Chapter 78: Ah Fu, You Can’t Play Favorites…

Chapter 78: Ah Fu, You Can't Play Favorites…

Xia Fu covered her face, surrendering to her fate.

At first, it was excruciatingly difficult. Every movement caused her pain. After being apart for so many years, she wasn’t accustomed to him. But he patiently comforted her, as if to give both Xia Fu and himself the time they needed.

They explored each other bit by bit, like brushing past flowers and willows.

Kisses were showered upon her. His arms slid under her armpits, drawing her closer. Xia Fu clung tightly to his broad back, an embrace that had never occurred at the Cheng family estate. They had always been cautious, maintaining propriety. Nestled in his neck, Xia Fu recalled those bitter days, overwhelmed by a sense of grievance.

"Family head…" she softly whimpered.

Her soft voice carried a sense of longing.

Releasing the grievances that had never been voiced, and dared not be voiced, all those years ago.

Cheng Mingyu steeled his heart and held her tightly in his arms.

Outside, the storm raged. The world was linked by the pouring rain, making the three-story pavilion feel like a ship at sea. The waves were as high as three zhang, crashing against the hull, making it rock unsteadily. Several times, the exquisite ship was overturned by the giant waves, but fortunately, the helmsman was highly skilled. Like a miraculous stabilizer, he pulled the ship back from the storm, the depths and shallows, the intensity and density, all intertwined. The ship endured the wind and waves, lasting a long time without stopping.

After a strong gust of wind, the sea swallowed the sky. When she opened her eyes again, the sun had risen, and the moon had set.

Summer afternoons were unpredictable. The sky darkened quickly and brightened just as fast.

After the heavy rain stopped, a circle of blue appeared in the western sky, like a giant gemstone mirror embedded in the heavens. A beam of rosy light burst from behind the clouds, casting a multicolored brilliance on the thin clouds, and even the viewing pavilion was bathed in the glow of the sunset.

Xia Fu’s temples were drenched. She leaned against the edge of the bed, slowly buttoning her clothes. The flush on her cheeks had not yet faded, and her body felt as if it had been hastily put back together after being disassembled, still struggling to regain feeling. The tingling sensation in her bones surged up from time to time, and her breathing was still unsteady, making her appear soft and languid.

Cheng Mingyu sat not far from her, his waistband already fastened, the last wrinkle in his tea-white robe smoothed out. He slowly inhaled to calm the heat within him, and quietly looked up at Xia Fu.

After all, they were no longer young, and in a place like a temple, a forbidden ground.

There was some awkwardness on both their faces.

Xia Fu was frustrated that she had provoked him earlier, and Cheng Mingyu realized he had lost control as well.

But the taste of rain after a long drought was just too good, and inevitably left one yearning for more.

"Xia Fu…" Cheng Mingyu called her softly.

Xia Fu’s gaze lowered to her skirt, slowly smoothing out the disheveled hem, not replying to him.

Her throat was dry and hoarse, making it impossible to speak.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his hands resting on his knees, his fingers long and clean, untouched by dust. He was always like this, even when doing the most intimate things, still maintaining that lofty, snow-capped mountain demeanor.

Her gaze slowly moved up, meeting his eyes. Cheng Mingyu was staring at her, his clear and handsome eyes seemingly peering straight into her soul.

Recalling how he had looked down at her just now, Xia Fu’s heart trembled.

Cheng Mingyu now had only one thought, "Xia Fu, I want to marry you."

"There’s no need to create a new identity. Do you remember the document left by the elders when we agreed to the joint inheritance?"

That contract of joint inheritance, with both their names written on it, signed by all the elders present, clearly stated that Cheng Mingyu would take on the inheritance of the second branch of the fourth family. Although they had agreed not to have contact in the future, this relationship was legitimate. It would have been announced back then, if not for the concern over the ever-pressing Princess Minglan, who was worried that the princess might take drastic actions against Xia Fu.

Unfortunately, Xia Fu left suddenly and so decisively. Before her body was even found, the news that Cheng Mingyou was still alive arrived. To prevent Xia Fu from being caught up in the turmoil, all traces were erased.

The family records were corrected, but that document, he still kept, treasured in his study.

