Conquering the Male Supporting Character – CH 013

Chapter 13. Robbery

“Ah Yao, she…”

“Ah Yao has a very low alcohol tolerance; she will probably sleep until tomorrow. I will personally take you home.”

Xie Yu smiled. “That way, I do not want Third Master Lu coming to my door.”

He reached out, and a maid handed him a thick, snow-white cloak. He gently unfolded it, about to drape it over Lu Wan himself.

…

Something unusual must be going on. Acting faster than reacting, Lu Wan instinctively took a half-step back.

Realizing what she had done, she quickly concealed her wary gaze and explained innocently.

“Young Master Yu is too kind. This fur looks incredibly valuable. I have done nothing to deserve it.”

Xie Yu was not annoyed. His calm gaze followed the South Sea pearl in her hair to the bright moon earrings on her earlobes.

All were rare and precious.

“It’s just an inanimate object; why should Ah Wan care? The Zhou family is incredibly wealthy; what fine things has Ah Wan not seen? It is just a few white fox pelts.”

“Your garment was taken by Ah Yao, so consider this my repayment on her behalf.”

So that was how it was. Lu Wan suddenly felt she had been presumptuous. It turned out it was all for Shi Yao; he was merely repaying a favor for her.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Shi Yao had taken her garment, and now that she was drunk, Xie Yu could not very well have someone take her clothes, so he had to bring his own.

That’s fine too; what’s borrowed must be returned, and she had another opportunity to interact with him.

“Then thank you very much, Xie Yu.”

Lu Wan smiled gently, the slight smudge of rouge on her crimson lips becoming even more noticeable.

Xie Yu, observing this, gently touched his fingertips, still stained with rouge, and subtly averted his gaze.

He stepped forward and draped a cloak over Lu Wan’s shoulders, carefully fastening the sash.

“It’s cold outside, and the young lady is often sensitive to the cold. I’ve had a hand warmer prepared; you can have it placed in the carriage.”

Lu Wan listened, her gaze fixed on the icy blue jade belt hook at his waist. From this angle, Xie Yu could see her trembling eyelashes, like startled butterflies, as she lowered her eyes.

As she wished, Xie Yu’s gaze shifted slightly downward, and he saw a blush creep across the silent young lady’s face, a rosy blush spreading across her fair cheeks.

Like the vibrant color of peach blossoms in spring, undeniably beautiful.

Having fastened his belt, he promptly stepped back to a respectful distance. “It’s getting late; let’s go.”

Once seated in the carriage, Lu Wan casually used a silver hairpin to stir the ashes in her hand warmer. Noticing Xie Yu riding alongside to see her off outside, she softly asked the reserved A-Yun across from her.

“What were you doing, A-Yun, after I got drunk?”

Allowed to ride in the carriage with Lu Wan as an exception, A-Yun was somewhat uneasy. Her voice was tight. “Master Xie was inside the room the whole time. I waited at the door for your summons, Madam.”

Lu Wan breathed a sigh of relief. She must not have done anything out of line. Judging from past experiences, she really had little confidence in her drinking ability.

However, it was better to be cautious. She would still need to question A-Yun again after returning home.

She had not expected the plum wine to be so potent. She would need to be more careful in the future.

Thinking this, her gaze lingered on A-Yun several times.

A-Yun shrank back, trying to minimize her presence.

Today, her mistress was drunk, and as her personal maid, allowing her mistress to be alone with Master Xie was already a dereliction of duty.

Although she had only dared to stand guard at the door because she suspected her mistress had some feelings for Master Xie, she could not argue if her mistress punished her.

The carriage bells hanging from the shafts jingled crisply, and even unfamiliar carriages and horses gave way to the oxcart bearing the Lu family’s emblem, especially with such a distinguished figure as Xie Yu accompanying it.

In a tavern beside the road, a loosely dressed young master, toying with a wine cup, leaned lazily against the railing and witnessed this scene.

His previously hazy peach blossom eyes widened instantly upon seeing Xie Yu and the family emblem in the carriage. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, making sure he was not mistaken, before tilting his head back and downing the remaining half-cup of wine. Laughing loudly, he walked back into the room filled with music and dance.

Xie Yu did not see him; he only saw the handsome young man by the roadside, reining in his horse and coldly watching him.

Unfortunately, when Zhou Yan saw the Lu family emblem, he only frowned deeply before turning and leaving.

This was interesting, Xie Yu thought casually.

Perhaps this Shizi of Prince Xin was not entirely indifferent to the person in the carriage.

Lu Wan was completely unaware of the various proceedings outside the carriage. Having drunk the wine and with the heater Xie Yu had arranged inside, she felt warm and drowsy.

Unfortunately, the Xie and Lu families were both prominent clans, located in the north of the city, not far from each other. Unable to resist her drowsiness, she began nodding incessantly when the carriage stopped.

Stepping off the cart, the biting chill immediately jolted her awake.

She walked gracefully to Xie Yu, curtsied deeply, and looked utterly apologetic.

“It’s cold today, and I am truly sorry to have troubled you to bring me back. Please come inside with me and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself.”

As Lu Wan spoke, she glanced at him quickly, a smile playing on her lips, clearly wanting to invite him to her residence.

“Under any other circumstances, I certainly would not refuse,” Xie Yu smiled gently, “but my mother should be returning from outside the city by now, and I need to go and greet her. I will have to disappoint Ah Wan.”

