The conversation was interrupted, and suddenly Aunt Hui’s voice ca from not far in front——
"Young Master!"
She called urgently with a sharp tone, making those three words feel like a blade, abruptly cutting off Shang Ruyi’s words.
Yu Wenqian’s breath paused slightly, and he slowly turned his head, only to see Aunt Hui standing at the end of the path. The light from the gate illuminated her face, clearly showing her furrowed brows and somber expression, and a few traces of displeasure, which she directed entirely at Shang Ruyi through her gaze.
Shang Ruyi imdiately pressed her lips together.
Yu Wenqian was silent for a mont, a faint smile slowly surfaced on his face, and he said, "Aunt Hui, what’s the matter?"
Aunt Hui remained displeased, but her deanor softened slightly when facing him, and she said, "Didn’t the Young Master just say he wanted to bathe? I’ve already got hot water prepared, please go quickly, or it will cool down."
"Oh, alright."
Yu Wenqian nodded and turned back to look at Shang Ruyi, speaking gently, "Then, sister-in-law, I’ll be going first."
Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "Elder brother, rest early."
Thus, they both went their separate ways.
As Shang Ruyi turned to leave, she clearly felt a heavy, dark gaze scraping like a knife across her back. She instinctively looked back, and saw Aunt Hui, who was accompanying Yu Wenqian away, also turned to glance at her.
That glance was filled clearly with anger.
Although she knew that Aunt Hui had never liked her from the start, this ti the anger seed too intense.
This ti, Shang Ruyi didn’t go out to wait for Yu Wenye to return. She returned to her room alone and sat quietly, but only her body was quiet. Her mind was even more chaotic than the storm last night.
Yu Wenqian... was originally nad Yu Wen Sheng?
Did sothing happen that caused him to change his na to Yu Wenqian...
But what was it?
Moreover, his attitude remains as candid as before when they were in Fufeng County, even without hesitation, telling her how he has learned about the news from Changle Square and understands the difficulties Yu Wenye is facing now.
But, what is his purpose in telling her this?
If it was concern—after speaking, he provided no advice.
If it was a declaration of war—it didn’t seem like it.
His attitude was calm, his tone gentle, seemingly speaking with warmth and sincerity, as if—as if he simply wanted to say a few words to her...
But as soon as the thought erged, it was imdiately crushed by a surge of coldness, and Shang Ruyi shook her head forcefully to rid this absurd, self-indulgent idea from her mind.
How could it be!
Having settled this point, Shang Ruyi felt sowhat foolish.
Although they have spent a considerable amount of ti together, she still doesn’t understand this man, who was once engaged to her, and is now her uncle; yet even without understanding, she knows clearly that a man who she has broken off the engagent with, who she has rejected, to still interact so peaceably with her, it speaks of his character, or perhaps his self-discipline. Yu Wenqian is absolutely not inclined toward her.
So—
Why did he just say those things to her?
Moreover, at the gate today, the words Dong Bizheng said to him seed to carry significant aning. What else can Yu Wenqian not let go of...?
Dong Bizheng seed to want to ntion his marriage, is there perhaps a girl he is interested in?
But at this thought, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a tremor in her heart.
She suddenly discovered that she once imagined Yu Wenye being together with Chu Ruoyan, or with Empress Dowager Jiang, and she even could preemptively imagine if in two years Yu Wencheng grows up and begins to court, what kind of bride he would welco.
But she alone could not imagine with whom Yu Wenqian should be together.
In fact, she could not even imagine Yu Wenqian being with a girl.
Yu Wenqian... seems not to be moved by any woman, he seems to remain always gentle, calm, clearly standing in the world but unstained by the earthly mundane.
Shang Ruyi shook her head forcefully again—tonight she found herself in strange thoughts, thoughts that seem bizarre.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded by her ear: "What’s wrong with you?"
"Ah?"
Shang Ruyi started, looked up, and noticed Yu Wenye had returned at so unknown ti, standing before her, watching her with an ambiguous smile.
Shang Ruyi imdiately stood up: "Feng Chen, when did you co back?"
Yu Wenye said: "Just ca back. Just ca back and saw you shaking your head. What were you thinking?"
"I—"
Shang Ruyi was about to speak, but then Chang Wan and Tushere entered with hot water. Though Yu Wenye had just returned from outside, he didn’t need to imdiately bathe, but a wash was called for. Thus, Yu Wenye took off his outer clothing, washed his hands and face, feeling refreshed, he took the tea offered by Tushere and sat opposite Shang Ruyi.
Shang Ruyi expressed concern: "I heard there was a fight in Changle Square today, how is it now?"