"Cheng Mingyou is already married, and you have returned alive. You have the divorce papers ready with him. I was once a concubine for you. I am also An An's father. It is only logical for me to marry you, Xia Fu. I want you to stand proudly in front of others, to be my wife, to be An An's mother."

"Only by being a couple can we truly give An An the proper status."

Since the arrangement back then was approved by all the elders and protected by the Cheng family's patriarchal laws, it is only proper for him to marry Xia Fu now, in accordance with human relations and ethics.

"This is the greatest responsibility we can give An An."

Xia Fu felt a trace of wavering in her heart.

She asked herself, even if everything were legitimate, she didn't wish to return to the Cheng family. She enjoyed her carefree and free life now.

Cheng Mingyu's identity was too precious, and his responsibilities were immense. Being his wife would bring many concerns.

The wife of Cheng Mingyu running a pharmacy?

The wife of Cheng Mingyu raising snakes?

Both scenarios would invite ridicule from others.

She didn't want to harm Cheng Mingyu's reputation. Nor did she wish to implicate An An.

It was best to remain as they were.

With her title as the Yunnan King's consort, she could act however she wanted and give anyone attitude, without reservation. Because the Yunnan King didn't mind. When Mu Xun grows older and doesn't need her to appear anymore, she could live as a commoner, free to come and go as she pleased, following her heart.

"Cheng Mingyu, I cannot do it."

They both had their own persistence.

"I still mean the same thing. You can welcome Xia Fu's spirit tablet into the ancestral temple and register An An under my lineage. With An An's status secured, I won't be constrained."

"Family head," Xia Fu stood up, brushed her slightly messy hair, and gave him a gentle smile.

"If the family head agrees, we can just partner up and live our lives. If the family head does not agree," she smiled regretfully, with a hint of nonchalance,

"Then let's act as if nothing happened just now."

Cheng Mingyu rose abruptly, his face turning alternately pale and flushed, his dark and deep eyes fixed firmly on her, with hidden turmoil.

His expression was too frightening, and Xia Fu didn't dare to meet his gaze. Thinking it was getting late, she dropped the remark and was about to go downstairs when Cheng Mingyu called her in a deep voice,

"Wait."

Hearing the suppressed anger in his tone, Xia Fu felt a secret shock. The family head had accumulated authority for many years, and Xia Fu was somewhat afraid of him in her heart. But she also understood the principle of not losing momentum nowadays. So she simply turned around decisively,

"Does the family head have something else?"

Cheng Mingyu had no way with her but also had no intention of compromising. He took out the coral beads he had carried with him and handed them to her, saying, "Wear it."

Just those two words.

Was this a token after an agreement?

Or a buyout after a rejection?

Xia Fu couldn't quite figure out her thoughts. Either way, after what had just transpired, she felt justified in taking the coral beads. Xia Fu turned back, took the beads, and slipped them onto her wrist before heading toward the staircase.

After descending a couple of steps, her legs felt achy and her knees weak. She walked slowly and finally reached the second floor after a few steps. Just as she did, she caught a glimpse of a robe corner from the corner of her eye and couldn't help but look up. Cheng Mingyu was standing there, watching her. He was dressed in a worn tea-white robe, and the mountain wind whipped his robes fiercely, making him appear as if he were about to ascend and become an immortal.

His face, lit by the rosy clouds, was incredibly handsome.

Who would have imagined that such an otherworldly figure had taken her twice on that simple bed?

Cheng Mingyu's eyes were dark with dissatisfaction.

Xia Fu, her face turning red, averted her gaze. After such a satisfying and delightful experience, she was in good spirits and had gotten what she wanted.

When she reached the bottom floor, two matrons and several guards who had been waiting anxiously sighed in relief upon seeing her.

"Madam, Miss Ru Lan has already returned to the city with a peace charm. Let's go."

The heavy rain had effectively drowned out the sounds from upstairs. To avoid being detected, Xia Fu had deliberately lowered her voice and even bit Cheng Mingyu's arm a few times. The matrons, who had nodded off in their chairs earlier, hadn't heard a thing, and the guards, having confirmed that no one was above, didn't think twice.

Xia Fu nodded calmly, "I was held up at an old place, sorry to have kept you waiting."

