Chapter 50 She had actually hoped to have a child with him…

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

A gust of wind suddenly rose outside the window, causing the swing to sway gently up and down, sometimes near and sometimes far from the mirror in front of her.

It was as if the boy was pushing her from behind, his clear, melodious voice sometimes near, sometimes far in her ear: "During my expedition to the west, I captured a mirror that was exceptionally bright, brighter than the moon, called the Western Mirror."

"Once I've finished polishing it, I'll send it to the Princess's residence."

"From now on, Yiyi will never draw her eyebrows crooked again."

...

Xue Lanyi had never seen the peep show the boy had mentioned.

Because the young man hadn't had a chance to give her the gift when the Crown Prince met with an accident.

They are separated by vast distances.

She thought she would never see the peephole he had given her again.

Now, she has seen it.

It was this mirror that was right in front of her at that moment.

The mirror's three corners were polished smooth and rounded, except for the upper left corner, which remained sharp.

The boy always said she was absent-minded, and perhaps he was afraid that the sharp edges of the mirror would hurt her, which is why he didn't present the mirror to her as a treasure right away.

He always silently smoothed out any rough edges she might encounter.

And now, that sharp corner, which hasn't been smoothed out yet, is deeply piercing her eyes.

The boy could no longer stand in front of her to smooth things out.

This time, Xue Lanyi will help him pave the way to escape to the western border.

If she just waits a few more days, until Wei Xuan safely arrives in the Western Border, she can…

"What are you thinking about?" Wei Zhang easily caught her distraction.

At this critical juncture, she couldn't afford to cause any unnecessary trouble. She forced a smile and asked, "Your Highness, can...can you help me?"

She trembled as she handed the needle to Wei Zhang.

The wind stopped.

No matter how high the swing goes, it will eventually fall back to the same spot.

They landed beside Wei Zhang.

She looked up at him with her delicate, fair face, pleading with him.

Her bright eyes were brimming with spring water, her full red lips curved into a smile, and her loosely styled hair made her look even more gentle and graceful as a married woman.

Wei Zhang stroked her finally obedient lips with his finger, "From now on, call me 'Young Master'."

Just now, while she was in the imperial prison, the words "my lord" that she kept calling out were not wrong.

The term "郎君" (lángjūn) refers to a person who is always by one's side.

She should remember every day that he is her lord.

"Speak." He brooked no argument.

In Dayong, the term "Langjun" without the surname is essentially the same as "Husband".

It is usually only wives who address their husbands as "my lord".

Doesn't he know how intimate that is?

Xue Lanyi didn't want to call him that; Wei Zhang could never be her husband.

Her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a sound.

Wei Zhang's expression hardened slightly, and the fingertips that were stroking her cheek paused.

a long time.

He didn't say anything, but instead put his hand on her shoulder.

The swing slowly turned, and Wei Zhang stood behind her.

He took her right hand from behind, held the needle in his hand, and pressed it against the base of her snow-white thigh.

The cool pine resin surrounding him instantly enveloped Xue Lanyi, and the needle tip gently pierced her skin with steady movements, reaching deep into her muscles.

The dark ink quickly seeped into the skin, and the character "cloud" was written stroke by stroke.

Xue Lanyi felt a constant, subtle pain emanating from the inside of her thighs, like ants biting her, creeping into her bloodstream, and becoming increasingly unbearable as it traveled towards her heart.

She gasped, avoiding eye contact with their clasped hands.

But the space where he was holding her was too cramped. To avoid the tattooed hand, Xue Lanyi could only look at the image of the two of them embracing in the mirror.

Wei Zhang's wide black sleeves covered his vitals, and the mirror did not show their hand movements; only the broad-shouldered man could be seen embracing the woman from behind.

He embraced her like a mountain, his chin resting on her shoulder, as if they were truly a loving couple.

Such a scene between her and him is truly laughable.

Xue Lanyi didn't want to look and tried to close her eyes.

Wei Zhang was focused on the tattoo, but he easily noticed her distraction and inserted the silver needle into Xue Lanyi's leg half an inch deeper.

The pain served as a wake-up call for Xue Lanyi to enjoy and indulge in pleasure.

She was in pain and her expression faltered, but her gaze was forced to remain fixed on their clasped hands. She noticed his calloused wrists pressing up and down on her sensitive skin, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Her breathing became labored and erratic, as she nervously tried to control it.

Wei Zhang was so close, how could he not hear his breathing?

“How does the poem ‘Willow Twig Song’ go? Recite it for me.”

