Chapter 52 Love Me

"I hear your Uncle Shen's youngest daughter, Yan Xi, was protected by your father... How has she been lately?"

Before Xie Huaixiu's voice had even faded and before Lu Zhi could reply, chaotic noises suddenly erupted from outside, with someone intermittently shouting:

"Little Madam! Little Madam!"

Lu Zhi's expression remained calm and completely unchanged, his fingers slowly rubbing against the rim of his teacup, as nonchalant as if those sounds had never entered his ears.

Xie Huaixiu stopped speaking and raised a hand: "My nephew...?"

Lu Zhi slowly rose, let out a sigh that revealed a trace of helplessness, and slightly nodded toward Xie Huaixiu:

"Forgive me, Uncle Xie, for a moment..."

Xie Huaixiu nodded.

Lu Zhi straightened up and then walked out.

Just as the door was pushed open, he saw with his own eyes the young girl in front, pursued all the way by a dozen people behind her.

Other maids and pageboys in the residence naturally gave chase or tried to cut her off whenever they spotted her, and within a short while, Yan Xi was surrounded.

Yet the maids and pageboys were all utterly helpless; no one dared to step forward, let alone touch her.

Everyone watched from afar as the master strode over.

Lu Zhi's expression was stern and his gaze ice-cold, enough to make anyone shudder and turn pale with fright.

Yet Yan Xi showed not the slightest trace of fear toward him. Though her eyes were brimming with tears, she tilted her head slightly, her delicate face cold, her small gaze intensely resolute and unyielding.

The next instant, the man had already reached her side. Giving her no room to react, his towering, dark figure blocked most of her view. Without a single word, he hoisted her up, slinging her across his waist.

The young girl struggled incessantly on his shoulder, crying out, "Let me go!"

She did not know how many times she shouted or how many blows she rained down upon him, aware only that a long moment later, the sound of a door being kicked open reached her ears, followed by the slam of the door, and then her body was dropped onto the table by the wall.

As if even denying her the time to react, Yan Xi's vision darkened, and in the blink of an eye, she was trapped by him in a narrow, confined space.

The man pressed in close, his large hand pinching her chin, his gaze profound as he slightly clenched his jaws.

"Shen Yanxi, if I coax you a few times, do you really think I've turned into a Bodhisattva?"

"Where do you think you're running to?"

"There is a guest in the house. Did you do this on purpose? Hmm?"

After just a few words from him, Yan Xi was already in tears, but though the tears flowed, her spirit remained unbroken.

She had done it on purpose. Staring straight into his eyes, she struggled with all her might.

"What do I care whether there is a guest in your house?"

"What do I care whether you've turned into a Bodhisattva or not?"

"You can forget about ever threatening me again!"

"Those eight maids—kill them if you want."

"Where am I running to?"

"As long as I can get away from you, anywhere will do!"

"If not, you might as well just kill me along with them!"

Though her voice was soft and gentle, it was resolute, and so were her mist-veiled eyes.

Lu Zhi lowered his gaze, staring at her, and upon hearing this, the corner of his mouth twitched.

After a long while, he slowly straightened up, placing his hands behind his back, his eyes never leaving her for a fraction of a second, and called out in a clear voice:

"Lock all the doors and windows!"

Yan Xi said nothing, uttering not another word, merely gazing straight at him.

She had done it on purpose.

Only now did she realize that the Marquis Xie on that boat was none other than Xie Huaixiu.

And who was Xie Huaixiu?

He was her father's sworn brother.

Trapped in such a desperate situation, how could she not at least try?

Events proved that Lu Zhi was indeed afraid of her acknowledging Xie Huaixiu.

She had also anticipated that if her plan failed, she would come to no good end.

Therefore, she was not at all surprised by the outcome.

The two locked eyes, and after a long while, the man turned away with a cold expression and left.

********

Upon returning to the study, Xie Huaixiu was sipping tea.

Lu Zhi was composed and at ease, his expression unchanged as if the recent incident had never occurred at all.

He was unhurried, smiling faintly, and continued to converse smoothly with Xie Huaixiu, merely letting out a sigh and offering a slight explanation regarding his domestic affairs, naturally confessing as well that the two of them had not yet wed.

