Chapter 60: "You only care about Qin Di, not me?..."

What does that mean? She didn't die from natural childbirth complications; it turns out the Lin family murdered her?

When was the medication administered?

Ji Wanyuan was stunned by this shocking blow. It took her a long time to recover her senses.

When she held her breath, ready to listen again, Lin Nianxi did not continue the conversation with her maid.

They then began discussing whether they should send someone to invite Wen Qiyan back since he hadn't returned.

"The people around Lord Wen have already found out his whereabouts."

Lin Nianxi said no need, "We're already married, and it's true that I'm sad that Brother Qiyan isn't coming, but there's still a long time to go."

"The closer we get to this point, the less we should rush."

"You mean...?"

Lin Nianxi smiled, “The more gentle, humble, and understanding I am, the less the Wen family and outsiders can find fault with me.”

"Yes, when Ji Wanyuan was alive, she was jealous and intolerant of others, but you, Miss, are kind and generous. You don't need to worry that the Master won't be attracted to you. Besides, there's also the friendship between our eldest son and the Master."

Lin Nianxi laughed upon hearing this, "That's right."

Ji Wanyuan was still processing the news she had just received when she heard someone knocking on the door. It turned out that it was Madam Wen who had sent her old maid to comfort her. She made an excuse for Wen Qiyan, saying that he had been busy with official duties at court these past two days, which had caused him to feel unwell, and asked her to bear with him.

Lin Nianxi was as understanding and poised as she had described. The people sent by Madam Wen, unaware of her true nature, were quite satisfied with her.

Listening to her witty remarks, Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but roll her eyes as she drifted around. If she could show herself, she would definitely become a vengeful ghost and scare Lin Nianxi so much that she would foam at the mouth and become mentally impaired.

Unfortunately, it was just a fleeting dream, and she was like a spectator, unable to intervene.

Unable to bear watching this two-faced woman put on an act any longer, Ji Wanyuan drifted away with the old woman beside Madam Wen.

Her son was always raised by Madam Wen.

To be honest, Madam Wen cared for him quite a bit, but she was preoccupied with her own worries and her health was deteriorating. She was willing but unable to do so, and her wet nurse took care of her the most.

Ji Wanyuan floated around, crouching by the bed railing, touching the child's exquisitely sculpted face through the void.

She made him laugh, even though he couldn't see her.

The old woman was relaying Lin Nianxi's words to Madam Wen, and then took the opportunity to praise this hypocritical woman.

Madam Wen sighed, "Qi Yan refuses to come back. Is he really after the Ji family girl?"

"It was because of Ji Wanyuan that we moved out."

"Madam, please rest assured, if the eldest son has truly taken a liking to Miss Ji, he will surely return as long as the child is here."

"But he never came to see the child even once."

Madam Wen then looked over and remarked, "This child not only resembles Qi Yan, but also Ji Wanyuan."

“Every time I see this child, I think of the Ji family girl. She cried to me at night, and it was terrifying…”

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanyuan turned around and sneered. So, Madam Wen was still afraid and felt guilty. Did she really think that she was living a carefree life with a comfortable bed and soft pillows?

"Don't overthink it. It's not your fault. The Ji family plotted a rebellion. The eldest daughter of the Ji family was not fortunate enough to survive the difficult childbirth. It was her fate."

"That's true, but don't you find it strange? Ji Wanyuan's pregnancy has always been fine, so how could it suddenly..."

It seems the Wen family has also become suspicious?

The elderly woman next to her said, "The Ji family has had a series of misfortunes. In the two months before her delivery, Miss Ji was depressed and ate less. She must have had a difficult childbirth because of this."

Madam Wen sighed, "Yun Qin is right. In the end, it is our Wen family that has wronged her. If it weren't for the master sending someone to impersonate Qi Yan to deliver a message, she might have been able to get through this."

"The old man was only thinking of the Wen family, please don't blame him."

The elderly woman beside her kept comforting her, "Don't worry too much, the child is still here after all..."

Madam Wen looked over here.

But Ji Wanyuan didn't know why, as she watched, Madam Wen seemed to sense her presence, and suddenly shivered, startled and shrinking back.

