Chapter 30: I Urge You to Cherish What You Have

On the execution ground, Lu Li'er suddenly vanished. Upon hearing the news, Du Yu relayed it to Lu Rou, just as Li Dong arrived. In her desperation to save her father, Lu Rou was willing to offer up the most precious thing she possessed in this world, beseeching Li Dong to set aside past grievances and lend his aid.

Once her outer garments were removed, Lu Rou's skin gleamed like polished jade, delicate and flawless. She still wore a tight-fitting scarlet undergarment, the contrast of red and white making her complexion appear even more radiant. Bathed in the light streaming through the window, her body seemed to emit a faint glow. Li Dong felt as if he were in a trance, unable to take his eyes off the astonishing sight before him.

Beneath the red cloth, her snowy chest rose and fell in tantalizing curves, hidden valleys barely revealed, pushing the garment into undulating peaks and valleys, every line graceful and enchanting. It was as if an army lay in ambush there, threatening Li Dong's very life. His heart hammered in his chest, a blazing fire igniting in his throat, blood surging through his veins, leaving him barely able to control himself.

Most bewitching of all, Lu Rou stepped lightly forward, a subtle perfume drifting toward Li Dong, enveloping him. Her arms, as slender as lotus roots, slipped around his neck, her supple body pressed tightly against him, whispering, “As long as you rescue my father, tonight... I am yours.”

Li Dong forced himself to resist the longing stirring within him, swallowing hard. “Are you willing?”

“I am willing,” Lu Rou replied, her arms tightening around him.

Whether from excitement or the strength of her embrace, Li Dong felt he could hardly breathe, on the verge of suffocation.

“Then tell me, when Wu Hou tied me up the day before yesterday, why did you stand aside, smirking, and not help me? A single word from you could have explained everything and freed me.” Even in this critical moment, Li Dong resurrected old grievances, unafraid to spoil the mood.

“Mmm, that was my fault. I was angry with you,” she replied, looking up with innocent eyes. “You’re so wicked. Telling such frightening stories, then reaching out to scare me.”

“You shouldn’t have let others tie me up!” Li Dong voiced his displeasure.

“All the fault is mine. I apologize to you now—surely you won’t be so petty?” Her arms slid from his neck to his waist, her body arching, eyes half-closed as she asked.

Li Dong felt a pang in his heart and pressed further, “Was it you who came up with the idea to send me to the execution ground, to terrify me half to death?”

Lu Rou’s cheeks flushed crimson. She bowed her head against his chest and answered, ashamed, “I was wrong. I never imagined someone would storm the execution ground for you. All these troubles stem from my mistakes. Please, for the sake of my father’s promise to our marriage, rescue him from this calamity. I will follow you all my life, never regretting it.”

From Lu Rou’s resolute tone, Li Dong knew she was speaking sincerely. With her parents’ approval, there was only the matter of his own proposal left. In his former life, where customs were looser, a man and woman could share a room, indulging in pleasure.

“To rescue Magistrate Lu is not difficult. The trouble is, I don’t know where he is right now. What should we do?” Li Dong deliberately tested her, curious about her response.

“If it were easy, I’d simply ask Brother Du Yu. It’s only because it’s hard that I seek your help. You must have a plan.” Even before meeting Li Dong, Lu Rou had heard of him—of how he’d saved Zhangqiu with three thousand troops, earning the title of hero. Now, with her father’s fate unknown, she believed only Li Dong’s clever mind could fulfill her wish.

If she begged desperately, it would diminish her image in Li Dong’s eyes. Most would have lost their composure in such circumstances, but Lu Rou was certain Li Dong would find a way to save Lu Li’er. In doing so, she gave him confidence and a sense of responsibility.

What could better showcase a man’s heroism than a delicate woman pleading in his arms?

“This is troublesome, quite thorny. You’re not saving me, you’re harming me... harming me!” Li Dong feigned distress, intent on frightening her. When he’d nearly lost his head days before, it was thanks to this young lady’s machinations. Now it was her turn to taste the peril of the world and the treachery of people, so she wouldn’t make trouble for him again when he wasn't by her side.

“I don’t care. I trust you,” Lu Rou suddenly raised her head and kissed him quickly on the cheek, her face blushing scarlet as she pressed it to his chest, motionless.

What is surprise? What is the unexpected? This was surprise, this was the unexpected. Li Dong felt his face warm and soft, his spirits soaring.

“Very well. Since Miss Lu trusts me so much, I’ll give you a surprise greater than the heavens.” With that, Li Dong bent down, lifted her gently into his arms, and nudged the door open with his foot, striding outside.

Lu Rou closed her beautiful eyes, seemingly anticipating an impending storm, her frail body trembling, her face a mixture of excitement, fear, and barely concealed hope.

Yet she was utterly mistaken, wildly so, by tens of thousands of miles.

“Open your eyes and see what a surprise truly is,” Li Dong said, his voice filled with joy. Lu Rou slowly opened her eyes.

Instead of the perfumed chamber of a blushing beauty, she found herself in the east wing, where Li Dong had carried her. Here, piles of dry firewood lay scattered, thick with dust that suggested years of neglect. A pungent smell of decay filled the air, and Lu Rou instinctively covered her mouth and nose.

Suddenly, a rustling came from the woodpile. A slightly overweight, middle-aged man sat up, his hair a tangled mess, beard and hair entwined so thoroughly it was impossible to distinguish one from the other. His clouded old eyes peered out in confusion; when he saw the man and woman at the door—especially the woman—tears streamed down his face.

Lu Rou’s beautiful eyes brimmed with tears as well, her shoulders shaking as she began to sob.

“Father!” Unable to control her emotions, Lu Rou’s tears burst forth like a breached river. The disheveled man before her was indeed her father, Lu Li’er. How could she not be overcome?

She had no time to rebuke Li Dong for teasing her, nor to worry about the dust in the woodshed; she rushed forward and embraced her father’s shoulders, sobbing quietly. She dared not weep aloud, for at this moment, Zhishi Lang held Zhangqiu in his grasp, his spies everywhere. One careless move and they would be discovered.

After a while, Lu Li’er pulled her before him, gazing at her from every angle, their faces close, emotions swirling.

Had Zhishi Lang not attacked Zhangqiu, Lu Li’er would still be magistrate, and Lu Rou the happiest woman in Zhangqiu. After this harrowing ordeal, both father and daughter understood the precious warmth of family.

Yet Lu Li’er, seeing his daughter dressed only in the scarlet undergarment she would never show to outsiders, was bewildered. But he was experienced, and soon guessed what had transpired.

He pulled his daughter behind him, trembling as he rose, and declared sternly, “You traitor! Taking advantage of chaos to dishonor my daughter—if it costs me these old bones, I’ll see you punished!”

Li Dong was mortified. He thought, this old man is truly ungrateful. I just rescued you from the jaws of death, and now you turn on me. Your daughter offered herself willingly; how is that my fault?

Lu Rou, her cheeks flushed, hastened to explain, “Father, please don’t misunderstand. It was your daughter who begged him to save you.”