Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Carriage
After the words were spoken, the carriage fell silent for a moment.
Zhe Rou lost all her strength and leaned tightly against the wall of the car. She vaguely saw Lu Chen's figure stiffen for a moment. She felt her heart sink and the blood flowing through her body turned cold.
After a long moment, Lu Chen's expression froze, and he spoke slowly: "What did you say?"
She had just spoken out of anger without thinking carefully. Perhaps she felt a little regretful at the moment she blurted out the words, but at this moment she felt an indescribable sense of relief.
But even so, she didn't have the courage to ask again. It hurt so much that she could hardly straighten her back.
Zhe Rou suppressed the bitterness in her eyes and turned to look at the bustling street outside the car.
"Did someone say something to you?"
After a long while, Lu Chen's dry and tense voice came from behind.
His reaction was almost a direct admission of the truth.
No one knew how much she longed to hear his rebuttal and laugh at her wild thoughts.
But no.
Zhe Rou suddenly felt a pang of pain in her heart, and tears flowed silently.
Looking at the slender silhouette of the person in front of him, Lu Chen's eyes were gloomy. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her cheek, but Zhe Rou turned her head away.
The outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and Lu Chen felt as if someone had gripped his heart tightly for a moment, with a trace of powerless coldness seeping out from between his bones.
Having been together for four years since their youth, how could Lu Chen not be aware of her temperament?
Although she looks like the most fragile and gentle person, she is actually very tough and stubborn in her bones. If she sets her mind on someone, she will swear to bring him home even if the road ahead is full of difficulties and dangers, and she will cross the vast yellow desert alone. But if she is really heartbroken, thousands of horses cannot pull her back.
Ning Zherou Ning Zherou, she is truly as strong-willed as her name suggests.
For this reason, he kept it a secret from her from the very beginning, but he didn't expect that most women are naturally sensitive to such things, and she actually caught some clues.
After a moment of silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "Miss, look at me."
After a long while, Zhe Rou pursed her lips and turned to look at Lu Chen.
The evening light filtered into the carriage through the bamboo curtains, casting a thin layer of warm light on his face, blurring the sharp edges of the young man's features. He actually looked somewhat gentler than he had been in his youth, leaving her dazed for a moment.
"I'm not what you think I am to the Xu family girl."
Lu Chen considered his words carefully and decided to explain from the beginning, "Six years ago, the government presided over the reform, but later the army in Hexi was defeated, and the new law was temporarily blocked. If the government wants to continue to implement the new policy, it must use an iron fist to deter and suppress it.
So Xu Chong guessed the emperor's intentions and, taking advantage of the rebellion in the Eastern Palace, instructed Wang Zhonggan to use my father as a token of his allegiance, giving the emperor an excuse to strike at the old party. From then on, the Lu family fell, and the Xu family rose to prominence.
Lu Chen paused, his dark eyes looking straight at Zhe Rou, gritting his teeth and saying, "Xiaoxiao, if I don't avenge this, I'd be unworthy of being a son."
Zhe Rou's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips without saying a word.
Lu Chen measured her expression and continued, "But Xu Chong is now incredibly powerful. He's both a relative of the emperor and favored by the emperor, and his followers are spread throughout the government and the country. As you know, he's a deeply suspicious person, and he's especially wary of me. If I'm secretly controlled by him, I'll never make a name for myself in the capital. Xu Shiliu Niang is just bait he's throwing out to test whether I've truly let go of the past and fully trust him."
"My reaction to the Xu family girl was just a superficial exchange. It was a fake show for Xu Chong to watch, so that he would completely let down his guard against me. There was nothing else to it."
Lu Chen clasped Zhe Rou's hand in his palm, staring intently at her face, his tone heavy with sorrow. "We are husband and wife, Jianjian. You are the only one in my heart, how could there be anyone else?"
After a long moment, Zhe Rou stared at him blankly. "I thought you were probably having difficulties, as you have to attend social events in official circles... So I happily started to set up the pharmacy, and told myself that maybe after a while, everything would be fine..."
Seeing the struggle in her eyes, Lu Chen felt relieved for a moment. He stroked her fingertips repeatedly and whispered, "Miss, it's my fault, but I really don't have any feelings for others. Please give me some time..."
