So Clingy
Sunlight poured in through the boat's window.
Lu Hexu raised a hand to block it.
He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling of the private cabin that had been inlaid with shells... wait, was it completely bare?
Lu Hexu couldn't hold his liquor.
Because he used to suffer from headaches that only worsened with alcohol, he rarely ever touched a drop.
Even after Su Zhenzhen cured his headaches, he still didn't drink; he simply disliked the taste.
The rice wine from last night wasn't particularly good, but because she had poured it for him, he drank it.
As Lu Hexu lay there, he heard the cabin door open.
He turned his head slightly and saw Su Zhenzhen walk in, holding a bowl of chilled milk dessert.
Lu Hexu stared at her, his gaze unwilling to look away.
Su Zhenzhen brought the dessert to his lips. "It's made of milk. It should help with the hangover. Open up."
Lu Hexu obediently opened his mouth.
Su Zhenzhen fed him a spoonful.
The smooth, chilled dairy melted in his mouth, its coolness dispelling the grogginess of his hangover.
Lu Hexu tilted his head slightly, nuzzling against Su Zhenzhen's hand.
[Last night was too crazy.]
Lu Hexu's nuzzling paused.
He didn't remember a single thing.
He sat up, and things began rustling and falling off him—they were the luminous shells.
"Last night, you insisted on picking these shells for me. I couldn't stop you no matter how hard I tried. It was completely crazy."
Lu Hexu: ...
"Thankfully, you listened to me and didn't go outside the cabin to pick them."
[Thank goodness she held on tight.]
Lu Hexu: ...
It was still early, but the sun was already up.
Sunlight pierced through the boat windows, flooding the space.
The bright light made Lu Hexu squint. He turned his head, burrowing into Su Zhenzhen's palm.
Su Zhenzhen took his hand, pulling him up from the cooling couch, and then began to tidy his messy hair.
[So cute, like a fluffy little kitten.]
[No, a big cat.]
Su Zhenzhen used her hands to smooth down his hair.
[So silky.]
Su Zhenzhen recalled the time Lu Hexu had searched her body for traces of silver needles.
[She hadn't been wearing any clothes then. When his hair brushed over her skin, she thought it was silk...]
The man sat on the couch, looking up at her, a lingering flush of red still visible at the corners of his eyes.
His gaze landed on Su Zhenzhen's face. He tilted his head slightly, looking somewhat peculiar.
She liked using his hair as a silk blanket?
Su Zhenzhen let out a soft cough.
"Alright, we need to get off the boat."
"I asked about the shells; we don't have to pay for them."
The painted pleasure boat was mostly empty now. Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu showed their peony stamps to a random maid on board and were guided to a small boat to leave. Before they departed, they were given a small gift: a box of peony pastries.
It was a small awning boat with curtains hanging at the front and back. Lu Hexu rested his head against Su Zhenzhen's shoulder, picked up a peony pastry, and popped it into his mouth.
The small boat thoughtfully provided tea, likely meant to help guests cure their hangovers.
Lu Hexu poured himself a cup and drank it slowly.
It tasted awful.
Su Zhenzhen raised her hand to lift the curtain on one side. The back curtain was shaded from the sun, so it wasn't as bright.
Once the curtain was lifted, the Slender West Lake sprang into view.
The morning light danced across the lake's rippling surface.
Not far away was a large patch of lotus flowers, with rolling green leaves and graceful pink blossoms standing tall.
Su Zhenzhen could smell a faint lotus fragrance.
She asked the boatman to steer toward the lotuses, then picked a budding lotus flower and a handful of leaves, planning to make lotus leaf-wrapped chicken when they got back.
It was still early, and the sun wasn't too intense yet.
Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu got off the boat, carrying the lotus flower and leaves back to their residence.
Passing by their own shop, Su Zhenzhen saw that her pharmacy was already taking shape. Since it was mostly a wooden structure, the progress was very fast.
The layout hadn't changed much, except for two additional small rooms and the expansion of the spring water pool in the courtyard.
The small door leading to the back alley had been opened up. Wei Heng would sometimes come over to check on the construction progress for Su Zhenzhen.
Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu entered the residence through the small door. The area near the wall hadn't been cleared out yet; according to the previous blueprints, it was meant to be an herb garden.
Since she had some free time today, Su Zhenzhen decided to tidy up this patch of land.
