Accord de Mu Yucheng

Chapitre 33

"Really?" the little guy asked, half-believing.

"Of course it's true. When has your mother ever lied to you?"

Lu Zhen smiled, let go of the sparrow, and it fell from his hand onto the stone ground. It struggled a few times, shook its wings, flew over the flower bushes, and disappeared.

I turned my gaze back and tugged at Lu Zhen's sleeve. "Come on, let's go inside. I'll wipe your hands and we'll have dinner together. I don't know how much of your studies you've fallen behind while I've been at your grandmother's house these past few days. Your father is dying and can't take care of you, but you've been running around having a great time in the back mountains. From today onwards, you need to focus on your studies. I'll test you on your studies every day, just like before."

Lu Zhen suddenly slowed down, looking at me cautiously. "Mother, without you here, apart from a few servants, there's really no one to take care of me. Even my former mother no longer cares about me; she avoids me when she sees me. When I call her, she doesn't answer, just stares coldly or pretends not to hear me. What's wrong with my mother...?"

I sighed. "Don't take it to heart. Your mother doesn't hate you; she blames me for taking you away from her." I looked at him with complicated emotions. "Zhen'er, when you have time, go to the west courtyard more often and see her. She must be very worried about you."

“I dare not…” Lu Zhen said hesitantly.

"Why?"

“I’m afraid my mother will be unhappy, and I’m also afraid… my mother will ignore me.”

"Nonsense, she is still your mother. You carried her for ten months and she gave birth to your flesh. How could you not cherish her?"

Lu Zhen stopped talking, and I led him along.

As we passed through the crescent-shaped gate connecting the front and back gardens, Lu Zhen suddenly tugged at my sleeve and pointed to the small garden in the front garden, saying, "Father."

I looked in the direction she was pointing and sure enough, Lu Li was standing in the small garden in front of the main house. He had his back to the door, tapping on the corridor lamp with one hand, seemingly lost in thought. I straightened Lu Zhen's clothes and prepared to lead him over. Just then, a person emerged from the small door of the south courtyard, holding a long robe, and ran straight towards Lu Li.

Lu Li had already turned around and was chatting with that person with a smile, using gestures and words. Although that person had her back to me, I still knew very well that she was Qin Lanruo.

Lu Li's smile was radiant, a kind of joy I had never seen before. Qin Lanruo draped a long robe over Lu Li's shoulders, and Lu Li held one corner of the robe, rubbing it in his hand. He then said something with a smile, and Qin Lanruo blushed, turning to leave, but Lu Li grabbed her hand.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly: chuckling as Qin Lanruo playfully pulled away; chuckling as she turned and ran into the small gate of the south courtyard, then glanced back at Lu Li one last time; chuckling as Lu Li watched her leave with a tender expression; chuckling as his face suddenly changed color in astonishment upon seeing me.

His gaze paused for a moment, as if deep in thought. I pulled Lu Zhen along and we slowly walked around the waterside pavilion.

"Why did you come out, sir?" I hurriedly went to help him into the house. He didn't say anything and let me help him inside.

Seeing Liu Shang setting out the meal in the outer room of the main house, she couldn't help but scold him, "Master is so weak, how could you let him get out of bed and stand there like an idiot?"

Liu Shang pouted and muttered, "They're saying it's my fault again. I tried to persuade them, but they wouldn't listen. What could I say? It was Master who woke up and didn't see you. He asked me, and when I heard that you went to see the Third Prince, he insisted on waiting in the garden."

With one hand soaking a towel in a hot basin, I glanced at her with a smile. "Alright, alright, I only said one thing to you, and you replied with three. Before you could even say anything, your little mouth was already pouting. Have I spoiled you so much that you've developed this spoiled princess temper?"

I wiped Lu Zhen's face, cleaned his hands, and had him sit down next to Lu Li to eat. I then sat down beside them and served them some hot food.

Lu Li paused with his chopsticks and asked softly, "Third Brother didn't cause you any trouble, did he?"

"You're worried about Lan Ruo, aren't you? Don't worry, everything's fine for now," I replied with a smile. It turned out that he was waiting outside just for a reply from me.

Lu Li stared at me for a moment, then lowered her head and ate the rice in her bowl without saying anything.

