Chapter 73

Startled, Wei Luo opened her eyes wider. She couldn’t believe that he actually did this again, especially when she was still awake. At first, he didn’t go deep into her mouth. He only sucked her bottom lip twice and lingeringly continued to lick her lips. She didn’t dare to move and could only numbly allow him to eat her tofu.

Very quickly, her mind started working. She finally remembered that they were at Yu He. Zhao Liuli and Yang Zhen would be returning at any time…

Wei Luo didn’t dare to imagine the consequences of them seeing this. She finally remembered that she had to push him away and she raised her hand. But, his embrace was firm. Even after she pushed his chest for a long time, she didn’t succeed. Instead, he bit her in response!

The bite didn’t hurt and felt more like a slight warning.

Zhao Jie’s kiss was so intense that she had no idea how to resist.

The kiss from last time could be continued as insignificant. He had stopped after getting a taste. This time, he was really trying to devour her. Taking advantage of her open mouth, he entered her mouth and entangled with her tongue. She couldn’t say any words and could only sweetly and softly whimper.

From time to time, she could hear the footsteps of other customers from outside the door. The sounds felt so close that it felt as if they were walking right next to her. The clamor from the hallway made the room feel even quieter. Wei Luo couldn’t hear anyone else’s voice. She could only hear the interweaving sound of Zhao Jie and her breathing. It was intimate and impure like sound from next door…

Her heart was like a beating drum. Her entire body was as soft and weak as cotton. She didn’t even have the strength to lift her hands.

Not much later, someone pushed open the door. The cordial voice of the waiter was heard before it spontaneously ended, “Customers, your food is here…”

The waiter stood in place and awkwardly looked at the two kissing people in the room. The tall man was holding the petite girl while unhesitatingly kissing her. Even standing at the door, he could hear them. A long time later, the waiter returned to his senses and retreated outside while smiling apologetically, “You two continue….”

Zhao Jie finally let go of Wei Luo. Her lips were bright red and slightly swollen from his biting. He lifted his hand to whistle to the waiter without turning his head, “Wait, is there another private room? We want to change to another room.”

Wei Luo’s lipstick had been entirely eaten by Zhao Jie. Her cheeks were a deep red from blushing. Her big and dark eyes were shimmering like water underneath sunlight. Her appearance was innocent and made a person want to pamper her.

The waiter hurriedly stopped his steps, turned around, and nodded while bowing, “There is. Is the customer unsatisfied with this room? Please wait. This small one will bring you to another room once the room is prepared.”

She wasn’t merely unsatisfied, but extremely unsatisfied… the sound of the people next door making love was so loud that it couldn’t be ignored. Who would still be able to eat? In addition, if it wasn’t for those people, Zhao Jie might not have kissed her… Wei Luo couldn’t resist silently criticizing.

The waiter had them wait for a little bit while he ordered someone else to tidy up another room. Not much later, the other room was prepared and he led Zhao Jie and Wei Luo over there.

Just as they exited the room, they coincidentally saw the two people from next door also leaving.

There was a man and woman. The man was walking in front. The man had a handsome and heroic face that was like white jade. He was born with a rather outstanding and romantic appearance and had the elegant image of a young master. He was neatly dressed in a light blue robe with a jade waist accessory. If she hadn’t just heard his actions, she would probably be deceived by his appearance.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The young woman behind him was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She had a delicate and attractive appearance. Although she wasn’t extremely beautiful, she had an extremely delicate temperament that attracted people. All men liked this type of woman, who was soft, agreeable, and meticulously caring. This type of personality satisfied a man’s desire for control. If they were slightly charming during love, they would be even more pleasing.

There was a slight change in Wei Luo’s expression as she remembered hearing her call out “brother-in-law”.

It really… made her feel a new level of respect for her performance.

The man seemed to be acquainted with Zhao Jie. Originally, the man’s head was lowered as he arranged the creases on his sleeves that had a pattern of golden lotus branches. When he looked up, he inadvertently saw Zhao Jie. He raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Hey, isn’t this Chang Sheng*?”

* (Note: Chang Sheng is Zhao Jie’s childhood nickname.)

——–

Acquaintance? Friend?

At Zhao Jie’s side, Wei Luo had returned to her usual spirit.

The man’s eyes shifted from Zhao Jie to her. He smiled and his tone became more intimate, “This is…”

Zhao Jie furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn’t happy with how he was looking at Wei Luo. His tone was cold when he said, “Shizi, why do you have the free time to come here?”

(Note: Shizi means heir apparent to a noble title. I’ll be using heir for the rest of the translation for simplicity.)

