Shen Mo shook his head weakly, "I don't know."
"They're selling aphrodisiacs on the street!" Mo An exclaimed, then noticed her expressionless face and realized something was off. "Amo, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine." Shen Mo quickly shook his head. "Aunt An, is the young master not good at drinking?"
"Hmm, I've heard Rong Si mention that the young master has a very low alcohol tolerance, which is probably related to his life of quiet contemplation and abstinence from his mother since childhood. Why is A-Mo suddenly asking about this?"
"The lady instructed me to pay attention to the young master's diet before she left. I was just asking casually."
Mo An suddenly remembered something, "Didn't you say yesterday that you would postpone reporting to the young master for two days? Why did you go so early this morning?"
"Aunt An, you just mentioned that someone is selling aphrodisiacs on the street?" Shen Mo changed the subject with interest.
"Yes, it's said that men and women of this world cannot be happy without desire..." After saying that, she looked at Chen Mo and fell silent, "Look what I'm saying, you haven't even reached the age of marriage yet!"
Shen Mo nodded and said nothing more.
After lunch, Shen Mo went to the kitchen and sent everyone away. Her purpose was to personally prepare a dinner for Rong Yue. Now she had the right and obligation to do so. Of course, she did not forget the most important ingredient: a large jar of aged liquor.
However, when she had finished preparing everything and was holding it in her hands, she hesitated. After all, she was extremely unwilling to use it to scheme against Rong Yue. In the end, she even considered giving up on getting Rong Yue drunk. However, just as she was hesitating, she bumped into Gu Buju. Since he was coming straight at her, she couldn't avoid him and had to make way for him with a slight bow, hoping he wouldn't recognize her.
However, they ultimately underestimated Gu Buju's discernment.
"Oh, look who this is!" Gu Buju held a folding fan in his hand, his face bearing the same gentle smile as always. "Our young master Rong's favorite maid has returned to secular life?"
"What?" Shen Mo had no time to think about anything else.
"Cough...it's nothing," Gu Buju's expression changed. "What kind of dish are you holding? I've never seen it before. Is it for Rong Yue?"
"I noticed that the young master has not had a good appetite lately, and since I learned some things from Aunt Xia in Qingyou Mountain, I just made this casually."
"Ha, this looks good. I'm hungry, so I'll come with you to mooch some." With that, he walked ahead, and after a moment noticed that Shen Mo was following behind with his head down. He chuckled and said, "Are you so stingy that you won't give me any?"
"This servant is terrified." Shen Mo raised her head, smiled with relief, and then took a step.
Following Gu Buju to Wuxuan, Shen Mo was filled with thoughts. With Gu Buju present, she couldn't make a choice. Finally, she arrived at the place and listened to them talking about trivial matters in Ningcheng. Shen Mo wanted to put down the food in her hand and leave, but Gu Buju called her back just as she was about to step out the door.
"Amo, I want to hear you play the flute."
Shen Mo turned to look at Rong Yue and found that he was only eating and drinking in silence, without any reaction. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Young Master Gu is too kind to me. I haven't played the flute in a long time, and I'm afraid my skills are too rusty to please you."
Gu Buju smacked his lips and shook his head, saying, "What a pity. It would be so much more pleasant to listen to 'Late Autumn' while having a meal."
Shen Mo smiled apologetically, curtsied, and was about to leave when Rong Yue suddenly looked up and said casually, "Why not give it a try?"
“Young Master…” Shen Mo looked at him, who had already put down his chopsticks, and hesitated. “But my flute has been missing for several years now.”
"Did you lose my Jade Flute too?" Rong Yue stared at her intently.
"I..." Shen Mo was speechless. He actually knew about the flute that he had secretly taken to Qingyou Mountain!
With no other excuses, he had to quickly go back to the house to get his flute. Then, like a puppet, he stood next to them like a piano student. He could clearly see that Rong Yue seemed to be slightly dissatisfied with his flute playing, but he still quietly ate happily with Gu Buju.
Rong Yue seemed to have eaten more than usual. He had said he was feeling unwell and tired, and when she asked him to send Gu Buju away, she should have been overjoyed at the success of her plan. However, when she returned and saw him slumped over the table, reminiscing about his drunken birthday celebration five years ago, she felt a pang of disappointment. She glanced at the bed; these past few days, every time she offered to tidy it up for him, he was reluctant, even somewhat nervous. She gripped the things in her hands tightly, her fingers trembling slightly. It was already dark, and she hesitated, wondering whether to continue.
"Young Master...Young Master?"
Seeing that Rong Yue only moved slightly and showed no signs of waking up, Shen Mo boldly walked towards the bed.
"What are you doing?"
Shen Mo stiffened, then turned and walked to the incense burner beside him, saying, "This servant thinks Young Master seems a little unwell, so I thought I'd burn some calming incense." With that, he opened the lid of the burner, gritted his teeth, and poured everything he was holding into it.
