Chapter 70 I Want You Before We Part
September 18th.
Yan Ning was busy preparing for the Xiangshan Gathering invitation she had received a few days earlier.
Bathing, hair-straightening, incense burning... Gentlemen have always loved elegance and purity, and he especially so.
"Can we not go?" Li Yunru gathered a strand of his glossy black hair in her hand, applied some orchid ointment and rubbed it gently, and asked.
Don't overthink it.
Yan Ning turned around, looked up into her eyes, and said sincerely, "This is just an ordinary gathering."
Fearing she wouldn't believe him, he added, "Lu Wulang and the others will also be there."
This means it is not allowed.
Li Yunru's face darkened, and she didn't reply. After a long silence, she asked, "What if I said I don't want you to go? I want you to stay and keep me company."
"Don't do that, Liyang."
“Then I will go with you.”
This time, it was Yan Ning's turn to remain silent.
After a long silence, he lifted himself slightly from the bath, put his arm around her neck, and pressed his forehead to hers, nose to nose, their breaths mingling in the steamy air.
"I'll only be gone for half a day, I'll be back soon."
He pecked her lips and coaxed her with a laugh, "Wait for me at home. When I get back, I'll take you out to play. You haven't really explored Jiankang properly yet, have you? Actually, it has many fun places, no less than the capital."
Li Yunru remained silent.
Having been married for many years, how could Yan Ning not sense the low spirits of the person in question? But this Xiangshan gathering was about the outcome of his marriage to Cui Wan.
He absolutely had to go.
He couldn't tell people the reason directly, for fear that they would overthink it.
He didn't want her to go there; the trip would surely bring many troubles and untold malice, and he didn't want her to experience any of that.
He can handle it; people don't need to worry about it. Just stay by his side.
Yan Ning thought she was unaware, but in fact Li Yunru knew everything.
A letter arrived from Qinghe recently, bearing the death sentence from Yan Sheng's teacher, Sun Shengshou. He was terminally ill and beyond saving. His only wish before his death was to see his granddaughter, born of his direct lineage, marry the younger generation he favored most.
After being ill, he experienced a brief moment of lucidity before death, but he was somewhat confused and forgot that Yan Ning had refused his request at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet a few days ago, and kept urging him to return the favor.
Unable to bear the pressure, Cui Wan attempted suicide by jumping into the river at home. Fortunately, she was pulled out by the servants and survived. However, ashamed to face her family, she ran away from home a few days ago and her whereabouts are unknown.
The Cui family held all their old and new grudges against her and Yan Ning.
Perhaps more accurately, the blame was placed on her, claiming she was a seductive vixen and a demon, demanding that the Yan family, including Yan Sanlang, divorce her and expel her, citing the Xie family's example as a warning.
Even within the most prestigious and powerful families, once the doors are closed, every household has its share of unspeakable secrets. But once the doors are opened and the news gets out, things are a different story.
Even if everyone is in a similar situation, as long as they don't expose it, they can occupy the moral and legal high ground to criticize you. When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down, and there are plenty of ways to drag you down from your high platform.
The affair between Yan Sanlang and Cui Wan is now widely publicized, and there is no proper solution. The Yan family is likely to become the next Xie family.
This Xiangshan gathering was no ordinary meeting; it was clearly a siege launched by the allied families within the Yan family's faction!
Even so, he was still smiling and coaxing her. Li Yunru couldn't describe how she felt. Looking into his dark, bright eyes, she just felt something stuck in her throat, making it hard to breathe, and it felt incredibly heavy.
She kissed his eyes, then jumped into the water, hugged his neck, pressed herself against him, kissed his earlobe, and whispered in a sticky, mushy voice, "Yan Changjun, I want you."
A smile appeared in Yan Ning's eyes. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, nuzzled her face affectionately, and said in a hoarse voice, "Alright, then Princess, don't cry and say you don't want it again later."
He said he wanted to kiss her, and then his hand slipped inside her clothes. Li Yunru stopped him. "I don't want this. I want you."
She looked into his eyes and said earnestly, word by word, "I want you, I want us together, to become one, do you understand, Yan Changjun? I want us to be like we used to be..."