At this moment, he suddenly asked her to recite a poem.

Xue Lanyi refused to speak.

He increased the pressure of both pressing and pricking.

Xue Lanyi's throat tightened, and she took a deep breath, "Deeply pitying the flower that pierces...the bone."

Even though she didn't want to act coy, her voice, stimulated, still carried a hint of softness and allure.

It's much cuter than when it looked so lifeless.

And what came out of her intermittently panting red lips was a love poem, a vow piercing into the very bones of lovers at the height of their affection.

These poetic lines perfectly complement Wei Zhang's elegant scholarly demeanor at this moment, with his wrist suspended and needle in hand.

What a delightful scene of blissful intimacy between lovers in their boudoir.

Only Xue Lanyi knew how steady and deep the needle was, hidden beneath his seemingly gentle expression and relaxed movements.

"Do you know what this ink is called today?" Wei Zhang asked, his nose nuzzling Xue Lanyi's earlobe affectionately.

Just now in the carriage, Xue Lanyi felt that the ink was a bit strange.

She felt a chill and turned her head defensively, her nose brushing against Wei Zhang's.

Their breaths mingled.

His deep, magnetic breath brushed against her lips, "It is a flower in the bone."

The name of ink is taken from this poem.

As its name suggests, "ink" means to penetrate to the bone and bloom, never to be erased.

Didn't Xue Lanyi vow in prison to use a hairpin to cut her skin and erase the marks on her shoulder?

Wei Zhang specially found her a better ink.

This ink penetrates the skin, like flowers and grass taking root, spreading inwards until it reaches the bones.

Even if she were alive, she couldn't escape the traces of "Wei Yunjian".

Even a hundred years later, when he is laid to rest, his mark will still be imprinted on his bones.

Unless, she cuts off her own leg.

wrong.

Even if she cuts off her leg, his name will not disappear from the leg bone.

She was his in life, and she was his in death.

Once she was a woman of the Wei family, she could never escape it for the rest of her life.

Wei Zhang slowly stood up, lifted Xue Lanyi's chin from behind, and forced her to look at the perfect spring scenery in the mirror.

Do you like it?

In the gleaming mirror, the words "Yun Jian" were clearly visible on the side of the woman's swollen leg.

Xue Lanyi's skin was fair and translucent, with even faint traces of black ink spreading beneath her skin like fine roots.

It was extremely eerie, enough to give you goosebumps.

But the man behind him had eyes full of admiration, even a hint of madness.

When he made her swallow his blood, his eyes held that same morbid, engulfing expression.

Xue Lanyi often felt that there was actually a ghost living in his usually icy eyes.

If they are released one day, they will surely follow you like a shadow.

Xue Lanyi was very scared; she didn't like it.

Wei Zhang leaned down and gently kissed the top of her head as if to comfort her, "Remember, Xue Lanyi belongs to Wei Zhang. This place is only for me to see, and only I can occupy it."

The low-pitched magnetic sound shot straight from the top of my head into my spine.

Xue Lanyi's back stiffened, staring incredulously at the person in the mirror.

The person behind him was dressed in a robe embroidered with crane patterns, with a black cloak over it.

Tall and elegant, like a pine or bamboo.

What a learned and accomplished scholar, yet he utters such arrogant and unrestrained words.

"Wei Zhang!" Xue Lanyi gasped for breath, trying to compose herself. "Can you please not say such things?"

"You're not allowed to say it, but you're allowed to do it?" Wei Zhang found it amusing.

She was already married, but she still harbored a deep longing for that man.

In that person's room, with endless longing and countless memories, does he not see it?

An hour has passed since she stepped into this room. How many chances has he given her? Has she truly repented?

Wei Zhang pinched her chin, drawing her gaze to the tattoo in the mirror. "What? Do you still fantasize about him seeing my name there?"

"Wei Zhang, stop talking, stop talking!" Xue Lanyi couldn't bear to listen anymore.

Her relationship with Ah Xuan was not the shady affair that Wei Zhang described.

She didn't want Wei Zhang's words to dishonor their friendship.

But he was clearly deliberately trampling their pure memories into the mud, ravaging them until they were filthy.

Xue Lanyi shook her head repeatedly, not wanting to listen.

Her mind was controlled by Wei Zhang, and she no longer had control over her own vision or hearing.

The tears that had been welling up in her wide almond-shaped eyes finally spilled over.

A tear slowly slid down from the corner of her eye and landed in Wei Zhang's palm.

"You wanted a tattoo, and I got one. You wanted me to cooperate, and I complied with everything you asked for. What more do you want from me to be satisfied and stop?"

