Hongli raised his voice and instructed Li Yu, "Pour Princess Jin a cup of tea to moisten her throat."
Upon receiving the order, Li Yu immediately went to pour tea for Princess Jin. Seeing this, the others covered their mouths and chuckled, secretly amused that Princess Jin had once again angered the Fourth Prince. Jin Minjing, realizing she was being mistreated, obediently shut her mouth, accepted the tea from Li Yu, and gave an awkward smile.
"Thank you, Fourth Master."
After being warned by Hongli, Jin Minjing dared not speak recklessly again. Fucha saw this and understood the situation.
After the tea ceremony, breakfast was prepared. On the first day of the Fujin's marriage, the maids were to eat breakfast with her.
Su Yushan originally couldn't avoid it either, but Jin Minjing blurted out something, so she took the opportunity to lie and said that her eyes were uncomfortable and she was worried about infecting others, so she said goodbye and didn't stay for breakfast.
Watching her departing figure, Hongli was in turmoil. He wanted to follow her, but his wife was still there. It was only the first day of their marriage. If he abandoned his wife in public, wouldn't that invite Su Yushan's hatred?
After much deliberation, Hongli ultimately did not get up and continued to have breakfast with his wife.
After the meal, everyone took their leave one after another. Hongli instructed the steward to take his wife on a tour of the mansion to familiarize her with her new home.
After saying this, he took his leave, his steps unusually hurried. Lady Fucha saw through his intentions but didn't say anything, and, led by the head steward, strolled around the mansion.
After leaving Lanzhao Academy, Hongli went straight to Huatang Pavilion.
At that moment, Su Yushan was painting in her room, trying to use her brush to suppress her chaotic thoughts. Hearing Chang Yue's greeting, Su Yushan calmly rose, walked around the table, and curtsied towards the door.
"Greetings to Fourth Master."
In his memory, Su Yushan had almost never greeted him. Every time he came over, she would not be polite, either chatting and laughing with him or busy with her own things and too lazy to greet him. In any case, he felt very comfortable.
He was not used to such formality. "Between you and me, there is no need for such politeness?"
With her long, curled eyelashes drooping slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes, Su Yushan replied calmly, "It's never wrong to be overly polite."
"I don't need you to be so polite, just act as usual."
"Yes, I will obey Fourth Master's orders."
Her face showed no anger or resentment, remaining as unfamiliar and distant as when they first met. This calmness made Hongli very uncomfortable.
"You're clearly trying to annoy me! Yu Shan, do you have to be so distant with me? Even though I've married a princess, the only one I love is you. I'm only staying at Lan Zhao Courtyard because it's our wedding. I'll stay with you from now on. My feelings for you haven't changed at all. Yu Shan, I hope we can still be as close as we were before."
As they spoke, Hongli approached her, raised his finger to lift her chin, forcing her to look at him. However, even when forced to look up, she stubbornly looked away, refusing to meet his gaze directly.
Even so, he could clearly see that the corners of her eyes were already red, as if she was hiding a lot of grievances.
Holding her hand tightly, Hongli couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her lips, wanting her to feel his affection.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Su Yushan subconsciously turned her face away.
Hongli was stunned for a moment, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, but he still couldn't help but explain, "I didn't kiss her."
The implication is that last night was just a routine matter, nothing more.
He thought it was nothing and could be easily overlooked, but in Su Yushan's heart, feelings were sacred. He could separate his body and mind, but she couldn't.
Last night she kept dreaming about him, dreaming that he would suddenly return to her side, just like the previous times, saying that he had not consummated his marriage with the Fujin. However, when she opened her eyes, there was no one on her pillow, and there was no sign of him at all.
In other words, he did indeed stay at Lanzhao Courtyard and consummate his marriage with his wife. This was a matter of course, but the thought of such a scene made Su Yushan feel like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.
This incident had become a thorn in her side. She longed to be able to joke and be affectionate with Hongli without any reservations, just like before. She kept reminding herself to remember her place, not to be temperamental, and to face Hongli's every move with a smile.
But the moment she saw him, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't suppress the surging pain within her, and her voice trembled with sorrow.
“You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s not your fault, it’s mine. As a handmaid, I shouldn’t have minded, I shouldn’t have refused. I will follow the rules, try to change myself, and try to adapt. Please give me some time.”
Her barely suppressed, yet uncontrollable grief pierced Hongli's heart like a knife. He tenderly embraced her and softly comforted her:
"Yushan, I don't need you to be so sensible. If you're unhappy, you can complain to me, or throw a tantrum at me. I'm willing to listen to you. But can you please stop torturing yourself like this? I hope you can be free and happy, and be your most authentic self, instead of suppressing your pain!"
Tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, unstoppable. Su Yushan hated her own weakness. She tried to break free from his grip, but he held her too tightly, and she couldn't push him away. Crying herself hoarse, she felt breathless and weak all over. She couldn't catch her breath, and suddenly everything went black as she fainted.
Feeling her collapse into his arms, Hongli realized something was wrong and held her tightly, calling out to her urgently.
"Yu Shan? Yu Shan!"
Unable to respond, the anxious Hongli quickly picked her up and carried her into the tent, but she remained unconscious.
Hongli hurriedly ordered someone to fetch a doctor. After examining Su Gege's pulse, Doctor He said that she had been worrying too much, resulting in liver stagnation, spleen deficiency, and imbalance of qi and blood. In addition, she had not eaten breakfast that morning, and the emotional fluctuations caused her to faint.
Normally, she would wake up quickly in this situation, but Hongli stayed by her side for an hour and still did not see Su Yushan wake up. He also noticed that she was curled up in the quilt, seemingly trembling, and her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she was in great pain.
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