Chapter 38: The Caged Crane
Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Caged Crane
Only when he raised an eyebrow in her direction did Liang Wan snap out of her daze. "Wang Su was stabbed by an assassin in the past," she explained. "Since then, anyone who comes close to him must be thoroughly searched, have their clothes changed, and their hairpins removed so their hair falls loose."
Lu Xiu cast a sidelong glance, sweeping his eyes over her from head to toe. Indeed, her appearance showed she had been thoroughly inspected.
Seeing him retract his gaze, Liang Wan continued, "Killing Zhang Shi that day was not just an act of desperate self-defense, but also a way to vent my anger. However, the price of that rashness was putting myself in even greater danger. Even though I don’t regret killing him, in hindsight, I didn’t need to do it with my own hands. Especially when the enemy is stronger and I am weak, I shouldn’t let a momentary impulse dictate my actions.
"I’ve learned from my mistakes. That’s why, even if I did have a hairpin this time, I wouldn’t have struck directly. Instead, I would have borrowed someone else’s knife to do the deed. After all, if I really killed Wang Su, I certainly wouldn’t have been as lucky as last time—"
At the mention of luck, Liang Wan furrowed her brows. She wondered if Zhou Yun had gone to help her today at his behest. As soon as the thought arose, she immediately dismissed it. Believing so wouldn’t just be overestimating her own importance; it would be underestimating him.
"You learn quite fast!"
While she was lost in thought, Lu Xiu finished wiping away the bloodstains and looked up. "I don’t like drinking cold tea."
Liang Wan paused, then hurriedly scrambled to her feet. She checked the hangover tea on the low table and carefully brought it over to him. "It isn’t cold yet."
Lu Xiu took it casually but didn’t drink. Instead, he stared at the cup. "Drinking alone is rather dull."
She couldn’t help but break a sweat. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol, but he was very different tonight. Who in the world needed company just to drink hangover tea?
"What do you mean, My Lord?"
Lu Xiu turned his head, his thick, long eyelashes drooping to conceal the emotions in his eyes. "Go finish the rest of the wine."
Liang Wan turned to look at the wine cup on the table and frowned. Did everyone have two sides? She never could have imagined that Master Lu—the cold, ruthless man from her past life who could kill without blinking—would act like this when slightly tipsy.
Not daring to disobey, Liang Wan pursed her lips and reached for the cup. But as her fingers brushed against it, she thought better of it. Steeling herself, she simply picked up the entire wine jug.
"Though My Lord did it unintentionally, Young Master Zhou only saved me out of respect for you. I am endlessly grateful."
After a day of running around and suffering through numerous setbacks, not only had she failed to achieve her intended plan, but she had also dragged Wang Tingyue down with her. The more she thought about it, the more discouraged she felt.
She knew full well that Zhou Yun waiting there was no coincidence. If possible, she only wished to save Wang Tingyue, but the words died on her lips. Based on her understanding of Lu Xiu, not only would he refuse to help, but he would likely also find it amusing to test her instead. She had already acted impulsively once; it would be better to wait and see how the situation unfolded tomorrow before making a plan.
With that in mind, she tilted her head back and gulped down the liquor. The spicy liquid burned a fiery trail down her throat and into her stomach, stinging so badly that tears streamed down her face. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been forced to drink by the tyrant in the past, but doing it to herself like this was a first. Coughing as she chugged, she managed to drain half the jug in a halting, messy display.
Liang Wan shook the jug in the air to confirm not a single drop was left before placing it back on the low table. In mere moments, a fire seemed to ignite in her stomach, spreading an intense heat throughout her entire body. Soon, her vision blurred, and the room began to spin.
The alcohol fueled her courage. Liang Wan shook her head and tried to stand straight, but she could only clutch her stomach, unable to even lift her head. "Are you satisfied, My Lord? Did you find that entertaining?"
Lu Xiu stared at her reddened, teary eyes and narrowed his own. In silence, he finished the tea in his cup, set it aside, and yanked her forward. "With a performance like that, you still have a long way to go!"
