No Sense of Restraint

The man had made it perfectly clear that he wanted them gone, without the slightest mercy. It was entirely in keeping with his usual temper and manner.

Kong Cuilian could barely keep the smile on her face.

Su Liangzhuo immediately caught on and summoned a servant to take Su Manrong and her mother to a side hall.

Throughout it all, neither Su Manrong nor Kong Cuilian dared speak up in protest.

With no one in the way, Su Luoqian was in a better mood and even ate a little more at lunch.

The Su family had become imperial merchants, and now that Su Liangzhuo was seated with Lu Jingsi, he could hardly avoid discussing how their shops in various places were doing.

Su Luoqian, meanwhile, spoke quietly with Cui Anlan.

There were no rules about keeping silent at meals or in bed.

After lunch, Su Luoqian accompanied Cui Anlan into the inner room. The moment Su Luoqian rose, Cui Anlan's eyes flickered, as though she had caught sight of something.

She looked at her daughter's rosy complexion but said nothing.

Only after they entered the rear courtyard did she take Su Luoqian's hand and say softly, "I know you're newlyweds, but you still need to know your limits."

Su Luoqian's beautiful eyes were full of confusion. "Mother, what are you talking about?"

Cui Anlan looked as though she wanted to say something but hesitated. She touched the back of Su Luoqian's neck with her fingertips.

A red mark remained there from the chop Lu Jingsi had delivered the day before yesterday. Against her fair, smooth skin, it was especially conspicuous once exposed.

But her delicately embroidered collar had half concealed it, and Cui Anlan had only seen it when Su Luoqian lowered her head and stood up.

"He did that, didn't he?"

Su Luoqian instinctively raised a hand to cover it and nodded. "Yes."

As soon as she answered, realization struck her, and her face flushed red. "No... Mother, it's not what you think."

Cui Anlan's expression changed. "What do you mean? Did he hit you?"

"No, definitely not. How could he possibly hit me?"

Cui Anlan said seriously, "Don't be embarrassed, but you need to exercise restraint with this sort of thing. He is a man, after all. If you can't bear it, you mustn't let him do as he pleases, or it'll be your own body that suffers."

Su Luoqian's face was crimson, and even her clear, almond-shaped eyes were tinged with a blush. "Mother, we..."

She badly wanted to say that, apart from their wedding night, they had barely even slept in the same bed, let alone done that sort of thing.

But if she told the truth, her mother's worries would surely turn to something else.

In the end, Su Luoqian could only swallow her frustration and say, "I understand, Mother."

Seeing her like this, Cui Anlan still wasn't reassured. She turned and whispered to Nanny Cheng, who withdrew to carry out her instructions.

Before long, Nanny Cheng returned to the room, carrying a small, simply designed box.

"Mother, what's this?"

Cui Anlan handed her the box, stopping her from opening it at once. "Look at it when you get back."

Su Luoqian was immensely curious. "What's inside?"

"Some illustrated books to help you suffer a little less in such matters."

Su Luoqian's face grew hot, and the wooden box in her hands suddenly felt scalding. "D-didn't you already tell me about this before I got married...?"

Though she hadn't taken in much of it at the time.

Cui Anlan sighed. "The two of you don't know any restraint. How could I not worry about your health?"

Su Luoqian pressed her lips together and could only swallow the explanation that had risen to her mouth.

Forget it.

If they didn't know any restraint, then so be it.

In any case, Lu Jingsi wasn't here, so she conveniently pushed all the blame onto him. "All right, I'll be sure to talk him around when I get back."

In the end, after dinner at her family home, Su Luoqian boarded the carriage with Lu Jingsi, holding the wooden box like a hot potato.

The moonlight was clear as water, and the night breeze lifted a corner of the curtain over the carriage window.

Thin wisps of cool air drifted into the carriage, barely easing the heat in Su Luoqian's face.

The prince's carriage was spacious, but Lu Jingsi was exceptionally tall. Sitting on the cushioned bench with his robe swept aside, he made even the roomiest place feel cramped.

Besides, his presence was so strong that she couldn't ignore him even if she wanted to.

"Didn't you... ride a horse here?"

Why did he have to squeeze into the same carriage as her on the way back?

Lu Jingsi seemed utterly unaware of how oppressive his presence was. His broad shoulders and back were straight, his eyes lightly closed as though he were resting.

Hearing Su Luoqian's question, he said mildly, "What, am I not allowed to ride in this carriage?"

When he spoke, Su Luoqian remembered that she still had a favor to ask of him. She could only say dully, "You are. Of course you are."

The carriage fell quiet again. Su Luoqian held the wooden box in her arms, pondering how she should ask him.

Lu Jingsi rested his long legs casually while the young woman beside him shifted positions several times without speaking.

As she moved, however, her pale pink embroidered shoes kept brushing against his black shoes with their subtle patterns.

That faint little pressure, like some small animal, kept Lu Jingsi from resting properly even with his eyes closed.

The man suddenly spoke. "If you have something to say, say it."

Su Luoqian turned her eyes to him and looked at him steadily. "There's something wrong with Lin Yonghong's country estate, isn't there?"

Perhaps her gaze was too grave and intense. Lu Jingsi lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at her with dark eyes. "The Prison Administration never reveals the details of its investigations to anyone."

Sure enough.

He hadn't said so outright, but those words had confirmed her suspicion.

The scenes from the day she had claimed Peilan's body at the mortuary came back to her. Su Luoqian suppressed the stinging in her nose that welled up and looked at him with determination. "I can help you."

"Oh?" The man before her seemed to take some interest at her words.

Su Luoqian recalled what had happened at the estate yesterday. "You want him to think you're just like him, a man of unbridled lust, so he'll let down his guard. Is that right?"

Without waiting for Lu Jingsi to answer, she continued, "You gave me the identity of a performer. Since Lin Yonghong is convinced you took a performer away, why don't we put that identity to use?"

As soon as she finished, she heard Lu Jingsi say mildly, "No one but me saw your face that day. There are plenty of people who could pretend to be the performer. It doesn't have to be you."

"Besides, do you think he doesn't know what the Prince of Cheng'an's Consort looks like?"

"I have a way."

Su Luoqian spoke rather hastily, instinctively leaning slightly toward him.

"If I go with you, I can wear a veil."

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the wide brocade cuff of his robe. "Lu Jingsi, I'm more suitable than anyone."

She had been to the estate and had a general understanding of its layout. She really was more suitable than any other woman.

"You're so eager because you want to investigate Peilan's death. If you really find something and act on impulse, I'll have to clean up the mess for you."

"Then you can just knock me out with another chop."

"..."

Seeing that he didn't answer, Su Luoqian looked at him earnestly, her eyes full of expectation.

But the man didn't agree outright. "We'll talk about it in a few days."

She pressed her lips together and looked at him, a hint of reproach in her eyes.

She muttered under her breath, "I'm going whether you agree or not. If something goes wrong, it'll be your face as Prince Cheng'an that suffers."

Lu Jingsi furrowed his brow, his voice icy. "Say another word and you can forget about going."