It was the middle of summer, a good time to plant some patchouli and perilla. These two herbs were bestsellers during the summer season.
Handing the lotus leaves over to the small kitchen for the lotus leaf chicken, Su Zhenzhen cut the lotus stem at an angle and placed it in an earthen pot as a decoration for Lu Hexu's main bedroom.
"Looking at flowers every day will put you in a better mood."
Su Zhenzhen adjusted the position of the earthen pot and pushed the window half open.
The summer breeze carried the scent of lotus to her nose. Su Zhenzhen stretched lazily and then got to work.
The ground was covered in weeds. Su Zhenzhen put on a thicker pair of gloves, grabbed a small stool, and began weeding.
A shadow suddenly fell beside her.
Su Zhenzhen saw Lu Hexu standing next to her under the sun. He then squatted down and began pulling weeds, mimicking her actions.
"It's going to get hot soon. I can do this by myself."
Lu Hexu stayed squatted there, casually tossing the pulled weeds aside.
"I like the sunlight now."
As he spoke, the man squinted, clearly not actually fond of the increasingly intense sunlight.
If he didn't like the sunlight, did that mean he liked her?
So clingy.
Su Zhenzhen went to fetch a thick pair of gloves for Lu Hexu to prevent him from getting cut by the weeds, and also brought him a veiled hat to wear.
"Wear this. You haven't been out in the sun much before, so be careful not to get sunburned." After saying that, Su Zhenzhen put on a veiled hat for herself as well.
Sunlight was good, but one shouldn't overdo it, especially in the summer when heatstroke was a real risk.
Su Zhenzhen found a shaded spot for herself and Lu Hexu, and the two of them slowly pulled weeds together.
Sushan darted out from who knows where, rolling around at their feet. Its white fur quickly became dirty.
Su Zhenzhen took off her gloves to wipe the cat down, but once clean, it just kept rolling around and even tried to jump into her arms to act spoiled.
Su Zhenzhen looked at her dirtied pink-and-white dress and gave up struggling.
After a short while, Sushan grew bored of being on her and ran to a nearby corner to continue rolling.
Su Zhenzhen turned her head and noticed a cluster of purple-flowered catnip over there.
Sushan stuck its butt in the air, chewing and tugging at the plant with all its might.
To a kitten, catnip was the ultimate source of joy, a natural little snack.
Sushan rolled all over the ground, rubbing against the plant and letting out happy purrs.
Because there were so many weeds, Su Zhenzhen ended up with several mosquito bites on her body.
She lifted the front veil of her hat, took a small bottle of medicine from her waist, and rubbed it onto her exposed skin.
After applying it to herself, Su Zhenzhen naturally didn't forget Lu Hexu.
"This repels bugs and stops the itching. Give me your hand."
Lu Hexu took off his gloves and held out his hand to Su Zhenzhen.
The woman lowered her eyes, poured some ointment onto his hand, and used her fingers to rub it in.
She held his fingertips, massaging them one by one.
[So long.]
[No wonder it felt so deep that time.]
Lu Hexu's eyes darkened slightly. He abruptly grabbed Su Zhenzhen's fingertips. "I'll do it myself."
"Oh." Su Zhenzhen put on an innocent face.
The soft green ointment was spread, and the scent of herbs filled the air.
And the face.
The neck.
All of Lu Hexu's exposed skin was smeared with the ointment.
The green ointment was absorbed by the skin, leaving no stickiness at all.
"It's not spread out here."
The man sat obediently on a small stool, letting Su Zhenzhen do as she pleased.
She rubbed the ointment onto his face, then stroked Lu Hexu's cheek and, unable to resist, gently pinched it.
[So obedient.]
"Meow..." Sushan, having had enough of playing with the catnip, ran over again.
It thought the two of them were eating something good behind its back.
"We're not, baby, it's just ointment."
Su Zhenzhen handed the empty ointment bottle to Sushan.
Inspector Sushan scrunched up its nose to inspect it, then flicked its dirty, broom-like tail and turned away.
It clearly disliked this pungent herbal scent.
Su Zhenzhen put the ointment away, and when she looked up, she saw the golden cat-ear hairpin Lu Hexu was wearing on his head.
Lu Hexu had never lacked gold, silver, or jewels.
To keep such an old item... he must have some feelings for her, right?
The summer breeze blew past. Su Zhenzhen blushed and lowered her head to pull up weeds, only to realize she had pulled up an edible wild vegetable.
