Chapter 574: He Doesn’t Even Dress Properly
Chapter 574: Chapter 574: He Doesn’t Even Dress Properly
Shen Ningning was leaving the Imperial Palace in a carriage arranged by the Emperor, intending to go home.
However, not long after she passed through the Imperial Palace gates, she heard a familiar voice calling from outside the carriage—
"Ningning!" It was Lu Shaoyuan’s voice.
Surprised, Shen Ningning lifted the curtain to look outside. In the vast moonlight, the long street was already empty, save for Lu Shaoyuan, who was riding toward her, the sound of his horse’s hooves echoing.
She quickly told the driver to stop. Lu Shaoyuan, smiling with a raised brow, reined his horse to a halt beside the carriage.
"What are you doing here?" Shen Ningning was quite surprised.
Her planned departure from the palace was still several days away. If not for an unexpected incident, she wouldn’t have left early.
’But how did Lu Shaoyuan know? Did his brother, Lu Fu, tell him?’
Lu Shaoyuan gave a handsome smile. "Didn’t you say before that I should come pick you up whenever you left the Imperial Palace? I was worried I’d miss you, so I arranged for ten servants to watch the palace gates in shifts. As soon as they saw you were coming out, they were to report to me immediately. I figured, since I promised you, I couldn’t go back on my word."
Shen Ningning was taken aback. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t touched.
She decisively climbed down from the carriage. Seeing this, Lu Shaoyuan dismounted as well.
It was only then that he realized. "I was in such a hurry to get here that I forgot to bring a carriage. You can ride my horse, and I’ll lead it. We can walk back."
Shen Ningning let out a laugh. "If we walk, we won’t get back until dawn. Let’s ride together."
Lu Shaoyuan’s eyes instantly went wide, as if he’d just been struck by the greatest fortune imaginable.
"R-Really? But... but wouldn’t that be too... intimate?" His handsome face flushed red all the way to the tips of his ears.
Shen Ningning shook her head and proactively mounted the horse. "It’s nothing. I used to ride with my brothers all the time."
After speaking, she patted the saddle in front of her. "Here, you sit in front of me."
This way, Lu Shaoyuan wouldn’t have to hold Shen Ningning in his arms to grip the reins, making it less intimate. But Lu Shaoyuan still felt his heart pound with excitement.
He decisively mounted the horse.
The one driving the carriage was an imperial guard. He frowned at the sight. "Princess, why don’t you and Second Young Master Lu ride back in the carriage together?"
Shen Ningning’s gaze was indifferent, her tone even colder. "That won’t be necessary. Go back and tell Uncle Emperor that I appreciate his kind gesture, but I have someone here to take me home."
With that, she slapped the horse’s rear from behind, and it instantly bolted forward.
Lu Shaoyuan’s panicked, trembling cry was left trailing in the dark night: "I haven’t grabbed the reins yet!"
Throughout the ride, Lu Shaoyuan kept his back perfectly straight. He didn’t dare lean back even a little. It seemed like his body was still on the horse, but his heart had already floated off to the Immortal Palace.
For the first time in his life, he was sharing a horse with Shen Ningning!
He would never have dared to even dream of this before!
Shen Ningning remained silent. The streets were quiet, filled only with the echo of horse hooves.
Lu Shaoyuan cleared his throat, trying to make conversation. "Why did you leave early? Did the prayer for blessings go well?"
Shen Ningning still didn’t answer.
Lu Shaoyuan finally sensed that something was wrong. She was being too quiet.
Just as he was about to turn around to see what was the matter with her, he heard a faint, suppressed sob behind him, carried on the wind whistling past his ears.
Lu Shaoyuan froze.
’Why is Shen Ningning crying?’
Just then, she reached out and lightly tugged on the back of his robe. When she spoke, her voice was choked with sobs. "Lu Shaoyuan, can you ride a little slower? I don’t want Father and my brothers to see my red eyes when I get home."
Lu Shaoyuan pressed his lips together, his expression complex as he slowly reined in the horse’s speed.
The two of them, on one horse, proceeded slowly down the street.
He didn’t ask her why she was crying. He simply took his handkerchief from his robes and passed it back to her.
"If you always feel wronged when you go to the palace, then don’t go anymore. If it’s hard to refuse, just tell me, and I’ll defy the imperial edict for you," Lu Shaoyuan said, his tone firm.
