Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The bed curtains were drawn, with the golden and silver tassels tied to the hooks, and the aroma of expensive spices seeping through the intricate holes of the perforated incense ball, filling the room with the scent of agarwood.

Through the bed screen, several cosmetic boxes were faintly visible on the dressing table in the inner chamber.

As she arranged her makeup, a soft voice whispered a verse from 'Mingyue Pavilion'.

Suddenly reminded of this boudoir poem, Zhou Xu sat by the bed, his feet on the floor, unfazed by Xiao Luolan's recent rejection. He intended to kiss and embrace her regardless, just as he said – they were destined to be together.

She wore a plain undergarment, seemingly wrapped in moonlight, glowing faintly within the dimly lit bed curtains, and Zhou Xu joined her on the bed.

This time, Xiao Luolan was genuinely startled; she wasn't mentally prepared to take this step yet.

She watched Zhou Xu get into bed and moved to the end of the bed near the wall, her eyes filled with wariness and panic.

Zhou Xu took out a box from his robe and opened it on the bed, brightening the dimly lit room.

"I brought you a night pearl to play with," Zhou Xu said. "Don't be afraid; I won't do anything."

He handed Xiaoluo Lan a night pearl: "This is a mermaid pearl from the South Sea, a tribute from the previous dynasty. It's said to be cooling in summer and warm in winter, and sleeping with it is believed to prolong life."

Xiaoluo Lan, holding the pearl close, felt its cool and comfortable touch, doubting Zhou Xu's claim about its life-extending properties.

Zhou Xu chuckled, "Don't believe that last part. It's just a pearl; it doesn't have any magical effects."

Xiaoluo Lan was surprised by Zhou Xu's open-mindedness, recalling that ancient people were obsessed with immortality, even resorting to alchemy and consuming strange things. She had advised Zhou Xu to eat cooked food, as it's safer in an era with limited medical knowledge.

Zhou Xu moved closer, pulling the brocade quilt to one side. The box of night pearls spilled out, lighting up the interior of the bed canopy with their glowing white light, mixed with three or four similarly sized golden pearls.

The gleaming gold and shimmering white pearls complemented each other beautifully.

"Want to play?" Zhou Xu, sitting cross-legged, rolled a night pearl with his thumb, which bumped into a golden pearl and rolled towards Xiaoluo Lan.

Just out of the bath and barefoot, Xiaoluo Lan felt the cool touch of the pearl against her feet and tucked them under her dress.

Watching Zhou Xu play a seemingly childish game, Xiaoluo Lan remembered her daughter playing with glass marbles as a child, which she used to buy for three for fifty cents. She still kept those glass marbles and her daughter's favorite doll in a box.

Zhou Xu placed a soft cushion behind Xiaoluo Lan's waist to protect her from the cold, hard wall, and he himself moved closer to her.

Xiaoluo Lan's long hair fell over her white undergarments, contrasting with her white skirt. She sat at the corner of the bed, knees drawn up, resembling a frightened golden bird without its daytime splendor. The moonlight accentuated her slender waist, unbelievably once the cradle of life.

Zhou Xu's breathing deepened as he gently touched her stomach through the fabric, feeling her involuntary tremble.

"So delicate, so soft," he wondered, "how did she ever carry a child?"

His gaze fell upon Xiaoluo Lan.

Xiaoluo Lan, feeling the intensity of his stare, panicked. Her heart raced, fearing the moment would lead to something unwanted. Hastily, she bent to retrieve a night pearl from under her dress, her voice quivering: "Zhou Zhu, let's play with the marbles."

"Of course," Zhou Xu agreed, moving even closer. He took the night pearl from her hand, sitting face-to-face with her, scattering the remaining pearls and golden beads on her lap.

"Madam, how would you like to play?" Zhou Xu asked in a hoarse voice.

The proximity between them was so close that it gave Xiao Luolan a great sense of crisis. She could even see the terrifying shadow hidden under the leader Zhou's robe and didn't dare to respond casually to his question, fearing to provoke him.

