"I... I'll go out first," Lu Wuxie said. Seeing Zhong Li looking at him with a mixture of astonishment, shyness, and confusion, he quickly realized his faux pas and hurried out after leaving the remark.
Zhong Li, her cheeks flushed a deep red, carefully slid out from under the covers. She slipped on her embroidered shoes, intending to find some warm clothes from the wardrobe.
The wardrobe wasn't far, but the warmth of the bed had made her sensitive to the cold. A shiver ran through her as soon as she felt the chill.
She tiptoed to the wardrobe and began to rummage through it.
Lu Wuxie stood at the doorway, holding a food box. He looked like a well-behaved, docile child being punished by standing outside the classroom.
The sun was already setting, casting long shadows. The slanting rays of light illuminated him, making his tall, elegant figure even more striking.
"Ah! Ouch..."
Just as he was idly watching Auntie Awen next door feed her chickens, a muffled groan came from the house behind him.
This was immediately followed by the sound of a toppled stool.
Lu Wuxie tensed and pushed the door open.
"Lier, are you alright..." His words caught in his throat.
He saw Zhong Li on the floor, half-dressed in an inner garment, looking disheveled. The stool lay overturned nearby, the wardrobe door ajar, and several women's garments pulled out.
"Mo Cang..." Zhong Li’s eyes welled up slightly. "I was just trying to change my clothes."
Lu Wuxie’s eyes glistened. He said nothing more. He closed the door behind him with a flick of his wrist, set down the food box, and walked over to her, scooping her up into his arms.
Silence filled the room, broken only by the soft rustle of clothes being changed.
Lu Wuxie sat facing Zhong Li, his gaze lowered as he busied himself with the task at hand. He seemed to cherish the items in his hands, his every movement gentle and careful.
Zhong Li watched Lu Wuxie. Some time had passed since he had rushed in. He had been helping her dress all this while, not uttering a single word.
When the last embroidered shoe was placed on her foot,
Zhong Li could no longer help but ask, "Mo Cang, are you... angry?"
Lu Wuxie, who had just finished washing his hands and was about to open the food box, paused at her question, but did not answer.
Zhong Li stood up, looked at the now tidied wardrobe, closed the door, and walked over to him, asking again.
Lu Wuxie still did not reply.
Zhong Li lowered her gaze to the dishes on the table. "You've taken this dish out and put it back in so many times."
Finally, Lu Wuxie stopped what he was doing and met Zhong Li's gaze.
Just as Zhong Li was about to shy away, Lu Wuxie said, "Lier."
Zhong Li bit her lip.
He took a deep breath, walked over to her, and held her close. He seemed to want to embrace her tightly, but fearing he might hurt her, he settled for placing his hands on her back. "I don't know what position I hold in your heart, but... I don't care if you're willing to spend the rest of your life with me, I just hope you can rely on me a little more.
Otherwise, I feel like you might not need me, or that you might regret something at any moment."
Zhong Li listened to him, initially feeling confused. It wasn't until a less pleasant memory surfaced from the depths of her mind that she suddenly understood what Lu Wuxie was implying.
It seemed he was still bothered by her public declaration that she was unwilling to marry him at the banquet hosted by the envoy from Yingzhou.
She nestled into his embrace and smiled.
Lu Wuxie felt her body tremble and grew slightly annoyed, tightening his arms around her.
Zhong Li quickly spoke, "Mo Cang, it's not that I don't rely on you, it's just that I feel... embarrassed."
Lu Wuxie looked bewildered.
"When I woke up and found medicine applied to my arm, I could naturally guess who had done it. However... after experiencing so much, and with all the vows and promises made before, I don't know if they still count. Furthermore, we are not yet married... I..."
"Lier!" Lu Wuxie looked at the woman opposite him, her cheeks as red as the evening clouds outside. Moved by the moment, he softly interrupted her almost-finished sweet words. He knew Zhong Li was a shy person, and it must have taken her a great deal of courage to say this much.
Zhong Li looked up at him, her eyes like water reflecting only his image.
"Are you... willing to marry me?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li pursed her lips, remaining silent.
"What is it..." Lu Wuxie grew anxious.
Zhong Li said, "Where I come from, this is called proposing, and it requires a betrothal gift."
"Hmm?" Lu Wuxie didn't understand. Didn't the bracelet count? Didn't the rouge count?
"It's a ring!" Zhong Li said, holding out her hand. "It represents holding hands, tightly securing this person."
Lu Wuxie understood and casually slipped a white jade thumb ring from his finger onto hers.
The thumb ring was a little large, looking like a chubby person doing a hula-hoop on Zhong Li's slender, white fingers.
Zhong Li found it amusing and couldn't help but smile.
Seeing her like this, Lu Wuxie's anxieties largely dissipated. Catching her off guard, he scooped her up and placed her onto the table.
"Ah!" Zhong Li, surprised by his action, lost her balance and fell into Lu Wuxie's arms.
"Lier," Lu Wuxie reached out to tidy her slightly messy hair, cupping her face. "I really want... to kiss you forcefully."
As he spoke, he no longer waited for her consent. His thumb brushed against her lips, and his thin lips pressed deeply onto hers.
The afterglow of the sun faded, replaced by the rising moon. The late autumn wind was still quite strong, rustling the branches of the sole pear blossom tree in the courtyard.
-------------------------------------
The Crown Prince's Estate.
Crash! Crash!
Lu Yuanhong sat before his desk, hurling all the brushes, ink, paper, and books onto the ground. As if still not appeased, he walked to the table and prepared to smash a purple clay teapot onto the floor.
"Crown Prince!" Eunuch Yun rushed in upon hearing the commotion and took the purple clay teapot from his hands.
Seeing the arrival, Lu Yuanhong's anger slightly subsided. He plopped down onto a stool and said, "Your presence is timely, Eunuch. I just received word from Zipei, who serves the Empress, that something has happened at the Bei Tian An. Is it true?"
Eunuch Yun nodded, his expression no better. "It is true. The Dali Temple has turned the Bei Tian An upside down. The Wu family bank is likely finished."
"Scoundrel!" Lu Yuanhong slammed the table in anger. "Zhong Li! Zhong Li!"
Eunuch Yun, observing Lu Yuanhong's state, thought for a moment and said, "There is another matter that the Crown Prince should be aware of."
"What is it?" Lu Yuanhong asked.
"It's like this. Do you still remember the illegitimate daughter named Wang Mei from Magistrate Wang's household?"
"Wang Mei?" Lu Yuanhong thought for a moment, seeming to recall a vague impression but unable to remember her appearance.
Eunuch Yun coughed lightly twice. "The poetry gathering banquet."
Lu Yuanhong suddenly remembered, his cheeks flushing. "I have some impression. What about her?"
"She is carrying your child. Her Imperial Highness the Empress persuaded Magistrate Wang to send her to the Bei Tian An."
"What?" Lu Yuanhong stood up in shock.