Meng Huan had an expression of immense admiration, eagerly desiring to share a room with him.
However, he was gambling, wagering on whether Lin Bozhou would truly make a move on him.
In the book, Lin Bozhou's arrogance was evident to all. He once uttered a phrase:
"In this half of my life, I am most skilled at making the unbending spine bend, shattering the firm white jade, polluting the clear flowing water, making those who hate me kneel, and forcing arrogant individuals to submit. But I never force others to love me against their will."
This was his arrogance. People deeply despised him, and he also harbored deep disdain for others. Only the strong were worthy of his gaze, while submissive individuals were unworthy.
After playing the role of a submissive person, Meng Huan spoke and quietly waited, feeling an indescribable tension in his back. He locked eyes with Lin Bozhou.
Lin Bozhou's eyes, reflected in the flickering firelight, were like deep blood. After a moment, he raised his finger and gently touched Meng Huan's forehead. "Deceiver."
"Ah?" Meng Huan tilted his head in response to his poking.
Lin Bozhou poked again. "I said, deceiver."
Meng Huan: "..."
In a very low voice, accompanied by a slight ripple, Meng Huan stood still for a moment.
"Treating others like fools? Acting out a script?" Lin Bozhou gestured to those around him. "If you don't want to share the bed, then go back and sleep. Someone, bring the lantern."
"..."
A servant stood by the door, waiting.
Understanding that Lin Bozhou didn't want to be with him tonight, Meng Huan's mood suddenly eased. But the tension vanished, leaving a slight chill on his forehead where he was lightly touched. His heart felt empty.
The word "deceiver" echoed in his ears, unexpectedly, it seemed that Lin Bozhou wasn't very angry. He simply found it uninteresting.
Of course, Lin Bozhou liked intelligence, a broad-minded person capable of challenging him. With his overwhelming power, those around him were always seeking his favor. Having another fawning face by his side naturally held no attraction for him.
It seems the strategy of acting indifferent and unremarkable is effective, Meng Huan thought to himself.
But... this way, he wouldn't be able to captivate Lin Bozhou.
It felt like his heart was stabbed by a dull knife as Meng Huan felt a bit gloomy.
But no matter what, he had won tonight.
Meng Huan stood with hands behind his back, achieving victory in the game of intrigue for the first time, wearing a profound expression and taking deep steps back.
In the courtyard, the maids and servants were cracking melon seeds and speculating, "When do you think the Lord and the Lady will sleep tonight?"
"Hehehe, they probably won't sleep, they'll keep at it until dawn!"
"You rascal! Always saying improper things!"
They were enthusiastically discussing when they heard a crisp and tender voice saying, "I'm back!"
They all turned their heads and saw Meng Huan entering the courtyard with hands behind his back, looking profound.
Considering the time, it was still late at night, and he had just left not long ago but returned already. It was evident that he hadn't succeeded in sharing the bed. One of the maids dropped her melon seed shells and said, "Lady..."
Meng Huan also grabbed a handful of melon seeds. "What's the matter?"
The maids exchanged glances and asked, "Lady, did you not share the bed again?"
Meng
Huan happily replied, "No!"
"..."
The maids' expressions turned horrified.
In this era, love wasn't emphasized, and couples married without even seeing each other's faces under the covers. Other lords took concubines and slept with them on the same night, yet the Lady had undressed twice in front of the Lord but still failed to share the bed!
What did this mean? It meant that the Lady wasn't simply lacking favor; the Lord had some grievances and intentionally neglected her!
The maids started comforting her in a rush, "Lady, don't be too sad. Perhaps the Lord's eyesight has worsened recently, and he's busy with official duties, lacking great enthusiasm."
"It's not that the Lady's charm has faded."
"Lady, you are beautiful, well-spoken, and have an agreeable personality. Don't be sad just because of the Lord's temporary indifference..."
"?" Meng Huan replied, "I'm not sad."
"Lady, let's not talk about it. We understand." As they spoke, someone even wiped away tears.
This was the pitiful aspect of ancient wives and concubines, relying on men. If they didn't receive favor, it felt as if their life's value couldn't be realized, as if the heavens were collapsing.
Meng Huan attempted to console, "Even though the Lord refuses to be intimate with me, I still have good food and drinks. That's good enough."