Hmm? There are actually wild vegetables here?
"What is this?" Even through the veiled hat, Lu Hexu still felt his whole body burning from the sunlight.
He squinted at the thing in Su Zhenzhen's hand.
"Wild vegetables. We can make a wild vegetable soup later."
After saying that, Su Zhenzhen began searching for wild vegetables among the weeds.
Lu Hexu nodded and followed Su Zhenzhen to start digging for wild vegetables.
They each had two bamboo baskets beside them. Lu Hexu moved quickly, and the basket beside him soon filled up.
Su Zhenzhen took a look at the large pile Lu Hexu had dug up and found that only two of them were actually edible.
Lu Hexu: ...
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Lu Hexu held the wild vegetables and the weeds. "They all look exactly the same."
Su Zhenzhen nodded, looking serious. "They do look very similar."
[They don't look alike at all.]
Lu Hexu: ...
-
After digging in the dirt all day, Su Zhenzhen had a great appetite that evening. She sat in the courtyard with Lu Hexu, enjoying the summer breeze. They ate a lotus leaf chicken, a bowl of wild vegetable soup, and then shared a dessert.
Lotus leaf chicken was a famous Huaiyang dish. A whole chicken was wrapped in fresh lotus leaves and steamed. The light fragrance of the lotus leaves neutralized the greasiness of the chicken, making it not heavy at all. The wild vegetable soup was even fresher, made from the greens she had just dug up that day. With a little pearl rice and refreshing pickled mustard greens, it was very appetizing.
By the time they finally ate dessert, Su Zhenzhen was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.
She forced herself to finish the dessert, went back to her room, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, still thinking about planting the herb garden tomorrow.
Compared to a low-energy human like her, Lu Hexu was still at his desk in the main room, reviewing memorials.
"Your Majesty." Shadow One emerged from the darkness and handed the recently collected intelligence to Lu Hexu. "Our hidden spies report that Shen Yanci and others have been active on the pleasure boats recently, and they will appear on Mount Shenju tomorrow."
Lu Hexu sat behind the imperial desk, which was piled with memorials that had not been processed over the past few days.
His gaze fell on Shadow One's intelligence report, and he gave a faint, "Hmm."
Shadow One bowed and withdrew.
Lu Hexu looked at the memorials on the desk, his hand tightening slightly around his brush.
He stood up and went to the guest room where Su Zhenzhen was temporarily staying.
The woman was curled up asleep on the couch. It was near the window, making it more comfortable at night.
Lu Hexu walked over, stared down at her for a while, and then picked up a fan nearby to fan her.
The room was hung with insect-repelling sachets, and there was mosquito-repellent incense burning.
The rich scent of herbal incense filled the air. Lu Hexu crouched down and pressed his face against the back of the woman's hand.
"Zhenzhen."
"Meow..." Sushan crawled out from under the cooling couch, its round eyes staring at him.
"Will she still take you away?" Lu Hexu reached out his hand.
Sushan tilted its head up and pressed its nose against Lu Hexu's fingertips.
His fingertips were wet, and Lu Hexu pulled his hand back.
He continued to press against Su Zhenzhen.
Just kill him.
He would rather she kill him than abandon him.
-
Su Zhenzhen woke up from her sleep feeling completely refreshed.
She had things to do today.
The herbs to treat Lu Hexu's wandering soul syndrome had run out.
Su Zhenzhen had originally saved some, but the massive fire last time had completely burned them all.
A few of the ingredients couldn't even be found in the palace, so she had to go dig them up fresh.
Su Zhenzhen put on her bamboo basket and hurried out before the sun came up.
These few herbs were hard to find, so she had to leave early.
When Su Zhenzhen left, Lu Hexu wasn't up yet.
She moved softly, afraid of waking him.
The main room was completely silent.
It wasn't until the woman left that the window was pushed open.
Lu Hexu's expression remained unchanged. He hadn't slept all night. He sat there resting his chin on one hand. The reed blinds in the room were half-rolled up, letting in light from outside.
Inside the copper basin were ice blocks half the height of a person, exuding a chilling cold. Lu Hexu gripped the golden cat-ear hairpin in his hand, leaning close to the lotus flowers beside him, his eyes half-closed to hide the darkness within them.
-
This wasn't Su Zhenzhen's first time at Mount Shenju. She navigated the mountain trail with ease and found the place where she had dug up herbs last time.