The head matron knew about Xia Fu's cliff-jumping incident and understood the emotional impact such a place might have. Hearing the qin music, she assumed Xia Fu was playing to soothe her wounds.

The matron pointed to a small sedan chair waiting under the corridor,

"This sedan chair was sent by the princess. The road is a bit slippery, so it's better if you sit in the chair for a steady ride."

Cheng Mingyu had sent a soft sedan chair in Cheng Yian's name, for Xia Fu's convenience in going down the mountain.

Xia Fu understood perfectly, bid the monk farewell, and left with her entourage.

Back at the foot of the mountain, in the carriage, she eagerly drank some tea to soothe her throat. The bumpy ride sent her into a deep sleep, and she was awakened by the matrons when they entered the city. They asked her where she wanted to stay for the night. It was already dark, and after some thought, Xia Fu said,

"Back to the prince's residence."

Since things had come to this with Cheng Mingyu, she needed to clarify things with the prince and give him a heads-up.

To make sure the prince completely abandoned any thoughts of marrying her.

They returned to the prince's residence in the early evening. Xia Fu ate to fill her stomach, waited a bit to digest, and then had the bath prepared. She sent everyone out and, alone, undressed and stepped into the bath. The warm water slowly rose, and Xia Fu took a deep breath.

That man had a certain allure. Even after so much time had passed, the memory of their encounter still left her craving more.

Xia Fu washed herself clean, then called a maid to help her wash and wring out her hair. She sat in the warm breeze to dry her hair, lost in thought as she stroked the coral beads. After a short while, she heard footsteps outside the curtain, which sounded like the Yunnan King. Xia Fu slowly coiled her long hair and secured it with a pin. She sent the maid out and sat with her hands folded in her lap, waiting.

Soon enough, the Yunnan King strode in. He bypassed the display shelf and saw Xia Fu sitting in the chair. She rose as he entered and greeted him with a bow,

"Your Highness."

"Ah Fu, sit down quickly."

The Yunnan King sat in the chair opposite her, poured himself a cup of tea, and before he could drink it, he complained to Xia Fu,

"That Cheng Mingyu is extremely hateful. Just because I mocked him a bit today, he incited officials to make things difficult for me. Hmph, do you think I would easily give them the satisfaction? Oh, by the way, Ah Fu, Cheng Mingyu had the emperor arrange a marriage for Xun'er..."

"I know," Xia Fu replied calmly and frankly, "Cheng Mingyu told me."

The Yunnan King was startled, quickly realized the situation, and jumped up, furious,

"That rascal, he saw you?"

Earlier in the government district, he was still wondering why Cheng Mingyu was nowhere to be seen. Minister Zheng told him that Cheng Mingyu had gone to the Imperial Medical Institute for treatment due to an old ailment. He assumed he had upset Cheng Mingyu, but later, when the heavy rain started, he ordered his guards to immediately escort the princess from Xiangshan Temple. Upon returning to the mansion, the guards informed him at the gate that they had received the princess at the foot of the mountain and escorted her back to the mansion.

He never expected that the old fox would secretly meet Ah Fu behind his back.

What gentleman?

He’s the biggest hypocrite in the world!

The Yunnan King was so angry he was fuming.

Xia Fu, however, waved at him calmly, “Please sit down, Your Highness.”

The Yunnan King sat down, clearly frustrated.

Xia Fu quietly studied his expression and chuckled softly,

“Your Highness, don’t worry about it. You’ve been away from the capital for years, and I need someone to rely on. I’ve decided to partner with him for now. You should keep this in mind.”

Even though Cheng Mingyu hadn’t agreed yet, it was necessary to make things clear to the Yunnan King.

The Yunnan King looked at her, his eyes filled with even more resentment and anger than Cheng Mingyu’s.

“Ah Fu, don’t let him deceive you. He’s just using his charm to deceive people. You’ve already been hurt by him once; do you want to be hurt again?”

Xia Fu smiled and said, “Because I’ve been hurt before, I haven’t agreed to marry him. I just want to partner with him for company.”

“Since I plan to stay in the capital for good, and he’s An’an’s father, isn’t it natural?”