The old woman next to her hurriedly stepped forward and called out loudly to Madam, while Ji Wanyuan watched coldly from the side.

The scene in her dream suddenly became blurry. Ji Wanyuan turned around, wanting to look at the child again, but in an instant, the world spun around her, and the baby in the swaddling clothes was getting further and further away from her. No matter how she floated, she couldn't catch up.

After a long while, the scene fell into darkness. When the image reappeared, it showed a sky filled with rain and thunder. Inside the mourning hall, many people were crying.

Who has died again?

Before even seeing the coffin, she could already hear the servants whispering, "It's her child!"

Ji Wanyuan rushed over immediately, but perhaps she rushed too hard, because before she even reached the coffin in the mourning hall, she was woken up!

She suddenly shuddered, breaking out in a cold sweat, and instantly opened her eyes!

"..."

Facing the handsome man's expression filled with endless worry, Ji Wanyuan gasped for breath.

"...Are you awake?" He gently patted her back.

It took Ji Wanyuan a long time to recover from her dream.

How did she suddenly wake up?

It turned out that the sound of rain she heard in her dream was not a hallucination; it was actually raining outside, and it seemed to be even heavier than the rain that fell the day before yesterday.

"What did you dream about?" The man's deep voice sounded above her head.

Ji Wanyuan looked up and realized that she was actually in Wen Qiyan's arms. "You...when did you come back?"

She tried to get up on her own, but having just woken up, she had no strength left.

She was covered in cold sweat, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

"I've been back for a while."

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanyuan froze. She wondered if Wen Qiyan had heard her talking nonsense.

Previously, when Emerald mentioned her nightmares, she would often mutter some incoherent words.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She avoided the man's question and, with his help, bent over and climbed up.

Wen Qiyan held her in his arms and naturally noticed her stiffness a while after he told her he was coming back.

He remained calm and silent.

After she got up, she left his embrace and her gaze shifted to her protruding belly.

Although the woman in front of him concealed her emotions well, Wen Qiyan could easily tell that she had regained what she had lost.

Therefore, the name she mentioned earlier is most likely the name of the child in her womb.

After waking up, Ji Wanyuan began to resist him again.

The tender intimacy between the two gradually disappeared after she woke up.

She clutched her chest to calm herself. "I was just having a nightmare. I didn't actually dream about anything; I was just talking nonsense."

To comfort her and to test her, Wen Qiyan told her the time he would return home. He heard that she was having a nightmare and called his name several times but she still didn't wake up. He was afraid that shaking her too much would cause her an accident, so he didn't do that.

"You kept calling out 'Father' and 'Empress' just now, did you dream that something happened to the Ji family?"

Ji Wanyuan's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Wen Qiyan and asked, "Is this just a guess, or did I say something else in my dream that made you think that way?"

"Just a guess."

He tucked her in, afraid she would catch a cold, because the rain outside was heavy and the windows were not completely closed.

Guess?

That scoundrel has such a keen intuition.

In the dim light, Ji Wanyuan felt his gaze lingering on her.

At this moment, the dream kept replaying in her mind, and the unease in her heart grew stronger. She longed to go back as soon as possible, because only by going back could she feel a sense of belonging.

To her, the Wen family was becoming more and more like a den of wolves and tigers.

Lost in thought, she didn't want to talk to Wen Qiyan and ignored his gaze.

But she couldn't go back yet, because Madam Wen had confined her to her quarters!

Ji Wanyuan immediately told Wen Qiyan about what had happened during the day.

"I didn't do anything wrong, you posted it yourself..."

Ultimately, Wen Qiyan still needed to mediate this matter. Since she needed his help, she couldn't say anything too harsh, so she swallowed the word "mad."

“You fought with your brother-in-law and seriously injured him. Now your mother-in-law is blaming me for what I did wrong, but instead she's grounded me.”

When Wen Yunqin was mentioned, Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but think of the time in her dream when he stood up for her, went to pay respects to her, and burned money for her.

