But his expressionless demeanor made Zhu Yanyan misunderstand. Zhu Yanyan thought he was angry, fearing he would turn around and leave. Her heart suddenly panicked, and she immediately hugged his arm tightly, “I just… I just…” Her heart was in complete chaos, and she became so anxious that tears began to fall. Then she fiercely closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and said in a trembling voice: “…I, I’ll listen to you in everything!”

Even if it meant becoming bandits and robbers, she would follow him!

Zhu Yanyan thought almost viciously.

Because she was in a hurry, she had jumped down from the bed barefoot, not bothering to take a blanket to cover herself. At this moment, she was only wearing thin nightclothes, hugging his arm so tightly like this… Lu Zhuxi felt that although she was born delicate and thin, that particular softness was not inferior to others. His Adam’s apple moved up and down once, and as he looked down at her, his gaze gained a shade of darkness.

“Silly girl, who told you that Feiqiong Stronghold has fallen to the point of needing to rely on banditry to survive?” He glanced down at her small feet, white and jade-like, sighed softly, carried her back to the bed, pulled the blanket over to wrap her up, then wiped away the tears that had rolled down her face.

His fingertips bore thin calluses, dry and warm.

Zhu Yanyan sat dazedly on the bed, staring at him in a daze.

Just now… he had lifted her up!

That finger wiping away her tears didn’t immediately withdraw, but seemed to become enamored with the delicate, cream-like texture at his fingertips, lingering there reluctantly.

Feeling that finger lingering on her face, Zhu Yanyan stared blankly at the man before her, her expression becoming even more dazed.

Mm… she was being taken advantage of, wasn’t she?

Zhu Yanyan thought somewhat uncertainly. What happened to the proper mountain etiquette? Earlier he had clearly been so dignified and courteous…

Seeing that she only stared at him dazedly without the slightest attempt to dodge, being so well-behaved that it was both heartbreaking and heart-stirring, Lu Zhuxi’s gaze grew even deeper. His eyes involuntarily fell upon those lips that were red and moist as if painted with rouge, and then, as if bewitched, he leaned down and gently kissed them.

Mm, indeed both sweet and soft.

“…!!!” Zhu Yanyan’s eyes suddenly widened.

She was definitely being taken advantage of! Right?!

His kiss was gentle and restrained, touching briefly before withdrawing. Then he moved close to her ear, pressing against her earlobe, saying in a hoarse voice: “I have offended the young lady. This humble one will send someone to propose marriage tomorrow.”

Listen to what this person says – so dignified and proper.

Look at what this person does – simply hypocritical.

His breath was scalding, burning Zhu Yanyan until she didn’t know what to do, her face like fire.

Lu Zhuxi, having explored the fragrant chamber at night and received her consent, left as silently as he had come. When Zhu Yanyan came back to her senses, that person was no longer there.

When leaving, he had even thoughtfully closed the window for her…

Zhu Yanyan looked at the window and blinked, subconsciously raising her hand to touch her lips, then buried her entire self in the blanket, her mind filled with that phrase “this humble one will send someone to propose marriage tomorrow.”

Just as Zhu Yanyan was wrapped in her blanket, shy and excited, wanting to roll around on the bed several times, she suddenly heard the sound of her room door being pushed open.

The sound of opening the door was heavy – it couldn’t be her wet nurse, nor would it be the maid serving in her room.

Zhu Yanyan poked her head out of the blanket in confusion, only to see Madam Zhu standing at the door, wrapped in a chill.

“Mother?” Zhu Yanyan was startled and called out hesitantly, “Why have you come at this hour?”

But her heart was already beating like a drum – when exactly had Mother arrived? Did she see Young Master Lu?

“The person you want to marry – who exactly is he?” Madam Zhu looked at her with a grave expression.

Hearing this, Zhu Yanyan’s heart slowly sank… Mother had indeed heard, hadn’t she.

“What a fine display of ‘repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang’ – I truly have given birth to an extremely clever daughter.” Seeing that she only stared at her blankly without saying a word, Madam Zhu laughed in extreme anger.

Zhu Yanyan’s heart tightened. She quickly got up and got off the bed, knelt down, and looked up to explain: “Mother, I didn’t intend to deceive you. In fact, I only learned yesterday that the person who saved my life ten years ago wasn’t Scholar Lu… but him.”

As a mother, how could she not feel heartache seeing her personally raised daughter kneeling on the cold ground in the middle of the night, especially when her health was already not very good and she was currently taking medicine? But thinking of the outrageous words she had heard earlier, Madam Zhu forced herself to harden her heart and didn’t ask her to get up, only looking at her and asking: “What is his relationship with Scholar Lu?”

Zhu Yanyan bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke: “He is Scholar Lu’s elder brother.”

“Hah.” Madam Zhu laughed coldly. “So because of this life-saving grace, you’ve made up your mind to marry an unclear and dubious bandit?”

The thief who broke into the Zhu family tonight had an unclear background, so that Scholar Lu was probably also problematic. Hatefully, she had been blinded earlier. Now thinking back on Yanyan’s words, to be able to save young Yanyan from among a group of vicious bandits, how could he possibly be a powerless scholar… Even more so, perhaps they were originally in league with the bandits who had kidnapped Yanyan, and the so-called life-saving grace was just a case of the thief crying “catch the thief.”

Madam Zhu’s thoughts instantly turned dark.

Zhu Yanyan’s face turned pale. Clearly, Mother had already deduced Lu Zhuxi’s identity from that conversation just now. What she feared most had finally happened… But how did Mother know Lu Zhuxi would come tonight? And the timing was so coincidental? She looked around in confusion, then subconsciously looked at the wet nurse standing beside Madam Zhu.

The wet nurse stiffened and avoided her gaze.

“Don’t look at her. I’m the one who had her watch you.” When Madam Zhu said this, her hands hidden in her sleeves were trembling slightly – from anger, and also from fear. Thinking of how she had almost personally sent her daughter into the tiger’s den, Madam Zhu felt endless terror, so her tone was particularly harsh. She said through gritted teeth: “If not for this, I would never have known that my precious pearl was wholeheartedly thinking of delivering herself to a bandit to become his wife!”

“He’s not a bandit!” Zhu Yanyan reflexively retorted, her voice slightly raised.

“If not a bandit, then what?” Madam Zhu sneered repeatedly. “Who in Tongluozhen doesn’t know the great name of Feiqiong Stronghold on Qianya Mountain? You certainly calculated well, playing this hand of ‘repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang’… You knew that while I might not be very pleased with that penniless Scholar Lu, I would compromise out of affection for you, but if it were a thief of unknown origin, I would absolutely never agree to this marriage.”

Zhu Yanyan’s body trembled slightly.

Yes, she had indeed made this plan, even reaching a tacit understanding with Scholar Lu.

With Lu Zhuxi’s identity, Mother would definitely not agree to this marriage, but Lu Chi had the identity of a scholar in Tongluozhen, and was also a teacher at the school. More importantly, he had gained Grandfather’s favor. Now that Mother had already agreed to this marriage, she had originally planned to substitute one for the other, and once everything was settled, even if Mother discovered the truth, she would help cover it up…

But now, it wouldn’t work.

Zhu Yanyan’s nose felt sour. She silently kowtowed and said, “I beg Mother to fulfill this wish.”

Seeing that she didn’t defend herself at all and had so straightforwardly admitted to it, Madam Zhu was so angry she nearly vomited blood. She pointed at her repeatedly with her finger, grinding out three words through her teeth: “Don’t even think about it!”