Arriving at the detached residence, the palace servants were already prepared to attend to the couple.
Wei Rao had bathed in the afternoon, and as the evening was cool, she hadn't sweated, so she didn't feel like bathing again. Soaking in water for too long in a day would make her uncomfortable.
"Let's just soak our feet," Wei Rao said to the palace servant.
The servant glanced at Lu Zhuo, who nodded, indicating that he only needed a foot soak as well.
The servant went to prepare, while two maids remained in the room.
Lu Zhuo casually removed his outer robe and handed it to a maid to hang up. He then walked to the bedside and sat down, waiting to wash his feet.
Seeing this, Wei Rao sat at the dressing table and asked one of the maids to comb her hair.
The two of them cooperated seamlessly, and their pre-sleep act showed no signs of pretense.
"This servant will keep watch outside tonight. Young Lord and Young Madam, please rest early."
After the couple had finished washing their feet and lay down on the bed, the young maid lowered and secured the bed curtains, speaking respectfully.
Wei Rao hummed in acknowledgment.
The young maid extinguished the lamp and retreated backward out of the room.
Wei Rao lay in the inner quilt, her heart full of vigilance. Hearing the young maid close the door, she waited for a while and noticed that Lu Zhuo beside her remained motionless, showing no intention of getting up. Frowning, she said, "Does the Young Lord plan to share the bed with me tonight?"
Lu Zhuo chuckled softly. "I wouldn't dare. I was just curious how long you could endure."
With that, he threw off the quilt and sat up, then lay down on the wooden floor outside the bed.
It was a canopy bed with an outer corridor, and the wooden floor was wiped clean, making it quite suitable for sleeping on the floor.
Though he had moved down, his pillow and quilt remained on the bed. Wei Rao pushed them off disdainfully.
"Thank you."
Lu Zhuo deliberately misinterpreted her gesture, sitting up to arrange his pillow and cover himself with the quilt, all while smiling.
In truth, during his time with the new army, he had grown accustomed to roughing it outdoors. The weather was warm, and he didn't really need the quilt.
Wei Rao ignored him, carefully securing the bed curtains. Before lying down, she looked at the blurred figure on the floor and said, "I believe the Young Lord is a gentleman."
Lu Zhuo replied, "Rest assured, unless you are willing, I would never force anyone."
Wei Rao somewhat trusted him on this point, but even so, being alone with a man, she couldn't help feeling uneasy.
She lay on the innermost side of the bed, facing Lu Zhuo's direction, and closed her eyes. Her mind was a tangled mess, like a chaotic ball of thread.
Marrying Lu Zhuo certainly had its advantages—otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to the Marriage to ward off misfortune in the first place. But she and Lu Zhuo were like water and fire. The thought of bearing children with a man who fundamentally disapproved of her filled her with resentment.
Wei Rao admitted that while the Empress Dowager was alive, marrying Lu Zhuo offered more benefits than drawbacks. The real challenge lay in what would happen after the Empress Dowager's death. How would Emperor Yuanjia treat her mother? How would the imperial consorts and the three princes treat her mother and younger brother? And when Emperor Yuanjia eventually passed away, what would the situation in the palace be?
The long time span made everything uncertain.
Those uncertainties gave Wei Rao a headache.
She bit her wrist, the increasing pain gradually overpowering her inner turmoil. When the taste of blood reached her tongue, she suddenly reached a decision.
For now, she would maintain a false marriage with Lu Zhuo. Once her mother returned to the palace, she would assess the situation and discuss the next steps with her. Her mother understood the palace dynamics far better than she did. If Emperor Yuanjia continued to favor her mother greatly, and if her mother was confident in protecting her younger brother until adulthood, then there would be no need to form any agreements with the Duke of Yingguo's Manor.This wasn't a matter for her alone, so of course she needed to discuss it with her family, especially her grandmother. Having survived the palace intrigues unscathed, her grandmother's considerations would surely be more thorough than hers.
With her thoughts clarified, Wei Rao relaxed completely.
"Has the heir slept?" she asked, gazing at the bed curtains.
After a moment, Lu Zhuo's resigned reply came from below: "If I don't respond when the lady speaks, I fear you might have important matters to discuss. But if I answer, it proves I'm still awake—would the lady then suspect me of ulterior motives?"
Wei Rao hadn't considered it so deeply. "I do have something to say to you."
Lu Zhuo rested his hands behind his head and said leisurely, "I'm all ears."
