Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

Ruan Wan was somewhat absent-minded throughout the journey. She was thinking about her grandmother, who was already on her deathbed when she got married and was only kept alive by ginseng.

Now that I am married, I'm afraid my grandmother is no longer well.

Ruan Wan is now afraid that bad news will suddenly come from her family.

Lou Qianyuan assumed Ruan Wan was tired, so he stopped dragging her around and the two went back to rest.

Since we're already married, there's plenty of time in the future.

Looking at the empty mansion and the empty rooms.

Lou Qianyuan didn't dare to say what was in his heart, thinking that when his children and grandchildren were around him, the empty house would be full.

We can't rush things now; this outcome was unexpected. There's plenty of time; we'll take it slow.

It seems that after the wedding ceremony, life didn't change much, and Ruan Wan became even more relaxed and carefree.

After dinner, Lou Qianyuan went to his study to read, while Ruan Wan played the zither beside him, creating a harmonious scene.

Qiu Shuang took ice and put it in the bronze stove in the study to cool it down. It was September, but the weather was hotter than in the height of summer.

Ruan Wan relied on chilled plum juice to cool off in the summer heat. Lou Qianyuan didn't like sour food, so Ruan Wan asked Qiushuang to make licorice tea, which was the best way to relieve heat and reduce internal fire.

This way of getting along is the best, but when it's time to rest, a problem arises, as newlyweds can't always sleep in separate rooms.

Back in the room, Cui Mo and the others filled the bathtub with water, and Cui Lu arranged the toiletries before leaving.

After Qiu Shuang arranged Ruan Wan's clean clothes on the screen, she was about to leave when Ruan Wan tugged at her sleeve, wanting her to stay and keep her company.

But Qiu Shuang ruthlessly pulled away from Ruan Wan's hand and left without looking back.

Now only Ruan Wan and Lou Qianyuan were left in the room. Just as they were wondering how to begin, Lou Qianyuan picked up a book and smiled at Ruan Wan, saying, "Go take a bath first, don't worry."

Lou Qianyuan sat down and began reading a book with his back to the screen. Seeing this, Ruan Wan retreated behind the screen, undressing as she secretly watched Lou Qianyuan through the gap.

He was still reading with his back turned. Ruan Wan tapped her head, worried that he might write something unnecessary.

Having spent a year with him, and with him never doing anything out of line, I felt at ease and began to take a bath.

Lou Qianyuan was in great agony at this moment. He couldn't concentrate on the words of the sages in front of him. He could only hear the sound of water behind him, and his mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.

I tried to concentrate on the book in front of me, but my mind soon wandered to what was behind me, and I blushed.

At the prime of his life, how could he resist such temptation? Lou Qianyuan couldn't help but want to look back, but reason told him he couldn't, otherwise all his previous efforts would be in vain.

As he endured this torment, Lou Qianyuan felt as if his blood vessels were about to burst.

Ruan Wan quickly washed herself clean and got out of the water. If she were alone, she would stay in the water for a long time, especially in the sweltering summer.

But there was another person waiting beside her. Ruan Wan picked up the clothes on the screen. The white silk undergarment looked like modern pajamas, and it was very cool and comfortable to wear.

My hair is too long, and it's really hard to dry it by myself. When I'm in the mountains, I'll cut it shorter with scissors when it gets too long.

However, since entering the Ruan family, she cannot touch her hair. Her body and hair are given to her by her parents, and she usually lets Qiushuang take care of them.

Ruan Wan walked out from behind the screen while drying her hair. Lou Qianyuan was engrossed in reading a book. Ruan Wan called his name a few times but received no response.

Seeing how engrossed he was in reading, Ruan Wan patted him on the shoulder, startling Lou Qianyuan so much that he dropped the book.

Ruan Wan was also startled. "Um, I'm done washing. You can go take a shower now."

Lou Qianyuan didn't turn around, and hurriedly bent down to pick up the book from the ground. "Okay, okay."

Seeing his strange behavior, Ruan Wan didn't press him further. The situation was already awkward enough; what if it became even more embarrassing?

Ruan Wan walked to the door and instructed Qiu Shuang to come in and change the water.

Qiu Shuang and the others had been waiting outside for a long time. As soon as they heard the order, they immediately opened the door and came in to tidy up. Ruan Wan went straight to the dressing table.

