Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lu Yu remained silent, but Yun Wan’s heart sank.

She awkwardly withdrew her hand and took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Lu Yu.

When Yun Wan saw Aunt Yao enter, her lips tightly pressed and her eyes brimming with suppressed anger, she swallowed hard. A tear, mixed with the one already at her temple, rolled to the ground.

Aunt Yao quickly stepped to Lu Yu’s side, bowing her head submissively as she began, “Since the Young Lord does not wish…”

Lu Yu waved his hand dismissively and said indifferently, “No need. Let her stay and serve.”

Yun Wan suddenly lifted her tear-filled eyes, gazing at Lu Yu’s profile. His thin lips were pressed into a tight line, and his shadowed profile was frosty. Yet, he had allowed her to stay because of her plea.

He still cared for her, after all.

Then he must remember their past.

Yun Wan had been holding back for so long. She was like a mushroom trapped in a damp, decaying corner, sustained only by her child to avoid complete decay. She had already lost her home; she could not afford to lose Lu Yu as well.

Suddenly, a soft cough interrupted Yun Wan’s thoughts.

She instinctively looked up and saw the sharp glare in Aunt Yao’s eyes. Yun Wan took a deep breath, quickly leaned forward, and asked softly, “What does the Young Lord want to eat?”

On the round table were four dishes, a soup, and a plate of small pastries.

The steamed sea bass was topped with scallions that carried a faint scent of soy sauce. The stir-fried seasonal vegetables included five or six different kinds, while the chicken stew, like a medicinal dish, exuded a bitter scent that hit the nostrils. The cold sliced mutton came with a plain sauce.

Yun Wan disliked all of it. The dishes were plain and bland, lacking any distinctive flavor.

Back then, Aunt Yao had insisted that this was the proper midday meal for a noble household: “Indulgence, excess, and unchecked emotions are the roots of illness.”

“But what if someone naturally prefers sweet and sour flavors?” Yun Wan had once asked.

Aunt Yao had merely frowned and replied, “In high-ranking families, the head of the household sets an example for the entire clan. We must uphold propriety.”

“The Young Lord became the head of the household at the age of ten, bearing the honor of the entire Xuanping Marquisate. If he can adapt, others must follow suit.”

Yun Wan did not understand what the honor of the Marquis estate entailed. She only knew that her A Yu did not like these things.

He preferred sour flavors.

Whether it was the wild hawthorn berries from the back hill, the sour soup noodles from the market, or the dried apricots given by the neighbor when she was pregnant with Xiao Bao, he had always loved them.

When she snapped back to reality, she saw Lu Yu holding his chopsticks correctly, eating from the dishes deliberately and with decorum. At that moment, there was no trace of his preferences to be seen.

Yun Wan leaned forward slightly, using her ebony chopsticks inlaid with silver to pick up a flaky piece of white fish belly, placing it into Lu Yu’s plate. But as she did so, she accidentally bumped against his shoulder.

Lu Yu’s upper body instinctively flinched away. His lips tightened, and a flash of irritation flickered across his face.

Yun Wan’s heart sank, and her eyes instantly reddened.

A pang of grievance rose within her, but when she instinctively leaned closer to test his reaction, he moved away again.

The distance between them was already two arm's lengths. Even if she moved a little closer, it was not that near. Yet, he seemed to resent even that.

Seeing Lu Yu’s expression grow colder, Yun Wan’s heart plummeted further.

Lu Yu picked up his teacup and took a few sips before saying coldly, “I’m finished. You may leave.”

Seeing Lu Yu’s dismissive attitude, Yun Wan felt a surge of bitterness in her heart.

Did he dislike her so much?

Was there some bad smell on her?

There was.

A clean soap scent mixed with a sweet, milky fragrance lingered in Lu Yu’s nostrils.

Whenever she drew closer, the scent grew stronger.

Without realizing it, Lu Yu wanted to draw nearer to her, to be close to her.

---

In the dead of night,

“Do you really intend to marry me?”

A soft, urgent female voice sounded behind Lu Yu.

When he did not respond, the woman suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her warm tears dampening the fabric of his robe.

He turned around and saw Yun Wan standing barefoot on the cold floor tiles, wearing a thin layer of lavender gauze, her feet red from the cold.

His body acted faster than his mind. As he scooped her into his arms, Yun Wan’s smooth, jade-like arms encircled his neck, and that sweet, milky fragrance instantly enveloped him.

The same crimson bed curtain was swaying gently in the breeze.

He placed Yun Wan on the edge of the bed and kneeled on one knee, his broad hands rubbing her icy feet. The white jade ring on his thumb seemed to press uncomfortably against her instep.

She let out a soft whimper. “It hurts.”

Lu Yu looked up and saw her red-rimmed eyes, her delicate lips slightly pursed, her jade-like fingers gently adjusting his.

With tearful eyes, Yun Wan whispered timidly, “A Yu, can’t you show me some tenderness?”

Lu Yu’s expression remained neutral, but his dark eyes were already tinged with a deep, restrained desire.

The suppressed longing burned through his heart like wildfire.

All his calm and restraint vanished in that instant.

“Young Lord, it is time to rise.”

Lu Yu, dressed in white sleeping robes, slowly opened his eyes, his deep gaze still clouded with unresolved desire.

He was truly going mad. Why did he keep having these dreams?

Was Yun Wan some kind of mountain spirit who had bewitched him?

