Chapter 219 The City is Full of Tricks
Su Qing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of worry on her face.
The concubine, however, bumped Su Qing with her shoulder, pushing her aside, and quickly grabbed Liu Wenxuan's arm, asking in a sweet, simpering voice,
"Master, what's wrong? Why is it so noisy outside?"
Liu Wenxuan impatiently shook her off.
"Swear Not to Return ran away!"
Upon hearing this, the concubine immediately shot a sarcastic glance at Su Qing beside her.
Her tone was rather unkind, showing no respect for the main wife.
"Sister, did you hear? This is a big deal.
Just don't get involved; stay in your room. No wonder Master hasn't been to your room in so long; you can't even lay an egg. If I were him, I wouldn't want to go either.
Sometimes, one just has to accept old age."
Her words were both sharp and venomous.
She usually spoke to Su Qing this way; although Su Qing was the main wife, the concubine didn't put her in her eyes at all.
Who told her she was a hen that couldn't lay eggs?
Su Qing trembled with anger, her nails almost digging into her flesh.
But in the end, she forced herself to swallow the insult.
Ever since this vixen entered the household, Liu Wenxuan's soul seemed to have been ensnared, and she, the main wife, had long become a mere decoration.
She had argued and made a fuss, but she knew it was useless.
It would only make Liu Wenxuan dislike her even more.
She lowered her gaze, let out a humph, and silently turned back to her room.
Returning to her cold room, Su Qing's heart was filled with desolation.
She numbly took off her outer garments and slipped into the icy bed.
It was another night of sleeping alone.
However, as soon as she lay down, her hand touched something hot and firm.
Hmm?!
What was it?
How could there be a... man in her bed?!
And a muscular man with his upper body bare!
Su Qing was so scared her soul almost flew out, and she opened her mouth to scream.
But the next second, a large hand swiftly covered her mouth.
At the same time, a cold blade, with a whoosh, was placed against her fair neck.
"Don't make a sound."
A deep, magnetic male voice sounded in her ear.
Su Qing was so rigid with fear that she could only nod slightly.
Using the faint light filtering in from the window, she clearly saw the man in front of her.
He was bare-chested, with well-defined muscles.
There were also several fresh-looking scratches on his body, making him appear both disheveled and wild, which made her involuntarily look a few more times.
In her panic, her hand had accidentally touched his chest muscles, which were harder than stone.
As soon as she thought of that firm touch, Su Qing's face instantly flushed, and her heart pounded like a drum.
Seeing that she was being compliant, Shen Yulou finally released his hand from her mouth and put away the knife.
"I have no intention of harming anyone; I merely wish to take temporary refuge here. Please, Madam, grant me this convenience."
Hearing his voice, Su Qing instantly reacted, her beautiful eyes widening.
"You... you are Swear Not to Return?"
She lowered her voice, her tone filled with shock and disbelief.
"You're too bold! This is the Magistrate's Manor! I am the Magistrate's wife! How dare you run to my bed?!"
"I had no choice; forgive my offense," Shen Yulou said indifferently.
He lifted a corner of the quilt and slipped in himself.
He turned on his side, holding the knife against Su Qing's neck, and pricked up his ears, vigilantly listening to the sounds outside.
"Don't move! Someone's coming!"
Footsteps and shouts rose and fell outside the window, and neither of them dared to breathe loudly under the covers.
In the confined space, the atmosphere became unusually ambiguous.
Su Qing could clearly smell the unique masculine scent emanating from the man beside her, which made her breathing quicken.
What was even more alarming was... she felt something beside her leg, experiencing an unusual change.
Su Qing was an experienced woman; she, of course, knew what was happening.
Su Qing's face instantly turned so red it looked like it was about to drip blood.
She bit her lip, both embarrassed and angry, and asked in a mosquito-like voice,
"Are you... are you running for your life, or are you thinking some wild thoughts?"
However, Shen Yulou's expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of embarrassment.
He easily handled such a minor situation.
"I have a beautiful woman, charming and soft, exhaling like orchids, lying beside me.
Any normal man would react.
Madam is so exceptionally charming, I naturally cannot be an exception, but this doesn't mean anything."
Shen Yulou looked straight ahead, his voice serious and full of gentlemanly demeanor.
"Madam, rest assured, I, Swear Not to Return, have always only robbed wealth, not beauty."
His words were firm and resolute.
Su Qing was originally filled with shame and indignation, but seeing that although he had reacted, his eyes were clear, and there was no hint of disrespect in his words, the shame and indignation in her heart inexplicably diminished significantly.
Not only was she not angry, but she even developed a hint of curiosity and fondness for him.
This man was open and honest; this was a true hero.
He was completely different from other men with dirty minds.
She was silent for a moment, then softly said,
"The outside is a net from heaven and earth; you can't escape. Why don't you... hide here with me for now?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yulou raised an eyebrow, turned his head, and looked at her with a half-smile.
"Madam wants me to hide here; could it be some conspiracy or trick? Do you plan to wait until I fall asleep and then call people to arrest me?"
"How could that be!"
Su Qing felt a little guilty under his gaze and quickly explained.
"I... I'm just afraid that if you go out now and are discovered leaving my room, it will implicate me! Don't misunderstand!"
Su Qing's eyes darted around, and she was clearly a little anxious when speaking.
"Oh..."
Shen Yulou drew out the sound and nodded.
"In that case, it would be disrespectful not to comply."
He moved further into the bed, finding a comfortable position to lie down.
"Then, I'll hide here for the night; thank you, Madam."
After speaking, Shen Yulou seemed to be drained of strength, clutching his chest, his brows tightly furrowed, and let out a suppressed groan.
At this moment, his acting was explosive, comparable to an Oscar winner.
Seeing his pained expression, Su Qing's heart immediately clenched, and she quickly asked,
"What's wrong? Are you badly hurt?"
"It's nothing."
Shen Yulou forced himself to wave his hand, a smile more unsightly than a cry on his face.
"When I escaped just now, I accidentally got cut a few times by weapons; they are all superficial wounds, nothing serious."
He said it was nothing serious, but his pale face and the fine cold sweat seeping from his forehead made it look anything but fine.
In terms of acting, Shen Yulou was very professional, especially when playing a sick person.
He used to rely on feigning illness to gain the sympathy of these women, allowing these women, who had nowhere to vent their emotions, to find a sense of existence in him.
Su Qing, of course, didn't believe him when he said he was fine, and she hurriedly took out an exquisite small medicine box from a secret compartment under her dressing table.
"Don't move; I have excellent trauma medicine here. I'll apply it for you."