Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 367: Teasing a Little

"Father, what are you thinking about so intently?" Shen Bin was entertaining guests in the front hall. Every now and then, someone would try to persuade him to have a drink, but he politely declined. From afar, he saw his father standing there with his head down, seemingly deep in thought. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the box in his hand, which was probably a congratulatory gift.

"Father, this is..." After voicing his question, Father Shen came to his senses, looked at Shen Bin in front of him, and then at the box in his hand. He smiled and said, "This is a congratulatory gift from Princess Xiangping, along with a letter."

When Shen Bin heard that it was Princess Xiangping, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he quickly pretended nothing was wrong. However, his father still noticed the gesture and asked directly, "Son, tell your father the truth, do you have a grudge against the princess? Otherwise, why would she greet you but not see you on this joyous occasion?"

Shen Bin, who had been staring blankly at the envelope, smiled faintly upon hearing his father's words and said, "Father, don't worry too much. How can a princess, a young lady, casually show her face in the street, right?" He had vivid memories of everything Princess Xiangping had done and was unconsciously wary and even defensive towards her.

Shen's father was an upright official who was willing to lead by example for the country. If he knew that Shen's father had a conflict with Princess Xiangping because of Zhao Ning'er, he would definitely be angry. That's why he said some irrelevant things that were not related to what Shen's father asked.

“That makes sense. Take these things. Don’t drink too much tonight, or you’ll neglect your bride.” Mr. Shen thought Shen Bin’s words made sense and he couldn’t find fault with them, so he handed the things to Shen Bin and went to entertain the guests.

Ji Meiqing was rummaging through drawers and cabinets in the inn, which gave Lu Yu a headache. Clothes were scattered all over the bed, but Ji Meiqing was still looking for clothes. Lu Yu couldn't help but ask, "What kind of clothes are you looking for to be satisfied?"

Ji Meiqing, who was still looking for clothes, stopped when she heard Lu Yu's words, looked up and said, "I don't know either, but today is Ning'er's big day, and I don't want to dress too casually." As she spoke, she sat on the bed, feeling a little tired, looking at the clothes she had made a mess of. She glanced at them casually but still didn't know what to wear.

"It's just her wedding, why worry so much? Besides, if you dress too nicely and steal the bride's thunder, that wouldn't be good." Lu Yu looked at Ji Meiqing, who was sitting on the bed looking worried, walked over, and put his arm around her waist, saying this.

Ji Meiqing nestled into his arms, snuggling closer, and suddenly said out of the blue, "After Ning'er's wedding, let's go back to Rongcheng." Hearing Ji Meiqing's words, Lu Yu couldn't help but sigh, but didn't say anything more, and unconsciously tightened his grip on her.

Listening to his calm heartbeat, Ji Meiqing felt a sense of peace. She had also longed for a peaceful life with her husband by her side, but she was unwilling to be poor and didn't want to live a life of worry and hardship. However, every time Lu Yu asked her in a pleading tone when she could return to Rongcheng, she didn't know how to broach the subject or what to say.

She had given Lu Yu a firm decision, but in the end she still broke her promise, leaving her at a loss every time. She didn't know how to face the consequences of breaking her promise, and she was also worried about losing Lu Yu.

"What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed. Just grab some clothes and get ready to go. It wouldn't be good if we were late and they were unhappy." Lu Yu looked down at Ji Meiqing in his arms, who was lost in thought, and moved slightly as he spoke.

Ji Meiqing snapped out of her reverie and realized she had been lost in thought. She quickly left Lu Yu's embrace and went to find some clothes. After finding them, she shooed Lu Yu to the front hall and changed into them. Dressed in light blue with a matching sachet at her waist, she looked in the mirror, satisfied with her appearance, and then opened the door.

Looking at Ji Meiqing, who was wearing light-colored clothes for the first time, Lu Yu found her quite charming. He stepped forward, put his arm around her waist, and lightly kissed her lips before releasing her. She looked so beautiful; how could he not tease her a little? Ji Meiqing, however, blushed involuntarily. Lu Yu's eyes gleamed with desire, as if he couldn't suppress it. Seeing Lu Yu like this, Ji Meiqing, fearing something might happen, immediately ran into the room and closed the door.

When Lu Yu finally realized what was happening, he was faced with a closed door. He couldn't hide the smile on his lips, and then he burst out laughing. Ji Meiqing, who was in the room, blushed even more upon hearing Lu Yu's laughter.

"Open the door, we're about to leave." After laughing for a while, Lu Yu stopped laughing, knocked on the door, and called to Ji Meiqing, urging her to come out quickly so they could go to the Shen residence together. Ji Meiqing opened the door a crack, and after a while, she opened it completely and came out. Seeing Lu Yu's expression of wanting to laugh but not daring to, she couldn't help but give him a slightly disgusted look.

"Let's go." Ji Meiqing deliberately looked at Lu Yu angrily, puffed out her cheeks, and walked ahead, ignoring Lu Yu behind her. Lu Yu stood there as if he had been given the cold shoulder. Zhao Lei, who came out from another room, had also changed his clothes. Seeing Lu Yu's bitter face, he asked, "Brother Lu, what's wrong? You don't seem very happy."

Lu Yu glanced at Zhao Lei, said nothing, and turned to walk downstairs. Zhao Lei stood there, looking utterly bewildered and aggrieved. Seeing Lu Yu go downstairs, he quickly followed.

Ji Meiqing, who had gone downstairs early, flagged down a larger carriage and quickly got in, waiting for Lu Yu and Zhao Lei to arrive late.

The two went downstairs and saw the carriage parked at the door, so they went inside. Lu Yu and Ji Meiqing sat together, while Zhao Lei sat on one side. Neither Ji Meiqing nor Lu Yu spoke, and Zhao Lei felt the atmosphere was a bit strange. Looking at the two of them, he didn't know if they had argued or if they really had nothing to say to each other, which was why they were so silent.

"To the Shen residence." Since they remained silent, but not wanting to delay the driver's business, Zhao Lei lifted the curtain and spoke to him. As soon as Zhao Lei finished speaking, the carriage began to sway. Ji Meiqing, unaccustomed to the jolting, nearly lost her balance and was thrown off.

Lu Yu, quick as a flash, pulled Ji Meiqing into his arms. Caught in his embrace, Ji Meiqing struggled restlessly, trying to break free. Lu Yu, shameless as ever, said, "Madam, are you planning to take me right here and now?" He then slowly moved his face closer to Ji Meiqing. Looking at Lu Yu, Ji Meiqing began to wonder if he was ill.

But when he uttered such flippant words, her face involuntarily flushed red. She gently lowered her hand to his chest, then buried her head in his embrace.