Chapter Forty-Five: Bite Her

By April, the weather had grown completely warm, and Madam Lu the Elder chose a clear, sunny day to head up the mountain to pay homage to the Buddha.

Madam Zhao arranged everything and accompanied Madam Lu the Elder on the trip, while Jiang You'an followed by Madam Lu the Elder's side to serve as usual.

Upon entering the mountain gates, Jiang You'an supported Madam Lu the Elder as they walked into the temple. After paying their respects in the main hall, they were scheduled to attend scripture chanting in the afternoon, so the abbot first arranged for them to rest in the guest quarters at the back.

After partaking in a vegetarian lunch at noon, Madam Lu the Elder wished to take a short nap. With nothing to do, Jiang You'an strolled into the wooded mountains behind the temple.

The scenery in the mountain forest was magnificent and refreshing, but it was far too vast. After wandering for just a short while, Jiang You'an and Qiulan lost their sense of direction.

As the two of them were feeling bewildered, they suddenly caught a fleeting glimpse of Madam Zhao's figure flashing past a bamboo grove not far away.

Jiang You'an said, "That might lead out of here. Let's go."

Leading Qiulan, Jiang You'an quietly pursued the direction where Madam Zhao had disappeared. However, the path grew increasingly bizarre; instead of heading out of the forest, Madam Zhao was venturing deeper into a more secluded and hidden area.

Qiulan asked with a puzzled expression, "Where on earth is the Eldest Madam going?"

Jiang You'an felt a rising sense of strangeness in her heart, yet, driven by irrepressible curiosity, she continued to follow.

They watched as Madam Zhao arrived at a small wooden cabin, looked around cautiously at the doorway, and gently knocked on the door.

Hiding in a concealed spot, Jiang You'an and Qiulan watched in silence. When the door opened, a figure emerged. Although his face was unclear, his physique and attire revealed that it was a man.

The man reached out to Madam Zhao, grasped her wrist, and pulled her inside the cabin.

The door clicked shut.

Outside the door, Jiang You'an and Qiulan were stunned by the scene, exchanging blank stares.

Qiulan's jaw practically dropped to the ground as she stammered in disbelief, "This, this, this... Is the Eldest Madam having a clandestine rendezvous with an outsider?"

Jiang You'an quickly pulled Qiulan away, whispering as they walked, "Need you ask? Judging by her sneaky behavior, she undoubtedly has some unspeakable relationship with that man."

She had never expected to accidentally stumble upon Madam Zhao's adulterous tryst today and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Qiulan, however, grew rather excited. "The Eldest Madam has been a widow for many years, so she must be suffering from loneliness. Since we know the two of them are here, why don't we go and fetch the Old Madam to catch them in the act? That will serve her right for always targeting you before. This will utterly ruin her!"

After thinking it over carefully, Jiang You'an shook her head and replied, "No, Madam Zhao is not someone easily manipulated. When the time comes, she will surely find countless ways to excuse herself, and we might not be able to corner her. More importantly, there's no need to do this. I am going to be married and leave the Lu family very soon; at a time like this, avoiding trouble is better than courting it."

Thinking it over, Qiulan agreed that her reasoning made sense, though she still asked curiously, "Who on earth is the man she's having an affair with, though?"

"Never mind who she is illicitly involved with. Today's events must never leak out. We'll just hold onto this piece of leverage against Madam Zhao for now."

Jiang You'an returned to the guest quarters just as Madam Lu the Elder was waking up. She went over to help the old lady dress. Just as they were about to head to the scripture hall in the front, she saw Madam Zhao approaching.

Madam Zhao's expression was as calm as ever, maintaining her usual haughty demeanor, though Jiang You'an noticed that the front of her blouse was somewhat wrinkled.

Pretending to have seen nothing, Jiang You'an kept her composure.

Spending the entire afternoon chanting sutras and offering prayers at the temple, the group did not return to the Lu residence until after nightfall.

As it happened, Lu Xuanheng had also returned and went to pay his respects to Madam Lu the Elder.

After the grandmother and grandson conversed for a while, Lu Xuanheng took his leave first. Upon stepping out of the main room, he did not depart immediately, casting his gaze toward the western side-chamber.

