She was willing to give him her body, which was already the limit of her compromise. As for her heart, that was her bottom line. She would not allow herself to love a man who might sleep with other women at any time, and she did not want to give her true heart to be trampled on.
But he couldn't understand any of this, so Su Yushan was too lazy to argue anymore. She made an excuse that she was tired and needed to rest, and never mentioned the matter again.
Knowing that change wouldn't happen overnight, Hongli stopped pressuring her and told her to rest well. He would wait for her to change her mind.
That night, Hongli did not go to Lanzhao Courtyard, but stayed in Huatang Pavilion.
Su Yushan was still ill, and he did not mistreat her. He simply lay quietly beside her, and even just listening to her breathing made him feel at ease.
When Granny Cui reported this to the Fujin, she couldn't help but scold her, "What's wrong with this Su Gege? The Fourth Prince just got married, and she's already clinging to him. She really has no sense of propriety."
Granny Cui was indignant, but Madam Fucha remained calm and did not react much. "Didn't you say she was sick? It's normal for Fourth Master to stay by her side because he is worried about her condition. At least it proves that Fourth Master is a man of deep affection."
With a cold snort, Granny Cui muttered, "Her illness came at such a convenient time; she might be faking it!"
"Whether it's a real illness or a fake one doesn't matter. As long as Fourth Master is willing to believe it, that's her good fortune. Since Fourth Master cares about Consort Su, let him be! After all, we've only just married and have little affection for each other, so it's inevitable that I'll be neglected. Wouldn't it be beneath my dignity for a princess to compete for favor with a maid?"
Lady Fucha was quite open-minded and didn't take the matter to heart. If Hongli wasn't coming, she wouldn't wait any longer. She went to her tent to rest first, thinking there would be plenty of time in the future and she wasn't in a hurry.
In the days that followed, Su Yushan remained indifferent to Hongli, neither making a fuss nor causing any disturbance, like a wilted flower, devoid of any vitality.
He would rather she be like before, arguing and making a scene with him, than see her looking so dejected.
That noon, he returned from outside the mansion and went straight to Huatang Pavilion.
Su Yushan had already finished lunch and was taking a nap. If he went in, he would probably wake her up. She could tell he was in a bad mood and guessed he wouldn't be able to sleep again.
She hadn't had a fever for the past two days, but her cold hadn't improved. The doctor advised her to rest more. Considering her health, Hongli didn't go inside. He didn't want to go to Lanzhao Courtyard, so he went straight back to his study.
To her surprise, Kim Min-jung was waiting there, carrying a food box. Upon seeing him, a faint smile finally appeared on her troubled face.
"Fourth Master, you're back! I made you some ginseng soup, it's still warm!"
Too lazy to socialize, Hongli simply replied, "I have no appetite!"
Jin Minjing didn't leave, but followed him inside. "I heard my father has been promoted to Minister of the Military Equipment Bureau," she said, "that's a third-rank official!" Naturally, Jin Minjing felt immensely honored by his father's promotion and became even more proud. He specifically used this opportunity to seek out Hongli.
"It was thanks to Fourth Master's promotion that he had the opportunity to be promoted."
"This is his own talent; I did nothing." Hongli was not one to appoint people based on personal connections; Kim Sam-bo's promotion was not his scheme.
To be fair, Kim Sam-bo was indeed very capable. He was not only competent but also understood the ways of officialdom, which allowed him to rise through the ranks. However, his daughter was arrogant and conceited, always causing trouble, which made Hongli increasingly impatient with Kim Min-kyung.
"Go back if there's nothing else! I have official business to attend to."
Seeing that Hongli had given the order to leave, Jin Minjing was anxious. Remembering Lizhi's instructions, she made up her mind and decided to take the risk. She unfolded a moon-colored handkerchief in her hand, inside which was a scarlet handkerchief.
Kim Min-jung carefully handed the scarlet handkerchief to Hongli, saying it was a gift for him.
Before he could respond, she shoved the handkerchief into his hand, blushing and shyly explaining, "This is what you said to me in the tent when I first served you. I've always remembered it, and I even embroidered it on this handkerchief. Does Your Highness still remember?"
What had he praised her for? Hongli had no recollection. He unfolded the handkerchief and saw two lines of poetry embroidered on it:
Her jade-like face adorned with alluring charm, her icy skin imbued with a fragrant soul.
Did he really say that? If he did, then he was deceived by her appearance.
Too lazy to say more, he simply hummed in response and handed the handkerchief back to her, replying perfunctorily, "The embroidery is nice, but the color doesn't suit me. You should keep it for yourself!"
She didn't reach out to take it, but instead wrapped it in a moon-colored handkerchief, carefully closed it, and then put it away.
Hongli once again ordered Jin Minjing to leave, and Jin Minjing had no choice but to curtsy and take her leave.
Before leaving, she looked back and saw Hongli pinch his brow with his finger, the fingertip very close to his nose. Jin Minjing's heart pounded. After slowly walking out of the house, she did not leave, but waited outside.
Hongli, who was inside the room, felt thirsty and drank a full cup of tea, but he was still not quenched and even began to feel dizzy.
Su Yushan's image began to appear in his mind. At this moment, he felt inexplicably hot and wanted to see Su Yushan immediately.
But what good would it do to see her? Yu Shan was still ill; he couldn't possibly take advantage of her at this time.
His anger grew stronger and stronger, and he longed to find a way out. Just then, the door was pushed open!
But then he saw a person walk in through the doorway. The figure was somewhat blurry, and he couldn't see it clearly, but the face seemed strangely familiar, as if it were the person he had been longing for.
"Yushan? Is that you?"
The person opposite him was stunned for a long while, his eyes filled with an unusually complex expression, a mixture of disappointment and relief. He forced a smile and replied, "Hongli, it's me. I've come to see you."
Upon hearing this, Hongli was surprised, because Yushan was still giving him the cold shoulder and had been calling him Fourth Master all this time. Why would she suddenly call him by his name today?
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