The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 13

Wu Zhen looked at her father’s joyful and relieved expression, and her heart softened. She couldn’t bear to continually disappoint him. After all, marriage was a small matter in the grand scheme of things, and going along with his wishes might bring him peace. However, there was one crucial question she needed answered.

Half-jokingly, Wu Zhen asked her father, “Does the eldest son of the Mei family truly want to marry me, or is he being pressured into it by you, Her Majesty the Empress, and Concubine Mei?”

Duke Yu replied firmly, “Didn’t I tell you? It was the eldest son of the Mei family who first proposed this marriage to Concubine Mei.”

“He proposed on his own initiative?” Wu Zhen was genuinely surprised. As she slipped away after dinner and made her way to the outskirts of the Mei family’s house, she couldn’t help but ponder if she had encountered Mei Zhuyu before.

 After pondering for a long while, Wu Zhen couldn’t recall anything, so she set aside her thoughts for the moment. She climbed on the wall, her back against a large tree, concealing herself, and gazed towards the window where lights flickered. Her plan was to wait until Mei Zhuyu fell asleep, then sneak in to retrieve the two undead bones.

 However, deep into the night with lights still aglow, Mei Zhuyu remained awake. The night watchman’s distant call echoed from the street as Wu Zhen leaned against the wall, feeling the ache in her feet.

She straightened up and paced along the wall for a while. Suddenly, she caught sight of something and turned her head, peering into the yard. A dark silhouette changed, transferring into the form of a pitiful girl.

The girl raised a hand to adjust her hair gracefully. Abruptly, she glanced towards Wu Zhen and offered a smile. Parting her lips, she mouthed a few silent words before proceeding to Mei Zhuyu’s door and knocking.

Wu Zhen, of course, recognized the girl as a transformed Huzhu. The silent words she had spoken were, “Let me help you.”

Late at night, a knock sounded at the door. Opening it, he saw a beautiful woman who appeared weak and pitiful. She claimed she was hiding from dangerous individuals and pleaded for shelter. An ordinary man might have hesitated, swayed by her beauty and vulnerability, but the eldest son of the Mei family remained unmoved, his face etched with a frown. Without hesitation, he summoned an elderly servant from the mansion. Together, they escorted the woman out through the gate. They flagged down patrolling guards and informed them that the woman had unlawfully entered a private residence late at night with unknown origins, urging them to detain her in accordance with the law.

The two soldiers patrolling the streets knew Mei Zhuyu well. Whenever a murder occurred in the neighborhood, Minister Mei would arrive with his team to swiftly resolve the case. Whether confronted with a gruesome corpse or an elderly woman grieving for her son, he remained consistently cold and indifferent. He efficiently closed each case without uttering a word, leaving an impression of ruthlessness upon the people.

So, despite their sympathy for the girl’s apparent vulnerability, they dared not speak against Minister Mei’s authority and obediently escorted her away.

Wu Zhen watched in shock as Huzhu was taken away by the soldiers, thinking to herself about her own efforts. Seizing the moment, she sneaked into the room and retrieved the clothes and the undead bone she had left behind during the day. However, she couldn’t find another item that she suspected was still with the eldest son of the Mei family.

 Mei Zhuyu returned unexpectedly soon. Wu Zhen was contemplating whether to leave or hide in the room and wait for an opportunity when the door suddenly swung open. Without further hesitation, she swiftly ducked under the bed.

 Confident in her ability to conceal her presence, she anticipated waiting until the young man fell asleep to retrieve the undead bone from him.

However, she hadn’t expected him to stride directly to the bed and call out coldly, “Who is hiding here!” In an instant, he reached out, seized her arm, and forcefully pulled her out from under the bed.

With one hand firmly grasped, Wu Zhen found herself lying on her back on the ground, realizing with alarm that the plan had gone awry.”

The room remained eerily silent, with neither Mei Zhuyu, the room’s owner, nor Wu Zhen, the uninvited guest suspected of theft, uttering a word.

After a brief pause, Wu Zhen made the first move. She calmly rose from the ground, offering a serene smile to the frozen Mei Zhuyu, and gently grasped the hand that held hers. Mei Zhuyu seemed startled awake, jerking his hand back abruptly and stepping away, inadvertently knocking over a nearby small screen stand in the process.

Wu Zhen was taken aback by his strong reaction and stood stunned for a moment. She wondered, Did I unintentionally reveal my true intentions just now? Is that why this seemingly aloof young man reacted so fearfully?

 Cursing Huzhu inwardly for her unreliability and failure to buy her more time, Wu Zhen maintained a composed demeanor. Brushing off the dust from her clothes, she looked up at Mei Zhuyu and spoke with a gentle smile, “I apologize if I startled you.” Her voice was deliberately slow and soft, enough to astonish any onlooker.

There was no denying it. Wu Zhen contemplated the situation. It was understandable for an average person to be frightened when someone was unexpectedly pulled out from under their bed in the dead of night. What if she had displayed a hostile attitude and scared him even more? To her, this young man, who dealt with paperwork all year and had an introverted nature, seemed too fragile. Recalling her first fiance, Mr. Fan had been so terrified that he fell seriously ill for a long time after accidentally witnessing her hunting and killing a ghost. He had nearly died from the shock.

While Wu Zhen pondered how to smooth over the situation, Mei Zhuyu composed himself and straightened the knocked-over screen beside him.

Thinking that he must be suspicious, Wu Zhen hastily clarified, “I’m Wu Zhen from Duke Yu’s Mansion. I mean no harm. If you doubt me, you can accompany me tomorrow to verify it.” She feared that Mei Zhuyu might mistake her identity and hand her over to the patrolling soldiers as he did with

Huzhu. If she were to be caught by the guards outside, news of her disappearance would inevitably reach the palace by the next day.

“I know you’re Wu Zhen,” Mei Zhuyu stated in a cold tone.

The ears of the person who just spoke reddened slightly.

Wu Zhen observed his calm demeanor contrasting with his red ears and couldn’t help but wonder if this young man might have an interest in her.

“Why did you come to visit me so late at night?” Mei Zhuyu continued in his cold tone.

Wu Zhen looked at his expression and suddenly found it amusing. She sat down on his bed and changed her tone, asking playfully, “I saw the goose at home today. Did you really shoot it yourself?”