Marrying a White Snake Wife is Super Cool

Chapter 382: Chapter 214: System Reward: Pushing Back Diagram

"Mmm~ Nothing beats sleeping in my own bed." Lu Yuan woke up and sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes. This was a hundred times better than sleeping out in the wilderness.

Su Liyan, her long, glossy black hair unbound, woke up as well. She sat up, leaned against his shoulder, and asked, "Are you going out again today?"

Lu Yuan turned to her, taking her arms in his hands. "I do," he said. "I still haven’t delivered the Elixirs for the Crown Prince of Yan. I have to make a trip to the Yan Mansion."

Su Liyan said sullenly, "Ever since you became an official and one of King Yan’s Guests, you’ve gotten busier and busier. You haven’t spent any time with me in ages."

What Su Liyan wanted wasn’t just physical intimacy, but companionship.

Su Liyan was only in her early twenties, not some ravenous woman in her thirties or forties.

Lately, Lu Yuan had indeed been neglecting her feelings.

Seeing her pitifully endearing expression, Lu Yuan’s heart ached. He leaned in, gave her a kiss, and said, "I promise you, once I get through this busy period, I’ll spend proper time with you and the family."

"Mhm, then you should get going," Su Liyan murmured, her mood lifting. "I want to lie here a little longer."

Lu Yuan helped her lie back down, kissed her forehead, and pulled the blanket up over her.

Su Liyan clutched the blanket with both hands, blinking as she gazed lovingly at Lu Yuan.

"Get some more sleep, my dear," Lu Yuan said tenderly.

Lu Yuan took two Human Level Middle Grade Elixirs, which he had refined for Gu Gaochi, from a wooden box, leaving five others inside.

Two Human Level Middle Grade Elixirs would be enough to restore Gu Gaochi’s body to the vitality of a young man.

At the very least, after taking these Elixirs, he would no longer walk with a limp, his risk of heart attack or stroke would drop to zero, and his life would be extended by more than a decade.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man.

To make the Elixirs look more impressive and give them an air of great value, Lu Yuan had specifically sent a Maid to a sundry shop to pick out two exquisite boxes.

The Human Level Middle Grade Elixirs were already extremely precious in their own right; Lu Yuan simply wanted the packaging to reflect their true value.

A single Human Level Middle Grade Elixir selling for tens of thousands of taels of silver would be considered a very fair price on the open market.

As long as its effects were genuine, wealthy gentry, powerful nobles, and members of the royal family would come flocking with wads of silver notes to buy them.

In the entire Divine Ling Empire, probably only a handful of people could refine such a thing. Most others on the market were likely counterfeit Red Pills—the kind that could kill a person.

「Early that morning.」

Lu Yuan headed to the Yan Mansion alone, carrying the two exquisite boxes.

When he reached the Mansion Gate, two Gatekeepers noted his simple attire, assumed he was not a wealthy man, and stepped forward to block his path. "Halt! Who goes there?"

Lu Yuan pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Who else?" one of the Gatekeepers sneered, pointing a thick wooden club at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan gave a wry smile. ’I’ve always been escorted into the Yan Mansion before,’ he thought. ’And now, coming alone, I’m being stopped at the gate.’

He couldn’t really blame the Gatekeepers; they were new and didn’t recognize him. Lu Yuan calmly stated his name and his reason for visiting.

"My apologies for startling you, Lord Lu," the other Gatekeeper said, bowing with an apologetic expression. "Please wait a moment. I’ll go announce your arrival at once."

The Gatekeeper who had pointed the club at Lu Yuan was dumbfounded. ’In all of Yandu, the Yan Mansion is the most powerful family,’ he thought. ’Why is this guy being so obsequious?’

"Put that down!" The more perceptive Gatekeeper pushed down the wooden club in his colleague’s hand. "Hurry up and announce him! Lord Lu, the Prefect of Dongchang, is here!"

"Oh, right! I’m on it!" The Gatekeeper dropped his wooden club and dashed into the mansion.

"Brother Lu! You’re here!" Gu Gaoxu was the first to rush out upon hearing the announcement. He ran toward Lu Yuan with open arms and large strides.

Lu Yuan smiled and replied, "You didn’t need to come out and greet me personally."

"Nonsense, Brother Lu! I wanted to," Gu Gaoxu said, taking Lu Yuan by the hand and leading him inside. "What do these servants know, anyway? Come, come."

Watching the two figures disappear into the mansion, the Gatekeeper who had first pointed the club at Lu Yuan grew very curious.

He whispered to the other Gatekeeper, "Brother, what’s this Lord Lu’s story? I’ve never seen the Prince’s second son treat anyone so warmly."

"This Lord Lu is one of the Prince’s favorites. The Prince gifted him the most luxurious villa in the city, and even daughters from rich families are sent to serve him as Maids."

The Gatekeeper spoke with a look of pure adoration, fantasizing about becoming someone like Lu Yuan—surrounded by beautiful Maids, free to embrace them as he pleased. The mere thought was enough to make him stir.

"Oh, so he’s the new Guest the Prince recruited that everyone’s been talking about."

"You’d better speak of him respectfully. I hear he’s incredibly capable. One disrespectful word and he could have you punished." The more knowledgeable Gatekeeper straightened his back, ending the conversation to focus on his post.

Seeing this, the other Gatekeeper stopped gossiping and resumed his duties.

Gu Gaoxu led Lu Yuan to his personal quarters, located in a private courtyard within the Yan Mansion.

Lu Yuan took in Gu Gaoxu’s quarters. The furnishings and decor were arranged in perfect order, and several Maids were tidying the courtyard and rooms.

This was Lu Yuan’s first time in Gu Gaoxu’s private courtyard; on all his previous visits to the Yan Mansion, he had been received in the reception hall.

"The Yan Mansion really is quite large," Lu Yuan remarked, looking around.

A graceful and elegant young woman emerged from the back door of the room. Her hands were held demurely at her waist, and she walked with delicate steps. One glance was enough to tell she was the well-bred daughter of a prestigious family, her bearing exceptionally refined.

"Greetings, Lord Lu," the woman said, offering him a polite bow.