Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"Let me see how it is," Zhou Xu frowned, his black whip forgotten on the floor as he leaned over in urgency.

Xiaoluo Lan stood at a distance, her face flushed red. Trembling, she adjusted her clothes, and upon hearing Lord Zhou's words, she quickly shook her head, "I'm fine."

"If you're fine, why did you just hiss? Did my stubble scratch you?" Zhou Xu, seeing her retreat further, became anxious, and abruptly pulled Lady Xiao onto his lap, asking her to sit.

"Don't move, let me see." Zhou Xu, holding Lady Xiao's waist with one hand, felt his stubble with the other. Too busy these days, he, a rough man, hadn't remembered to shave. He felt his own stubble was fine, but his hands, calloused from years of martial training and military service, were rough compared to Lady Xiao's delicate skin. Just now, after kissing her briefly, he heard her painful intake of breath. Looking up, he saw a red mark on her snow-like skin, alarmingly vivid. Zhou Xu's agitation was replaced by distress.

He remembered how sensitive Lady Xiao was. Once, a mere touch on her waist through her clothes had made her tremble.

Why didn't Lady Xiao say anything? Zhou Xu's heart was torn between annoyance and affection.

Xiaoluo Lan felt as if she was sitting on a scorching, hard rock, both alarmed and afraid: "Lord Zhou, I... I'm really fine."

"Don't move." Zhou Xu's voice was still unsteady. Xiaoluo Lan, frightened by his stern look, kept her hands under her sleeves, her entire body tense like a taut string.

Zhou Xu took a deep breath, then gently opened the part of her clothing to look at the mark. The red scratch, more visible against her moon-like, snow-white skin, was likely due to his coarse stubble. Some areas were even slightly swollen and dotted with blood.

Zhou Xu wanted to touch it, but considering his own rough hands, he instead leaned down and gently blew on it.

From Xiaoluo Lan's perspective, all she could see was the straight bridge of Lord Zhou's nose almost sinking into her view, the slight coolness causing her to tremble even more than before.

Zhou Xu lifted his head and noticed the starry tears on Lady Xiao's eyelashes, his brows slightly furrowed. "Does it still hurt a lot?"

He thought for a moment and said, "Wait here, I'll get some ointment for you."

"What has Lady Xiao been busy with during my absence?" Zhou Xu, worried that Lady Xiao might be too shy to mention the soap matter, took the initiative to start a conversation.

"I've been making some soap," Xiaoluo Lan replied, her voice softer as she thought of what she had to tell Lord Zhou. "It was a joint effort with my daughter."

"Is the delightful fragrance on Lady Xiao from using this soap?" Zhou Xu, with a smile, sniffed the scent on Lady Xiao, finding the pleasures of the boudoir unspeakable to others. Perhaps he could learn from the poets, painting Lady Xiao's eyebrows, applying her lip rouge. Such elegant activities seemed most delightful to him, and he was more than willing to learn.

Listening to Lord Zhou's teasing words, Xiaoluo Lan nodded almost imperceptibly after a moment.

"I heard you're planning to sell that formula," Zhou Xu, thinking of shaving his stubble when he returned, continued speaking. "That Luo Jinhoo offered you a thirty percent share."

Xiaoluo Lan didn't ask how Lord Zhou knew about this; in the Dou residence, there were no secrets if he wished to know. Besides, she had voluntarily delivered the mugwort soap to him that afternoon. Hearing Lord Zhou bring it up, she relaxed her tightly clasped hands a bit, reminding herself that nothing comes without effort.

"He wants to carve the 'Zhou' character on the soap for a thirty percent share. I initially only wanted ten percent," Xiaoluo Lan said, looking at Lord Zhou's collar, avoiding his face.

Seeing Lady Xiao's nervous trembling eyelashes, Zhou Xu chuckled softly, "I understand."

Was that agreement or not? Xiaoluo Lan, unclear about Lord Zhou's intentions, couldn't help but look up at him.

Zhou Xu, supporting his head with his left hand and Lady Xiao sitting on his lap, his right hand casually drawing her into his embrace, reassured her, "Don't worry, everything will be as you wish."

Xiaoluo Lan hadn't expected matters to proceed so smoothly. Seeing Lord Zhou agree so quickly, she voiced her thoughts: "The thirty percent share from Luo Jinhoo, Lord Zhou, I only wish for ten percent. I do not want the remaining twenty percent. Please accept it as my thanks for your help."

Xiaoluo Lan was not a greedy person. Ten percent was enough for her, and besides, the additional twenty percent was offered by Luo Jinhoo only because he needed Lord Zhou's assistance. She truly didn't feel right accepting that portion.

Zhou Xu, hearing Lady Xiao's words and seeing she hadn't thought too deeply about it, smiled and asked, "Lady Xiao, would you also embroider a sachet for me as a token of thanks for this assistance?"

Seeing Lady Xiao nod in agreement, Zhou Xu left her with a heart full of joy, picking up his black whip and exiting through the window.

Xiaoluo Lan, watching him leave, finally sank softly onto the embroidered couch, relaxing completely for the first time since he arrived.

Zhou Xu returned to his study, first finding the Snow Cream ointment, and then gestured for Leige to summon Luo Jinhoo.

Luo Jinhoo had been staying as a guest in the Dou residence since Lady Xiao's departure. Dou Haitao couldn't understand his actions this time. If he truly wanted to establish a good relationship with Lady Xiao, he could have directly offered her a fifty, seventy, or eighty percent profit share, instead of insisting on carving the Zhou character for a mere thirty percent. Didn't he fear angering the governor?

