Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

Ruan Wan hurriedly helped Lou Qianyuan up; his body was burning hot, like a red-hot coal.

Sun Shishi ran to the door and blocked it, saying, "This isn't your average aphrodisiac; only intercourse with a virgin can neutralize it."

Sun Shishi smiled and looked at Qiu Shuang beside her, "Are you going to send your maid to bed to detoxify her?"

Ruan Wan kicked Sun Shishi, sending her flying. Sun Shishi rolled several times before landing next to the unconscious Arui.

Ruan Wan gave her a cold look. "You don't need to worry about that. We'll settle the score with you after the poison is cured."

Lou Qianyuan was already somewhat delirious, so Ruan Wan and Qiu Shuang hurriedly helped him run back.

They attracted a lot of attention along the way. Cui Mo and Cui Lu wanted to go forward but didn't dare. Aunt Hua came to greet them.

Having been through many things, Aunt Hua immediately saw what was wrong with Lou Qianyuan and asked with a frown, "Was it the girl in that courtyard who did this?"

Ruan Wan didn't have time to explain to Aunt Hua, and said, "Aunt, please keep an eye on that courtyard for me, and don't let any word get out."

Ruan Wan and Qiu Shuang hurriedly carried Lou Qianyuan into the room and settled him on the bed.

Lou Qianyuan writhed uncomfortably on the bed, his face growing increasingly red, his hands gripping the sheets tightly.

Ruan Wan really had no experience in antidotes for aphrodisiacs, and she didn't know how to proceed. If what Sun Shishi said was true, and that only virgins could cure this poison, Ruan Wan would be even more helpless.

At this moment, Qiu Shuang stepped forward and said, "Miss, now is the opportunity! A golden chance!"

Ruan Wan stared at her with wide eyes. "You want me to cure him of the poison!"

"Miss, you were planning to marry the young master anyway, and it would be a good opportunity to save him. Anyway, I swear I'll never go along with it."

Ruan Wan looked at Lou Qianyuan on the bed, and her heart began to pound.

"Miss, you'd better hurry! Judging from the young master's condition, he might not be able to be saved."

After Qiu Shuang finished speaking, she walked out and closed the door behind her.

Cui Mo and the others watched from a distance. When they saw Qiu Shuang come out, Cui Mo stepped forward and asked, "Miss, what's wrong with the young master?"

Qiu Shuang coughed and said, "It's nothing, Young Master is just tired and taking a nap. Everyone, please leave."

Inside the room, Ruan Wan stood still, pacing back and forth quickly. The situation had come so suddenly that she was completely at a loss.

Lou Qianyuan's eyes rolled back, and he let out a muffled groan as his breathing weakened.

Ruan Wan steeled her heart, walked to the bedside, and stroked Lou Qianyuan's face with both hands. "Qianyuan, are you still conscious? Can you hear what I'm saying?"

As if sensing the coolness of Ruan Wan's palm, Lou Qianyuan truly woke up and opened his eyes to look at Ruan Wan.

Under the influence of the drug, Lou Qianyuan looked at Ruan Wan and could hardly suppress his inner desires. He could only rely on the love in his heart to suppress the impulse brought about by his desires.

Lou Qianyuan said through gritted teeth, "Wan'er, you don't need to sacrifice yourself to save me."

He was still holding on with all his might, his forehead veins were bulging, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, but his eyes were still full of tenderness.

At this moment, Ruan Wan confirmed her feelings. She lowered her head and gently kissed Lou Qianyuan.

In that instant, all of Lou Qianyuan's resolve crumbled, and all his suppressed love and desire broke through his reason.

As if the drug had found an outlet, Lou Qianyuan rolled over, pinning Ruan Wan beneath him, and began tearing at his clothes haphazardly.

Lou Qianyuan's large, well-defined hands roamed over Ruan Wan's graceful body, while his lips marked ownership on every inch of her skin.

Ruan Wan transformed from a girl into a woman, experiencing initial bitterness and pain, but gradually appreciating the beauty of desire.

The bed curtains swayed violently, and Lou Qianyuan's heavy breathing mingled with Ruan Wan's soft, delicate moans.

