Chapter 276: Open and Honest
Seeing the maid’s dejected and pitiful appearance, Lin Tianlu chuckled and rubbed her head.
Then, looking at Hua Shuya, who had followed them, he raised an eyebrow: “Shuya, why is your face so red?”
“Ah… N-Nothing!”
Hua Shuya quickly covered her face with her sleeve, but her flustered eyes clearly betrayed her emotions.
Cheng Yishi, looking at the two of them, couldn’t help but cover her mouth with a chuckle, a playful glint in her eyes: “Shuya and I were just chatting about some private matters, husband, you shouldn’t pry. Girls always have some things they’re too shy to talk about.”
“Hearing you say that makes me a bit curious.”
Lin Tianlu smiled, but didn’t press the matter further, subtly changing the subject: “Yishi, you should rest at home, I’ll see Shuya off.”
“Mm.”
Cheng Yishi nodded slightly, exchanging a meaningful and ambiguous look with Hua Shuya.
Hua Shuya seemed rather shy, avoiding her gaze and nodding subtly: “Madam Cheng, I’ll see you at the end of the year.”
“I’m looking forward to that day.”
Cheng Yishi’s smile softened, and she said sincerely: “I hope you can make up your mind by then, Shuya.”
“…I understand.”
Seeing her soft and agreeable response, Cheng Yishi waved goodbye with satisfaction: “Have a safe journey.”
Watching Lin Tianlu and Hua Shuya walk away side by side, she couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
The maid, who had stepped forward to support her, couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Eldest Miss, what were you talking about with Miss Shuya just now?”
“With your cleverness, can’t you guess?”
“If it were before, I could have guessed. But Eldest Miss’s personality has gradually changed, I’m afraid I can’t guess accurately anymore.”
“Indeed—”
Cheng Yishi looked up at the bright sky and murmured to herself: “If it were in the past, I wouldn’t have said those things to Shuya.”
“Eh?”
The maid tilted her head and murmured: “Could it be that Eldest Miss was trying to assert her dominance as the main wife, making Miss Shuya obey you in the future?”
The sentimental look on Cheng Yishi’s face instantly vanished, and she poked the maid’s forehead: “Nonsense, when would I do such a rude thing?”
“But Eldest Miss always bickers with Madam Mao.”
The maid calmly covered her forehead, seemingly used to such “warnings.”
“Mao… My relationship with her is different.”
Cheng Yishi snorted softly, her eyes flickering: “But I truly can’t bring myself to be hostile towards Shuya. After all, if we’re talking about mutual affection, she might have been earlier than me, and it’s because of her that my husband came to settle down in Changling County.”
“In the end… I only feel gratitude towards Shuya, not a shred of competitiveness.”
Her voice softened, and she murmured, lowering her eyes: “Although Shuya doesn’t say it out loud and has always been smiling, even diligently helping us maintain order and prevent accidents, as a fellow woman, I understand her helplessness and sorrow. When we were performing the wedding ceremony, Shuya’s tearful smile… truly made me feel pity for her.”
“Eldest Miss, you mean—”
“When the New Year comes, I’ll accompany my husband to the Zhengyang Prince’s Mansion.”
Cheng Yishi said in a deep voice: “Shuya might be hesitant, but I’ll give her a good talking-to and make her decide.”
The maid was surprised: “Eldest Miss, you really don’t mind Master taking another wife?”
“As a woman, how could I not mind?”
Cheng Yishi sighed and smiled frankly: “But I have no objections to Miss Shuya. If my husband let such a wonderful woman slip away, I would feel regretful and unhappy.”
“If it were another woman…”
“I would take my axe and go after her!” Cheng Yishi snorted coldly.
This sudden change in attitude made the maid shrink her shoulders and murmur: “Shouldn’t you be blaming the fickle Master instead?”
“My husband, he… if he falls for another woman, I can’t really bring myself to blame him.”
The coldness in Cheng Yishi’s demeanor vanished completely, and she blushed slightly, turning around and walking back into the mansion somewhat shyly: “It’s my fault for not serving him well enough, for not taking good care of my husband.”
The maid blinked her eyes and chuckled inwardly.
Her Eldest Miss was truly deeply in love and couldn’t bear to be dissatisfied with her husband.
However—
“Eldest Miss’s relationship with Madam Mao has also become much more harmonious.”
The maid smiled and stepped forward to support her again: “You used to call Madam Mao a vixen, but these past two days you’ve started calling her ‘Ruoyu’, as if you were sisters~”
“W-Who’s like sisters with her?”
