Chapter 145: Caring or Not Caring

It was still early in the spring, and the night air carried a biting chill. By the time Lu Ying reached the second floor, everyone had already moved back into their cabins.

The spacious main cabin ahead, capable of holding a hundred people, occupied nearly half of the second floor. It was brightly lit, filled with laughter and cheerful chatter. As Lu Ying drew closer, she was greeted by an intoxicating blend of rich wine, savory meats, and heavy rouge that made her head spin slightly.

She walked forward at a leisurely pace.

On the outer deck, a scattering of guests could be seen. When they caught sight of Lu Ying leisurely approaching in a crimson robe, they could not help but turn their gazes toward her.

In female attire, Lu Ying was merely a beauty of superior grace. Yet when dressed as a man, she possessed an unmatched elegance, nobility, and an air of unrestrained romantic charm. Consequently, regardless of their sexual preferences, anyone who saw her would invariably spare her a portion of their attention.

Indeed, those who could board the Qi-scented Pavilion's fleet were universally wealthy and immensely prosperous individuals of their time. People of such stature often indulged in various amusements and tended to appreciate striking individuals of both sexes.

Lu Ying naturally paid no heed to their gazes. Inside the luxuriously and extravagantly decorated cabin, the singing and dancing had reached its peak. Lu Ying gently pushed open the cabin door.

The moment she stepped inside, the guests who had been drinking and making merry fell into a brief silence. Amidst this quiet, a potbellied, middle-aged wealthy merchant sighed to a middle-class man who was clearly one of the hosts, "So what if you claim this Qi-scented Pavilion is peerless under heaven?" He pointed directly at Lu Ying and declared, "Only if you had the ability to net such a graceful, jade-boned young gentleman would you truly live up to your legendary reputation."

His words clearly mistook Lu Ying for a male courtesan.

Lu Ying glanced at the man, the corners of her lips curling upward into a faint, shallow smile.

Dressed in her crimson robe, she was already strikingly handsome. This smile instantly caused quite a few people to lose their wits.

Amidst the increasingly lingering gazes of the crowd, Lu Ying gracefully walked toward the ill-mannered, middle-aged merchant.

Arriving at his couch, Lu Ying leaned forward slightly. This movement revealed the delicate collarbones hidden beneath her robes, causing the merchant to swallow hard several times.

Meeting his infatuated gaze, Lu Ying raised an eyebrow. She gracefully extended a hand and picked up a flagon of freshly warmed fine wine resting on the couch.

Seeing her pick up the wine vessel, the lecherous merchant babbled repeatedly, "Does the young gentleman fancy this wine? By all means, help yourself, please..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Ying raised the flagon directly above his head and tilted it downward!

The warm wine poured out in a steady stream, drenching the middle-aged merchant's head and face in the blink of an eye.

The surroundings fell instantly silent.

Amidst this quiet, Lu Ying leisurely poured the entire contents of the flagon over the merchant's head. Then, she strolled leisurely to the side and picked up a candle.

Holding the candle, she returned to the merchant's side. Leaning in close, she exhaled gently toward him and spoke in a tone that was both elegant and bone-chilling: "Sir, since you've had a thorough bath in wine, would you care for a touch of fire to go with it?"

The room erupted into chaos.

The guests snapped back to their senses simultaneously. The middle-aged merchant leaped to his feet, pointed a trembling finger at Lu Ying's face, and barked fiercely, "How dare you!" Seeing the candle in Lu Ying's hand and fearing she might recklessly toss it onto him, he stumbled backward a few paces and shrieked, "Guards! Someone come quickly!"

Amidst his frantic shrieks, several guards swarmed forward. At the same time, the master of the ship hastily stood up, calling out, "Hold on!" Turning to Lu Ying, he pleaded, "This young gentleman..."

Amidst the deafening uproar, Lu Ying did not spare these people even a glance. With a轻嗤 of disdain, she spat onto the floor and scoffed, "Cowardly as mice!"