"But..."
The maidservants exchanged glances. "But, Madam, if you can't receive the Lord's favor and fulfill your duties as a wife, it goes against the principles of human relations. It will become a subject of ridicule if it spreads to others!"
Help, the remnants of feudalism are truly terrifying.
"What's there to ridicule?" Meng Huan said seriously. "That's just their narrow-mindedness. Now, go out to the courtyard, look at the countless stars in the sky, listen to the chirping of cicadas and frogs on a summer night, feel the rustling sound of the wind passing through the treetops. Can't you feel the vastness and grandeur of life? Besides working and taking care of the family every day, there are many interesting things in life."
The maidservants remained silent.
Knowing that she couldn't change their deeply ingrained beliefs, Meng Huan lay down and walked toward the inner room. "Sisters, go to sleep, I'll sleep too."
"Yes, Madam."
The maidservants returned to their rooms, leaving only one male servant guarding the outer gate.
After the surroundings fell silent, Meng Huan patted the blanket and prepared to sleep.
However, there seemed to be a faint coolness on her forehead.
She remembered the gentle touch of Lin Bozhou lightly tapping her head, his posture elegant, and his expression seemingly filled with helplessness.
...It was warm.
Meng Huan raised her hand and lightly touched her forehead where he had touched.
It still felt warm.
Just thinking about Lin Bozhou's body temperature, her whole body felt as if it had caught a fever, uncontrollably warming up.
Meng Huan grumbled and turned over, burying her face in the blanket.
—Annoying, this "high compatibility" body.
In the following days, Meng Huan did not see Lin Bozhou.
She initially thought it was because the effectiveness of this shoddy trick was too strong. It was only when she overheard the maidservants chatting that she learned the truth—Lin Bozhou's eye ailment had healed, and he had returned to the court to handle affairs, resuming his previous busy state.
He had taken on the role of a powerful minister, and the atmosphere in the mansion was lively like never before. The servants of Lin Bozhou were very happy; the more powerful their master became, the more they enjoyed the glory.
Meng Huan thought to herself: Alright.
From another perspective, with Lin Bozhou starting his work, Meng Huan's happily solitary life began, hehehe.
She spent the whole morning painting in the courtyard. At noon, when she heard Fengzhi, a maidservant, calling for lunch, Meng Huan said, "Coming," and put down her brush, walking inside. However, when she saw the dishes, she exclaimed, "Why are there only three dishes and a soup? Initially, there were thirty dishes, then ten, and now it's just four?"
Fengzhi's face was filled with sadness. "Madam, alas."
Hearing her sigh, Meng Huan understood what was going on. "Because I'm not favored anymore?"
"Yes," Fengzhi nodded. "The servants in this mansion are very good at judging people based on their status. After the incident of Madam not being summoned that night spread, they became less enthusiastic and started neglecting Madam."
So that's how it is. Meng Huan sat down and looked at the dishes in
front of her. "It's not a big problem. Four dishes are enough."
Fengzhi smiled and said, "Madam is really easy to please."
To be honest, not only were the other servants in the mansion neglecting her, even the eight maids and eight male servants in this courtyard had started to neglect her. Only Fengzhi and a few sisters continued to take care of her.
Meng Huan asked Fengzhi to sit and eat together. As she was about to decline, a voice came from outside the door.
"Is Madam here?"
The voice sounded somewhat familiar, and Meng Huan, with a chicken leg in her mouth, vaguely raised her head and saw the figures of several maidservants and male servants.
Xu Fanggu, who had been punished by Lin Bozhou a while ago, stood at the door with a beaming smile. "Madam, are you having a meal?"
Meng Huan made a muffled sound, dropping the chicken leg into the bowl, and Fengzhi quickly stood up and walked towards the courtyard, apparently going to find someone but was blocked.
"Why are you leaving? Fengzhi, did the chamber pot in the courtyard spill? Go and empty it."
Fengzhi lowered her head. "It was emptied this morning."
"Hmm? But why do I smell something foul? Did you not handle the household chores properly?" After saying that, Xu Fanggu grabbed her collar and said, "Kneel down."
Her voice carried a tone of authority.
The atmosphere became tense.
Meng Huan no longer looked at the chicken leg but at Xu Fanggu in front of her, realizing something.