Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 32

Jiang Wanshu shook her head, her mind failing to conjure any memory of this person.

Looking at the way the woman before her had forgotten her, Yu Lu did not take offense. “Last year, during the Lantern Festival, in front of the Jade Liquid Pool—if it weren’t for you, Princess, saving me from the hands of the Noble Consort, I would be a cold corpse by now.”

Gratitude shimmered in Yu Lu’s eyes.

Jiang Wanshu had forgotten much of her past. Last year’s Lantern Festival… in front of the Jade Liquid Pool… the Noble Consort… she had saved someone?

Suddenly, it clicked. “Are you that girl who was about to be sentenced to twenty strokes of the board by the Noble Consort?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Lu nodded frantically. “Princess, it is me.”

Jiang Wanshu watched her closely. “Then how did you come to be here?”

Yu Lu remained wary of strangers, her eyes darting toward Zhou Yan.

Sensing her hesitation, Jiang Wanshu offered comfort. “Do not worry. He has already agreed to let you stay by my side.”

The implication was clear: in front of Zhou Yan, she could speak her mind.

Yu Lu considered this. The Princess’s posture was relaxed; she didn’t look like someone being coerced. She nodded.

“I heard the rumors that the Princess died suddenly on the road to the peace marriage.” Yu Lu lowered her head. “I didn’t believe it, so I came looking for you. By chance, at the edge of the grasslands, I saw a figure on horseback that looked exactly like the Princess, so I followed it here.”

Zhou Yan leaned back, rubbing his forehead.

No wonder he hadn’t been able to get a word out of her regarding Central Plain or Grassland politics during half a month of interrogation. It turned out she hadn’t come for any of that at all.

Hearing this, Jiang Wanshu felt tears welling in her eyes.

She never imagined that a single act of kindness would inspire such loyalty—that someone would risk their life and travel so far just to find her.

“You were a servant who escaped the palace. If you were caught, it would be a capital crime,” Jiang Wanshu said, moved by her courage.

Yu Lu’s voice was firm. “I may be just a servant, but I know the meaning of ‘repaying a kindness.’ Living in fear for a time is a small price to pay for the fortune of seeing the Princess again.”

Her words were so sincere that Jiang Wanshu finally let a tear fall. In this world, few treated her with such devotion; aside from her royal parents, there was no one else.

She sniffled and reached out to grasp the dirty fabric of Yu Lu’s prison clothes. Her voice was hoarse. “Then… are you willing to stay by my side?”

Though Yu Lu could only faintly see Jiang Wanshu’s face in the dim light, her heart raced at the question. She knelt on the bed, pressing her forehead to her hands in a formal bow. “I thank the Princess for her grace!”

To stay by Jiang Wanshu’s side was all she desired.

The drama of the dungeon had reached its conclusion.

That afternoon, Zhou Yan ordered several elder women of the grasslands to help Yu Lu bathe and dress. By the time the moon was high in the sky, Jiang Wanshu met a clean, delicate young woman inside her tent.

As soon as Yu Lu entered, she knelt in a grand salute. “This servant, Yu Lu, lives only for the Princess.”

Jiang Wanshu hurried to pull her up. “The Princess of Jinyang is dead to the world. Until my identity is restored, I am not her. From now on, call me ‘Mistress.’ I apologize that I cannot give you a higher position.”

She was a woman alone. If she hadn’t used this arrangement to negotiate with Zhou Yan, he likely would have sent Yu Lu away after releasing her. Giving her a role as a personal attendant was the only way to keep her close.

The grasslanders had a habit of taking wives by force—she was a prime example, even if Zhou Yan had technically saved her life. Yu Lu had come for her; she wouldn’t let the girl suffer the same fate.

“I am not wronged. It is my honor to serve the Mistress.” Yu Lu adapted to the new title seamlessly.

Under the flickering candlelight, Jiang Wanshu tapped the wooden table. “There aren’t so many rules here. Come, sit.”

Yu Lu was apprehensive but didn’t want to ruin the mood. She slowly sat in a chair beside her.

Jiang Wanshu didn’t beat around the bush. “Yu Lu, do you remember the way you came?”

Indeed, she intended to use Yu Lu’s memory of the journey into the grasslands to help her escape—and she planned for Yu Lu to escape with her.

Yu Lu’s mouth rounded in shock. “Mistress, what are you saying?”

She had assumed the Princess and the Grassland Commander shared a deep bond, which was why he was so devoted to her. A princess “dead” on a marriage trek was a dangerous person to keep; it was a constant threat to his life.

Jiang Wanshu understood that trust must be absolute. she recounted her experiences with Zhou Yan without omission.

When she finished, Yu Lu finally understood. She nodded, lowering her gaze. “I do remember the way I came.”

