Xie Yuancheng sat up at some point. He half-embraced me, deftly unbuttoned my clothes with his ten fingers, and then tossed them onto the shelf beside the bed.
I leaned against the wall, grabbed the blanket and pulled it over myself: "I'm going to sleep now." I'd been up all day and was exhausted. Now that my body was on the pillow, I fell asleep in no time.
I woke up once in the middle of the night. I wasn't leaning against the wall; I was lying in Xie Yuancheng's arms. I wanted to push him away, but looking at his sleeping face, I decided against it. It was quite comfortable leaning against him anyway, so I went back to sleep.
When I woke up in the morning, I found myself holding Xie Yuancheng's hand tightly. Seeing his ambiguous smile, I quickly pulled my hands away and turned to the other side.
This person even came closer: "Ying'er, you had a nightmare last night. I'll have the kitchen prepare some calming snacks for you every day."
I just hope he stops being so charming; who knows, one day I might fall for his charms.
I really want to go and check on Wan'er, but looking at the women's clothing I'm wearing, I think it's best not to go now.
Bizhu carried the tea to the pavilion. "Madam, you've been sitting here so early in the morning. Have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up." She had heard everyone discussing how beautiful yesterday's wedding was and how happy the Marquis was.
He was overjoyed, of course. I'm still wondering how I so obediently went through with the wedding ceremony with him. Oh right, I touched my sleeve and it was empty. The little note the pawnshop owner gave me yesterday was inside my wedding clothes.
I called out to Bizhu, "Bizhu, where is my wedding dress?"
Bizhu blinked: "Madam, it's already been washed. Once it's dry, I'll fold it up and pack it in a box for you. This was ordered by the Marquis from Master Li, the best craftsman in Dazhao. It's the only one of its kind in the world." No wonder it was so elaborate; it was made by a master craftsman.
I told her to go downstairs first; I still remember what was on the note from yesterday.
Luckily, no one was in the study. I pushed the door open, found a blank piece of paper, and wrote down the words from yesterday's note.
As soon as she finished writing, Xie Yuancheng snatched it away and read it aloud: "Fate brings us together and fate separates us, I come at midnight, I will never fail you in this life! Ying'er, did you write me a love poem so early in the morning?"
I put the pen down, ready to snatch it back: "You walk so quietly! When did you come in? Give it back to me!"
Xie Yuancheng dodged my hand as I tried to snatch it: "Then you tell me first, who is this addressed to? I saw the same note on your sleeve last night."
I stopped grabbing it. What excuse could I possibly come up with?
Xie Yuancheng folded the paper several times: "I heard that someone stopped your sedan chair yesterday, and you even spoke to the person who stopped it. Since you won't tell me, I'll have all the people from yesterday executed to prevent the news from leaking out later."
How could he be so disrespectful of human life? So many living people lost their lives just because someone said something that displeased them.
I quickly grabbed his hand: "Yuancheng, you've misunderstood. The one who stopped the sedan chair was the pawnshop owner. He just came to congratulate me and didn't say anything."
Xie Yuancheng crumpled the folded paper into pieces, his expression shifting between light and dark: "Is that so?"
I quickly thought of a reason and pulled him to sit in the chair next to the desk: "It's true that he gave it to me, but it's just some congratulatory words. You'll understand if you look closely."
Xie Yuancheng put his arm around my waist and sat me on his lap. He kissed me first thing in the morning, and I almost couldn't breathe.
As soon as he let go of me, I felt sleepy again and fell asleep leaning on his shoulder.
I felt unwell for the next few days. The doctor said it was from catching a cold. That's good, though, because now I can openly keep my distance from Xie Yuancheng.
Bizhu came in carrying the medicine, and the smell made me feel disgusted.
She seemed quite pleased, chattering excitedly beside me: "Madam, Princess Zhaole has moved into our residence. When I saw her this morning, I couldn't believe she was a princess at all."
Li Zhaole is here. No wonder Xie Yuancheng was nowhere to be seen this morning. I should change back into men's clothes quickly. He had just gotten up when Bizhu pressed him back down.
She said with a worried look, "Madam, don't worry, the Marquis has already gone over. Princess Zhaole seems to be in a very bad mood and hasn't said a word."
I asked, "Bizhu, you should know who I am..."
Bizhu shushed her and brought over the medicine: "Madam, you mustn't say that out loud. Drink your medicine first."
The smell of the medicine sent a chill down my spine. I forced myself to drink it and continued to lie there, feeling utterly miserable. Was Xie Yuancheng really not worried about anything? He held the power of life and death in his hands, let alone the highest-ranking official in Da Zhao. The more I thought about it, the colder I felt.
I spent another day in bed, and finally my energy returned. Looking at the Phantom Sword hanging on the wall, I realized it had been a long time since I'd practiced swordsmanship. I used to enjoy going to the gym whenever I had free time, and back in the Ji family mansion, I'd even practice swordsmanship with a group of servants. Since coming to Linyang, in just a short time, I've gone from being a prince consort to the wife of a marquis, and I haven't even held a sword much anymore.
I touched the Phantom Sword's blade, thinking that in a few days I would definitely go out and find someone who didn't look very strong to spar with, just to practice my swordsmanship.
Wearing an extra layer of clothing, Xie Yuancheng's voice reached his ears: "You're not fully recovered yet, and you've already gotten out of bed so easily." He looked at the Phantom Sword: "When you're better, I'll teach you how to use it."
I withdrew my hand and buttoned my clothes: "No need, my swordsmanship is terrible." Xie Yuancheng put his arm around me and walked back to the bedside. After helping me lie down, he left. The Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching, and as the Marquis of Anle in Linyang, even though he was newly married, he still had to prepare for the festival celebrations in the city.
After I recovered, I changed into men's clothing. Compared to women's clothing, men's clothing was like a pardoned luxury. There were no strange buttons, no long skirts, and I could walk with a breezy air about me.
When Wan'er saw me, she immediately beamed, "Young Master, I'm so glad to see you. The Marquis said that you caught a cold from being caught in the rain last time and haven't fully recovered, so you've been staying in his inner chambers. I should have come back with you, after all, the Marquis is newly married and you don't have anyone to take care of you." As soon as she finished speaking, she actually started wiping away tears. The girls here are all made of water, and they cry at the drop of a hat.
I comforted her, and after Wan'er calmed down, I told her that Li Zhaole seemed like a different person. She didn't say anything and sat by the window every day, looking outside, as if hoping someone would come.
It's normal that Li Zhaole hasn't recovered from the heartbreak after only ten days.
I pushed the door open and went in. Li Zhaole was sitting by the window, leaning back in her chair and staring blankly outside. When Xiren saw me come in, she looked a little happy, walked over, bowed, and stood outside the door with Wan'er.
Xie Yuancheng went to the northern suburbs today and probably won't be back until tonight. Seeing her like this, I feel bad for her. I think it would be better to take the three girls out of the manor for a stroll and let them relax. Staying here all the time would only make things worse.
I stood next to Li Zhaole and said, "Princess, the weather is nice today, why don't we go for a walk? There are many fun things to see on the streets of Linyang City, would you like to go and have a look?" Li Zhaole blinked a few times, and I thought she was going to refuse, but then she softly said yes.
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