"How could you hit your uncle so hard? I heard you beat him so badly that he suffered severe internal injuries and even vomited blood. He's still your own brother."

As soon as Ji Wanyuan finished speaking, she felt the man's face darken.

Before she could speak again, Wen Qiyan said coldly, "You feel sorry for Qin-di?"

"I..." She was indeed heartbroken, but more than that, she felt a pang of regret.

Wen Qiyan is ruthless; she can be cruel to her own brother, so it's not surprising that she's so fierce to her.

"I'm not..."

Oh no! I was so engrossed in my dream that I completely forgot how petty and jealous that jerk is.

That day, it was because she mentioned Wen Yunqin that Wen Qiyan went crazy and said that it would be better to die together. She was so flustered that she forgot about it.

"You feel sorry for Qindi's injury, but you don't feel sorry for me."

The man sneered, "Ji Wanyuan, who exactly is your husband?"

"I...I already said that's not what I meant." She really wanted to curse.

But she absolutely couldn't anger Wen Qiyan at this crucial juncture, since he was the only one who could lift her confinement.

Having shared a bed with him for half a year, Ji Wanyuan had also figured out some of his temperament.

Wen Qiyan is easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force, especially when it comes to matters involving Wen Yunqin.

Then she changed the subject, "Of course you are my husband, but I didn't mean anything by mentioning my brother-in-law. I was just thinking about this matter. After all, I was confined to my quarters because of what you two did to each other!"

After saying that, she added, "I don't feel sorry for him at all, I only feel sorry for you."

Heartache?

Wen Qiyan scoffed, throwing her a retort, "Miss Ji, listen to yourself, are your words even a little bit sincere? Is there even a hint of sympathy in them?"

He's really calculating.

Ji Wanyuan had no choice but to take a roundabout approach. She sidled up to him, looked at his cold face turned away, and carefully climbed into his arms.

Seeing that he didn't resist, she couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly, but on the surface she looked all innocent and pitiful.

She hugged Wen Qiyan's narrow waist and nestled comfortably in his arms.

It was at this moment that Ji Wanyuan noticed that he hadn't changed his clothes when he came back from outside. His outer garment was still on and even a little damp, as if it had been soaked by her cold sweat and tears, or as if he had been caught in the rain.

Her gaze fell on the man's jade pendant, and she coaxed him, "I really only care about you, not about anyone else."

She dared not mention Wen Yunqin's name again.

"Is that so?" The man lowered his eyes to look at her delicate and charming features.

She had cried so hard during her nightmare that her face was still rosy, with a few strands of hair sticking to the bridge of her nose, making her look both pitiful and delicate.

What exactly did she dream about?

Wen Qiyan looked at her black hair. He was angry, but he also knew that she was acting. However, he still couldn't help but reach out and move the wet hair on her temples and the bridge of her nose away.

Feeling the man's gentle touch, Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but look up and see his cool profile, then meet his deep black eyes. For some reason, she felt a little guilty.

At that moment, Ji Wanyuan thought of the several arguments Wen Qiyan had with his father after her death. After his father left, he kept staring out the window in deep thought. What was he thinking?

"Of course," she said, rising slightly and raising her voice.

It was rare for her to be obedient for a moment, and Wen Qiyan didn't want to separate from her so soon. He pressed his large hand against her back and pulled her back into his arms.

Ji Wanyuan's small face was pressed against his chest, even squeezed and slightly deformed, her cheeks pouting.

She was very dissatisfied with the man's domineering attitude, but then she thought about bringing up the house arrest issue with him, so she suppressed her anger.

With a plan churning in her mind, Ji Wanyuan began her roundabout approach, "Wen Qiyan, I just dreamt about..."

She actually brought this up.

"What did you dream about?" He put his arm around her, wanting to hold her tighter, but afraid of pressing on her stomach, so he just covered her with a brocade quilt.

Ji Wanyuan noticed the man's care and thought about the shady dealings she had discovered over the past few days.

…Wen Qiyan fell in love with her.

Since the dream was a continuation of the storybook and felt so real, it was probably a foregone conclusion that the Lin family wanted to harm her.

