Chapter 31 Yu Shui, you won’t harm me.
Zhou Linjin had a fresh fragrance after bathing combined with the smell of cool pine on his body, which made people feel relaxed and happy. However, at this moment, Shen Lianxiu felt dizzy when she was held in his arms.
She seemed unable to think about anything anymore.
He placed her on his lap and sat her sideways, his warm fingers sliding down from her neck. He didn't know when half of Shen Lianxiu's thin nightgown had fallen loosely around her waist, half-dressed and half-exposed.
In a trance, she heard him say: "I lit so many candles so that you can see clearly. I am blind, you can't..."
Perhaps it was a strange coincidence, or perhaps it was a tacit understanding, but before Chen Lianxiu could fully understand what was going on, she turned over slightly, straddled him, and kissed him.
It was as if they were walking in a raging snowstorm, the two of them walked forward hand in hand, and he could no longer see anything. It was destined that this section of the journey could only be led forward by her, through the quiet and dense forest that no one had ever set foot on, wading through the gurgling clear springs, and finally reaching the top.
…
When the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, the many candles lit in the room were almost half burned out. Looking through the bed curtains, the candles were dotted and swaying gracefully.
Chen Lianxiu leaned closer to Zhou Linjin and hugged him tightly, which made her feel less like she was lying in the cloud-like void.
At this point, both of them were satisfied, but still didn't want to separate from each other.
Zhou Linjin rested his chin lightly on Shen Lianxiu's silky hair, his voice more lazy than ever before: "Go to sleep, there's no need to rush to get up tomorrow."
Shen Lianxiu hummed, but still kept her eyes open.
After a while, she quietly looked up at Zhou Linjin and found that he was still awake.
Perhaps sensing her movements, Zhou Linjin reached out and pressed the top of her head, saying gently, "What are you doing?"
Chen Lianxiu's eyes were illuminated by the candlelight shining through the gauze curtain, as if something was burning in her eyes.
"My dear, they say your eyes may never heal." She continued to look at him, regardless of whether he could see her or not. "Can I heal your eyes?"
"You?" Zhou Linjin was a little surprised, but there was no contempt in his tone.
Chen Lianxiu nodded. "Yes, I did. I've learned a lot lately. Plus, the famous doctor said it wasn't that there was no way, it was just too dangerous, so I thought about trying a gentler method."
"If you want to try it, just try it. It doesn't matter." Zhou Linjin said without thinking after hearing that.
"Aren't you afraid that my half-baked treatment will ruin you?"
"It's already like this, it can't get any worse," Zhou Linjin laughed, "Besides, I trust you, you won't hurt me."
Chen Lianxiu was moved, touched and excited, but before she could think of what to say, Zhou Linjin pressed her head and said, "Go to sleep. If you don't sleep now, it will be dawn."
As if a candy was suddenly fed into her mouth, Shen Lianxiu laughed softly and continued to nestle in his arms. This time she really fell asleep obediently.
*
In the silent courtyard, only two lanterns were hanging desertedly at the gate. It seemed that there was no one inside. But if you pricked up your ears and listened carefully, you could hear a shrill and thin sobbing sound coming from there.
It was already the middle of the night and it was extremely scary.
Chen looked at her daughter who was sitting on the bed and crying softly with a cold face. She felt distressed and angry, but she couldn't vent her feelings.
Ever since Shen Wuyu came back that day, she had been very depressed. It couldn't be said that she was sick, but she just kept lying in bed and couldn't get up, and she refused to tell her family what had happened to her.
"The family has been looking for you for so long, but there's no news at all. Tell me, where did you go? Who did you run off with?" Chen said, patting her chest to calm down. "Tell me, and Dad and Mom will seek justice for you. We can't leave it like this!"
When Shen Wuyu suddenly disappeared before the wedding, Chen knew that someone had abducted her. She had already made up her mind that if she found her, she would definitely make her look bad. If she didn't die, she would at least take half her life. This would relieve her anger.
But after searching for so long, not to mention the capital, even the nearby places were almost turned over, but Shen Wuyu seemed to have disappeared from the world. The Shen family is a family of officials after all, how is it possible that there is no news at all?
Chen was also a person who had seen the world, and she gradually came to her senses. She thought that her daughter might not have run away with just anyone. The other party should have some status, even far greater than the Shen family. This was why the Shen family had been unable to find her.
Chen Wuyu has always been arrogant. Zhou Linjin is already the eldest son of Duke Cheng, and Zhou Chang is a close confidant and important minister of the emperor. It is very likely that the other party is more powerful than the Duke Cheng's Mansion. Even if it is lower, it will not be much lower. If it is higher, the only ones with higher birth than Zhou Linjin are probably those royal relatives.
Therefore, Chen was even more determined to pry out the person from Shen Wuyu's mouth. Only after finding out who that person was could she proceed to the next step.