The herbs here had already been completely dug up by her and hadn't grown back yet.
Su Zhenzhen felt it was a bit of a pity.
The last time she came out to dig herbs, she thought she might not have another chance to be with Lu Hexu in the future, so she dug up all the herbs in this patch in one go, preparing a six-month supply for him. Who would have thought they would all be destroyed in the fire?
Carrying her bamboo basket, Su Zhenzhen continued walking up the mountain path.
She would just have to keep looking.
Su Zhenzhen walked deeper and deeper, when suddenly a voice came from behind her.
She instinctively turned her head and saw a young woman standing behind her. The woman's gaze swept over her before she finally spoke: "The peony blossoms."
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Her lost memories came rushing back.
Su Zhenzhen's face instantly stiffened.
Last time, she remembered the plot of the original novel and stumbled through it by sheer luck.
What should she do this time?
Just guess randomly?
Blossoming wealth and honor?
"The peony blossoms, and a golden age naturally arrives." A male voice came from the side. Su Zhenzhen turned her head and saw a man wearing a long peony-patterned robe and a wide-brimmed bamboo hat with a beaded veil covering his face appearing behind her.
Wasn't this the person from the pleasure boat?
Although she couldn't see his face, his voice sounded very familiar, but Su Zhenzhen just couldn't recall it at the moment.
"Holy Son." The woman who had just been glaring fiercely at Su Zhenzhen cupped her hands in greeting.
The Holy Son nodded slightly. Through the beaded veil, his gaze turned toward Su Zhenzhen.
Su Zhenzhen instinctively gripped the pouch at her waist tightly.
"Since you are here, come in," the man said to Su Zhenzhen.
Su Zhenzhen clutched her pouch and saw the people following behind this Holy Son.
There was a dense crowd of them, more than a dozen.
Keeping her head down and carrying her bamboo basket, she followed the crowd deeper into the mountains.
Mount Shenju had many legends. It was rumored to be a famous holy site for alchemy, and someone had once ascended to immortality here.
The State Preceptor found by the late Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty also hailed from Mount Shenju.
Although Mount Shenju wasn't tall, its gray rocks were covered in lush greenery. After Su Zhenzhen followed them for a distance, she saw a Daoist temple hidden among the whispering pines ahead, and it appeared to be quite large.
Walking up the stone steps, one could see two Daoist monks guarding the entrance of the temple.
Judging by their posture and footsteps, they must be martial artists.
"Holy Son."
The two Daoists lowered their eyes and bowed respectfully.
The man gave a slight nod and led the way inside.
Su Zhenzhen frowned and followed behind.
Upon entering the Daoist temple, the first thing that caught her eye was a thousand-year-old apricot tree.
Its lush green leaves blotted out the sky, and the sunlight filtering through danced like golden scales on the bluestone steps.
Su Zhenzhen glanced over and saw that quite a few people were already waiting beneath the tree.
Numerous cushions had been placed under the tree. These people sat cross-legged upon them, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Holy Son.
As the Holy Son walked to the very front, the crowd rose and began to pay their respects.
Su Zhenzhen glanced left and right, then followed suit and bowed.
After the worship concluded, the Holy Son began to speak.
The more Su Zhenzhen listened, the more familiar the voice sounded.
She couldn't help but look up, yet because of the beaded veil covering the man's face, she couldn't make out his features at all.
"When March arrives and the peonies bloom, a golden age will naturally follow."
"When the peonies bloom, a golden age will naturally follow..."
The believers knelt on the ground, kowtowing one after another.
Kneeling at the very back, a sudden chill crept through Su Zhenzhen's body.
She thought of a certain person.
As the believers began to disperse, Su Zhenzhen stood up, preparing to leave, only to see a pair of feet appear before her.
She shifted her gaze upward, and her eyes met that same beaded veil.
"Follow me," the man said in a low voice.
Su Zhenzhen pursed her lips, adjusted the small bamboo basket on her back, and followed him.
The temple was vast. Su Zhenzhen followed the man to a small courtyard.
The courtyard bore obvious signs of habitation. The man pushed open the door, revealing a room stacked high with books.
The Four Treasures of the Study were arranged on the desk, the ink still wet.
Shen Yanci stood in the room. Seeing Su Zhenzhen enter, he raised his hand and closed the door.
Looking at the tightly shut door, Su Zhenzhen subconsciously moved to stand by the window.
