Chарtеr 333: Тhе Firе Мoth Pаrtу 65
Zhu Yаn соuldn’t wait anothеr mоment to vеrify her findings аt thе tеmрlе, but Shеn Du ignored hеr urgency, simply holding hеr hаnd and gеntly tаррing thе tip оf hеr nоsе.
“Yоu’re nоt going,” he said, his еуes brimming with аmusement.
Zhu Yan сlicked hеr tongue in disbеliеf. Whо wоuld hаvе thоught Shen Du had suсh а side tо him? It wаs sоmething shе’d nevеr dаred imaginе.
Вefоre she cоuld react, hе рullеd her оut of the study аnd instruсtеd Jing Lin to bring sоmе fооd.
Shеn Du рickеd uр a рieсe of snоw lotus rооt fоr Zhu Yan, sрrinklеd with brоwn sugаr that made it lоok incredibly aрpetizing.
Feеling a bit embаrrassеd, Zhu Yаn tried tо refuse, but Shen Du insisted. Reluctantly, she took a bite from his chopsticks. The flavor was sweet and refreshing—the lotus root, having ripened over the summer, was naturally delicious.
Zhu Yan teased him, “Back when we were working on cases, you’d have been happy if I went three or five days without food or sleep just to solve them. Now you don’t seem to mind?”
Shen Du picked up a golden shrimp dumpling for her, carefully peeling off the skin. When Zhu Yan tried to do it herself, his dark eyes pinned her in place, forcing her to wait.
“Back then, I only saw you as my subordinate,” Shen Du said with a hint of exasperation. “I thought if I pushed you day and night, you’d eventually give up and leave on your own. But now, how could I treat you the same way?”
A sweet warmth filled Zhu Yan’s heart, making everything taste wonderful. “It’s really fine. I’m used to it.”
“Then break that habit,” Shen Du glared, his expression stern and authoritative. But Zhu Yan wasn’t as intimidated as before. Seeing this, Shen Du softened. “From now on, you’ll be my wife. I want you healthy and with plenty of leisure time. I won’t allow you to push yourself so recklessly.”
Zhu Yan stuffed a peeled shrimp dumpling into Shen Du’s mouth and smiled sweetly. “You eat too.”
They continued like this, sharing bites back and forth until they’d nearly finished the meal. Only when Zhu Yan truly couldn’t eat another bite did Shen Du relent and call for the dishes to be cleared.
Zhu Yan brought up the temple visit again, and Shen Du asked why she was so insistent. She repeated the details of the autopsy.
Earlier, Shen Du had been too preoccupied with jealousy to listen properly, but now, his professional instincts kicked in as he pondered her words.
“You said those substances were resins, pine resin, and other fragrances commonly used in temples, which is why you want to verify things there.”
“Yes,” Zhu Yan replied, holding nothing back from him. “Some high monks, sensing their impending nirvana, would stop eating in advance and only consume fragrances like agarwood to preserve their bodies after death, ensuring a successful ascension.”
As someone overseeing the Great Zhou officials and the royal family, Shen Du was well aware of such practices.
“But I also found this in their stomach pouches.”
As she spoke, Zhu Yan took out a cloth bundle and unwrapped it layer by layer, revealing a residue of red cinnabar inside. Soaked in gastric juices, it had taken on a dark crimson hue.
“Cinnabar?” Shen Du raised an eyebrow, finally understanding why Zhu Yan was so eager to investigate. “Such an item is extremely rare. Even ordinary Daoist practitioners seldom obtain it. How could the Fire Moth Party have it?”
And they consumed it as casually as candy.
A thought struck him, and his expression turned fierce. “That Lai Luozhi truly knows no bounds. He must have amassed large quantities of cinnabar for his followers to consume. This is evidence of his crimes.”
It seemed the Lai faction had already taken control of the Great Zhou’s mining industry. Did the Empress know?
Zhu Yan gave him a knowing look, her brow slightly furrowed in frustration. “Buddhist and Daoist items appearing together in their stomach pouches seems contradictory. But ultimately, they were just using them for preservation in advance, preparing for resurrection after death. Why doesn’t Lai Luozhi carry this fragrance on him?”This was something Shen Du couldn't quite figure out either, but one thing he was certain of: "It seems Lai Luozhi has quite the ambition and isn't content with just being a First-Rank Junior Minister."
