Zhu Wuyang was immersed in the tenderness of this moment when suddenly, she started to beat his chest frantically.
"Hateful rogue! Get away! Don't touch me!"
Is she crying?
Feeling bewildered, he released her.
Her reddened eyes were like a rabbit.
"I want Fujun, Fujun..." She slid down to the ground and cradled her head as she cried.
How upsetting.
He felt extremely uncomfortable the moment she began to cry.
Why is this?
Zhu Wuyang squatted down and said in a hushed voice, "Don't cry. It's me, your Fujun. I was only teasing you."
Don't cry, little ancestor.
My heart will shatter.Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
He is good at appeasing his sister. It was easy to do so because he knew that all would be well as long as he fulfilled her demands.
But he was at a loss on how to console this person he became reluctant to harm.
When he was ten years old, his sister had only been born when his father died from an illness.
The responsibility of caring for the family rested on the shoulders of his delicate mother.
She became violent and depressed. So long as there was a trace of imperfection, he was subjected to endless scolding and torture.
No one taught him how to treasure the person he likes in the palm of his hand.
A sister and a spouse were two different things.
It was why he felt so helpless.
So please, don't cry anymore, all right?
His sobbing little lady raised her head then reached out to touch his face. As if confirming something, her touch was soft, like a warm ball of cotton.
He closed his eyes and indulged in it.
Pa——
There was a resounding slap.
The city lord was stunned.
Before he could get angry, the person flew into his chest, and through her heaving sobs, she said, "You villain...dare you try this again, I...I will kill you."
So, he relented.
How could he dare to pursue her 'previous misdeed'?
"Fine, fine, fine. As you command, Little Ancestor."
This little ancestor was becoming the bane of his existence.
After leaving the dark alley, the pair went to the temple fair hand in hand.
At this time, the city lord had thrown everyone he left at the manor to the back of his mind.
As they passed by a jewelry stall, the owner spoke up enthusiastically. "Sir, this shop has bought the latest batch of silver ornaments. There are bracelets and earrings. No money is required if you find anything that isn't exquisite! Would you like to buy something for your sister?"
Zhu Wuyang felt a bit unhappy. "Sister? She is my furen."
The stall owner was stunned for a moment before trying to smooth the situation over with a laugh.
Linlang tugged at his sleeve. Contrary to expectations, she didn't mind at all. She giggled as she said, "Fool, have you never heard that old couples resemble one another? When spouses get along for a long time, they begin to look alike. That's why he mistook you for my brother."
The stall owner sent a grateful look her way.
The man's cloudy expression immediately cleared up. He was more than happy to buy everything in the stall. His generosity nearly frightened the owner.
———
Linlang yelled for him to choose yet a different festival lantern. She kept insisting that he had to pick the most artistic one.
The city lord was getting a headache.
He reads books about governing and the climate, such as what kind of crops to plant during what season. However, he has never had much time to read classical poems. Was his artistic sense that lacking?
He examined them again. Finally, his eyes lit up, and he chose a red hexagon lantern.
Linlang glanced at it. On the surface, it said:
Last year on this moonlit spring night,
Lanterns in Flower Fair were bright.
The moon rose above the willow tree,
At dusk he had a tryst with me.
Zhu Wuyang proudly handed it over to her.
Girls normally like dreamy poems like this, don't they?
Linlang laughed softly.
He must not know the second half of this poem.
But at this moment, the man's eyes were glistening.
An unparalleled talent, yet he dedicated himself solely to a single person.
"Fujun, I want to eat candied fruit!"
Linlang pointed to the topmost gourd string.
"Very well."Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
Taking advantage of his height, he easily picked it up as soon as he stretched out his hand. Just when he was about to pay, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a cold glint.
Bang——
He kicked the attacking hawker and backed away with his arms around Linlang.
The guards hiding in the crowd immediately surrounded the couple.
"Take care of Furen!"
Zhu Wuyang spoke in a low voice then turned around to face the assassins.
———Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
Linlang was transported to a safe place by the guards and sat in a restaurant. This property was owned by the Zhu family. Special guards protected this place, and not just anyone could make their way inside.
The watchman's clappers sounded the third night watch1, and the whistling wind blew ever more urgently.
Creak——
The door was pushed open.
A man in dark garments and crimson sleeves stepped inside. He had the graceful appearance of a prestigious noble, but for some reason, there was a murderous aura in the cold eyes that focused Linlang.
It was as though he was looking at a dead person.
"Fujun"!
In the next moment, the woman who was leaning spiritlessly against the window threw herself into his arms.
He wanted to avoid her, but after moving his foot, he chose thought better of it.
Those delicate hands belonging to a willful owner hugged his stomach.
The man sniffed the faint fragrance in her hair and narrowed his pair of indifferent phoenix eyes.
Woman.
A supple woman.
Tsk, her neck is so fragile that he could easily strangle her to death.
"Are you all right? You were gone so long, I was worried to death!" The corners of her eyes were red. She was patting him all over the place, twisting here, and pinching there. She seemed to want confirmation that he was completely intact.
Zhu Wuyang grabbed her hands with a blank expression and said, "I'm fine."
Following that, he felt an ache on his feet.