Casually tossing the candle aside, she gracefully smoothed the wide sleeves of her robe. Ignoring the merchant entirely, she walked with exquisite steps toward the distinguished nobleman. Looking down at him to appraise him, Lu Ying suddenly leaned in. Seizing the nobleman's lapel, she drew close and sniffed him. Satisfied, she nodded, smiled under the watchful eyes of the crowd, and said, "Not bad, no trace of anyone else's scent."

As soon as these words left her lips, the nobleman, who had been keeping his eyes half-closed, snapped them wide open.

In the flickering candlelight, his eyes flashed like lightning. After fixing a cold, lingering stare on Lu Ying, he reached out an arm and pulled her straight into his embrace.

Meanwhile, the master of the ship finally regained his composure. With a loud, hearty laugh, he announced, "Ha-ha, a mere misunderstanding, a mere misunderstanding! Everyone, please continue, do go on." The music and dancing resumed, and the sounds of laughter and revelry filled the air once more.

Pulled forcefully into the nobleman's iron grip, Lu Ying had no choice but to press against his chest.

At that moment, she heard his deep, magnetic voice murmur with a cold chuckle, "You certainly have the audacity to defy the heavens!"

Unable to break free, Lu Ying simply resigned herself to burying her face against his chest. After rubbing gently against him, she managed to reach out, pick up a small cup of wine for herself, and take a tiny sip. With a carefree, shallow smile, she murmured, "Isn't this precisely what my lord wanted?"

The nobleman sneered, "And dragging me into the center of everyone's attention the moment you arrived—was that what I wanted, too?"

Lu Ying emitted a soft "hm," pressed the wine cup against his lips, and flashed a sidelong glance tinged with mockery, "Didn't my lord specifically instruct Zhi Liu during the day to tell me that I could act as willfully as I pleased, with you to shield me from the consequences? Since we can act arbitrarily here in Wuhan, why not do so right here?"

The nobleman finally lowered his head.

He gazed fixedly at Lu Ying for a long moment before letting out a soft, helpless sigh. Pressing his cheek against hers, he murmured, "Lu clan member, how can you be so astonishingly clever?"

Why did every single thing she did—whether arrogant or willful—always strike the exact chord in his heart?

How could she be so certain that he truly needed to indulge her, tolerate her, yield to her, and let her run wild and domineering?

At that moment, the nobleman felt certain that for the rest of his life, he would never find another soul who understood his heart as deeply as Lu Ying did.

With a soft sigh, he lowered his head and drank the remaining wine in the cup straight from Lu Ying's hand.

While the two of them leaned against each other in intimacy, several figures in a nearby corner were whispering among themselves. "Have you figured out this person's identity?" "Information from Luoyang is heavily guarded; no confirmed news has arrived yet." At that moment, a gloomy voice chimed in, "No need to investigate further. The higher-ups won't let anyone find out easily. From where I stand, this person is undoubtedly Fourth Young Master Deng of Nanyang. They say that Fourth Young Master Deng is handsome in appearance, steady in temperament, and possesses an exceptionally dignified bearing. He is famously fond of male beauty rather than female, and has traveled and lived alongside an aristocratic scion for years... This person matches every single description. It must be him."

Hearing this, the others let out a collective sigh of relief. One of them said happily, "People of the Nanyang Deng clan? Then there's no need to be overly guarded against him." Another nodded in agreement, adding, "Didn't they say the northern Guo clan also sent people? Make sure they keep a close eye on him; we must not let him fall into the Guo clan's hands."

Several low voices murmured in unison, "Understood."

After finishing the wine from Lu Ying's hand, the nobleman appeared somewhat relaxed. Sensing the relaxed ease in the way he held her, Lu Ying thought to herself: It seems his objective in summoning me here has already been accomplished.

With that realization, she no longer felt the need to put on a deliberate performance. Struggling slightly, she complained, "My lord, your grip is too tight."

As soon as her words fell, the nobleman's deep, magnetic voice drifted down lazily from above: "Call me Jiang Lang."

