Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 154 - 145: Did this Governor Let You Go?

Chapter 154: Chapter 145: Did this Governor Let You Go?

"Did I, the Grand Commander, give you permission to leave?"

His deep, husky voice carried a faint intoxication, and his eyes revealed a mesmerizing allure.

Meng Qianqian froze for a moment—if she didn’t leave, then where would she be sleeping tonight?

Lu Yuan stood up with a cold expression, hands clasped behind his back. "Someone, prepare water. I shall bathe."

"Yes, Grand Commander."

The maids outside answered promptly, their footsteps scurrying away.

Lu Yuan turned to Meng Qianqian. "You should go bathe as well."

"Huh?" Meng Qianqian looked at him in surprise. "Bathe... for what?"

Surely not what she was imagining?

Meng Qianqian strongly suspected he had drunk too much.

Lu Yuan frowned. "Are you not going yet? Or do you wish to share the bath with me?"

"Going, going! I’m going right away!"

Meng Qianqian hurriedly opened the wardrobe, grabbed a set of clothes, and dashed to the bathroom.

Fortunately, the bathroom was divided into two rooms on either side of the courtyard. Otherwise, even if they didn’t bathe together, merely hearing the splashing of water from the other’s tub would feel awkwardly intimate.

Men always washed more quickly than women. By the time Meng Qianqian returned to the bridal chamber with her half-dried long hair, Lu Yuan had been waiting on the wedding bed for quite some time.

To Meng Qianqian’s surprise, he was not wearing his usual regal purple robes. Instead, he was dressed in a simple, flowing long robe of plain color, exuding an elegance as pure and serene as jade, radiant with an inner aura.

Gone was the dangerous sharpness of his battlefield decisiveness; in its place was a scholarly aloofness akin to a noble youth in pastoral grace.

"Come here."

Lu Yuan beckoned to Meng Qianqian.

"Yes."

Meng Qianqian walked over step by step, all the while secretly muttering to herself—could this be another side of him she hadn’t seen before?

Lu Yuan gave Meng Qianqian a once-over, noticing how she had wrapped herself up tightly like a dumpling. With a cold tone, he said, "Disrobe."

Meng Qianqian pretended not to hear.

Lu Yuan continued, "You are wearing too much. It will make the next thing we’re about to do rather inconvenient."

Meng Qianqian stared at him, unblinking. "Grand Commander... what exactly do you intend to do?"

Lu Yuan slowly approached her, his uniquely masculine scent mixing with a faint fragrance, enclosing her and intertwining with her breathing.

Her heel hit the edge of the table, and she plopped down onto it in surprise.

He leaned over her body, hands pressing against the table on either side of her. "Doing what’s supposed to be done tonight."

...

By the time the sun was high in the sky, a hungover Lu Yuan suddenly woke up from his sleep. He opened his eyes to see the overwhelmingly crimson bridal bed and immediately sat upright in silence.

He quickly noticed Meng Qianqian slumped over a stool by the bedside, her head drooping, dark circles under her eyes as large as saucers.

Meng Qianqian had only woken up a little earlier than Lu Yuan. Seeing herself lying beside him upon waking and fearing she might be silenced for it, she had promptly jumped out of bed and settled on the chair.

Lu Yuan, with his usual aloofness, asked, "Last night, what exactly did you do to me?"

Meng Qianqian turned her face away angrily, unwilling to deal with this man who dared to play the victim. "This is my room. Perhaps the Grand Commander should ask himself what he did to me?"

Lu Yuan’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly refocused and asked with a stern tone, "What... did I do to you?"

Meng Qianqian replied, "You tormented me the entire night."

Lu Yuan’s body stiffened.

Meng Qianqian raised her right hand. "My hand is sore to death! I was holding it all night! I even thought about breaking it off multiple times!"

Lu Yuan’s entire body tensed as he instinctively lowered his head, pulling a pillow to cover himself. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Who gave you permission... to do such a thing?"

Meng Qianqian, on the verge of tears from grievance, burst out, "It’s not like I wanted to! Who told you to get drunk and insist on writing essays for me to read? Writing them yourself wasn’t enough; you had to make me write too! Who in their right mind spends a wedding night making the bride write essays?!"