After a long while, seeing that everything in the furnace had burned out, she dared to turn around. Seeing Rong Yue slumped down again, she was somewhat worried. She walked to his side, but no longer had the courage to call out to him; her fingers trembled uncontrollably. Adorned in brocade robes, with ink-black hair and sword-like eyebrows, his usually sharp face now possessed an undeniable gentleness under the influence of wine and alluring fragrance. This was the second time Shen Mo had truly looked directly at Rong Yue.
Shen Mo stared at the tightly closed doors and windows. Having had her wrist broken by the dragon scales back in Qingyou Mountain, she knew that Rong Yue's guard wouldn't be easily fooled. But after taking one last look at Rong Yue, she decided to give it a try. She raised her hand, then lowered it, then raised it again, and finally grabbed Rong Yue's hand and shook it. She didn't know what the combined effects of the wine and aphrodisiac would be, but seeing Rong Yue's slowly awakening, bloodshot, and dazed eyes still made her somewhat resistant.
"Young Master?"
Rong Yue seemed about to collapse at any moment, and she reached up along her hand. Seeing that the time was right, Shen Mo casually grabbed a few sets of bowls and chopsticks from the table and stood there with Rong Yue, listening to the sounds outside.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Sure enough, a knock came at the door a moment later. Although the person who came did not speak, he had guessed the answer most likely. Shen Mo took a deep breath, seized the opportunity, and before the door was pushed open, wrapped Rong Yue's arm around his waist and easily sat in his lap.
When Long Lin pushed open the door, he saw this vivid and sensual scene. The two were very close together, and although their expressions were not clear, it was clear that Rong Yue was kissing the woman in his arms.
In truth, Shen Mo only wanted to hold him, deceive Long Lin, and then do what she was supposed to do. However, when Rong Yue's kisses came over her, her mind went blank. Her hands were still hanging around his neck. Shen Mo was stunned and stared at his trembling eyelashes until she was released and she came to her senses from his heavy breathing. This was just the stimulation of lust. She shook her head, hoping to forget it in the next moment. However, the next second, her body became light and she was lifted into the air.
Shen Mo wasn't sure if Long Lin had left, but seeing the bed getting closer and closer, she obediently let him carry her. Finally, she was placed on the bed, and she immediately reached out to touch the edge of the bed, but was pulled back in a moment. The feeling of her earlobe being gently licked made her whole body tremble.
"Young Master! He Shang was brought here by you, wasn't he?" She pushed him away, but then clung to him again a moment later.
"Rong Yue!" It was still no use.
"Thud!" Shen Mo finally raised his hand and delivered a vicious chop to the back of Rong Yue's head, and Rong Yue finally calmed down with a muffled groan. However, he clutched his wrist for a long time before realizing his own courage. He didn't even dare to look at Rong Yue before crawling to the inside. With a "rip," he pulled down the inner partition, revealing a large black hole.
Shen Mo glanced back, gritted his teeth, and climbed down without hesitation...
Chapter Seventeen: Clouds Within a Circle
As soon as he entered, the secret room was pitch black. Fortunately, the space was small, and Shen Mo was able to find a way forward by touching the inner wall.
"He Shang!" "He Shang..." Shen Mo tried to call her softly, but apart from the endless silence and darkness, there was no sign of human presence, let alone anyone answering.
As he turned a corner, he suddenly saw a torch-like light. Chen Mo's heart tightened, and he quickly quickened his pace.
"ah……"
Heading straight for the light, Chen Mo wasn't paying attention and tripped over something, causing her to lurch forward. After struggling to regain her balance, she turned around and realized what the object was.
Her thin body was curled up in a ball, and in the dim light, her disheveled hair could be vaguely seen, obscuring her entire face. However, the light green dress she wore suddenly shone brightly in the darkness.
Shen Mo tentatively reached out and touched her, but she didn't move an inch and didn't react at all. She couldn't help but increase the force, but to her surprise, the other person was so vulnerable that she fell down with a thud as she exerted force!
"He Shang!" The person who fell fell backward, revealing He Shang's pale and abrupt face. Shen Mo quickly pulled her up.
"How are you?" Looking at the woman in front of him who was still unconscious with her eyes closed, Shen Mo looked around warily and tried to shake her awake in a low voice.
However, after a moment, he found it was to no avail. The sealed room had been stagnant for a long time, and Shen Mo couldn't help but feel anxious and hot, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he touched He Shang's still warm body and felt his breath.
Suddenly, it was as quiet as another world, with only the crackling of torches. Shen Mo gritted his teeth and squatted down in the same way He Shang had done that day, trying to carry her on his back. However, it proved to be extremely difficult. He Shang seemed to have lost all his strength, and after stumbling and falling, he finally managed to lift her onto his back.
Shen Mo was already quite thin, and carrying He Shang, who was slightly taller than her, was already a difficult task. But after turning a corner, it was pitch black again. She had to hold onto the inner wall with one hand and He Shang with the other, making walking extremely difficult. She even started counting her slow steps.
Suddenly feeling a wetness on her neck, Shen Mo's eyes widened in surprise. She paused for a moment, then let out a muffled groan. Her hand instinctively went to touch the painful spot. He Shang behind her also fell down, and the sound of bones hitting the ground could be clearly heard.
