Chapter 188:
She abruptly opened her eyes, wanting to retreat inward, but her shoulders were tightly encircled.
“Be good… I was scaring you,” Lu Ziyan soothed in a low voice, asking: “Is anywhere uncomfortable?”
“Let go of me…” Xie Wanning pressed her hand against his chest, at least keeping the two from being pressed so tightly. She wanted to sternly scold him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her voice was soft and powerless.
“What if I can’t let go?” Lu Ziyan laughed upon hearing this. He drawled slowly: “I really can’t let go.”
That laughter was full of roguish charm. Xie Wanning only heard the teasing in it, and her already unpleasant complexion instantly turned cold.
Seeing this, Lu Ziyan dared not tease her anymore. After releasing her, he asked softly: “Are you hungry?”
Xie Wanning rolled up the quilt and shrank to the innermost side, remaining silent upon hearing this.
He reached out to grasp her shoulder, but after she hurriedly avoided it, he slowly withdrew his hand.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Ziyan’s voice also faded somewhat. He looked at her dark hair and said: “Am I not as considerate as Wanwan’s husband? Were you not satisfied with my performance last night?”
He still dared to mention Pei Yuqing!
Xie Wanning’s whole body stiffened. She abruptly sat up, grabbed the soft pillow, and smashed it fiercely at him. “So you know I have a husband!”
“You mean that old and weak man who only has a belly full of schemes? Since he can’t protect you, he should step aside gracefully.” Lu Ziyan sneered coldly, snatched the pillow and tossed it aside, gripped her wrist, pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly. “Wanwan, haven’t you recognized reality yet? He can’t keep you.”
“Whether he can keep me or not isn’t up to you! We have a marriage certificate! He and I are the legitimate couple!” Tears welled up in Xie Wanning’s eyes. She gritted her teeth and struggled. “What does this make us now? Adulterous lovers?”
She had decided to start over with him, but no matter what, she had to settle things with Pei Yuqing first.
Not like this, bearing the identity of a Pei Family wife while having a tryst with him!
Adulterous lovers!
Lu Ziyan’s jaw tightened. “Have you forgotten? We are also a couple.”
“I only remember you as the fiancé who canceled our engagement. Wake up—past life memories don’t count. You’re a robber!” Such sophistry made Xie Wanning laugh in anger. “You only know how to satisfy your own selfish desires. When have you ever considered my feelings!”
“Am I not considerate enough of your feelings?” Lu Ziyan forcibly suppressed the sour pain in his heart, gritted his teeth, and smiled. “Last night when those legs of yours wrapped around my waist, you weren’t saying that. Is Wanwan planning to use me and then turn your face away?”
Qi and blood surged. He began going mad again, one hand clamping her waist, the other probing into the brocade quilt, sliding upward along her constantly struggling thigh, while teasing in a low voice: “Past life couple is still a couple. We fit so well—can he be better than me? Were you that passionate, that tight with him…”
“Shut up, stop it!” Constant struggling was useless. Xie Wanning’s mind went blank. The hand pinching his neck suddenly swung, and a crisp slap landed on his face.
The room finally fell quiet.
Their four eyes met. Two pairs of red eyes stared at each other, each seeing the pain in the other’s gaze, motionless.
That detestable hand also stopped moving. After a moment, Lu Ziyan withdrew his hand, his face ashen as death.
“You said you wanted to start over with me.” He held her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and hoarse: “How joyful I was then, and how much I hated you when I realized you were deceiving me. Even if it’s my own fault, even if I’m forcing it, but Wanwan… you can’t trample my feelings like this.”
Past life and this life, he gave her all his true heart, all his affection, even his humanity, only to be answered with ‘adulterous lovers’.
She had clearly relented, her attitude toward him softening, and he had thought with all his heart that he had seen the dawn of hope. In the end, she was deceiving him.
Everything she did was to preserve herself for another man, to return to his embrace.
They were true love, while he was the robber, the adulterer, the villain breaking up the loving couple.
Lu Ziyan smiled bitterly. “If this is punishment, why didn’t you kill me with one stroke that day?”
Xie Wanning was unknowingly already in tears, unsure if it was for the man before her who was in such despair that she was at a loss, or for the man far away to whom she had promised to wait obediently at home for his return.
Thinking of Pei Yuqing, her chest ached dully. “It’s my fault. I’m the one who let him down. I’m the one who trampled his feelings.”