This person was Zhao Jue. He was the son of Zhao Jie’s second uncle, Prince Rui. Prince Rui’s wife spoiled her son and couldn’t bear to discipline him since he was a child. Prince Rui had also failed to disciple him. Now, at twenty-three, he still disregarded authority and deviated from societal morals. He was arrogant and stubborn.

Compared to Li Song, he was completely lacking in every aspect.

Zhao Jue relied on the fact that his father was Emperor Chong Zhen’s younger brother to obtain a position without responsibilities in the Ministry of Revenue. Although he had an official position, he didn’t act according to standards. Most of the officials in the Ministry of Revenue were dissatisfied with him, but due to his father’s status, they could only be secretly angry with him and didn’t dare to speak out against him. Not only that, he was a womanizer with a voracious desire for the joy between men and women. Although he had a wife and three concubines, he still messed around with the servant girls in Prince Rui’s residence.

Now, he wouldn’t even let off his wife’s younger sister. What a perverted beast.

Wei Luo silently thought.

She had just recently heard their voices through the wall, so Wei Luo was unable to directly look at them right now. However, those two were ignorant of this and refused to move from blocking their path.

The girl behind Zhao Jue was blushing. Her eyes had the radiance of springtime scenes. A glance would show that she had been recently ferociously loved. She was probably feeling embarrassed. She hurriedly went back to looking down after raising her head and looking at Wei Luo for a moment.

Zhao Jue disdainfully smiled. He leisurely fanned the jade fan in his hand. “Ah Wu was busy today and couldn’t go outside today, so she pleaded with this heir to accompany her younger sister in taking a stroll outside. Since this heir was free, I agreed to her request. This is Ah Xuan’s first time in the capital. There are many things unfamiliar to her.”

The Ah Wu he mentioned was his wife, Xiang Wu. Xiang Wu referred to Xiang Xuan as her younger sister, but they weren’t biological sisters. They were cousins that were related on the paternal side.

Zhao Jie wasn’t interested in his affairs. He had only casually asked this question. Now that he asked and was answered, he would naturally be leaving. He moved forward and said, “This being the case. I won’t bother the heir in his interest. I’ll visit Prince Rui’s residence on another day to talk.”

Finished speaking, he led Wei Luo to leave with him.

Unwilling to give up, Zhao Jue blocked his way. His gaze fell on Wei Luo’s body. “Ai, it’s so rare for us to meet. Why are you leaving so quickly? Is Chang Sheng familiar with Duke Ying’s granddaughter? How come I’ve never heard of this? Duke Ying is an obstinate old man. You dare to do something with his granddaughter…”

The more he spoke, the more indecent his words were. He even reached his hand out to try to touch Wei Luo’s shoulder.

Zhao Jie grabbed his hand that had reached halfway. His gaze was ice cold as he merciless held Zhao Jue’s wrist until his bones made a sound. “She’s accompanying Liuli. It’s not what you’re thinking of. Don’t touch her or this prince will be impolite towards you.”

Zhao Jue didn’t expect that his reaction would be so big. He endured his pain as he said, “Isn’t it only…”

Just as he said to this part, he immediately stopped speaking after seeing Zhao Jie coldly looking at him.

It was only now that Zhao Jie let go of Zhao Jue’s wrist and continued leading Wei Luo to the other private room.

Wei Luo followed behind him. When she passed by Zhao Jue, she couldn’t resist slanting her head to look at him.

The young girl’s gaze was cold. It was even colder than Zhao Jie’s. Her eyes held a cold and cryptic inquiry with a difficult to understand hostility. Without any reason, a person would become apprehensive from her gaze. Zhao Jue was frozen by this gaze and even forgot to react.

——–

Wei Luo thought as she walked. So that person was Zhao Jue.

This was the person that pushed Wei Chang Yin off a horse, broke his muscles and bones, and made her eldest cousin into a handicapped person that would never be able to stand up in this lifetime. While her eldest cousin Wei Chang Yin was sitting in a wheelchair, endured the pain caused by his leg problems every year, wouldn’t even dare to like someone, and kept pushing the girl that he liked further and further away… This person was standing here perfectly all right and having an affair with another woman. Zhao Jue was the source of tragedy between Wei Chang Yin and Liang Yu Rong.

Wei Luo had a long face and her mood was heavy.

She followed Zhao Jie into a private room and silently sat down on a rosewood stool carved with lions. She had already lost the shy expression from before.