But when she tried to recall the events in the storybook, she couldn't remember where she had any contact with the Lin family, or how they had done it. The Lin family's dealings were mostly with the Wen family, and they had no connection with her...

Her father was busy with mining and dealing with the emperor. Even if she told him about this, he would probably be too exhausted to handle it. More importantly, her father never believed her and thought she was being silly. He also didn't want her to get involved.

Besides, everyone in the imperial court is watching the Ji family closely. Will they alert them?

As for Wen Qiyan...

The child in her womb is also Wen Qiyan's child.

Whether he believes it or not, we need to give him a warning.

So Ji Wanyuan thought for a moment, then put on a look of fear and worry.

"Wen Qiyan, I dreamt that I died from postpartum hemorrhage during childbirth."

"What did you say?" The man suddenly paused, his brows furrowing.

She raised her voice, "I said I died in childbirth, and the following year you married a woman from the Lin family!"

"The reason I died was because the Lin family drugged me in order to help their daughter get you!"

After finishing her explanation in one breath, Ji Wanyuan nestled back down, tilting her head back and anxiously awaiting his answer.

Wen Qiyan looked down at her, and she met his gaze, but... because his eyes were too deep, she couldn't decipher their meaning.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" he scolded her after a moment.

How come she's just like her parents?!

Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but stand up. "You don't believe what I say either?"

Is it just because she's a dream? Well, it is indeed a dream, but everything in her dream actually happened.

"You will not die."

She propped herself up on her hands, pressing them against his abs through his clothes, supporting the weight of her upper body. Wen Qiyan didn't feel pain; instead, he felt a slight itch.

He gripped her wrist, lifted her by the waist, and pulled her upwards.

Caught off guard by the man's actions, Ji Wanyuan let out a soft "Ah!" and nestled her face back into his arms.

Wen Qiyan lifted her up a little, and this time she didn't lean against Wen Qiyan's chest, but against his collarbone.

The man's cool, refreshing scent wafted into her nostrils, which Ji Wanyuan didn't like. She felt it was aloof and domineering, as if it wanted to envelop her entirely.

She shifted, her delicate nose brushing against the man's neck. The man hissed and looked down at her, asking why she was rubbing against him like that.

Even though it was very subtle, Ji Wanyuan still sensed his intention.

No... This bastard is just blinded by lust. She didn't do anything. He was just holding her, and that's how it happened?

She glanced down, but the light was dim and the quilt obscured her view, so she couldn't see anything.

If you want to trace it back to its source, you can; you just need to move your legs and feet to get to it.

But they were on serious business right now, and she didn't have the energy to argue with Wen Qiyan.

Since he has feelings for her, shouldn't he at least do something for her if he doesn't use her body to bribe her? Otherwise, what makes him claim to love her?

"Do you not trust me, or do you trust your sister Nianxi too much?"

hateful!

She was furious and used her hand to push the man's chin away, widening the distance between them.

I always thought she was like a kitten, and now she's behaving exactly the same way.

The man clicked his tongue and readjusted his holding position.

He didn't lean on her anymore, and Ji Wanyuan sat on his lap. She no longer needed to hug his waist, because his long arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly in his embrace.

"Whose Nianxi is she?" He was very dissatisfied with her tone.

Ji Wanyuan turned her head away, "Who else could it be? It's naturally Young Master Wen, the Grand Chancellor's sister Nianxi!"

The man stared at her face for a long time, and Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but feel flustered and wonder if she had said something wrong.

Who knew he would suddenly blurt out, "...Ji Wanyuan, are you jealous?"

"Where am I—"

She stopped short of speaking when she noticed the change in the man's expression. It seemed that Wen Qiyan was somewhat pleased about something that she might have been jealous of, but which she didn't actually feel.

He's gone crazy again. Which eye of his saw that she was jealous?

This was Ji Wanyuan's first thought, but she quickly changed her mind.

Wen Qiyan was pleased that she was jealous, which must mean that he cared about her words and actions.

He realized she was jealous, which meant she cared about him, so he was happy.

