Chapter 132: Reverted to His Original Form

"The Shang clan is certainly eager to please."

The Nobleman turned to Lu Ying and commanded, "Go change your attire." Seeing her eyes widen, he smiled. "You still want to play? Very well, wear a veil then." His expression was one of indulgent permission for her to disguise herself.

Ignoring the warning glances from Zhi Liu, Lu Ying stepped back and bowed deeply. "Reporting to my Lord, A-Ying cannot go."

The moment these words left her lips, the air around them seemed to congeal. Slowly, the Nobleman let out a soft, melodic laugh. "Oh? Why is that?" Though he was smiling, it brought with it the suffocating sensation of an approaching storm.

Lu Ying looked up at him, smiling faintly. "A tree without roots is easily broken by wind and rain."

She was saying that she was still a tree without roots; should she encounter a storm, she would surely snap.

The Nobleman watched her, speaking lazily, "That seems to have some truth to it." His tone had softened.

By all logic, Lu Ying should have stopped while she was ahead, but she seemed to have no such intention. She continued, "My Lord, A-Ying has more to say."

"Speak then."

"A-Ying has always known what kind of person I am, and what kind of life I wish to lead." She looked directly at the Nobleman, speaking quietly. "My Lord is currently interested in A-Ying, and thus you indulge me in every way. Perhaps one day, when the mood strikes, you might take me into your chambers and give me a title. I am well aware that you are incomparably noble, and that to remain by your side with a formal title would be a stroke of immense fortune."

As she spoke, the Nobleman let out a short, sharp laugh. The joy in his eyes vanished completely, and he said coldly, "Oh? You certainly have a great deal of courage today." His voice dropped, becoming slow and deliberate. "Continue, A-Ying!"

As the last few words fell, a chorus of thuds echoed as the guards and servants all knelt in unison, frozen in place.

Lu Ying, as she had done every time before, ignored the crushing pressure of his presence and the suffocating fear he instilled. She said calmly, "Yes. I have imagined that after becoming your concubine, for the first six months or a year, you might still allow me to wear men’s robes and stay by your side, acting as an advisor or simply providing conversation."

Clearly, her words had struck a chord; the Nobleman’s eyes narrowed slowly.

Lu Ying continued quietly, "However, I am, after all, a woman. To be by your side day and night like this, pregnancy is inevitable. Once I bear your heir, my only destination will be the inner courtyard. My life would then be spent fighting against your wife, your newly favored concubines, and those from the past... Because you once treated me differently, I would face all manner of harm, murder, poison, and malicious rumors during my pregnancy and confinement. Without any kin to rely on or anyone to support me, I would struggle immensely, and eventually, I would grow to resent the life you provided. The warmth of our past would vanish; even when we looked at one another and smiled, it would be filled with calculation and the desperate pursuit of favor..."

Hearing this, the Nobleman laughed again. "You make it sound as if it were truly happening."

Lu Ying smiled back. "There is no help for it. My Lord, you have grand ambitions and are exceptionally noble. Even serving as a mere maid by your side could bring fortune to my clan; with a single gesture, you decide the glory or ruin of hundreds. It is not a matter of whether I want to compete or not—the tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease."

She seemed tired of talking. She took two steps back, leaning lazily against a tree trunk, and smiled. "My Lord, think about it—what would be the point of such a life?"

Deciding she had said enough, she walked over to a low table, poured herself a cup of wine, took a slow sip, and looked back at him. She lifted the cup, gave it a slight shake, and added, "There are countless 'domestic chickens' in your courtyard. What is the point of taking a wild cat, clipping its spirit, cutting off its tail, and forcibly turning it into a domestic chicken? Let us simply gather when the mood strikes. If you have need of me, I am willing to serve you in your bed. When the mood passes, we can simply smile at one another. You will remain noble, and I will not be tethered to another. To simply look at each other from afar—how is that?"

She spoke with such effortless ease.

The Nobleman watched her in silence.

The young woman, tanned by the sun, had eyes that shone with an alarming brilliance. Like a wild creature of the mountains and forests, she possessed an innate wildness, a reckless disregard for the laws of heaven, a keenness that bordered on genius, and above all, independence!

She did not want to depend on anyone.

She had clear rules for her own life.

She only wanted what she desired.

She did not care about him...

As he watched her, he began to chuckle lowly.

Amidst his deep, resonant laughter, the Nobleman picked up a wine cup and, with a casual flick of his wrist, threw it to the ground.

With a sharp *crack*, the cup shattered, and the wine splashed across the earth.

Everyone shivered in unison, pressing their faces to the ground, holding their breath.

In the profound silence that followed, the Nobleman said in a low voice, "A-Ying."

"I am here."

"You still do not understand me... In my vocabulary, there is no such thing as letting go, nor is there mercy. There are only two choices: to obey or not to obey."

He walked over to her, leaned in slightly, and used his index finger to lift her chin. The Nobleman stared into her clear, elegant eyes and said gently, "A-Ying, do you think you have everything now? Your brother has a renowned teacher, and you have a restaurant. It seems as though wealth and fame are within your grasp, doesn't it?" He gave a short laugh, his warm breath hitting her face, his words dripping with a deceptive, honeyed gentleness. "A-Ying, you are still so naive. Just think—if you had never met me, if you had never gained my favor, what would you have left?"

