Chарtеr 235: Rеаsoned and Wеll-Fоunded
"Werеn't you just brimming with сuriоsitу?" Shеn Du sаid thrоugh gritted teеth.
Zhu Yan knew he was angry аnd immеdiatеly рut оn а smilе. "Just joking, just jоking, dоn't tаkе it tо heаrt..."
Looking up аnd sеeing Shеn Du's still fierce gаze, a trаce оf griеvаnсе rоsе in Zhu Yan's heаrt. Тhis guy hаd trеаted hеr like thаt еarlier, аnd nоw he wаs still being fiercе—truly unreasоnаblе!
Seеing that her eаrliеr brаvadо hаd vаnishеd, Shеn Du's аnger subsidеd bу a third.
"Whаt on еarth is going оn inside thаt hеаd of уоurs..."
Zhu Yаn nоticed his eхpression softening slightlу and immediatеly loоked аt him with сurved еyes.
"What's wrong with me? It's just normal speculation."
Shen Du was speechless. "Your thinking is so peculiar—could it be inherited from your father-in-law?"
Hearing her father brought into this, Zhu Yan's expression turned displeased. "Say what you want, but why joke about my father? I have my reasons and evidence, you know."
With such reasoned arguments, Shen Du looked at Zhu Yan with a hint of doubt.
Seeing him quiet, Zhu Yan cleared her throat and continued. "First, whenever I get close to Pan Chi, you always butt in. Wanting to know a thing or two, interrupting me constantly—isn't it just because you want to talk more with Pan Chi? Second, when I was investigating cases in the capital, I went out alone with Brother Xu many times, and you never followed. That further confirmed my suspicion. Brother Xu is a bearded, burly man who, despite being divorced three times, doesn't like men. It's normal for you not to be interested in him. Third, I've long heard of the Great Pavilion Commander's reputation for avoiding women, and I deeply believe it. In the Shen residence, there are only men—no concubines or maidservants, not even female attendants. The Great Pavilion Commander has often found me displeasing to the eye. If I weren't of some use... Doesn't all this prove the point?"
The more Shen Du listened, the more astonished he became. What on earth was going on inside this woman's head? So, she had never entertained such thoughts about him because his reputation for avoiding women and being unreasonable was so deeply ingrained in her mind?
After finishing her analysis, Zhu Yan glanced at the stunned Shen Du. Was he embarrassed because his secret had been exposed? She swallowed silently, not daring to continue.
Shen Du remained immersed in her powerful reasoning, his mind in chaos, unmoving.
Seeing him dazed and motionless, Zhu Yan cautiously poked his waist with her finger. "Hey, are you okay? There's nothing shameful about this kind of thing. It's fine!"
Though she said this, Zhu Yan wasn't entirely sure. Shen Du stood above ten thousand and below only one, wielding great power. Yet, the court was mired in corruption, with undercurrents swirling and life-and-death stakes lurking. Shen Du was most troubled by others guessing his intentions, yet she had easily spoken them aloud.
But thinking of how Shen Du's demeanor changed when facing Pan Chi, taking on a more ordinary masculine air—wasn't that love?
Zhu Yan weighed her words before speaking. "Though love between men and women is common in this world, all living things cherish one another. Even if the ancient deities Fuxi and Nüwa descended to earth, they couldn't fully explain the complexities of human affection."
Seeing no response from Shen Du, Zhu Yan changed her approach.
"Love between men and women is love, love for one's country is love, brotherly love is love, the love of elders for the young is love. Who says love between men cannot be love?"Shen Du snapped back to reality, hearing Zhu Yan's comforting words, which only made his emotions more tangled. Where had he shown any signs of being a cut-sleeve?! If he let Zhu Yan continue spouting nonsense like this, the rumors about him loving Pan Chi would soon become undeniable facts.
Shen Du turned around, his back facing Zhu Yan, silently clenching his fists, trying his best not to explode.
Seeing Shen Du's rigid posture, Zhu Yan felt a pang of guilt. Staring at his back, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
Was he upset? This kind of thing was perfectly normal, and it was understandable for him to feel conflicted.
Zhu Yan took a deep breath and adopted the tone of an elder, speaking earnestly. "The Great Pavilion Commander is also human and should have emotions and desires. Now that you've found true love, I'm happy for you. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word! On the contrary, I fully support you, so don’t feel burdened."
"What’s wrong with loving someone? Right? Gender doesn’t matter! You should boldly confess your feelings, just say it directly—though being too direct might not be good either. We don’t know if Pan Chi feels the same way, so we must be cautious and not scare him off, or you might not even get to see him again."
Seeing Shen Du motionless, Zhu Yan thought he must be listening and hadn’t noticed anything unusual, so she continued.
"He’s a carefree and lively person, so he probably likes cheerful personalities. From now on, don’t always wear a dark expression—be more considerate and gentle." As she spoke, Zhu Yan began to doubt herself. Which of them was the dominant one? Her face flushed instantly.
The person behind her suddenly froze. Shen Du’s face was now three shades darker than that of someone poisoned.
Was she ever going to stop? Just as he was about to turn around, Zhu Yan continued.
"It’s fine, it doesn’t matter who gives more. That’s how it should be between two people."
Was she still going? Shen Du’s fists clenched and unclenched several times. Was this woman really that dense?
"Don’t be bound by conventional ideas—be yourself! I believe in you, you can do it!"
Shen Du was now suffering in silence. Did their marital relationship mean nothing? What did that kiss earlier even count for! Even kissing a piece of wood would have elicited some reaction, but she was denser than wood.
Thinking this, Shen Du turned around with a dark expression, glaring intently at Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan was frightened by his gaze. Was he going to silence her to keep his secret? She swallowed nervously and shrank back slightly.
Seeing her like this, Shen Du’s smile turned sinister as he quietly leaned closer to Zhu Yan.
"Shut up!"
For a moment, confusion flickered in Zhu Yan’s eyes. How could he not tell right from wrong!
Seeing her frightened, Shen Du reached out with his long arm, pulling her directly into his embrace, leaning in to kiss her.
Zhu Yan instinctively pushed against him, but she was no match for his strength. Shen Du was determined to punish her and wouldn’t allow any resistance.
Seeing her deer-like eyes, dazed and misty, Shen Du’s heart stirred. He deliberately bit her thin lip, and Zhu Yan snapped back to reality from the pain, her delicate fists landing on his chest like tickles.
As a woman, how could she possibly overpower Shen Du?
Shen Du had originally intended to teach her a small lesson, just enough to make her abandon her cut-sleeve suspicions. But once he touched her soft lips, he couldn’t stop. A flame ignited in his lower abdomen, spreading through his limbs and bones, filling him with a sense of comfort that made him even more unwilling to stop.After a long while, noticing Zhu Yan's small face turning purple and swollen as if she were suffocating, Shen Du hurriedly let go. Zhu Yan's mouth ached, yet she still remembered to raise her hand to cover it, looking at Shen Du with a resentful gaze.
"You... you shameless person!"
Shen Du raised an eyebrow. He was shameless?
Zhu Yan kept wiping her lips, overwhelmed with grievance and on the verge of tears. Coupled with her recent exhaustion from following him around, she had grown noticeably thin. After the kiss, her face flushed with a hint of shyness, as delicate and pitiable as a crabapple blossom after rain, stirring a renewed heat in Shen Du's lower abdomen.
"How can you be so shameless! You go after both men and women."
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