Her foot was already injured, and the alcohol had left her dizzy and unsteady. Caught off guard by his pull, she stumbled and collapsed in front of him once more.
Her head spinning, Liang Wan suppressed her nausea and nodded. Deep down, she knew she still had a long way to go. With red eyes, she looked up at him. Her gaze was unfocused, yet her tone remained resolute. "It doesn’t matter. I will learn!"
However, the overwhelming dizziness made her want nothing more than to rest for a moment. Lu Xiu watched as her nodding head eventually stopped moving. In no time, her entire body went limp against his knees.
With a dark expression, Lu Xiu glanced at his creased robe where she rested. He had originally wanted to test her, but he hadn’t expected her to fail so quickly. With a hint of impatience, he scooped her up into his arms, carried her into the inner room, and tossed her onto the carved bed.
But just as he turned to leave, she grabbed the hem of his robe, holding on in a death grip. He looked down, his own eyes clear and bright, utterly devoid of any drunken haze.
Lu Xiu tried to pull his robe free, but her grip was like a vice. Left with no other choice, he sat on the edge of the bed and turned his head. His gaze inadvertently fell upon the bite marks on her neck. In an instant, his eyes clouded over, looking so stormy they seemed ready to summon a tempest.
He had planned to let the matter drop, yet she had thrown herself in his path again. Thinking back to that distant, ridiculous marriage arrangement, he suddenly found the situation quite amusing.
The drunken woman on the bed, entirely oblivious, lay with a rosy flush on her porcelain-white cheeks. Her hazy dark eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her delicate lips were a tempting shade of red, murmuring indistinctly. As he pieced together fragments of her mumbles, a smile slowly surfaced in Lu Xiu’s dark gaze—though it failed to reach his eyes.
He reached out and stroked the soft skin of her neck. He suddenly remembered the bright, cheerful girl she once was, and his expression grew complicated. Her transformation had been drastic. She was like a piece of fine porcelain that had been shattered and painstakingly glued back together. He genuinely wanted to know: would these reconstructed remains be stronger than before, or would they crumble into dust at the slightest touch?
Lu Xiu withdrew his hand, pried her fingers open, and pulled his robe free. Before leaving, he paused briefly at the door.
"Keep a close eye on her."
The crisp chirping of birds drifted in from outside the window, accompanied by a few streams of sunlight that spilled into the room, landing squarely on her with a comforting warmth.
Liang Wan rubbed her eyes and struggled to sit up. Her throat was parched, her stomach churned uncomfortably, and worst of all, her head throbbed with a splitting pain.
Cradling her heavy head, she glanced around the room. A beautifully embroidered bed curtain, accented with gold-painted orchids, hung above her. The room’s furnishings were extravagantly luxurious. Even though the Qi people were known for their love of opulence, this level of grandeur was definitely beyond the means of an ordinary official.
Her headache intensified. Where was she?
She had barely touched her toes to the floor when she heard footsteps approaching from the outer room. The arrivals stepped around a red sandalwood screen painted with birds and beasts. They were two servant girls with respectful, downcast eyes.
"You’re awake, My Lady. Your foot is injured, and the household doctor said you need to rest."
Only then did Liang Wan notice that someone had applied medicine to her ankle while she slept. After speaking, the first servant girl stepped forward to support her, while the other went to fetch water for her to wash up.
It wasn’t until she walked out of the inner room that she realized this was the very same place where Lu Xiu had been drinking the night before. She hadn’t expected him to let her stay here—and she certainly hadn’t expected to be stranded here for several days.
She didn’t know if Chancellor Cao had made a move against Wang Su yet, nor did she have any idea what had happened to Wang Tingyue. Her daily range of motion was confined entirely to this room. She had hoped Lu Xiu might come to see her at least once, but the only person she saw was the household doctor who came to treat her ankle every day.
Moving past her initial anxiety, she had finally managed to calm herself enough to sit at the table and leaf through a book or two.
As the morning sun illuminated the window frames, Liang Wan stood before the beaded lattice, gazing out at the distant eaves. How long did Lu Xiu plan to trap her here?