Seeing no one around, he strode along the covered veranda, pushed open the door to the western side-chamber directly as he passed, and with a swift turn, slammed the door shut behind him with a sharp thud.

Jiang You'an was in the middle of changing her clothes. Hearing the commotion and mistaking the intruder for Qiulan, she called out, "Qiulan, isn't that light pink sheer blouse of mine dried and hanging out in the outer room? Help me bring it over."

Lu Xuanheng remained silent. He picked up the sheer blouse, stepped around the folding screen, and saw Jiang You'an standing with her back to him. She had already removed her undergarment, wearing only a snug bodice. Her delicate, slender neck, shoulders, and back were fully exposed, her skin as smooth and lustrous as white mutton-fat jade.

He slowly walked closer, drawing nearer and nearer to Jiang You_an. Unable to control himself, he raised a hand, wanting to touch her. Suddenly, Jiang You'an spun around.

"Ah—" Jiang You'an let out a low gasp, hastily covering her exposed chest with her hands.

"How did you get in here?"

Lu Xuanheng replied with unperturbed calm, "I walked in."

"What are you doing?"

Lu Xuanheng casually waved the sheer blouse draped over his arm. "I brought you your clothes."

A mix of embarrassment and anger washed over Jiang You'an as she reached out to grab the garment. Lu Xuanheng shifted his arm away, intentionally withholding it, while using his other arm to pull her directly into his embrace.

Jiang You'an stared at him with vigilant eyes. "This is the Hall of Longevity and Blessing! The Old Madam is right next door!"

"Look at how tense you are. I wasn't planning on doing anything."

"You suddenly barge into someone else's room, and you expect me to believe you're up to something good?"

Lu Xuanheng let out a tongue-clicking sound. "If you're going to wrong me with such misunderstandings, I won't bother telling you the news about the Earl of Zhongyuan."

Jiang You'an's expression shifted slightly. Swallowing her pride and swallowing the bitter pill, she asked him, "What news?"

"My men discovered that the Earl of Zhongyuan sneaks out every half-month under the cover of night, heading to Xingshan in the southern part of the city. However, he acts with extreme secrecy, so it is temporarily unknown what business he has in Xingshan. Barring any accidents, he will be going again tomorrow. When the time comes, I'll take you there to investigate."

Hearing this, a spark of excitement leapt in Jiang You'an's heart. It seemed Lu Xuanheng was still of some use after all.

"Alright," she nodded. "Give me my clothes back first."

Lu Xuanheng raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying an ambiguous undertone. "I've told you such useful news, aren't you going to thank me?"

Sensing that he was about to act unreasonably again, Jiang You'an gave him a reproachful, glaring look. "Then what do you want?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Lu Xuanheng's lips as his eyes slowly drifted downward, landing on her chest, his gaze gradually growing scorching hot.

Hooking his arm around Jiang You'an's shoulders and back, he leaned down.

Jiang You'an's eyes widened. Pressing her hands against his back, she shrunk her body inward.

"Lu Xuanheng, are you a dog?"

Lu Xuanheng remained mutely silent, raising his eyes to gaze at her, his dark eyes brimming with teasing intent.

Jiang You'an pressed her lips tightly together, her body trembling slightly in spite of herself. Just when she thought he was going to stop, he applied heavier pressure.

"Hiss—"

Half of Jiang You'an's body went limp, sending a wave of numbness tingling across her scalp.

Releasing her, Lu Xuanheng steadied her weakened frame and hooked his lips in a look of smug satisfaction.

Jiang You'an looked down. Her delicate, tender skin bore a ring of tooth marks left by his ravages, shining a vivid red that was simply too wretched to behold.

Consumed by fury, she swung her hand and slapped Lu Xuanheng across the face.

However, the meager force of her blow was utterly negligible to Lu Xuanheng; he didn't even bother to dodge, taking the hit straight on.

With a sideways tilt of his head and a low chuckle, he picked up the sheer blouse and draped it over her shoulders. "Tomorrow at the Hour of *Xu*, wait for me at Wangxian Bridge."