Chapter 55. Wen Qiyan said he was her possession. ...
Their eyes met in the deep night rain, their gazes locked in a fierce confrontation, a turbulent undercurrent of hidden reefs flowing between them.
Not only did the maidservant beside her dare not utter a sound, but even Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but feel her heart pounding with fear.
"You... how did you get here?" she asked him.
Wen Qiyan didn't respond to her.
He warned Wen Yunqin in front of so many people, was he really not afraid that the news would reach Wen's parents' ears?
Trapped in his arms, Ji Wanyuan timidly tugged at his wide sleeve and said, "Um... I just ran into my uncle."
"I didn't deliberately avoid people, nor did I speak to anyone alone." Her lips pursed slightly, still a little sore. "Please don't misunderstand."
She tugged at Wen Qiyan's sleeve, winked at him, and gestured for him not to act crazy in front of others.
"Oh?" The man ignored her hint, his tone completely flat.
"Judging from your tone, my lady, you seem to regret not having a private conversation with Yun Qin? Did I arrive too quickly and ruin your good time together?"
Ji Wanyuan, “…”
She didn't say that!
Ji Wanyuan endured it again and again, and once again tugged at the man's arm to answer a question that didn't go into detail, "It's getting late, let's go back to the house and rest early."
"Uncle, if you've finished your official duties, please rest early. Farewell."
After saying that, she tried to leave with Wen Qiyan, but before she could take two steps, the man easily pulled her into his arms again.
This time, he held her even more tightly than before, making it difficult for Ji Wanyuan to move.
Unable to break free, she could only glare at the man restraining her, her small face tilted back, and whispered angrily, "Wen Qiyan! Let me go..."
"Qin Di hasn't said anything yet, why are you leaving?" He stroked her wrist, and Ji Wanyuan's tension intensified for no reason.
"What could my uncle and I possibly say? There was nothing to say."
But Wen Qiyan ignored her words and looked at Wen Yunqin with a forced smile. "What do you want to say to your sister-in-law? Go ahead and say it, let your brother hear it too."
Ji Wanyuan was trapped in Wen Qiyan's arms and couldn't get away. She couldn't pry open Wen Qiyan's arms that were holding her waist. During the brief pauses, she looked across at the other side.
Wen Yunqin's eyes also darkened considerably. After this incident, the atmosphere between the two brothers not only failed to improve but became even more stagnant, leaving her feeling suffocated as she stood between them.
The rain under the eaves was falling even harder than before, pattering against the green jade tiles and making a crackling sound, as if adding fuel to the fire between the two.
"Brother, you're so petty, can't I even exchange a few words with my sister-in-law?" After a long standoff, Wen Yunqin sneered.
Wen Qiyan didn't reply to him. Instead, he looked down at Ji Wanyuan and asked her. His gaze swept over her lips first, and he restrained her restless wrists before speaking.
His voice was deep and dangerous, "Yun Qin wants to speak with his wife alone, away from me. Do you want to hear it?"
His tone appeared calm and gentle, but it actually contained a threat.
Who dares to listen?
Ji Wanyuan had no choice but to step in and awkwardly smiled, "Uncle... we are of different statuses, so it's better to have the maids relay any messages."
As soon as Ji Wanyuan finished speaking, Wen Qiyan looked at Wen Yunqin and said, "Did you hear that? Yunqin, it's not that I'm petty, but your sister-in-law is too sensible. She doesn't want to hear it."
Ji Wanyuan, “…” This bastard.
After saying that, Wen Qiyan didn't waste any more words. He put his arm around Ji Wanyuan and left. When they passed by Wen Yunqin's side, Ji Wanyuan was sandwiched in the middle, and she felt a chill.
Just when she thought the two would part ways, Wen Yunqin actually reached out to her.
But before his hand could even touch her wrist, it was already grabbed by Wen Qiyan.
Before Ji Wanyuan could even speak, she was too frightened to ask what the two were up to.
Wen Yunqin's palm strike came, aiming at the space between the two.
Then, she finally managed to break free from Wen Qiyan's embrace.
But she only escaped for a moment, because although she was out of Wen Qiyan's embrace, her wrist was still being held.
Wen Qiyan raised his long leg and kicked Wen Yunqin in a vital spot, forcing him back.
Ji Wanyuan was terrified. Her heart was pounding so hard that she hadn't even settled when the man pulled her into his arms.
Who knew that Wen Yunqin, who had been forced to retreat, would attack again.
At this moment, Wen Qiyan finally released her wrist.
Ji Wanyuan was barely able to stand, protected by her maids, including Emerald.
When she regained her senses, she saw two tall figures locked in combat amidst the towering rain.
Both men moved swiftly. Although they did not use weapons, they transformed their palms into blades, each punch landing with deadly force. Even the rain was swept up and turned into projectiles. Those unfamiliar with the martial arts could feel the fierce wind from their palms.
"Good heavens, why are the eldest and second young masters fighting?!"
The old women from the Wen family who were carrying lanterns were so frightened that they were speechless and screamed, jumping up and down in panic. Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but choke on her own saliva.
No way...?
Wen Yunqin learned martial arts after Wen Qiyan. He had also sparred with Wen Qiyan in the past, and was defeated by Wen Qiyan every time.
