Hongli felt that Su Yushan was unusually gentle today; these were words she shouldn't have said. "No! You're not Yushan! Get out! Get out!"

Upon hearing this, the man was on the verge of tears. "Fourth Master, it really is me! I just had a nightmare and was very scared, so I wanted to come and see you. Why are you even trying to drive me away? If you don't want to see me, then I won't come again."

How could he not want to see her? Hongli stared at her intently, and the person before him was indeed Su Yushan. Although he had drunk some wine at noon, surely he wasn't seeing things? Besides, she carried the familiar scent of jasmine, so Hongli no longer doubted her. He comforted her gently and let her help him into the tent…

The dream had turned into reality. When he woke up, Hongli had a terrible headache. There was no one beside him, and his clothes were still intact, showing no signs of being taken off. Could it be that the pleasure just now was just a dream?

He must have missed Su Yushan so much that he dreamt of being tender and affectionate with her.

When he woke up, dusk had fallen, and the summer night was a deep, dark blue. All around was quiet except for the chirping of insects. Hongli felt empty inside, as if he had been abandoned by the world. His longing needed comforting, so he didn't hesitate any longer and headed towards Huatang Pavilion in the cool breeze.

At that moment, Su Yushan was leaning on a recliner in the courtyard, watching the stars emerge and gradually brighten in the night sky.

I still remember when summer was just beginning, Hongli took her to see the starry sky and catch fireflies. The two of them were inseparable, as if they were the only two people in the world.

However, happy days are always short-lived. He eventually got married and had a wife, and her existence became utterly ridiculous.

Looking back on those sweet memories now seems particularly ironic. Those memories should be sealed away, locked away, never to see the light of day again. The dust of the past will no longer float, and it will no longer choke her heart with bitterness.

In truth, she had considered leaving this place, but she was not alone after all; her brothers and sisters were still here. Where could she escape to? Given Hongli's temperament, if she escaped, he might take his anger out on her family.

Ultimately, she had too many concerns and lacked the courage to resist. So, to save her life, she had no choice but to compromise herself.

She was overthinking and couldn't calm her mind. Perhaps it was because of the wind, but her throat felt very uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but cough a few times. Suddenly, she heard someone behind her remind her...

"The doctor told me not to be exposed to the wind, and to be careful not to catch a cold again."

It wasn't Chang Yue, but Hongli. She hadn't noticed when he arrived. Su Yushan didn't want to ask any more questions and said calmly, "I've been sleeping for a few days and I felt stuffy, so I came out for some fresh air."

She would answer his questions without giving him a cold shoulder, though her voice was devoid of warmth.

I still remember when we first met last year, she said she considered him a friend. At that time, all her emotions were written on her face. When she was happy, she smiled like a flower, and when she was angry, she would lash out at him without any regard for status or etiquette.

Although he was helpless against her, he liked that way of getting along. But now, she had learned to control her temper, hide her emotions, and not reveal her true thoughts in front of him. He even felt that she was not even a friend to him, and all that was left was small talk.

He couldn't change the situation, but he couldn't help wanting to care for her. "It's getting windy, let's go back inside!"

Just as she had said, whatever he said went. Su Yushan didn't refute, silently getting up and walking inside. He longed to hear her playful rebuttal, longed to see her innocent and carefree smile, but she remained expressionless, as calm as a still lake, without a ripple.

July 26th is the nine-day return visit for the Fujin (wife of the deceased). Su Yushan had always thought it should be the three-day return visit, but the current custom is that it is nine days.

However, this was Hongli's business and had nothing to do with her. She had thought a lot about it these days and had gradually accepted the fact that Hongli had married his wife.

Life had to go on. She was just an ordinary woman who only wanted peace and quiet and to stay alive. She didn't want to cause any trouble.

Despite marrying a princess, Hongli only stayed at Lanzhao Courtyard on their wedding night; the rest of the time he spent with Su Yushan.

She has been recuperating recently. Hongli is in the prime of his life and it's inevitable that he would have some thoughts, but he is unwilling to go to anyone else and continues to endure it until Su Yushan recovers.

When he tried to be intimate with her, attempting to awaken her feelings for him, she remained unmoved, neither dodging nor responding, like a piece of wood, without the slightest emotion. This state of mind made him extremely embarrassed.

Looking up into her dark eyes, Hongli felt as if he had fallen into an abyss, with no hope of redemption. "Yushan, do you hate me that much?"

Su Yushan closed her eyes slightly and replied in a calm voice, "Fourth Master, you are overthinking it. Do whatever you want, I will not refuse."

But her reaction was even more agonizing than a direct rejection. "How long are you going to torture me? What do I have to do to stop you from being angry?"

She wasn't tormenting him; she was just trying to convince herself to adapt. But if she had to smile and flatter him, she simply couldn't manage it. "Fourth Master, you can do as you please; you don't need to consider my feelings."

But how could he disregard her attitude? What he wanted was a loving and tender relationship, not forced possession.

She is a person, the person he values ​​most in his heart, not a plaything. He cannot ignore her will.

With a helpless sigh, Hongli finally lost the will to continue. The desire to bathe in his eyes gradually faded. He propped himself up, got out of the tent, washed his face with cold water, and after a moment, he got up and left Huatang Pavilion.

The relationship between him and Su Yushan has reached a dead end, and he still can't figure out how to resolve it.

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