
But even though his emotions were fluctuating, he was still thinking about Yan Ruwen and Liao Zhifeng. "Your Majesty, Huai's current attire and his behavior with Huaiyuan are all due to reasons, but intercepting those two is the key."
"I'll explain this to you after it's done. What do you think?"
Chu Yuanting also realized that he was too open and had no tolerance at all, and he had angered his new love. Compared with Pei Yu, whom the other party had trusted for a long time but had the same ulterior motives, he was even inferior, so he nodded in response.
The strange atmosphere between the three finally dissipated for a moment, and they began to discuss their strategy. They finally decided that Chu and Pei would quietly follow Lu Huai, and let "Liu Ying" pretend to be serving in the Shangtian wing, and then they would knock out the attendants and sneak in.
When Pei Yu arrived, he had already deployed troops around the area, waiting for the Major General to light a candle as a signal and stand in the southwest corner window. Then, they would burst into Huaying Tower and capture the prisoners. However, the conditions for achieving this were harsh, so he wanted to reunite with Lu Huai to discuss the matter.
Now that everything was ready, Lu Huai put on the veil again, like a very delicious bait. His soft and timid posture allowed him to step into the room where he and Bai Qichao had just fled in panic without any hindrance.
The two men had waited for him for a long time, their faces filled with impatience and anger, making the landlord standing nearby tremble with fear. But when they saw that he was even more ethereal and ethereal than they had imagined, their anger miraculously subsided a little.
Yan Ruwen politely invited Lu Huai to take a seat, invited him to taste the delicacies and fine wines on the table, and also brought him a glass of wine.
Lu Huai looked at him with a smile and thanked him gently, but was cautious not to drink it seriously.
The sharp-eyed Liao Zhifeng saw it, and the curve of his mouth became bigger and bigger. He leaned forward to a distance that made Lu Huai feel uncomfortable, and pulled off the veil.
Seeing the face of the "woman" who was offended and angry by him, like a sleeping crabapple in spring, with redness at the corners of her eyes, and her eyes full of obsession, he wanted to get close to her and make love to her and defile her.
A figure as swift as lightning got there first, threw him heavily to the ground, hugged the beauty and broke away from the servants who were rushing forward in shock and anger to stand up for their master.
After resolving the crisis with Chen Niangzi and Bai Qichao, Cheng Ruochen temporarily sent them outside to be with Pei Yu's men, while he himself turned back. Unexpectedly, Lu Huai had actually entered the lair of these beasts by taking advantage of the opportunity.
He used his good skills to take his sweetheart away from the place where the disgusting thing was doing evil, but he was too anxious and too frivolous.
The posture of the two was just like Lu Huai was being held up by him, one of his hands accidentally brushed against his waist while the other was placed under his hips.
This man looks slender and obviously eats very little. How could he have so much flesh in that place? It was not visible before because of the loose clothes covering it.
Cheng Ruochen knew without even looking that Lu Huai's face must be filled with shame and anger. Although he was somewhat nostalgic for that softness, his desire to survive still got the better of him, so he changed to a safe position with a guilty conscience before putting him down. When he saw an acquaintance taking over, he stepped forward and entangled with the person who was attacking him.
Pei Yu, who was hiding in the dark, also acted quickly. He confiscated the secret letter hidden on the two masters and tied them up tightly. Thinking of what they had just done to Lu Huai, he couldn't help but kick them twice, causing Liao Zhifeng, who had already been knocked down by Cheng Ruochen and was bleeding from the nose, to collapse to the ground like mud.
Chu Yuanting, who was guarding Lu Huai and repelling the attackers from time to time, looked at him quietly while taking a breath, with a strange look on his face.
"I never thought that even Cheng Tanhua is a subordinate of Lord Lu?"
"Do you know what they think of you?"
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The author has something to say: Actually...weak (I originally wanted to write His Majesty saying to Huai Huai that Cheng Xiu was so happy that he offended you, but I felt it was too bt (shy))
Ahhh, today is another day of crawling and fixing things at a snail's pace QWQ
Ladies, thank you for your waiting. Here is the Shura Field. Hehe, someone just "rescued the beauty" and the general actually saw it.
Woo woo woo, I'm already thinking about who should eat Huai Huai's wife. What should I do? Who should eat her? (covering my face)
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