Chapter 90 He whispered in her ear: "Husband..."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
But only for a moment, Xue Lanyi immediately pushed open the window, trying to close the gap.
No matter how rational she was, the moment she saw those calm, deep eyes, she just wanted to avoid them.
She loathed the scheming hidden beneath the ice, and the thought of living under the same roof as Wei Zhang sent chills down her spine; every pore of her body resisted.
She closed the window very quickly.
Thud—
The moment the window was closed tightly, a slender, fair hand grabbed the window frame and wedged it in the gap.
The sound of finger bones striking the wooden window was crisp and clear.
The man outside the window took a shallow breath of cool air.
Xue Lanyi ignored him and continued to press her hands against the window sash, trying to close the window.
She hated him to death; he had ruined everything for her, so of course she wouldn't pity him.
She used almost all her strength, leaning her body and pressing down on the window sash.
But Wei Zhang wouldn't pull his hand away.
The window frame is warped.
Xue Lanyi's hand was pushing the opening almost closed, but Wei Zhang used his body to create a gap that couldn't be closed.
There was always a pair of eyes watching her intently from the crack, an eye she could never escape or shake off.
The two remained locked in a stalemate.
Xue Lanyi heard the sounds of flesh tearing and finger bones being crushed.
Finally, crimson blood flowed down the sharp window frame, like tiny snakes swimming into Xue Lanyi's tiger's mouth and seeping into her palm.
Her hands were filled with the burning heat from the depths of his pulse, which gently enveloped her skin.
She disliked the sticky, damp feeling at all, and even more so, she disliked being tainted by his scent.
Xue Lanyi suddenly let go of his hand, staring at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Wei Zhang, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
A cold, stern voice echoed in the dimly lit bedroom.
Looking at it from Wei Zhang's perspective, from top to bottom.
Through the darkness, the girl's face was etched with resentment, anger, despair, and murderous intent...
She hid in the darkness, and everything she showed had nothing to do with brightness.
Wei Zhang seemed to see the child he once was, peering through the crack in the woodshed window, waiting day after day for his mother to come and pick him up.
From expectation, to disappointment, then to despondency, resentment, and numbness...
The two faces overlapped at that moment, even their expressions were exactly the same.
It turns out that she, like him, was someone who had struggled and emerged from darkness.
She doesn't shine on her own at all.
Therefore, Wei Zhang tried every means, whether coercion or enticement, to force her to shine, but she couldn't do it.
Because she too needs the light to live.
If you want her to regain her radiant glow, you must let her get close to the sun.
Can……
Wei Zhang was not a selfless person either.
Once he's made up his mind about her, how could he bear to let her leave?
So, what exactly does he want to do? And what can he do?
Wei Zhang moved his lips, but was speechless for a moment, and his hand remained on the window frame for a long time.
The skin on his fair, slender fingers was broken, and blood trickled silently from between his fingers.
He was overwhelmed with emotions, yet he couldn't utter a single word.
Xue Lanyi had no interest in listening to his nonsensical words, nor did she have any interest in staging any self-inflicted suffering with him.
He neither left.
She left.
Xue Lanyi turned around and went to the couch.
There was no place for her in the vast ducal mansion, so she could only close the curtains, leaving no gaps, to block his view.
Then, he grabbed a handkerchief and frantically wiped the blood off his hands.
Every drop of his blood seemed to be a worm with tentacles and suckers, growing in the shadows, clinging to her skin, making her feel disgusted and nauseous.
She kept wiping, trying her best not to get even a speck of dirt on herself.
There were no lights in the room, and the dim moonlight shone through the cracks in the window, illuminating the curtains.
Beneath the green gauze curtain, the girl's slender figure was reflected.
Wei Zhang couldn't see her expression, but he could clearly see her frantically wiping.
She treated him like a fly or a bedbug, and she wanted to peel off the skin from any place he had touched.
She loathed him to such an extent that, as she had said on the Star Gazing Tower, he was like mud clinging to her body.
Wei Zhang stared intently at her busy back, a hint of crimson creeping into the corners of his eyes.
He had not been treated so scornfully for many years.
He went through countless hardships to get to where he is today, just to crush all those who have looked down on him into dust like ants.
And now, he is being shamelessly humiliated by a woman.
Anger surged within him, like warm water gradually releasing heat, threatening to boil over.