He straightened up slowly. Standing with his hands behind his back, he looked down at Lu Ying. In the sunlight, he appeared tall, handsome, mysterious, and ruthless. He watched her with a gentle smile, yet there was not a trace of warmth in it.

Looking down at her from his height, the Nobleman said coldly, "A-Ying, I will wait for you to come and beg me... But I never give a second chance to those who defy me. When you come back, I will not give you any title!"

With that, he flicked his long sleeves and turned to leave.

As soon as he left, the people who had been prostrate on the ground scrambled up and followed him in silence.

Not a single one of them glanced at Lu Ying again.

Lu Ying smiled, turned, and walked toward the gate.

Zhi Liu hesitated for a moment before seeing her out. At the main entrance, he said with a bitter smile, "I told you, the Lord was in a good mood; you absolutely had to avoid disappointing him. You cannot afford the consequences of his disappointment."

He sighed again. "It is a pity. After such good news came from Luoyang that finally made the Lord laugh, it was all ruined by you, little girl."

Lu Ying did not answer. She simply bowed to him and quietly returned home.

Less than an hour after she entered her house, Lu Yun’s voice rang out from outside, "Sister! Sister!" His voice was urgent and hoarse.

With a creak, Lu Ying opened the door.

Seeing his sister, Lu Yun burst into tears. He choked out, "Sister, the Master doesn't want me anymore... Everything was going so well..."

As Lu Yun covered his face and wept, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. It was Aunt Yang, running over covered in sweat. She screamed at Lu Ying, "A-Ying! A-Ying! It’s terrible! The restaurant has been burned down..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a squad of government soldiers arrived at the end of the alley. The leader walked up to Lu Ying and asked coldly, "Are you the Lu woman?"

"I am."

"The Lou family, who sold you this courtyard, obtained the property through illicit means. Now the rightful owner has come forward. You must come with me to the magistrate’s office."

Before he could finish, Aunt Yang cried out from the side, "How can this be? My niece is still an unmarried maiden; how can she go to the magistrate's office?"

Lu Ying stopped Aunt Yang’s wailing and asked the leader with a bitter smile, "If I return this house, how much compensation will I receive?"

The man, clearly not expecting Lu Ying to be so calm, looked at her and said with a hint of pity, "You will receive one-tenth of the property's value, about thirty gold coins."

"That is fine. Give me the gold."

Lu Ying turned around, smiled at Aunt Yang, and said, "Auntie, come with me."

Aunt Yang followed her into the room, dazed, and asked cautiously, "A-Ying, did you offend someone you shouldn't have?"

Lu Ying smiled but did not answer. Instead, she pointed to the stacks of books in the room. "You know I have a house in Hanyang. Here is the plan: I will give you some money, and you will take these books back to Hanyang. From now on, you and Luo-zi will live in that house. For the cost of watching over the scrolls and the house, I will give you ten gold taels. Do you agree?" That house in Hanyang was one she had purchased after solving the Qiu family case, using the gratitude of the wealthy families. She had never used the Nobleman’s influence for it; it was entirely her own.

Aunt Yang had been regretting leaving Hanyang ever since they arrived here. Hearing this, she immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, I will do it." She then asked with concern, "A-Ying, where will you go?"

Lu Ying smiled faintly. "There will always be somewhere to go."

The government's actions were swift. Within three days, the house where Lu Ying had lived for only a few months belonged to someone else, and she had received her thirty gold coins.

These thirty gold coins, combined with the fifty remaining from the restaurant, along with a collection of fine garments she had recently commissioned, became the final assets for the siblings.

After loading the scrolls onto a donkey cart and giving Aunt Yang fifteen gold taels—partly for travel expenses and partly for her services—Lu Ying took the remaining sixty-five gold coins and a few bundles, and departed with Lu Yun from the place they had lived for so long.

Sitting in the hired cart, Lu Yun looked at his sister with worry, holding her hand. "Sister, did something terrible happen?"

Lu Ying looked back. The setting sun was beautiful; in the golden light, her eyes were bright, and her smile was warm and relaxed. "A-Yun, I offended that person."

"That person?" Suddenly remembering, Lu Yun’s eyes widened. He gasped, then tightened his grip on Lu Ying’s hand, saying earnestly, "Sister, don't be afraid. As long as we are together, we have nothing to fear."

Her brother.

A warmth spread through Lu Ying’s heart. She reached out and hugged Lu Yun, whispering, "A-Yun, I am not afraid. But your education has been interrupted—are you disappointed?"

"I only want my sister to be well," Lu Yun murmured. "When Father and Mother passed away, we had nothing, and we lived happily enough, didn't we?"

Lu Ying replied, "Yes, we were happy then, weren't we?" Back then, she had only twenty-odd coins to her name, not like now, when she had so much gold.

As the donkey cart sped along, Lu Yun suddenly asked, "Sister, what about that jade pendant?"

"I won that pendant back myself," Lu Ying said with a faint, calm smile. "I will keep it." But she could never use it again. Unless she was prepared to return to his side, no matter what difficulties she encountered, she could not use it.