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Lu Yu sat up on the bed. Seeing the soiled sheets once again, he rose resignedly to bathe.

It was time to have a talk with Aunt Yao.

“Young Lord, this old servant acts on the Emperor’s orders and dare not neglect her duties. If I were to slack even slightly, I would have no face to meet the old Marquis in the afterlife.”

Lu Yu’s lips twitched slightly. “I prefer not to have anyone attending to me during meals. I hope Aunt Yao will understand. There is no need for her to learn these things.”

“Propriety must not be abandoned. The Emperor entrusted this important task to me, and I will spare no effort to fulfill it. I will not disappoint the Emperor or the Young Lord.”

Looking at Aunt Yao's stern and upright posture, Lu Yu had no choice but to give up, but what he didn't expect was—

Beyond serving meals, Aunt Yao became even more demanding.

---

Late at night,

Yun Wan was so exhausted that her neck could no longer support her head, nodding off like a chick pecking at rice. Every time she was about to fall asleep, Aunt Yao would strike the ground forcefully with a bamboo stick, making a loud tapping sound.

The meal service had barely satisfied Aunt Yao's standards, and tonight's task was changing clothes.

Her greatest hope now was for Lu Yu to appear before her sooner. After helping him change, she still needed to hold her plump baby and sleep.

She had no idea what exactly Lu Yu was busy with—it was already midnight, and he still hadn't returned to the bedroom.

Yun Wan suddenly recalled the time shortly after their marriage when their nighttime noises were so loud that a neighborhood auntie admonished them to exercise restraint. At that time, her face had flushed bright red.

Thinking of the past, Yun Wan’s ears turned as red as if dripping with blood. The moment she looked up, she saw Lu Yu walking straight toward them.

Lu Yu seemed momentarily stunned, but Aunt Yao had already stepped forward respectfully and said, "Young Lord, tonight, let Miss Yun help you change."

He remained silent and had already stepped inside.

After a long pause, he finally said in a deep voice, "Fine."

Lu Yu was tall and slender, with broad shoulders and long arms. Standing before Yun Wan, he loomed like a wall, his lowered shadow completely enveloping her figure.

Yun Wan had thought she wouldn’t blush, but standing beside Lu Yu, her body reacted despite her mind's control.

Silently reciting the rules Aunt Yao had taught her, she gently undid the cloud-patterned buttons on Lu Yu’s collar, loosened his belt, and helped him remove his outer robe and inner garments.

Lu Yu's alabaster body suddenly appeared before Yun Wan.

Sweat from the summer heat trickled slowly over his defined, lean muscles, his jade-like skin glowing white. The scars on his body were exactly as she remembered.

She had once bought scar-removing ointment and applied it diligently. Aside from the scar from saving her, which had faded slightly, the other old marks were nearly impossible to erase.

She recalled how Lu Yu had worn a displeased expression when serving dishes earlier.

Tonight, when she looked at him again, his face remained dark and gloomy, growing even colder under the flickering candlelight.

He was displeased with her again.

Yun Wan’s eyes fell in disappointment. She slowly laid aside the robe that still carried Lu Yu’s warmth, her fingers unconsciously stroking the fabric, as if remembering how he had once held her hand.

Before she could help him into his sleeping robes, Lu Yu had already taken them from her. "Aunt Yao, that will be all for today," his low voice came from behind the bed curtain, and he did not emerge again.

Aunt Yao naturally understood this clear dismissal. She respectfully led Yun Wan away.

Early the next morning.

Lu Yu’s eyes opened slowly, his expression dark as he looked at the once-again soiled bedsheets. He coldly pushed aside the bed curtain.

His composure was nearly beyond control.

"Young Lord, it is time to air and change your bedding today," Aunt Yao said with a respectful bow.

Lu Yu, who had been about to step out of bed, turned back instead. His gaze coldly swept over the bedding stained with semen, and he said icily, "No need. I am tired and will rest a while longer. Have the manservants take care of it later."

Without giving Lu Yu a chance to react, Aunt Yao, like a brave minister making a principled stand, lifted the bed curtain and declared loudly, "The Young Lord must attend court today. Don't be late."

The servants in the room grew even more cautious, their movements lighter and more delicate. No one had ever dared to speak to the Young Lord like this—this palace aunt really has some nerve.

Lu Yu lowered his gaze and said calmly, "Auntie, you're overstepping your bounds."

Aunt Yao knelt and kowtowed three times respectfully, saying, "If I neglect the Young Lord, I won't be able to answer to His Majesty. I beg the Young Lord to understand."

Before Lu Yu could respond, Aunt Yao had already practically dragged him out of bed and moved the quilt aside.

In no time, he heard Aunt Yao speak as if discussing the weather, "Young Lord, do not be shy. Wet dreams are a normal phenomenon... The fifteenth of this month is an auspicious day. Please refrain from consuming meat for the three days prior and carefully study the book I gave you. Then, you may perform your marital duties."

Yun Wan pressed her lips together, her ears turning bright red, though her heart ached with pain.

Suddenly, a servant outside called, "Young Lord, will you not have breakfast today?"

The servant scratched his head, watching Lu Yu’s hurried departure, and muttered in confusion, "The Young Lord has changed. He didn’t even eat breakfast."

---

Inside a private room at a capital city tavern.

Lu Yu said abruptly, "I think I might have a problem... down there."

Hearing his friend’s words, Lin Shuyan, the Young Lord of Ding, spat out his drink instantly.