My Clingy Little Husband

CHAPTER 040

Afterward, Xiao Yuan brought the prepared porridge. This time, before Lu Yun'er could say anything, Su Qingwan got up and went to the table to eat.

Su Qingwan sat quietly and obediently at the table, his head slightly lowered as he drank the porridge. Though he remained silent, the slight tremor of his eyelashes betrayed his nervousness.

He felt as if he were dreaming, the situation seeming too unreal. To assure himself that this wasn’t just an illusion, he stole glances at Lu Yun'er from time to time.

At that moment, Lu Yun'er played the role of a tool, quietly accompanying him during the meal. Noticing his gaze, she calmly met his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." Caught, Su Qingwan shyly lowered his head, a faint blush creeping up his ears and cheeks. His hand, holding the spoon, trembled slightly.

But Su Qingwan knew deep down that Yun'er didn't like him. She would never come to see him voluntarily. Her presence here must be due to some sort of coercion by that person.

Everything at this moment was forced.

He knew he shouldn’t selfishly enjoy this fleeting moment of happiness, yet his heart was torn with conflicting desires.

Thinking about the unbridgeable chasm between them, a hundred different sorrows surged in his chest, making his heart ache even more.

At the same time, his guilt and unease grew as he selfishly indulged in being with Yun'er.

Meanwhile, Lu Yun'er rested her chin on one hand, watching Su Qingwan drink the porridge, lost in deep thought.

In the days since her soul transmigration, she had never lacked romantic prospects. She had encountered all kinds of men, but after clearly expressing her lack of interest, they would respectfully step back and not interfere further.

Su Qingwan was the first who, after being politely refused, continued to inexplicably entangle himself with her.

Although she considered it somewhat shallow to be drawn to power and status, in this world, it was the most practical approach. All privileges were tied to one’s status, and everyone’s fate was shaped by the power they held.

Power could open doors to many possibilities, making it something everyone desired.

Given Su Qingwan’s noble status, anything he wanted should be his with just a snap of his fingers. Yet, Lu Yun'er was still puzzled by one thing.

For example, his affection for her.

Though love should be mutual, if one party held overwhelming power, it wasn’t impossible to force their way in, even after rejection.

Throughout history, forced marriages and unions were common. People would go to any lengths for love.

But up to now, Su Qingwan had never used his power to force her into anything, which showed how much she meant to him.

Although he had never harmed her, he was the one entangling with her now. Although Prince Yun had promised not to force the matter, as Steward Chen had said, nothing was more important than blood ties. All the variables stemmed from Su Qingwan, leaving her with no room for choice.

If incidents like this kept happening, she would have to return again and again. Moreover, human nature was unpredictable, and she couldn’t refuse, risking the lives of everyone in the Lu family.

If this continued, she would become nothing more than a puppet.

Weighing the pros and cons, and considering it for a third time, Lu Yun'er’s gaze on Su Qingwan grew deeper, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes.

After a while...

"I’ve finished." Su Qingwan obediently put down the spoon.

As soon as he spoke, he suddenly felt a wave of warmth approach. Looking up, he saw her delicate and stunning face inches from his, so close that he could see the fine down on her skin.

A faint, familiar cold fragrance wafted to his nose. His thin back straightened immediately, his entire body tense. A blush spread from his cheeks to his ears.

"Don’t move, Young Scholar, you have some soup at the corner of your mouth." Lu Yun'er held a silk handkerchief, slowly leaning in to wipe the soup from the corner of his mouth. "Let me clean it for you."

As she spoke, they were very close, her warm breath lingering on his face. Su Qingwan’s body stiffened noticeably, and a subtle expression flickered in Lu Yun'er’s beautiful eyes. This was her intention all along, and as expected...

The young man's pure-hearted shyness was completely exposed before her. Given their past simple interactions, it was clear that Su Qingwan was straightforward and had no hidden agendas, making him easy for her to control.

"Young Scholar, do you still have feelings for me?" Lu Yun'er asked, her gaze warm and clear. "I want to hear the truth."

Su Qingwan suddenly froze, realizing that his clumsy pretense had failed, and she knew everything.

After a few seconds of silence, he met her gaze. Even though he had been rejected before, expressing his feelings again made his heart pound. Summoning all his courage, he replied with deep sincerity, "Yes, I still like you, Yun'er."

The room fell into a tense silence, so quiet that even a needle dropping could be heard.

After a moment...

Lu Yun'er pulled back, placed the handkerchief down, and said seriously, "I don’t have romantic feelings for you, Young Scholar."

At her words, Su Qingwan’s face turned even paler, and he felt as if his heart had been pricked once more. Overcome with sadness, he lowered his eyes, his tone heavy as he clenched his teeth, "I know."

But then, Lu Yun'er changed her tone. "However, I’m willing to give it a try with you."