After changing the water, Qiu Shuang and the others went out again. Lou Qianyuan went behind the screen and began to undress, which was seen by Ruan Wan in the bronze mirror.

The screen was only about 1.6 meters high, and when Ruan Wan stood there, only half of her head was visible.

Now that Lou Qianyuan's cleavage was fully exposed, Ruan Wan quickly lowered her head and fiddled with her hair.

Ruan Wan wondered to herself, what was wrong with her today? Putting aside last night, she had seen everything she needed to see during her time in the mountains, and nothing had ever been like this before.

Hearing the sound of water, knowing he had entered the water, Ruan Wan raised her head and looked at herself in the bronze mirror, her face already flushed.

Only then did I understand why Lou Qianyuan had acted that way earlier; once you start thinking about that kind of thing, it's hard to control yourself.

Her thoughts began to wander, and Ruan Wan stared blankly at the bronze mirror, forgetting what she was doing.

Time passed slowly, and suddenly the dry towel in my hand was taken away. Ruan Wan turned around and saw Lou Qianyuan, who was wiping my hair. "What are you thinking about? You'll catch a cold if you don't dry your hair properly."

"It's nothing, I just happened to think of some things."

Ruan Wan lowered her head and let Lou Qianyuan dry her hair. No man had ever done such a thing for her before, and Ruan Wan felt an itch on the back of her neck.

After everything was settled, the two prepared to rest. Lou Qianyuan pulled out a single bed from behind the main bed, saying, "I'll sleep here tonight. You can relax in bed."

It turned out he had been prepared all along, which had made Ruan Wanbai worry for a long time.

Lou Qianyuan lay down on the bamboo bed as he spoke. Ruan Wan stepped forward and grabbed him, gesturing for him to look outside. Others might not hear, but Ruan Wan could not hide it from them.

When Lou Qianyuan was drying her hair, Ruan Wan noticed someone quietly approaching, but there were no footsteps to be heard as they left.

"Uncle Li is probably here to keep watch again," Ruan Wan whispered in Lou Qianyuan's ear. "Go to bed and sleep. Put the blankets in the middle, and we'll each sleep on one side."

Then Ruan Wan deliberately raised her voice, "Husband, it's late, you should rest."

Ruan Wan blew out the candle, got into bed neatly, folded the quilt and placed it in the middle, then patted the bed board to signal him to get in.

Seeing Ruan Wan's poised and graceful demeanor, Lou Qianyuan felt it inappropriate to be overly coy, so he lowered the curtain and lay down as well.

After Lou Qianyuan lay down, Ruan Wan turned her back to him and said, "I'm going to sleep now, you should go to sleep soon too."

Although her eyes were closed, her mind was very clear. To prevent her mind from wandering, Ruan Wan sang songs in her head. She didn't know how much time had passed before she fell asleep without realizing it.

Lou Qianyuan was also turned to the side, but he was looking at Ruan Wan's back as she slowly fell asleep.

Lou Qianyuan smiled bitterly to himself. She really trusted him so much; she didn't treat him like a man at all.

Suddenly, Ruan Wan turned over, and Lou Qianyuan quickly closed his eyes. After waiting for a while, there was no movement.

Lou Qianyuan slowly opened his eyes. The person in front of him was hugging the blanket between them, and his sleeping posture was very cute and interesting.

As he gazed at Wan'er's face, Lou Qianyuan unconsciously reached out and gently stroked her cheek, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

The two people, fast asleep, seemed to be drawn to each other, slowly moving closer together until they were both hugging the blanket in the middle.

Ruan Wan buried her head in Lou Qianyuan's arms, and Lou Qianyuan kissed Ruan Wan's forehead, a scene of great warmth and tenderness.

The person waiting outside also got up and left, but it wasn't Uncle Li. Uncle Li had already left while Ruan Wan was taking a bath to avoid gossip.

The person who had been waiting in the shadows approached quietly after seeing Uncle Li leave, and only left when the lights went out. Dressed in black, he climbed over the courtyard wall and ran towards the Seventh Prince's residence.

The man in black evaded the night patrol guards and arrived at the Tangli Courtyard, knocking lightly three times on the door.

