Chapter 496

Chapter 503: Entangled (Part 1)

Under such circumstances, asking her if she missed him...

Eleventh Miss's face flushed crimson.

Yet she couldn't help but ponder the question.

She'd never given it much thought before.

But now... she did.

She thought of his warm embrace, their inseparable closeness, the way he cherished her with such care and reluctance to let go...

She wrapped her arms around Lord Xu's neck and pressed her cheek against his.

Eleventh Miss was so easily flustered, and his question had been so teasing—how could she even respond? She'd probably be too mortified to meet his eyes...

A thought suddenly struck Lord Xu, stirring unease within him... He instinctively tightened his hold on Eleventh Miss and gently kissed her shoulder.

This way, he couldn’t see her glistening gaze, letting touch alone reveal her delicate beauty—a new kind of yielding tenderness... No wonder Eleventh Miss often buried her blushing face in his chest.

He closed his eyes, sucking gently on her plump earlobe as he murmured indistinctly, "Mo Yan..." His touch grew bolder, more insistent... To Eleventh Miss, it carried a wordless demand...

Her cheeks burned as her heart raced.

She leaned close to his ear and whispered softly, "I do miss you."

Lord Xu stilled, lifting his head in surprise, his gaze burning intensely.

"Mo Yan..."

His voice held doubt, hesitation, even a hint of vulnerability... Gone was the man whose laughter shone as bright as the sun, who moved with dragon's grace and tiger's power...

Had her words alone caused such a change in him?

For some reason, a secret delight fluttered in her chest.

Eleventh Miss clung to his shoulders, her warm breath caressing his ear and repeating, "I do."

Her voice was playfully seductive, yet clear and firm.

It was as if an invisible cord constricted his throat—his breath hitched... His arms instinctively tightened, then tightened further, as if he wished to fuse her slender body into his very being. With thunderous urgency, he drove deeper, as if desperate to lose himself within her... Only then could he truly feel just how soft, how sweet, how intoxicatingly perfect she felt in his arms... Eliciting a breathless gasp from Eleventh Miss...

"Has someone come from home?" Lady Wen sat up, wrapping herself in a lined jacket as she gazed at Yang Shi, whose eyes were brimming with tears beside her.

Yang Shi dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and choked out, "They said... opportunistic scoundrels saw the Yang family in trouble and pounced like vultures. A loan of three taels of silver now demands repayment of thirty thousand... Otherwise, they’ll report my father to the authorities. He had no choice but to send someone, hoping I could beg the marquis to intervene..."

Lady Wen listened, her brow furrowing slightly.

When the mighty fall, jackals come feeding. But the emperor’s decree hasn’t even been issued yet—how dare they move so quickly?

Her thoughts drifted to her own mother, still with no word... She wondered if Qiu Hong’s father could persuade her mother to leave the Wen family.

At this thought, Lady Wen sighed to herself.

Yang Shi saw this and felt some relief.

Lady Wen was most fond of money; Yang’s greatest fear was Lady Wen’s indifference.

Thinking this, she covered her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbed softly, whispering, "Others may not know, but sister, you do. Since I entered the household... I’ve barely spoken a word to Lord Xu. He treats me with utmost coldness. Unlike the mistress and you, sister, who are kind to me and often look after me in many ways. Besides, I am, after all, his concubine—such a significant matter should first be discussed with the mistress." As she spoke, her face showed distress. "But the Yang family is now under accusation, their fate uncertain. Even if the mistress has the heart to help, she must consider the Xu family’s reputation and future—how could she sacrifice the greater good for a minor concern? I didn’t dare ask for her help..."

Lady Wen thought of her own situation.

Back then, she had also tossed and turned for several nights, pondering every possibility before mustering the courage to approach the mistress... Yet, to her surprise, Eleven Miss agreed without hesitation and even devised a brilliant solution.

"I kept hesitating, walking to the courtyard gate only to turn back, pacing restlessly in my room until I even twisted my foot." Yang Shi stretched out her foot, wrapped in white cloth like a rice dumpling, to show Lady Wen. "Thinking it was too late, and the mistress was unwell, I feared disturbing her by calling a physician. It was only after the maidservant reminded me that I thought to ask sister for some medicinal oil to apply."

Lady Wen quickly inquired about her injury and comforted her, "This oil is very effective. Rest tonight, and when the physician comes tomorrow, take some medicine—you’ll recover soon."

Yang Shi nodded but said, "I’m not worried about my foot. With time, it will heal." Then, pressing her lips together, she added gravely, "What concerns me is my family... Debt collectors were pressuring Father to repay the debt ten days ago. I don’t know how things stand now. My father is straightforward—if he stubbornly resists those people..." Tears welled up again. "I fear something terrible might happen... I’d never have peace..."