He added a warning note, "Do not make me say it a third time!"

Seeing that Lu Ying remained silent, his tone softened, carrying a hint of enticement, "Be a good girl, call me Jiang Lang and let me hear it."

Since she had already allowed him to embrace and kiss her, Lu Ying had no intention of arguing with him over this. Biting her lower lip, she softly whispered, "Jiang Lang."

"Mhm." He gently kissed the crown of her head as a reward.

Struggling slightly once more, Lu Ying whispered in a tiny voice, "In front of everyone, how should I address you?"

A chuckle laced Jiang Lang's deep voice. "Jiang Lang will do, but Qing Lang is even better."

Qing Lang? The address was far too intimate. Thick-skinned though she was, Lu Ying felt a blush creep across her cheeks.

After a brief moment of mutual tenderness, Lu Ying grew thoroughly uncomfortable and began to squirm again.

Sensing that the music in the cabin was growing increasingly sultry, and knowing that Lu Ying was unaccustomed to such an atmosphere, Jiang Lang finally released her.

Lu Ying stood up.

As she rose, many gazes turned back toward her. When Lu Ying turned around and met the middle-aged merchant's eyes, she suddenly raised the index and middle fingers of her right hand, curled them slightly, and mimicked a stabbing motion toward his eyes. As the merchant's face drained of color, Lu Ying let out a cold laugh before sauntering gracefully out of the room.

Watching her depart, Zhi Liu, who sat not far away, leaned closer to Jiang Lang and murmured in a low voice, "If anyone says this Lu Wen isn't an aristocratic scion, I doubt a single soul would believe it... Tsk tsk, that flamboyance, that overbearing arrogance, that noble elegance, that sheer nonchalance—it's simply peerless." He couldn't help sighing, "Given Lu's background, I honestly have no idea where she acquired such unbridled confidence and ease."

Jiang Lang gently swirled the wine vessel in his hand without offering a reply.

Upon descending to the first floor, Lu Ying heard murmurs coming from the Yuan family's cabin as she passed by, prompting her to walk over.

Just as she drew near, she heard Young Master Yang saying, "Yuan Niang, it seems you've changed."

Lady Yuan's voice remained soft and thin as she replied, "Is my husband feeling unwell? Shall I go call Ah Yue?"

Young Master Yang did not answer immediately. After a short pause, he suddenly said, "Wu Niang, you've truly changed... In the past, whenever I felt the slightest discomfort, you would stay up the entire night guarding me. Even when maids and servants were present, you always kept vigil beside my couch. Yet from yesterday until now, you've only appeared before me twice, and both times you hurried in and out. You know full well I'm unwell, yet you no longer pay me any mind."

His voice carried a sense of helplessness and desolate sorrow. "Yuan Niang, I only have you now..."

After a long silence, Lady Yuan spoke. Her voice was still soft and thin, yet beneath that gentleness lay an unruffled, tranquil detachment and indifference. In her delicate tones, she said, "My husband forgets; you've never liked me drawing near. The last time you caught a cold and woke up to find me there, you even smashed the Xian table. And the other time, when you were drunk and pushed me into the pond, you told me that you would only ever love Lady Zheng in this lifetime, and begged me not to make a spectacle of myself before you. You also said you only married me out of sheer helplessness, and that I'd better know my place and retreat when appropriate."

Speaking quietly, as if merely stating the facts, Lady Yuan's soft voice carried an air of absolute estrangement. "My husband used to always say that I didn't know my place, that I made a fool of myself, and that I clung to you relentlessly... Now I've finally figured it out. That Young Master Yang who once carried me on his back to see a doctor and held me while searching for my parents is long gone. The present Young Master Yang has nothing to do with me anymore. Truly, Young Master Yang, I've figured it out, and I will never cling to you again."

Her tone was utterly detached. Anyone hearing it could instantly tell that she held not a shred of affection left for Young Master Yang, nor a single ounce of lingering resentment. She had stepped completely outside of it all, treating him as a total stranger. (To be continued)