His thick hand clasped her delicate fist, completely enveloping it. His warm breath fanned across Caiyu's neck.
The man's voice beside her ear grew deep, mellow, and magnetic as he lowered it. Carrying a hint of warmth, his slow tone was incredibly alluring, much like a cozy chat by the stove on a winter night.
Caiyu's ear tips blushed subtly. She responded with a soft sound and then focused her attention on the writing brush.
Before the Lan family's downfall, Caiyu had once envisioned her life with her future husband.
It would be just like this, on a desolate autumn night. She would practice sword - fighting while he played the zither; she would practice calligraphy while he embraced her from behind...
"Frost blossoms cover the trees on the city wall; the moon should add charm to the bridge on the Huai River." Song Yinghuai held her hand and, stroke by stroke, word by word, wrote his name on the rice paper.
Caiyu was in a daze for a long while before she finally asked, "Is this the origin of your name, my lord?"
Song Yinghuai saw her blushing ear tips from behind and was in a rather good mood. "Correct. From now on, you must always remember my name. It's here—"
He let go of her hand and then pointed a finger at her heart, leaving it there for a long time.
Caiyu could hear the pounding of her own heart.
Song Yinghuai asked gently, "What about your name?"
Caiyu came back to her senses as if waking from a dream. "Ah? My name?"
This was her nickname. Apart from her family, no one else knew it.
She paused for a moment and then lowered her head. "Picking pearls and pulling at bryony; washing jade and playing with lotus flowers."
A frost seemed to gradually form in Song Yinghuai's eyes. "What a wonderful poem! Such a little - known poem was actually used by your father to name you. It seems your father was not only a horse - riding escort but also quite a literary man!"
Caiyu was suddenly startled, and the amorous atmosphere in the night was swept away.
A gust of late - night autumn wind blew into the hall from outside.
In front of the desk, Caiyu slowly clenched her hands. Her heart felt as if it had suddenly fallen into an ice cellar. The coldness welling up from her chest crept through her bones and blood, spreading to every part of her body.
She never expected that such a trivial matter would reveal a flaw to Song Yinghuai.
Yes, her "father" was just a rough - and - tumble horse - riding escort. How could such a vulgar man use a poem to name his daughter?
Even her real father, Marquis Yongchang, only loved war and not poetry.
It was just that there were many advisors under her father. There were both literati and martial artists in his mansion. They were the ones who named the newly - born daughter of their master. There were plenty of people vying to offer names.
Thinking of this, Caiyu felt that her warm back, which should have been enclosed by his chest, instantly turned as cold as a marble slab.
It seemed that if she leaned back any further, she would be smashed to pieces.
Song Yinghuai's breath fanned across her ear, and his deep voice rose at the end. "Why don't you say anything anymore, huh?"
Before tonight, he had always thought that the information investigated by Han Fen was accurate. This girl might really be the daughter of a Yangzhou escort.
Even though he had tried to probe several times, he had found no flaws.
However, at this moment, he realized that Caiyu's identity might have deeper implications...
Caiyu secretly took a deep breath to steady her nerves. When she spoke, she sounded nonchalant:
"My father is a vulgar man, just a common peddler. How could he understand such things? It was just that when my mother was about to give birth, my father was away on an escort mission. He saved a scholar on his way to take the imperial examination who had been robbed by outlaws. The scholar stayed at the escort agency for a few days. Grateful for my parents' kindness, he gave me a nice name before he left."
"What did you mean by asking me that just now, my lord?" Caiyu took the initiative and got angry first. "Do you think I would abandon my good family background and deliberately take on the identity of a fugitive daughter of a convict to enter your mansion?"
The Yangzhou Lan - surname escort and the others in the escort agency were all exiled to Ningguta. His daughter should also be on the list of the exiled.
But Caiyu had changed her identity and entered the Prince Yan's Mansion. In fact, she had already committed the great crime of escaping from prison. Although she knew that with Song Yinghuai's power, he could afford to offend the Grand Tutor.