"Nothing will happen," Lady Wen reassured her. "They’re just after money. Pushing someone too far benefits no one. Don’t dwell on it—go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go together to seek the mistress’s advice." She added, "The mistress is kind and generous. Everyone in the household turns to her for help. If she can assist, she certainly will. You needn’t worry."

She treated her less like a sister and more like a guest.

"Really?" Yang Shi’s eyes brightened, and she tugged Lady Wen’s sleeve. "Then... could we go see the mistress now?"

Lady Wen hesitated.

"Sister, you don’t understand," Yang Shi said, tears streaming again. "I had already retired, but as soon as I closed my eyes, I dreamed of Father being beaten, our home seized, Mother and Brother in tatters, starving, begging me to save them..." She collapsed onto Lady Wen’s knees, weeping. "How could I just sit here? Thinking of your gentle nature and how you’ve always cared for me, I swallowed my pride and came... Sister, please, for the sake of the time I’ve spent learning manners from you, accompany me to see the mistress... Whether she receives us or not, I’ll feel at ease... Otherwise, I’d feel I hadn’t done my utmost to seek help..."

With the Wen family’s affairs still unresolved, Lady Wen sympathized. But going to Eleven Miss so late...

"Just to check," Yang Shi pleaded desperately. "If the mistress has retired, we won’t disturb her."

Yang Shi’s father was a distant relative. Though the Yang family was accused, her father hadn’t been implicated even after all this time—likely meaning their household was uninvolved. Besides, whether to help or not rested entirely on the mistress’s word.

Lady Wen recalled how Eleven Miss had extended a helping hand when the Wen family was implicated by the Yangs, and her own gratitude...

"Very well," she called for Dongqiu to help her dress. "Let’s go see—if the mistress has retired, we won’t disturb her."

Yang Shi’s face brightened, and she nodded repeatedly. "Sister, I knew you were kind-hearted. No one else understands me like you do..."

Lord Xu gently dabbed the sweat from Eleven Miss’s brow and asked softly, "Tired?"

Eleven Miss closed her eyes, letting him hold her, and gave a faint "Mm."

Lord Xu’s eyes warmed with a smile.

Holding her had been a dilemma—he worried she couldn’t take it... Yet, in the end, it was he who had surrendered first...

At this thought, he quickly studied Eleven Miss.

Her face was flushed, her eyes and brows tinged with lingering passion.

Lord Xu relaxed.

Eleven Miss shifted slightly. "I’m covered in sweat..."

He knew she valued cleanliness, and he adored her purity. But this time, he held her tighter. "Wait a little... I’ll wipe you down later."

He wanted to stay like this, pressed close, just a little longer.

Miss Eleven didn’t even want to move a finger. Seeing his insistence, she closed her eyes and leaned against him.

Perhaps too exhausted, as soon as her eyes closed, she drifted into sleep.

In a daze, it seemed someone was washing her body.

With her eyes still closed, she whispered, "Lord Xu."

His familiar, rich voice chuckled softly in her ear and responded.

She let him take control.

Her body sank slightly, as if someone was lying atop her, tenderly calling "Mo Yan" while gently spreading her legs...

Startled, Miss Eleven hurriedly opened her heavy eyelids: "Tomorrow... tomorrow..." Before she could finish, she felt his advance.

Lord Xu chuckled lowly, saying nothing, dotted kisses along her neck.

Despite her exhaustion, her breath began to grow uneven.

Her hands, gripping his shoulders, shifted to embrace him...

Was this reckless abandon, or just indulgence?

Dazed, she barely registered, when she suddenly heard Zhuxiang’s urgent voice: "My Lord, My Lady, an imperial envoy from the palace has arrived with the Emperor’s summons for the Marquis to enter the palace at once!"

Lord Xu’s body tensed, his skin now like steel beneath velvet—smooth but unyielding.

"Marquis!" Miss Eleven jolted fully awake, clutching him tightly.

Unlike the tender affection moments ago, now there was only tension and unease.

Why would the Emperor summon him now, of all times?

Marquis Jianning, the Earl of Shouchang, and two Grand Secretaries were still imprisoned in the imperial jail. And hadn’t Han Xin been murdered by Empress Lü right in the palace?

Sensing her rigid posture, Lord Xu gently held her: "It’s fine, it’s fine. His Majesty has been preoccupied with reforming the bureaucracy these days."

Miss Eleven pondered and found his reasoning sound.

The Emperor wouldn’t add to the chaos at such a time. Besides, Lord Xu had many informants in the palace. If the Emperor harbored any ill intentions, given the current turmoil, Lord Xu would surely have caught wind of it.

She let out a slow breath.

Lord Xu watched her, his chest warmed. Teasingly, he asked, "What? Don’t want me to leave?"

Miss Eleven flushed.

Thankfully, they hadn’t gone further—that would have been truly awkward.

"Yes, I don’t want you to go," she admitted, meeting his playful gaze head-on. "So what?"

Lord Xu was taken aback.

He pressed his forehead to hers, his voice rough: "Then I won’t leave you."