Wu You's hand that was knocking on the wooden fish froze, to be precise, his entire body was stiff in place, but it was only for a moment; the sound of the wooden fish echoed again in the hall of prayer.
Just as Lou Si thought he wouldn't open his mouth, he saw him lift his thin lips, and the cold sound echoed in the hall of prayer.
"The princess, you have come to the wrong place."
"Not a wrong path; I am here to see the imperial teacher," said Lou Xi with a smile, stepping forward and pushing over the incense burner on the altar before sitting down on it.
She shook her legs, looking at the angry Wu You, with a smile that conveyed even more amusement.
"Years have passed, and does the imperial teacher not miss me? I have missed you dearly."
"Each time I wake from a midnight dream, I can't help but wish to strip you of your skin and pull out your tendons!"
Her tone was gentle as if she were speaking love words to a lover, but the words she spoke made people feel chills in their spines.
The sound of the wooden fish ceased, and Wu You looked at her with a complex expression, the fingers holding the Buddha beads trembling slightly.
Then, he looked away, stepped forward to pick up the small incense burner, and said in a calm voice: "Princess, if you have grievances with this monk, that's fine. Why must you show disrespect to the Buddha, adding to your sins?"
Lou Si's lips curved into a mocking smile, and she propped her leg over the other, supporting it with her hand and resting her chin on it, looking at him.
"If I really want to show disrespect to the Buddha of the Imperial Teacher, will you still say, as you did in the past, that I am destined to be a bane that will bring disaster to Lingjiang?"
Wu You paused when he was cleaning the incense burner, a hint of pain flashed in his eyes. When he closed his eyes and opened them again, he had already regained his composure.
"From the past, it was this monk's fault for not meeting your expectations, and now you can kill or tortures me with no regrets. I only hope that the princess can put aside her grudge and start afresh."
Lou Xi shook her head, laughing in a bloodthirsty manner: "I can't even think of killing the Imperial Teacher, how could I spare you?"
After saying that, she leaned backward, supporting herself on the altar and gently swaying her legs. The fire-red skirt fluttered with the motion, and under the candlelight, the blooming peach blossom by her corner added a touch of bewitching charm.
"The princess has something that she has never been able to understand to this day, and I wonder if the imperial teacher could help clarify it for me."
Wu You knew what she was referring to and remained silent.
Lou Si did not intend to wait for him to speak, jumping down from the altar, walking towards him, a seemingly innocent smile on her face: "If I have not mistaken, the Imperial Teacher once had feelings for me. However, I don't understand why you would push me to the brink of ruin if you have feelings for me. Is it really to repay my mother's saving grace?"
Wu You's pupils widened sharply, his face filled with disbelief as he looked at her, too shocked to speak for a moment.
He retreated a few steps, turned around, and walked out with some disordered steps, unable to stay any longer with her.
Lou Xi wasn't in a hurry either. She played with her fingers, taking her time to say, "I heard that the Imperial Teacher's master is also in the palace. What if they accidentally fall into the lotus pond or a well? Would they have any chance of surviving until someone finds them?"
Wu You's steps halted, his face as pale as paper, but his voice remained as calm as water: "Princess, if you have something to do with the monk, you can come directly to him. Why involve innocent people?"
"Innocent people?" Lou Xi couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Are they innocent, then am I not innocent?"
After speaking, she didn't bother to care about him and took a step outside. He didn't want to say it's fine, but she had plenty of ways to get him to say it out loud.
Afraid that she might really harm her master, in a panic, Wu You reached out and grabbed Lou Xi's wrist.
Feeling the warmth of her skin, he quickly withdrew his hand and mentally recited a few "Amitabha" mantras.
Lou Si stopped and turned around, smiling and not smiling at him: "How about, Master, you don't want to let the princess go, and want to keep the princess overnight."
Wu You stepped back a pace, putting some distance between them: "The matter from that year was solely due to a moment of distraction on my part, and had nothing to do with others. I hope the princess will not involve innocent people."
"If I want to involve innocent people, what will you do?" Lou Si smiled with a twinkle in her eyes, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
Wu You lowered his eyes and remained silent, knowing that he had made a mistake in the past. Therefore, these years he has been repenting before Buddha and praying for Lou Si's well-being.
But now, facing Lou Si's question, he couldn't find a word to answer, especially when her finger pointed out the sin hidden deep in his heart. He was filled with shame, yet there was not a hint of it on his face.
Lou Si's eyes showed a hint of impatience, as she stepped forward and reached out to raise his chin with her hand. "I heard that there are hundreds of people in the Jinding Temple now, Imperial Teacher. What do you think, can a single fire burn them all clean?"
Wu You grabbed her hand with both hands, his eyes cold as if they were made of ice, and his voice grew even colder: "Don't touch them."
Lou Si's eyes narrowed menacingly: "So the Imperial Teacher also has someone he cares about, I thought you were indifferent to all desires."
Wu You's hand holding her wrist kept tightening: "What do you want to do to avoid involving innocent people?"
"It's quite simple." Lou Si looked at him and said slowly: "If you ask nicely, perhaps I'll soften my heart, and this matter will just pass by."
Wu You stared at her for a long time, then let go of her hand, stepped back a pace, pulled open his monk's robe, and knelt down.
"Please, Princess, spare the innocent people."
Even while kneeling, his back remained straight as an arrow, and his expression remained indifferent, as if nothing could touch him except for his Buddha and fellow monks.
The more he remained this way, the more Lou Si wanted to crush him into the mud. Why should he stand on the altar clean and unsoiled after pushing her to the brink? He should fall from the pedestal with her into the mud, rot, stink, and breed maggots...
Lou Si stepped forward, lifted his chin with a smile that was incredibly tempting: "You see, as soon as you knelt down, my heart softened."
Wu You opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, a cold male voice echoed from the doorway.
"Princess Chang, you are indeed eager and insatiable, even to the point of not sparing the Imperial Teacher."
Wu You saw that the person who had come was Xiao Rhen, and his face flashed with embarrassment. He turned his head to avoid Lou Si's hand.
Lou Si made a sound of disapproval and turned to look at Xiao Rhen with a playful expression: "Xiao, are you feeling jealous?"
Xiao Rhen knew that he shouldn't offend Lou Si at this time, but for some reason, seeing her and Wu You act so intimate made him unable to control his anger.
"Your Highness has misunderstood. The imperial banquet has ended, and the emperor has asked the minister to escort you back to the general's mansion for rest."
Lou Si looked at Wu You and smiled warmly, "Imperial Teacher, we'll meet again."
After she finished speaking, she lifted her foot and walked out, followed by Chu Wei and Xiao Rhen as they left the palace.
Wu You watched the back of Lou Si as she walked away, his hand unconsciously tightened in his sleeve. After closing his eyes and opening them again, the complex emotions in his eyes had already returned to their usual calm.
-
Lou Si did not return to the General's Mansion with Xiao Rhen but instead appeared in a dark, damp cellar located beneath the southern courtyard estate.
She stopped walking and looked at the man a few steps away, whose handsome features were marred by an iron hook piercing his shoulder blade, hanging just a foot above the ground. His hands were bound by two thick iron chains.
Her lips curved into a sinister arc, her red lips parted, and a melodious voice echoed through the dungeon.
"Half a month has passed, has your husband missed me? I've been thinking of him every day."