Lu Ziyan’s whole body stiffened. He lifted his head from her shoulder and stared fixedly at her tear-streaked face, at her anguished expression as if the sky had collapsed. His face was cold as frost.
He wanted to question her harshly, to rage madly, to flay that sickly person alive with one knife stroke after another right in front of her.
He’s that good, making you think of him so obsessively?
Letting him go makes you this pained?
The two who had been passionately entwined last night, sharing in the fall, now gazed at each other with chilled hearts.
…………
That day, Xie Wanning was carried onto the carriage. Her legs were sore and soft; she couldn’t stand steadily after getting off the couch, let alone walk.
Two lives as a person, and this was the first time she had been tormented to such a degree, while he seemed not yet satisfied… His reaction was obvious when helping her put on clothes.
…Only when the facts were laid bare did Xie Wanning realize that in her past life, he might truly have been as restrained as he claimed on the bed.
At lunchtime, the carriage stopped, but Xie Wanning didn’t get out. Lu Ziyan personally brought the meal up.
Seeing the young lady lying motionless on the couch, he reached out to grasp her shoulder and asked softly: “Can you sit up?”
“…” Xie Wanning was silent. She didn’t know whether she should be shy or angry. In the end, relying on a stubborn spirit, she firmly sat up.
“Does it hurt? Should I apply some medicine?” Lu Ziyan said: “It was my fault for losing control. I promise to be gentler in the future.”
“In the future?” The hand holding the bowl stiffened. Xie Wanning raised her eyes, looking at him warily. “Last night’s matter—you want to do it how many more times?”
Lu Ziyan was speechless for a long time. Xie Wanning added: “Not even once more!”
“You’re making things difficult for me.” Lu Ziyan’s voice was faint, a gloomy flash crossing his stern face. “Wanwan, I can’t stop touching you. Don’t use that marriage certificate to refuse me. The day I saved you, I sent a letter via Yun Jin to the capital city, asking His Majesty to decree the annulment of your marriage. By the dates, it should have arrived.”
Xie Wanning was unaware of this. Upon hearing it, she frowned and said: “Will His Majesty agree?”
“He will agree.” Lu Ziyan smiled slightly. “Tomorrow we’ll arrive at the Northern Frontier. Wanwan, since you care so much about status, how about we hold a wedding there?”
In her past life, though their wedding was grand and magnificent, rumors with Liu Manrou had spread throughout the capital city. Thinking back now, it had indeed wronged her.
Since they were starting over, they should hold a new wedding to inform the world.
But the Northern Region was bitterly cold, with only flying desert sands and ruined walls, no hordes of servants to attend— it would still wrong her somewhat…
He thought for a moment and added: “Otherwise, we’ll hold one in the Northern Region first, and then a grand one after returning to the capital city.”
Seeing him jump to marriage in just a few words, Xie Wanning ignored the rule of no talking while eating and hurriedly swallowed the rice in her mouth, refusing: “No!”
Her previously gentle gaze darkened. His tone was calm: “Wanwan doesn’t want to give me status?”
“…” Xie Wanning was speechless for a long time, saying with difficulty: “Marriage is no trifling matter… How can it be so hasty?”
“Is that so?” He hooked his lips in a smile. “Wasn’t it hasty when you married him?”
This topic couldn’t be brought up—once it was, his killing intent boiled.
Even if that murderous aura wasn’t directed at her, Xie Wanning sensed it. Her figure tensed slightly as she probed softly: “If… if I start over with you, can you let Pei Yuqing go?”
That day he had threatened to chop Pei Yuqing into minced meat…
This man always kept his word. She had personally seen Jin People chopped into minced meat, seen him crush Jin Wuji’s hand bones, slice off his ears, and gouge out his eyes.
Just imagining Pei Yuqing suffering such tortures someday made Xie Wanning feel ice-cold in her limbs and torso.
…She had already wronged Pei Yuqing. How could she let him fall into such a state because of her?
No way!
Her face paled. Lu Ziyan saw it and felt extremely displeased, saying with a half-smile: “It really makes me seem like the villain breaking up the loving couple.”
The reality she least wanted to face was laid bare: she had true feelings for that sickly person. They were a loving couple, forced to bow to him, this villain, for her husband’s safety, submitting her body to him.
How long had it been—how could she have developed true emotions for him!
“Promise me you won’t kill innocents anymore, and won’t lay a hand on Pei Yuqing.” Xie Wanning gripped his sleeve and said softly: “Promise me these, and I… am willing to marry you again.”