In fact, if he wanted to, he had many ways to break her spine and make her pay the price for her actions...
His hand, which was resting on the window frame, was slightly clenched, and the blood in his palm seeped into the wood grain, quickly spreading into intricate, crimson lines...
But then, a vivid image of her suddenly appeared in his mind: her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, her movements light and graceful.
For the next few days, Wei Zhang kept watching her from the shadows, watching her sit on Wei Xuan's shoulder with a lantern hanging on her back, watching her dance and gesticulate amidst the sparks kicked up by the horse's hooves.
The silvery laughter seemed to still echo in my ears, gradually drowning out the anger in my heart.
A voice in his mind was urging him on.
Encourage him to try again.
Try again with the same heart you had for your mother when you were a child.
Things are different now. He can give her so much more, and he has no chance of losing to that person again.
No one can lose their whole life, right?
No way, right?
Wei Zhang slowly relaxed his grip on the window frame, and the murderous aura around him vanished.
He stood outside the window for a while longer, staring at the curtains, his back still rubbing his hands incessantly behind the light gauze.
A lump formed in my throat.
It's best not to say anything more tonight.
After a moment of silence, his hand quietly fell to his side, and he left with his hands behind his back.
Xue Lanyi rubbed her hands together, her anger growing stronger and her mind becoming more chaotic, until a patch of skin broke off on the back of her hand. The sharp pain suddenly pierced through the fog in her mind, and only then did her thoughts clear up a little.
At that moment, the shadow behind them seemed to dissipate.
She lifted the curtain and glanced outside warily, but Wei Zhang was no longer visible.
Her breathing became much easier, and hearing the silence around her, she got out of bed, intending to close all the doors and windows tightly.
Peeking out from the gap in the curtains, the curtains were gradually lifted.
Beyond the floating gauze curtains, a steadfast figure, as imposing as a mountain peak, sat prominently on the opposite daybed.
Wei Zhang not only did not leave, but also sat in the spot where Xue Lanyi had just been leaning, holding Xue Lanyi's wedding dress in his hand.
Xue Lanyi's pupils constricted, and without hesitation, she went to bed barefoot.
"Wei Zhang! Give me back my wedding dress! Otherwise, otherwise I will..."
Xue Lanyi pulled out the wooden hairpin from her hair, gripped it tightly in both hands, and pointed it at Wei Zhang.
His relaxed expression immediately tightened again as he approached Wei Zhang step by step.
Her wedding dress was torn to shreds and beyond repair.
Even when embroidered with gold thread patterns, it still resembles a winding centipede.
All of this is thanks to him, and he still isn't satisfied. How else do he want to humiliate her?
Xue Lanyi gritted her teeth, wishing she could rush up and stab him in the heart with a hairpin.
If she had another chance, she would give it her all and never give him a moment's respite.
She glared fiercely at Wei Zhang.
But she didn't know that with her long hair flowing freely and her bare feet, she was completely harmless.
Wei Zhang glanced at her but said nothing, his gaze returning to the wedding dress in his hands.
He sat upright in the moonlight, dressed in a black python robe, leaning forward with his knees slightly apart, as if he were reading a memorial to the throne, exuding an aloof and unapproachable air.
That innate elegance makes one's heart flutter and legs go weak the moment one gets close.
Xue Lanyi had not eaten for a long time, and her steps were even more unsteady as she approached.
But she had to get her wedding dress back, and she mustered her courage, determined to take it back in one fell swoop.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that his other hand, which had been holding a pen for writing, was now holding an embroidery needle.
His well-proportioned hands were always steady, and even now, as he threaded the embroidery needle used by his daughter, he did so in a calm and methodical manner.
The needle and thread pierced the fabric back and forth, and the stitches were even finer than a woman's embroidery.
The wedding dress that Xue Lanyi thought could not be repaired was almost restored to its original state in his hands.
His needlework technique didn't seem to be that of an ordinary young lady, but rather the mending skill of a seasoned embroiderer.
Mending is not simply sewing the torn parts together. Instead, it involves weaving the fabric along its original warp and weft threads, one by one, linking them together. In this way, the repaired garment is almost undetectable as torn.
It's just that sewing is more complicated and requires more skill.
How could a man who is busy scheming and pursuing profit have time to study female workers?
Xue Lanyi couldn't help but glance at the man in brocade robes and a jade crown with surprise.
