Chapter 61: Imprisonment
For the next few days, Wen Youqing was placed under house arrest in this exquisite villa. She could move freely within the courtyard, but she could not even step out of the gate.
The maid's name was Xiao He. She was respectful but tight-lipped. She talked a lot, but nothing she shouldn't say could be pried out. Her eyes were always rolling around, always bringing her some new and interesting little things.
For some reason, Wen Youqing always thought of Alu when he looked at her.
Probably all of them have grass radicals.
Wen Youqing tried to find clues from the layout of the courtyard. This was an extremely secluded residence, hidden in the mountains and forests, with high walls and deep courtyards, and strict security. Judging from the architectural style and decoration, it was not even the residence of a person of official rank.
She noticed the numerous books in the study, many of them rare and unique. Wen Youqing had been a voracious reader since childhood, and had studied ancient texts extensively. She discovered that some of these books were classics she had previously admired.
He even went to look for her favorite authors and her favorite types of storytelling.
On the desk was also her favorite incense - the Er Su Jiuju that almost no woman used.
All these details showed that Cui Junji was not indifferent to her. On the contrary, he seemed to know her preferences very well, even to the point of making her hair stand on end.
There are some things that she herself doesn't know whether she likes or not, but every time they appear, she will choose them.
On the evening of the third day, Cui Junji came to the villa again, bringing with him some new clothes and jewelry, all of which were Wen Youqing's favorite styles and colors.
"Are you used to it?" he asked, his tone as calm as an old couple chatting.
Wen Youqing didn't answer, but asked instead: "Why are you trying to please me?"
Cui Junji paused while pouring tea: "What do you think?"
"I think you're weird." Wen Youqing looked at him directly. "Many years ago, you didn't hesitate to slander me and ruthlessly broke off the engagement, making me a laughing stock and nearly driving me to death. Now you're risking your life to save me, imprisoning me here, and even taking the trouble to prepare all this..." She gestured towards the books filling the room and the items on the table. "What exactly do you want to do?"
For the first cup of tea, Cui Junji pushed the cup in front of her and asked, "What would you do if I said I regretted it?"
Wen Youqing was shocked by his train of thought: "You regret it, what the hell does it have to do with me?"
Cui Junji's eyes were complicated. He was still not used to Wen Youqing's foul language, but he only said: "It's not up to me to decide matters of the heart. I want to make up for my mistakes while it's still possible."
"Okay, then you give me money and an identity, and send me to a faraway place to spend my old age in peace." Wen Youqing said.
"I can't do it." Cui Junji said, "You are 'dead' now. You can break free from the shackles of the past, and I can also..." He paused, looking at her with burning eyes, "take back what rightfully belongs to me."
Wen Youqing felt a chill run down her spine. "You're using my freedom to make up for your mistakes. Cui Junji, are you mentally ill? You didn't give a cent, but you're using my things to compensate me. And you have a family and a son now. I feel dirty."
Cui Junji's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Really? They are just decorations, necessities for the family. You know that too. Why would you care about this?"
"I don't mind, but I feel sick if you insist on keeping me by your side." Wen Youqing said calmly.
I thought it would anger him. After all, such thoughts are not something an old feudalist can accept.
Cui Junji stood up, and his tall figure enveloped her.
But he suddenly squatted down and looked her in the eye, a gesture that was strangely humble and out of place for his status as a powerful official.
"Ah Qing," his voice was unusually gentle, "breaking off the engagement was the biggest mistake of my life. We are the people who understand each other best in this world. If you wanted to kill someone, I would help you; if you killed someone, I would bury them for you. You wanted to overthrow the Wang family, and I did it, even replacing the emperor. Now I have the ability to give you everything you want."
His fingers gently brushed her cheek, and this time Wen Youqing did not dodge. No one is immune to power.
"Please, will you stay?"
The look was too intense. Wen Youqing looked at the almost crazy persistence in his eyes and felt resistance, as if two magnets with the same polarity, put together, would only repel each other.
But Cui Junji didn't think so. He had lived in the compound of aristocratic families for too long, and finally saw a living person who was both obviously good and bad, and whose joy, anger, sorrow and happiness were all written on her face. He couldn't live without her.
"I need time." Wen Youqing finally said, turning her head to avoid Cui Junji's touch. "This all happened too suddenly. I... I need time to think."
This answer was already very good. Cui Junji stared at her for a moment, not daring to push her too far, and nodded. "Okay, it takes as long as you want. But remember, Aqing," his voice was low and dangerous, "this time, I won't let you go. Whether you accept it or not, I will follow you and cling to you."
He stood up and left, leaving Wen Youqing alone to face the confusion.
As night fell, Wen Youqing lay in bed, unable to sleep. Cui Junji's words from the day before echoed in her mind. Ever since he had pierced the window paper, she felt a chill.