After several rounds of lovemaking, the effects of the drug on Lou Qianyuan's body gradually wore off, and he finally regained consciousness.

Looking at the torn clothes scattered on the floor and the mess on the bed, Ruan Wan sat on the corner of the bed with her hair disheveled, bruises on her slender shoulders.

Lou Qianyuan, filled with remorse, pounded his head and knelt before Ruan Wan. "Wan'er, you can kill me or torture me, I will never resist."

Ruan Wan was just shy. She lowered her head and whispered, "What would I do with your life? I don't want to be a widow."

Lou Qianyuan didn't hear clearly, "What?"

Now that they had been completely open and honest with each other, and had even shared physical intimacy, Ruan Wan no longer hesitated. She looked up at Lou Qianyuan and said, "That day you asked me if I had fallen for you. Now I have the answer."

Lou Qianyuan was taken aback at first, but then he immediately realized, "Wan'er, you're not asleep!"

Looking into Lou Qianyuan's eyes, Ruan Wan said, word by word, "I... I've fallen for you, Lou Qianyuan."

Lou Qianyuan stared wide-eyed at Ruan Wan, then slowly raised his right hand and slapped himself hard across the face, a maniacal laugh spreading across his face.

Lou Qianyuan rushed over and hugged Ruan Wan tightly. "Really, Wan'er, are you telling the truth?"

"Do you want it to be fake?"

Lou Qianyuan shook his head vigorously, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Ruan Wan. "Wan'er, do you know how long I've been waiting for this day?"

Lou Qianyuan stared directly at her, expressing his feelings so frankly, and Ruan Wan lowered her head shyly.

Unexpectedly, Lou Qianyuan suddenly ripped off the blanket covering Ruan Wan. Ruan Wan cried out in surprise, and Lou Qianyuan pulled her into the blanket.

Although they were already a real couple, the sight of them embracing each other naked still sent a shiver down Ruan Wan's spine, and she began to tremble.

"What do you want to do?"

Lou Qianyuan looked at Ruan Wan pleadingly, "I need you to cure me of the poison."

Ruan Wan tried to push him away, but he held her tightly. "Hasn't your poison been cured?"

"I've been poisoned by you, and Lou Qianyuan has been poisoned by Ruan Wan, so you have to cure me of this poison for the rest of my life."

Lou Qianyuan's kiss landed again, but unlike the previous roughness, this time Lou Qianyuan was exceptionally gentle.

It's like the wind blowing through the clouds, leaving behind a pool of spring water.

As the sun was about to set, the door finally opened, and Lou Qianyuan walked out with a beaming smile, instructing Qiu Shuang, who was guarding outside, "Quickly prepare bathwater for your young lady."

Qiu Shuang ran inside with a smile, while Ruan Wan huddled under the covers and refused to come out. Qiu Shuang looked at the mess on the bed and couldn't stop laughing.

"Miss, the young master instructed me to prepare bathwater for you. You must be exhausted; you need a good bath to relax."

If Ruan Wan weren't covered in love marks, she would have wanted to come out and tear her mouth apart right now.

Lou Qianyuan headed straight for the West Garden; the wedding was tomorrow, and this matter had to be resolved.

Otherwise, Lou Qianyuan really didn't want to see her.

Two servants were guarding the entrance to the West Garden. Lou Qianyuan told them to leave, and he could hear Aunt Hua's voice even before he got close.

"Even if you succeed today, so what? If you truly love your son-in-law, you shouldn't have done this. On the eve of your cousin's wedding, you two had an affair. Will your son-in-law give you a title or not? If he gives you a title, how will he have the face to stand in the capital in the future? If he doesn't give you a title, then all your efforts will be in vain."

Lou Qianyuan grew increasingly angry as he listened. Even the concubines in the Ruan family understood this principle, yet she only thought of herself.

If the two of them really crossed the line, how would they face Qin You, and how would he face Ruan Wan?

However, Lou Qianyuan suppressed his anger and went inside.

Aunt Hua immediately greeted him with a smile, "Young Master, Miss Hua wanted to commit suicide, so I had no choice but to tie her up."

"Auntie, please excuse my rudeness. I have something I'd like to say to her."