"It’s been soothed,"
Yu Wenye responded, glancing at her in surprise: "How did you know?"
"Elder brother told ."
"..."
Upon hearing this, it seed that Chang Wan had left holding Yu Wenye’s discarded clothes, and the gust of wind she caused made the candle fla on the table flicker, casting a shadow on Yu Wenye’s face, dimming his expression slightly.
Yu Wenye slowly put down the tea cup, lowered his eyelashes, and asked, "Did you et with him?"
Shang Ruyi hurriedly replied, "I was just about to go to the door to see if you were back. I ran into him on the way."
"Oh."
Yu Wenye’s expression slightly cleared.
Shang Ruyi continued, "Moreover, today the Duke Shenwu also ca."
Yu Wenye raised his eyes to look at her and said, "Dong Bizheng? He ca to see my elder brother?"
"Yes."
"What did they say—"
He paused here, probably realizing that even if they said sothing, it was unlikely they would let Shang Ruyi know. However, Shang Ruyi gently said, "I just ran into my elder brother seeing the Duke off while I was waiting for you. I heard the Duke seed to be urging him about his marriage."
"Elder brother’s marriage?"
"Yes. Moreover, from the tone, it seed as if... there was already soone."
"...?"
Yu Wenye frowned slightly.
Shang Ruyi looked at him and said softly, "Feng Chen, you seed to ntion before that the daughter of Yu Dingxing, nad Yu sothing—"
"Mingzhu,"
Yu Wenye said, "Yu Mingzhu."
Shang Ruyi imdiately nodded, then asked, "Is it true that this Miss Yu is already engaged?"
She couldn’t imagine Yu Wenqian being with a woman, but if there had to be such a woman, it seed like Yu Dingxing’s daughter was the most likely. However, the last ti they talked, Yu Wenqian directly denied this matter.
Upon hearing her question, Yu Wenye said, "This ti I specifically found soone to inquire, and indeed, as elder brother said, that Miss Yu is already betrothed to Su Ji’s eldest son, the Governor of Kuo State."
Shang Ruyi softly said, "So is there a possibility that she might—"
She hesitated at this point, because "breaking off an engagent" was sothing that ordinary won, especially girls from sowhat prominent families, rarely did. If it weren’t for her own experiences, even if she had been initially infatuated with Yu Wenye, she wouldn’t have broken off an engagent.
Seemingly sensing her thoughts, Yu Wenye looked up at her.
In his eyes, there was a hint of what seed like joy.
After a mont of silence, he finally said, "I am not familiar with Miss Yu; I don’t know her character or temperant. However—"
"However, what?"
"If elder brother is indeed interested, there might be a possibility between them."
"Why?"
"Because, from what people say, Yu Dingxing is a an and ungrateful person, who particularly likes to curry favor with the powerful. If father succeeds this ti, it’s hard to say he won’t let his daughter annul her engagent."
"Oh!"
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath.
This ti, Yu Wenquan took Daxing City without losing a single soldier, thanks to Yu Dingxing’s defection at a critical mont. As a mber of the Yuwen Family, one would naturally regard this action as a great rit, but Shang Ruyi couldn’t avoid considering what this action ant for the Da Ye Dynasty and for Chu Yang, seeing Yu Dingxing as a complete traitor. It’s not wrong to say he curries favor with the powerful.
But why say he’s an and ungrateful?
Hearing Shang Ruyi ask this, Yu Wenye replied, "I am not familiar with him either. I only heard it from people in the city—besides, more than one person gave him that evaluation."
"I see..."
Shang Ruyi sighed lightly in her heart.
It reminded her of the first ti she saw Yu Dingxing outside Dayan Temple, before knowing his identity. His sunken cheeks and thin lips indeed gave off an impression of being sowhat ungenerous.
Unexpectedly, others’ evaluations of him were the sa.
Why would soone like him be acquainted with Yu Wenqian, and why would he be persuaded to seize Daxing City?
This man seed to have so unsolvable mysteries.
Especially... outside Dayan Temple, that elusive figure, that left her in a trance, often seed to appear around Yu Dingxing.
Who exactly was he—
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi’s mind beca even more unsettled, and it was a chaos that she couldn’t clear up no matter how much she thought about it these days. She could only sigh and put it aside for the ti being, as usual.
When she looked up again at Yu Wenye, sipping his tea with knitted brows in contemplation, she rembered that she hadn’t had the chance to ask about the situation in the city since he returned today. She softly asked, "Today, apart from those causing trouble, how is the situation in Changle Square?"
As soon as she asked, she saw Yu Wenye’s expression darken.
Shang Ruyi’s heart sank with it.
"What happened?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers