That unsettled her even more. "Are you saying I shouldn't trust you?" She asked as if confused. "Why do you think she said such things to my face rather than warn you in secret?" Luo He met her gaze.
Jin Mulan was struck silent. For the first time, she felt outpaced and left behind in a game she hadn't even realized was being played.
The exchange between her mother and her husband replayed in her mind, each word now carrying a weight she hadn't noticed before. A quiet unease settled in her chest.
In that moment she felt small. Not ignored but positioned. As if just for that brief instant she had been a mere piece on a board, moved by hands far more experienced than her own.
Both her mother and her husband had seen something she hadn't. Understood something faster. Deeper. She didn't like that feeling.
"I'm saying," Luo He replied calmly, his voice steady and unhurried. "You should be strong enough not to trust anyone completely." The words lingered in the air. Heavy and uncomfortable yet true non the less.
They pressed against her thoughts refusing to fade. Jin Mulan lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers tightening just a little where they rested. A part of her wanted to resist, she wanted to argue, to reject such a cold way of seeing the world.
But another part of her understood. Luo He watched her quietly for a moment before his tone softened. "Wife, I knew you felt left out." That made it worse, and better at the same time.
Later that night their chamber felt different. Not cold but no longer simple. The silence between them wasn't empty. It was filled with unspoken thoughts, shifting understandings and something new taking shape between them.
The faint light cast long shadows across the room as if even the space itself had grown more complex. Luo He spoke again, his voice quieter now more reflective.
"Earlier your mother spoke the way she did, because I passed her judgment." He paused choosing his next words carefully. "She said it openly because she trusted me enough, and now considers me family."
Mulan looked up her expression still clouded with lingering confusion. "She wasn't trying to exclude you," he continued. "She was warning you." A small pause.
"Not to trust strangers as easily as you trust those close to you. And even then to always be certain of who they truly are." His gaze steadied carrying a weight that was hard to ignore.
"Now is it clear." He asked. "As you are my wife, I don't like keeping you in the dark unless it's essential for the sake of the bigger picture."
"Loyalty has a price," he said. "Anyone's loyalty can be bought and sold if the price is right. There is no such thing as absolute loyalty." The words landed slowly this time, sinking deeper than before.
"Always remember that." Jin Mulan felt a quiet shiver run through her, not from fear but from realization. She looked at him differently now. Shocked, yes but also amazed.
No schemes, no power plays, just a rare moment of calm. Outside, the last drops of rain fell from the roof. Inside they spoke softly, sharing warmth and presence rather than ambition.
For one night at least, the storm had passed for now. Jin Mulan went back to her old self. The same night Luo He joined Jin Mulan at bed, and she was so eager to show her new night dress. She asked him to go to bed and close his eyes.
She put down her clothes and wore the new dress just for him. She took her time in the changing room just to keep him waiting. Then she went In front of the bed and asked him to open his eyes.
She was dressed in all black. The new dress is a black gown. It was woven with black strings forming a diamond lattice structure, keeping enough space between strings giving the dress a see-through feeling.
Luo He can completely see underneath her dress. Under it she only wore her panties and a bra, both of them black as well.
"You look absolutely stunning," he said his voice low and appreciative. "Your mother has excellent taste. "He patted the space beside him on the bed, inviting her to join him.
As she settled beside him Luo He gently wrapped an arm around her waist drawing her a closer. Jin Mulan stiffened in surprise, her eyes widening slightly.
Leaning in she whispered near his ear. "How did you know my mother chose this for me?"
"Try to guess," Luo He replied with a quiet laugh, deliberately avoiding the question. He studied her for a brief moment, a faint smile forming on his face.
"You truly look like a woman tonight." Jin Mulan felt a flicker of warmth at his words, though she quickly masked it. After a brief pause Luo He added more calmly. "But I'm not in a hurry for anything serious, not yet."
Jin Mulan was a little disheartened, but there was a quiet understanding between them. No pressure, no expectations, just a rare moment of closeness.
They spent the night talking, teasing, and sharing a kind of quiet intimacy that didn't need to go any further.
Luo He made sure it was fun for the both of them, but it didn't went beyond kissing and cuddling. Yet in the end both of them enjoyed the strange night together.
The next morning Luo He personally carried Su Len ensuring he did not falter along the way. A dozen guards followed closely behind, their presence firm and watchful.
Jin Mulan and Jin Sang walked with them in silence, the weight of the previous night's revelations still lingering faintly in the air.
Two empty carts creaked along behind the group, their wooden wheels grinding softly against the rough path.
Their destination was an abandoned mine, long forgotten by most. Its entrance yawned open like a dark wound in the earth, cold air seeping out from within.
The deeper they went, the quieter it became, until even their footsteps seemed swallowed by the stillness.
At the heart of the mine stood a bulky steel door, thick and imposing, its surface worn by time but unyielding.
Luo He's gaze shifted to Su Len. Luo He took out the key he retrieved from Su Len last night. Then faint metallic sound echoed as he inserted it into the lock. With a heavy click, the door gave way.
Inside Gold, massive amounts of it.
Stacks upon stacks of gold coins filled the chamber, their dull glow catching what little light entered.
Casting a rich, almost suffocating brilliance across the walls. Even the guards, trained as they were, could not hide their momentary awe.
Luo He however remained unmoved.
"Start packing," he ordered. The guards immediately got to work, moving with urgency.
Coins were counted, stacked, and loaded into sacks before being carried out to the carts. The sound of clinking metal filled the chamber, rhythmic and relentless. Time passed.
Once everything was counted and neatly stacked, the total came to forty-seven thousand gold coins. Luo He's eyes narrowed slightly. "Strange," he said casually.
Though his tone carried an edge that made the air tighten. "By my assessment, there should be around fifty-four thousand coins."
A pause.
"Where is the rest?" He asked. Silence fell. "There should be around seven thousand more gold coins." Luo He repeated.
Su Len's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face. For a brief moment, it seemed as though he might try to deny it but something in Luo He's gaze stopped him.
"I used it," he admitted, his voice strained. "For my son's education in the capital." The chamber grew still. Then Luo He smiled faintly.
He seemed pleased. "Honest," he murmured. Without another word he turned slightly. "Wife." Jin Mulan stepped forward without hesitation.
"Cut off his hand." There was no pause. No question. She unsheathed her sword in one smooth motion, the blade glinting coldly in the dim light. In a single yet precise strike she severed his writing hand just above the wrist. The sound was brief. Final.
Su Len collapsed, a cry tearing from him as he clutched the bleeding stump, his body trembling against the stone floor.
Luo He did not even look down. "Leave him," he said calmly.
The guards stepped back and the group began to move out of the chamber, the carts now heavy with gold. At the entrance, Luo He paused and glanced back once.
"I'll give you one last chance," he said.
Su Len looked up, pale and shaking, barely conscious. "Get back to the mansion, and I will let you live." Hope fragile and desperate flickered in his eyes.
Then Luo He turned and exited the mine.
Outside, the light of morning felt almost harsh after the darkness within. Luo He's voice carried authority as he addressed Jin Sang.
"Take two guards. Stay behind." Jin Sang nodded. "If he attempts to leave the mine and go anywhere other than the Count's mansion, kill him."
Luo He continued, his tone cold and precise. "An arrow to the chest. Bring me his body." He said firmly.