Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Seeking a Return

In the mountain forest that should have been pitch-black, the glow of fire lit up the sky. Government soldiers stood every three steps, each holding a sharp weapon.

Yuan had waited for a long time and was getting anxious. In the blink of an eye, he saw a figure walking out of the woods, carrying someone in his arms. His appearance wasn’t much different from when he had left, except that both of them looked completely drenched.

Attendants hurried forward to offer a cloak.

Yuan stepped up to ask for instructions.

Lu Xiu glanced at the crowd of people kneeling and wailing on the ground. "Raze it to the ground."

Yuan took the order and left.

Carrying Liang Wan, Lu Xiu headed straight for the carriage.

Liang Wan opened her eyes just a crack, wondering why he hadn’t just ordered them all killed.

"Awan—"

Before they had taken more than a few steps, someone stumbled after them, only to be stopped by the government soldiers.

Lu Xiu paused his steps. He didn’t say a word, only lowered his head, his dark eyes quietly looking at her.

Liang Wan closed her eyes and shook her head.

Lu Xiu then continued walking forward.

It was a very ordinary carriage, almost shabby compared to the ones he usually used.

Liang Wan was already exhausted. She nestled obediently in his arms. To prevent herself from sliding down, she reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

Both of them froze for a moment.

Liang Wan kept her eyes closed, sighing silently.

Lu Xiu smiled. He pulled the cloak tighter, leaving only her head exposed, making it look as if the two of them were wrapped in the same quilt.

"Rest a while. It’s a long journey."

Liang Wan gave a muffled response, seemingly truly falling asleep.

In the dark carriage and its warm temperature, her eyelids soon grew too heavy to lift.

"I saw Wang Yansheng," Liang Wan murmured like she was sleepwalking.

Lu Xiu gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. He wasn’t surprised; he had known all along.

Liang Wan continued, "He told me that you were the one who didn’t want him to die."

Lu Xiu’s tone was as calm as still water. "Oh."

She buried her face. "Yeah."

After a full day of torment and endless twists and turns, Liang Wan was truly dead on her feet. He was probably just as exhausted. He had entered the palace in the morning and discovered she was missing in the afternoon. He must have ridden out with his men, searching high and low for her. After dark, the deep forest provided excellent concealment, making the mountain stronghold hard to locate and the paths difficult to navigate...

As Liang Wan’s thoughts drifted, she fell fast asleep.

When she woke up again, the carriage had already entered Jinye City. It was broad daylight, and the bustling voices outside signaled a lively and prosperous scene.

After tossing and turning through bouts of hot and cold the previous night, her entire body was extremely sensitive. For some unknown reason, even the slightest movement sparked an unbearable sensation.

Liang Wan gritted her teeth in frustration. Lu Xiu had been right.

It really was a poison!

Lu Xiu was woken up by the person tossing and turning in his arms. Frowning, he pinned her down and said urgently, "Don’t move."

His sudden voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of inexplicable suppression.

Curled up against him like this, there was no way she couldn’t notice a certain change. But she had to tell him that the drug truly hadn’t been purged...

Yet, Lu Xiu refused to even glance at her.

Liang Wan could only grab his hand. The steadily rising temperature was the best proof.

Her voice trembled. "I’m feeling terrible again. We need to go find a doctor right now."

"I’m not feeling good either—" He paused his blurted words and looked down at her. A tantalizing blush flushed her white jade-like face. Her watery eyes stared straight at him, and her bright red lips still bore the marks from last night...

This look was simply... Lu Xiu’s pupils contracted. He looked away, lifted her a little higher in his arms, and said hoarsely, "Don’t worry, the secondary estate is already prepared."

The moment the carriage stopped, Lu Xiu jumped down with her in his arms. People were already waiting at the entrance of the estate, and even Zhou Yun was standing to the side.

Liang Wan turned her head for a quick glance and immediately wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. But since there was no hole to hide in, she could only shrink her head into his embrace.

Little did she know what kind of torture that subtle movement brought him.

Seeing the two of them like this, Zhou Yun was genuinely surprised. But in an instant, he sensed something was off. He took another careful look at Lu Xiu, and as if discovering a novelty, he leaned close to his ear and mocked in a low voice, "Why are you holding back? It’s already come to this, yet she would rather find a doctor than give herself to you. Aren’t you a bit too pathetic—"

"Shut up!"