Wei Rao spoke calmly: "The heir is right—marriage is no child's play. If we divorce immediately, both families would worry. Therefore, I wish to continue our five-year agreement with you. As for becoming true husband and wife, let's set that aside for now. We both understand that forced affections bear no sweetness. However, you need not worry—there's no personal grudge between us. Even if our marriage ends in the future, I won't ask my mother to intervene on my behalf or seek revenge against the Duke of Yingguo's household. This I swear upon my life."
Lu Zhuo fell silent.
She didn't believe he genuinely wanted to marry her, yet she chose to maintain their false marriage.
Perhaps out of consideration for Li Guiren and her son, she hadn't spoken too definitively.
After carefully weighing her words, Lu Zhuo said, "I've hurt you too many times—it's only natural you wouldn't want to marry me. But if over the coming years I can win your heart, would you be willing to become true husband and wife?"
Wei Rao laughed. "Nothing would please me more."
Lu Zhuo detected mockery in her laughter.
Yet this mockery was nothing compared to the disdain he had shown her during their wedding.
The next day, Little Zhou took her daughter, son-in-law, and son to leisurely tour the temporary palace.
The palace grounds were so vast that after a full day of sightseeing, they had only visited the most scenic spots. During dinner, Little Zhou asked her daughter and son-in-law where they wished to go the following day, mentioning they could either climb mountains, go horseback riding, or boat on the lake.
Lu Zhuo smiled at Wei Rao. "Let Rao Rao decide."
Wei Rao wanted to ride horses on the grasslands—she had never been to the prairie before.
Little Zhou naturally intended to fulfill her daughter's wish and had palace attendants make preparations in advance. After dinner, Little Zhou took Wei Rao's hand and said to Lu Zhuo, "You'll be leaving early the day after tomorrow. Let Rao Rao spend these two nights keeping me company."
Wei Rao beamed with joy. She had considered suggesting this but hesitated, fearing her mother might disapprove since she was a married daughter.
Lu Zhuo replied respectfully, "As it should be."
Little Zhou then boarded the carriage, holding her son with one hand and her daughter with the other.
That night, Wei Rao and her mother snuggled together in the same bed, chatting about this and that until nearly midnight before falling asleep.
At daybreak, it was the Dragon Boat Festival.
For breakfast, there were zongzi. Little Zhou had the kitchen prepare the date-filled zongzi her daughter loved as a child—each fist-sized dumpling contained nine dates, their juice dyeing the glutinous rice a beautiful, enticing red.
Little Zhou gazed at her daughter with tender eyes. "You loved date zongzi as a child, but you'd always eat the dates and leave the rice, complaining it wasn't sweet enough. This time, I had them add extra dates—let's see if you're still picky."
Wei Rao's eyes glistened with moisture.
Lu Zhuo chuckled. "Your Highness may not know, but since Rao Rao began practicing martial arts, her appetite has grown. A zongzi like this isn't even enough to fill her—how could she bear to leave any behind?"Wei Rao shot him a glare with her sharp eyes.
Lu Zhuo apologized, "You go ahead and pick the dates; I'll take the leftover glutinous rice."
Wei Rao turned her head away again.
She was genuinely annoyed, but Little Zhou thought her daughter and son-in-law were flirting, finding it a hundred times sweeter than mere politeness.
After the meal, the group went horseback riding on the grassland.
The Fourth Prince was still young, so Lu Zhuo placed him on his saddle, intending to take him for a ride.
Wei Rao worried that a man like him, inexperienced in caring for children, might accidentally drop her younger brother.
Lu Zhuo glanced at the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince insisted on riding.
Wei Rao had no choice but to say, "Come here, let your sister take you." As his biological sister, she would surely be more attentive than Lu Zhuo, that fake brother-in-law.
Yet, the Fourth Prince actually doubted her riding skills, his small hand tightly gripping Lu Zhuo's.
Wei Rao gritted her teeth.
Lu Zhuo chuckled, "How about we race? From here to the river and back. Whoever returns first gets to take His Highness riding."
Wei Rao wasn't afraid of him but suggested they both use the palace horses, fearing her chestnut horse would surely lose to Lu Zhuo's Flying Ink.
Lu Zhuo agreed.
Little Zhou called the Fourth Prince to her side, and the mother and son sat on a cushion, smiling as they watched the two race.