Wei Zhang did not look at her again, and he had not expected her to suddenly come to stay.
Just as he was leaving, his gaze happened to fall on the tattered clothes and several embroidery patterns on the low table.
Knowing she was trying to mend her clothes, he decided to mend them for her while he was at it, and then go to his study to handle official business.
Unexpectedly, she got up and got off the bed first.
"Go to sleep first." He uttered three words casually, his attention completely focused on the wedding dress.
The man's profile was sharp, serious, and focused, as if he was determined to achieve his goals no matter what he did.
Even something as tender as embroidery becomes cold and hard in his hands.
Xue Lanyi certainly didn't dare to go to sleep.
She was afraid that if the embroidery needle pricked him or the cloth got tangled in his clothes, he could also use ruthless methods to give the embroidery needle and cloth twenty lashes as well.
Xue Lanyi stood rooted to the spot, watching his every move warily, but dared not go up and fight again.
If they fight over it again, the wedding dress will truly be beyond saving.
Secondly, Xue Lanyi had no better way to repair her wedding dress.
His acupuncture technique looks really impressive.
She stared intently at the long fingers threading the needle, her feet unconsciously taking one step closer, then another, but always lingering just outside the safe zone.
"If you don't want to sleep, sit down."
What are you doing standing there in the middle of the night?
Although Wei Zhang did not look up, he felt a gaze lingering on him.
He moved to the left side of the daybed, leaving her the spot illuminated by the moonlight.
Xue Lanyi naturally did not want to sit with him.
He paused his sewing for a moment and handed the wedding dress to her.
The meaning is clear: Come sit down and help.
Xue Lanyi wanted to refuse, but the wedding dress was hers, and she had no reason to shirk her responsibilities and stand idly by.
So, filled with suspicion and trepidation, she sat down next to him.
"Help, help with what?"
She was still a hand's breadth away from him.
Wei Zhang's gaze fell on the gap between the two.
"Sit closer and stretch the tear in your clothes."
“You can use an embroidery hoop.”
“If the size of the embroidery hoop is not right, it may stretch the tear even bigger.”
"..."
His voice was calm and his words were all reasonable.
Xue Lanyi, lacking his expertise, had no way to argue and could only move closer to him.
Her back instinctively leaned back, trying to keep as much distance as possible from him.
She took the wedding dress with both hands, holding each side of the tear, and joined the tears together so that he could easily mend it.
Wei Zhang didn't spend too much time paying attention to her posture; his attention returned to her wedding dress.
With his hands freed from holding the wedding dress, his movements became even more nimble. One hand guided the needle above the fabric, while the other met it below, the two hands working in tandem, the needle moving with fluid speed.
In no time, the tear that Xue Lanyi had been holding together was stitched up, and the red thread that was woven on perfectly matched the warp and weft of the double phoenix brocade itself. Even from such a close distance, Xue Lanyi couldn't see any flaws in the stitching.
His speed and skill were so great that Xue Lanyi could hardly believe it, and her eyes widened slightly.
His mending skills didn't seem to be something he studied in his spare time; rather, they were like an essential skill for survival, something ordinary people used for sewing and mending.
But why would a high-ranking duke need such a skill?
Xue Lanyi's suspicions resurfaced, and she looked at him as if he were a monster.
But soon, some scenes from her childhood surfaced in her mind.
She remembered that when Wei Zhang was young and living with Prince Qi, he always wore the same five or six pieces of clothing throughout the four seasons.
In autumn and winter, they will layer their spring and summer clothes on top of each other.
It was precisely because his five or six pieces of clothing appeared so frequently that Xue Lanyi still remembers the styles of the clothes to this day.
However, although his clothes were worn for a long time, they were never torn or worn out, and he was always properly dressed when he appeared in public.
Xue Lanyi thought he was just being meticulous and had taken good care of his clothes to prevent them from getting damaged.
Now it seems that those old clothes weren't undamaged; rather, the tears had been quietly repaired by his mending skills.
As for those clothes, how many times did he secretly repair them?
unknown.
But you can get a glimpse of his skill by looking at how adept he is at mending.
As a child, Wei Zhang behaved properly in public, dressed in fine clothes and a jade crown, but in reality, the inside of his clothes was already cracked and worn.
So, when they were young, whenever she and Wei Xuan happened to meet him, they would ask him how he was.