Thinking of this, Ji Wanyuan didn't clarify. Instead, she gave a coquettish hum and poked the man's hard chest with her delicate index finger, again and again.

"Some people only allow officials to set fires, but forbid ordinary people to even light lamps!"

She was referring to the time when he was petty and nitpicky about Wen Yunqin.

Even knowing she was acting, he couldn't help but smile with pleasure, fully immersed in her ambiguous and sweet words.

Seeing that he was falling for her act, Ji Wanyuan continued to nudge him, "Don't change the subject, I'm telling the truth!"

Afraid that he would ask too many questions and give himself away, Ji Wanyuan said, "Even if it's not true, I'm still scared. Anyway... anyway, the child in my belly is your flesh and blood. Even if you don't love me, you should still take precautions for him, right?"

"Who says I don't love you?" the man said.

Ji Wanyuan's heart pounded with fear. She thought of how Wen Qiyan had subtly pressured her to formally reciprocate his feelings for her some time ago, and this time, she had chosen to avoid him as well.

Ignoring her words, he skipped over the topic, saying, "Lin Nianxi always liked to argue with me. She really cares about you. It's one thing to put on an act in public, but now that she's well past the age of marriage, she still hasn't chosen a husband and comes to the Wen family every few days. Even a blind or stupid person would know what she's up to."

"What idea?" She hadn't spoken to him like this in a long time, and even if she was just pretending, she wanted to hear more.

Therefore, Wen Qiyan asked the question knowing the answer already.

The person in her arms was indeed annoyed. She poked his chest harder and harder, saying irritably, "What other idea could it be!"

"Of course I'm after you!" She poked so hard that her fingertips hurt. "Wen Qiyan, don't play dumb with me!"

As she withdrew her hand, Ji Wanyuan turned her face away and couldn't help but hiss slightly.

"Miss Ji just said that some people only allow officials to set fires, while forbidding ordinary people to even light lamps..."

The man's tone was low and meaningful.

Ji Wanyuan instantly understood that he was referring to her avoiding his feelings.

But that's how she wants to be, what can he do?

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, and the sound of the rain pattering on the blue stone eaves made a crisp sound.

Ji Wanyuan wondered if she should say something conciliatory to give the other party a way out, since Wen Qiyan wasn't her father or mother who could indulge her tantrums and act spoiled.

Before she could even begin to speak, the man spoke first.

"I told you you wouldn't die."

He stroked her glistening, angry face, smoothing all her black hair to one side, revealing a rare gentleness and purity in her.

"I won't let you die, Ji Wanyuan."

The woman in his arms perked up her ears like a cat, secretly glancing over out of the corner of her eye.

Wen Qiyan watched her every move with amusement.

"Really?" she asked.

"Um."

Even after receiving those words, Ji Wanyuan still felt there was no guarantee. "How can I believe you if you're just making empty promises?"

Do you know how horribly I died in my dream?

"Oh? How bad was it?" He feigned calmness, trying to elicit her answer.

The man lowered his eyelashes to conceal the turbulent emotions in his eyes. Ji Wanyuan couldn't see how intense his emotional fluctuations were. Ever since she told him that she dreamed she died in childbirth, he had been anything but calm.

"I..." Should she say it?

Tell Wen Qiyan everything, big and small?

Her mind was racing, weighing the pros and cons of speaking or not speaking.

If she were to reveal it, wouldn't that mean entrusting all her secrets to the man in front of her?

But actually... as things have progressed to this point, he has also figured out some clues.

In a couple of days, she'll be five months pregnant. Time is running out. Should she take a gamble and place her bet on Wen Qiyan?

That's not entirely accurate, because it wasn't really gambling; at most, it was just a dream, nothing more...

Ji Wanyuan was still pondering whether or not to speak.

Even though she didn't say anything, Wen Qiyan could see through her expression and understand her inner thoughts.

If you want Ji Wanyuan to speak, you have to give her some leverage.

What she says next will likely reveal the key to how she learned the inside story of the emperor's bestowal of the marriage.

"Today, when I entered the palace, His Majesty urged me to hand over evidence of your Ji family's collusion, illegal mining, and unauthorized extraction."

