Chapter 35: Tears for Lu Feng

Chapter 35: Tears for Lu Feng

Lu Feng took a small sip and said, "It's not that hot."

"Husband, your skin is tough, so you don’t feel it, but it’s too hot for me."

Jiang Wanrou insisted, "I want it cooler."

Lu Feng got up and switched teapots, but Jiang Wanrou still claimed it was hot. After a few tries, if it weren't for Jiang Wanrou's earnest expression, he would have thought she had come up with a new way to torment him.

"Let me cool it for you, okay?"

Lu Feng gently blew on the rim of the cup for a moment, and finally, it was cool enough for Jiang Wanrou to drink. She squinted and drank it all, handing the empty cup back to Lu Feng.

"Another cup."

Lu Feng poured her another cup and, as before, blew on it to cool it down.

"Husband, another one."

The third time, Lu Feng took the cup, lowered his head, and rubbed the rim of the cup with an ambiguous expression, saying, "You’re really getting used to bossing me around."

Jiang Wanrou's heart skipped a beat, and she awkwardly said, "It’s just that Cuizhu and Jintao aren’t around. Is your hand sore? Let me rub it for you."

She eagerly rubbed Lu Feng’s wrist while glancing up at his expression.

When she first said it was hot, she meant it—it really was.

But by then, Lu Feng had already sipped it and cooled it down for her, which greatly surprised Jiang Wanrou.

Lu Feng had the usual nobleman’s quirks: he was picky and never shared cups. Jiang Wanrou used to mock this, thinking that they had shared countless kisses in bed, and he hadn't seemed to mind her saliva then. But once dressed, he turned all formal and aloof. Men.

Though she cursed him in her heart, Jiang Wanrou had never violated Lu Feng's taboos. Every table in Jin Guang Courtyard had his special cups, which were scalded daily and replaced every month. After all, the Lu family had plenty of money and could afford a few sets of teacups.

Now that Lu Feng was using the same cup as her, Jiang Wanrou's drowsiness was completely gone, and she carefully tested the situation.

Recently, they had been spending more time together, and Jiang Wanrou could sense that he was treating her differently. But just how special this "different" was, she didn't know.

She wanted to test it.

Lu Feng let her hold his wrist and massage it. His wrist was strong and solid, like steel, while Jiang Wanrou's hands were soft and delicate, poking at him more like tickling than massaging.

"Stop messing around."

He grabbed her hand and said calmly, "You’ve been acting more and more mischievous lately."

Though his words were stern, there wasn't much reproach in his tone.

Jiang Wanrou couldn't quite grasp his meaning, but she was someone who knew how to seize an opportunity. She took his hand and placed it on her round belly, but before she could say anything, Lu Feng casually remarked,

"Is the baby kicking again?"

Jiang Wanrou: "..."

Lu Feng rubbed her belly a couple of times and said, "After I leave, don't spend every day listening to operas. Have someone read you the Four Books and Five Classics. Our child mustn’t grow up to be a spoiled brat."

Jiang Wanrou agreed readily, "Don’t worry, husband, I’ll follow your advice."

Lu Feng chuckled softly, though it was unclear whether he believed her. His rough hand kept stroking her belly, slowly moving downward from her navel...

"Husband?"

Jiang Wanrou was startled, her heavy body making it hard to move, and she grabbed his arm in panic.

"Are you scared?"

Lu Feng smiled faintly, "I thought you weren’t afraid of anything, even daring to tease your own husband."

"I only joked because you treat me so well."

Jiang Wanrou said with grievance, "If you don’t like it, I won’t do it again. I’m easily scared, so please don’t frighten me."

"You actually get scared?"

Lu Feng stared at her, his gaze deep, "No one’s better at pretending than you... never mind. When I return from the south, we’ll sit down as husband and wife and settle things."

He looked at the travel bag Jiang Wanrou had prepared for his southern journey and found the jade disc she had secretly placed inside. His heart softened—what more could a husband ask for?

Suddenly, he remembered this wasn’t the first time he had traveled far. In the past, she’d always seemed reluctant, thoughtfully preparing his clothes, but never like this time.

When the box was opened, without him saying a word, the attendant beside him exclaimed, "Madam’s care for you is truly sincere."

After knowing real love, how could he miss the act?

Had she been faking it all this time to please him?

For a moment, Lu Feng’s face was a mix of emotions. He dropped his work and headed home, determined to confront this woman, to ask her, to question her...

He thought a lot on the way.

Hurrying back, when he saw her peaceful sleeping face, he suddenly felt it didn’t matter anymore. One thought filled his heart: let her sleep.

She said she was parched.

He poured water for her.

Lu Feng felt something wasn’t right with him.

Except for that one cup of spiked wine years ago, no one had dared to tease him like this. This woman, using her pregnancy as an excuse, was getting more and more disrespectful. Now she’s too lazy to even act 'virtuous'!

Yet, he felt no anger at all.

...

Lu Feng’s high cheekbones and dark eyes made his stare feel oppressive. Jiang Wanrou felt uncomfortable under his gaze and said awkwardly, "Husband, is there something on my face? It’s late, let’s go to bed."

"Let me help you with your clothes."

She tried to get up, but Lu Feng held her shoulders, stopping her.

"No need."

Lu Feng watched her act. Since her belly grew, he hadn’t let her do a thing. Usually, nothing seemed amiss, but now, everything was a flaw.

As the Commander of the Forbidden Dragon Bureau, cases that the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court couldn’t solve were handed to him, and he could crack them within ten days. The most vicious criminals would tremble before him, not daring to harbor any ill intentions.

