Chapter Forty-Six: Shattered Dreams

In the banquet hall, Yun Yao had just finished speaking when everyone fell silent. Everyone was watching the lady's reaction, but she remained silent.

She held Yun Yao's hand under the table, tightening it instantly before slowly releasing it.

Logically speaking, Yun Yao's request was quite reasonable, even surprising to many. After all, after his wife made such a promise, he sought neither fame nor fortune, but only wanted to return to his hometown to fulfill his filial duties. Given his favor with his wife, she should have agreed, considering her usual behavior.

But the lady's silence surprised everyone. Was there something between this young lover and the lady that outsiders didn't know?

Seeing that his wife remained silent, Yun Yao grew anxious and couldn't help but whisper, "Madam, you keep asking me what I want, but I really don't want anything. I just want to go back to my hometown. I promise I will come back on time. Please... please grant me your request."

At this moment, the lady patted Yun Yao's hand. Her eyes revealed neither joy nor anger, but her voice remained gentle as she said, "Yun'er, don't worry. We'll discuss this matter further. As for the memorial service, we can leave it to Cuiwei Manor. They will definitely handle it properly for you."

“Madam…” Yun Yao looked at his wife in disbelief, unable to utter a word for a moment. His heart felt like it was being submerged in a river flowing against the current, suffocating and shattering.

The third young lady looked at him with worry, then at the madam, feeling a pang of heartache and helplessness. At that moment, she noticed her eldest brother, sitting on the other side of the madam, seemed to let out a slight sigh of relief. Such an expression was rare for her brother. The third young lady frowned, sensing a strange atmosphere, as if something was quietly unfolding unnoticed…

The banquet ended in this atmosphere, which was filled with both strangeness and sadness. Before leaving, the Third Miss really wanted to comfort Yun Yao, but she couldn't find the opportunity.

As night deepened, Yun Yao sat on the edge of the bed. His wife came out of the bathroom, walked over to him, and reached out to hug him, but he dodged her.

Under the lady's surprised gaze, Yun Yao looked at her and said in a trembling voice, "Madam, did I do something wrong? Am I a prisoner? Or, in your eyes, am I just a toy that shouldn't have any thoughts?"

Yun Yao couldn't help but tear up. He looked at his wife with sorrow, "I just want to go home once, Madam. It's been three years. I've been like a ghost. I can accept all of that. But even if you send someone to watch over me, that's fine. I just want to go home once. Why can't I even do that?"

The lady gazed at him silently, sighed, and, despite Yun Yao's resistance, pulled him tightly into her arms.

As if to prove something, she placed delicate kisses on Yun Yao's face and lips, with a coaxing, lingering touch.

When Yun Yao struggled and shed tears, the lady stopped kissing him, but she still held him tightly, as tightly as an airtight cage.

The lady gazed at Yun Yao's tearful eyes, her tone full of pity, yet her words were icy: "Yun'er, I love your obedience and understanding, your intelligence and kindness. How could I want you to be without your own thoughts? Aren't you my soulmate? All these years, you've been the only one by my side. Don't you understand my heart?"

The lady sighed and kissed his lips, "You are my beloved Yun'er... I can give you anything you want, except for this."

Yun Yao closed his eyes. He finally understood that the lady's love for him was a love that carried the absolute control of a superior, a thorny grace that he could not refuse.

In the darkness, his despair and sorrow surged like a silent tsunami.

Seemingly sensing Yun Yao's unusual behavior, the lady stroked his cheek again and coaxed him softly, "Yun'er, my darling, I promise you, when the time is right, I will definitely let you go back, okay?"

Yun Yao saw the truth clearly, and he stopped responding, turning his back to her.

The night passed without incident, with only the hazy smoke of sandalwood lingering in the silent room.

After that day, the young masters and ladies of Muxiyuan began to get busy. The eldest young master set off for the Northwest, and the third young lady flew abroad.

The atmosphere in the garden became solemn and cautious as the lady began to take control of the situation again.

A month later, on a sunny afternoon, Butler Xing appeared at Lanyue Hall, where Yun Yao practiced dancing. He was acting on the orders of the Madam to summon Yun Yao to the main courtyard's flower hall.

On the way there, the usually stern-faced old butler, seeing Yun Yao's sullen expression, couldn't help but advise, "Yun Yao, Madam cares about you, so why are you still holding a grudge against her?"