The waiter brought up the eight meat dishes and eight vegetarian dishes. There was also a clear turtle soup simmered with fish. He also deliberately put a bowl of yuanbao wonton soup in front of her. The dishes prepared by Yu He were very good. The wonton soup by itself was memorable enough. The fresh, fragrant, and translucent soup was made with chicken broth and also had a layer of tiny shrimp sprinkled on top. The thin and tender wonton skin seemed to melt as it entered one’s mouth. The wontons were fragile and tender. If one ate the wonton with a spoonful of soup, then it was truly the most delicious food on earth.

Unfortunately, at this moment, Wei Luo wasn’t in the mood to eat wontons. She held her small face and thought of the scene she had just saw.

Xiang Wu was the daughter of the Minister of Rites, Xiang Xing Zhou. Xiang Xuan’s father was Xiang Xing Zhou’s younger brother from a concubine mother. One daughter was born from the legal wife. The other daughter was born from a concubine. With his own abilities, Xiang Xing Zhou had become an official. Xiang Xing Fan had achieved nothing. Seeing that his daughter had grown up, he wanted to send her to the capital and have Xiang Wu bring her around to various female nobility gatherings, so that she would be able to find a good marriage. This was how Xiang Xuan came to the capital.

Xiang Wu was a beauty with an elegant temperament, but she was too strong-minded. Perhaps, this was the reason that Zhao Jue wasn’t attracted her. As for Xiang Xuan… Wei Luo remembered that in the end, Xiang Wu found out about Zhao Jue and Xiang Wu’s adultery. Xiang Wu wasn’t a person that would suffer in silence. She immediately told this matter to her father, Xiang Xing Zhou, and third uncle Xing Xing Fan and had Xiang Xuan driven out of Prince Rui’s residence.

Without any other options, Xiang Xuan could only plead with Zhao Jue to accept her as a concubine. Unfortunately, by this time, Zhao Jue had already lost interest in her and was unconcerned about her problem. Unable to enter Prince Rui’s residence and without her purity, she finally figured out a method. She seduced Liang Yu when he was drunk and made him believe that he had taken her virginity. Using this method, she entered Marquis Ping Yuan’s residence as Liang Yu’s concubine.

She was a person that was never satisfied. Instead of sincerely repenting and turning over a new leaf by obediently and honestly serving Liang Yu, she set her heart on climbing up. It was also said that she and Liang Yu Rong didn’t get along. Not only that, she angered Marquis Ping Yuan’s wife so much that she became ill.

After Liang Yu Rong died, Wei Luo found out about this from Liang Yu Rong’s personal servant girl.

She wouldn’t allow this type of scheming woman to enter Marquis Ping Yuan’s residence in this lifetime and harm Liang Yu Rong’s entire family.

Wei Luo’s thoughts had flown away. She didn’t seem to notice that was another person sitting near her.

Zhao Jie personally poured a cup of tea, pushed the glazed white porcelain cup with a colorful magnolia flower pattern in front of her, gestured with his chin, and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Wei Luo came back to her senses. She slanted her head to look at him and thought about him kissing her in the private room… They were was also seen by the waiter… Her little face immediately blushed and she duplicity said, “Nothing important.”

He quietly laughed and didn’t continue asking about that question. Instead, he asked, “Ah Luo, are you clear about big brother’s feelings?”

Just as Wei Luo was about to reply, she suddenly saw a trace of pink on his lips. After she carefully looked, she realized that it was her lipstick. It must have rubbed off on him when he was kissing her… Fortunately, it wasn’t too obvious because she was wearing light pink lipstick today. However, if a person came close to Zhao Jie, they would definitely be able to see it. No wonder Zhao Jue had looked at them with a dubious expression in his eyes!

Wei Luo suddenly felt that she had lost her reputation. It was entirely Zhao Jie’s fault!

Fortunately, Zhao Liuli hadn’t returned yet to see this. If Liuli saw this, even if her mouth was as long as her body, she wouldn’t be able to explain her innocence.

She didn’t answer his question. She angrily pointed at the lipstick on his lips, “Wipe it away.”

Zhao Jie wasn’t sure what she wanted, so he asked, “What?”

She pursed her lips and explained, “My lipstick… It’s on your lips.”

Originally, she thought he would feel embarrassed. She wouldn’t have guessed that the smile in his eyes would deepen. Not only was he not worried, he calmly used his thumb to wipe, “Here?”

No, it wasn’t rubbed away at all. Wei Luo shook her head and continued pointing, “It’s a little further up.”

He wiped again, “Here?”

It was still wrong. He went in the wrong direction. Wei Luo was worried about delaying this. Liuli and Yang Zhen would be coming back soon. She could only take out her handkerchief and go forward to help him wipe away the lipstick. After she finished wiping, she carefully looked at this spot. She felt relieved after seeing that there wasn’t a trace left. She nodded and was about to go back to her seat. But, Zhao Jie suddenly held her hand and said, “Ah Luo…”

At the same time, Zhao Liuli’s voice came from outside, “Is it this room? You wouldn’t have made a mistake, right?”