Hearing this, Lu Wan was pleased. She was exhausted; she had fallen asleep on the table while drunk, and her body ached, which was why she was impatient to entertain him any longer.

However, she still had to maintain appearances. Her eyes dimmed, and her tone clearly betrayed disappointment and reluctance.

“What you say is very true, My Lord. The roads are slippery in the snow, and Lady Xu is returning late. It is important that you go and fetch her.”

Xie Yu saw her face turn from shy to disappointed, even paling slightly, and she seemed very concerned, so he spoke.

“If Ah Wan is interested, how about I invite you to the market on a fine day sometime, and then I can ask you for this cup of tea?”

It would not be good to keep bumping into Minister Lu at the Lu residence.

He calculated in his heart that the Emperor would not be pleased to see him getting too close to the head of the Lu family at this time.

Besides, he had no intention of associating with him.

This invitation was a pleasant surprise to Lu Wan.

Now she did not need to pretend anymore; Lu Wan was overjoyed. She was practically beaming, repeating the invitation with a smile.

“This is what you said yourself, My Lord, so I will remember it. Please do not break your promise.”

Xie Yu nodded, but unexpectedly, the other woman suddenly moved closer, snatched the purse from his body, and shook it incessantly in her slender white hand.

Lu Wan had a sudden inspiration, a risky approach, but seeing that Xie Yu did not seem angry, she boldly met his gaze, her eyes sparkling.

“To prevent you from breaking your promise, this is the token I snatched.”

As if afraid Xie Yu would take it back, Lu Wan quickly walked towards the door, standing on the threshold before turning back to look at Xie Yu, holding up the purse in her hand, her smile radiant.

“I am waiting for you, My Lord!”

Utter shyness was too unremarkable and did not match her ‘past’ reputation for pursuing the heir of Prince Xin.

A little liveliness and boldness now and then, but not overstepping boundaries, would make him pay more attention to her.

She had observed that Xie Yu’s purse was clearly empty; there should not be anything important inside, which was why she dared to take it.

People were most reluctant to part with things and people they’ve invested a lot of attention and emotion in. Those sunk costs eventually become bargaining chips, proving invincible in the game of love.

Lu Wan understood this well.

The gates of the Lu residence closed. Xie Yu smoothed his empty waist, mounted his horse, and took one last deep look at the plaque of the Lu residence.

Lu Wan, somewhat pleased with herself, carefully felt the purse to confirm it was truly empty before feeling at ease.

She examined the stitching closely; it was rather rough, only the level of an average embroiderer in the household, far inferior to the stitching on the handkerchief in Shi Yao’s hand. It probably was not a gift from her.

This guess made her even happier.

When she returned it later, she could give him a new one in return.

Would not that be another story?

All of this was easy to handle. De wanted to go back and rest. Today, with drinking and riding in a carriage, she was truly exhausted. Unfortunately, her hopes were too high, and things did not go as planned. She had barely returned to her room when someone came to summon her, saying that Lu Ming had finished his shift and wanted to see her in his study.

It was rare for her grandfather to personally send someone to invite her, and Lu Wan was somewhat bewildered.

In her memory, Lu Ming rarely looked at his granddaughter directly, and even seemed to avoid her at all costs.

Why did he want to see her now?

Could it be that the Old Madam and Lu Zhen were causing trouble again?

With these questions in mind, Lu Wan changed into some ordinary, slightly worn clothes, dressing simply and elegantly, and headed towards Lu Ming’s study.

A rigid old scholar, if he was reasonably upright, was often most vulnerable to a delicate, innocent girl.

The snow on the ground was an inch thick. Most of the servants in the Lu household were busy sweeping the path outside the corridors, the route the young masters and ladies always took. Upon seeing Lu Wan, they all respectfully bowed and gave way.

Since the public execution, the servants in the mansion had become far more respectful of Lu Wan. They were both afraid and respectful—afraid that she had brought everyone to witness the execution and respectful that she had shown mercy by sparing A-Liu and A-Li.

“Young Lady Wan, this way.”

A neatly dressed servant bowed, leading Lu Wan along the newly swept path, his posture obsequious.

Lu Wan glanced at A-Yun, then took a handful of freshly ground silver melon seeds from her purse and slipped them into the servant’s hand.

Many people witnessed this.

Servants from respectable aristocratic families were trained to be respectful before their masters, so only after Lu Wan left did some begin to whisper about her generosity.

Listening to the buzzing sound behind her, Lu Wan felt even more grateful for the early snow.

If it were not for the snow and the many people cleaning the mansion, she would not normally have had this opportunity to show off her generosity in front of so many servants, a small way to win their favor.

The Lu family’s wealth, accumulated over centuries, had been converted into necessities during the war, and her mother was certainly not short of money.

What Lu Wan wanted was for Lady Zhou to take over the household management so that she could have more conveniences.

However, this matter needed to be planned carefully.

Today’s actions were merely a prelude to the future.

But her good mood vanished after entering the study.

She entered the study somewhat timidly, bowing deeply. “Greetings, Grandfather.”

Lu Ming’s brows were deeply furrowed; he had been waiting for her for quite some time and was somewhat impatient, but looking at the heavy snow outside the window, he could not bring himself to reprimand her.

He simply cut to the chase: “What exactly happened between you and that Judicial Minister Xie?”