But Shen Wuyu refused to say anything.
Late this night, Chen came to interrogate her daughter again. Shen Wuyu was still the same as before. Chen couldn't help but get angry: "You don't have to say it, but why did you come back? It's so good outside, but you gave up that good marriage and ran away. You haven't even reported home for a long time. Why are you back now? Why don't you stay out there all your life? I will pretend that I never gave birth to a daughter like you!"
This time, she didn't know what chord in Shen Wuyu's heart was touched. She was just sobbing at first, but after hearing this, she burst into tears with a "wow".
"You still dare to cry?" Chen scolded, wiping away her tears. "You've been back for over half a month, and you refuse to talk to us. Your father has long been disappointed in you. If you continue like this, your family won't be able to keep you. You should go back and find that person!"
Chen Wuyu said: "Do you think I want to come back? When I left, I never thought about coming back home. It's... because he doesn't want me anymore. He suddenly drove me away, so I... If my family doesn't want me either, then I can only die!"
Chen was already worried about her daughter, and those harsh words were just out of hatred for her daughter's incompetence. Now, after hearing how much she had suffered, how could she bear it any longer? She hugged her and burst into tears.
The mother and daughter cried bitterly. Shen Wuyu gradually stopped and said, "Mother, it's not that I don't want to say it, or I'm defending him. I really can't say it. I'm afraid... I'm afraid of getting into trouble with my family. If he finds out, or if you go looking for him, I'm really afraid... Mother, can this matter just end like this?"
"I can't say it. What can't I say? He kidnapped you under the emperor's feet. If we don't report it to the authorities first, what else can he want?"
"I'm afraid he'll get angry and kill you." Shen Wuyu covered her face and started crying again.
Chen was stunned.
Shen Wuyu grabbed Chen's hand and said, "Mother, I beg you, I really beg you, I don't want to mention this matter anymore, and don't force me anymore, let alone ask me who that person is. If I tell you, it will really harm our Shen family."
"Then..." Chen was at a loss for a moment, "Then what are you going to do?"
"I'll just stay home and pretend nothing happened."
Chen said, "Why are you pretending nothing happened? You were originally going to marry Zhou Linjin, but you ran away so I had no choice but to have your sister marry him in your place. She's taking your place, and your name. How can there be another Chen Wuyu in the family?"
"Then it's fine for me to be Chen Lianxiu. It's just a name. I'm still my mother's daughter and that won't change." Chen Wuyu pondered for a moment and added, "Zhou Linjin can't see it anyway. Even if he can see it in the future, he and my sister will already be husband and wife. Just tell him what happened back then and ask him not to tell anyone else."
Chen remained silent, and then looked embarrassed.
Chen Wuyu thought her mother still couldn't understand, so she advised: "I did this myself, and there's no need for you to feel sorry for me. If my sister lives a good life, it will also help her find a good marriage. I'm not doing well myself, so I hope others can be well, not to mention that she's my own sister."
Chen started crying again, "Second Mother, it's easy for you to say that, but you... you won't even tell me who that person is. It's fine if you stay at home. At most, they'll support you forever. But did you know you were pregnant?"
As soon as the words fell, Shen Wuyu was struck by lightning.
Then, Chen saw a twisted joy on her face. There was still some sadness between her brows, and there was no sign of it disappearing, but the lower half of her face was already smiling.
Chen hesitated for a moment, but still sat down next to Shen Wuyu and said, "You are my sweetheart, so I have been hiding this from you, fearing that you would be upset or something. But you refuse to tell us the truth, and now I don't know what to do."
Shen Wuyu put her palm on her belly and said to Chen: "Mother, I want to keep this child. I want to give birth to it."
"If you can tell me who the father of this child is, then that's fine. But if you refuse to tell me, then what's the point of keeping this child?" Chen's face darkened. "Although our Shen family isn't a wealthy one, we are a decent one. If you give birth to a fatherless child, what will the Shen family do if the news gets out? What about your younger sisters and future nieces? Why don't you think about them?"
Shen Wuyu was speechless for a moment after hearing this, but there was no hesitation or loosening of expression on her face. Chen watched carefully and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
"I can't give up on it. I must give birth to it." Shen Wuyu said again, still refusing to give in. "If you send me to the countryside and I'm not in the capital, who will know?"
Chen said, "No."
"Mother! I beg you!"
Chen didn't say anything for a long time. Shen Wuyu's heart was in turmoil. She also knew that although Chen loved her very much, it was really difficult for her to be shaken by such things. Thinking about this, her face turned pale and she covered her stomach more tightly, as if Chen was going to take the baby in her belly away at the next moment.
"Well," Chen thought for a moment and finally said, "There's still one way. You go back to the Zhou family and ask the Duke Cheng's Mansion to recognize the child."
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