Chapter 37 The Madman's Two-Way Breakup
The night was deep and dark, and the wind howled like cranes.
Yan Ning did not answer her question, and the two remained in this stalemate for about half a cup of tea's time. He then said in a low voice, "Princess, please trust me. I will do it."
He blurted out a sentence without any follow-up, then lowered his head again, resting his head on her shoulder, and mumbled, "I'm a little tired, I want to sleep for a while."
Drinking so much, and then forcing yourself to drink a lot of hangover soup to stay sober, naturally you'll feel tired.
"Okay, go to sleep." Li Yunru let him hold her without moving away, gently patting his back as if soothing a child.
...
The carriage stopped in front of the Yan residence, and Yan Ning woke up at that very moment.
"arrive."
He tidied himself up, lifted his robe, and stepped down from the carriage first, extending his hand to her.
Li Yunru gazed at the imposing and ancient gate of the Yan residence, which exuded grandeur, and hesitated to hand over her hand.
Yan Ning said, "Didn't the princess say that she would spend the festival with me tonight and that I would make the arrangements? Are you going to change your mind?"
She never expected that Yan Ning's arrangement would be to return to the Yan family.
If she had known, she would never have agreed, even if it meant death!
"But tonight, Liyang only wants to spend the festival with her husband alone and doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone else."
She was being half-true and half-false; in any case, facing him alone was better than facing the entire Yan family.
Yan Ning smiled even after hearing her lie to herself.
He took her hand, patted it lightly twice, and reassured her, "Don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
She just said that everything would be resolved tonight, so there was no question of a future.
There was no future for them.
“Princess, believe me.” He spoke earnestly.
"All right."
Since we're already here, and we've faced this so many times before, we don't care about this one.
She handed him her hand completely, and he helped her down from the carriage, but he didn't let go immediately. He held on tightly and led her into the house without any hesitation.
Li Yunru followed him into the hospital.
Tonight, on New Year's Eve, not only members of the Yan family are present, but also some elders of the clan and relatives from other branches of the family. Everyone is gathered together, raising their glasses and exchanging toasts, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
It was a very harmonious and joyful scene, but all of this came to an abrupt end with Li Yunru's entrance.
The huge banquet hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Countless eyes darted back and forth between the head of the Yan family, Madam Cui, and her and Yan Ning.
Silence speaks louder than words.
As the matriarch of a prominent family, even though she disliked her, she maintained her composure and smiled, saying, "Why would the County Lady come here?"
Yan Ning answered on her behalf: "Mother, your son and Liyang have not divorced. I promised to never abandon her. She is a daughter-in-law of the Yan family. It is only right and reasonable for her to be here tonight."
The voice wasn't loud, but it possessed the power to uproot mountains, leaving no room for argument or refusal.
Yan Ning's meaning was clear: he acknowledged Li Yunru as his wife, and no matter how the situation changed, he would not divorce her.
Um.
There were no overly heated words or physical altercations, but the current environment speaks volumes about his attitude.
The men in the room had various expressions: some were worried, some were gloating, looking ready to watch the show, while others were indifferent and just thought it was absurd.
Many of the women expressed envy and sadness.
They always believed that Liyang was beautiful but had a capricious nature. She was illiterate, lacked knowledge and understanding, had no virtue, and was jealous and spoiled, making her unfit to be the mistress of the house.
Such a woman only occupies this position because of her looks and status.
Even though Yan Sanlang was captivated by her beauty for a time, he thought that as the world changed, people would prioritize the aristocratic families and abandon her. But to his surprise, he did not do so. Instead, in front of so many of them, he recognized Li as his wife.
Noble ladies from aristocratic families are taught to be dignified and generous, to follow their husbands' preferences, and not to be jealous. However, people are all made of flesh and blood. Who wouldn't want their husband to treat them with a pure heart? And who would be willing to smile and take care of someone who is competing with them for favor?
The concubines were the same.
If she could, who would willingly become someone else's concubine and suffer the torment of her master? Yet, her only support was dismissed with the words, "Your mistress will teach you manners, so listen carefully and don't throw a tantrum," and she was left to fend for herself.
Their husbands are their heaven and earth. They all try their best to please their husbands and seek protection, but they never succeed. But today they see this and realize that their husbands can truly be their support and shield them from the storms of life.
How could I not have even the slightest thought about it?
Undercurrents were swirling at the table.
In this situation, since her son had said so, she couldn't very well refuse. She invited them to sit down and join in the fun.
Li Yunru did not move.
"Don't be afraid."
He held her hand and led her to a seat, the warmth of their palms passing between them in their seamless clasp.
...
Men and women were seated separately, but Yan Ning said it was a rare opportunity to get together and wanted to introduce her to the elders. She stayed by his side the whole time. This was not quite in accordance with the rules, but it was still considered proper, and no one else could say anything about it.
Her appearance seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary interlude, and did not affect anything. After a brief moment of surprise, everyone returned to their lively activities, toasting and playing musical chairs until dawn before dispersing.
At dawn on the first day of the lunar new year, people were to go to the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors. However, this was a matter for the Yan family and had nothing to do with her. After the banquet, Li Yunru bid farewell to Yan Ning and prepared to leave.