"Liyang".
With a beauty in his arms, and so proactive, even a saint would have some thoughts. Besides, he wasn't a saint; he was an ordinary person, the most mundane of them all. He wanted to be with her, to go to the mountains of passion with her, to forget everything in the world, and to leave only the two of them in this world...
However, a sliver of reason remained, telling him he couldn't.
Not to mention that today's matter is extremely important and cannot be delayed, the mourning period has only lasted for a year. If he really treats people badly, what if she has a child during the mourning period? She will be criticized and condemned by the world.
Medicine could be used, but it was bitter and astringent, and she was most afraid of bitterness. Usually, when she had some pain, she would rather endure it than take medicine. She would have to be begged and coaxed three or four times before she would reluctantly take some. But once she took it, it was as if she had taken poison, and her face would scrunch up.
Besides, he didn't want people to use those things; all medicines have side effects and can be very harmful to the body.
Yan Ning shook her head and refused, saying, "No."
"Why? Didn't you say you liked me? Why can't I?"
Yan Ning: "Precisely because I like you and cherish you, it's impossible!"
He lowered his head, pressed it against her neck, felt her breath and pulse, and coaxed, "Be good, Ruilin'er. We have a long future ahead of us."
"There will be no more," she whispered.
"What did you say?"
The warm water in the bath was so comforting that it numbed his senses. He didn't hear clearly for a moment, but a few indistinct sounds made him suddenly panic and he looked up at her.
"fine."
Li Yunru composed herself and said, "Fine, let's go then."
He rose from the water, jumped back onto the edge of the bath, and said, "Come, let me wash your body and hair for you."
She pressed Yan Ning down to sit properly, and placed her hand on his back. The dense welts from the ruler had just healed, but the marks were still visible, and the scabs from those scars hadn't fallen off yet.
Your butterfly back was so beautiful before!
Forty-nine lashes with a ruler.
It was as if all the punishments he had never received in his life, from childhood to adulthood, were inflicted upon him in this one instance.
"You've become ugly, haven't you?" Seeing her touching her wound in silence, I remembered what she had said: she didn't like people with physical defects; she preferred people who were perfect and flawless, like porcelain.
"I'm looking for a doctor to adjust the medication. It will remove these scars as soon as possible, and they won't leave any marks."
Li Yunru smiled bitterly and said, "Don't go. Stay here as a warning. When you do things in the future, think about today more and think twice before you act."
Yan Ning smiled and said, "That makes some sense, but..."
He turned around again and corrected her, "Liyang, you're wrong about something. Every decision I make is carefully considered. I don't regret whether it's right or wrong, and I don't need any reminders."
He firmly told her that choosing her and everything he had done for her was never a momentary impulse.
She was the one he firmly wanted to keep by his side and never give up on, even after careful consideration!
Li Yunru roughly understood what he meant, but said nothing. She silently helped him wash and groom himself. After he changed his clothes, he called a carriage to go out.
Not long after he left, the person who had caused all the trouble because of her appeared in front of Li Yunru.
It is Cui Wan, who has been rumored to have run away from home for many days.
When she arrived in Jiankang, Cui Shi settled her in and she continued to live in the Yan family.
Cui Wan came to declare her victory.
"At today's Xiangshan gathering, Yan Sanlang will definitely agree to the marriage. As I said, your position as Mrs. Yan will be mine sooner or later."
At this moment, Cui Wan was no longer the gentle and delicate young lady she once was; she was clearly a demon lurking in the darkness.
Li Yunru remained unmoved by her triumphant victory, simply saying, "I don't understand why you did this?"
For a man who has no feelings for her, and for a vague title like "Madam So-and-so," a noblewoman from a prestigious family could disregard her reputation and fabricate such things, even at the cost of her own family's life.
She couldn't understand why Cui Wan would do such an obviously unprofitable deal.
Cui Wan stirred the tea leaves in her hand and said with a smile, "Because I can't stand seeing other people happy!"
"If I can't have it, no one else can!"
This was the first time Li Yunru had truly gotten to know this noblewoman from a high-ranking family.
She looked at the person and said something completely unrelated to the present moment.