Bingqing opened the door and looked around to make sure no one was there before letting the man in black into the room.

Linglong turned her back and asked, "Zhang Yi, how's your investigation going?"

Zhang Yi replied, "Your Highness, Ruan Wan and Lou Qianyuan have indeed shared a room."

Linglong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Ruan Wan became someone else's woman, and her husband's cousin's woman, she didn't believe Changfeng would still have any feelings for her.

Xia Changfeng hadn't stayed overnight at her place for a long time, and every time he went to visit, Amu would stop him from going out.

It seems she really needs to think of a way to repair their relationship.

What does it matter if someone has someone else in their heart? As long as the person is by your side, your heart will never truly leave.

The most important thing now is to have a child; once I have a child, everything will be alright.

Linglong smiled and turned around, saying, "You may leave now, lest someone discovers you."

Fourth Brother still loved his own sister after all. After Zhu You left, he sent Zhang Yi over.

Zhang Yi responded with a "yes" and then quietly slipped out of the Seventh Prince's residence.

The next morning, Ruan Wan woke up early. Those who go to bed early naturally wake up early. It was all dark in front of her, and she thought it was still dark.

She looked up and bumped into something. She heard a muffled groan and realized that she had bumped into Lou Qianyuan's chin.

Upon seeing her and Lou Qianyuan's sleeping positions, Ruan Wan immediately let go of each other's hands and rolled to the side.

Lou Qianyuan was also woken up by the impact. Still half asleep, he saw Ruan Wan beside him and smiled, "You're awake."

Lou Qianyuan, completely oblivious to Ruan Wan's embarrassment, smiled as he sat up, stretched, and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Ruan Wan buried her head in the corner and nodded vigorously.

Lou Qianyuan got up and got out of bed to get dressed, and Ruan Wan also began to dress.

After Ruan Wan finished dressing, she intended to call Qiu Shuang, who was waiting outside the door, but Lou Qianyuan stopped her. Lou Qianyuan glanced at the bed sheet, and Ruan Wan then remembered that there was something very important she hadn't done yet.

Lou Qianyuan pulled a dagger from the cabinet and started cutting his palm. Ruan Wan quickly stopped him, snatching the dagger away. "Let me do it."

Upon hearing this, Lou Qianyuan hurriedly tried to snatch the knife back, saying, "How can this be? What if it leaves a scar?"

Ruan Wan quickly explained, "No, making an incision in your palm like that would inevitably arouse suspicion, and besides, I'm a doctor, so I'm more skilled at bloodletting."

Lou Qianyuan thought it made sense, so Ruan Wan had him expose his ankle and made a cut on it, which allowed blood to flow freely but made it easy to stop the bleeding.

Ruan Wan took out a handkerchief and stained it with blood. After it dried, she placed the handkerchief under the quilt. Ruan Wan then found some medicinal powder to stop the bleeding before letting Qiu Shuang and the others in.

Qiu Shuang helped Ruan Wan with her makeup, Lan Yu Ting Qin took her clothes to change, and Cui Mo made the bed. Ruan Wan glanced at Cui Mo and saw that he put away the handkerchief before she felt relieved.

After breakfast, Lou Qianyuan said he was going out to buy gifts for the third-day return visit to the bride's parents' home, and Ruan Wan didn't know what to buy.

Fortunately, Qiu Shuang was there to give advice, and she had already inquired about the gifts her eldest and second eldest sisters would give when they returned home.

Qiu Shuang was quick-witted; Ruan Wan had completely forgotten about it. When it came to the homecoming gift, Ruan Wan immediately thought of Zhenbaofang.

Aunt Liu and Aunt Hua would surely like those jewelry pieces, so after making up her mind, she went to the Treasure Shop with Lou Qianyuan.

Business here is still booming, with horse-drawn carriages lined up like a long dragon at the entrance.

As soon as I got off the carriage, a waiter came up to greet me, but it wasn't the same one as last time; I guess he was someone specially assigned to the Lou family.

Before even entering the room, she saw the unforgettable figure. Ruan Wan was about to pull Lou Qianyuan away when Rong Yufen came forward to greet her.

She was avoiding you, but you chased after her. Did you think Ruan Wan was really afraid of her?

Ruan Wan walked straight to the counter, completely ignoring her.