He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said "Very good," but how much of it was truly "good"?
Xue Lanyi's mind was wandering, lost in thought, and she didn't notice that someone had pushed her hand.
"Go down a bit."
The spot where she was holding had been completely repaired. Wei Zhang lightly tapped the web between her thumb and forefinger with his fingertip, indicating that she should move her hand to the next crack.
Xue Lanyi was caught off guard and stood still.
Wei Zhang didn't actually have much time to deal with these trivial matters.
At this time, the new dynasty is changing its system, and tomorrow we must take Mu Qinghong to court to clear his name of the former crown prince's faction from the charge of treason and prepare for Mu Qinghong's succession to the throne.
Every step we take now is crucial; it's a matter of life and death.
With so many things to do here, Wei Zhang couldn't afford to spend too much energy on mending clothes. He needed to finish mending the clothes as soon as possible so he could review official documents.
Seeing that Xue Lanyi's hand remained frozen, he lifted his eyes and opened his mouth to remind her again, but unexpectedly met her gaze.
Perhaps it was the quiet of the night, but the girl's eyes didn't seem as full of anger as they had during the day.
His calm eyes were like spring water, clear and bright, reflecting his appearance.
Wei Zhang frowned, somewhat surprised.
After the initial surprise, a slight ripple stirred in my heart.
He didn't know why she was looking at him, but he was certain that she had been looking at him and thinking about him.
She was thinking about things related to him.
The eyes don't lie.
Wei Zhang moved his lips, and the word "lower down" turned into "What are you thinking about?"
In the end, however, he never asked, "What are you thinking?"
If he asked that question, he'd probably get a "Go to hell!" response.
He could even picture the murderous intent and disgust in her eyes as she said those words.
That's all.
In the end, the phrase he kept repeating itself came back to: "Move your hand down a little."
His tone slowed down, and the urgency from before was gone.
The warm, humid air sprayed onto Xue Lanyi's forehead, bringing her back to her senses. Only then did she belatedly realize that she had been staring at him the whole time.
What is she doing?
People may have paid less attention to Wei Zhang in the past, but that is no excuse for Wei Zhang's ruthlessness in taking lives.
He's just being dishonest; why should Xue Lanyi worry about his situation?
He should be dead!
She gave a soft snort and looked away from him.
Wei Zhang's gaze remained fixed on where they were looking at each other. From his angle looking down, he could see her cheeks slightly puffed out, flushed with a rosy glow.
With each breath, the fine downy hairs on the cheeks undulate.
It's unbelievable that someone would make themselves angry.
Wei Zhang couldn't help but chuckle.
He suddenly realized that her expression was far more interesting than the stacks of official documents.
So why rush to leave?
In this vast world, there are countless dazzling sights and distractions.
How can this space compare to the tranquility that accompanied us back then?
At least in this dark and cramped space, her breath flowed only around him, and her emotions rose and fell only because of him.
This feeling seems pretty good.
He lowered his eyes and slowed down the speed at which he inserted the needles.
The silk thread is stretched out, turned around, and drawn slowly.
It was as if a sophisticated loom had suddenly stopped working.
But this gentle movement makes one seem like a person, not a machine.
In this way, even the stitches that had fallen were no longer cold and hard, but warm, and the wedding dress was repaired more perfectly.
As Xue Lanyi watched her clothes gradually being restored, the irritation on her brow faded.
The air around us was no longer so confrontational.
The only one suffering was Xue Lanyi's arm holding up the clothes.
My hands are getting increasingly sore from mending for so long.
She had to shrink back.
She shrank back, and Wei Zhang had no choice but to lean closer to her in order to mend the wound.
With each contraction and expansion, Xue Lanyi's hands eventually became so tired that they fell limply onto her thighs.
Even if Wei Zhang stretched out his arm, it wouldn't be easy for him to place the needle.
He gave her a cryptic look and said, "This position isn't comfortable, let's try another one."
If it's not convenient, how can it be convenient?
Xue Lanyi could only think of one possibility, and a bad premonition arose in her heart, causing her to retreat repeatedly.
Wei Zhang stood up, his tall figure gradually looming over him.
"Wei Zhang! You're not allowed to!" she shouted.
He wanted her to be his embroidery frame, so naturally he would hold her and wrap his arms around her from behind, as this was the most comfortable position for embroidery.
