CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 62: MYSTERY

That night, Zhu Yu had many dreams, and upon waking in the morning, she still felt somewhat disoriented, nearly unable to remember what day it was or where she was.

Sitting up and trying to recall the dreams from the previous night, she only remembered them as chaotic and exhausting, yet couldn’t recall what exactly was in them.

She guessed it was due to overthinking before bed, and she rubbed her temples.

The night before, Lu Qing had extinguished the light, but Zhu Yu didn’t know how long it took for her to fall asleep, only that she had tossed and turned for quite a while.

Before going to bed, Lu Qing suddenly adopted a frivolous demeanor when speaking to her, which startled Zhu Yu at first. However, she quickly realized that perhaps she had "spoken too freely," touching on things that Lu Qing was not yet ready to discuss with her.

Those were about his family members who had passed away many years ago.

Zhu Yu was certain that the family who had assisted Duke Yan in supporting the current Holy Emperor, earning great merit, were Lu Qing’s grandfather and relatives.

By calculating the time, Lu Qing should have been just a baby back then. How did it come to be that, out of such a large family, only he survived by sheer luck? Zhu Yu could not guess the answer.

She just couldn’t understand that if Lu Qing’s relatives all died for Emperor Jin, and Emperor Jin took in the only surviving baby from that family as an adopted son, it should have been out of gratitude for Lu Qing’s ancestors’ great sacrifice for him, right?

Yet... she always felt that Emperor Jin was not as favorable towards Lu Qing as the rumors outside suggested.

Or rather, all the favor depended on what kind of value Lu Qing could bring to him.

Unlike Duke Yan, who held immeasurable achievements, Lu Qing, whose family paid a heavier price, appeared to be nothing more than a tool to Emperor Jin.

Could there be another explanation for the deaths of Lu Qing’s family?

Indeed, one shouldn’t ponder too complex matters before bed. Zhu Yu felt that the chaotic, unresolved dreams she had that night were all caused by those thoughts before sleeping.

She originally thought a night’s sleep would relieve her exhaustion, but to her surprise, when she woke up in the morning, she felt even more achy and spent the whole day listlessly. After meals, she’d bask in the sun outside, soaking up the warmth, then doze off under the sunlight.

In a haze, she vaguely heard Mrs. Zhao and another maid gossiping from afar, saying that the Prince had left with his wife for quite a few days, and upon returning, the wife was still so drowsy during the day. Could it be that there’s good news so soon?

Zhu Yu’s well-rested sleepiness vanished in an instant.

To avoid being secretly scrutinized by the housemaids every day about her belly in the coming days, Zhu Yu stretched and got up from the lounge chair. She practiced Tai Chi in the garden for a while, then, worried that the gentle movements might not be convincing enough, she moved on to practice Baduanjin.

After completing the final form "Hundred Diseases Vanish with Seven Bounces," Zhu Yu broke into a sweat, thinking that the rumors would surely be dispelled now. Looking in the direction where Mrs. Zhao had been, she found that those maids had long gone elsewhere to busy themselves.

By the Haitang Gate of the small garden, Lu Qing had returned at some point, standing there silently watching Zhu Yu’s antics, and it was unclear how long he had been watching.

"I was worried the lady would feel bored staying in the mansion, but seeing you so lively now, I can be at ease," Lu Qing spoke as Zhu Yu noticed him, strolling over and taking a handkerchief from his pocket to hand to her, gesturing for her to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

Taking the handkerchief to wipe her sweat, Zhu Yu detected his mockery and quickly nodded: "Of course, there’s no need for the Prince to worry. I’ve always aspired to manage the household, enjoying this quiet little world, and it’s incredibly pleasant and carefree."

"Truly grateful to the Prince for fulfilling this!"

"Very well." Lu Qing didn’t argue with her, "I have some business in the evening, so I won’t be dining in the mansion. If you have any desires for dinner, just ask Mrs. Zhao to tell the cook. If you’re tired at night, just rest early, no need to wait for me."

That evening, Lu Qing indeed did not return for dinner. Zhu Yu, not caring much about food and drink, just had the cook prepare a few simple home dishes.

At night, Zhu Yu searched through Lu Qing’s study and found an interesting supernatural storytelling book, huddled in the bedroom with it. When she grew sleepy, she went to bed on her own, and around midnight she vaguely heard Lu Qing returning, the scent of alcohol and makeup cloud lingering around him.

This person, truly is inscrutable... The noise woke Zhu Yu up, and as she turned over, she thought dazedly about whether he was the cautious and hardworking man outside the Capital or the one indulging in the pleasures of the Capital.

The next morning, when Zhu Yu rose, as usual, Lu Qing had already left, only to return late in the night again.

Thus, day after day, it went on, nearly half a month passed.

Except for the first two days to recover from fatigue, Zhu Yu found staying at home much more comfortable than being outside. For the following ten days or so, she lived idly, bored, spending most of her time lying in the garden, gazing at the square patch of sky framed by corridors and eaves above.

If it rained, there was no sky to watch, only sitting beneath the corridor watching rain drip from the eaves.

After more than half a month, Lu Qing, who was usually seldom home, suddenly stayed home for a day, inexplicably without going out from morning till night, and Zhu Yu couldn’t comprehend why, wherever she went, she seemed to find him around.

"Does the Prince not have anything to attend to today?" she asked, unable to bear it after seeing him around her for the umpteenth time.

"In work and rest, one must find balance. Busy when work calls, rest when there is time." Lu Qing chuckled as he replied, then glanced at Zhu Yu, "You have strolled through this little garden five or six times today, is it a problem with digesting the kitchen’s cooking or simply out of boredom?"

Zhu Yu’s cheek twitched. He was intentionally leaving her in the Prince Mansion, wanting her to admit to not wishing to stay long in the domestic sphere so she would follow him everywhere to investigate cases later!

Despite feeling bored... she disliked admitting defeat more than boredom.

So Zhu Yu put on a satisfied smile, "How could that be! These days, flipping through books and chasing butterflies at home, I’m so comfortable and happy, no room for boredom!"

Lu Qing looked around; there were only some not quite dense leaves and blades of grass, perhaps a rockery or stone pavilion: "I didn’t know there were butterflies here to chase."

Zhu Yu remained unfazed: "Maybe I’m too skilled and inadvertently chased them all away."

Lu Qing heard this and seemed willing to let it slide, nodding, "That’s good then, it puts my heart at ease as well."