Lü Yun rushed back home, kicked open the door, and before even stepping inside, shouted, "Ah, Aunt San, where is Xiao Man?" "So late at night, what are you shouting about?" Hao Donglian scolded as she opened the door. Lü Yun slowed down, looked around the room, but didn't see Ling Xiaoman. He hurried, "Aunt San, maybe Zhang the simple-minded one has just returned. Where is Xiao Man, exactly? Has she gone to bed?" Hao Donglian had originally intended to reprimand Lü Yun, but upon hearing his words, her expression instantly turned tense. "She went to your room to sleep." "Didn't she say she should sleep with me?" Hao Donglian explained, "It's still your uncle. He's been drinking heavily somewhere—so drunk that he didn't even eat dinner. He just went straight to bed and wouldn't answer when we called. So we had to send the girl to your room to sleep." When Lu Yun entered the courtyard, his own room was not lit—clearly, Ling Xiaoman had already gone to bed. Thinking of Zhang's strange gesture, a chill ran down his back. "Uncle, I'll go check on her. You'd better get some rest too," he said. "Should I wake up your uncle and have him join me?" Hao Donglian asked from behind. Lu Yun waved his hand, not turning around. "No, I'm just wondering—maybe it's not really Zhang who's acting strange." When Lu Yun stepped out of the room, his own room had now been lit—probably Ling Xiaoman had been startled awake by his voice. Either way, it was good that Ling Xiaoman was unharmed. This content is from Chapter 2741 of "The Country's Beautiful Wife." Entering his room, Lu Yun gently asked from the outer room, "Sister Xiaoman, have you gone to bed?" "Lu Yun, come in," came Ling Xiaoman's voice from the inner room. Lu Yun exhaled a long breath, pushed the door open, and found Ling Xiaoman sitting on the cot with her arms folded over her knees. She smiled gently. "Sister, did I shout too loudly just now and wake you up?" Ling Xiaoman stared at him in quiet surprise. "No, I only turned off the lamp. I didn't go to sleep. I just heard you mention 'the fool Zhang'—did he come back?" Lu Yun felt a pang of regret for his carelessness. He had only suspected it himself; now that Ling Xiaoman had heard it, he was certain she would find it awkward, and he feared he wouldn't be able to sleep all night. "No," he said, a little embarrassed. "When I returned from Suzhen's house, my third aunt saw me drunk and intended to beat me with a broom handle. So I had to make up a story and came here to see you instead." He felt a bit ashamed of his lies—how had it come to this? When he used to be a mere swordsman, he could easily fabricate stories on the spot. Now, even the simplest lies seemed to fall apart. Ling Xiaoman seemed to truly believe in Lu Yun, though her face carried a touch of irritation. "When you left, you promised me, didn't you? I saw you blushing like a monkey's bottom—clearly you must have drunk quite a bit. That's why Auntie San beat you senseless." Lu Yun raised his hands in surrender. "I know I'm wrong,姐. You go to bed early; we have to be at school by morning." Ling Xiaoman nodded. As Lu Yun turned to leave, she suddenly asked, "Where are you going?" Lu Yun paused, thinking it was natural to head outside to guard—should the foolish Zhang return, he'd surely be eager to see her, and of course, a brave guardian would be needed to protect her lovely princess. Yet he said, "I'm going to sleep." "The bed's already taken. Where will you sleep? Can't you just sleep on the floor?" Ling Xiaoman's soft voice came. "Go fetch a pillow and sleep right here. You haven't slept well all night, and if you don't rest properly tonight, it will affect your classes tomorrow." Lu Yun stood frozen in place. He had indeed not slept well last night, but Ling Xiaoman’s implication was that she wanted him to sleep on the same bed with her—this…this… Lu Yun’s mind short-circuited. He remained motionless, neither speaking nor moving. “Lu Yun,” Ling Xiaoman called out. “Ah,” Lu Yun came back to himself. He thought to himself that if he had to share the bed with her, he’d surely be unable to fall asleep. He quickly replied, “No thanks, I can just find a spot elsewhere and manage through the night. Sister, you go ahead and rest now.” Saying this, he lifted his foot to head out. “If you’re going to sleep outside, then I’ll go too. I originally just came here to stroll around casually, but now I’ve ended up causing you and Uncle San and Aunt San so much trouble. If you keep going to sleep on the floor, how will I ever come back again?” Without realizing it, Ling Xiaoman had already gotten off the bed and reached out to grasp Lu Yun’s arm as he was about to leave. Lu Yun had no choice but to turn around, and felt a sudden warmth spreading across his face. *How is it that we've boasted about visiting and getting to know beautiful women from all over the place, yet here I am, feeling flustered just in front of Ling Xiaoman, this young lady?* He simply drank quite a bit of wine at Ma Shufen's tonight, and even though he blushed, Ling Xiaoman took it for the natural effect of the wine and didn't give it much thought. " Sister, I'm a man and you're a woman. If we're sharing the same bed... " Ling Xiaoman burst out laughing, her laughter so lively it made her chest swell with each breath, her two full breasts pulsing and rising and falling in rhythm. Lu Yun found himself quickly shifting his gaze, trying to avoid looking at her, as if he were struggling to keep his mouth from going dry. "I didn't think you were so young and full of ideas. Even if we sleep on the same bed, what could you possibly do to me? Unless you've got something on your mind—something rather awkward—then as a woman, I'm not at all afraid. What's there to be afraid Ling Xiaoman poured out a long stream of sensible advice, yet being that they shared the same room, she herself noticed that Lu Yun’s body seemed notably larger than would be expected for his age. As a guest, however, she couldn’t very well ask the host to sleep on the floor, so she spoke up with a composed air, though her cheeks still warmed slightly. Seeing Lu Yun still低头 silent, Ling Xiaoman added, “After all, I’m your teacher and you’re my student—what else can a student do for a teacher? Go get your pillow now, hurry up and go to bed. If you don’t come, I won’t either.” She gently pushed Lu Yun toward the door. But as soon as she finished speaking, she found her own face suddenly blazing with heat. She often heard stories of teacher-student romances at school, but she had always assumed those were mostly confined to university or college settings. Lu Yun was still only a teenager, barely thirteen or fourteen. Yet she didn't know that this girl, only thirteen or fourteen, had already won over two teachers at the school—both of whom were as beautiful as heavenly beings—and in just the past two days of the weekend, she had also conquered seven or eight women in the village. By this point, Lu Yun no longer insisted. She stepped out of the room, asked Ha Donglian to bring a pillow, and was about to return to her room to sleep, but was called back by Ha Donglian, who quietly asked, "Xiao Yun, where are you planning to sleep?" Lu Yun replied casually, "In my room, of course." But as soon as she said it, she regretted not thinking it through more carefully before speaking. ... Rural Beauty 2741, Main Text 274 – Updated on the same bed!