After finishing his meal, Lu Li returned to his inner chambers. He took off the long robe Qin Lanruo had given him, finding it familiar but not giving it much thought. He carefully placed the robe aside, leaning against the bed with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.

With nothing to do, I sat on the edge of the bed and saw that Qin Lanruo's half-finished orchid embroidery had fallen into the room. I picked it up and fiddled with it, sighing softly, "Sister's craftsmanship is truly excellent."

Lu Li glanced at me and said, "Next Millennium Festival, if you really want to win without relying on clever tricks but with real skills, I think you should recognize Miss Qin as your master."

I smiled and looked up. "Does Master dislike me?"

"How could I possibly dislike such a shrewd princess?" he said casually, turning the pages of his book.

My hand touched the delicate orchid, and it trembled slightly. After thinking for a moment, I casually said, "Sister, you are kind-hearted, knowledgeable, skillful, and considerate. If you could stay in the manor, you could help me manage the household and take care of the prince. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

My words were pointed, and he should have understood that I had considered making Qin Lanruo his concubine. That's what I thought, and that's what I wanted to do. Qin Lanruo's position in my household was neither legitimate nor proper. If word got out about her past relationship with Lu Li, everyone in my household would be in turmoil, and I'd be the butt of their gossips and the laughingstock. It would be better for me to do him a favor, to show my magnanimity, and to personally arrange a concubine for him. That would improve my reputation and also allow this long-time estranged couple to be together. It's not good for them to be secretly intimate under my nose all the time. If they want to keep up the act, I can play along, but I'll get tired of it eventually. It's better to give them a legitimate position, pretend I knew nothing before, and keep my position as the legitimate wife secure. Once the deed is done, my third brother won't cause any more trouble.

I looked at Lu Li again, but he seemed not to have heard anything, drinking tea and reading a book.

I sighed, noticing that it was getting late. I got up, grabbed a blanket from the closet, and went outside.

"Where are you going?" Lu Li asked softly, his eyes still glued to his book.

"Didn't you take up my bed, sir? I'll just go to the study these next few days." I smiled.

"It's cold... I'll go instead." He put down his book and struggled to stand up.

"No way! This is Your Highness's proper room. I've been occupying your room all along. I should be the one going to the study. Besides, Your Highness is in poor health. How can I compete with you for a seat?"

He frowned slightly. "If you're not afraid of catching a disease from me, you can stay here with me tonight. Tomorrow I'll have Xiao Si tidy up the study... and then we'll talk..."

I thought it was fine, since it wasn't the first time we'd shared a bed, so there was no need to be shy. I didn't say anything more and put the blanket back.

I was so sleepy that I couldn't stand it anymore, so I crawled to the inside of the bed and snuggled under the covers.

Lu Li was still reading a book, the faint candlelight illuminating his profile and the bridge of his handsome nose.

I heard my own voice say, "Since you're used to this room, you can sleep here from now on. I'll prepare a room for myself in another courtyard and live there just the same, isn't that fine? What do you say?"

He trembled slightly, his voice soft, "Wouldn't this make us a laughingstock? The side courtyard isn't for the main wife; this main hall is your place. You don't need to move. If you... dislike me, I'll have someone clean out the study tomorrow and move there. It's the same wherever you recuperate, isn't it?"

I shivered and pulled the blanket tighter.

It was so warm. She held my hand and said softly, "It's still so cold..."

He held a book quietly in one hand, while his other hand reached over from under the covers to hold mine. At that moment, I felt a sudden surge of emotion. But the sounds of his laughter and chatter with Qin Lanruo were like a needle piercing my throat, making it hard to breathe. Why? Why did you hide it from me? Why did you lie to me? Tell me the truth… and maybe I would have accepted your kindness, accepted Qin Lanruo's gentleness and care. But now, everything is ruined. The flame of hope that had once secretly burned within me for you has been extinguished without a trace.

I bit into something bitter, and tears welled in my eyes, but I held them back.

The silent candlelight illuminated the bed, his hand warmed mine, and his deliberately suppressed coughs drifted into my ears, lulling me to sleep. But my heart was still cold, and even breathing felt difficult.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Truth Behind Mutual Intent is Heartbreaking