Chapter 194: A Couple's Embrace
Chapter 194: A Couple's Embrace
Upon returning to the mansion, Bao Shu immediately went to find Grandmother.
Grandmother happily waved at the little one.
As the child climbed onto Grandmother's lap, her cheap and worthless father pulled her down.
"Be gentle!" Lu Yuan said sternly.
Bao Shu pouted at her father and snuggled closer to Grandmother, sulking.
Grandmother asked, "Did you have fun today?"
"Yes!" the child replied cheerfully.
Children's moods change quickly, and at this age, she was lively, active, and learning to speak. In a few moments, she began to gesture and communicate with Grandmother.
"Piggy Bao, it's eaten!" she exclaimed.
She was deeply saddened, for the adorable Piggy Bao had been eaten.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she became, and she burst into tears.
Grandmother asked, "Was it delicious?"
Bao Shu swallowed her saliva and nodded, "Yes, it was."
Meng Qianqian emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of digestion soup, only to find a suspicious figure lurking by the door crack, like an image-less octopus, eager to peer inside.
"Mother?" Meng Qianqian called out in confusion.
Liu Qingyun quickly stepped away from the door, straightened up, and put on an air of being a difficult mother-in-law. "Eating again? With such an appetite, I don't see you gaining an ounce of weight!"
Meng Qianqian muttered, "But most of the food on the table tonight was eaten by Mother."
Even Bao Shu barely got a few bites.
Naturally, at Bao Shu's age, she could only eat a few bites; any more would upset her stomach.
Liu Qingyun glared at Meng Qianqian, "And you dare to talk back? Is this how you people from the Central Plains treat your mother-in-law?"
Meng Qianqian pressed her lips together, suppressing the laughter in her heart, and said with a worried expression, "Mother is right, Mother. The kitchen has prepared digestion soup. You came just in time, let's go in and have some together."
"No, I didn't eat much," Liu Qingyun said, patting her stomach and walking away expressionlessly.
Meng Qianqian was both amused and exasperated. She wanted to see her son but was pretending to be reluctant.
"Ban Xia," Meng Qianqian called out.
Ban Xia, who was in the courtyard tending to potted plants with Liu Qingyun, hurried over, "Yes, Miss."
Meng Qianqian instructed, "Take a bowl of digestion soup to the Lady."
"Yes, Miss," Ban Xia replied.
Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan spent over an hour in Tinglan Manor, and after putting Bao Shu and Grandmother to sleep, they returned to the main courtyard together.
Meng Qianqian casually recounted the story of Liu Qingyun's beating of Lady Wei, without embellishment or advocacy for Liu Qingyun. She simply stated the facts objectively.
Lu Yuan seemed to ignore her, his expression cold as he went to wash up.
Meng Qianqian sighed.
After they both finished washing up, they lay down on the bed with a cool mat.
This time, no one mentioned the matter of sleeping on the floor, as Liu Qingyun's temperament would likely lead her to make another "inspection" in the middle of the night.
Recalling the morning's events, Meng Qianqian's palms still felt a little warm.
"How could he be so..."
"What is it?" Lu Yuan asked indifferently.
Meng Qianqian quickly closed her mouth, blinked, and said, "Nothing!"
What are you thinking about, Meng Xiaojiu?
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil!
Lu Yuan looked at the top of the tent with a detached expression, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush."
"Is this something I can talk about?" Meng Qianqian asked, her eyes welling up with tears.
She searched for a new topic, "Ah, it's... about the Chu family's case. You took the case files from the library, hoping I wouldn't continue the investigation, right? Did you already know that Prince Chu was the Retired Emperor's flesh and blood, and that Prince Chu's family was killed by the Crown Prince?"
"Prince Chu is the Retired Emperor's flesh and blood? Who told you that?" Lu Yuan thought for a moment, "The Retired Emperor?"
Meng Qianqian nodded, "You didn't know that Prince Chu's father is the Retired Emperor?"
Lu Yuan shook his head solemnly, "I don't know."