A palace attendant brought the horses, and Lu Zhuo invited Wei Rao to choose first.
Without hesitation, Wei Rao picked the horse that looked stronger.
Little Zhou announced the start, and the two swift horses shot off simultaneously.
Wei Rao charged forward, her white dress fluttering like a wisp of cloud against the azure sky.
Lu Zhuo kept pace with her, watching the stray hairs at her forehead tousled by the wind and the charming blush spreading across her fair cheeks. He chuckled softly, leaning closer to Wei Rao, "On another occasion, I might let you win, but today, in front of Her Majesty, if I lose to you, how could I ever face being her son-in-law?"
When no pretense was needed, he addressed her as "madam" repeatedly, his teasing intent almost written on his face. Enraged, Wei Rao lashed her whip toward his left leg.
Lu Zhuo had intended to tease her and then ride off, but he hadn't expected Wei Rao to resort to violence. As her whip came at him, the corners of his lips curled upward. Instead of dodging, he urged his horse forward, enduring the sting of her whip, and with a long arm, he wrapped it around Wei Rao's waist. Amid her shrieks and the horse's whinny, he lifted her onto his saddle in front of him!
Little Zhou was stunned.
The Fourth Prince jumped up excitedly—his brother-in-law was so strong!
Without its rider, Wei Rao's horse trotted a short distance before stopping to graze. Meanwhile, Wei Rao was pinned against Lu Zhuo's chest by his arm around her slender waist. With every gallop of the horse, her back bumped against his chest, and his chin nearly brushed her cheek.
"Let go," Wei Rao said, her face icy.
Lu Zhuo laughed, "Her Majesty is watching from afar. If I throw you off, what would she think?"
Wei Rao gritted her teeth.
Lu Zhuo loosened his grip slightly, his long fingers lightly resting on the hollow of her right waist. Only then did he truly realize how slender her waist was.
With a beauty in his arms, Lu Zhuo lowered his gaze, taking in her flushed, delicate cheeks. Her earlobe was so close that with a slight lean, he could have taken it into his mouth.
"Drop me off at the river, and you go pick up His Highness," Wei Rao said, feeling his warm breath—an unfamiliar masculine scent she disliked and had no desire to be so close to.Lu Zhuo raised his eyes and saw the grassland river, shimmering like a silver belt, now right before them. The sound of rushing water was clearly audible.
Lu Zhuo said nothing. Upon reaching the riverbank, he reined in his steed, dismounted first, and then reached out to help Wei Rao down.
Wei Rao wanted to slap his hand away but feared he might take the opportunity to pull some stunt, so she ignored him and dismounted on her own.
Lu Zhuo smiled faintly and asked her to wait while he rode off toward Little Zhou and her son.
Approaching Little Zhou, Lu Zhuo said apologetically, "I was discourteous earlier. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
Little Zhou asked curiously, "Why did Raorao try to hit you?"
Lu Zhuo gave a wry smile and glanced at the Fourth Prince before explaining, "Raorao wanted me to yield to her, but I didn’t."
Little Zhou rubbed her forehead. For such a trivial matter, her daughter had actually tried to whip her husband—this temper truly resembled her own.
"Your Highness may go find Raorao. I’ll take His Highness for a stroll," Lu Zhuo said with a bow.
Little Zhou then instructed her son to behave.
The Fourth Prince cheered and threw himself at Lu Zhuo, who lifted him high overhead.
Even sitting by the river, Wei Rao could hear her younger brother’s clear, joyful laughter.
Author’s Note:
Second update is here! See you tomorrow~
A few more words: Actually, it’s been a long time since I’ve written about such intense emotions. I don’t mean dramatic plotlines of life-and-death devotion, but the struggle within emotions—like how in The Joyful Tribulation, Song Mo knew Tang Huan was a big liar just trying to seduce him, yet he was still willing to indulge her; or how in The Empress’s Path, Xu Jin guessed that Fu Rong had also been reborn and was acting, deceiving him about not wanting to marry him while trying to attract others, yet he still fell for her, even to the point of spitting blood in anguish.
Returning to Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo—two proud individuals—one must inevitably yield first. Lu Zhuo initially looked down on Raorao, so I want to write how, despite knowing all her flaws and being driven to distraction by her, he’s still willing to lay aside his pride and beg this woman to return to him.
Aah, I’m not even sure what I’m trying to express. In any case, the pacing will quicken when it should, and detailed scenes will just have to be written slowly~
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