56 Jealous Husband
◎If you have the guts, sleep in the study every night from now on!◎
"The eldest master must have been delayed by something."
When Wei Ziyan sat down to eat, Qiu Luo mentioned something. She hummed, took a quick bite, and then left. After dinner, she took a short walk around the yard twice before returning to the house.
After sending Ping'er and the others away, Wei Ziyan sat under the lamp, embroidering a purse stitch by stitch.
This was the third one she had embroidered. The first two were really crude, and she was afraid that Yan Qizhen would laugh at her if she showed them to others.
She had originally planned to give it to him on his birthday in September so she could have more time to hone her craftsmanship. But now she had changed her mind and wanted to finish it for him as soon as possible.
"Young Master."
Before she knew it, a sudden sound from outside caused Wei Ziyan to stop sewing. She hurriedly packed her things into a box and put it back in the chest of drawers.
She had just lowered her head for too long, and her neck was stiff and sore. Wei Ziyan rubbed her neck as she walked out, and just in time she saw Yan Qi entering the room.
"Are you still awake?" He walked over, his face flushed and smelling strongly of alcohol.
"Shall I make you some hangover soup?"
"No need, go to sleep." Yan Qizheng walked past her and went straight to the bathroom.
Wei Ziyan paused for a moment, then turned and returned to her bedroom. She climbed onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, waiting for a moment. Ping'er walked in, "Young Madam, the eldest master has asked me to turn off the lights."
On weekdays, Yan Qizhen turns off the lights himself.
"Where are the others?"
"The eldest master said he reeked of alcohol and didn't want to bother the young mistress, so he stayed in the study tonight."
"……oh."
The candlelight gradually died, leaving only a dim yellow glow before her eyes. Wei Ziyan lay down, staring at the curtains overhead. Her eyelids used to flutter when she stared, but tonight she felt quite alert. Even with her eyes sore from staring, she remained completely awake.
Wei Ziyan closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep. However, the more she tried, the harder it became. She fretted, shifting to her side. After a moment, she lay back down. She tossed and turned several times, tossing and turning for most of the night.
Waking up late in the morning, naturally, she wouldn't be able to see that person. Wei Ziyan sat at the dressing table and looked up at Du Juan in the mirror: "Did the eldest master say that we don't have to wait for him to come back for dinner tonight?"
"The eldest son didn't explain."
Wei Ziyan lowered her eyes and didn't ask any more questions.
He probably didn't believe her explanation, right?
In the afternoon, Wei Ziyan woke up from a nap. After staying in the yard for a while, she still felt uncomfortable and asked Qiu Luo to go out with her to relax.
Walk through the cobblestone path through the bamboo forest and follow the winding tree-lined path to the pond.
The lotus flowers had long since faded, and several servants were rowing small boats, clearing and salvaging the fallen leaves and rotten roots from the pond. The swing across from them was empty, and Wei Ziyan remembered that it was here, on the second day after she entered the house, that she had run into Qizhu and his brother, who had attacked her for no reason.
The master and servant walked around the pond. Wei Ziyan sat on the swing, and Qiu Luo gently pushed it from behind. She felt it wasn't high enough, so she asked Qiu Luo to push harder.
The swing swung ever more vigorously. The thrill of her heart rising and falling made Wei Ziyan happy, and she kept shouting, "Higher, higher."
"It can't be any higher. I'm afraid of it."
"Coward!" Wei Ziyan laughed and raised her face to the wind.
Just when they were having fun, Madam Yan passed by with Xing'er and a maid. Seeing that Wei Ziyan was swinging too high, she hurriedly asked the maid to go up and persuade her to lower it.
Wei Ziyan and Qiu Luo also saw Madam Yan, got off the swing obediently, and walked over quickly to pay their respects.
"Forget it." Madam Yan warned her, "Play as you like, but be careful."
"Mother is right. Ziyan will remember it."
Just now on the swing, Wei Ziyan saw her in a hurry, as if she was going towards Aunt Hui's yard.
"Is mother going to Fufang Garden?"
"Yes," Madam Yan sighed, "the mother and daughter are still arguing. My mother should be arriving in a few days, and I don't want her to be upset, so I'll go and mediate."
"Qizhu is still locking himself up?"
"No, I just can't get over it."
Wei Ziyan thought for a moment and said, "Shall I go see Qizhu later?"
"Okay, you should comfort her too."
With her mother's permission, Wei Ziyan took Qiu Luo back to Fuxitang. She picked a few pots of beautiful flowers in the yard and then took them to visit Yan Qizhu.