Yun Yao chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Butler Xing is joking. How could I possibly be in a bad mood? You think too highly of me."

“Sigh,” Butler Xing sighed helplessly, “Aren’t you just saying that out of spite?”

He glanced around, then said earnestly to Yun Yao, "Yun Yao, to be honest, I've been Madam's steward for so many years, and I've never seen her like someone so much. She's had other men before, but they probably couldn't even get through the gates of Muxi Garden. Not to mention, Madam treats you in some ways that rival the young masters—this is unimaginable. Because Madam values ​​you so much, the young masters have all treated you like one of their own these past two years. Think about it, has Madam ever mistreated you all these years?"

Yun Yao remained silent. It wasn't that he didn't know how good his wife was to him; it was because he knew all too well what true, beautiful, and equal love should look like that he painfully and clearly understood the other side of those good things.

But Yun Yao also knew that he couldn't blame anyone else; he could only blame himself for his own choices. He couldn't have both saving his father and protecting himself. If he was wrong now, then he could only continue making the same mistake.

While she was pondering, they arrived at the main courtyard's flower hall. After Steward Xing led Yun Yao inside, he withdrew. Yun Yao looked up and saw a round-faced, unfamiliar man already sitting in the flower hall.

The lady was sitting at the head of the table, listening to the round-faced man report something. When they saw Yun Yao arrive, they both stopped talking. The round-faced man, with a smile on his face, quickly stood up and greeted Yun Yao.

Yun Yao nodded politely to him, then glanced at the madam before lowering her eyes and saying in a low voice, "Madam, what brings you here?"

The lady beckoned Yun Yao to sit next to her, and then introduced the round-faced middle-aged man to Yun Yao, "Yun'er, this is Cao Zhang, my youngest student. He will be going to take up a post in Nandu in a couple of days, which happens to be the province next to Nanhang."

Upon hearing the words "Nanhang," Yun Yao became somewhat concerned. He glanced at the kind-faced, round-faced man, then at his wife, wondering what she meant by mentioning Nanhang.

The lady smiled and, in front of Cao Zhang, affectionately shook Yun Yao's hand, continuing, "Xiao Cao is a trustworthy person, Yun'er. He will help you go to Nanhang to handle the matters you are worried about. I remember that besides your mother, your maternal grandparents are also buried in Nanhang. Xiao Cao will take care of the memorial services for them. Oh, and your father will also be released from prison soon. Xiao Cao will take care of all these matters."

When Yun Yao heard his wife mention his father, he felt both surprised and conflicted. He hadn't expected his wife to still remember him.

At this moment, the round-faced man named Cao Zhang immediately assured Yun Yao calmly, "Mr. Yun, rest assured, I will definitely handle these matters carefully. When I return next month to report on my duties, I will give you and your wife a detailed report. The videos and documents will be prepared in detail."

The lady nodded to Cao Zhang with satisfaction, "Good, I know you're the one I trust the most, Xiao Cao."

Yun Yao could tell that the lady trusted Cao Zhang quite a bit. And Cao Zhang, in turn, respected the lady and listened to her every word.

Being trusted by the lady, Cao Zhang's abilities were undoubtedly beyond doubt. But Yun Yao felt no sense of relief.

One reason is that his wife had meticulously arranged everything for him at his home in Nanhang, which showed that she had made up her mind not to let him go back to the south.

Another person who confuses him is his father...

Ever since he tricked Qin Rao into revealing that his father knew everything, he had no idea how to face this father who sold his son for personal gain.

However, even though he was disappointed in his father, he never truly regretted sacrificing himself to save him. After all, his father was the one who gave him life and raised him. He considered it repayment for his father's nurturing kindness and the good his father had done for him during the eighteen years before his imprisonment. After all, those good deeds were genuine.

Therefore, Yun Yao has been sending money to Nanhang Prison all these years. Although he doesn't want to see his father, he has been supporting him all along.

Whenever Yun Yao felt resentful about his current situation, he would try to avoid thinking that the real reason was because he wanted to save his father. He couldn't blame anyone but himself.

Time flies so fast; his father is about to be released from prison, but he is still in the "cage".