Lu Xiu gave him a cold sidelong glance, bypassed him, and headed straight inside.

It was only when he set down the soft, burning-hot figure that he finally let out a sigh of relief.

In the bedchamber, Liang Wan lay on the bed while the household doctor respectfully stepped forward with his medical chest.

He had been brought over early in the morning to wait here. At first, he hadn’t quite understood why, but upon seeing Liang Ji’s condition, everything instantly made sense.

The household doctor’s expression was grave, but as he conducted his examination, his furrowed brows gradually relaxed. At first glance, he had thought the ingested drug was so potent that not even intimacy could alleviate it, which had made him break into a cold sweat. However, after careful observation, he realized it was just a common aphrodisiac, typically used in brothels to tame people...

The household doctor stole a glance at the expressionless man, not understanding why he was seeking outside help when the solution was right in front of him.

He spoke tentatively, "Although this drug acts fiercely, she will be perfectly fine once relieved through intimacy."

Lu Xiu was speechless.

The household doctor couldn’t gauge his thoughts and added, "Of course, I can also prescribe medication to treat it. But all medicines have a bit of toxicity. It would be better for you to take a more direct and gentle approach, My Lord..."

Seeing Lu Xiu’s face turn dark and cold, the household doctor shut his mouth, lowered his head, and said, "I will go brew the medicine right away."

After the household doctor left, Lu Xiu lifted the curled-up figure from the bed.

Warm water had been prepared in advance, and Lu Xiu tossed her in like he was unloading cargo. The temperature was perfectly comfortable. She hung her head over the edge of the tub, her body swaying in the water.

Lu Xiu shot her a look. "The pool water from before was from the outdoors, after all."

Liang Wan understood what he meant. As Lu Xiu opened the door, he added, "Aside from me bringing your medicine, no one else will come in."

He closed the door behind him and left, leaving Liang Wan to submerge her entire body into the water.

Zhou Yun waited in the courtyard for quite a while before Lu Xiu finally emerged. Glancing at the sky, he knew it was too late for the morning wedding rituals. If they delayed any further, they might even be late for the evening ceremony. Lu Xiu hadn’t rested well. He massaged his temples, looking exhausted and completely disheveled.

Zhou Yun paced forward. "You should hurry and go. I’ll keep watch here."

Lu Xiu raised an eyebrow at him. "You’ll keep watch? How exactly will you keep watch?"

Zhou Yun looked surprised. "You’re not planning to go back?"

"They don’t lack me over there," Lu Xiu replied.

Zhou Yun was rendered speechless, but on second thought, it seemed to be true. He hadn’t seen anyone rushing over to look for Lu Xiu, which meant arrangements must have already been made. He asked again, "Do you know who did this?"

Lu Xiu remained silent for a moment. "I have a rough guess."

Zhou Yun sighed. "It wouldn’t hurt to just go along with them. Why must you—"

Lu Xiu looked away, gazing toward the distant buildings. "Zhou Yun, I’m different from you. If one wishes to take, one must first give. But if I am willing to pay the price, I absolutely demand a return on my investment."

Zhou Yun’s expression stiffened, but in the next instant, he returned to normal and smiled. "Fair enough."

After drinking the medicine twice, Liang Wan crawled out of the tub looking like a drowned rat. Not caring about anything else, she collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

When she first opened her eyes, she felt as disoriented as a snake waking from hibernation. A heavy arm was resting on her body. Liang Wan turned her head and saw a freshly cleaned man sleeping docilely by her side.

The area where she had injured him was already bandaged. Recalling how his perpetually spotless clothes had been stained with blood for the first time, she couldn’t help but shrink back a little.

Normally, he would wake up the moment she made the slightest movement. But today, he was truly sound asleep.

Liang Wan stared at him. It was only when he was asleep that she had the courage to look at him so brazenly.

As she kept staring, she suddenly realized something was wrong. At this very moment, he was supposed to be performing his wedding ceremony with Cao Luyun.

She lowered her eyes, wondering what the point of cherishing oneself was.

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