Meng Qianqian turned to look at him, "Then why won't you let me investigate?"
Lu Yuan replied calmly, "I only know that the Crown Prince is the murderer, and I didn't know that Prince Chu was the Crown Prince's brother. No wonder the Crown Prince kept having nightmares and crying out Prince Chu's name during his illness."
Meng Qianqian asked suspiciously, "So, was the Crown Prince really sick and died?"
Lu Yuan said, "After killing Prince Chu's family, he lived in regret every day. He didn't die of illness; he scared himself to death."
Meng Qianqian sighed, "If we had known this earlier, why did we do it in the first place?"
Lu Yuan paused and asked strangely, "Is that what you were thinking just now?"
"I..."
Meng Qianqian cleared her throat and raised her hand to touch her flushed cheeks, "Yes. You said the Crown Prince knew about Prince Chu's background. How did he find out?"
Lu Yuan replied, "Naturally, someone must have revealed it to him."
Meng Qianqian asked, "Prime Minister Xun? Over seven years ago, Prime Minister Xun went on a western campaign, and a year later, the Chu family encountered misfortune. If he was the one behind it, he's too deep."
"I fear Prime Minister Xun not only revealed the news to him but also lent him a helping hand. To be honest, there's a traitor among the Twelve Guards. Today, I met Chenlong at the Princess's Mansion and mentioned this to him, but he wasn't surprised. He must have realized it too."
Lu Yuan's expression darkened, "You went to see Chenlong again?"
Meng Qianqian looked at him blankly, wondering if she had missed the point.
"I did it to find the traitor among the Twelve Guards."
Lu Yuan gave a cold laugh, "Before, you said it was to win him over, and now it's about investigating the traitor. Meng Xiaojiu, how many of your words are actually true?"
Meng Qianqian's eyes darted, and she inched closer to him, wrapped in Fragrant Cloud Silk, like a silkworm.
She widened her eyes and looked at him, "Grand Marshal, are you jealous?"
Lu Yuan maintained his aloof demeanor, "I am not."
Meng Qianqian continued in a fawning tone, fully displaying her sycophantic nature, "In Xiaojiu's heart, the Grand Marshal will always be number one. No one can compare to the Grand Marshal."
Lu Yuan let out a cold hum, "Hmm."
Meng Qianqian went on, "Xiaojiu is absolutely loyal to the Grand Marshal, and everyone Xiaojiu wins over will be at the Grand Marshal's disposal. The Grand Marshal can rest assured!"
Lu Yuan ignored her.
Still not satisfied?
Meng Qianqian racked her brains and said, "At worst, before Xiaojiu meets Chenlong, she will report to the Grand Marshal first. If the Grand Marshal disapproves, Xiaojiu will never see him again."
Lu Yuan said coldly, "You said this."
Meng Qianqian nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes, I said it."
Lu Yuan chuckled, "I don't believe it."
Meng Qianqian thought, My husband is too smart...
"I swear to heaven, Xiaojiu will listen to the Grand Marshal. Please believe me, please."
To prevent her hands from acting out, Meng Qianqian tightly wrapped herself in the Fragrant Cloud Silk, unable to move her hands. She could only nudge her head against his shoulder.
Lu Yuan's Adam's apple moved, and he suddenly raised his arm to embrace her, his large palm pressing down on her restless head.
Meng Qianqian was taken aback, "Grand Marshal?"
Lu Yuan's hoarse voice said, "Sleep."
Meng Qianqian, "It's hot."
Lu Yuan, "If you keep making noise, I'll throw you out."
Meng Qianqian, "Oh."
The night was cool, and the starry sky was dazzling.
Meng Qianqian dared not move, thinking she would move back once he fell asleep.
Lu Yuan tried to focus on the matter at hand to calm himself. He spoke softly, "Xiaojiu, the traitor among the Twelve Guards might not just be..."
"Huff... Huff..."
Meng Qianqian slept with drool flowing from her mouth.
Lu Yuan, "...one."
Xiaojiu, are you falling asleep too quickly?
(End of Chapter)
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