Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Apologize
Zhe Rou stayed indoors for two days straight and ignored Lu Chen completely. Although people were still living in the entire villa, it was as quiet as an empty house.
It was not until the evening of the third day that Lu Wan brought Xuan Jie'er over as a guest, and the courtyard suddenly became lively.
As soon as Lu Wan saw her, she still smiled and called her "Auntie." She then asked the nanny to quickly bring Xuan Jie'er over to her and wish her a happy new year. Xuan Jie'er was now almost a year old, a plump and adorable girl, still in her prime. It was still the first month of the lunar year, and the New Year festival had not yet ended. She was dressed in festive attire, wearing a tiger-head hat, a red skirt and jacket, and a red gold necklace. She imitated the New Year's greeting with a fist, looking like a sweet, soft, and glutinous red bean rice cake, and she was very happy just by looking at it.
Zhe Rou couldn't help but laugh and reached out to touch her smooth and soft little face.
When Lu Wan came, he specially booked a table from Panlou. Several waiters came in with food boxes in their hands. In a blink of an eye, a table full of delicious food and wine was set out. They were all Panlou's fashionable signature dishes, and the color and taste were both excellent.
Zhe Rou originally thought that Lu Wan came here to act as a lobbyist, and she was actually quite resistant in her heart. However, she remembered that when they were in Shangjing, Lu Wan was one of the very few people who had been kind to her. In the end, she didn't want to neglect Lu Wan because of Lu Chen, so she could only muster up the courage to support him.
However, she didn't expect Lu Wan to have a sweet smile on her face, never mention Lu Chen, and not say anything good on Lu Chen's behalf to seek peace. She just chatted with her warmly, talked about some interesting stories in Beijing, talked about some family matters, and occasionally asked her about the scenery of Taozhou. After a few words, she felt a lot more relaxed.
As dusk fell, the house was lit with candles. The two of them sat across from each other at the table, drinking and chatting. Sister Xuan was playing with her painted pony on a soft blanket beside them, looking very well-behaved.
Zhe Rou tilted her head and looked for a while, with a smile unconsciously on her face. Xuan Jie'er seemed to like her very much. Seeing that she smiled at her, she threw away the pony, crawled over grunting, pulled her sleeve, and rubbed it with a babbling sound.
Zhe Rou's heart softened suddenly, and she couldn't help but reach out her hand, pick up Xuan Jie'er, and put her in her arms to tease her.
Although she herself had never given birth, she had treated many young children and was very familiar with the posture of holding a child. Xuan Jie'er arched her back comfortably in her arms, stretched out a chubby little hand, gently placed the palm of her hand on her cheek, and suddenly grinned and giggled.
Lu Chen finished his shift and returned to the villa. As soon as he lifted the curtain and stepped into the inner room, he saw this scene and stopped in his tracks.
I felt as if someone had grabbed my chest tightly, and a sharp bitter taste suddenly rose in my nose.
The hands hanging by his side clenched and unclenched, the knuckles faintly white. After a long while, Lu Chen stepped into the inner room. Although he was speaking to Lu Wan, his eyes were fixed on the two people, one large and one small, in the deep candlelight. "Wan Niang."
Lu Wan looked up at the sound, her brows curved, "Brother is back."
Lu Chen responded indifferently.
As soon as she heard Lu Chen's footsteps, Zhe Rou turned away, pretending he wasn't there. Lu Chen didn't seem to mind. He walked closer, teased Xuan Jie'er, and gave Zhe Rou a deep look. Then, he tactfully stopped, allowing her and Lu Wan to talk freely.
Even though he was gone, the atmosphere in the room had already become somewhat tense. Lu Wan was aware of the situation, but she didn't show it at all. She continued to serve Zhe Rou dishes and add wine with a smile. She picked up a piece of golden tripe with ivory chopsticks and gently placed it in the white porcelain bowl in front of Zhe Rou.
"Auntie, try this." Lu Wan shared with her enthusiastically with a smile on her face, "Pan Lou has recently introduced a new dish. I heard that the chef is from the north. I think it should suit your appetite, Auntie."
Zhe Rou said no more, just raised her face and smiled faintly, then lowered her head and drank two more cups of wine.
The rose dew that Pan Lou had just released was light in taste with a slight aftertaste of sweetness. She was unhappy and drank a lot without realizing it. The alcohol gradually took over and she felt a little dizzy.
At the end of the meal, she was getting drunk and was leaning on the pillow, drowsy. The maid beside her saw this and stood up to help her back to her room.
"Wait." Lu Wan hurriedly called out, then turned and whispered to her nanny, "Go find my brother quickly."
Lu Chen received the letter and rushed over quickly.
However, his chest wound had not healed yet, so it was inconvenient for him to hug her with force. He simply turned around, bent down and carried her on his back.
Zhe Rou was really drunk and barely struggled, letting him carry her back.
Lu Chen walked down the stone steps, and the person on his back shook a little, and his lips accidentally brushed against the end of his hair.
Lu Chen's footsteps suddenly paused.
That year in the City God Temple in Taozhou, his knee injury was about to heal. For a moment, the young man was full of vigor and blurted out that he wanted to carry her for a few laps to try.
I felt something was wrong the moment I said it, but if I regretted it immediately it would seem even more wrong, so I could only bite the bullet and pretend nothing happened.