He claimed that the person was his concubine, that they shared deep affection, and that she had grown jealous upon mistakenly believing he was entangled with another woman.

He pampered her greatly, and her spoiled nature had led to the current state of affairs.

Xie Huaixiu sat for another half-hour before taking his leave...

On the way back to his residence,

Xie Huaixiu sat inside the carriage, carefully recalling the conversation and reminiscing—neither too long nor too short—that had just taken place between them.

The other man had struck the perfect balance between firmness and flexibility, revealing not a single flaw. He was completely at ease, truly worthy of someone seasoned in official circles.

Without needing to be probed, he had voluntarily brought up many past events.

It didn't look like...

Before long, the carriage arrived at the estate.

Hardly had he entered his chamber when a pageboy's report sounded from outside.

"My Lord, the Madam is outside."

Xie Huaixiu acknowledged the report and immediately went out.

She was right there at the moon gate, and he caught sight of her the moment he stepped out of the room.

The elegant matron offered him a slight bow.

He raised a hand to stop her, speaking in a gentle tone, and invited her to take a walk in the courtyard.

The matron assented, and the two walked side by side.

In March, the willows brushed the green and the orioles flew, the spring breeze warm and gentle.

Without waiting for her to ask, Xie Huaixiu brought up what she most urgently wanted to know.

"Yan Xi is indeed in the Lu family. Years ago, Boling made a heartfelt plea, and Li胤 spared her life. Some years back, she fell into the water and fell gravely ill, so Boling sent her to Suzhou to recuperate. She has long since recovered and returned to Chang'an last year. Lu Zhi didn't say much more, but reading between the lines, once I go to Chang'an and see his father, I'll naturally understand the rest."

With Xie Huaixiu's brief words, the matron was already weeping. Hearing this, she asked anxiously, "Then what does 'between the lines' mean? Is there something ill befalling Yan Xi...?"

Xie Huaixiu shook his head. "It shouldn't be so. With her by Boling's side, how could anything ill befall her? Lu Zhi was likely just speaking casually with no special meaning. Back then, throughout the entire Great Yong, the only one who could protect her was Lu Boling. He protected her even during the hardest of times, let alone now when he holds monstrous power, standing above ten thousand people and second only to one, supremely wealthy and noble. Let us just hope his heart remains unchanged..."

The corners of the matron's eyes turned red. "My Lord, as long as all of you are safe, let us forget the past..."

A dark shadow surfaced in Xie Huaixiu's eyes. He slowly let out a soundless, cold huff, and replied gently:

"Yes, let us forget..."

********

At the Commissioner's Mansion,

After Xie Huaixiu left, Lu Zhi summoned someone.

A black-clad assassin bowed and awaited orders.

Lu Zhi's gaze was misty and obscured, and he twirled the wolf-hair brush in his hand, pondering for a long while before finally issuing his command.

"Follow him back to Chang'an... See what he intends to do..."

"Exercise the utmost caution and do not expose yourself. This man is no ordinary person..."

The assassin, known as Seven Hawks, bowed in acceptance of the order...

After the man withdrew, Lu Zhi sat alone in the study for the span of about a stick of incense before rising to leave.

He did not leave the estate, nor did he return to his own chambers, but instead headed straight for the Tinglan Pavilion.

Nearly all the maids of the pavilion were outside, some guarding the windows, others guarding the doors.

Aside from Yan Xi, only two people remained inside.

Unlike his visit in the morning, it was exceedingly quiet within.

Seeing Lu Zhi enter the pavilion, the maids at the door bowed in unison.

"My Lord..."

The man raised a hand, and a maid stepped forward to unlock the chain.

With a loud clatter, the door was pushed open.

Lu Zhi walked in, passed through the main hall into the warm chamber, and finding no one there, proceeded straight into her bedchamber.

Pulling aside the bead curtains, he caught sight of that delicate silhouette.

Yan Xi was slumped over the desk, flanked by two maids who stood quietly, doing nothing at all.

Without even raising her head, she could clearly see his figure in her peripheral vision. Yet even knowing he had come, she remained completely motionless, neither raising nor turning her head. Just as when he first entered, her expression did not even change.

Lu Zhi gave a calm command.

"Out."

