Chapter 59: For Father’s Honor
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
[Oh no, tomorrow is the day when Second Brother gets drunk… My second brother has a tendency to drop his guard around her. Whenever she hands him a cup of wine, it is almost guaranteed to be spiked with something.] Lu Chao Chao looked forward to the drama that was about to unfold with a kind of dark anticipation.
“Please, think of the Marquis’s residence as your own home and feel free to hold the memorial ceremony here. After all, you saved my life, and this is the least I can do. Tomorrow, I’ll join you,” Lu Zheng Yue offered, managing to keep his face impassive, showing no signs of suspicion or realization of the undercurrents at play.
After a long walk through the snow, Lu Zheng Yue courteously walked her back to the courtyard.
There, standing in the snow, she watched him leave with a look of sorrow, quietly hoping he would look back and notice her distress.
And, indeed, Lu Zheng Yue did glance back at her.
It was only after Lu Zheng Yue had walked a considerable distance away that the smile she wore so carefully on her face fell away, revealing the turmoil underneath.
Her maid approached her, concern evident in her voice, “Miss Su, would you like me to help you clean up? The snow on your garments could make you ill.”
Su Zhi Qing responded with a quiet nod.
After cleaning up and returning to her room, Su Zhi Qing sat in front of a bronze mirror, letting her hair down in a relaxed manner.
In the room, there was a sandalwood table laden with papers that carried the subtle scent of ink.
“What’s this?” She began to read one, immediately captivated by the strong and vigorous strokes of the calligraphy.
Unlike the youthful impression one might have of Lu Zheng Yue, these writings conveyed an aura of authority and effortless strength.
“These are the Marquis’s writings. This room was once the Marquis’s study. He would sometimes rest here. All these pens and inks belonged to him,” her maid informed her.
Touching the pens and the ink, Su Zhi Qing’s cheeks reddened, her fingers tingling as if touching something forbidden yet intimate.
Lying in the bed, she was enveloped by a distinctly masculine presence.
This was the Marquis’s bed.
The next day, Su Zhi Qing appeared visibly ill.
Dressed in a light-colored gown, she looked incredibly fragile, like a delicate flower that needed careful tending.
Upon seeing her, Lu Zheng Yue couldn’t hide his concern, “Qing Qing, don’t be disheartened. You still have me. I will take care of you as your parents would have wanted. Do you believe me?” His eyes radiated sincerity.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Su Zhi Qing nodded her agreement.
As evening arrived, a simple vegetarian meal was served.
Lu Zheng Yue dismissed the others, opting to bring a copper basin himself so he and Su Zhi Qing could perform a memorial in the garden.
As they released paper money into the air, the fragile girl knelt in the snow, tears streaming down her face in silent sorrow.
“Father, Mother… I have encountered Zheng Yue. Brother Zheng Yue is kind-hearted. May this bring you peace in the heavens,” Su Zhi Qing whispered tearfully, delicately pouring two cups of transparent wine in front of the copper basin as a gesture of remembrance.
Lu Zheng Yue remained by her side, a silent guardian until the last of the paper money had been consumed by the flames.
The cold had taken its toll on Su Zhi Qing, evident in her pale, almost colorless lips.
“Please, have some dinner. You look unwell, and it’s too cold out here,” Lu Zheng Yue gently insisted, leading her towards a warm room where a meal had been prepared in anticipation of their return.
His eyes briefly rested on the two cups of wine before moving away, a subtle acknowledgment of the moment they shared.
“Brother Zheng Yue, your presence comforts me,” Su Zhi Qing expressed her gratitude.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“While it’s true I saved you, Qing Qing, it’s your resilience, your decision to embrace life even in solitude, that truly saved you. In a way, you’ve saved yourself too,” he reflected.
“This cup is for you,” Su Zhi Qing said, personally handing him a cup of wine in a gesture of respect and gratitude.
Lu Zheng Yue accepted it with a calm demeanor, “No, Qing Qing, it is I who should honor you,” as he took the cup from her hand.
Their cups met in a quiet toast, an acknowledgment of mutual support and understanding.
Both emptied their cups in one go.
A visible sigh of relief escaped Su Zhi Qing, a sign of some inner burden being lifted.
She successfully encouraged Lu Zheng Yue to partake in the vegetarian meal she had prepared, ensuring he ate his fill.
Perhaps it was the warmth from the excessive use of charcoal, or maybe the wine, but the room began to feel oppressively warm, her vision blurring and sounds around her becoming muffled and distant.
