Chapter 7: A cunning young master from a prestigious family, adept at mistaking promiscuity for romance and affection...

Yan Ning didn't take her words too seriously, and replied with a smile, "I know."

Li Yunru knew he didn't care, but there was no point in pestering him any further. She also didn't want to stay in this large, cold mansion any longer, so she said, "I'm tired, I don't want to walk. Carry me out."

"good."

Yan Ning always goes along with people in such trivial matters.

He didn't care whether his actions were humiliating, but doing it behind her back was extremely outrageous in the Yan family, where husbands were always respected and rules were followed. The maids and servants gossiped about it in private, and it didn't take long for the news to reach Cui's ears.

This woman, who had risen through the ranks of noble ladies in the previous generation and managed the household affairs of the Yan family for many years, was usually infallible and never showed her emotions. However, a slight crack appeared on her face, and her expression was darker than the night itself. She knelt before the Buddha with her eyes closed, constantly turning the prayer beads in her hand. The old nanny who had been with her for many years kept chanting beside her, "What kind of behavior is this? What kind of behavior is this!"

This was exactly the result Li Yunru wanted to see. When the servant who had stayed a little longer came to report, she felt a surge of joy and laughed out loud without any attempt to hide it.

Yan Ning frowned slightly as he watched her laugh so freely.

"What, are you feeling sorry for him?"

She immediately noticed the reaction of the person next to her. "Do you think I'm particularly bad now?"

Yan Ning shook her head, "The princess never hides or avoids people when she does things. This is her true nature and can't be considered bad."

“I used you,” Li Yunru said.

"I know."

"Then why are you cooperating with me?"

Yan Ning was a very filial son. Whether you remember or not, the two of them used to argue a lot about Cui Shi. In the end, neither of them would give in and there was no result. This is why Li Yunru later told him not to involve others.

No matter how badly Cui treated her, she had still raised her, and the bond between mother and child could not be severed.

However, she could not forget the cold treatment and rules that Cui had set for her because of this.

Therefore, avoiding involvement is the best outcome.

But today, she was furious and had indeed gone a bit too far in her calculations. She thought Yan Ning didn't know, but she naively thought that she didn't want to walk, so she had someone carry her around most of the Yan family compound. She never expected that he would know and cooperate with her.

Yan Ning disagreed, saying, "What cooperation? I'm just fulfilling my duties as a husband."

"Glib and smooth-talking!"

She spoke harshly, but her actions betrayed her true feelings. She said, "Yan Changjun, I am a person who cannot tolerate any injustice and will always seek revenge. So, do less things that will anger me, or today's events will continue."

Yan Ning turned the person's head around and placed it on his shoulder. His long, slender hand with thin calluses stroked the back of her hand repeatedly. He said, "I know, but Wan'er and I really have nothing between us. Princess, would you please give me more trust?"

Li Yunru should have retorted and told him directly that he was not being honest and that she could not trust him, but she was hiding something and felt guilty, so she couldn't bring herself to say it for a long time. However, she also couldn't bring herself to respond. So she lowered her eyes and let her gaze drift, finally settling on his large, well-defined hands.

Several small wall lamps were placed inside the carriage. Although it was late at night, the carriage was brightly lit, and the blue veins on the back of his hand were clearly visible, as were the wounds on his fingers caused by the strings of the zither.

"Does it hurt?" She placed her hand on his palm, her knuckles gently rubbing the wound. Her eyes darkened, and her voice softened, revealing her guilt.

Yan Ning touched the wound and said, "It still hurts, but how can this pain compare to the heart-wrenching pain of the princess's distrust?"

Here we go again!

He knows how to make conversation!

"Serves you right!" Li Yunru said, half-angry and half-reproachful. "Who told you to get so close to other girls behind my back? You young masters from noble families are used to mistaking promiscuity for being charming and affectionate. You have no sense of boundaries and then you accuse others first!"

Many young men in Jiankang are like this; brothels are their regular gathering places. When a group of them get together, they talk about love and romance, and have no serious interactions. Among acquaintances, they will even exchange beautiful maids for entertainment, as a sign of closeness and friendship.

Yan Ning's elder brother, Yan Jun, and Chen's husband, was one of the best among them. He was quite famous for his romantic affairs in Jiankang. He had two beautiful concubines, which were gifts from his friends.

Erlang Yan'an is better, but he is still young and has a large number of concubines. Not to mention the other sons of several noble families who frequently associate with him, all of whom are very good at playing around. As the saying goes, "one is influenced by one's company," how can she believe that this person can remain unaffected by his close association with these people?

Most people look up at the moon and see it, but beneath that moonlight lies much filth and depravity.

Yan Ning's brows were clear and her face was serene, with a faint smile on her face. She didn't argue with her, but simply pulled her closer, resting her cheek gently against the side of her hair. Inhaling the rich fragrance of locust blossoms, her mood gradually relaxed.

He had to admit that he had been missing people quite a bit these past few days.

He dreamt of the woman every day, her face contorted with tears. She asked why he couldn't help her, why he couldn't save her family. He was speechless. In the end... she gave him a letter of divorce.

From now on, you and I will go our separate ways, and our weddings and funerals will be none of our business!

Every time he wakes up from this dream, he is unable to come back to his senses for a long time. He has tried to ignore these things by talking about other things, but he can't.

Since she can't, she'll just continue to indulge in it. As for those things in the capital... she'll never need to know about them in her lifetime.