This obsession is frightening and hard to shake off.
Unable to sleep, Wen Youqing got up, lit the light, and paced around the room. She needed to understand exactly what role she played in this grand chess game. This single obsession alone didn't convince her that it was the key to the entire game.
What else does she need to do.
She walked to the desk and accidentally opened the drawer, finding some paper and ink inside. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind - perhaps she could test Cui Junji by writing a letter.
The next day, when Cui Junji came to the villa again, Wen Youqing showed a slightly softened attitude.
She had lunch with him, and they occasionally exchanged a few words during the meal, but they were just some boring trivial matters.
After dinner, Wen Youqing casually said, "I suddenly wanted to write a letter to an old friend to tell her that I'm fine... But then I remembered that I'm already dead, so I had to comfort her."
Cui Junji seemed calm, but in fact he immediately became alert: "Old friend? Huo Qizhang?"
"The last time we contacted each other was when Shen Zijie was beheaded. I just wanted to tell you that he was safe." Wen Youqing lowered his eyes, his tone gloomy.
Cui Junji looked at her for a moment and said, "You can write a letter and I will pass it on for you."
As expected, Wen Youqing's heart tightened. This was clearly an attempt to censor her letter. But she nodded nonetheless. "Thank you."
She wrote a short letter in front of Cui Junji, which only greeted her old friend and asked about his recent situation, without mentioning her own situation or position. After finishing the letter, she handed it to Cui Junji.
He took the letter, read it carefully, and then put it in his arms: "You really trust her, you dare to let her know such a big thing."
"My husband also met you alone when he died, right?" Wen Youqing suddenly looked him straight in the eye. "He treated you like a brother and asked you to take care of his wife and children, and yet you did this. Women's friendship is more reliable than a life-or-death relationship like yours."
Taking advantage of Cui Junji's embarrassment, Wen Youqing noticed that he didn't ask for the address. Either he already knew where her old friend was, or he had no intention of actually delivering the letter.
This further confirmed her suspicion: Cui Junji intended to completely control all her contacts with the outside world.
She could only fight him from the inner house.
In the next few days, Wen Youqing continued to play the role of gradually softening and compromising.
As long as a man is willing to put in the effort, he will get surprises and even more of a life of luxury.
Looking at the carefully prepared gifts and the gold, silver and jewelry thrown at her, it was hard for Wen Youqing not to be moved. She was just an ordinary person, and even if she was pretending, her true feelings would inevitably show, and she wanted to give him some sweetness to taste.
So she occasionally played chess and drank tea with Cui Junji, but most of the time she was still cold and stern.
Cui Junji seemed to enjoy this change. He came more and more often and stayed longer and longer.
Wen Youqing gradually realized that Cui Junji had an almost pathological obsession with her. He would stare at her for long periods of time, memorize her casual preferences, and bring relevant items on his next visit. He was extremely controlling, yet also incredibly considerate of certain details, even personally selecting the color and fabric of her bellyband.
One night, a blizzard raged.
Wen Youqing watched the blizzard from the porch, watching the thunder and lightning split the sky and earth. Snow and thunder were really unusual. This year's weather was so strange.
I thought Cui Junji probably wouldn't come, but unexpectedly, he arrived at the villa late at night, covered in snow and his cloak soaked, but he brought a box of fried mushrooms from the south of the city that Wen Youqing casually mentioned a few days ago.
It's a simple dish that's still piping hot and crispy when it comes out of the food box.
"Why are you here at this hour?" Wen Youqing asked in surprise, not forgetting to pick one up and pop it into her mouth. "And it's soaked like this?"
The servant hurriedly took the wet cloak and left. Cui Junji just smiled and said, "You were greedy at this time yesterday. I thought you didn't have it yesterday, so you must want it today too, so I brought it to you early." A few strands of his hair were wet and stuck to his forehead, making him look less sharp than usual and more youthful.
Such beauty made Wen Youqing's heart tremble. She ordered Xiaohe to prepare hot water and clean clothes. After hesitating for a moment, she put down the fried mushrooms in her hand and dried Cui Junji's hair herself.
He sat quietly, letting her do whatever she wanted, being extremely well-behaved.
"Ah Qing," he suddenly said, "I'm so tired. There are so many official documents and flattery today. I'm always worried about greed when distributing grain..."
He was clearly a wild beast, but in front of her he was like a spoiled kitten. He gently rested his head on her waist and abdomen, "I'm really tired, can you comfort me?"
"You're calling the shots out there now, how can I possibly coax you?" After saying this, the ambiguity reached its peak. Wen Youqing instantly added, "Talk nicely, don't force me to slap you."
"Can I hold you while sleeping? I won't do anything." Cui Junji said in a muffled voice, as if he was afraid of being rejected. He buried his face in Wen Youqing's abdomen and didn't dare to look at Wen Youqing.
“…”
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