I wanted to ask Minlan and Aunt Hui to pass the message first, but Minlan said it was not necessary.
"The eldest lady said that the young lady would come, and my aunt already knows about it."
Wei Ziyan finally felt relieved and followed Minlan to Yan Qizhu's room. She had been crying for days, and just now she had cried again, her eyes were swollen like walnuts.
Wei Ziyan turned around and ordered Minlan: "Why don't you get a basin of hot water for your young lady?"
"yes."
"When I'm in a bad mood, I like to look at flowers."
Wei Ziyan asked the maid to help bring the flowers in and put them on the table.
"Seeing it so full of life always brings me some comfort and makes me think that it's not that bad."
Yan Qizhu didn't know if she'd heard anything, she just stared at the flowers in a daze. Wei Ziyan didn't rush her, just sat quietly with her. Not long after, Minlan brought hot water and wrung out a handkerchief to wipe Qizhu's face.
“How did you manage to hold on?”
Yan Qizhu, with a handkerchief covering his face, suddenly spoke, and Wei Ziyan was momentarily stunned. Yan Qizhu pulled back the handkerchief and looked directly at her.
"How did you persevere every time my eldest brother was not in a good mood with you?"
“…”
Wei Ziyan finally understood, but didn't know how to respond.
"Actually... your brother and I are not what you think..." She hesitated to explain, "I... our situations are quite different..."
"How is it different?" Yan Qizhu pursed his lips in self-deprecation, "I like him too."
“…”
Wei Ziyan secretly tightened her hands on her legs.
But she is not...
"Master Yu has been married before and has a wife. His ideas may differ from your elder brother's..."
"So what if you've been married? I don't mind!"
"What I mean is that if Lord Ruoyu is determined not to remarry, he will refuse you or anyone else."
"How do you know he's made up his mind? Did he tell Big Brother?"
Yan Qizhu asked anxiously, but how could Wei Ziyan know whether Yu Sugong had told Yan Qizheng? It was just her speculation. Before she could say anything, Yan Qizhu stood up suddenly.
"You said that on purpose, hoping I'd give up?"
"I……"
Wei Ziyan opened her mouth, struggling to explain, when a deep voice came from behind her: "She's right, Lord Yu has made up his mind, don't be stubborn anymore."
When I turned around, Yan Qizhen walked in without me noticing.
"Brother..." Yan Qizhu's expression suddenly changed, "Did he really say that?"
"Believe it or not."
After saying that, Yan Qi held Wei Ziyan's wrist expressionlessly and took her away from Fufang Garden.
The sun had not yet set, and he had returned unexpectedly early today. But the grip he was holding on her wasn't gentle, and his steps made her hurried along.
He said nothing, but continued to pull her along until they entered the gate of Fuxi Hall. Then he let go of her hand and walked inside without her.
Wei Ziyan blurted out: "Are you still going out?"
When he paused, Wei Ziyan caught up with him and said in a tone of surprise, "If you want to go out, just tell me so that the kitchen will know whether to prepare your dinner."
After saying that, he imitated him and walked forward quickly.
"You feel wronged waiting for me for one night?"
The sarcasm behind her made her stop again. Wei Ziyan turned around suddenly and looked at him with a frown, but she didn't feel aggrieved.
"I'm glad you know!"
"Heh." He laughed, a little mockingly. "You blame me for being mean to you?"
Yan Qi was staring into her eyes, which were slightly red, showing a sense of grievance and anger. But wasn't he also aggrieved and angry?
"When I treated you badly in the past, was it because of your determination to wait for him that you persisted?" The question blurted out almost subconsciously, and Yan Qizhen regretted it as soon as he said it.
Such questioning made him look like a jealous man, bringing humiliation upon himself.
However, her silence and evasive eyes all indicated an obvious answer.
"Just pretend I didn't ask."
"Yan Qizhen——" Wei Ziyan called out to him harshly.
He had been very cold these past two days, and now he was using a few words to mock her.
Knowing that he was bothered and resentful, she understood a little, but also felt a little wronged, thinking he didn't trust her. Now that he was acting like this, Wei Ziyan couldn't stand it any longer.
"If you're unhappy, just say it openly. Why are you deliberately using these words to provoke me?"
"prick?"
Didn't every word of the conversation he heard outside the door just now hurt his heart?
Yan Qizheng's lips curled up with a hint of ridicule: "Isn't what I said the truth?"