"Shall I teach you, madam?" Zhou Xu held Lady Xiao's hand in his, feeling it cooler and softer than a mermaid's pearl.

Xiao Luolan controlled herself not to notice anything unusual about Leader Zhou, pretending ignorance. As long as it was not that particular deed, everything else was negotiable.

Xiao Luolan held a luminous pearl in her hand, while Leader Zhou held hers.

Xiao Luolan bit her lip, her eyes quickly misting over, beads of sweat glistening on her nose. Her plain skirt was piled up, with the luminous pearl emitting a faint light.

"Madam, have you ever done this with your husband?" Zhou Xu relentlessly inquired.

Soft and creamy white skin, blushingly shy before others.

Xiao Luolan's cheeks and ears were flushed red, tears of shame brimming in her eyes, the moon trembling.

Seeing this, Zhou Xu put the dress back down, and the luminous pearl rolled to the side.

He pulled Lady Xiao over, making her sit in his embrace, and gently kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, saying, "Don't cry."

Xiao Luolan bit her lip, shedding tears without speaking.

"No one sees, no one knows, it's just our private amusement within these four walls," Zhou Xu whispered soothingly, his heart torn between wicked desire and tender pity, unsure of how to treat the person in his arms.

"If you don't like it, next time..." Zhou Xu wanted to say he wouldn't do it again, but eventually said, "I won't play this next time."

Xiao Luolan was once again shocked by his shamelessness, feeling both anger and embarrassment, as the serious matter turned trivial in Lord Zhou's words, like a child's play with marbles.

Zhou Xu tenderly kissed the corner of Lady Xiao's eyes, saying, “Don't cry anymore, your eyes will swell by morning.”

He paused, then said in a low voice, “I'm just jealous.”

With tears in her lashes, Xiao Luolan turned to look at Lord Zhou. He wasn't particularly handsome, just ordinary and well-proportioned. Age had streaked his temples with silver, yet from the first day she met him, he seemed capable of anything, handling everything with ease. Knowing his feelings for her, Xiao Luolan became even more cautious, carefully navigating their interactions.

Lord Zhou gets jealous?

Zhou Xu, tucking Lady Xiao's stray hair behind her ear, confessed, “I'm jealous that your husband had you, jealous that he saw your body...” His voice grew husky, “So jealous, I could turn him to ashes.”

Zhou Xu looked at Lady Xiao, her cheeks flushed and more beautiful than ever, and smiled, “Stopped crying?”

Only then did Xiao Luolan realize she had been staring at Lord Zhou too long. She turned away, her breathing uneven. Crying now was pointless, but she had succeeded, at least for tonight she was safe.

Xiao Luolan dared not look at Lord Zhou again, afraid he would notice her careful thoughts.

“Sleep with me,” Zhou Xu said, lying in bed. He placed a precious pillow at the head of the bed, covered himself partially with a lilac-colored silk quilt, and closed his eyes, seemingly just wanting to sleep. Xiao Luolan watched him nervously, choosing a spot near the wall to sleep. As the night deepened, she struggled to stay awake, fearing he might pounce, but eventually succumbed to sleep.

Hearing the woman's steady, prolonged breathing, Zhou Xu opened his eyes. Lady Xiao hadn't taken the lilac quilt, curled up in bed, her eyelashes still wet, her face flushed in deep sleep, her chest rising and falling deeply.

Zhou Xu watched for a while, then covered Lady Xiao with the lilac quilt and embraced her, his large hand encircling her waist, before finally drifting to sleep.

Waking up the next day.

Xiao Luolan didn't see Lord Zhou, only a wooden box beside her pillow, containing a night pearl and golden beads.

Grandma Cui lifted the bed curtain and said, "Madam, it's time to get up."

Xiao Luolan handed the box to Grandma Cui: "Grandma Cui, please store this in the warehouse."

"Yes, Madam."