The man's words interrupted her thoughts.

Ji Wanyuan stared at him blankly. "What did you say?" Wen Qiyan repeated what he had just said.

After he finished speaking, he reached out and smoothed her cascading black hair behind her ear.

“Ji Wanyuan.” He sighed softly.

"I've privately revealed so many court secrets to you, don't you know whose man I am and which side I'm on?"

Ji Wanyuan's heart pounded. "..." She thought she had misheard.

No... why did Wen Qiyan suddenly say that to her? What did he mean by that?

She didn't respond for a long time, and he waited for her quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" She was still not entirely sure, afraid that she might have misunderstood.

The man sighed again, this time with a hint of disappointment, and reached out to pinch her cheek hard.

"Miss Ji used to pride herself on being incredibly intelligent, but now she can't even understand these two short sentences of mine?"

Ji Wanyuan no longer cared about the pinch on her cheek; she urged him to answer directly, "Whose person are you? And whose side are you on?"

"What do you think?" he said calmly and casually.

Ji Wanyuan wanted to stay calm, but she just couldn't calm down.

"If you don't tell me, I can't guess." She could indeed guess, and vaguely understood what the man meant, but the matter was of great importance and could not be taken lightly.

Wen Qiyan looked at her, and Ji Wanyuan returned his gaze. The two looked at each other. The rain outside was not as heavy as before, but it was not light either.

The man seemed unwilling to speak, but Ji Wanyuan had lost her patience. "Are you lying to me when you say that?"

"What am I lying to you about?" he replied quickly.

You tricked me into opening my heart to you.

"Would you open your heart to me?" She wasn't too stupid, but she was very guarded.

Ji Wanyuan's lips moved slightly as she was held by Wen Qiyan, unsure of what to say.

After thinking it over, she simply hugged him, buried her face in his chest, snuggled against him, and acted coquettishly.

"Just tell me, don't keep me in suspense. You know perfectly well that I'm not that smart. If you don't explain it clearly, how am I supposed to understand?"

She really did act coquettishly with him for a while, hugging his narrow waist and swaying back and forth, her whole body swaying along with him.

He shook her like that for a while, and Wen Qiyan's eyes grew darker as he watched her, but he still didn't seem inclined to speak.

Ji Wanyuan felt it was dangerous and boring, and didn't want to continue, but as soon as she stopped, the man lifted her up by the waist, pinched her chin, and kissed her.

"Hmm..."

He kissed her lips, and Ji Wanyuan, caught off guard, naturally resisted.

But when she thought about what she had heard today, and that she still had something to ask Wen Qiyan, she gave up resisting and let him kiss her, occasionally responding in return.

The man's kiss wasn't fierce or forceful, but it was especially lingering, lingering on her lips and deepening with each kiss. Gradually, Ji Wanyuan felt a little overwhelmed. She couldn't breathe, so she simply grabbed the man's shoulders and let out a soft whimper, trying to remind him that it was enough.

Wen Qiyan did pause slightly, but before stopping and withdrawing, he actually bit her lip.

Ji Wanyuan winced in pain, ignoring her still-simmering anger, and stammered as she questioned him about his meaning.

"How dare you bite me!"

She reached out and touched her lips, which were slightly swollen, and perhaps even bore bite marks.

This isn't the time to dwell on these things. She'd already given him a kiss, a small reward, so Ji Wanyuan said, "You can talk now, right?"

She didn't expect that Wen Qiyan had also tasted the sweetness, and was still pretending to be stupid, asking her what she was saying.

Ji Wanyuan was shocked. She had been kissed like this, and even bowed her head to show her affection, and this was all he did?

Calling him a scoundrel is absolutely right!

Ji Wanyuan was furious, feeling taken advantage of, but unable to get her revenge, so she simply snorted and tried to jump off the man's lap.

To avoid being taken advantage of by some despicable scoundrel again, and then being unable to file a complaint.

But before she could jump, the man pulled her back by the waist.

Ji Wanyuan lowered her head and tried to pry his arms off, "Wen Qiyan! Let me go!" But not only did he not let go, he even added another arm, holding her tightly.