She tiptoed and touched his lips, saying with deep affection, "Thank you, my lord, for granting me such a wonderful New Year's Eve."
At least this year she doesn't look so lonely and all alone.
Because of his presence, others dared not treat her disrespectfully or humiliate her as they had in the past.
This was the best holiday she had ever experienced since marrying into the Yan family.
But once the excitement and hustle and bustle subside, reality will eventually return.
That night could not bridge the gap between them.
"From now on, our love and hatred will be gone. I wish you good health, free from illness and disaster. I wish you to find another beautiful woman and live a life of joy and happiness. I wish... that we... will never meet again and that we will each be well."
"Are you going to leave after all?"
His back stiffened, his heart raced uncontrollably, and his breathing became heavy. "The princess will remain with the Yan family. I will protect her forever, just as I did last night."
Yan Ning didn't understand why she was still so determined not to stay when he had done what she wanted.
Don't you want me anymore?
"Didn't the princess say she wouldn't abandon me? Are you going to break the contract and go back on your word?"
Li Yunru shook her head, "I can't afford it."
No, it won't.
Yan Ning grabbed her hand and placed it on her heart. Her eyes, slightly red from the alcohol, looked at her expectantly, and her clear voice rang out: "If you can afford it, the princess can have it.
What a seductive statement!
If you want it, it's yours.
She couldn't deny that her heart fluttered, but when her gaze fell on his waist and she saw the jade pendant that symbolized the Yan family's status, she suddenly came to her senses.
Unable to break free, the person could only turn their head away and say in a low voice, "I don't want it anymore."
"Why? Is it because of that musician? Because of him..."
"He's back, so you don't want me anymore!"
As he said this, Yan Ning was trembling all over. He couldn't accept that he was a substitute for a musician.
Li Yunru initially wanted to say yes, even if it was a misunderstanding, it didn't matter, and she could finally give up completely. However, remembering what he had said when she came, she still explained, "Songji and I are not in the kind of relationship you think. What's between you and me has nothing to do with anyone else!"
She was telling the truth, but to Yan Ning, it sounded more like a sophistry to protect someone!
"Songji, Songji, the princess calls you so affectionately, and you say it's alright!"
She wasn't lying, but he didn't believe her. She was too lazy to explain further, simply saying, "My lord, think whatever you want. I can't control it, but..."
Li Yunru looked up at him and said, "If you try to harm him in the same way you treated those students from poor families before, or even worse, I won't let it go so easily."
He was mentally prepared for this, and he could even say it out loud, but hearing her say it like that made the fire in his heart rise completely and he could no longer suppress it!
He pushed the person aside, flicked his sleeves, sat down in a chair, and said angrily, "Even if I moved, what can you do to me!"
Li Yunru calmly said, "I will kill you."
She didn't finish her sentence, but if she killed him, she would also kill herself.
Yan Ning burst into laughter, "Ha! What a terrifying threat! The princess's majesty remains undiminished. Before, she threatened to kill me for some other woman, and tonight she threatens to kill me for some lowly commoner. So, is my life so easily taken by the princess?"
He suddenly stood up from his seat, grabbed her neck, his face flushed red, and gritted his teeth, saying hatefully, "Let me tell you, Liyang, I tolerate and indulge you because I love you and can't bear to hurt you. But if you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me..."
"Don't blame yourself for anything."
Li Yunru looked at him without a trace of fear. "Kill me?"
She said, "Then you can do it now. It will fulfill my wish to go down and reunite with my father and mother sooner."
An expected answer.
Yan Ning curled his lips, released her neck, and gently stroked her face, saying calmly, "I won't kill the princess. I'll just lock you up, and then... kill everyone you care about. That way, the princess will be mine alone, and she'll never think about anyone else again."
He did not want to try the method Lu Wulang suggested.
His princess is too proud; if things really came to that, he fears she wouldn't be able to handle it.
He would rather not take that path than take any other way, as long as there was even the slightest possibility.
"Smack!"
Unable to control her emotions, Li Yunru slapped him across the face.
"You're absolutely insane!"
"You forced me to do that!"
He had never been so humble to a woman before. He set aside his dignity as the eldest son of a noble family and bowed down time and time again. He even gave her the choices she wanted.
She defied her elders in front of everyone in the family, knowing they disliked her presence but still insisted on keeping her and recognizing her as their legal wife. Even though they did what she wanted, they still treated her with such coldness.
They even said they would kill him for the sake of that musician!
This is utterly absurd!
What is his identity? What is that musician's identity?
She actually compared him to a person, and... he couldn't even win the argument.
Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone a young man who is used to being flattered. Yan Ning could no longer maintain his usual demeanor and also uttered harsh words.
"madman!"
Li Yunru realized that the person in front of her was impossible to communicate with, and that staying any longer would only result in a stalemate and nothing would come of it.
"I will not stay, I will not go back to the Yan family, no matter what you do!"
She said a few words, turned around and walked away. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Chen Jingsheng and a group of servants blocking her way.
"master!"
Li Yunru turned around and saw the man leisurely pick up the tea beside him, take a sip, and slowly say, "Princess, you are free to leave, but I cannot guarantee that the Princess's residence you see when you return will still be in such a perfect state."
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Author's Note: Update next Thursday at 11 PM
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