Zhe Rou smiled faintly and shed tears, "But you know she has feelings for you."
Lu Chen froze.
"You knew I would be sad."
"Lu Bingyan, you bully me."
After hearing these words, Lu Chen had no way to refute them. He felt a sharp pain in his heart and said in a hoarse voice, "Xiaoxiao..."
Once trust is broken, no amount of words or apologies can repair it.
She was lonely and homeless when she was young. She didn't ask for much for the rest of her life. She just wanted to live a stable life with her beloved husband.
For this reason, she could endure the cold words of others and the harassment from her mother-in-law, but she could not endure the deep bullying from the person she loved.
Zhe Rou shook her head, tears silently falling onto the cushions. "I come from a humble background and can't help you in your career... You have lofty ambitions and need a ladder to success. Why don't I help you achieve your goal?"
Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, then he understood what she meant. He felt a chill run down his spine, and it felt like his heart was about to stop. "Fulfill? What do you want to fulfill for me?"
Before Zhe Rou could speak again, Lu Chen grabbed her wrist and stared at her through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with suppressed anger. "Jiaojiao, what else do you want me to say? I've always been polite to the daughter of the Xu family. I never overstepped my bounds, nor did I have any feelings for her, let alone discuss marriage with her!"
Zhe Rou raised her head, looked at him and smiled, "Ming Qi and I have never overstepped the boundaries."
A sharp pain suddenly shot through his heart, and Lu Chen's eyes turned red with anger, "Xiaoxiao!"
Zhe Rou looked at Lu Chen's handsome and thin face, and her heart ached like a knife. That was the man she had been with since childhood and whom she truly loved.
Seeing him like this trapped beast, filled with anger and pain, how could she really feel happy? His words were like two-edged swords, wounding both of them and making them bleed.
She hated Lu Chen's deception, and hated herself even more for her sudden softness.
Love and hate, jealousy and envy, all kinds of feelings were mixed in her heart. She felt confused and confused, and needed to be alone and quiet.
Zhe Rou called out to Pingchuan, asking him to stop the carriage and was about to push the door open to get out.
Unexpectedly, Lu Chen reacted very quickly. Before she could lift the car curtain, he immediately reached out and pulled her back, holding her wrist tightly. Zhe Rou was completely defenseless and suddenly fell into his hard and hot chest.
Suddenly, the world spun around, and before Zhe Rou could even struggle to get up, Lu Chen grasped the back of her head with one hand and her waist with the other. His thin lips, filled with surging anger, kissed her fiercely and eagerly, their lips and tongues entwined and bitten, as if he wanted to completely possess her, leaving no room for her.
Her breath was completely taken away, and her chest felt suffocated. Zhe Rou instinctively pushed away and struggled backwards, but Lu Chen held her tighter and tighter, pressing her slender back into his arms. The hot breath invaded from all directions.
As if to integrate her into his bones and blood.
The wound on the back of Lu Chen's hand had opened again at some point, and hot blood flowed down her soft hair to the back of her neck, as if it was going to melt her skin, burning her heart.
Zhe Rou came to her senses and began to struggle, pushing his shoulders hard, "Lu Chen! Let me go!"
Lu Chen's eyes were red. He grabbed her wrists with one hand, pressed them against his chest, and held them tightly. His hot breath sprayed on her neck, "Miss, stop it."
As their breaths intertwined, he reached in along the hem of her clothes.
Zhe Rou suddenly shuddered and wanted to turn away, but Lu Chen's hand on her back was calm and powerful. He held her in his arms without any explanation. She could not move forward or backward and could only be forced to endure it.
After being married for many years, they are very familiar with each other's bodies. If Lu Chen wants to make her happy, it will be easy for him.
As the carriage passed through the bustling tile market, the noisy calls of hawkers and conversations penetrated the bamboo curtains and entered the carriage, and the noise and bustle seemed to be right next to my ears.
Being in such a situation was truly embarrassing and frustrating. Zhe Rou's breathing became rapid, and she could only turn her head to avoid his sight, sobbing, "Lu Bingyan, you bastard!"
He gently kissed away the tears on her cheek, but the hand holding her down became more and more forceful. Lu Chen said in a hoarse voice, "I've always been a jerk, you know that, Meimei."
Yes, of course she knew.