"When you leave, someone will check the believers for the peony mark. I will give you one."
"Shen Yanci?"
Shen Yanci was searching the room for his seal when he heard the woman's uncertain voice behind him.
A bitter smile touched Shen Yanci's lips. He raised his hand and parted the beaded veil, revealing a somewhat haggard and pale face. "You still remember me."
How could she not remember?
So many times she had faced certain death, all because of him.
But it was strange. Why was he helping her today?
Shen Yanci found a box on the bookshelf. He opened it to reveal a very old sachet inside.
Though the sachet was old, it had been well-preserved and had no tears. However, due to the passage of time, the threads on it had faded.
Shen Yanci paused for a moment. He closed the box and took out another one, which contained a seal.
He took out the seal and walked over to Su Zhenzhen.
The woman looked at him warily, clutching her purse.
"I'll stamp you."
Su Zhenzhen hesitantly held out her hand.
Holding the seal, Shen Yanci gently pressed it against the back of her hand.
A peony mark—somewhat similar to, yet slightly different from, the one on the painted pleasure boat last time—appeared on the back of her hand.
"That pleasure boat last time, was that yours too?"
"...Yes."
Suddenly, Su Zhenzhen wasn't in such a rush to leave.
To Su Zhenzhen, Shen Yanci was the male lead of this book, the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao.
She had always been worried—worried that Lu Hexu would be killed by Shen Yanci.
Even though the original plot had deviated to this extent, she still couldn't let go of this fear.
Su Zhenzhen looked down, staring at the back of her hand.
A bright red peony bloomed on her skin, as red as blood.
"Miss Su."
They hadn't seen each other in five years. The woman had hardly changed, but Shen Yanci, on the other hand, had lost a lot of weight. The spirited, energetic aura of his youth had been entirely ground away, replaced by a stillness like stagnant water.
Only when he looked at Su Zhenzhen did it ripple slightly.
"Why is Lord Shen here?"
Su Zhenzhen looked up at him with a slight, fake smile.
Seeing Su Zhenzhen smile, Shen Yanci's heart fluttered slightly. He gripped the fan in his hand and lowered his eyes, seeming somewhat overwhelmed.
She still didn't know that he was her pen pal.
"I have some matters to attend to here." Shen Yanci's voice was dry. He walked over to the desk and picked up a piece of calligraphy he had written the day before. "I wrote this yesterday."
Su Zhenzhen nodded without much interest. "It's beautifully written."
Shen Yanci glanced at her; the woman's eyes were wandering around the room.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside the door. Shen Yanci reached out, grabbed Su Zhenzhen's arm, and pushed her behind a folding screen, warning her, "Don't come out."
A maid came to knock on the door.
"Master."
"Yes." Shen Yanci opened the door.
"We are missing one person." The maid frowned, her expression grim.
They were even more cautious than they had been five years ago.
"Perhaps they got lost. The temple is large; send more people to look." Shen Yanci's expression remained neutral as he lowered his eyes and gave the order.
The maid nodded, then added, "The Old Master has sent someone over."
Shen Yanci's expression shifted slightly. He nodded and followed the maid out. As he closed the door, he instinctively cast a glance toward the folding screen.
After the sound of their footsteps faded away, Su Zhenzhen cautiously stepped out from behind the screen. She began rummaging through Shen Yanci's desk, searching for evidence.
Nothing.
She then went to search his bookshelf.
Nothing.
Finally, her gaze landed on those two boxes.
One of them was the seal, but what was the other?
Su Zhenzhen opened the box and was surprised to see an old sachet inside.
Something given to him by a woman, perhaps.
Not caring much, Su Zhenzhen simply opened the sachet to see if there was anything inside.
However, she found that the herbal mixture inside was quite unusual.
This recipe... was hers.
Every traditional Chinese medicine practitioner has their own prescribing habits.
In Su Zhenzhen's mosquito repellent recipe, the herbal blend was different from others'.
She had given sachets to many people, but she couldn't recall ever giving one to Shen Yanci.
Su Zhenzhen stared at the sachet for a while, until she heard footsteps outside.
She tossed the sachet back in and put the box away.
Shen Yanci had returned.
Seeing Su Zhenzhen standing by the bookshelf, he spoke in a low voice, "I'll escort you out."
-
Su Zhenzhen and Shen Yanci walked along a small path in the ancient temple.
