Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 186 - 185: Overnight Stay

In Huazhou’s territory, it had been raining for a long time, and afterward, not a single drop of rain fell; only wind carried dust.

Zhu Yu felt as if her whole body was wrapped in a thin shell of dust, almost suffocating. She urgently needed the attendant to quickly bring up a basin of hot water so she could wash her face and breathe easily.

However, after waiting for quite a while, she still hadn’t heard the sound of hot water being delivered, and she was getting drowsy leaning against the bed’s edge.

Finally, a knock came from outside, along with the enthusiastic voice of an attendant: "Guest, the hot water is here!"

Lu Qing got up, went over, opened the door, and hesitated for a moment before making way.

At first, Zhu Yu was a bit surprised, not knowing why he hesitated, until she saw two scrawny, frail attendants struggling to carry in a steaming large bath barrel from outside, and then it dawned on her.

No wonder it took them so long to return with just a little washing water.

It so happened that she had given such a large tip earlier that the attendant mistakenly thought she wanted water for a bath!

Even though the attendant had obviously misunderstood, seeing the hot water already brought in and noticing that the two beanpole-like brothers were exhausted, Zhu Yu couldn’t bring herself to make them carry the large bucket of hot water out again.

The two brothers brought the bath barrel in, smiled ingratiatingly at Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, and finally felt the tip they had received was well-deserved. They hurried out.

Looking at the large bucket of hot water, Zhu Yu’s expression turned peculiar.

If she were staying by herself, having a bucket of hot water to take a comfortable bath would definitely be rejuvenating.

However...

She looked awkwardly at Lu Qing.

They were a proper couple, yet in these few months, their relationship seemed more like that of superior and subordinate.

Once accustomed to regarding her husband as a superior, the presence of a steaming bath bucket in this small room became extremely awkward...

Lu Qing was only momentarily startled when opening the door, but soon regained his composure. Now, looking at Zhu Yu’s peculiar expression, he suppressed a smile with difficulty.

He turned to the wall, picked up a half-person tall wooden coat rack, moved it next to the bath barrel, and draped a quilt from the bed over it, making a makeshift "screen."

"Though I won’t presume to be a gentleman, I assure you I’m not that indecent." He circled to the other side of the "screen," sitting on the bed with his back to the bath barrel, "If you trust me, you can safely wash up. After all, we’ll be on the road early tomorrow, and we’ll meet your father by evening, so you shouldn’t look too disheveled.

If you’re still uneasy, just wash your face, and I’ll have Fu Lu take the bucket back. I won’t bother those two attendants to carry it again."

His straightforward words made the previously awkward Zhu Yu a bit embarrassed, feeling that her reaction was unnecessarily petty.

Besides, as a married couple, if Lu Qing had such intentions, he could have been open about it, not in such a modest setting.

Given their current situation, with both weary from travel and carrying multiple concerns while facing questions about Prince Shuo’s possible vindication, this also concerned their safety.

At such a time, she didn’t believe Lu Qing could have amorous thoughts.

Moreover... Zhu Yu glances at Lu Qing’s back, thinking that she’s not losing out on the deal, right...

With this thought, Zhu Yu decided to take the plunge.

She had never been this filthy before, feeling musty all over a few days ago. These days, though, she only picked up the scent of dust.

She glanced at the clean water in the bath barrel, placed a set of clean clothes beside it: "Then I’ll trouble the Prince to ’face the wall’ for a while." She said to Lu Qing, saw him nod with his back to her, and then hid behind the "screen," shed her dirty clothes, and slid into the bath barrel.

The water in the bath barrel was hot, wrapping her entire body inch by inch, and Zhu Yu couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh.

However, even after taking the plunge, with Lu Qing still in the room, Zhu Yu felt a bit uneasy and was too embarrassed to linger in the water for long, quickly letting her hair down and washing it clean.

After washing her hair and body clean, she hurried out, donned clean clothes, and emerged from behind the "screen."

Lu Qing remained in the same position, sitting with his back to her.

"I’m done washing." She said to Lu Qing while toweling her wet hair.

Lu Qing turned his head to look at Zhu Yu, stood up and pulled her to sit sideways on the bed, while he sat behind her, helping her towel her wet long hair. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Zhu Yu was originally alright, but after the hot bath, the accumulated fatigue and weariness surfaced again, and after a brief refreshment, soreness spread all over her body.

She couldn’t help but twist her neck and shake her shoulders.

"Haven’t slept all night and rushed on horseback; is your body sore?" Lu Qing guessed the cause from her actions, asking as his hands rested on her shoulders, massaging with the palm of his hand.

Lu Qing’s pressure was spot on, neither too light nor too heavy, comfortably easing the soreness in Zhu Yu’s shoulders and neck. She initially felt a bit shy, but the comfort from his massage was undeniable, and the refusal she intended to make never surfaced.

The soreness in her shoulders and back gradually eased under his massage, while weariness gradually took over.

Zhu Yu’s eyelids began to droop, her mind foggy, her thoughts becoming blurred and hazy.

Amid the haze, a question came to her mind – that while she was bathing and changing, wouldn’t the best choice for him be to temporarily avoid her by going to the adjacent room...

Just as this question arose, it was engulfed by overwhelming sleepiness, never to resurface.

Lu Qing, with a steady gaze, continued massaging Zhu Yu’s shoulders, noticing her silence. Just as he intended to say something, she suddenly leaned sideways, and he hastily extended his arm to gently hold her, only to see she had fallen asleep.

Finding it amusing and exasperating, he gently moved Zhu Yu onto the bed, covered her with a blanket. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like a bird flying by the window, and he quickly sat up, his previous emotions swiftly fading from his eyes, and furrowed his brows before suddenly rising to pull the "screen" to cover the bed, then quickly walked towards the window.