Watching Grandma Cui walk away, Xiao Luolan got up to wash and dress. Soon after, her daughter came looking for her with a small whip in hand.

Having slept late last night, Xiao Luolan used some powder to cover the slight dark circles under her eyes, then applied some lipstick.

"Mother," Xiao Qingxue walked over and sat on a stool.

Xiao Luolan inspected her daughter's hands for blisters and, finding none, felt relieved.

"Why are you always wearing riding attire?" Xiao Luolan remembered her daughter hadn't worn a dress for many days. Did she no longer like them?

"Dresses are cumbersome to walk in; riding attire is more convenient," Xiao Qingxue replied. "I saw many people today - Lei Hu, Lei Bao, Judge Xu, and even Dou Dalaong from our residence. Mr. Qingshan said we'll be leaving in a couple of days, right?"

Xiao Luolan recalled Lord Zhou mentioning they would leave in two or three days. She had been so busy discussing soap business with Mr. Luo that she forgot to tell her daughter.

"Yes," Xiao Luolan held her daughter's hand, "We'll take a boat to Langge. It's faster by water, and I've already bought everything we'll need for the journey."

"That's great," Xiao Qingxue beamed. "Once we get to Langge, we'll buy a house."

Xiao Luolan agreed wholeheartedly. Living in others' houses wasn't ideal; having their own house would be better, preferably on the same street as Lord Zhou for safety.

"Mother, can I go out to play for a while today?" Xiao Qingxue asked. She hadn't left the residence in half a month for fear of causing trouble and felt she might go stir-crazy if she didn't go out soon.

Xiao Luolan replied, "Let's go together."

"Let's walk and explore the streets instead of taking the carriage," Xiao Qingxue suggested, linking her arm with her mother's.

A quarter of an hour later.

Xiao Qingxue wore a veil hat, accompanied by Fangyun.

Xiao Luolan also donned a veil hat, while Leige and three Lei family riders followed behind Lady Xiao and her daughter.

Upon leaving Xinchang Square, Xiao Luolan glanced back at the endless, sprawling mansions lining the cobblestone streets.

Xiao Qingxue's legs grew sore from walking, regretting not taking the carriage.

"But it's really lively here," she observed, looking at a street near the West Market bustling with stalls selling various items. She stopped at a stall full of ceramic animal figurines, intrigued by everything.

Picking up a ceramic bird whistle, she asked, "How much for this?"

"Three coins each, young lady," replied the elderly stall owner with a warm smile.

"I'll take two," Xiao Qingxue decided, choosing a bird and a rabbit for herself and her mother. After paying, she tried blowing into one, pleased with its clear whistle.

Seeing her daughter also bought one for her, Xiao Luolan was delighted and carefully kept the bird-shaped whistle.

On the roadside, a small bowl of sweet water with peach slices cost four coins, sugar figurines were three coins each, and the peddler wandering the streets sold velvet flowers for five or six coins. Xiao Luolan noted the red velvet flower on her daughter's head, walking together on this unnamed street, learning for the first time the prices in Taiyang. The small street had almost everything; two coins could buy a bowl of cloudy wine or soy sauce, three coins a liter of new rice, or a liter and a half of aged rice.

Xiao Luolan calculated these prices, realizing that they could get by on the share given by Mr. Luo. Ordinary people were content with little wealth, but unfortunately, it was a time of chaos, and peace was preferable to war.

"Mistress, young lady, the wind's picking up and it looks like rain. We should head back," Fangyun suggested, noticing the accumulating grey clouds and swaying branches. Since they hadn't brought a carriage, it was better to return early.

"Alright," agreed Xiao Qingxue, having finished her stroll. She had only come out to relax, and seeing the impending rain, decided to head back.

Leige, who had been following at a discreet distance, hired a carriage. Just as the three of them were about to enter their residence, raindrops began to fall from the sky.

"It's raining," Fangyun said joyfully. There had been hardly any rain in the past two months, and she had been worried about a drought. Now that it was finally raining, she was relieved.

Back at the residence.

Seeing Lady Xiao and her daughter return with slightly damp hair, Madam Dou immediately instructed the kitchen to prepare ginger soup.

Xiao Luolan said, "Seventh Lady, there's no need for such trouble." She had only walked a few steps and got barely wet.

"How can we not?" Wu Luomei, seated on a stool and holding Lady Xiao's hand, insisted, "Getting caught in the rain is no small matter. You should take a hot bath later to ward off the cold."

Touched by Seventh Lady's concern, Xiao Luolan replied, "I will be sailing to Langge the day after tomorrow. We are deeply grateful for your care these days. I don't know how to thank you enough."

Holding Lady Xiao's hand, Wu Luomei hesitated, then said with a mix of shame and earnestness, "Lady Xiao, I must confess, my eldest son works under Judge Xu. He's not good at socializing, cold and aloof, and often offends people with his blunt words. My husband and I are far away in Taiyang, unable to reach him. Could you please look out for him a bit?"

Xiao Luolan recalled her son, a tall, thin young man with a somewhat cold demeanor.

After thinking, Xiao Luolan assured, "Seventh Lady, I will."

Wu Luomei, relieved, said, "Don't worry, Lady Xiao. My son won't trouble you. He's never indulged in bad habits like gambling or womanizing. If you need anything, feel free to ask him. He's been in Langge for a long time and knows a lot about local matters."

They were helping each other, Xiao Luolan thought. She felt a sense of melancholy about leaving and uncertainty about the future in the unfamiliar Langge.

Three days later.

Xiao Luolan and her daughter stood at the West Ancient Wharf in Taiyang County, looking up at the five-masted ship moored on the river. The ship, with its vermilion hull and black and red banners fluttering in the fierce wind, was manned by soldiers in armor standing on both sides.

The large ship was guarded by dozens of smaller warships, resembling a dragon cutting through the waves.

Taiyang County Commandant Yang Dong, accompanied by other officials, was there to see off the Jiedushi (military governor), Lord Zhou. After completing formalities, Lord Zhou patted Yang Dong on the shoulder before boarding the ship.

Yang Dong bowed and waited until the dock was empty before calling over a trusted confidant to whisper a few instructions.

Watching the massive ship disappear into the distance, Yang Dong lingered for a while before finally departing.

On the vast river, the water was calm, and the large ship sailed smoothly.

Xiao Luolan sat in a small boat, following the large ship. Not long into the journey, Lord Zhou secretly took her from the ship to this smaller boat, almost like a thief.

The space inside the small boat was limited, with Lord Zhou sitting in the front cabin fishing.

She sat inside, boiling wine.

On the big ship, the river seemed calm, but aboard the small boat, Xiao Luolan felt the waves grow larger. Through the small window, all she saw were vast, misty waves, the distant view obscured.

The cabin door was covered with a thick curtain that blocked the river wind, and a fragrant copper ball hung, swaying with the boat.

Xiao Luolan fanned the furnace, the aroma of wine filling the air.

She stood up and pulled back the curtain; Lord Zhou's robe was wet from the splashing waves.

Hesitating for a moment and seeing the rain pouring down, Xiao Luolan couldn't help but call out, “Lord Zhou.”

Zhou Xu quickly stood up and approached the cabin door, asking, “What does Madam need?”

Xiao Luolan, no longer bothering to correct her surname, handed him a spare robe from the boat, her tone resigned, “Lord Zhou, with such strong winds and waves, what fish would dare bite?”

Zhou Xu changed into the robe and sat at the table, pouring himself a cup of wine, “Who says there are none? Didn't Madam come?”

Xiao Luolan sat opposite Lord Zhou, not quite understanding the subtlety of ancient romance.

“Besides, floating on the river with a beauty cooking wine is one of life's greatest pleasures,” Zhou Xu said with a laugh, his demeanor relaxed and content.