"Really?" Su Qingwan’s head snapped up in shock, his heart skipping a beat at her words. His bright phoenix eyes shone with joy, almost overflowing.

Seeing him so emotional, Lu Yun'er felt a sudden pang in her heart for some reason, even a bit conflicted. However, she had to make this decision at the moment. Once she made up her mind, there was no room for regret. She took a deep breath and said, "It's true, but I have some conditions. If the young master Su can accept them..."

"I'll agree to any conditions," Su Qingwan replied with a bright, naive smile, his eyebrows curving like the crescent moon.

He was immersed in a surge of joy. All he had ever wanted was a chance, a chance to get close to her. Now, he would agree to anything Yun'er said.

"Are you really that happy?" Lu Yun'er couldn't help but ask, never having seen him smile so foolishly.

Su Qingwan immediately restrained his smile, gazing at Lu Yun'er with a serious and affectionate expression. He said slowly, "Happy, very happy, extremely happy."

Listening to his continuous use of words to describe his level of happiness, Lu Yun'er somewhat regretted asking the question. Nonetheless, she explained in a serious tone, "You know I don't have romantic feelings for you. In some ways, this is unfair to you. If the result this time isn't what you hoped for, no matter what, you must completely let go of any thoughts about me and live your own life. Also, since this matter is between the two of us, I don't want to involve anyone else or interfere with anyone else's thoughts. Finally, in the spirit of fairness between men and women, during our time together, I reserve the right to stop at any time. Of course, you can also make requests, as long as they're not excessive. Do you agree to these terms?"

The conditions Lu Yun'er proposed were quite reasonable for both parties. Of course, she also understood the temperament of the young master Su. Regardless of whether his attitude would change after hearing this, she had to lay down the principles.

Su Qingwan listened, frowning as if dissatisfied. He looked at Lu Yun'er with a grievance, "Stop at any time? If you decide to stop after just one day, wouldn't that be too unfair to me? At least give it a month, right?"

This was unexpected. Lu Yun'er paused for a moment, thought for a while, and then said, "Alright."

He had initially thought that bargaining with her would displease her, but she agreed. He regretted not asking for a few more months, but it was enough that Yun'er had agreed to spend some time with him.

Within a month, he was determined to make Yun'er like him.

Su Qingwan smiled, pressing his lips together, his bright eyes filled with unconcealed affection as he looked at her intently.

Now that everything was out in the open, Su Qingwan seemed to have found a way to openly express and release his long-suppressed feelings.

Lu Yun'er felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at by him. She averted her eyes slightly and said, "That's enough for today. You should rest now. I'll take my leave."

Su Qingwan smiled warmly and nodded obediently, "Alright."

It was quite late, indeed time to rest.

He then called for Xiaoyuan to come in, planning to escort her out of the residence. But Xiaoyuan said, "Housekeeper Chen mentioned that it's already late, and a guest room has been prepared for Scholar Lu to stay overnight. After breakfast tomorrow, you will be escorted back to the Imperial Academy."

Su Qingwan, standing nearby, was obviously overjoyed, but he still looked at Lu Yun'er expectantly.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yun'er's eyes deepened. It seemed this had all been arranged beforehand, and it looked like she wouldn't be able to leave tonight. However, she quickly regained her composure and said with a smile, "Thank you for leading the way."

No guest had ever visited the Prince Yun's residence before, so naturally, no one had ever stayed overnight.

However, in keeping with the idea that all guests should be treated well, Lu Yun'er was assigned to a room on the west side of the separate courtyard, less than fifty meters from Qinghua Courtyard—very close indeed.

This was obviously out of the ordinary. Lu Yun'er, unable to figure it out after some thought, looked around the room by the light. It was clean, tidy, and spacious.

Lu Yun'er walked to the window and could see the residence still brightly lit. But at this moment, she felt like a bird trapped in a cage, with no freedom to speak of.

Rather than being manipulated, she decided it would be better to take control herself. However, when facing the young master Su in the future, she would need to be even more cautious.

In the eastern side of the North Courtyard, the study was still lit.

Su Bai sat calmly in a chair, brushing the tea leaves away with the lid of his cup. He took a sip of tea and said, "Is everything arranged?"

"Everything has been arranged. Scholar Lu should be resting by now. And the young master has taken his medicine and had his meal today, so you need not worry. However, I've noticed something—the young master really is fond of Scholar Lu..."

Chen Si paused slightly, then looked at Su Bai thoughtfully and continued, "Please don't mind my saying this, but the estrangement between you and the young master over the years—perhaps Scholar Lu could help resolve it. Why not give it a try?"

It is said that no one understands their child better than the mother. Today's invitation to Scholar Lu was actually the idea of Prince Yun, meant to confirm a certain suspicion in her heart. And indeed, everything had gone according to her plan.

Su Bai put down the teacup, half-lowered his eyelids, and then smiled faintly.