“…”
Wei Ziyan was speechless for a moment, but suddenly she felt a surge of anger: "So since you're not feeling well, you want me to feel uncomfortable too, right?"
"I don't want to quarrel." Yan Qizhen said coldly and headed towards the study.
Who wants to quarrel? Wei Ziyan stamped her feet in anger and turned back to her room.
The anger lingered in her stomach, and she couldn't eat a single bite of dinner. Qiu Luo noticed something was wrong and quietly asked her if she had quarreled with the eldest son.
"Who wants to argue with him?" Wei Ziyan said angrily, "Don't mention him to me!"
Feeling depressed, Wei Ziyan went to the bathhouse to take a bath. The fragrance of the dew finally made her feel a little better, but as she was about to leave the bathhouse, she heard two maids whispering outside.
"What does the eldest master say?"
"The eldest master said that he needs to stay up late these two days and sleep in the study so as not to disturb the young lady's rest."
"The eldest son is also angry?"
"Yes, Xu Ji was delivering dinner to the study and mentioned, 'Young Madam seems to have a poor appetite and hasn't eaten anything.' The eldest son glared at him coldly. The eldest son hadn't been..."
The bathroom door suddenly opened. Qiu Luo and Du Juan immediately shut up. They saw the young lady coming out angrily in her pajamas.
"Young Madam—"
Wei Ziyan ignored them and walked quickly inside, got on the bed and crawled under the covers. Qiu Luo followed in, and before he could say anything, he heard the words "Lights out."
"Young Madam..."
“Lights out!”
Qiu Luo regretted it so much, but there was nothing he could do, so he turned off the lights and left. As soon as the lights went out, Wei Ziyan's suppressed sorrow suddenly came over her, and tears could not stop flowing.
I feel so sad, upset and angry.
Study! Study! If you can, sleep in the study every night from now on!
Wei Ziyan cried more and more angrily. She suddenly got out of bed, opened the chest of drawers next to her, took out the purse from the brocade box, and cut it in half with a pair of scissors...
Fuxi Hall has been dead silent for the past two days. The maids all know that the two masters are angry with each other and ignore each other, so they dare not make any noise when doing or speaking.
But what couple doesn't quarrel? Given the relationship between the eldest son and the young mistress, perhaps they would reconcile in a few days. Therefore, the maids didn't secretly report to the eldest mistress, but only made sure that the young mistress didn't return to her parents' home.
On the eighth day of the eighth month, Yan Qizheng's grandmother and cousin finally arrived in Liangjing. The carriage stopped at the main gate of the Yan Mansion. Madam Yan, who had received a message in advance, led the entire family to the gate to greet them.
Yan Qizheng had taken the day off, and he and Wei Ziyan had reached an unspoken agreement to appear together as a couple to greet their grandmother. Wei Ziyan stood shoulder to shoulder with him among the crowd, eagerly waiting like everyone else.
The old lady's hair was silver, and her face looked a little haggard from the long journey. However, she couldn't hide her excitement and joy, and her eyes revealed a bit of spirit.
Mrs. Yan personally helped her mother into the house, and the family sat down in the front hall, filling the house with a lively atmosphere.
The old man wanted to recognize the younger generations one by one, and the one he cared about most was his grandson's wife. When Yan Qizheng heard his grandmother's words, he and Wei Ziyan came forward to kowtow and offer tea.
"Grandma." Wei Ziyan called gently.
"The girl from the Wei family has grown up. She looks more beautiful and dignified than before."
Grandma happily took the tea and took her hand to look at it left and right.
"I'm just a little thinner, and my chin is pointed."
Wei Ziyan felt embarrassed by being stared at, so Madam Yan smiled and tried to smooth things over: "That's right, it's probably been two and a half years since Mother last saw Ziyan here."
"Yes, I have been gone for two and a half years and didn't have the chance to see you two get married." The old lady couldn't help but sigh when she talked about this regret.
"It's okay, grandma." Yan Qizheng comforted her, "We'll see each other every day from now on. I'm just worried you'll get tired of it."
This made the old lady happy. She pointed at her adorable grandson and laughed, "After not seeing you for two years, you've become so talkative!"
There was laughter in the hall, and the old lady thought of the granddaughter she had brought with her.
"Come, Yuhuan, recognize your cousin."
The little girl, who had been standing quietly behind the old lady from beginning to end, stepped forward timidly and saluted when she heard the call.
"Hello, cousin."
The old lady told Yan Qizheng: "This is your aunt's youngest daughter, her name is Yuhuan."
"Cousin Yuhuan." Yan Qizhen returned the greeting.