A deep, resonant voice rang in her ear, "What's all the fuss about?"

"Why did you kiss me if you're not telling me the truth?"

After she finished speaking, she snorted angrily and even raised her hand to wipe her lips, spitting repeatedly, trying to expel all the breath he had left behind.

Unexpectedly, Wen Qiyan also learned her trick. He raised his hand and pinched her lips to stop her from speaking, and to stop her from spitting out or wiping them.

Ji Wanyuan had no choice but to glare at him with hatred. If looks could kill, Wen Qiyan's body would probably have been pierced through by now.

She sobbed, her warm breath brushing against the man's knuckles.

"She's so impatient," he said of her.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanyuan became even angrier, unable to help but grimace, her eyebrows and eyes practically radiating anger.

Wen Qiyan coaxed the kitten, stroking its fur gently, and finally spoke after chuckling and saying "It's alright."

But the way he put it was that...

“When I visited your Ji family earlier, I found a lot of tribute items used in foreign regions in your courtyard and rooms, items that are not even found in the palace.”

"I heard that His Majesty did not bestow these items or tributes upon my father-in-law and brother-in-law. If they were not bestowed as gifts, then where did these things come from?"

Ji Wanyuan felt a pang of panic. She blinked, seemingly not expecting Wen Qiyan to suddenly bring this up.

It's been so long, yet Wen Qiyan still managed to bring it up. Back then, he had been peering into her boudoir, and sure enough, he became suspicious.

He released her lips, and Ji Wanyuan gasped for breath, swallowing hard. "What did you say?"

He remained silent, watching as she nervously began to make excuses.

"I...I told you back then that those things were all fakes..."

What suddenly came up that made her panic?

"Should we go back to the Ji family tomorrow and have someone verify it to see who dares to give Miss Ji counterfeit goods?"

Ji Wanyuan glared at him through gritted teeth, "Wen Qiyan, are you sick in the head?"

"So much time has passed, haven't you seen the imperial physician to check your eyes and head? If not, I'll send someone to find one for you right now."

If I keep talking, the kitten in my arms will probably get all puffed up again.

He frowned. "Ji Wanyuan, sometimes I don't even know if you're pretending to be stupid or if you're really foolish."

"You think I'm interrogating you when I bring these things up?"

Ultimately, she still didn't trust him.

"If you're not torturing me, then what are you?"

Her mind was a complete mess; though it was working, she couldn't sort out her thoughts.

"Although I have noticed that the Ji family may be having dealings with people from other regions, I have never reported it to the Emperor. Don't you understand?"

So... that's what he meant?

What evidence do you have to prove you didn't say that?

Tsk.

Wen Qiyan couldn't resist pinching her cheek again, but this time Ji Wanyuan didn't tolerate it. She raised her hand and slapped the man's cheek, saying, "Don't pinch me!"

"If I had spoken up, wouldn't the people from the Censorate have gone to the Ji family to gather evidence immediately? Would you have been allowed to remain unscathed until now?"

Ji Wanyuan pursed her lips, feeling increasingly flustered, her heart pounding faster than ever.

"So... what exactly do you want to tell me?"

She understood. When Wen Qiyan brought up this matter, he meant that although he hadn't gotten any information about the Ji family from her, his several visits to the Ji family had revealed evidence of their faction and cliques.

What I'm trying to say is...

He grabbed her wrist and placed her soft, delicate hand on his hard chest.

Ji Wanyuan felt the man's pounding heart pounding against her palm, so violently that it was deafening in the quiet, rainy night.

She was startled by his actions and instinctively tried to pull away, but Wen Qiyan wouldn't let her. He held her wrist and then said...

"Is it really that hard to understand why I've sided with your Ji family and become one of your people?"

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Author's Note: I'm here! This chapter has 2300 more words. I'm going to eat now, finish up some work, and then go to sleep. Chapter 61 will be updated tomorrow night, without any paragraph breaks, and the word count won't be less.

As always, 50 lucky red envelopes will be randomly dropped in this chapter [rainbow fart].

Goodnight, little ones.