After she said this, the doors were pushed open.

Wei Luo hurriedly took back her hand and looked at the doors.

The doorway and the round table carved with lions were separated by a divider screen with a painting of birds in the center. When Zhao Liuli walked past the divider screen, Wei Luo had just sat down in her seat. Zhao Liuli happily walked to her side and brought out an oiled paper packet in front of her.

“Ah Luo, look. These are candied fruit sticks that I bought with older brother Yang Zhen. I just had a bite. It’s really delicious…”

There were different types of candied fruit sticks inside the oiled paper. There were ones made entirely of hawthorn fruit and other ones made with a mix of hawthorn fruit and walnuts, cherries, or oranges. A layer of syrup had been poured over the fruit, then a thick layer of sesame had been sprinkled on top. A person would feel hungry just looking at this candy.

Wei Luo hadn’t moved yet.

On the side, Zhao Jie said, “Let’s eat lunch before eating the hawthorn candy.”

Zhao Liuli obediently agreed. She always listened to Zhao Jie’s words and didn’t dare to be disobedient towards her older brother. She immediately put away the oiled paper packet, sat down at Wei Luo’s side, and said, “I didn’t want to become too full, so I only had half a bowl of jellied tofu and kept the rest of my stomach empty to eat lunch.

As for the remaining half of the bowl… she had naturally given it to Yang Zhen.

Yang Zhen was a bodyguard and normally couldn’t eat with them. At this time, he was properly standing at the side.

Because Zhao Jie was present, Zhao Liuli didn’t ask him to come over to eat together with them. But, occasionally, she would glance and smile at him when Zhao Jie wasn’t paying attention.

Yang Zhen was also look at her. Although he didn’t smile, the soft light in his eyes couldn’t be concealed.

The four people were pondering and harboring thoughts in their minds during this meal.

——–

After lunch, Zhao Liuli had to go back to the palace.

Yu He was located in the Western Main Street and was very close to Duke Ying’s residence. But, after they sat down in the carriage, Zhao Jie ordered the driver to go back to the palace first before sending Wei Luo back to Duke Ying’s residence.

This meant that on the way from the palace to Duke Ying’s residence she would be alone with Zhao Jie inside the carriage. She asked, “My home isn’t far from here. It’s only two streets way… It won’t take long to get there. Could you send me back first?”

Zhao Jie was sitting across from here. He raised his eyes to look at her, “There’s a time limit to how long Liuli can leave the palace. She’ll be late if we’re delayed.”

Oh… fine. She was speechless at the moment.

The carriage soon arrived at the palace entrance. Before she left, Zhao Liuli smilingly whispered into her ear, “Ah Luo, your lipstick is gone.”

Wei Luo froze for a moment. Stunned, she said, “You…”

These two siblings were both brilliant. Although Zhao Liuli usually behaved foolishly, she understood everything clearly. She knew that the relationship between Wei Luo and Zhao Jie was unusual. She could audaciously guess this because Zhao Jie never refrained from saying anything taboo in front of her. Now, her guess had become reality. It was very possible that before too long, her friend that was like a sister would become her sister-in-law.

In this way, Wei Luo would be even closer with her.

The more she thought, the more she felt good about this. Her movement when she left the carriage was very relaxed.

——–

However, inside the carriage, Wei Luo wasn’t feeling happy.

Her mind kept thinking. How did Liuli know? When did she know? Did Her Majesty also know? The more she thought, the more her thoughts whirled around in confusion and distress.

——–

The carriage slowly went towards Duke Ying’s residence.

Inside the carriage, Wei Luo looked down without saying anything. Zhao Jie also didn’t open his mouth. The carriage had a silence that was difficult to endure. A long time later, she finally figured out what she wanted to say after deliberating. She slowly raised her lips and said, “What happened recently… I’ll treat it as if nothing happened. Big brother was confused and made a mistake.”

She had thought about this a lot, but she had never thought about accepting Zhao Jie.

This had been too sudden. At the moment, she felt confused and wasn’t clear what she should be thinking. She only knew that she wanted more time to think.

As Zhao Jie listened to her, he silently looked at her.

The young girl’s eyes were bright. This time she didn’t avoid looking at him. She confidently looked at him while waiting for his reply.

Unfortunately… a long time later, he lightly said, “Ah Luo, this prince kissed you. You can’t pretend that nothing happened.”

Her little face froze.

He paused, then he gently continued, “This prince likes you. You can’t act as if I don’t like you.”