Aunt Hua tactfully withdrew, but did not go far, to prevent any further accidents from happening.

Sun Shishi looked at Lou Qianyuan standing there unharmed and said with a smile, "Did Ruan Wan use her maid to detoxify you, or was it Cui Mo, or Cui Lu?"

Lou Qianyuan said coldly, "Our sibling relationship is over today. I will go to the Qin residence to annul the engagement later. A vicious person like you would only bring disaster if you married him. I will announce to the public that you died suddenly, and a carriage will take you to a Buddhist temple later."

After Lou Qianyuan finished speaking, he turned to leave, but stopped at the door and looked back at Sun Shishi. "If you really want to die, I won't stop you."

After Lou Qianyuan left, Sun Shishi suddenly started laughing wildly, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face, as if she had gone mad.

Although he had prepared himself mentally, Lou Qianyuan still felt somewhat ashamed when he stood at the entrance of the Qin residence.

How could he possibly bring this up with Qin You? The wedding was tomorrow, and the invitations had already been sent out.

Qin You lost his wife when he was young, and now his second bride has died suddenly before even entering the family. It is likely that the rumors in the capital will start to spread that Qin You is a jinx to his wives.

He will likely have difficulty finding a wife in the future.

However, given Sun Shishi's character, she was never truly willing to marry him. If she did marry him, she would likely cause chaos in the household.

Having made up his mind, Lou Qianyuan dismounted and knocked on the door.

These past few days have seen frequent visits, and the guards at the Qin residence were already familiar with Lou Qianyuan. They greeted the bride's brother-in-law with smiles and welcomed him inside.

Qin You found Lou Qianyuan's sudden visit quite strange. They were getting married tomorrow, so why was he visiting so suddenly tonight?

Inside the study, Qin You smiled and invited Lou Qianyuan to sit down. "Young Master, is there something you wish to ask of me?"

Qin You thought Lou Qianyuan was the bride's brother-in-law and had something to say to her.

Lou Qianyuan went straight to the point, wanting to know the matter as soon as possible: "Brother Qin, I'm truly sorry, but tomorrow's wedding has to be canceled. I've already notified my relatives and friends, and you'll need to hurry as well."

Although Lou Qianyuan is the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, his sudden decision to annul the engagement—why not earlier or later, but precisely because the wedding is tomorrow—is a blatant slap in the face to Qin You in front of the entire capital.

Qin You's face immediately darkened, his back teeth clenched so tightly they made a clanging sound. "Is Young Master Lou deliberately humiliating my Qin family? Although I hold a low official position and have no power in the capital, I, Qin You, will never accept such an insult."

Lou Qianyuan hurriedly explained, "Brother Qin, the Lou family did not intend to break off the engagement."

Qin You snorted coldly, "What else could it be but a broken engagement? If you don't give me an explanation today, I'll take this to the Emperor tomorrow."

Lou Qianyuan gritted his teeth and said with a sorrowful expression, "The person is already dead, how can we get married?"

Qin You stood there stunned. "How could this be? Everything was fine just a few months ago. You must be lying to me."

"What good would it do to lie to you? A dead person is a dead person. Do you expect me to tell you someone is dead today, and then Sun Shishi will be alive and kicking in the capital tomorrow?"

Qin You still refused to believe it. Although he didn't particularly like Sun Shishi and only married her to get closer to the Lou family, she was still going to be his wife.

Lou Qianyuan comforted Qin You, saying, "You should also hurry and get things started. Have the people in the manor quickly inform our relatives and friends. I also need to go back to handle the funeral arrangements."

Lou Qianyuan fled the Qin residence as if he were escaping, while Sun Shishi and her two maids had already been taken to a Buddhist temple outside the city.

To make this a reality, they need to go back and hold a fake wedding.

When the news of Sun Shishi's 'death' reached the Seventh Prince's residence, Rong Yufen was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

After the messenger left, Rong Yufen looked at Linglong with a horrified expression. "Did Ruan Wan kill her?"

Linglong was also very confused. No matter what, Sun Shishi was Lou Qianyuan's cousin, and she would never kill him.

Could it be because of the arson? But they didn't succeed, and Ruan Wan is still alive and well.