"obedience?"

Wei Zhang's eyes gleamed with mockery as he grasped her shoulders and slowly spun her around on the swing, turning her to face him.

He gripped the armrests on both sides, trapping her in the seat, and bent down to gaze deeply into her eyes for a long time.

In the past, when he looked at her like that, she would blush and look away in no time.

Now, those watery eyes only hold a stubborn confrontation.

She's inherently rebellious; how could she possibly be obedient?

What Wei Zhang wanted was for her to transform back into Xue Lanyi, both physically and mentally.

Instead of using Xue Lanyi's facade while feigning reluctance and trying to deceive him.

"Repeat what I just said and remember it."

"..."

Xue Lanyi couldn't bring herself to say something so explicit.

Wei Zhang had also lost patience and was no longer willing to give her another chance.

Since verbal instruction is ineffective, we must resort to other methods...

His deep eyes remained fixed on her face, but his fingertips slowly traced the characters "Yun Jian".

The fingers were cool, but the sparks that flew from rubbing together were hot, spreading out in circles.

Xue Lanyi had a bad feeling and hurriedly pushed his hand away.

The more she resisted, the harder Wei Zhang's wrist became.

She was born rebellious, so it took a little time to soften her and make her obedient.

He stared intently at her expression, his fingertips moving more forcefully.

Her body gradually tensed up.

Xue Lanyi didn't want to be like that, so she frantically tried to pull at the ribbon on her ankle.

It couldn't be untied, and instead became a dead end.

She pushed him.

He stood before her like a mountain, motionless, maintaining his usual solemn and aloof demeanor.

As she sat on the swing, she struggled, and the swing was pushed higher with the help of her.

She walked away from him, but soon swooped down again.

She was closer to him.

She punched and pushed him desperately.

The swing swayed back and forth, and every struggle seemed powerless and ridiculous, as if she were offering herself up eagerly.

This shame made her even more desperate and reckless.

The more ashamed she felt, the more she struggled, and the more she struggled, the more ashamed she felt; she was trapped in a vicious cycle.

Wei Zhang didn't need to move at all; she would fall into his palm again and again.

At one point, her breathing suddenly stopped and her body tensed up.

Finally, it quieted down.

How could Wei Zhang not know that she had acted recklessly and ended up getting herself into trouble?

In an instant, her eyes were empty, filled only with complete dependence on him and complete longing.

In the past, within the red silk tent, she would wrap her arms around his neck in this same way, making tender and affectionate requests.

This is the real him.

At that moment, Wei Zhang's breath hitched, and a surge of emotions welled up inside his head.

Suddenly, he didn't want to play this cat-and-mouse game with her anymore.

He lifted the armrest of the round-backed chair, and Xue Lanyi leaned back, her slender body completely nestled inside the chair in an upward-facing position.

A tall body gently covered him.

Wei Zhang's somber gaze was like an endless night, threatening to devour everything.

"No, no!" Her pupils dilated; she didn't want to do this in Ah Xuan's room, but all the words were stuck in her throat...

Above their heads, yellow silk, pulled down from the roof beams, swayed back and forth, its bright, pale yellow shimmering in the light.

In her hazy vision, she vaguely saw the red-clad boy who was lying on the roof beam tying a swing for her, the silver bells hanging from the end of his braid jingling clearly.

His face was so bright, and he looked at her with such doting eyes.

But another man was on top of her, frantically taking everything from her.

She slumped helplessly in the sandalwood chair, looking at the boy on the beam with a sense of despair.

A large hand cupped her face, forcing her gaze back to Wei Zhang.

Sweat dripped down the man's cold, sharp profile, landing incessantly on Xue Lanyi's neck, the burning sensation leaving its mark on her body time and again.

A bright, spring-like boy and a deep, somber, winter-like silhouette alternated before her eyes.

She so desperately wanted to run towards the former, but the undercurrents ruthlessly pushed her towards the latter.

A person about to drown instinctively grasps at the straw in front of them for salvation.

Wei Zhang looked at her slender fingers resting on his collar, and his cold, stern features softened slightly. "Explain yourself. Who am I?"

“Wei, Wei Zhang…”

“And another thing.” He caressed her, and all her reason was worn away.

Her face grew paler and paler, her temples were covered in sweat, and she still retained the last bit of her stubborn will.

Wei Zhang leaned down and whispered in her ear, his low, seductive voice entering her ear canal, "Xue Lanyi's husband."