She had never been here before, so naturally, she didn't know that this was actually a detour.
This was Shen Yanci's selfish desire.
Ancient, towering trees lined both sides, their branches crisscrossing and blocking out the sunlight, leaving only scattered patches of light.
They walked through the thick shade. The summer breeze rustled through the leaves, dispelling the heat. The rustling leaves and the occasional, intermittent chirping of cicadas only highlighted the profound tranquility of the deep mountains.
Because of the chaos five years ago, Su Zhenzhen couldn't help but suspect that Shen Yanci had gathered another group of believers and was preparing for a second rebellion.
She needed to leave safely and then inform Lu Hexu about Shen Yanci's secret schemes in Yangzhou.
"Do you know where the late Emperor's tomb is?"
Shen Yanci, walking ahead, suddenly spoke.
Su Zhenzhen replied, "At the border between Jinling and Gusu."
Shen Yanci shook his head. "I'm not talking about the late Emperor of the Great Zhou, but the late Emperor of the Great Yan."
Su Zhenzhen shook her head. "I don't know."
Shen Yanci lowered his gaze. "It's right here."
"Fearing that his corpse would be stolen, the late Emperor of the Great Yan prepared two tombs for himself while he was still alive: an overt tomb and a hidden tomb."
"The overt tomb has already been destroyed, and now only the hidden tomb remains."
Why was Shen Yanci telling her all this?
Not far ahead was the back door of the Daoist temple. Shen Yanci halted his steps. Gripping the fan in his hand, he suddenly turned to look at Su Zhenzhen.
"That year in the Temple of the Medicine King, on the Terrace of Enlightenment—do you still remember?"
Shen Yanci's voice rang clearly in Su Zhenzhen's ears.
Su Zhenzhen's expression paused as a sudden realization about the origin of that sachet hit her.
Her pen pal was actually Shen Yanci.
In Su Zhenzhen's memory, her pen pal was a fragile and sensitive person.
He had his own little hobbies, his own little temper, and things he was afraid of.
Su Zhenzhen looked at Shen Yanci and slowly nodded. "I remember."
A smile appeared on Shen Yanci's face. He took a step forward. "If... if I were the one inviting you to leave, would you be willing... willing to leave with me?"
"Go where?"
"To... I don't know either. Just... we leave together..." Shen Yanci lowered his head, his voice trailing off. Then, realizing the impossibility of it all, he raised his eyes to gaze at the sky.
The fine pearl veil had been lifted by him, draped over the wide brim and swept to one side.
The crystalline pearls hung beside his face, accentuating his gentle and refined aura.
Finally, Shen Yanci lowered his head.
"It is getting late. You should go." He raised his hand and pointed ahead. "There is a path there that leads straight to the bottom of the mountain."
Su Zhenzhen took three steps, then turned back.
Shen Yanci had been watching her the whole time. Seeing Su Zhenzhen look back, his eyes instinctively lit up.
"Lord Shen, what is it that you truly want? Is it peace for the world and well-being for the people, or is it that throne?"
Shen Yanci's pupils trembled. The light in his eyes instantly vanished. He lowered his head even further, and the pearl veil fell with it, covering his face and obscuring his expression.
"This is no longer... something I can control..."
-
Su Zhenzhen came down from Mount Shenju.
Carrying a bamboo basket on her back, she entered through the side gate and saw that both sides of the path were lined with glazed lanterns.
The glazed lanterns were very bright, hung all the way to the door of Lu Hexu's main room.
The sky was already very dark, but the man had not yet slept.
The two standing glazed lanterns in his room were both lit, casting a brilliant light that illuminated the entire courtyard as bright as day.
Through the thin green gauze window, Su Zhenzhen saw the silhouette sitting behind the imperial desk.
She set down her bamboo basket and was just about to push the door open and enter.
But then she realized she hadn't obtained any substantial evidence. Without it, would Lu Hexu believe her words?
After all, she still carried the label of being "Shen Yanci's hidden spy."
Separated by a single door, Su Zhenzhen crouched down, feeling somewhat helpless.
She lowered her head, saw the peony mark on the back of her hand, and reached out to rub it.
The red peony mark was quickly wiped clean.
Yet Su Zhenzhen did not stop her movements. It wasn't until the back of her hand was rubbed raw and red that she slowly stood up.
She stared at the door for a while, then raised her hand and knocked.
There was no movement inside. Only after a moment did someone come to open the door.
The door slowly opened, and the person who appeared before Su Zhenzhen was Wei Heng.
"Godfather?"
"Miss Su."
"Where is His Majesty?"
"In your room."
In her room?
Su Zhenzhen turned her head to look at the side wing not far away.
"He has been in there for a whole day. It seems... he has something on his mind."
Something on his mind?
Su Zhenzhen nodded. Carrying her bamboo basket, she walked over to her own room.
The door to the room was not closed.
Su Zhenzhen pushed it open gently.
Her room was very messy, with things scattered everywhere.
Bottles and jars, dried medicinal herbs, clothes that had just been brought in and were not yet folded, items from Sushan, and so on.
The room, which originally looked like a pristine model room, had become a total mess after she had lived in it for only a few days.
There was a bed and a couch in the room. Su Zhenzhen usually only slept on the couch out of convenience.
At this moment, someone was already sleeping on that narrow couch.
Lu Hexu was curled up on the couch, his face covered by one of her garments.
Was he asleep?
Su Zhenzhen walked in quietly.
She walked to Lu Hexu's side, reached out, and gently lifted a corner of the clothing.
She met the man's open eyes.
Lu Hexu maintained his posture without moving.
He looked at Su Zhenzhen before him, blinked slowly, and then closed his eyes again.
Was he that tired?
But she had urgent matters to discuss.
Maybe she should go discuss it with Wei Heng first.
Just as Su Zhenzhen turned to leave, a pair of arms reached out from behind and held her tightly.
"I thought you were not coming back."
[Huh?]
"I just went up the mountain to gather herbs. Of course I would come home."
Su Zhenzhen was pulled onto the couch by Lu Hexu. She hadn't changed her clothes yet, and she was dirty, covered in soil and leaves from the mountain.
"I'm very dirty."
"You're not dirty." The man buried his face in the crook of Su Zhenzhen's neck, his voice slightly hoarse. He pressed against her skin, kissing her tenderly, as if suffering from touch starvation. "You smell wonderful. It's the scent of medicinal herbs."
Su Zhenzhen couldn't smell it on herself.
However, since she spent all day immersed in piles of herbs, she naturally carried this scent.
"Are you awake?"
"Mhm."
"Then I have something important to tell you."
Su Zhenzhen sat sideways on Lu Hexu's lap. She wrapped her hands around his neck, and the mud on her fingertips rubbed off onto his face.
[His face is dirty.]
Su Zhenzhen used the pads of her fingers to wipe it off for him, a hesitant expression appearing on her face.
Lu Hexu waited quietly.
The glazed lantern in the room was very bright, bright enough that Su Zhenzhen could see every single expression on Lu Hexu's face.
She figured Lu Hexu could see all the expressions on her face as well.
Such complete transparency was nerve-wracking.
"Shen Yanci appeared."
"Right on Mount Shenju."
"He must be planning something." Su Zhenzhen tried her best to organize her words. "He is very dangerous. You must prepare early."
The man's dark pupils gazed deeply into Su Zhenzhen's eyes.
He stared at her, the arms holding her slowly tightening.
"Did you come back just to tell me this?"
A hint of nervousness appeared on Su Zhenzhen's face. "You don't believe me? I can take you to... No, it's too dangerous. I'll take someone else to Mount Shenju..."
Before Su Zhenzhen could finish her sentence, Lu Hexu leaned in and kissed her, swallowing the rest of her words.
Lu Hexu kissed her with intense force, as if trying to crush all his long-accumulated care and anxiety into this single kiss.
Su Zhenzhen was kissed until the tip of her tongue went numb, and then she was flipped over as he continued to kiss her.
"Alright, let's talk about serious matters..." Su Zhenzhen struggled to speak.
Her tongue hurt so much.
Lu Hexu pressed against her, the rims of his eyes slightly red. "Zhenzhen, I believe you. I just cannot believe that you actually chose me."
Under the light, a look of helplessness appeared on the man's face. He looked at her, his eyes carrying a trace of bewilderment.
"I told you so," Su Zhenzhen mumbled. "You were the one who didn't believe it."
"I believe it now, Zhenzhen. I believe you." Lu Hexu hugged her, pulling her forcefully into his embrace.
[Don't squeeze her to death.]
"Alright," Su Zhenzhen tried hard to push him away, saying seriously, "We should plan how to kill Shen Yanci."