She obediently taught him to carry her on her back, her small body tensed, and she held his neck motionless, as if she was holding her breath. But when they bumped along a road, she pretended to be careless and secretly kissed the end of his hair on the back of his neck, lightly touching and leaving immediately.
She thought he didn't know.
In fact, he noticed it very clearly.
But at that time he was so embarrassed that he lost his composure. His mind went blank for a moment, his heart was beating so fast that it was about to burst out, and his chest was aching. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth he would reveal the clue, so he could only pretend that he was unaware.
Thinking about it now, both of their heartbeats were in a mess, pressed against each other across his back, so how could they tell whose heart was beating as fast as a drum?
The night wind rustled across his cheeks, and Lu Chen's eyes suddenly felt hot. His heart felt like it had been hit hard by a punch. The pain made him almost bend over, and he lost all strength and almost couldn't stand.
Zhe Rou was so drunk that she didn't notice him stopping and just lay quietly on his back.
Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled a few times, and he lifted her up again, carried her back to the main room, placed her on the couch, untied her coat, took off her shoes and socks, and then lay down beside her.
Zhe Rou was awakened by thirst in the night. As soon as she moved, warm tea was brought to her lips.
The alcohol in Rose Dew's drink was not too strong, she was just a little dizzy at the time. Now she slept until the second half of the night and drank a few cups of warm tea, and most of the alcohol had dissipated.
Zhe Rou regained consciousness and realized that Lu Chen was right beside her. She immediately turned over, facing the inside of the bed, with only her back facing him.
Just as she was about to close her eyes and fall asleep, she suddenly heard him whisper in a hoarse voice, "Sister Xuan seems to like you very much."
Zhe Rou paused slightly, pursed her lips, and ignored it.
There was a rustling sound behind her, and Lu Chen's arms went around her waist, hugging her from behind.
He remained silent and said nothing, but gently placed his warm palm on her lower abdomen, stroking it very slowly and lightly, again and again.
But the meaning is clear enough.
Zhe Rou bit her lip, her heart aching uncontrollably. Just as she was about to slap his hand away, she suddenly felt a heat on the back of her neck, as if a line of moisture slowly flowed into her neck.
Her whole body stiffened and her breathing stagnated for a moment.
The inside of the tent was eerily quiet for a moment, with only the deliberately suppressed breathing sounds of the two people intertwined and particularly clear in the darkness.
After a long silence, Lu Chen spoke softly in the darkness, "It's my fault... Xiaoxiao, I shouldn't have..." His Adam's apple rolled up and down a few times, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I shouldn't have made you suffer like this."
Zhe Rou was stunned.
In a moment, her fingertips unconsciously clenched the quilt, and tears slid down silently, sinking into her temples and slowly seeping into the pillow.
She originally thought that time had passed and she no longer cared about the past, but when she heard such a sentence, the grievances and unwillingness accumulated in her heart surged up, making her eyes sore and hot, and she couldn't stop crying.
Lu Chen noticed something strange and reached out to touch her cheek, feeling wetness instantly.
His movements froze for a moment, then he used a little force to turn her body over and lowered his head to kiss her.
Zhe Rou turned her face away.
He also chased after her, but no longer used brute force. He just pecked and kissed her slowly, sucking gently, his tongue vaguely tracing the outline of her lips. He held her soft cheek in his palm and slowly stroked it with his thumb, full of deliberate intimacy and flattery.
Zhe Rou's breathing became slightly disordered.
It seems that only in the long and dark night, when we cannot see each other clearly, and can only snuggle up to and feel the warmth of a familiar body, can we taste some of the tenderness and warmth of the past.
The next day, at daybreak, Lu Chen got up and prepared to go on duty, but Zhe Rou was still asleep.
He stood up and wanted to leave, but then sat quietly beside the couch, watching her silently for a long time. Finally, he tucked the corner of the quilt for her, then went back to the study and asked Nan Heng to come and help him change the medicine.
After changing the medicine, Nan Heng packed up the bloodstained cloth and medicine bottle and was about to leave. When he reached the door, Lu Chen suddenly called out from behind, "Leave the Hongshengdan."
Nan Heng was stunned when he heard this, "My dear, this medicine has already been used today."
Lu Chen said "hmm" lightly, "I know."
Nan Heng's movements were slightly stiff, and he unconsciously clenched the medicine bottle, and said with a stiff face: "My dear, Doctor Chen has specifically instructed that this medicine contains lead and mercury. Although it can remove dead tissue and regenerate new flesh, the daily dosage should not be too much, otherwise it will only cause more serious injuries." Lu Chen raised his eyes and glanced at him.
Nan Heng's heart trembled, and he didn't dare to persuade her anymore. He could only lower his head and return the bottle of Hongshengdan in his hand.
Lu Chen took the medicine bottle casually and pushed open the cloth stopper.
A vermilion pill rolled into his palm. He applied a little force with his fingertips and crushed the pill into powder.
The wound caused by the silver hairpin was narrow and deep, so a medicine twist made of clean fine cloth was needed to push the medicine powder into the deep part of the wound little by little.
Lu Chen calmly pressed the medicine twist in. His breathing became faster, veins on his forehead bulged, and cold sweat slid down his temples.
He endured it until the burning effect of the medicine had completely seeped into his skin and flesh, turning into a dull numbing pain. Only then did he take the fine cloth beside him and wrap the wound in circles.
He had used the wrong method before.
——She is clearly the type of person who responds to soft words and not to harsh ones.
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