After Cao Zhang left, the lady held Yun Yao's hand but then let go. She said gently to Yun Yao, "You can ask Cao Zhang for help if you need anything else in the future. I have already told him, and he will help you. Yun'er, I don't know how much longer my body can hold on. I will feel more at ease if I leave someone outside to help you in the future."

Yun Yao was startled upon hearing this. He looked at his wife and said, "Madam, why are you saying these things? It's your health..."

The lady smiled. "It's just a precaution." She looked at Yun Yao and said softly, "Yun'er, I know you're still angry. But I'm getting old, and I don't know how much longer I have. Now, Chi'er and Ming Xiao are both gone, and this garden feels so empty. Yun'er, I don't want you to leave me again."

“Madam,” Yun Yao said hurriedly upon hearing this, “Please don’t say that. You will live to be a hundred years old.” It was the first time he had ever heard his wife say such a thing, and he felt a pang of sadness. He softened again.

The lady patted Yun Yao, pulled him into her arms, and said with a smile, "Then, Yun'er, are you not angry anymore?"

Yun Yao closed his eyes briefly, sighed, and looked at his wife without speaking. But when she kissed his lips, he no longer pulled away.

After a passionate night, the lady held Yunyao as if he were a lost treasure that had been found again. She whispered in his ear, "Yun'er, tomorrow I'll have the steward of the main courtyard move all your things here with me. From now on, you'll live here with me."

As Yun Yao sensed his wife's passion, he vaguely understood that her increasing need for him and her growing desire to control him recently might be due to her fear of aging and the growing pressure on her in important matters.

Having spent so many years by Madam's side, Yun Yao had come to understand that people of their social class were all the same—they all wanted to firmly grasp power. Even Madam herself had begun to manipulate things to ensure a smooth succession for the next generation.

Yun Yao now clearly understands his position and doesn't want to be dragged into a bigger vortex, so all he can do is endure and wait. Perhaps he really can wait for an opportunity to gain his freedom; one must always have some hope.

As time passed, after an intimate encounter, the lady told Yunyao that she had recently seen Yunyao watching some high-platform dances. She also planned to build Yunyao a special high platform for dancing in the West Garden, as well as a more secluded pavilion. She wanted to name this pavilion "Liuyun Residence".

Once the building is completed, Yunyao can freely dance her favorite dances inside, and it can become their new love nest.

Upon hearing this, Yun Yao was unsure whether to feel happy or worried. It would be great to be able to dance the dance he loved, but he felt it was really unnecessary to go to such lengths to build a stage and buildings for it, as it would be too wasteful of manpower and resources. Moreover, the name "Liuyunju" (meaning "Residence in Clouds") really bothered him; he genuinely had no intention of "residing" anything.

So Yunyao advised his wife, saying that his interest in high platform dancing was only temporary and there was no need to go to such lengths.

But the lady seemed to have made up her mind. She told Yunyao that with the current technology, building a platform would not take much time. The platform would be completed by the end of next month, which would be the Midsummer Festival, and Yunyao could then use the platform to perform her dance.

The lady kissed Yunyao's lips and said softly, "Yun'er is always happiest on stage. Now that the platform is built, you'll have another place to dance."

Yun Yao was somewhat touched. Because he had followed his wife, he might have to say goodbye to the formal stage for the rest of his life. Now, to have some comfort, especially since it was his wife who discovered it and brought it up herself, made him feel very emotional.

Amidst Yun Yao's conflicted state of mind, a month passed in the blink of an eye. Yun Yao had almost finished rehearsing his new high-platform dance, and tomorrow was the Midsummer Festival, when he would try dancing on the newly built platform.

That day, the lady summoned Yun Yao again because Cao Zhang had returned. Yun Yao followed Cao Zhang to a quiet pavilion to listen to the news he brought back about their hometown.

Cao Zhang also brought back many videos and photos for Yun Yao, showing the scenery of her hometown that Yun Yao wanted to see, the condition of her mother's and maternal grandparents' graves, and the recent situation of Yun Yao's father's impending release from prison.

However, when talking about Yun Yao's father, Cao Xian hesitated. He said to Yun Yao somewhat tentatively, "Mr. Yun, your father, Wei Xu, has been in private contact with a young man surnamed Wei while he's in prison these past few years. We've found out that he and your father have had many large sums of money flowing between them privately..."