Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 9.2
***
When Lu Yan walked out of Xuanping Marquis Mansion, it was completely dark.
He stepped onto the carriage and closed his eyes for a long time. He thought of Meng Suxi’s sudden advance and retreat, and was too lazy to go back to deal with it. He said coldly: “I’m not going back home today. I’m going to the Zhu Yuan1(Bamboo Garden) Residence in the west.”
As soon as these words came out, Yang Zong was stunned for a moment and then he said weakly, “Master, we can’t go to Zhu Yuan.”
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Zong looked at the drunken appearance of his eldest son. Guessing that he had forgotten, he reminded him: “You forgot that, we collected the eight thousand copper coins a few days ago by selling the Zhu Yuan.”
As a matter of fact, a private house in Chang’an City costs a few hundred copper coins and in order to collect a full 8,000 copper coins, they have sold off a lot of assets.
Hearing this, Lu Yan said quietly, “Really?” He smiled, but there was an inexplicable annoyance in his eyes.
“Then shall we go back home?” Yang Zongdao.
“No, go to Chengyuan.”
He almost forgot that he has a mistress.
***
The night was slightly cold and quiet.
When Lu Yan arrived at Chengyuan, Shen Zhen had already fallen asleep. It was dark in Lanyue Pavilion and not a single light was on.
There was no one else in the courtyard except Shen Zhen and the two maids who were looking after her.
Shen Zhen slept very honestly and her slender body did not move even a whole night.
Lu Yan leaned against the doorframe, raised his eyes and looked at her back carefully. Even though she was covered with a quilt, he could still see the undulating outline of her body.
Lu Yan entered the room and deliberately made some noise, including the sound of footsteps and the moving of stools.
He had just drank wine and now his mouth was inexplicably dry. He lifted the kettle on the table, tilted it slowly and made the sound of water pouring into the cup.
Shen Zhen opened her eyes after a while. She clenched her little hands into fists, her body stiffened and she didn’t dare to turn back.
At this time, there was no one else who could break into Chengyuan without anyone stopping him, except him.
Lu Yan looked at Shen Zhen and noticed that the neck of the person at the corner of the bed was completely stiff, so he knew she was awake.
He raised his hand to take a sip of water, and then said coldly: “Is this how a mistress should behave?”
One sentence directly broke the tranquility in the room.
Shen Zhen heard the faint anger in his voice and suddenly felt that the bed was covered with nails. She had no choice but to bite her lower lip and get up bravely.
She silently approached him and whispered, “My lord.”
Lu Yan glanced at her and saw that she was neatly dressed, not even taking off her outer jacket. He doesn’t know who she was guarding against.
He said “hmm”, then stood up and faced her, spreading his arms.
Shen Zhen didn’t know what he meant at first. After their eyes met, she knew what she should do. But her palms were sweaty and she didn’t know where to start. After hesitating for a long time, she wrapped her arms around his waist and helped him undress.
But how could Shen Zhen, a legitimate daughter of a Marquis family who had not left the boudoir, know how to untie a man’s belt?
Lu Yan watched her slender green-white fingers move back and forth on his girdle, but couldn’t untie it. He couldn’t help but whisper: “Why don’t you know these things?”
Shen Zhen felt a chill on her head, and her heart couldn’t help but be filled with grievances. No one has taught her this matter, can she learn it on her own without a teacher?
“Answer me.” He said angrily.
Hanging others out to dry was always something he did, when was it someone else’s turn to hang him out to dry?
Shen Zhen’s shoulders trembled due to his severe tone and she rolled her eyes secretly in her heart but her tone was very obedient, “Forgive me, My Lord, this is my first time.”
Hearing this, he couldn’t help but look at her black and smooth hair and her ten fingers that had not been touched by the spring water2(It is a metaphor for a person who has a good family situation and does not have to do the laundry or do housework. It usually refers to a pampered and pampered person, usually a woman from a wealthy family.), and his frown gradually relaxed.
That’s right.
A month ago, she was still the pampered third daughter of the Marquis’s Mansion.
After a moment, Lu Yan quietly grabbed her two little hands, squeezed her fingers and secretly used force, like teaching someone to hold a pen, to teach her to untie his girdle.
“Do you remember?” Lu Yan let go of her hand.
Shen Zhen’s face turned red and she didn’t know where to put her hands. She just suddenly remembered his cold “answer me” and said quickly: “I remember, My Lord.”
Not bad, she has a long memory. Lu Yan thought.
After Shen Zhen finished replying, the man was still standing in front of her. She guessed that this meant that she should continue.
In her mind, she quickly recalled how Qingxi usually served her.
It’s strange to say that after being served by others for many years, these actions should be the most familiar, but now that she thinks about it, they are all intermittent and cannot be connected at all.
If it weren’t for the fact that it was still dark outside, Shen Zhen would have even felt that she would have aged by a year by now.
With him, minutes really feel like years.
After Shen Zhen helped him change, he turned around and lit the lamp, folded his clothes and placed them on a six-legged lotus incense table3
.
Then he stood aside and said nothing.
Lu Yan sat on the bed and looked at her face in the flickering candlelight. It was white and misty, and the corners of her eyes had a ting of youth and charm and he was fascinated for a moment.
When he came back to his senses, he couldn’t help but wonder, was she the person in the dream that he could never forget until his death?
At the same time.
Shen Zhen moved to his side step by step and whispered: “Do you want to stay overnight, My Lord?”
Lu Yan met her eyes and said “hmm”.
Now that she was his mistress, she naturally knew that it was only a matter of time before she was in the same room with him and had skin-to-skin contact with him. It was easy to think about it, but when she actually faced the situation she felt cowardly.
She took the initiative to spread the quilt for him and then blew out the lamp with a “hu”.
The room fell into darkness again.
Immediately afterwards, there was a sound of brisk footsteps moving to the door, “Then please rest early.”
Before the door opened, the man sitting on the bed stared at the pretty figure and said gloomily, “Where are you going?”
Why did she want to run away after he touched her?
Lu Yan snorted lightly.
Tonight.
I want you, you have to bear with it.
Even if I don’t want you, you are not allowed to run.