Having been together in Taozhou for many years, they had their share of arguments. Like many ordinary couples, they had experienced cold wars and grievances.
That year, Lu Chen was promoted to lieutenant general and, as per regulations, was given a warhorse. It was a black Hexi horse, fat and strong, extremely beautiful. Zhe Rou named it Xiao Wu.
During their free time in spring, Lu Chen took her horseback riding in the wild. He said Taozhou was a border town with frequent battles, and if the Qiang attacked the city, if she learned to ride a horse, it would at least give him some peace of mind.
Lu Chen taught patiently, and Zhe Rou learned diligently, and soon she was able to ride and gallop. She only needed to kick the horse lightly, and the little crow would spread its four hooves and gallop happily up the hillside.
Once when crossing a hill, Xiao Wu's foot suddenly twisted. Zhe Rou was caught off guard and fell off the horse, landing on the soft grass.
In fact, she only had a minor scratch on her skin, but she was still young at that time. When she heard Lu Chen's urgent voice chasing after her, she suddenly felt playful and closed her eyes, pretending to be seriously injured. When she heard his tone change in panic, she opened her eyes again and teased him with a smile.
That was the first time Lu Chen got angry in front of her. Zhe Rou knew she was in the wrong and tried to coax him softly for a long time but to no avail. She couldn't help but feel aggrieved. For a while, the two of them ignored each other. At night, Zhe Rou simply slept alone on the small couch in the outer room.
Unexpectedly, Lu Chen came over in the middle of the night, behaving like a jerk. The bamboo couch creaked all night long. Zhe Rou was so bewildered by him that she couldn't vent her anger or annoyance.
The touch of his long fingers became soft. Lu Chen lowered his head, sucked her lips repeatedly, and then hooked the tip of her tongue, kissing her deeply and lingering.
Zhe Rou could not stand his teasing like this, and soon her body began to tremble slightly, her breathing became disordered, her cheeks flushed red, and a thin layer of sweat oozed out of her temples.
She tilted her head back and bit the back of her hand, trying hard not to make any sound.
Seeing this, Lu Chen suddenly felt a surge of anger. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against her head. He lowered his head and kissed away the beads of sweat on her temples. He asked in a hoarse voice, "What are you enduring, huh?"
The movements of his hands became more and more wanton. Zhe Rou could no longer bear it. In a moment of rage, she opened her mouth and bit his shoulder, biting it with all her strength, and a faint smell of blood spread between her lips and teeth.
Lu Chen frowned in pain, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, but he did not dodge at all and just let her bite him.
The carriage was still passing through the market, the bamboo curtains on the windows swayed gently, and there was a lot of noise in the streets.
Lu Chen lifted her slender waist, pressed it against the wall of the carriage, and ordered in a deep voice, "Go outside the city."
Pingchuan seemed to have noticed something and quickly drove away from the bustling Wa City and turned into a secluded road. The sounds around him gradually became sparse.
Lu Chen panted softly. "Miss, when everything is settled, I will ask for an imperial decree for you. No one will dare to bully you anymore."
"...It's all my fault. Taozhou was bitterly cold back then. Now that we're back in the capital, let's have a child soon. It doesn't matter if it's a young man or a young woman, as long as it looks like you... Then we can live happily ever after, ok?"
But no matter what he said, Zhe Rou bit her lip tightly and just shook her head.
The carriage jolted slightly.
Lu Chen was behind her, sucking and biting her earlobe, his hot breath burning the back of her neck.
"妱妱..."
Zhe Rou felt a tingling sensation in her spine, and for a moment she couldn't tell whether it was pleasure or unbearable. She couldn't help but raise her neck and breathe softly.
Lu Chen leaned over, gently kissed the sweat on the back of her neck, and whispered, "Do you remember the day of your wedding... The bridesmaid secretly suggested to you that you press the embroidered shoes on my boots at night, saying that you would make your husband obey you for the rest of his life, but you were so embarrassed that you just laughed... Later, I took advantage of you sleeping and pressed the embroidered shoes on for you.
"Miss, I'm willing to be held captive by you for the rest of my life... Let's be good friends, okay?"
After hearing the last part, Zhe Rou's eyes suddenly felt hot and sour, tears rolled down her cheeks, she trembled all over, and couldn't help sobbing: "Lu Bingyan..."
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