Madam Yan affectionately pulled her sister's daughter over and said, "I haven't seen Yuhuan for many years. She has grown into a beautiful young lady. This time, you should stay with your aunt for a while so that you can get closer to her."
Yuhuan nodded obediently and said, "Okay."
"Old Madam," Aunt Hui and Aunt Ru stood up and walked forward together, "Madam Hui and Aunt Ru greet you. You must have worked hard on the journey."
The old lady was interrupted by this and remembered that there were a few younger generations she had not met yet. She quickly called them all over and asked Yuhuan to recognize them one by one.
Second cousin Yan Qikuan and cousin Yan Qifeng didn't see Qizhu. The old lady was surprised: "Qizhu is not in the house?"
Having anticipated this, Aunt Hui glanced at Madam Yan and replied, "That girl made a mistake a few days ago and is currently in solitary confinement."
After hearing this, the old lady wanted to get to the bottom of it even more.
"What mistake did she make?"
"It's not a big deal," Madam Yan replied. "Mother, you must be tired after the long journey. Go to your room and rest first. I'll tell you about Qizhu later."
The old lady was indeed tired, and after sitting for a while, she allowed Madam Yan to take her to the other courtyard to rest.
Wei Ziyan and Yan Qizheng dispersed with the others, walking back to Fuxi Hall together before parting ways again. She went back to her room for a nap, while he returned to his study. Later that evening, they would attend the dinner together.
Master Yan had also returned home, and the whole family gathered together for dinner. The last time this scene happened was at the family dinner after Wei Ziyan got married...
While she was distracted, a bowl of chicken soup was suddenly placed in front of her. Wei Ziyan glanced to the side and saw Yan Qizheng withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened, without saying anything.
For a moment, she couldn't think of his thoughtfulness in serving soup to her when they were dining together. She only thought of his hypocritical pretense of affection at the family dinner. Her nose felt sore and she quickly lowered her head.
"Zi Yan, eat more, you are too thin!" The old lady was sitting opposite and could see her grandson's movements clearly.
Madam Yan also noticed it: "You seem to have lost a lot of weight, but have you had a poor appetite recently?"
"No……"
"yes."
Wei Ziyan and Yan Qizheng spoke in unison, but their meanings were completely different. Not only the old lady, Madam Yan, but even Master Yan was paying attention.
"It's my son who has been negligent recently and hasn't paid attention." Yan Qizhen said in a deep voice.
Madam Yan said bluntly, "It's true that he didn't take it seriously. We all saw it."
The old lady naturally defended her grandson: "If you are busy with official duties, please ask the people below to pay more attention."
"Grandson understands."
Wei Ziyan felt a bitter taste in her throat, and dared not speak. She listened silently to the conversation, biting her lower lip and scooping soup into her mouth, spoonful by spoonful, to suppress the discomfort in her throat.
Fortunately, the old lady changed the subject in time, and the attention on her dissipated.
"We are having a family reunion dinner here, but Qizhu is locked up in her room alone. She's so pitiful!" The old lady had heard about Qizhu.
"Since she has admitted her fault and is determined to change, there's no need to be bound by time. Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few days away, so let's have the girl eat first."
This was said to Master Yan, the head of the family. If she hadn't discussed it with Madam Yan, the old lady wouldn't have interfered with Madam Hui's affairs without authorization. Master Yan knew what was going on, and without a second thought, he turned to Madam Hui and said, "Let her come."
"Okay." Aunt Hui looked happy and quickly asked the maid to invite the eldest lady.
Her daughter has taken the initiative to admit her mistake to her and said that she would no longer dream of marrying Yu Sugong. Naturally, she hopes that her daughter will be spared from punishment as soon as possible.
The old lady suddenly remembered and asked, "Who is older, Qizhu or Yuhuan?"
Aunt Hui replied, "Qizhu turned fifteen at the end of last month."
"Oh, Yuhuan is four months older, so she'll have to call Qizhu cousin."
Yuhuan, who was sitting next to the old lady, responded softly, "Yes."
Aunt Hui was now happy and spoke with less reservations: "I wonder if your family has chosen a good husband for Yuhuan?"
"No. Her mother wants to choose a family in the capital."
"How difficult is that? The master knows many dignitaries."
The old lady frowned slightly and said: "High officials and nobles are not good either. We just want to find an honest family for Yuhuan and be content with a small fortune."
Before Aunt Hui could respond, Madam Yan spoke up, "Aunt Hui, please settle Qizhu's matter first. Yuhuan is not in a hurry. As her aunt, I will take care of it for her."