Cheng Yishi blushed and glared at her: “Don’t be delusional, my relationship with her isn’t that good. It’s just that we happened to marry my husband at the same time, I won’t be giving her any special treatment in the future.”
“Eh? But this morning, when I entered the room, I saw Eldest Miss and Madam Mao hugging each other intimately, your hair and legs intertwined, you looked very close.”
“Y-You girl, how dare you peek at us while we were sleeping!”
The maid giggled: “Even without peeking, when Eldest Miss was wiping herself with her buttocks sticking up, you were still holding Madam Mao’s hand tightly, half-asleep.
Madam Wu and I helped you two clean yourselves, and for hours, your postures were exactly the same, both of you sticking up your white legs, I remember it clearly~”
“You, you cheeky girl, you’re asking for a beating!”
Cheng Yishi’s face was completely red, and she swatted the maid’s buttocks.
Slap!
“Ouch! Spare me, Eldest Miss! You’re still delicate, don’t tire yourself out!”
“Still talking back, I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
…
Outside Changling County.
Pedestrians and merchants bustled about, among them many travelers returning home.
In front of the wide road, Lin Tianlu had packed his luggage and rubbed the head of his handsome horse.
“Protect Shuya along the way, understand?”
“Snort!”
The horse, named Meixia, snorted and then gently nudged his hand.
Hua Shuya looked at the horse in front of her, slightly stunned: “Master, isn’t this the horse we have at home…?”
“Your journey isn’t short, if you rode another horse, I would worry that you’d be tired.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and patted the horse’s back: “With this sentient horse, I can be more at ease.”
Hua Shuya was silent for a moment.
But she quickly smiled gently, placing her sword in the leather scabbard on the horse’s back, and quickly mounted the horse.
Her silver cloak, paired with her slender and youthful figure, looked strikingly heroic and elegant.
“Thank you for your concern, Master. I will take good care of Meixia and won’t let her go hungry or tired. I’ll return her to you when we meet again during the New Year.”
She held the reins and smiled faintly: “Master, while I’m away, remember to rest well every day and don’t get too engrossed in your books, neglecting your beautiful wives.”
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered with moisture, her smile seeming a bit distant: “And don’t always sit in the pavilion, you should get up and move around more. Even though you have extraordinary cultivation, Master, it’s still good for your health to be more active.”
“I think—”
“Alright, Shuya.”
Lin Tianlu suddenly took her hand and said seriously: “No need to say more, I understand your feelings. When we meet again at the Zhengyang Prince’s Mansion, our relationship will no longer be master and disciple, but lovers.”
“M-Master!?”
Hua Shuya, who had been trying to suppress her sadness at their parting, suddenly widened her eyes, her face flushing red, and stammered: “W-Why so suddenly…”
His words almost made her fall off the horse.
“As your master, I haven’t taught you much these past six months. Now that we’re parting ways, after much thought, these words are the greatest surprise I can give you.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled self-deprecatingly: “Although it might sound a bit unfaithful.”
“N-No, it’s not. I’m already… that Master could say this so openly—”
Hua Shuya quickly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, as if making up her mind. Blushing shyly, she suddenly leaned down from the horse and gently kissed Lin Tianlu on the lips.
Lin Tianlu was stunned.
But feeling Hua Shuya’s slightly nervous and rapid breathing, and her shy face so close to his, he quickly wrapped his arms around her slender waist, deepening the kiss passionately.
“Mm… mumble… kissing sounds…”
Sweet saliva mingled in their mouths, the girl’s soft and small tongue clumsily responding, being stirred and twisted back and forth, soft moans escaping her lips.
After the passionate kiss ended, Hua Shuya, her face completely red, pulled back, covering her lips, which were now connected by a string of silver saliva. Her usually cold and heroic eyes were now filled with joy and tenderness.
She wanted to say something, but looking at the familiar face before her, her heart trembled, and she shyly covered her face, hurriedly saying: “M-Master, please go back now, I have to leave.”
“Mm, I’ll go back.” Lin Tianlu nodded slightly but didn’t move.
Hua Shuya bit her lip repeatedly, nervously fiddling with her hair.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally managed to say, blushing: “M-Master, please remember me, this kiss… is my gift to you. In this life, only you, Master…”
But before she could finish, Lin Tianlu quickly grabbed her wrist, pulled her down slightly, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and kissed her again. “Mmm!?”