"Back then at the Yan residence in the capital, was Cui Er's intrusion your doing?"
Cui Wan did not deny it, saying, "You're not too stupid; you finally realized it after all this time."
Li Yunru never doubted her. After all, in that situation, she was the only one who managed to maintain her dignity. But after meeting Cui Er at the Cui family in Qinghe, she couldn't help but become more cunning.
After all, the Yan family is a huge family, and Jing Shui Xuan is a remote and secluded place. It can be said that it is far away from the area where people come and go. How could it be such a coincidence that he could come to Jing Shui Xuan by walking around and even touch her inappropriately without any restraint!
They knew everything; it was just a charade put on by the uncle and nephew.
"I originally thought that if you were humiliated, the Yan family would have no reason to keep you, and my cousin would not allow himself to have an unchaste wife. But alas, my aunt ruined my plan, and my cousin even worse!"
How could anyone not care about something like this!
She deliberately leaked the information to others, both openly and secretly, but in the end... he took the blame for her and accepted all the wrongs.
That's outrageous!
She admitted that she was jealous of Li Yunru!
Why should I?!
From her family background to her appearance and temperament, she is better than her, not worse. Why should anyone get so much and have Yan Sanlang's unconditional protection?
Wasn't their marriage clearly not just a union of interests from the beginning?
She didn't understand, she was resentful and jealous, and she felt that the other woman had taken her place. If it weren't for her, she would have been the one standing next to Yan Changjun long ago.
Today, I am the one who has received all of his kindness and care!
Li Yunru stole her things; she brought this upon herself!
She deliberately provoked Li Yunru, saying, "But it doesn't matter. Anyway, after you leave, I will marry Yan Changjun, and we will have many, many children together. Then, I will forget everything. If he still remembers you, I can be generous and accompany him to offer incense to you."
"Yeah?"
Li Yunru looked at her, but her words didn't stir any emotion in her heart; she had seen through her thoughts.
“If you were really that confident, you wouldn’t have made this special trip to say these things.”
Cui Wan was exposed, her defenses crumbled, and she blushed with rage, shouting, "You!"
Li Yunru saw everything about her, but didn't want to get entangled with this person any further or gain any verbal advantage. She had already done her best to be polite and considerate. After saying this, she asked Shu Yun to see the guest out.
After Cui Wan left, she returned to her room and collapsed weakly onto the chaise longue.
"Princess, don't take it to heart. They just can't stand to see you and your husband being together, but what does it matter? Your husband dotes on you, and no matter what they do, they can't interfere in your private life!"
"I know."
They can't control it; it's just disgusting and annoying.
She didn't want to be annoyed by these words anymore.
...
Yan Ning said she would be right back, but three to five days passed without any news.
However, Li Yunru did receive a letter from Cui, which included two house deeds and land deeds. The house was located in Shangjing, and it was a three-courtyard house situated on the east side of the city, a bustling area with a high volume of people.
The land covers about a hundred acres, all of which are fertile paddy fields.
She said the deal was half done, and that if she promised, they would be free after she left.
It was faster than I expected.
This is probably the influence of top-tier families; as long as they want to... just ask, it's never difficult.
Unexpectedly, disaster struck, just like her ill-fated relationship with Yan Ning.
She burned the letters, leaving only the house and land deeds, and called Shuyun over to hand her the two deeds.
"this……"
"From now on, they are yours. You'd better take good care of them. If you don't, I'll make trouble for you!"
Shu Yun hesitated and did not answer.
Li Yunru deliberately put on a stern face and said, "What, are you afraid of hardship and unwilling?"
"Of course not."
"Then let's continue."
She slipped the contract into Shu Yun's hand.
The person was so moved that they knelt down.
"This servant will do a good job and will certainly live up to your expectations. When the rice, melons, and fruits are ripe and harvested next year, I will send them over for the princess and her husband to taste."
"Okay, I'll wait."
She didn't tell anyone the truth, only saying that she had acquired some properties and needed someone she could trust to manage them.
After sending Shu Yun away from Qingfeng Garden, she had a carriage prepared and headed to Fragrant Hills.
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