In an instant, Jiang Wanshu broke into a radiant smile. She gripped Yu Lu’s fair hands tightly. “If you had to lead the way back to the Central Plains, are you confident?”

Yu Lu nodded again. “I am not skilled in much, but I never forget a path.”

In the candlelit tent, Jiang Wanshu’s eyes sparkled. “Good, good!”

Such certainty could not be faked.

Jiang Wanshu felt lucky for this turn of events. But just as Yu Lu was about to speak again, Jiang Wanshu saw a shadow moving outside the tent flap.

She raised a finger to her lips. Yu Lu went silent.

Time passed slowly until the person outside finished speaking with the guards and lifted the curtain.

A tall man entered, his aggressive, sharp features immediately striking Yu Lu. To her, he possessed an exotic, haunting beauty. She had seen him many times during her imprisonment, and each time, he seemed strangely familiar.

Yu Lu glanced at Jiang Wanshu, her eyes full of worry. Her mistress disliked this man; should she stay? If he tried something, she could at least try to help.

But Jiang Wanshu was already used to Zhou Yan spending the nights in the tent. Moreover, they had set their “ten-day agreement.” Zhou Yan was a man of his word; she wasn’t worried.

She gave Yu Lu a reassuring look and dismissed her.

Outside, the winter stars dotted the grassland sky. A cold wind blew into the tent, extinguishing several candles.

Jiang Wanshu watched them go out and thought it for the best. After the day’s exhaustion, she was tired. Ignoring Zhou Yan standing by the table, she walked toward the bed, unfastening the corners of her outer robe.

Her discarded clothes piled up on the cabinet by the bed. Her slender waist cast flickering shadows in the dim light.

Perhaps she had become too trusting of Zhou Yan. She didn’t notice him moving until a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. The scent of mint instantly enveloped her.

As they touched, the memory of the previous night’s “absurdity” rushed back to both of them.

Zhou Yan’s brow arched. He remembered his conversation with Musha before entering. Musha had laughed at him, saying he never thought he’d see the day Zhou Yan would break his own rules for a woman.

Musha had said that once a rule is broken, it will be broken again and again.

That comment had made him think of his entanglement with Jiang Wanshu the night before. He had felt a certain satisfaction then, but it was an incomplete release that left him wanting. Tonight, he wanted to try something else.

He wondered if he could make her feel the same pleasure he felt—perhaps that would break the boundaries they had set. Once you’ve tasted that kind of sweetness, it gets into your bones.

He was a young man in his prime with a legitimate “wife.” He had no intention of living like a widower when he had such a soft, fragrant woman by his side.

Sensing his sudden intent, Jiang Wanshu’s brows knit together. What was wrong with this man?

She looked down, her slender fingers prying at the large hands clamped around her waist. “Zhou Yan, let go.”

His strength was too great; she couldn’t budge him.

Zhou Yan rarely used threats to force her, opting instead for a low, coaxing tone. “Wanwan, I released that Central Plain woman for you today. Shouldn’t you be grateful?”

His sharp features dipped close, his nose brushing her forehead.

“She committed no crime; she should have been released anyway.” Her implication was that he had wasted his energy interrogating her for nothing.

His sudden “heat” made her uncomfortable, so she didn’t bother being polite. She pointed out the logic of the situation directly.

She kept her head down, her expression unhappy as she continued to struggle with his hands. She didn’t realize that Zhou Yan had developed a thick skin. Her criticism didn’t bother him; instead, he pushed further. “Wanwan, you shouldn’t be so ungrateful.”

His grip was iron. No matter how she pulled, she couldn’t break free. Her long hair brushed against his forearms as she struggled.

The scent of her skin fueled his desire. He leaned down to kiss her pink lips, but Jiang Wanshu was quick, turning her head so his kiss landed on her cheek.

Zhou Yan didn’t understand why she was being so stubborn. For any other couple, intimacy was a daily occurrence. Why was it so difficult with her?

It was his own fault for giving her that ten-day promise; it had given her a line to hold.

He pressed his lips to her small, translucent earlobe, his teeth grazing the skin lightly. The sensation immediately brought back the “incidents” of the previous night.

She tried to turn away again. Zhou Yan loosened one hand, and Jiang Wanshu tried to seize the opening to flee, but he caught her instantly. With just one hand, he held her pinned.

Then, his free hand reached up to pinch her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her skin was delicate; the pressure immediately left red marks.

Faced with this restraint, a spark of rebellion flared in her heart. She grabbed his arm with both hands, trying with all her might to pull his limb away from her waist. But her strength was no match for his.

With a sudden surge of interest, he swept her up and tossed her onto the bed.

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