But Xue Lanyi didn't want him to hug her or get too close to him.
She grabbed a pillow from the daybed and threw it at the nearby figure.
"Get out! Get out of here!"
His emotions, which had just stabilized, began to fluctuate wildly again, and he waved his hands haphazardly.
The objects on the daybed rained down on Wei Zhang like a storm, but they couldn't stop him from getting closer.
Inside the house, gasps of surprise rang out.
After a long while, she did not feel the dizzying embrace she used to feel, nor the unquestionable hug.
It wasn't enveloped by the crisp, cold pine resin either.
The air around us flowed quietly, light and peaceful.
There was no sense of oppression.
She slowly opened her eyes, still shaken.
Wei Zhang was half-squatting in front of her knees, looking up at her.
Xue Lanyi was confused and nervously took a step back.
"Don't move." Wei Zhang pulled her hand.
But it wasn't a matter of holding her hand; he didn't touch the back or palm of her hand much. He simply supported her left and right hands, guiding her hand to mend the broken tears.
He picked up the embroidery needle again and squatted down in front of her to continue sewing.
Although the position is very close, there is no need for physical contact.
She no longer needed to raise her arm to present the wedding dress to him.
Her hands rested naturally on her thighs, just at eye level with him, allowing him to easily mend the garment.
So, the "changing positions" he mentioned wasn't what she thought?
Xue Lanyi, still shaken, glanced at the man in front of her.
Such a towering man, as imposing as a mountain, squatted in front of her. The sheer oppressive aura emanating from his elaborate python robe was overwhelming, and Xue Lanyi felt quite uncomfortable.
Moreover, his hand was wrapped in a silk handkerchief after it was injured by the window.
That handkerchief was given to him by Xue Lanyi when she lost her memory. The handkerchief was inscribed with "Wei Yunjian" and "Xue Lanyi" side by side.
Like birds flying wing to wing, like branches intertwined, they are always in pairs.
He used to dislike using these things that belonged to women, but I don't know where he found them again.
Looking at this thing now, I only feel embarrassed.
Xue Lanyi felt like she was being pricked by thorns, and looked away, "How much longer... how much longer?"
"soon."
"How fast is 'very fast'?"
"Very fast, very fast."
"..."
Xue Lanyi discovered that he not only spoke little, but also mostly empty words.
I decided not to ask anymore.
Based on his usual decisive style, this "quickly" would probably be no more than half an hour.
Xue Lanyi sat stiffly, silently counting down in her mind.
Time stretched on endlessly, until the third watch of the night, and she…
I fell asleep counting myself.
Her thin body, like a floating duckweed, swayed and collapsed.
In an instant, Wei Zhang raised his arm.
She landed lightly in his arms and buried her head in his shoulder.
Perhaps it was because the emotional strain of arguing with Mu Qinghong today was too great, or perhaps it was because the man beside me tonight wasn't as sharp.
She fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes, her breathing even and long, spraying onto Wei Zhang's shoulders and neck.
Wei Zhang's large hand protected the back of her head, his thumb, adorned with a thumb ring, was raised and touched the pink cheek that he had wanted to rub but had refrained from doing so.
Although she was thin, she had some soft flesh on her cheeks, which looked delicate and gentle.
So cute.
Wei Zhang couldn't resist and gently rubbed it with the pad of his thumb.
It's a little itchy.
She frowned and turned her head to the left.
Thus, her sleeping face was directly facing Wei Zhang.
It seems that it has been a long time since she took the initiative to throw herself into Wei Yunjian's arms.
For the past three years, she had always loved to open her arms and let him hold her while she slept.
While feeling disappointed, Wei Zhang was also somewhat relieved, thankful that he had stopped in time when he was about to forcefully hug her, which resulted in her "throwing herself into his arms" once again.
He seems to have figured out how to love her now.
They still have a chance, right?
The man turned his head slightly, his high, straight nose gently brushing against her nose, and murmured softly, "Yiyi."
Xue Lanyi didn't answer, but she didn't reject his advances either.
An impulse surged within him, and he parted his thin lips slightly, leaning forward.
Just as his lips were about to touch her cheek, he stopped, slightly turning his lips away, and whispered in her ear in a voice only they could hear, "Madam."
The girl's face stung from the fine stubble of his beard; she frowned and smacked her lips.
It seemed as if she was responding to him.
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