Faintly, she heard him sigh, “Qing Qing, you’re drunk,” his voice a mix of concern and tenderness.
But to Su Zhi Qing, it felt as though her entire body was aflame, seeking any form of relief from the unbearable heat.
She felt as if she were gently laid on a soft couch, the candles snuffed out one by one, the door softly clicking shut, and the sound of footsteps receding.
Inside, she felt a tumultuous blaze, her thoughts scattering, leaving her struggling for clarity.
“It’s so hot…” she murmured weakly.
In her discomfort, she shed her outer layers until only her undershirt remained, yet the heat was relentless.
Then, the door opened slightly, letting in a whisper of cool air.
This slight change was enough to bring her back to a semblance of awareness. Her body reacted instinctively, moving faster than her clouded mind, as she stood and embraced the figure who had entered, seeking the faint coolness he brought with him.
The person was taken aback by her sudden move.
Yet, she held on without a second thought, her body clinging to his, drawing comfort from the slight chill of his presence.
“Don’t push me away,” she whispered, her voice shaking yet imploring, a soft plea in the warmth of the moment.
The person responded by tightening his grip around her waist, his eyes reflecting a turmoil of emotions, “Do you even know who I am?” His tone was deep, carrying the authority and grace of a man used to being listened to.
In that moment, Su Zhi Qing’s cheeks flushed with warmth.
Why was she indulging in such daring dreams now?
Ever since she learned that this room had once been the Marquis’s and that she was sleeping in his bed, a certain shyness had taken hold of her.
But tonight, her fantasies seemed to know no bounds.
As her voice trembled, her hands moved with a mind of their own, trembling as they began to undo his clothes, allowing herself to be consumed by the boldness of her dream, collapsing into his embrace.
“It’s… the Marquis,” she whispered, a nervous bite to her lower lip, her eyes glistening with a mix of fear and anticipation.
“Marquis, please… don’t push me away. Don’t reject Qing Qing,” she murmured, her voice carrying a soft plea, laden with vulnerability.
Rising on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, slowly, almost reverently offering herself to him.
Lu Yuan Ze felt a tension he hadn’t experienced in years. A man of success and composure, he had navigated the complexities of court and politics with ease. Yet, the recent schemes of Xu Shi Yun and Pei Jiao Jiao had left him drained.
This evening, after a session of drinking with his colleagues, his usual clarity was muddled by alcohol, though not to the point of losing his sense of responsibility or awareness.
Su Zhi Qing presented a stark contrast between the women he was accustomed to. She wasn’t like Xu Shi Yun with her rigid, aristocratic demeanor, nor did she possess Pei Jiao Jiao’s demure gentleness. Instead, Su Zhi Qing was a beacon of youthful sincerity; her desires were simple and unspoiled by the complexities of high society. She was a mere sixteen years old, embodying youth’s vibrancy and naivety.
She was different, refreshingly so.
When her tongue timidly explored his, it severed the last strand of his restraint. With a languid strength, he lifted her into his arms, eliciting a soft gasp from her as she instinctively clung to him, arms tightening around his neck.
The moment was interrupted when the young maid, returning with a lamp to the room, was greeted by the unmistakable sounds of intimacy. Flushed with embarrassment and shock, she hastily retreated to the main courtyard, her mind racing with the implications of what she had stumbled upon.
“Madam, madam… there’s been an incident,” she barely managed, her voice trembling with a mixture of shock and urgency.
“The Marquis inadvertently found his way back to his original study—into Miss Su’s room,” the maid stammered, her voice laced with disbelief and a hint of scandalized shock at the audacious behavior unfolding within the Marquis’s study.
Madam Xu, quick to protect the innocence of those around her, covered Chao Chao’s ears, while Deng Zhi took the child away, sparing her from the maid’s alarming news.
“Why this upset and commotion? Let’s not allow this to tarnish the New Year celebrations,” Madam Xu admonished, her voice strained in an effort to maintain a semblance of normalcy despite the unfolding drama.
“The Marquis has been loyal to me for nearly two decades; that loyalty has been my solace. It’s selfish to expect his undivided affection forever…” Her voice broke off, and the emotional strain was evident.
Despite her brave front, the tears streaming down her face revealed the depth of her distress.
Madam Xu spent the remainder of the night in the courtyard, enveloped in the cold embrace of the snow, her gaze hauntingly fixed towards the study as if seeking answers in its silent facade.
All the while, Deng Zhi, ever the loyal confidante, attended to her, offering ginger tea in a quiet attempt to provide some comfort against the chill of the night and the coldness settling in her heart.
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Aiyaa, it happened.