"What does he want to do then?" Zhu Yan looked at Shen Du, whose dark eyes were deep and cold, an aura of chill surrounding him. A terrifying thought suddenly struck her. "He wouldn't..."
Shen Du nodded, his icy gaze shifting to the window just as a flash of lightning split the ink-black sky.
Zhu Yan shrank into Shen Du's embrace, her heart pounding wildly, not daring to think further.
Reaching out to stroke Zhu Yan's beautiful hair, Shen Du's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he held her close, his thoughts swirling.
The window frame rattled loudly in the wind, and soon, the pattering sound of raindrops began. Zhu Yan stood up.
"I'll go close the window."
Shen Du pulled her back with one hand, seating her on his lap. Zhu Yan pouted, "Autumn thunderstorms always feel a bit unsettling. Let's close the window."
The thunderstorm was indeed unsettling, and Shen Du agreed, but he wouldn't let her get up. Instead, he scooped her up and carried her toward the bed.
Zhu Yan was full of questions. "Hey, Shen Du, did you hear what I said?"
"I heard. I'll go close the window."
"What about me?"
"Sleep."
True to his word, Shen Du set Zhu Yan down, removed her shoes and socks, straightened her legs, and reached to undo the buttons of her robe. Zhu Yan grabbed his hands tightly, her ears and cheeks flushed pink, her voice trembling lightly.
"Don't... I'll do it myself."
She was indescribably adorable.
Shen Du pressed her hands gently, not daring to tease her further. He turned to close the doors and windows, then sat by the bed and removed his outer robe. Seeing Zhu Yan tightly wrapped in the brocade quilt, he couldn't resist teasing her again. Leaning over, he pressed her beneath him, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips, his eyes filled with the reflection of the young woman before him, his voice gentle.
"It seems my wife is quite cold. Let your husband warm you up."
Zhu Yan was so flustered she didn't know what to do. She pounded his chest with her small fists, then covered her face, peeking through her fingers, her voice muffled.
"Only warming, nothing else."
A low chuckle escaped from deep within Shen Du. Looking at Zhu Yan's shy expression, he reached out to extinguish the candle. In the darkness, Shen Du lay down beside Zhu Yan, took her hand in his, and let out a soft sigh, his voice tinged with a determined edge.
"Once everything is settled, I'll sleep with you every day."
Only then did Zhu Yan realize Shen Du had been teasing her. She couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Shen Du, you..."
"Shh, the plan has begun." He pressed a finger to Zhu Yan's lips.
Plan? What plan? How come I don't know about it? Zhu Yan's mind raced with questions.
The room was dim and silent, the sounds of rain outside, the howling wind, and the chirping of insects all reaching their ears.
Zhu Yan cupped her face, trying to suppress the warmth Shen Du had stirred in her earlier. She wondered what plan could be so mysterious, when she heard Shen Du whisper a command:
"Cry!"
Cry?
"Cry about what?" Zhu Yan asked, bewildered, tilting her head to look at Shen Du, trying to find his gaze in the darkness.
Shen Du reached out to touch her face, his voice even softer. "Be good, just cry."
Without asking further, Zhu Yan tried hard to summon tears, but to no avail. She poked Shen Du's side, making him flinch and grab her restless hand.
Zhu Yan said pitifully, "I can't cry."Shen Du was torn between laughter and tears—did this woman have any idea of the consequences of poking a man’s waist? He was only twenty-three, after all, and lying beside the woman he loved, relying solely on willpower to restrain himself.
"Ouch."
Her hand was gripped with such force that she gasped in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.
Seeing her cry, Shen Du withdrew his hand, only to have his chest pounded once more.
"You pinched me so hard," she said, her voice tinged with a sob. Shen Du’s heart ached, but there were urgent matters at hand, so he could only say:
"Continue."
Zhu Yan obeyed, her soft sobs low and sorrowful, restrained yet filled with grief. Then her cries grew louder, faint and indistinct in the rainy night, yet magnifying the sorrow.
Shen Du remained silent, gazing into the darkness as if waiting for something.
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