Chapter 19

He stood before her in a crisp, sleek black martial outfit, exuding an imposing aura as he towered a good two heads above her. Could this guy possibly be even taller than Young Master Li? She couldn't help swallowing hard. If he were to bring a palm down on her, wouldn't he split her cleanly in two and tear her apart?

Closing her eyes and resigning herself to her fate, she hugged her head and prepared to squat down, but she suddenly noticed the figure before her drop lower. He actually bent his knees, knelt on one leg right in front of her, lowered his head, and said in a deep voice, "Your subordinate is Wei Chenmu, a household servant of the Prime Minister's Residence. I did not know you were the Young Master's beloved, mistaking you for a rake who was taking liberties with him. I failed to step in and offer rescue in time, which is my dereliction of duty. Please forgive me!"

"...Huh, ah!? You, you aren't going to beat me up?"

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare! Since you are the person the Young Master fancies, you are also someone your subordinate is bound to protect. Should you ever find yourself in danger in the future, your subordinate will shed every last drop of blood without hesitation."

He wasn't going to hack her, he wasn't going to beat her, and he even said he would protect her? This Wei Chenmu seemed a little different...

"The Young Master fell into the water today, and your subordinate fears he may catch a chill, so I must take my leave first. Another day, I will surely make those fellows who spoke insolently to you come and apologize. Please!"

"...Please." It would be already great if he didn't flatten her; was he going to make them apologize to her, too? The discrepancy was far too vast, but... "Umm... Will the Young Master be alright?"

"Rest assured, your subordinate will not let the Young Master come to the slightest harm."

He rose, drew out a whistle, and blew it gently toward the city tower. The guards on the city tower poked their heads out, and the moment they saw it was him, they immediately lowered the drawbridge of the city tower, shouting loudly, "The Minister of Punishments of Dongxu Mansion returns to the capital, lower the bridge."

What the heck?! Wei Chenmu was the Minister of Punishments of Dongxu Mansion? A household servant of the Prime Minister's Residence was the Minister of Punishments of Dongxu Mansion?

The drawbridge descended, and a luxurious carriage hung with jade and tassels rolled over. Wei Chenmu lowered his body, refusing to borrow the hands of others, lifted the unconscious Young Master, sent him into the carriage, and settled him comfortably with soft quilts and a warm brazier.

Turning back, he caught sight of Zhu Bafu, who was still standing aside with a disheveled mess of hair and completely drenched clothes. He picked up the Black Fur Cloak that had been removed from the Young Master and reached out to hand it to her.

"For me?"

He nodded.

"Th-thank you." She took the Fur Robe and draped it over her body. The autumn night was as cool as water, and she was truly feeling rather cold.

"Don't mention it. I only hope that in the future, you will treat the Young Master with all your heart, and not make him sorrowful the way Miss Liu did."

"..."

He actually didn't mind her identity as a woman dressed as a man, and arbitrarily entrusted his own Young Master to her. She feared his Young Master might not feel as he imagined; the weight of that Miss Liu in his heart was simply too profound, and had it not been to save her, today's farce would never have taken place.

A prominent scion and a courtesan of a renowned brothel simply had no future ahead of them. Why couldn't they be realistic? Just like her—the moment her family was raided and confiscated, she saw her own status clearly. If someone wanted to break off an engagement, then let it be broken; if someone wanted to get married, then she would clap her hands and offer congratulations; and if someone was unwilling to shoulder the reputation of despising the poor and loving the rich, then she would give them a chance to continue being friends.

The carriage slowly vanished within the city gates, and Zhu Bafu clutched the Fur Robe tightly around herself as she returned home.

The moment her foot crossed over the threshold, she heard the voices of Xiaojiu and someone else talking inside the inner room.

She was just about to push the door open and enter, but that person's voice made her heart stir with an urge to retreat.

"Xiaojiu, has Fu'er always been this late returning?" It was Li Luyang? What was he doing running over to her house? Didn't they already lay things bare last time, ripping apart the relationship between the two households as well?

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Chapter 20 Chapter 19

"Never. She probably knew you were waiting here, which is why she didn't dare come back."

Zhu Xiaojiu never held back when speaking to spare others' feelings, and coupled with seeing the half-red handprint on her face last time, she gave him an even colder look.

"You've been sitting right here since the Prime Minister's Residence banquet ended, and you've waited the entire night. Please go back. If you don't return home, your family will start worrying."

"...In that case, I will head back first today. Please convey my regards to your elder sister." The sound of Li Luyang rising to his feet startled her as she hid outside the door. She tucked herself further into the shadows. He walked forward two paces, then suddenly changed his mind, turned around, pulled a pouch of silver out of his sleeve pocket, placed it on the wooden table, and instructed Zhu Xiaojiu in a soft voice, "Take these silvers and use them first."

"No need. Eldest sister said she doesn't need Big Brother Li's help anymore; she can support her family on her own."

"...You should still keep some. There are still many places over at your father's that require silver to smooth things over. She can't hold on by herself."

"Even if she can't hold on, that's her own business. Who asked her to put on airs, play hard to get, and refuse to go be someone's concubine? This is her bringing it on herself, and Big Brother Li doesn't need to shoulder the burden for her."

While outwardly cursing her, his words actually pierced straight at Li Luyang. Li Luyang was no fool and naturally understood, yet he insisted on leaving the silver behind and walked out the front gate.

She was too late to slip away, and could only shrink her entire body into the dark corner, watching him walk out from the brightly lit room.

"Fu'er?" The moment he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, but she was entirely swathed in gloom, and he couldn't see her clearly, leaving him no choice but to speak up and verify her identity.

"Please just stand right there and don't come any closer."

Her appearance in men's clothing was truly not suitable for him to see. But this cold, distant-sounding rejection made him stiffen. The foot he was about to step forward paused in place, awkwardly unable to take another stride, and he stood before her just like that across a distance neither too far nor too close.

"Fu'er, I'm very sorry about that matter. I didn't discipline her properly, which is why—"

"Sister-in-law wasn't in the wrong either. If I were her, I'd probably lash people too."

"..."

"So, you should count yourself lucky that you didn't marry a wife like me. If you told me you were going to take a concubine or something, I might just forget all about the husband being heaven and lash you right along with her."

"...Fu'er, stop mocking me and playing jokes with me." The oil lamp inside the room cast the tangled frown on his brow into shadow. "If not for you, do you think I would casually take a concubine? If not for the fact that this is the only way to bring you back to the Li household, why would I have racked my brains for so long before resorting to this desperate measure? If your father hadn't spoken up for the emperor back then and offended the Prime Minister, and my family and the Prime Minister's Residence weren't members of the same clan sharing the same surname, we would already be married by now!"

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Historical Romance

Woman Dressed as a Man