The servant clearly intended to decline, which posed a dilemma for Wu Luoluo. It wasn't that she couldn't wait until tomorrow. She and the young master could rough it in the carriage for a night.
However, who knew if the minions of Prefect Nie would track them down along the way?
Moreover, the young master was exhausted after the fierce battle. Staying at the Ouyang Mansion was far safer than camping outdoors.
After a brief thought, Wu Luoluo bowed to the servant and said, "If not, I can also request an audience with the eldest son of the old lady! Please kindly announce me." She didn't know the title of the eldest son, so she had to address the servant rather impolitely.
The eldest son? The servant choked for a moment, frowned unhappily, and said, "The master of the house is not someone you can see whenever you want! I think the young lady should come back tomorrow morning!" With that, he reached out to close the door.
Wu Luoluo quickly stuck her foot in the door and said earnestly, "I've just encountered trouble and only want to seek lodging for a night. Please find someone who can make decisions to meet me!"
Seeking lodging wasn't a difficult matter. But all the masters were asleep at the moment, and the woman outside was somewhat impolite. The servant didn't want to disturb the masters because of her, so he replied coldly, "It's getting late, and the masters are all asleep. The young lady should go back. It's not appropriate to disturb the guards in the mansion." It meant that if she didn't leave, he would call the guards to drive her away.
At this point, saying more would only seem unreasonable. Wu Luoluo had to silently withdraw her foot. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly heard a man's voice from inside the house asking, "Uncle Xue, who's outside?"
The servant reported truthfully, "Young master, it's the female doctor who saved the old ancestor yesterday."
"Miss Luoluo?" A familiar face popped out from inside the door and exclaimed joyfully, "It's really you! Come in quickly!"
Wu Luoluo recognized that this was one of the worthy descendants she had met yesterday. She quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings to Young Master Ouyang."
The young man bowed with his hands clasped and said, "Miss Luoluo, there's no need for such formalities. My name is Ouyang Yuqing, and I'm the third in the family. It's cold outside. Miss Luoluo, come in quickly and have a cup of hot tea!" With that, he led Wu Luoluo into the house and told the servant, Uncle Xue, to drive her carriage into the yard.
Through the crack of the carriage door, Shangguan Yun saw that Ouyang Yuqing, the third young master of the Ouyang family, had starry eyebrows and sword-like eyes and was extremely attentive to Wu Luoluo. His handsome face instantly turned as black as could be.
Ouyang Yuqing led Wu Luoluo to warm herself by the fire and asked someone to inform the elders.
Uncle Xue drove the carriage into the yard. He was secretly surprised. What on earth was in a young lady's carriage to make it so heavy? Even seven or eight horses had some difficulty pulling it.
But he couldn't check the items in the carriage. Uncle Xue honestly led the fine horses away to drink water and feed them.
The head of the Ouyang family, who had heard the news, came to receive Wu Luoluo. Wu Luoluo quickly stepped forward, bowed, and explained her intention, saying that she wanted to seek lodging for a few days.
The head of the Ouyang family nodded in agreement and said happily, "If the old ancestor wakes up and sees Miss Luoluo tomorrow morning, she'll surely be happy for a while! Miss Wu, just consider this your home and stay here at ease!" With that, he repeatedly called the butler to arrange a guest room for Wu Luoluo.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ouyang Yuqing and the butler led Wu Luoluo to the guest room and waved to order two maids to serve her closely.
Wu Luoluo wasn't used to such treatment. She repeatedly waved her hands and said it wasn't necessary. If there were maids serving her, it would be inconvenient for Young Master Yun to sneak into the room to keep warm! He was so afraid of the cold that he surely couldn't keep warm sleeping alone in the copper pot.
Before Wu Luoluo fully understood the details of the Ouyang family, she couldn't rashly bring the young master out to meet people. What if the Ouyang family had some connection with Prefect Nie? Wouldn't that be like a lamb walking into the tiger's den?
Ouyang Yuqing didn't say much. He dismissed the maids and told Wu Luoluo to ask the grannies in the yard if she needed anything.
The cleaning grannies came to bring hot water and clean clothes for a change. They also lit charcoal in the guest room to keep it warm and then bowed and retreated.
After Wu Luoluo finished washing and just turned off the lights and got into bed, a shadow silently stood beside her bed. A cold hand reached into the quilt and repeatedly stroked her slender waist.
Wu Luoluo slapped away Shangguan Yun's impatient big hand and scolded, "Don't act recklessly in someone else's house."
Shangguan Yun: …
Shangguan Yun pulled Wu Luoluo's hand and said aggrievedly, "Not even a kiss, a hug, or a touch?" He thought to himself that he might as well have stayed outside if this was the case!
Wu Luoluo ignored him. She reached out to untie his clothes, took off his shoes and socks, and stuffed him into the quilt. Then she obediently went to the foot of the bed, hugged his feet, and nestled there to fall asleep. She was really tired and scared today and extremely sleepy.
Before, at Wu's Pharmacy, she also slept while hugging Shangguan Yun's feet, and he didn't find anything amiss. But now, after what had happened between them, with her soft chest pressing against him, Shangguan Yun almost instantly had a strong reaction. He couldn't suppress the raging fire burning inside him no matter what.
But the girl was so exhausted that he couldn't and didn't have the heart to trouble her. Shangguan Yun listened to Wu Luoluo's soft snoring and gently stroked her smooth calf. His mind was full of the charming and enthusiastic way she had taken the initiative in the kitchen of the inn last night. He held himself back until he was half dead and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
At the Dongfeng Inn, someone reported to Prefect Nie that a large, dirty bloodstain had been found on the official road to the west. After following the trail, they discovered that there were nearly twenty corpses lying haphazardly in the bamboo forest. They were all Prefect Nie's guards, and one of them was even one of the prefect's confidants.
Upon hearing this, Prefect Nie's face turned extremely ugly. He was furious and said, "I've been in office for many years, and the people in my city have always been law-abiding. How could such a murder case happen today?" This was exactly the same method as the handsome man who had massacred the Dongfeng Inn last night!
A servant stepped forward and reported, "My lord Nie, a man named Wang Jiu claims to have witnessed the murder case in the west of the city and requests an audience!"
Prefect Nie immediately said, "Quickly bring him in!" When Wang Jiu nervously came in, knelt down, and kowtowed, Prefect Nie was surprised and asked, "It's you?"
Wang Jiu kowtowed like a pounding garlic and wailed, "My lord Nie! You must avenge Hei San!" Hei San was his thin and dark drinking buddy who had died miserably at the hands of Shangguan Yun.
Prefect Nie's eyelids twitched. He anxiously asked, "What exactly happened? Why did Hei San die miserably in the west of the city?"
Wang Jiu told the whole story of Hei San leading people to arrest the wanted criminal. Upon hearing this, Prefect Nie was so angry that his rage shot to the sky. Someone dared to lay such a heavy hand on his guards. It was simply unforgivable!
Wang Jiu stammered and sobbed, "My lord! I'm sure the man wearing the smiling mask is the same man who caused a ruckus at the Dongfeng Inn last night! The killing method is exactly the same! It must be him!"