She has already married into the Yan family, so it should be none of her business. Since she is in Jiankang, he can protect her, and she will be safe for the rest of her life.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Li Yunru inexplicably became tender, and her heart was filled with softness. She slowly opened her arms, wrapped them around his waist, moved her head over, and leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

After spending a warm moment together, Li Yunru recalled what he had said in the back garden and tentatively asked, "What happened in the capital? Why does my lord seem so reluctant to talk about it?"

When Yan Ning heard her mention the capital, her expression changed, and the hand holding her waist paused for a moment. She said, "It's nothing, I'm just worried that you'll keep thinking about going back."

Li Yunru knew this was a lie. She had seen his subtle reactions when he heard her question. Yan Ningsu was a man who rarely showed his emotions, often appearing as if nothing could happen to him. Unless something really touched a nerve or it was something extremely important, he would never show such panic or tension. However, she also knew that if she continued to ask, she would not get an answer; he would not tell her the truth.

So she didn't press him further, but instead focused on his words, "I'm afraid you'll keep thinking about going back to the capital." She looked up at him and teased with a smile, "My lord, are you so reluctant to part with me?"

Yan Ning didn't react much, but gently responded with an "Mmm," then lowered his head and kissed her lips.

"Why did you suddenly..." His actions came suddenly, without any warning. Li Yunru was stunned, her body stiffening.

He didn't let go, his large hand tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and deepening the kiss.

Young people's emotions are like the wind, coming and going quickly. Young couples, separated for a short time, are even closer than newlyweds. Without saying much, a kiss can wipe away all grudges.

Li Yunru gradually relaxed and responded to him. The two of them fooled around all the way to the entrance of the princess's residence.

Her legs felt weak and she was too tired to move. So she spread her arms and climbed onto his neck, saying in a coquettish voice, "You're the one who made this. You have to take responsibility."

Yan Ning smiled gently and replied, "Okay."

He carried her into the house, and the two of them wrestled together again. It wasn't until the night watchman's drum had stopped and the rain had ceased that they were able to come to their senses.

Yan Ning sniffed the air and noticed the changes in the room.

"Why did you suddenly change the scent?" he asked.

"It's nothing. The old ones have been used for too long, and I wanted to try something new." Li Yunru answered him nonchalantly, then got up and called someone in, instructing the night watchman, "Go and boil some water. My husband and I need to wash up."

"yes."

The servants left, and Li Yunru turned around to see Yan Ning still standing there in a daze, seemingly lost in thought.

"What's wrong? Do you like the previous one?"

"No."

He was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's just replace it. This one is fine too."

She remembered that it was a gift from someone who had just arrived in Jiankang, and it represented his goodwill at the time, so she said, "If you prefer that one, I'll have Shuyun switch it back."

It's just an item for fuming the house, so it's not a big problem.

"No need, this is fine too, it's good."

"Um."

Since he said that, Li Yunru didn't say anything more. The two lingered for a while before a servant came over to tell her that the water was ready and could be used at any time. Only then did she get up and leave.

Shu Yun was her personal maid, and she always had to accompany her at times like this. Taking advantage of the moment when only the two of them, the closest mistress and servant, were present, Li Yunru finally felt a little relieved and instructed her, "Tomorrow, find some people and try to find out the news from the capital."

"Does the princess still remember what happened in the Yan family's backyard?" Shu Yun gathered her hair up in her palm and gently applied perfume to it.

Not entirely.

Although Li Yunru had always kept in touch with the capital, she had received a letter from her mother more than two months ago. The letter contained nothing else but instructions for her to live well with Yan Ning and take good care of her own health. As for themselves, it was "all well, my child need not worry."

Everything seemed ordinary, but it was the deep concern of parents for their children, revealing their profound love for their daughter.

If that were truly the case, then Yan Ning's reaction to the mention of the capital shouldn't have been like that, especially considering that there had been no letters from the palace this month, not even the acacia flower cakes that were traditionally sent as festival gifts. At first, she thought that the palace was too busy with affairs to handle them all, so it was normal for them to be late or not to arrive at all. But today's events made her suspect that there was definitely more to it than that.

Shu Yun had been with her for many years, and without needing to say much, she understood the meaning behind her words. She said, "This servant understands and will make arrangements as soon as possible. Moreover, this matter will be handled meticulously so that the Prince Consort will not know about it."

If it's something Yan Ning needs to know, she can certainly say it openly. Using the Yan family's power would be faster than understanding it herself. But the princess is so secretive about the prince consort, she definitely doesn't want him to know about this.

"Um."

Hearing Shu Yun's reply, she felt much more relaxed. She leaned lazily against the bathtub wall and said weakly, "Shu Yun, you're all I have now, and you're the only one I can trust."

Although Yan Ning treated her fairly well, he was still a member of the Yan family, and there was a distance between them. No matter how much she made a fuss, she could only make him understand where her bottom line was, but she couldn't make him be of one mind with her.

To put it bluntly, if the conflict between her and the Yan family reaches a certain point in the future and becomes completely irreconcilable, she clearly understands that in this choice between two options, she will not be Yan Ning's only choice.

Between them, all that remains now is this beautiful, seductive love in the bedroom—empty and ethereal.

A note from the author:

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I was supposed to update yesterday, but something came up and I was delayed. Anyway, here's the official update! No rankings, updates every other day, fixed at 11 PM and 11:30 PM. I write slowly, but I'll keep updating until it's finished. If you've read this far, please give it a like! [Sprinkling flowers]

Xiao Yan Lang Jun: She only desires my body and has no trust in me whatsoever.

Princess Baby: Trust? Come here, tell me what's going on with the incense in my room?

Little Swallow: ...Would you believe me if I said it was a misunderstanding? [Evil grin]