Lu Yuan adopted a righteous demeanor. "Nonsense. I did no such thing."

"Look for yourself!"

Meng Qianqian dropped all formalities and angrily gestured around the room.

Sure enough, the desk, chairs, stools, and even the bridal bed were covered with his writing.

Meng Qianqian grumbled, "I didn’t realize you had such a habit when drunk."

Even his handwriting was different from usual. Normally, his calligraphy wasn’t bad, but the drunken scribbles were practically a master’s work.

She was certain—this man was hiding more secrets.

Lu Yuan stood up nonchalantly, clasping his hands behind his back, and declared icily, "To prevent you from taking advantage of me while I was drunk, I had no choice but to make you write essays to purify the mind."

Meng Qianqian muttered under her breath, "Then you could’ve just not come in the first place."

Lu Yuan: "... Shut up."

Outside the courtyard, except for Tan’er, who was still sound asleep after a whole night of playing, Nanny Li and Ban Xia had all woken up.

They had no idea what transpired in the bridal chamber last night, only that the young master had called for water three times.

Three times!

Dame Du had immediately started brewing a nourishing tonic in the early morning.

A night of such "ordeal" deserved some extra rest during the day, especially since there were no in-laws in the household waiting for the bride to serve tea.

So they waited and waited, and only at noon did the bridal chamber doors finally open.

Lu Yuan strode out briskly, but the dark circles under his eyes were worse than Meng Qianqian’s.

No one could bear to look.

"Master, you must show some restraint," they whispered internally.

Lu Yuan spoke solemnly, "Nanny Li, go to the accounting office and hand matters over to Steward Cen."

"Yes, Master."

Nanny Li had originally intended to check on Meng Qianqian, but since Lu Yuan had spoken, she had no choice but to comply. She called Nanny Wan and Dame Du to go care for Meng Qianqian instead.

Ban Xia, being a shy and unmarried maid, was too embarrassed to discuss such matters.

Nanny Hu, who had kept vigil last night, had gone to rest this morning.

The two older women eagerly entered the bridal chamber.

When they saw the mess... of papers covering nearly every surface, they froze in place.

Dame Du stammered, "My lady, you and the master spent the entire night... doing...?"

Meng Qianqian’s face turned pale. Oh no, she had been found out.

Dame Du gasped sharply. "Were you... not cold?"

Meng Qianqian: "Huh?"

Nanny Wan hurriedly bent down to tidy up. "Clean it up, clean it up! Don’t let Nanny Li see this, or she’ll start lecturing the young master and the young lady about lacking decorum again!"

"A scholar truly knows how to play!"

"Who else could manage to consummate the marriage while writing essays?!"

Meanwhile, after Lu Yuan left the main courtyard, he headed straight to the study.

Shangguan Ling leaned back lazily, smiling knowingly. "Well, Grand Commander, you’re finally awake. Will you be heading to court now? Oh wait, court is already over."

Lu Yuan’s voice was cold. "What, is the Grand Commander required to attend court on his wedding day?"

Shangguan Ling sighed dramatically. "I fear that ’the pleasures of the night are short, yet the day rises late—henceforth, His Majesty ceases morning court!’"

Lu Yuan: "Get out."

Shangguan Ling: "As you command."

Shangguan Ling darted out, leaving Lu Yuan alone in the study.

He sat quietly in his chair, Meng Qianqian’s words echoing in his mind: "Writing wasn’t enough; you had to drag me into it too!"

Lu Yuan looked down at his hands.

Did he hold her hand...?

No recollection whatsoever.

Lu Yuan felt deeply aggrieved.

Meng Qianqian, having refreshed herself, went to visit the Dowager Lady and Bao Shu.

The Dowager Lady was soundly asleep, but Bao Shu was sulking.

She had missed the bridal parade, missed showing off her beautiful new gown, and even missed a chance to sleep with Meng Qianqian.

Only red envelopes could console her.

Sitting amidst a pile of red envelopes, she counted them one by one, feeling a bit better each time.

With the air of a little adult, she heaved a deep sigh.

"Alas."

Children’s lives aren’t easy, she mused, piggy-pouting in resignation.