"Haha! Hahaha!" "Cough cough..." The person on the ground stirred, and a ghostly, hoarse, hollow voice came out, which tugged at his heartstrings, and he then coughed violently.
"Cough... Don't forget I still have a good set of teeth... cough...! Hahaha..." As always, she was cold and arrogant, even as a prisoner, even as her life was in danger.
Shen Mo shook his head, grabbed her and shook her violently, saying, "He Shang, wake up! It's me, Shen Mo! Wake up!"
"Chen Mo?" The other party paused after hearing this.
"Yes, I'm here. I'll take you away now." After saying that, Shen Mo hugged her again, but she pushed him away forcefully.
He Shang leaned against the wall, panting heavily, as if that swing had exhausted all her strength.
"Hmph, you actually dare... to appear before me?"
Even in the pitch black, Shen Mo could feel the sharp light in He Shang's eyes despite her indignant tone, and she wanted to hear more.
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here!"
Shen Mo stopped pressuring her, slid down to the side, and quietly closed his eyes. "I know."
"Do you know that Rong Yue went to Qingyou Mountain to find someone who is immune to all poisons and then offer him to that old scoundrel Lu Feng so that he could exchange him for five cities with Prince Qixuan, who is good at using poisons? Do you know that Rong Yue is a bastard! Cough cough..." He Shang couldn't control his emotions for a moment.
"What did you say?" Shen Mo's back stiffened as she finally pieced everything together. Seeing that He Shang beside her had no intention of explaining, she lowered her eyebrows and said, "Come out with me. If you want to apologize, I will do it on his behalf."
"You're on his behalf? You're still treating him like a god! Do you know what he takes you for? Back when he threw those poisonous things at us in Qingyou Mountain, he didn't care about our lives at all, do you know that?"
"I knew he was using me when I came back to the Rong family to save you. I don't need you to remind me. I don't know how you could tell that I treat him like a god, but I can tell you with certainty that I exist for him in this life." Knowing that He Shang wasn't angry at her, Shen Mo forcibly put He Shang on his back and dragged her forward despite her resistance.
Gradually, seeing Shen Mo's increasingly unsteady steps, He Shang also gradually became more compliant, turning his head to the side and saying, "How do you know it was Rong Yue who took me away?"
Shen Mo paused, then stuffed the dragon-patterned coin in his hand into hers. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a dragon scale forehead ornament, isn't it?"
"You know Dragonscale?"
"A brief encounter."
"Can you really get me out of here?"
Shen Mo put her down and forcefully pushed open the connection between the bed and the secret room, instantly letting in a large beam of light. She turned to look at He Shang, who was covering her eyes because she was not used to the bright light, and asked, "What do you think?"
Because the entrance to the cave was set up quite high, Shen Mo had a hard time lifting He Shang up. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, but unexpectedly felt dizzy and staggered back several steps until he braced himself against the inner wall to avoid falling.
"Ah Mo, what are you dawdling for! You're responsible for taking me out, hurry up!" He Shang started urging him.
Shen Mo didn't understand what was wrong, and shook his head violently before he finally cleared his mind.
"Coming." Shen Mo touched the spot where He Shang had bitten her; it still hurt a little. She simply let it go and laboriously crawled out.
"What's wrong with you?" He Shang noticed that her lips were bluish-purple and her face was even paler than his own.
Shen Mo straightened his back, shook his head, and gave a weak smile. "It's nothing. Maybe I'm just not used to the air in the enclosed room and feel a little suffocated." But he noticed that He Shang's gaze towards Rong Yue was a little strange.
"Stop!" she shouted just as He Shang's fist was about to land, watching her catch her breath. "You're not allowed to hurt him."
"But he hurt me!" He Shang's eyes seemed to spit fire.
Shen Mo shoved He Shang away abruptly, but she didn't budge, causing He Shang to fall to the side. Her eyes darkened, and she immediately got up and glared at He Shang sharply.
He Shang felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, and waved his sleeve, saying, "Stop looking at me. I... I admit I've already recovered my strength, but you're Rong Yue's man. He's been using me as a food source for poison these past few days. Do you think it's a loss for you to carry me for so long?"
Shen Mo bit her lower lip and slowly looked away, coldly saying, "Now that you've recovered your strength, you can leave. Go to the left outside, clear away the weeds on the wall, and I've put down a rope ladder."
"The dragon scales are fixed outside, are you telling me to go out and die?" He Shang was also annoyed.
Shen Mo looked at Rong Yue and said firmly, "Long Lin probably wouldn't dare to stay in the corner and eavesdrop on his master's romantic night."
He Shang, who was usually a wanderer, suddenly became interested. He smiled and leaned closer, saying, "You used your beauty to seduce me?"
"My seduction tactics probably won't work on him."
How do you know it's useless?
Shen Mo turned around, instantly shattering He Shang's interest. "If you don't leave now, I can't protect you."
Upon hearing this, He Shang glared hatefully at Rong Yue before getting off the bed and leaving. However, seemingly still not satisfied, he turned back and just raised his hand...
"Don't let me regret saving you."