The scalding breath entered her ear canal, and her body responded before she could.

That was her answer.

He cradled the back of her head and whispered, "Go."

Xue Lanyi's thoughts were immediately scattered...

And this rainy night has only just begun.

Outside the window, a fine drizzle dripped silently from the eaves, nourishing everything without a sound.

In the latter half of the night, a cold wind blew through the cracks in the window, making the torn window paper rustle.

In the room where the candle was almost burned out, the air was damp and humid, and the wet mist made it hard to breathe.

Xue Lanyi could no longer smell the fragrance of lilies.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind and carried her throughout the room.

The portrait Ah Xuan had drawn for her was so tightly gripped that a corner fell off, and it hung crookedly on the wall, swaying back and forth.

The girl's smiling face in the painting was blurred and looked even uglier than the turtle she painted.

All the Moholy toys on that wall cabinet have fallen off.

She cried, she laughed, she dozed off—she kept falling in front of him, like raindrops hitting the man's strong back.

Hundreds of small wooden puppets, their arms and legs broken, were trampled under Wei Zhang's feet, reduced to nothing more than a pile of broken pieces of wood.

Wei Zhang has been forcibly embedded into those pure white memories that are like a piece of candy, and can never be removed.

From struggling to heartbroken, Xue Lanyi was powerless to change anything, numbly watching as he destroyed her past and present.

After the fifth time, the sharp edges in Xue Lanyi's eyes were finally smoothed out, and she was pressed weakly against the mirror.

Wei Zhang placed one hand across her front, while his other strong arm rested against the mirror.

He was so tall, and with his recent martial arts training, his robust body resembled that of a lion, trapping the small girl in a corner, as if he could swallow her whole in one bite.

Xue Lanyi leaned against his impenetrable chest muscles, with nowhere to escape.

Wei Zhang rested his chin on her shoulder, looking over her at the woman's watery eyes in the mirror. A hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes, but the possessiveness in his dark eyes remained undiminished. His low, magnetic breath brushed against her neck. "Now, do you remember who I am?"

Xue Lanyi had never seen the two of them so entangled before.

She was so frightened that her legs went weak, and she moved even closer to his chest, which exuded a powerful aura.

So unshakeable, it seemed to bind her body and soul.

He won't get tired, but she will be afraid.

She called out weakly, "My...my lord..."

Cheng Guohuan's voice was still soft and weak, without any sharpness, but it was just as pleasant as when she used to call him.

Wei Zhang lifted her chin, showing her the girl in the mirror, muttering to herself and nestled obediently in his arms.

"Remember how you look now, and don't let me see that inappropriate expression again, okay?"

A cold wind blew, making the windows creak and the flames flicker.

The room was plunged into complete darkness.

I can't see anything anymore.

Only a beam of cold moonlight shone on Xue Lanyi's shoulder, revealing the pair of gloomy eyes behind her.

Xue Lanyi felt a chill run down her spine.

She knew that if she upset him again, the consequences would be even more painful and humiliating than they were today.

Xue Lanyi nodded, her thoughts in disarray.

Wei Zhang's aura softened, and he leaned down to kiss her pale cheek.

"Listen to me." The voice softened, as tender as it had been in the past when they were deeply in love in the red-curtained bedchamber.

Finally, he added, "If you listen to me, things will be the same as before."

Wei Zhang's words indicated that he did not intend to hold her accountable for reporting him, nor did he intend to hold her accountable for letting Wei Xuan go.

This isn't his usual style, but once he's spoken up, he won't go back on his word.

What more could Xue Lanyi ask for at this moment? She nodded again like a chick pecking at rice, her face flushed, just like a shy young girl.

In the unseen darkness, a hint of a smile crept into Wei Zhang's eyes...

The next day, Xue Lanyi fainted.

She would occasionally feel dizzy, but this time it lasted an unusually long time.

Wei Zhang carried her back to Chong'an Hall, but Xue Lanyi did not wake up until dawn.

When Su Yin was summoned to the bedroom, she saw through the gap in the curtains that the girl was curled up listlessly on the soft pillow, her fair body draped with a plain gauze quilt, and cold sweat was constantly dripping from her temples.

Her entire body was thin and bony, except for her slightly protruding lower abdomen, which resembled a pregnant, sick cat, only able to exhale but not inhale.

Even as an outsider, Su Yin felt sorry for Xue Lanyi. She quickly knelt down beside the bed to take Xue Lanyi's pulse, her own hands hanging outside the curtains pale and trembling.