Always hunting wild geese, yet now he was pecked by his own domestic goose. Good, very good!

Seeing Lu Feng undress with a murderous air, Jiang Wanrou muttered, "It’s just taking off clothes, is it that big a deal?" Now indifferent to everything, she yawned, lay down, and closed her eyes.

Originally, she just wanted to take a short nap and talk to Lu Feng when he returned. Third Master was her husband’s younger brother, and while other matters were easy to discuss, as the elder sister-in-law, it wasn’t appropriate for her to meddle in her brother-in-law’s affairs.

It was appropriate for Lu Feng, as the elder brother, to handle it. Forcing things never ends well. Third Master was both talented and dashing, so why force him into something he didn’t want?

Jiang Wanrou had overestimated her own abilities.

When Lu Feng returned from his bath, he saw Jiang Wanrou lying on her side, her cheek resting on her arm, her face flushed, her lips pink, and her thick eyelashes fluttering like two small fans.

He approached silently, gently moved her arm, and tucked it under the quilt. Then he stood up and blew out the candle.

***

Lu Feng didn’t have time to linger in the inner chambers.

Jiang Wanrou didn’t get the chance to tell Lu Feng about Third Master’s matter before his departure. He left at dawn, the sky still pitch black, without a hint of light.

Cuizhu prepared a bowl of bird’s nest soup for Jiang Wanrou at mid-morning to soothe her stomach before she went back to sleep. When she opened the door, she saw a faint figure by the window.

"Oh, my dear lady, why is the lamp unlit?"

Cuizhu hastily set down the tray, fumbled for the flint to ignite the candle, and then took the shawl from the clothes rack and draped it over Jiang Wanrou’s shoulders.

Cuizhu chattered on, "Even as spring gives way to summer, the mornings remain chilly. Look at the grass, it’s covered in dew. You’re with child now, and you mustn’t catch a chill."

Jiang Wanrou wrapped the soft shawl around herself and whispered, "He’s gone."

Lu Feng had never been gone for such an extended period before. Lately, their marital bond had been strengthening, and now he suddenly left.

Jiang Wanrou had pondered what to say upon their parting.

Would it be the poignant sentiment of "As you journey a thousand miles, my heart accompanies you"? Or the heartfelt wish of "Who will join you on this voyage, a boat bathed in moonlight and a sail filled with wind"? He had once called her "uneducated," so she had meticulously searched through the mansion’s library to find some poetic verses.

None of them came to use.

Last night, they slept side by side as usual, fully dressed. At dawn, Lu Feng got up, and she listened to the rustling of his clothes, gazing vacantly at the bed’s canopy adorned with a hundred children and a thousand descendants. Her throat felt as if clogged with cotton, rendering her speechless.

Lu Feng, too, stayed silent. His boots were heavy, and the muffled footsteps approached. She hurriedly closed her eyes. She thought he would, as before, gently brush her cheek with his calloused fingers or caress her belly. But he only looked at her for a moment before the footsteps gradually faded away.

In a panic, she rose and opened the window. In the dark night, she could only see a faint silhouette. He held his usual long sword, his robes fluttering, his steps steady, as solid as a mountain.

She watched his figure gradually disappear. At the corner, he suddenly stopped, raised his left arm, and gave a slight wave before continuing forward without looking back.

At that moment, Jiang Wanrou felt empty inside, her face slightly cold. When she touched it, she realized she was crying.

Jiang Wanrou rarely cried because she knew it was useless. Her father couldn’t see her tears, her stepmother didn’t care, and only Aunt Li would cry with her when she wept.

Later, she learned that tears only hurt those who cared and pleased those who didn’t. A child with no one to love them didn’t deserve to cry.

Jiang Wanrou silently wiped the tears from her face. In her life, she had cried for Aunt Li’s illness, for giving birth to Huai Yi, and now, she had shed tears for Lu Feng.

She still remembered how frightened she was when they first married, not even daring to look at his face.

Jiang Wanrou thought, perhaps he had been too good to her recently, or perhaps pregnant women were always prone to sentimentality.

She held her belly and went back to sleep, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t rest peacefully.

Jiang Wanrou murmured, "I wouldn’t say I like it, but I’ve grown used to it. Suddenly not having it feels strange and uncomfortable."

"Huh? What does the lady like? I’ll find it for you."

"The ancestors and the master have both instructed that no one in this household should be mistreated, especially not you, Madam!"

Cuizhu chattered away as she closed the window. The bird's nest soup was still warm, and Jiang Wanrou took a couple of sips before setting it down.

She asked, "Where is Huai Yi?"

Cuizhu replied, "The young master is studying in his study. If you miss him, I can summon him to Jinguang Courtyard for breakfast?"

"No need, it's too cold in the morning for him to make the trip."

Jiang Wanrou sighed, feeling uneasy, as being idle made her prone to overthinking.

She needed to find something to do.

She inquired, "How is that young lady in the Second Madam's room doing in Chunhui Hall? Is she still well-behaved?"

"Ah, that one..."

Cuizhu's round face showed a hint of hesitation. She glanced at Jiang Wanrou's expression and cautiously said, "Madam, please don't be upset when I tell you this."

"Oh? Has something happened?"

Cuizhu stammered, "I followed your instructions and delivered the message exactly to the Second Madam. I thought it was settled, but... but when I asked this morning..."

"The young lady didn't go to Chunhui Hall; she went... she went to the small Buddhist hall in the south."

Jiang Wanrou's face suddenly changed dramatically.