Chapter 235: Cheng Yunshuo Met Bi Ruo

Chapter 235: Cheng Yunshuo Met Bi Ruo

Lady Wang stayed at Lu Lingyun's place until noon and left after lunch.

In the evening, Cheng Yunshuo returned to the estate.

For the past two days, he had gone directly to Yaoguang Pavilion and avoided coming to Lu Lingyun's place, probably trying to steer clear of Xiaohe Courtyard.

Today, he seemed to have a change of heart and strode to Lu Lingyun's place.

Upon arriving, Cheng Yunshuo wore a look of hesitation.

"Is everything okay, Crown Prince Consort?" Lu Lingyun asked.

Cheng Yunshuo paused for a moment, a trace of guilt appearing on his face. "How is A'Ruo?"

He asked about A'Ruo's situation.

Ever since their quarrel, when he had someone drag A'Ruo back, his heart had been troubled with anxiety.

He couldn't forget the look in A'Ruo's eyes that day, a gaze that filled him with fear and made him want to escape.

There was a deep-seated fear in his heart, a fear of facing her.

The more he thought about it, the more distressed and regretful he became, but he lacked the courage to confront it, with no idea how to handle it or face her.

"She's doing well," Lu Lingyun replied. "I’ve already looked into it. Concubine Du didn't beat anyone in the street. It was just a moment of distraction where she got into a tussle and tore someone's clothes. You misunderstood her."

Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo immediately changed his tone. "So she did tear someone's clothes? I wasn't wrong to scold her. She had an issue but instead cried and shouted at me, asking why they were all the same!"

Lu Lingyun listened to Cheng Yunshuo's string of words and gave a faint, cold smile.

He was trying to avoid dealing with the real issue.

Attempting to use someone else's problem to escape his own.

He didn't dare face A'Ruo and instead blamed everything on her.

It made him feel a little better.

Lu Lingyun didn't expose his thoughts. She patiently listened to his grievances and occasionally refilled his tea.

After finishing his outpour, Cheng Yunshuo looked at Lu Lingyun. "Lingyun, you're the only one in the world who understands me."

Lu Lingyun: "..."

If he weren't the lord and master over her, Lu Lingyun would have snapped back at him long ago.

She had always found Cheng Yunshuo acceptable because she viewed him as someone she could control.

Cheng Yunshuo's nature was moderate and peaceful, without great ambitions or major flaws. He was simple and even had a good temper, making him an ideal figure to manipulate.

But if she viewed him as a true partner, Cheng Yunshuo wasn’t suited for the role of a devoted husband.

She understood Cheng Yunshuo simply because she never saw him as a true partner.

Receiving Cheng Yunshuo's praise, as a 'virtuous wife,' Lu Lingyun naturally smiled and said, "If you’re so worried about her, then go visit Concubine Du."

Cheng Yunshuo shook his head upon hearing this. "No, there’s no need to see her."

He still couldn't overcome that emotional barrier.

He had already begun to fear facing her.

He feared that if he saw her, she might start quarreling again, stirring up memories of that person—the one who had become a haunting obsession in his heart.

After he finished speaking, he prepared to return to Yaoguang Pavilion. Before leaving, he turned and added, "Later, send some food and supplies to A'Ruo—make sure everything is top-quality—and have someone look after her well."

"I understand," Lu Lingyun nodded at him.

The next day, Cheng Yunshuo was on duty.

He had searched the imperial palace all day and returned to the West Gate early.

"Yunshuo, haven't you gone to see Lady Bishuo yet?" Li, the Imperial Guards leader, said upon seeing him.

"I'm busy with inspections every day, so I don't have the time," Cheng Yunshuo replied honestly.

"Even with your busy schedule, you should make time to see her," Li said with a mysterious smile.

"What exactly do you mean?" Cheng Yunshuo looked at him strangely. "Why do I feel like you're always telling me to go see her?"

"That's because you haven't seen her yet. If you do, you'll be surprised..." Li's tone suddenly faltered as he looked at Cheng Yunshuo with surprise. "Lady Bishuo, you're back."

These days, Bishuo had been coming and going at the West Gate.

As Li's voice fell, a clear female voice sounded behind Cheng Yunshuo.

"Good day, Sir Li."

Cheng Yunshuo turned towards the voice and saw a woman dressed in green regular attire, half-crouching as she bowed. Her neatly arranged hair revealed her delicate brows.

The moment he saw her face, Cheng Yunshuo was struck dumb, frozen on the spot.

"Lady Bishuo is back from shopping."

"Yes, I only have one more day of shopping left."

"Why do you say that?"

"In a few days, I'll be of age, and I've decided to leave the palace. Tomorrow will be my last day on duty."

"It seems we won't be seeing Lady Bishuo in the future, but congratulations."

"Oh, in the future, if there's trouble outside the palace, I'll still be relying on Lord Li."

"Don't be so polite," Li said, as he instructed someone to let Bishuo pass.

Bishuo nodded and smiled, leading the maids inside.

Just then, Cheng Yunshuo, who had been standing silently, suddenly went mad, pulling Bishuo into his arms as she was about to leave, shocking everyone.

"Ah! Lady Bishuo!" the maids exclaimed in surprise.

Li was also startled, "Cheng Yunshuo, what are you doing!"

Cheng Yunshuo was like a man who had lost his soul at that moment, unable to hear anything as he clung to Bishuo and refused to let go. He mumbled, "Dairong, Dairong..."

Bishuo looked up, startled, into a pair of intense, almost predatory eyes that seemed ready to devour her.

"Hurry, pull them apart!"

Li, the Imperial Guards leader, and several other guards rushed to pull Cheng Yunshuo and Bishuo apart, but Cheng held on so tightly that they couldn't budge him. At that moment, someone took out a water flask and poured its contents over Cheng Yunshuo's face.

The cold water jolted Cheng Yunshuo back to his senses, and in that instant, the others managed to pull them apart.

"Lady Bishuo!" A maid rushed to Bishuo's side and, with her eyebrows raised in anger, glared at Cheng Yunshuo. "What's wrong with you, guard? How dare you publicly assault a palace maid..."

"Enough!" Bishuo quickly interrupted the maid. She looked at the man who was being held back, his eyes filled with confusion and dullness as they fixed on her. "Sir was checking something on me, not assaulting me."

Her explanation immediately cleared Cheng Yunshuo of any wrongdoing and saved him from punishment.

Otherwise, given Cheng Yunshuo's impulsive act of hugging her just now, even if he didn't lose his job, he would have been in serious trouble.

Assaulting a palace maid was a grave crime in the palace.

With one last meaningful glance at Cheng Yunshuo, she pulled the maid and hurried into the palace.

"Dairong! Dairong!"

As she hurried inside, Cheng Yunshuo shouted after her.

Li, the Imperial Guards leader, covered his mouth with his hand and dragged him aside. "Have you lost your mind? That's Lady Bishuo I told you about! There's no Dairong here!"