Su Yin frowned inwardly, but dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction in front of Wei Zhang. She curtsied to him, who was sitting by the couch, and said, "Your Highness, my aunt suffered a hysterical attack before and did not take good care of herself. She also suffered in prison, which has damaged her body and mind. Naturally, she cannot bear too frequent sexual intercourse. Your Highness must be understanding in this matter."

"Hysteria?" Wei Zhang raised his eyes, his dark gaze sweeping over.

Su Yin felt as if she were carrying a thousand pounds on her shoulders, so she quickly lowered her head and deepened her curtsy.

Although Xue Lanyi's hysteria is indeed real.

However, since Xue Lanyi used the pretext of hysteria to enter the palace and accuse Wei Zhang, Wei Zhang would naturally assume that the matter of hysteria was fabricated out of thin air.

In the future, Wei Zhang will probably no longer believe the claim of hysteria. If he uses this illness to report matters again, Wei Zhang will only feel that others are just trying to deceive him.

However, since everything Su Yin said was true, she was suddenly being questioned and didn't know how to respond.

Her silence deepened Wei Zhang's dissatisfaction and suspicion towards her.

How could Wei Zhang not know that she was Xue Lanyi's accomplice in betraying him?

He had no time to deal with these insignificant people, and slowly fiddled with the black jade thumb ring with his thumb.

The cracks on the ring resembled deadly black threads, and Su Yin's life hung in the balance.

The bedroom was deathly silent.

Grandma Liu, who was standing to the side, was terrified, but she still remembered the kindness Su Yin had shown her by reminding her to be careful with her words last time.

Granny Liu swallowed hard, then bent down and said with a fawning smile, "Miss, your health has been weak for the past three years. Perhaps it's a congenital condition. It's your misfortune that you can't withstand too much rain and dew."

"The young lady herself is quite distressed. Last month, she even had me consult a fortune teller, who said that her greed and diligence would be detrimental to her pregnancy..."

The last four words made Wei Zhang's expression freeze.

Grandma Liu had just washed the girl and knew best how many bruises she had on her body, which were still red and swollen.

It's good that the girl is grateful for the favor, but her unrestrained demands are heartbreaking.

Granny Liu's words served two purposes: to help Su Yin out of a predicament and to advise the young master not to be too indulgent.

She noticed a slight change in the prince's expression when he mentioned "pregnancy".

She figured the prince was well past the age of settling down and starting a family, so he must be so ruthless for the sake of having offspring.

Grandma Liu suddenly understood and quickly followed up, saying, "The young lady was quite upset about what the fortune teller said, but later the fortune teller gave her some advice: He said that the Red Phoenix Star was moving in Chong'an Hall and the Heavenly Joy Star was shining brightly on her life palace. As long as she placed more pomegranate flowers and red agate in the house, she would surely be able to invite the Wenqu Star to descend to earth this winter."

"As the saying goes, good things often come with difficulties. Even the young master has his moments of worry, but this winter the young master and the young lady will surely achieve their wishes."

Grandma Liu's forced laughter echoed in the room, but no one responded.

Wei Zhang remained silent throughout, but the hand that was turning the ring stopped at some point.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked Su Yin, "Is Auntie alright?"

His voice was relaxed, and the oppressive aura eased slightly.

Su Yin breathed a sigh of relief, "It's nothing serious. Just brew some blood-nourishing and qi-boosting medicine to help you recover."

Wei Zhang raised his hand, signaling them to go and brew the medicine.

Su Yin felt as if she had been granted a pardon, so she knelt down, bowed, and hurriedly withdrew.

In the bedroom, Wei Zhang sat alone, with only Xue Lanyi's very soft breathing all around.

He gazed silently at the sleeping girl for a long time.

He took out the crimson belt that was folded in the pillowcase.

On the reverse side of the belt, in a barely noticeable nook or cranny, is embroidered a pomegranate flower.

This belt was embroidered by Xue Lanyi by lamplight under the window half a month ago.

Wei Zhang returned home late that day, and she waited for him under the eaves until midnight, wanting to let him try on the belt.

Wei Zhang was busy with official business at the time, so he put down his work and hurriedly went to his study.

Moreover, Wei Zhang did not like bright colors, so this belt was left in the chest and cabinet, and he never saw it.

This time, when Granny Liu mentioned pomegranate flowers, he suddenly remembered that she had sewn the belt in vermilion color, probably to better complement the color of the pomegranate flowers.

No wonder she hesitated to speak when he reprimanded her for using such frivolous colors.

It turns out that she had actually hoped to have a child with him?