It was as if, for Shen Ningning’s sake, he had the courage to overturn the heavens and drain the seas.
"Thank you."
The moment Shen Ningning finished speaking, Lu Shaoyuan felt her lean gently against his back.
The muscles in Lu Shaoyuan’s back tensed instantly, and his heart began to beat wildly.
By the time they arrived outside the Xie Mansion, Shen Ningning had composed herself.
After dismounting, she looked at Lu Shaoyuan. "Your outer robe is dirty. Why don’t you take it off and give it to me? I’ll wash it and return it to you."
The two dark patches on his back, stained by her tears, were very obvious.
’But this robe is a priceless treasure. How could I bear to wash it?’
He cleared his throat. "It’s fine, it’s just a robe." ’I’ll treasure it forever.’
Shen Ningning frowned. "That won’t do. Take it off and give it to me!"
Lu Shaoyuan hurriedly dismounted and obediently took off his outer robe, handing it to Shen Ningning.
In that instant, he remembered what his father had said: the men of the Lu Family, for eighteen generations back, had all been henpecked.
’We’re not even married yet, and whatever Shen Ningning says, goes.’
After he handed the robe over, Shen Ningning saw that underneath, Lu Shaoyuan was wearing... white sleepwear.
It was so ridiculous that the young lady burst out laughing.
"Why aren’t you even dressed properly?"
Lu Shaoyuan looked down, and his handsome face immediately filled with embarrassment.
He hurriedly tried to cover himself, but he couldn’t hide everything, so he just gave up.
"I had just gone to bed when I heard you were leaving the palace. I was afraid I’d miss you, so I threw on an outer robe and left... I’m not usually this disheveled."
Shen Ningning was doubled over with laughter, her bad mood seemingly swept away completely.
Seeing this, Lu Shaoyuan joined in with a couple of foolish laughs.
Until a sharp reprimand came from behind them: "It’s the middle of the night, Second Young Master Lu. Instead of going home to sleep, what are you doing laughing at my sister!"
Shen Ningning turned to see Xie Ming’an riding back on his horse.
It looked like he had just finished up a difficult case at the Ministry of Justice.
Xie Ming’an dismounted and stood between the two of them, a little puzzled. "But, Sister, weren’t you at the Imperial Palace? Why are you back?"
Shen Ningning’s tone was calm and natural. "Uncle Emperor’s illness mainly requires quiet rest. I saw I couldn’t be of much help, so I came back. Lu Shaoyuan happened to run into me and brought me home."
Saying this, she urged Lu Shaoyuan to get back on his horse.
"The hour is late. You should hurry back and get some rest."
Lu Shaoyuan nodded and cupped his hands at Xie Ming’an. "Second Brother-in-law, I’ll be leaving now."
Before Xie Ming’an could react, Lu Shaoyuan spurred his horse and rode away.
After he left, Xie Ming’an stomped his foot in anger and shouted at Lu Shaoyuan’s retreating figure, "You’re not even engaged to my sister! Who are you calling ’Brother-in-law’?!"
Xie Ming’an turned back around to see that Shen Ningning had already gone through the main gate.
He quickly chased after her. "Sister, what’s with that Lu Shaoyuan? Running around in his sleepwear in the middle of the night—is he even a respectable person? Have you really thought this through? You want to marry someone like that? Do you want your second brother to properly vet him for you?"
Shen Ningning couldn’t help but laugh. "You silly second brother! He’s not a weirdo, he was just in a huge hurry."
It was then that Xie Ming’an noticed his sister was holding Lu Shaoyuan’s outer robe.
"Sister! He really is indecent! He’s not even married to you and he’s already taking his clothes off for you? Listen to your second brother, you can’t marry a man like that."
Shen Ningning covered her ears. "Silly Second Brother, the hour is late, you should get some rest too." With that, she scampered away.
Xie Ming’an sighed helplessly. "’I guess it’s true that a daughter can’t be kept at home forever.’"
Just then, a gatekeeper approached. "Second Young Master, the Eldest Young Master came by earlier today. He said he has found what you asked him to investigate last time. He said that if you are free, you should wait for him in the study during the day."
Xie Ming’an was overjoyed to hear this.
’Have they found Wanchun’s whereabouts?’