Aunt Hui now realized that she had spoken too much, and she smiled and drank two cups to apologize.
After over an hour of dinner, Wei Ziyan was exhausted. She had to pay her respects to the old lady early the next morning, so she went back to rest.
In the past, Madam Yan hadn't expected younger generations to visit her morning and evening, but now that the old lady had arrived, the rules still had to be followed. Wei Ziyan got up an hour earlier than usual and dressed. She hadn't paid much attention in the past two days, but now, looking in the mirror, she saw that she had lost weight and looked unwell.
While combing her hair, Ping'er served her hot tea, porridge and side dishes, saying that it was the eldest master's order.
"Leave it there."
Wei Ziyan glanced at it, took two sips of tea, and did not touch anything else.
"Have some breakfast first."
After a while, a voice sounded behind her. Yan Qi appeared in her bronze mirror, and his eyes met hers. Wei Ziyan looked away and said calmly, "It's too early. I can't eat."
She couldn't see Yan Qizhen's reaction, she only felt him standing behind her for a moment, then walked away silently.
"Young Madam, the eldest master is coaxing you!"
Du Juan was afraid that she wouldn't be able to see it. Regardless of whether it was true or not, even if it was true, why should he show it to her when he wanted to be mean, and why should she cooperate when he wanted to ease the relationship?
Why? There is no such thing as this!
After finishing her makeup, Wei Ziyan left the house accompanied by Qiu Luo. Yan Qi was waiting at the gate. Seeing Qiu Luo, he said, "I'll go with the young lady."
Qiu Luo didn't dare to respond and looked at the young lady.
It was already late, and if she was late in paying her respects on the first day, there might be trouble. Wei Ziyan nodded to Qiu Luo and continued walking out.
"The King of Liao is coming to the capital today, so I'm afraid I'll be back very late." Halfway through the journey, Yan Qizhen, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.
"oh."
After a short while, he said again: "You...eat well."
Wei Ziyan's eyes welled up uncontrollably. "Who asked you to play nice now?" She bit her lip hard, swallowing the uncontrollable sadness that welled up inside her.
"Don't worry, I won't compromise myself for others."
The "other person" next to him stopped talking and walked in silence all the way to the villa.
The old lady was up early, with Yuhuan and Madam Yan by her side. Concubine Hui and Yan Qizhu and her brother had arrived earlier and were sitting inside talking with the old lady.
Wei Ziyan and Yan Qizheng greeted the old lady and sat down on the other side. Just as they reached their chairs, Aunt Ru and Yan Qikuan arrived.
The old lady had sweet soup cooked and ordered it to be served, one bowl for each person.
Wei Ziyan liked sweet drinks and finished her drink quickly. Just as she was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, Yan Qizheng pushed his bowl towards her. Wei Ziyan pushed it back.
Seeing this, the old lady thought they were being polite to each other and said hurriedly, "I'll ask someone to get another bowl."
"No thanks, grandma forgot that her grandson doesn't like sweets."
As he spoke, Yan Qizheng pushed the bowl over again, stood up and bowed to his grandmother: "I have a lot to do today, grandson must go."
After watching her grandson leave, the old lady smiled helplessly at Madam Yan and shook her head: "Look at my memory, I really forgot that he doesn't like sweet and sour food. He is as picky as Yuhuan."
"Is Yuhuan also picky?"
The person standing in the center just now was tall and straight, with a dignified appearance. Yuhuan was stunned for a moment and didn't notice the old lady mentioned her. She came to her senses when she heard her aunt asking the question.
"I'm sorry to laugh at you, auntie."
"That's all right." Madam Yan smiled graciously. "You don't have to be so strict with me about what you like and don't like. Just tell me."
Yuhuan quickly stood up and bowed: "Thank you, aunt."
"There's no need to be polite as a family."
"Yes, you don't have to accompany an old woman like me all the time. Go and play with them." The old lady echoed Mrs. Yan's words and turned to the younger generation.
"Yuhuan is introverted and quiet, you should take her out to play more often."
"Yes." Wei Ziyan and the others responded.
However, even though she agreed to all of them, her second cousin and younger cousin had to go to school every day, and cousin Qizhu was still heartbroken. I think the only one who really had the time and mood to play with her was her eldest cousin's wife.
As everyone dispersed, Yuhuan stopped in front of Wei Ziyan.
"Cousin, I heard you have a lot of flowers planted in your yard. Can I go take a look?"
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