Qingliu's actions today were simply a deliberate attempt to seduce Lu Xunguang, hoping to stir up some amorous feelings in his heart after a series of interactions.
If she had privately given him this piece of clothing in the fishing village, given Lu Xunguang's lack of romantic sense, he would probably have ignored her and simply walked away with a flick of his sleeve.
So, she simply turned the temple fair into the stage for her show.
Under everyone's noses, Lu Xunguang, a tall and imposing man and the noble head of the Lu family, naturally couldn't embarrass this timid and humble woman.
Moreover, Qingliu insisted that she was of low status, and her words and demeanor showed a vulnerable and pitiful "inferior" attitude, which was quite endearing.
Most of the musicians and dancers selected by A Man to perform today came from poor families. If Lu Xunguang and Li Ying didn't handle this "helpless" and "despised" situation properly, I'm afraid the musicians and even the villagers in the town would have some grudges against the two of them.
Since ancient times, it has been said that there are no honest businessmen. There are plenty of wealthy merchants who, once they've made it big, forget their roots and make money through immoral means.
Sure enough, Li Ying and Lu Xunguang exchanged a glance, and they immediately understood what Qingliu was up to.
Li Ying nodded.
For the sake of the overall situation, Lu Xunguang had no choice but to reluctantly take the cloak from Qingliu's hand and drape it over his body casually.
"Thank you, ladies. It was just a small thing for me. You really didn't need to go to so much trouble."
Only then did Qingliu break into a smile through her tears, looking somewhat relieved. She said softly, "I'm glad Lord Lu doesn't mind."
This matter seemed to end happily for everyone, except for Lu Xunguang. Wearing that piece of clothing, he felt extremely uncomfortable all over. But with so many people watching, he really couldn't take it off.
The way he looked, as if he had thorns on his back, made Li Ying secretly laugh in her heart.
Just like before, Qingliu had scented this cloak with storax. Lu Xunguang usually disliked such flowery scents. Every movement made him feel dizzy and nauseous.
His face even turned a bit red, as if he was drunk.
Lu Xunguang secretly thought something was wrong. He vaguely guessed that the strong smell of storax might be used to cover up some dirty and unspeakable things.
He didn't want Li Ying to see him in such a disgraceful state. He gritted his teeth and suppressed the restlessness in his heart. He quickly found an excuse and quietly made his way through the crowd to a quiet place to calm down.
However, he didn't expect that just a few steps away, a pair of slightly cool hands gently grabbed the corner of his clothes.
"Lord Lu, where are you going..."
Lu Xunguang frowned. Qingliu's shy face came into view, with her eyes openly showing deep concern.
Lu Xunguang didn't want to waste time with her. He kept a straight face and said nothing. But Qingliu let out a surprised cry, and her slender fingers didn't hesitate to gently touch his back.
"Lord Lu, what's wrong? Why are you walking so fast?"
"I'm really ashamed. I wanted to make a brand - new cloak for you as an apology, but my sewing skills are really poor. There's actually a hole in the back of this cloak!"
Without waiting for Lu Xunguang to answer, she stroked the cloak on her own and said softly, "Lord Lu, you're free today. Why don't you go with me to mend this cloak? The apology gift shouldn't be so shabby. I really feel bad about it..."
Her constant chatter sounded like a nightmare to Lu Xunguang. He lost his patience. Seeing that Qingliu was still clinging to his clothes stubbornly, Lu Xunguang's face turned as cold as ice. He didn't care about being gentle with her and tried to break free with a little force.
How could Qingliu let this hard - won opportunity slip away so easily?
She calmly tilted her body and leaned right against Lu Xunguang.
Lu Xunguang staggered, and his vision blurred a bit. Presumably, the aphrodisiac on the cloak had taken effect. He stumbled and couldn't support their two bodies anymore. His knees went weak, and he fell to the ground.
This was exactly what Qingliu wanted. She let out a soft, delicate cry and fell on top of him. One of her hands even grabbed his lapel, revealing a large expanse of his strong, bronze chest.
Back at the temple fair, the more Li Ying thought about Lu Xunguang's hasty departure, the more something seemed off.
She was really worried. After A Man finished her dance, she simply took A Man with her to look for Lu Xunguang.
The two of them never expected that what they saw was such an ambiguous scene. Qingliu's charming figure was wrapped around Lu Xunguang like a soft snake.
A Man was stunned. She felt a rush of blood in her body. She rushed forward in a few steps, roughly pulled Qingliu away from Lu Xunguang, and slapped her hard across the face.
"Can't you live a single day without a man? Put your clothes on properly!"
She used so much force that a red handprint immediately appeared on Qingliu's fair face.
"Miss A Man... You... You've misunderstood me..."
Qingliu lowered her head. Half of her loose hair vaguely covered the handprint, but she wasn't angry. She just meekly defended herself to Li Ying and A Man.
"I just saw that Lord Lu's cloak was torn. I wanted to take it back to mend it... But I don't know why Lord Lu suddenly lost his mind and fell to the ground..."
"I'm deeply indebted to Lord Lu and Boss Li. How could I do such a shameless thing? Miss A Man, how can I prove myself so that you'll believe me?"
She sounded so helpless. Seeing that both Li Ying and A Man had solemn expressions, she simply raised her hand and started slapping herself without hesitation.
The commotion here was quite big, and since it was on the way back to the village from the town, many onlookers immediately gathered curiously.
Seeing Miss Qingliu in a disheveled state, Lu Xunguang's face as red as if it were bleeding, and his lapel wide open, everyone understood what was going on. Some of the gossips even showed a hint of meaningful teasing in their eyes.
"Master Lu is full of vigor. He saved the beauty, and Miss Qingliu is repaying his kindness with her body. A talented scholar and a beautiful lady. It would be a good story to tell."
"Master Lu's wedding is approaching. Since Boss Li doesn't have a maid - concubine to accompany her, why not just take Miss Qingliu in as well? Having two wives would be the ultimate bliss for Master Lu. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Among the nobles in the capital, having multiple wives and concubines was quite common. The onlookers thought they had figured out the whole situation, and their words became even more unrestrained.
A Man wished she could rush forward and tear the mouths of these gossips apart. It was only because Li Ying was holding her tightly that she didn't lose control.
Li Ying took a deep breath and said in a solemn voice, "First, take Master Lu to Deji Hall for a check - up. As for Qingliu, we'll deal with her later."