Linlang stepped on them and kissed him on tiptoe.
Zhu Wuyang was taken aback for a moment. He could only see the charming face drawing closer.
He was never one to wrong himself.
The man put his arm around her neck, grabbed her chin with his other hand, then drove straight in without a show of tenderness.
Linlang instantly thought of a word.
Bandit.
She could smell the strong stench of fresh blood.
It would seem that there's something off about the city lord.
They took a carriage back to the residence.
Linlang propped her chin and watched the man resting with his eyes closed.
His face was picturesque, that heart of his was grotesque.
"Why have you been staring at me?" His voice was like smooth water.
"Stones resembling jade, pines resembling jadeite. Lang Yan is unlike any other in this world2."
"Use human words."
"Fujun, you are incredibly handsome."
"..."
He opened his eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched when he asked, "How handsome?"
Is he teasing her back?
Linlang was very calm. "Enough to make me want to bind Fujun with a rope, lest you run off with some other girl."
"Oh?"
He raised his chin slightly. There was an indolent quality in his eyes. He gestured for her to lean closer.
"Then come here and take good care of me."
Those indulging words he breathed was enough to disturb a pool of spring water.
Just as Linlang raised her skirt and bent down to sit next to him, the carriage jostled, causing her to trip on herself.
A strong arm encircled her waist. She heard a charming smile in the voice right next to her ear. "Furen, is this a hug? Are you so happy because of your fujun?"
Sharp teeth gently grazed the girl's earlobe.
He really wants to rip her up and have his fill.
"Fujun, it hurts."
Her mousy voice numbed his whole heart.
Zhu Wuyang's brows and eyes were dyed with a seductive shade. Leaning over, he made his way down. Right now, he just wants to bully this reckless girl.
Unexpectedly, while he was drunk on the infatuation, a cold blade was pressed against his neck without any hesitation.
Blood seeped out.
Her hair was in disarray, and though her face was still flushed, the expression in her eyes was cold. "Who are you, and why are you impersonating my fujun?"
Was he recognized so quickly?
Does that mean she's been playing along to make him relax his vigilance?
Zhu Wuyang's lean chest rumbled from his low laughter, and his eyes had an air of wickedness. "Wife, you truly make me like you even more."
There was a stab of pain on his neck, but his excitement heightened.
He still wanted to carry on his misdeeds, but she only sneered and raised the hilt of the knife.
The man's smile was captivating. "Are you not certain that I'm Zhu Wuyang? Furen, I am saddened by your suspicions."
"I have no time to clash words with you. Hurry up and explain yourself, or I will cut your neck."
Linlang had actually thought of a possibility.Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
In the plot, Zhen Linlang became pregnant soon after she married into the Zhu family.
Zhu Wuyang had to have been very clear about matters between men and women.
But in these days, he was no different from an inexperienced boy. He was either fainting from a kiss or stupidly thinking that sleeping under the same cover was equivalent to consummating a marriage. Anyone could tell that he was a reserved man who never came into close contact with women.
Is it a dissociative disorder?
This came as a surprise.
It's no wonder the mission level was so high.
Linlang's eyes were lowered. The man with disheveled hair placed his hands behind his head and smiled at her. "If you can be so cruel, then do it. But I must say, you will never see your dear fujun again."
"Are you threatening me?" She narrowed her eyes.
This arrogant personality deserves a good spanking.
He is not cute at all!
"How can this be considered to be a threat? How should I put it, I'm that kid's guardian. I have done a lot of sordid things for him, committing murder, arson, and the like. He is good, as clean as a white sheet of paper, whereas I'm a deep mire devoid of peace."
He was smiling wickedly, but tears had trickled down to the corners of his lips. The sight had a confounding charm.
"What, do you think I'm a cold-blooded criminal?
"On what grounds is my existence unacceptable?"
The dagger on his neck loosened slightly.
Through the hazy tears, he saw the hesitation in her yes.
Haha, so easy to swindle.
He was scarce to realize that the veteran actress was thinking: Who doesn't like to compete in the same play?
The two-faced pair had a belly full of sinister motives.
"I don't know whether to believe you," she said. Her brows were slightly furrowed.
The man blinked his teardrops away to make himself look pitiful.
"I can prove it."
"You have a red mole on your left ear and another on—"
Linlang knew everything there was to know about this body, not to mention what that darn mouth was about to say next.
She had a smile on her face as she skillfully blocked his mouth with her handkerchief. "I will believe you for the time being."
"..."
The man rejoiced to himself. Fortunately, he wasn't stuffed with a smelly sock.
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The author has something to say:-
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Last year on this moonlit spring night,
Lanterns in Flower Fair were bright.
The moon rose above the willow tree,
At dusk he had a tryst with me.
This year on the same moonlit night,
The moon and lanterns are as bright.
Where is my beloved of last year?
My sleeves are wet with tear on tear.
—— by Ouyang Xiu (Song Dynasty)3
Third night watchapproximately 11:00pm to 1:00am↩︎
T/Na line from the ancient song 'Bai Shi Lang Qu' that hails the beauty of a male god. In practice, people use this quote to complement a man as being super gorgeous↩︎