At that time, Luo Jinhoo was just sipping tea, his emotions so turbulent that he couldn't hold his cup steady, eventually setting it down and wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

He was gambling!

Gambling on whether his conjectures were true, gambling on the thoughts of the governor, and even gambling with his own life!

Thus, he sat in the guest room of the Dou residence, enduring through the scorching midday sun and the stretching afternoon shadows, with every moment being an agonizing wait.

Dou Haitao entered the room, his expression even more peculiar than in the morning, "A messenger from the Leige clan has come to take you to the governor's study."

Luo Jinhoo, sitting in the chair, gave Dou Haitao a wry smile, "Brother Dou, help me up, my legs are a bit weak."

Dou Haitao helped him up, still puzzled, "Brother Luo, how did you guess that the governor would summon you?"

"It's probably because of Lady Xiao..." Luo Jinhoo murmured.

Zhou Xu stood in his study with his hands behind his back, gazing at a map of Youzhou on the wall. The map in the Dou residence was crudely drawn, but Zhou Xu still found it fascinating, far more interesting to him than those intricate books of poetry.

As soon as Luo Jinhoo entered, he knelt on the ground, hands crossed and placed on the floor, his head bowing onto his hands: "Your servant, Luo Jinhoo, pays his respects to the governor."

Zhou Xu turned around after examining the map. Seated in a high chair, he looked at the kneeling man and said after a while, "Advancing by retreating, Luo Jinhoo, you are a smart businessman."

Luo Jinhoo's pupils shrank in shock, then, realizing his impoliteness, quickly lowered his head again. In just a short time, his back was soaked with cold sweat: "I only wish to assist Lady Xiao, please understand, Your Excellency."

Zhou Xu, holding his black whip leisurely, said, "You must have pondered over Lady Xiao's character many times. She seldom goes out, and the kitchen purchases in the Dou residence haven't changed much, indicating Lady Xiao doesn't flaunt wealth or luxury. Your wife is close with Madame Dou, from whom you can roughly gauge Lady Xiao’s character - gentle, elegant, soft-hearted yet grateful. She would return even the slightest kindness shown to her."

Luo Jinhoo was astounded at how accurately the governor had guessed his intentions, as if his thoughts and secrets were laid bare. He was terrified and found himself at a loss for words.

"Seeing Lady Xiao wanting to sell her soap formula, you guessed she was in need. But judging by her character, if you offered too much, she would become suspicious and possibly refuse, turning to other merchants instead."

Luo Jinhoo, kneeling again, stammered: "Your Excellency, your insight is unparalleled. I dare not conceal anything. Indeed, it's as you said. But to Lady Xiao, whether it's ten percent or thirty percent, it's just a pretext. When it's time to settle the accounts, all profits from the soap, minus necessary expenses, will be given to Lady Xiao."

Zhou Xu, however, said indifferently: "There's no need for that. Just figure out an appropriate amount to give her monthly."

Zhou Xu sipped his tea, unsurprised by Luo Jinhoo's admission. To others, Luo Jinhoo might seem greedy and opportunistic, but without such an approach, Lady Xiao wouldn't have agreed to cooperate with him.

If Luo Jinhoo had offered all the profits from the beginning, Zhou Xu would have thought it foolish. The current arrangement was just right, balancing within Lady Xiao’s psychological threshold. The twenty percent ostensibly for him made the deal seem fair and more acceptable to Lady Xiao.

"Yes, I understand," Luo Jinhoo replied, bowing deeply.

Zhou Xu said, "You may leave."

Luo Jinhoo bowed and left. Upon reaching the front courtyard, where Dou Haitao was anxiously waiting, he quickened his steps. Seeing him unharmed, Dou Haitao hurried over: "Are you alright?"

Luo Jinhoo's smile twitched on his face, a mix of wanting to laugh and being too excited to speak. He firmly grasped Dou Haitao's hand, internally vowing that moving his family next to the Dou residence was the best decision of his life.

In the study, Zhou Xu was shaving his stubble with a dagger. Once done, he washed his face, changed clothes, and took the Snow Cream ointment to find Lady Xiao in the Eastern Garden.

"Lady Xiao."

This time, he entered through the main door of the Eastern Pavilion.

Seeing him come in, Xiaoluo Lan stood up.

Zhou Xu, noticing the sachet Lady Xiao was embroidering for Miss Xiao was half done, sat on the couch and pulled Lady Xiao to sit beside him. "This is Snow Cream ointment, very effective for scars. Try using it."

Xiaoluo Lan received a small white jade bottle in her hand. "Lord Zhou, I will use it tonight."

Knowing Lady Xiao's shy nature, Zhou Xu didn't insist. He simply said, "Remember to use it tonight."

Xiaoluo Lan, already afraid of Lord Zhou's unpredictable actions, nodded quickly in response: "I will."

Zhou Xu wrapped his arm around Lady Xiao's waist and half-reclined on the couch, closing his eyes as if resting.

Xiaoluo Lan, seeing Lord Zhou motionless for a long time but with his hand still around her waist, didn’t dare to move. Noticing he had fallen asleep, she continued to embroider the sachet.

As dusk fell.

Lady Xiao seemed bathed in a layer of twilight glow, soft and gentle, the subtle scent of herbs mixing with her faint fragrance, bringing Zhou Xu a sense of calm and peace.

Zhou Xu tightened his grip slightly, and Lady Xiao immediately looked towards him.

He looked at Lady Xiao with eyes as tender as spring water and smiled.

From the first moment he saw Lady Xiao, Zhou Xu knew he couldn't be a good man.