I am willing to marry you again…
Lu Ziyan’s expression froze, his gaze blanking for an instant.
He had almost forgotten how long he had waited for these words.
Such a heartless young lady—severing emotions without hesitation, marrying without hesitation. No matter how much he suffered in despair, went mad with regret, she wouldn’t turn back to glance at him.
She no longer loved him in her heart, even disdaining and disgusted with him.
Yet now she nodded, saying she was willing to marry him again.
Such moving words, yet with the premise he least wanted to hear.
Lu Ziyan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and suppressed the questioning words on the tip of his tongue.
She loved that old man so much, enough to endure her disgust and marry him, just to make him spare the other?
For some reason, the man’s eyes opposite gradually reddened. That emotionless gaze stared deeply at her, bright and dim for a long time, before he slowly nodded. “Good, I promise you.”
Xie Wanning’s expression relaxed, but she looked at him suspiciously, not expecting him to agree so readily.
Lu Ziyan smiled faintly, reached out to pat her little head, and coaxed: “Eat your meal. It’s getting cold.”
He was clearly only two years older than her, and previously had a cold and aloof temperament, yet lately he had become increasingly skilled at coaxing her.
Xie Wanning lowered her head uncomfortably, focusing on eating.
…………
That night, after recuperating for a day and able to move freely, Xie Wanning emerged from the bathhouse to find Lu Ziyan had entered her room at some point and was sitting on her couch.
Hearing her footsteps approaching, he looked up. Before she could chase him out, he said: “Tonight I’ll just hold you to sleep. I guarantee I won’t touch you.”
The hand drying her hair paused. Xie Wanning pursed her lips. “I don’t believe you.”
With him here, he was an insatiable hungry wolf, the culprit for her lying in the carriage all day.
Her tone carried too much accusation. Lu Ziyan touched his nose, entirely without guilty conscience. “I know my limits. Even if you want it, I won’t give it.”
“I want it?” Xie Wanning was amused to anger by his shamelessness and blurted out: “When did I ever want you?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew it was bad.
Given his current sensitivity…
Sure enough, the previously roguish Lu Ziyan sobered, quietly looking at her.
Under that gaze, Xie Wanning said dryly: “You can’t talk nonsense from now on.”
Lu Ziyan said nothing, stood up, gripped her wrist, sat her on his lap, and stroked her wet hair.
The Northern Region weather was unbearably cold, travel conditions poor, no underfloor heating in the room, no maid to help dry her hair. In such cold, wet long hair could cause wind-cold headache—she had had a high fever just a few days ago…
A wave of steaming heat rose from her hair strands, and the still-dripping wet hair dried quickly.
Lifting the bedding, Lu Ziyan lay down holding her, lips to her ear as he asked softly: “Still swollen?”
Xie Wanning blinked, finally realizing what he meant. Her face flushed red as she pinched his arm. “If you talk nonsense again, get out.”
His arm was rock-hard, all muscle. Her strength wasn’t even enough to tickle.
Lu Ziyan chuckled and kissed her neck. “So fragrant.”
They were rushing on a arduous journey with poor conditions, no scented powder or hair oil, yet she still had a heart-penetrating fragrance drilling straight into his heart.
“Can’t fool around.” Xie Wanning was somewhat afraid. She bent her knee to kick him away, but he seized the chance to wedge in.
Her leg was again hooked over his, and Xie Wanning gasped in cold air. “No, really no!”
“…I know.” Lu Ziyan was speechless for a long time, then suddenly laughed. “Why so afraid? Even if I’m a beast, I’m not in such a hurry.”
…If he weren’t still pressed against her leg, these words might be more convincing.
Xie Wanning gritted her teeth. “My legs are sore. Get down!”
Yesterday he had kept one position until dawn.
Her legs had been wrapped around his waist until dawn…
Lu Ziyan wanted to laugh again, but this time he held back. Instead, he lowered his head for a fierce kiss, then obediently rolled off.
“It was this husband’s lack of consideration, failing to notice Wanwan’s discomfort.” His hand rubbed her thigh. “I should have rubbed it for you earlier.”
Such a delicate young lady—taking a carriage when traveling, carried in a sedan even for short walks at home. Her legs rarely exerted such effort.
Don’t say it, though Young Lord Lu had never done servant work, his pressure was surprisingly perfect, his hands very proper, without any intention of going higher.