The Yunnan King snorted heavily, stood up, and walked around to her side, leaning down,

“Ah Fu, he’s unreliable, and at his age, he’s still fooling around with women. Minister Zheng told me today that two years ago, an eighteen-year-old girl, who had been betrothed since she was a child, was asked by her fiancé’s family to marry. The girl said she had someone else in her heart and didn’t want to marry her fiancé. When asked who it was, the girl clearly said Cheng Mingyu’s name. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

“He’s really trouble.”

Xia Fu laughed and said, “He’s been attracting women for ages. When I was still in the Cheng family, a distant sister-in-law tried to bump into him on purpose, using her limited beauty to try and rise to a higher position after his wife passed away.”

“Besides, if he finds someone else, I’ll just leave him. It won’t be a big deal.”

Seeing Xia Fu’s nonchalant expression, the Yunnan King felt like he had punched cotton, extremely frustrated. He sat back down at his seat, brooding for a while, then looked at Xia Fu eagerly,

“Since you’re not marrying him and just partnering with him, why don’t you bring me along too? Ah Fu, I’ve been thinking about you for years, and you know how I feel about you. One more person isn’t much. The two of us can protect you. Besides, your health isn’t good, and only the warm baths of Yulong Mountain in Yunnan are suitable for you. You might have to return to Yunnan to live in the future. With me there, he wouldn’t dare to bully you.”

In some deep mountains under the jurisdiction of the Yunnan King, there was a custom of walking marriages. The strong men mostly went out to join the army, while the women stayed at home to bear and raise children. The children followed their mothers, regardless of marriage.

Influenced by this, the Yunnan King had developed this idea.

Although Xia Fu had been in the heart of Yunnan for many years and was familiar with this situation, she was still fundamentally a Central Plains person and couldn’t bring herself to be so open. She stared at the Yunnan King in shock,

“You’re really being unreasonable!”

Angrily, she pressed a ring, and a green snake shot out from the silver ring, biting at the Yunnan King.

Having fought with snakes since childhood, the Yunnan King handled it calmly. He immediately dodged and soon, the man and the snake were entangled in the room.

The Yunnan King called out to Xia Fu while dealing with the small snake,

“Ah Fu, how can you favor him? I’ve known you for many years and know you well. What is he? Just a three-month fling, and you’re already partial to him? If it’s because of An’an, An’an likes me very much as her stepfather too.”

The more Xia Fu listened, the angrier she became. Instinctively, she grabbed a teacup to throw at him, but remembering that such behavior wasn’t like her, she put it down again and said firmly,

"If you keep acting irrationally, I will leave the King of Yunnan's palace immediately and won't take care of Mu Xun anymore."

This single sentence completely subdued the King of Yunnan.

He pinched the snake's seven inches and threw it out of the window, then slumped down in a dejected manner, "So, you won't leave the palace immediately, right?"

As long as Xia Fu remained the King of Yunnan's consort, he still had hope.

Xia Fu shook her head, "No, I won't. Once you leave this time, it will be two or three years before you return to the capital. During this period, I will take good care of Xun'er for you."

By the time the King of Yunnan returned to the capital, Mu Xun's ties with the Cheng family would be stronger, and she could extricate herself completely.

However, the King of Yunnan wanted to keep her around for longer. He slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said thoughtfully,

"Xia Fu, think carefully. As long as I am stationed at the border, you can flaunt your power in the capital. An An's mother-in-law is quite formidable, but with your status as the King of Yunnan's consort, you can keep her in check. If anyone in the capital dares to bully An An, a single order from you will send the palace guards to her defense. Even if His Majesty scolds you in front of others, privately, he won't dare to do anything to you, because the King of Yunnan's palace is not under the control of the court."

"Xia Fu, consider this as a mutual benefit. You stay securely in the palace, and I won't interfere with your relationship with him. Let him remain a proper concubine."

"Think about An An. Whether you marry Cheng Mingyu, the Cheng family is An An's support. But as long as you are the King of Yunnan's consort, An An has an extra layer of protection. Some matters are more convenient to handle with the identity of the King of Yunnan's consort than the family head's wife of the Cheng family."

"In the end, I won't be in the capital, and I won't interfere with the two of you. What do you think?"

Cheng Mingyu dared to make a move on his territory while he was away, so he would cling to Xia Fu.

Just to see if he could make her angry enough.