But she still couldn't figure out why Song Yinghuai would take the risk of offending the Grand Tutor for her. After all, he already knew her purpose, and there was no need for him to oppose the Grand Tutor for a fugitive convict like her.
But Caiyu knew that since she hadn't been exposed until now, it meant that Song Yinghuai had already agreed and decided to protect her.
So she didn't mind making things clearer.
To win someone's heart, one had to make the other person feel that they had bared their weakness.
Trust was the key to winning someone's heart.
Song Yinghuai let go of her hand but still maintained the embracing posture. He silently lowered his eyes and watched her throw a tantrum.
What she said was reasonable. Although it was a bit of a coincidence, it was quite common in the martial world to save someone.
Maybe he was just being overly suspicious.
Just as she said, even if she had entered the mansion to seduce him, she could have fabricated a clean family background, which would have been more covert.
Caiyu sensed that his breathing was gradually relaxing. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to get angry. She threw the purple - haired writing brush back onto the desk with a "snap":
"I don't want to write anymore!"
She had been writing for most of the night. She had a wound on her back and had been kneeling for a long time. She was already exhausted and still had to stay alert and deal with him.
If she was not careful, he might detect another flaw, and then it would be too late.
Song Yinghuai, surprisingly, didn't insist. He actually loosened his arms and stood up. "If you don't want to write, then don't. Go and rest."
Letting her off so easily made Caiyu feel a bit horrified. When she stood up and looked at Song Yinghuai, her eyes were full of suspicion:
"Really not writing anymore? My lord, didn't you say you wanted me to copy it a hundred times..."
Could it be that he had a new trick to punish her?
When Song Yinghuai met her suspicious gaze, he secretly scoffed at this girl for judging him with a petty mind.
Maybe it was because he had practiced Buddhism for a long time that his compassionate heart was easily stirred. Also, because Caiyu's background was similar to that of the Miss Lan, the daughter of Marquis Yongchang in his memory, he had tolerated her little temper several times.
But now she was even suspicious of his compassion.
"If you still have doubts, then continue copying." Song Yinghuai said.
Hearing that she might still have to continue copying, Caiyu didn't dare to be stubborn. She quickly complied:
"Then I won't copy anymore."
She turned around and walked towards the couch.
Song Yinghuai called her back coldly. "Where are you going?"
Caiyu replied blankly, "My lord, you told me to go and rest."
"Go back to your back - facing room to rest." Song Yinghuai didn't say much. His words were brief, overbearing, and tough.
Caiyu looked up at the night sky, which was as black as the gaping mouth of a wild beast.
She had finally got another chance to get close to Song Yinghuai. How could she be sent back so easily?
She pursed her lips and slowly turned around, walking towards the outside of the side hall...
When she passed by Song Yinghuai, suddenly, she swayed, supported her forehead, and pretended to be weak as she fell towards him. "My lord, I feel so dizzy..."
Her clumsy acting made a sneer appear on Song Yinghuai's lips. He dodged slightly.
He wanted to see how this girl would get out of this situation!
Unexpectedly, before the sneer on his lips could fade, Caiyu had anticipated his dodge. Following his movement, she fell straight to the ground with a loud thud!
She was really desperate to stay.
She actually knocked her forehead on the ground. Stars danced in her eyes, and she almost fainted.
Lying on the ground, Caiyu felt a half - real, half - fake pain and let out a groan.
Song Yinghuai: ...
Surprise flashed in his eyes.
Wasn't it an act?
Did she really lose her balance?
Caiyu weakly pressed her face against her arm, and a muffled voice came from under it:
"Compassionate and merciful Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, I'm in so much pain..."
A dull pain throbbed in Song Yinghuai's temples. "Fine. You can stay here tonight. Leave immediately at dawn tomorrow!"
After saying that, he strode through the archway and returned to the bedroom separated by a wall.
He left Caiyu, who was secretly overjoyed.
Had she really managed to stay in the side hall?
Leave tomorrow?
Once she was here, she wasn't going to leave!