"Greetings, Ninth Miss." Upon seeing An Ran, the two did not flinch but stepped forward to greet her. In a flash, they cleverly replaced the "Madam" that almost slipped out with "Ninth Miss."
If they were to offend the future Lady of the Marquis abruptly, they would probably not be able to explain themselves to their own Marquis!
An Ran smiled politely and nodded slightly.
The future Lady of the Marquis is truly beautiful!
Although it wasn't the first time they had seen An Ran, as they passed by, they both thought the same thing, yet dared not stop their steps.
The Marquis will be leaving the capital the day after tomorrow. If we disturb the Marquis and his future wife's time together, they will be in deep trouble. It would be a relief if they had to train at the drill ground for two more hours!
Even knowing their lord's tendency to silently unleash ruthless attacks, the two of them rushed towards the door with barely touching the ground.
Anran walked gracefully to the corridor, where she saw a tall and elegant figure standing with his hands behind his back in the main hall. A light blue robe accentuated his refined and noble air, though his expression remained somewhat aloof.
"Greetings, Lord Marquis." An Ran stepped forward and curtsied.
Lu Mingxiu quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand.
Although it wasn't the first time the two had met, now that they were engaged, they had developed new and subtle feelings for each other.
In this moment of solitude, with their relationship now officially recognized, Anran couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She accidentally stepped on her skirt and stumbled.
She quickly grabbed the corner of the table, but accidentally touched the wound on her left hand. The pain made her frown slightly, and her right hand instinctively supported her left hand.
Lu Mingxiu's gaze fell on her clasped hands, where a small purplish-blue mark was clearly visible on the back of her fair and delicate hands.
Seeing this, An Ran quickly smiled and explained, "It's nothing. I accidentally scratched my hand yesterday, so I didn't touch the table just now. Don't worry."
"You got scratched by a cat?" Lu Mingxiu's gaze suddenly turned deep, and there was something strange in his tone, as if he felt apologetic and regretful.
Did she mishear?
As An Ran thought about it, she explained, "Yesterday, Xue Tuan'er was playing with me and scratched me lightly, but it wasn't a big deal. It's just that I'm too clumsy and didn't notice when I dodged, so I accidentally bumped my hand on the table. I'm sorry for the mess."
Seeing that Lu Mingxiu was looking at her without saying anything, An Ran thought she hadn't explained herself clearly.
"Xuetuan'er is my cat."
"Is the place where the cat scratched her serious?" Lu Mingxiu noticed with sharp eyes that, apart from the bruises, there was a faint mark on the back of her hand.
An Ran quickly shook her head.
"It's quite a coincidence, I found Xue Tuan'er at a farm in the countryside." An Ran's eyes sparkled as she spoke of her beloved pet: "It was such a tiny little thing, it didn't even know it had been abandoned, it was curled up and purring softly, it was so cute. I was afraid it wouldn't survive alone outside, so I brought it back."
“However, such a fine-looking Linqing lion cat might have been lost by someone else.” As she said this, An Ran’s expression darkened, and her originally lively voice became quiet. “I told the people on the estate that if anyone comes looking for the cat, I will return it.”
Despite saying this, An Ran felt a pang of disappointment.
“It’s yours, and no one can take it away.” Lu Mingxiu said, seemingly implying something. “You don’t need to worry.”
An Ran thought Lu Mingxiu was just casually comforting her, so she nodded.
Lu Mingxiu looked up at her, his dark eyes flashing with a light that An Ran couldn't decipher. "Does Ninth Sister love cats?"
His address changed from Ninth Sister to Ninth Lady in an instant. Although it was only a difference of one word, it sounded especially intimate coming from Lu Mingxiu's mouth.
An Ran blushed slightly, her jade-like skin glowing with an intoxicating rosy hue, which further accentuated her beautiful features and captivating charm.
“I really like cats, especially the Linqing Lion Cat.” An Ran tried her best to calm herself down. She said, “Xue Tuan’er is usually very well-behaved and gentle, and never scratches people. It’s just that I stayed at Princess Yunyang’s mansion a few days ago and didn’t see it for a while. It was playing with me.”
An Ran had a very strange feeling when she met Lu Mingxiu.
Although he didn't talk much and seemed a bit aloof and taciturn, standing next to him gave An Ran a sense of inner peace and made her feel more relaxed and talkative.
The awkward and unfamiliar atmosphere between the two of them, which had been somewhat strained after talking about cats for a while, immediately dissipated.
“I will be leaving the capital for Xuanfu the day after tomorrow, and I’m afraid I’ll be away from the capital for some time.” Lu Mingxiu finally revealed the purpose of his private meeting with An Ran today: “There is something I need to entrust to Jiu Niang.”
In just a few words, An Ran found that she seemed to have completely gotten used to the way Lu Mingxiu addressed her, as if it were all meant to be this way.
"I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations, Lord Marquis," An Ran hurriedly assured him.
An Ran originally thought that Lu Mingxiu would at least tell her what he had entrusted to her, but to her surprise, Lu Mingxiu was still looking at her. Suddenly, the corner of his lips twitched slightly, and he raised an eyebrow and said, "Ninth Sister trusts me so much that she doesn't even ask what I have entrusted to her?"
An Ran blushed again.
But she wasn't mistaken; Lu Mingxiu did seem to smile just now.
“Your Excellency is an upright man and a hero of our time. The matter entrusted to you is certainly something I can accomplish without violating propriety.” An Ran refused to back down. She composed herself and smiled gracefully. “I am confident in that.”
Lu Mingxiu nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Ninth Sister understands me."
An Ran's face was still flushed, but she still tried to appear calm, which made Lu Mingxiu's lips curl into a faint smile.
He walked to the camphor wood chest, took out a key, and opened the chest.
An Ran had already noticed the camphor wood chest next to him. When Lu Mingxiu waved, she went closer to look and saw that there were more than a dozen neatly stacked account books inside, and two small wooden chests underneath.
She looked doubtful.
"These are the rewards I received from the Emperor and Empress after I went to the Southwest. They are the fields, houses, and shops that I purchased with my salary." Lu Mingxiu said calmly and casually, "I spend a lot of time away from home throughout the year and have no time to manage these accounts and books. I had them copied overnight."
An Ran was stunned and didn't react for a moment.
“After we get married, all of these things will be in your hands anyway, so why not take this opportunity to get familiar with them as soon as possible?” Lu Mingxiu seemed oblivious to the shock his words had caused An Ran, and continued calmly, “If you want to buy or sell land, shops, or other things, you can make the decision yourself; there’s no need to ask me anymore.”