Zhu Yan’s cheeks flushed red as she pushed Shen Du away, chiding him, “If you’d stay a bit farther from me, I wouldn’t feel so hot.”
Ever since he had confessed his feelings, though Shen Du no longer treated her roughly and seemed to respect her, he would still embrace and show affection towards her from time to time, leaving her flustered and unsure how to respond.
Thinking back to the cold, aloof Shen Du who used to mock women for not knowing how to examine corpses and saying they shouldn’t be officials, the current version was almost unbearable to look at.
Shen Du chuckled softly and took her hand, saying, “That’s not allowed. As husband and wife, we should be of one heart. I feel we’re not close enough yet.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Du coughed awkwardly. But seeing Zhu Yan staring at him with her clear, beautiful eyes, he felt he shouldn’t overthink it. He composed himself and explained:
“With the unrest in Yingzhou, many people have followed Marquis Mo and left, leaving behind numerous empty mansions. Those mansions often have underground chambers storing ice. Don’t worry, Jing Lin won’t take things from ordinary citizens.”
Zhu Yan hadn’t expected Shen Du to explain in such detail. Naturally, she couldn’t act aloof now. She lowered her head and picked up the confession document to hide her racing heart. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she pointed to a sentence:
“Ji Dafu mentioned that foreign curved sword.”
Upon closer inspection, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “He only mentioned it briefly and doesn’t know where the sword came from or what it’s used for.”
This wasn’t hard to explain. Ji Dafu was just a hall master in charge of miscellaneous affairs. Even if he had seen the sword, he wouldn’t dare ask too many questions. Everyone knew that the less you knew about certain secrets, the longer you lived.
Zhu Yan felt somewhat regretful but knew there was nothing to be done. She put down the document and looked up, not realizing Shen Du had been leaning over her shoulder to read along. Her lips accidentally brushed against his cheek.
Zhu Yan: …
Feeling the softness of Zhu Yan’s red lips, Shen Du was also moved. He cupped her face, gently caressing her delicate skin with one finger. His eyes changed color as he slowly leaned in closer.
“Commander…”
Sure enough, Jing Lin always appeared at the most inopportune moments to ruin the mood.
Shen Du turned his head. If possible, Jing Lin never wanted to be fixed with such a terrifying gaze again.
“I… I’ll leave right away,” Jing Lin said, his survival instinct kicking in strongly as he felt a chill run down his spine.
“Stop!” Shen Du knew Jing Lin’s hasty return must mean something important. Seeing Zhu Yan embarrassed at being caught, burying her face in his chest, he couldn’t help but smile. “What is it?”
Jing Lin finally let out a breath and hurriedly reported:
“Commander, Marquis Mo is calling out at the base of the city wall, saying he must see you.”
It hadn’t been long since the last incident. Why had he come again?
“Is he alone?” Shen Du asked Jing Lin gravely, seeking confirmation.
“No, he brought a group of people, likely remnants of the Half-Faced Ghost faction,” Jing Lin replied.
Shen Du said nothing more and gave no further instructions. Zhu Yan stole a glance at him and noticed the man’s thoughts seemed scattered.
Sensing Zhu Yan’s furtive gaze, Shen Du turned and gave her a faint smile, indicating he was fine.
Zhu Yan blushed again and buried her head once more.
Shen Du looked back at Jing Lin and asked in a deep voice, “What about his wife and child?”
Jing Lin was puzzled. “They’re still being held at the magistrate’s office.”
“Mm. Bring his wife and child to wait on the city wall as well.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, he prepared to leave with Jing Lin. After taking a step, he remembered Zhu Yan in his arms and looked down, hesitating to speak.
Zhu Yan immediately let go of him, the embarrassment mostly gone from her face as she looked at him with a complex expression.
No matter how mad Marquis Mo had become, it couldn’t change the fact that he had once saved Shen Du’s life. Now, to have him face Marquis Mo as an enemy – one didn’t need to think much to know how difficult this was for him. But…
“Why do you need to involve his wife and child?” Zhu Yan murmured, seemingly asking Shen Du but also talking to herself.
This question made Shen Du hesitate. His actions did seem to resemble those of Lai Luo Zhi.
But of course, Shen Du was not Lai Luo Zhi, nor could he ever be.
Zhu Yan understood this in her heart. If not for agreeing to help her find the antidote, Shen Du would never use Marquis Mo’s family as leverage.
Thinking of this, feelings of guilt welled up and refused to dissipate.
But why was she worried? Did she suspect Shen Du might become the next Lai Luo Zhi? Her heart trembled uncontrollably. Shen Du was not Lai Luo Zhi – he had his principles. Zhu Yan believed he would never cross that line.
“Alright, I trust you,” Zhu Yan convinced herself, raising her head to look directly at Shen Du.
“I want to go with you,” she said, her voice no longer as soft and weak as before. She wanted to tell Shen Du that since this involved her, she had to participate.
“Not!” Shen Du rejected Zhu Yan’s proposal without a second thought. “Times have changed. Marquis Mo was no longer a capable governor who cared for the people. He’s now Marquis Mo, an accomplice of the Fire Moth Party – a man bewitched by them. There’s no telling what outrageous things he might do.”
Shen Du was thinking only of her well-being, which made her even more determined not to stay behind safely. “No, I’m going. Don’t forget, I’m your wife.”
Wife.
In this life-or-death moment, no words moved Shen Du more than these two. He pulled Zhu Yan into his embrace.
Jing Lin felt it would be best if he were blind at this moment. He stood up and walked out, suggesting he would go check on Marquis Mo’s wife and child first to ensure everything was in order.
“I may not be able to guarantee your safety,” Shen Du said.
“I don’t care. Let me stay by your side. I’m worried about you,” Zhu Yan replied.
“But I care,” Shen Du released Zhu Yan and gazed at her intently as if trying to etch her image in his mind. “I…”
“It’s alright. Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden. If we encounter danger, I promise I won’t be like last time during the city massacre. I’ll run away immediately, even if it means leaving you behind.”
Shen Du smiled helplessly and tapped her nose. “Rest assured, if I can’t even protect my own woman, what else can I do?”
Shen Du’s gaze was intense. Zhu Yan felt quite uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Her throat suddenly felt tight. She grasped his hand and looked at him with bright eyes.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“Mm,” he replied.
At this moment, Shen Du finally understood why those love stories in novels were so intoxicating.
It turns out, they do make one’s head spin.
It wasn’t until they reached the base of the city wall that Zhu Yan felt being led by the hand all the way was a bit too conspicuous. She forcefully freed herself from Shen Du’s grasp and put some distance between them.
Shen Du raised his hand and adjusted his grip, somewhat dissatisfied. “My lady, you’re fickle.”
Zhu Yan shot him a fierce glare, ignoring his nonsense.
Shen Du knew she was easily embarrassed, and besides, this wasn’t the time for flirting. He didn’t pursue the matter further.
—
There was some commotion on the city wall, seemingly expressing dissatisfaction with those below.
When Shen Du and Zhu Yan arrived, Jing Lin had already brought Marquis Mo’s wife and child to the wall. Seeing Shen Du approach, Jing Lin quickly bowed and awaited instructions.
“You Shen brat, you shameless scoundrel!”
Marquis Mo’s wife strongly resisted those who had brought her here. Upon seeing Shen Du, she immediately began hurling abuse, her eyes filled with hatred for him.