The two maids bowed and withdrew one after another.

Once the door was shut and the two of them were left alone in the room, Lu Zhi finally spoke.

"Have you calmed down?"

His voice was extremely deep.

Yan Xi made no reply, acting as though he were not in the room at all, without the slightest reaction.

Lu Zhi spoke again: "Since you've calmed down, let us talk..."

As he spoke, he pulled out a chair, leaned back against it lazily, sat down opposite her, and looked down at her.

"Shen Yanxi, stepping out of this door—and gaining your freedom—is very simple. Love me, follow me forever, and your deception and attempt to flee will be completely forgiven. I will give you everything..."

Just as his words left his lips—before he had even finished speaking entirely—a sweet, melodious burst of laughter rang out in the room.

Pity that as pleasant as it sounded, it was dripping with mockery.

The laughter continued for a long time, echoing in the room for a long while...

Yan Xi still did not lift her eyes to look at him. Not only did she not look, she slightly turned her little head away and simply laughed, as if he had just told the most absurd joke in the world.

Lu Zhi leaned back, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at her, a faint smile lingering on his face as well—except that the smile grew colder and colder until it gradually vanished.

And it was precisely at that moment that he received her reply.

"In your dreams!"

Lu Zhi slowly let out a scoff.

"Is that so?"

Yan Xi said with absolute finality: "Yes."

Did that declaration that she would never love him truly hurt him?

Or perhaps he was naturally fond of conquest and aggression, and hearing her say she would never love him only made him all the more determined to force her to love him?

Yan Xi did not understand, nor did she care to understand. She only found him ridiculous—ridiculous to the extreme!

The young girl locked gazes with him for a brief moment before looking away.

Unfazed, Lu Zhi rested one arm on the desk, leaning forward slowly. His voice was laced with a slow, skeptical tone, his brows and eyes carrying a cultivated smile.

A cultivated smile capable of murder.

"You have someone you fancy?"

"Who is he?"

"Jiang Zhiyan?"

Yan Xi retorted: "Whoever it is, it could never be you! And whoever it is is none of your business!"

Lu Zhi pulled back, leaning his spine once more against the chair, and slowly raised a hand to clap three times.

"Splendid."

"Wanwan, I gave you a chance..."

Yan Xi glared at him with fury, showing not the slightest sign of compromise, yet she watched as the man stood up.

"Let me know when you've thought it through..."

Utterly relaxed, he tossed out those words and turned decisively on his heel.

The moment the man's back vanished through the doorway, Yan Xi saw the two maids return, and immediately, the sound of chains clanked in her ears once more.

Yan Xi stared fixedly at the swaying bead curtains, her gaze blazing like torches.

********

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Zhi's bedchamber was filled with kneeling servants covering the floor.

The man paced back and forth across the room, periodically reaching down to yank the lead maid up by her collar, only to cast her heavily back down as he snarled fiercely:

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Everyone kneeling below was a maid from Tinglan Pavilion.

The young girl had now gone four days without food or drink.

By the second day, Lu Zhi had grown somewhat restless, secretly offering a reward of a hundred taels, yet still not a single person could coax her into eating.

He had even dragged out two maids and had them severely beaten with fifty planks right before her eyes.

She remained completely unmoved.

This was the morning of the fourth day, and Lu Zhi was flying into a rage.

Yet she was already extremely weak, and this burst of fury could not be vented upon her.

He could not afford to torment her; the slightest jolt might kill her.

For all these years, he had been ruthless and heartless, lacking any sentiment. Whether in official circles or in other matters, he had never fallen into a disadvantageous position, nor had he ever tasted defeat.

He had never encountered such a situation before.

Just as he was caught in this impossible dilemma, someone hurried over, panting and reporting with extreme urgency:

"My Lord, the Little Madam..."

At the mere mention of those three words "Little Madam," a surge of fiery rage ignited in Lu Zhi's chest.

He grabbed the collar of the pageboy who had come to report and demanded fiercely, urging him on:

"What about the Little Madam?!"

The other trembled. "The Little Madam seems to have—seems to have fainted..."

Lu Zhi's pupils sharply contracted. He shoved the boy to the ground, his breathing turning noticeably heavy, and then, his face darkened into ice, he strode out of the door...