An Ran was slightly taken aback, as Lu Mingxiu had once again turned the tables on her.
She puffed out her cheeks and glared angrily at Lu Mingxiu.
"Thank you for your trouble, Madam." Lu Mingxiu smiled as he looked at his sulking wife, finding her relaxed demeanor in his presence incredibly endearing. Her puffed-up cheeks made one want to reach out and poke them with their finger.
In fact, Lu Mingxiu did just that.
The slender fingers, still slightly cool, touched skin as smooth and delicate as warm jade, or like a freshly peeled egg, tender and smooth.
Although Lu Mingxiu quickly withdrew his hand, An Ran was completely stunned.
Is the person in front of her still the same cold and intimidating Marquis Lu she first met?
"It's late, you should get some rest." Lu Mingxiu naturally took An Ran's hand, and even though it was only a few steps to the inner room, he didn't want to let go. "You're free tomorrow morning, you can sleep a little longer."
Before An Ran could react, he had already led her into the inner room.
Jinping and Cuiping, who were hiding outside, couldn't help but chuckle. The Marquis and his wife were newlyweds, enjoying their honeymoon, so they had to stay far away.
“My lord, when Nian-ge’er arrives, how about letting him stay at Yilan Courtyard?” An Ran pretended to have forgotten the awkwardness just now. She took the coat that Lu Mingxiu had taken off and put it on the cabinet next to her.
The couple sat on a soft couch and talked.
"If you think it's good, then it's fine. Yilan Courtyard is closer to our courtyard, so it will be more convenient for you to take care of him." Lu Mingxiu naturally had no objections, and he said, "Thank you for your trouble, Madam."
Hearing Lu Mingxiu call her "Madam," An Ran seemed a little uncomfortable, and a faint blush would always appear on her face.
"Have someone clean the Yilan Courtyard tomorrow. I've already selected the furniture and other items. Have someone open the storeroom tomorrow and put them all in." An Ran told Lu Mingxiu everything she had planned.
Lu Mingxiu simply stared intently at her without saying a word.
After a long while, when An Ran's cheeks were flushed, Lu Mingxiu slowly smiled and suddenly said, "It's really different to marry a capable wife; you don't have to worry about anything at home."
An Ran's cheeks immediately flushed red.
Looking at his beautiful wife, Lu Mingxiu felt that even an iceberg would melt into a pool of spring water in front of her.
Fortunately, the two of them quickly went to wash up, and Anran felt her embarrassment lessen.
Knowing that Anran had a habit of taking baths, Cuiping and Jinping prepared hot water for Anran to bathe today.
Knowing that Lu Mingxiu was probably still waiting, An Ran quickly took a bath and had Cuiping and Jinping help her dry her hair. By the time she returned to the inner room, her thick, long hair was no longer dripping wet.
Therefore, when Lu Mingxiu made up two quilts by himself without having Qingmei and the others serve him, he couldn't help but feel a tightness in his throat when he saw the "steaming" beauty.
The young wife was incredibly alluring, but she herself was unaware of it...
With her rosy cheeks and long hair cascading down her back, Lu Mingxiu knew very well what a soft, slender waist and full breasts she possessed beneath her cloak... Lu Mingxiu had always considered himself to have excellent self-control, but now he was considering whether he should take a cold shower.
An Ran had no idea what Lu Mingxiu was thinking. When she saw the two quilts, her face fell.
Lu Mingxiu had already put the thicker quilt on the outside and the normal quilt on the inside.
Unaware that Lu Mingxiu had done this intentionally, she was still making a last-ditch effort. She blinked her big eyes and smiled with a hint of flattery, "My lord, how about I sleep outside tonight? If you get thirsty in the middle of the night, I can bring you tea and water."
Lu Mingxiu's eyes darkened; she had no idea how captivating she was...
His gaze grew even more somber, and a restrained smile appeared on his lips. "No, I wake up early and will wake you. Besides, I don't have the habit of drinking tea or water at night."
If you don't have it, can I?
An Ran silently grumbled to herself.
"Should you go up yourself, or should I carry you up?" Lu Mingxiu looked at his wife, who was unwilling to reveal her intentions and was still trying to struggle, with great interest. His gaze became increasingly gentle.
His words startled An Ran.
Lu Mingxiu's expression didn't seem fake; he probably meant what he said!
Meng Ziyun was unyielding to power. But Lord Lu was too powerful, and she had no better choice than to obediently submit.
Therefore, An Ran had no choice but to give up, take off her cloak and hang it aside, then walk over Lu Mingxiu's thick quilt and lay down in her own quilt from yesterday.
No wonder you're so hot under such a thick blanket! Don't blame me if you can't sleep at night because of it.
An Ran angrily turned over, leaving only the back of her head for him to see, and went to sleep facing the tent.
How could she not have known before that Lord Lu, who always had a cold face and a serious and intimidating expression, actually had so many emotions!
Lu Mingxiu couldn't help but chuckle. He took off his outer garment, blew out the lamp, and left only a soft, non-glaring five-pointed palace lantern in the corner of the wall.
After the bright red curtains were drawn, it was so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly.
An Ran was used to lying flat on her back, but today, after arguing with Lu Mingxiu, she turned to her side and felt a little uncomfortable. After a while, she felt that Lu Mingxiu's breathing seemed to slow down and become lighter, so she quietly wrapped herself in the blanket and turned over, only to bump into Lu Mingxiu, who was wide awake.
"My lord, you're still awake?" An Ran was startled.
Lu Mingxiu was heartbroken.
With a soft, fragrant body beside him, watching her closely, and occasionally catching a faint scent of flower petals emanating from her body, mixed with a touch of warm moisture, how could he possibly fall asleep?
"I'm going to sleep now." Lu Mingxiu obediently closed his eyes.
An Ran found it a little strange, but didn't think much of it. She chose the most comfortable position to lie down, and as drowsiness overcame her, she slowly fell asleep.
Little did they know that the person beside them had opened their eyes again.
******