In recent years, he had poured out his unspeakable feelings on the battlefield. He believed that he was no longer the young man who only knew how to charge ahead, and that his elder brother, who only worked in the officialdom, should not be his match.
Unexpectedly, Wen Qiyan's moves were even more fierce and ruthless than his own when the fight started.
At first, he held back in the first couple of moves under the eaves, but once the rain swept in, he stopped holding back and started using aggressive and dangerous moves, attacking his face or kicking his lower body.
It was as if they wanted to smash his bones and disfigure him, or even cut off his lineage.
Wen Yunqin already harbored a lot of resentment, and after being suppressed by Wen Qiyan's words several times, he was already unhappy.
Seeing that he was so ruthless, she no longer held back any tricks.
The two brothers had been fighting in the rain for a short while, and all the flower pots and tree leaves placed on the steps and under the eaves were kicked at each other as weapons!
In no time, it shattered into pieces all over the ground.
The noise drowned out the rain, and the scene was so chaotic that Ji Wanyuan was completely bewildered.
It was Jade beside her who shook her wrist, asking her what she should do. Only then did she come to her senses.
Before Ji Wanyuan could make a decision, Emerald told her that the old women from the Wen family who carried lanterns had already gone to call for help.
Call someone?
Who else can control these two? Aren't they just Mr. and Mrs. Wen?
Thinking of this, Ji Wanyuan immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Stop!"
"Stop it! Stop fighting!"
If he hit her in front of her, wouldn't her parents blame him when they come over?
She was genuinely anxious.
She called out in a panic several times, but the two men didn't listen to her and stopped. Instead, they fought more and more fiercely, kicking and breaking more and more flower pots and tree saplings!
"Miss! Miss, please don't go any further, or you'll hurt yourself!"
Seeing that she was in a hurry to go down the steps, and that the rain was blowing so hard that it even hit the hem of her skirt, Emerald quickly pulled her back.
"Send servants to stop them!" The maids and servants are no good, but if we send more guards, how could they not stop them?
Just as Ji Wanyuan gave the order, she noticed that Wen Qiyan's attendant Qinghe and Wen Yunqin's guards did not dare to move and just watched their masters take action.
These people? Just watching the show?
She was truly at her wit's end.
Before she could shout a few more times, the maids and servants had already summoned Mr. and Mrs. Wen.
Ji Wanyuan felt a pang of panic, "..."
Wen's father walked ahead, his face grim, and said firmly, "Stop!"
The two ignored him and did not stop until Wen's father sent Wen family guards up, at which point they were forced to stop.
"Good heavens! What happened?!" Mother Wen had obviously already rested, but she rushed over upon hearing the news. She was wearing an outer robe and a headband, and was not yet properly dressed.
Ji Wanyuan didn't know what to say, so she simply kept quiet and lowered her head.
Wen Yunqin and Wen Qiyan seemed to be in a bloodthirsty frenzy, staring at each other coldly like mortal enemies, their bodies radiating a chilling and malevolent aura.
The two fought in the rain for a long time, and naturally their clothes were soaked.
They didn't look disheveled at all, especially Wen Qiyan. The rain soaked through his brocade clothes, but it still showed off his superior and outstanding figure.
Neither of them spoke when confronted with Wen's father's rebuke.
Wen Qingling and Lin Nianxi arrived late, and when Ji Wanyuan looked back, their eyes also turned to her.
Especially Lin Nianxi, Ji Wanyuan noticed that when Lin Nianxi's gaze fell on Wen Qiyan, her pupils shrank sharply, as if she couldn't believe that Wen Qiyan had really made a move, especially against his own younger brother.
No matter how his father asked, Wen Yunqin only said that he was itching to practice and wanted to spar with Wen Qiyan.
What's even more infuriating is that no matter what you ask, he simply remains silent.
The attendants and guards around him followed their master's lead, agreeing with whatever he said.
Unable to get any information, Mr. Wen's face turned extremely grim.
Ji Wanyuan stood to the side, her hands clenched tightly. As Wen's father's gaze swept over her, Wen's mother asked first, "Wanyuan, what exactly happened?!"
Despite Wen's mother's repeated attempts to suppress her displeasure, Ji Wanyuan could still detect the displeasure in her words.
"Wife—" She hadn't quite found the right words yet, and was about to say that she didn't know either. Anyway, as the two of them were walking, they bumped into each other and suddenly started fighting.
Unexpectedly, Wen Qiyan, who had been silent for a long time, called out, "Mother," directly interrupting Madam Wen.
He walked towards Ji Wanyuan.
Their eyes met, and Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but purse her lips, "..."
He walked up to her, looked at her for a moment, and then took her hand. "It's late. Father, Mother, and little sister, please get some rest."
Ji Wanyuan was pulled away by him and didn't even have time to curtsy and say goodbye. She could only hurriedly turn around and nod to Wen's parents before following the man's steps.
After the two left, Mr. Wen first told Mrs. Wen and the other two to go home as soon as possible. He glanced at Wen Yunqin, frowned, and said in a deep voice, "Come to the study with me!"
"..."
Ji Wanyuan remained silent until they returned to the courtyard.
After entering the outer room, the man released her hand and walked towards the bathroom.
His attendant, Qinghe, was methodically ordering people to bring hot water.
Ji Wanyuan's hand still retained the warmth of the man's grip after he loosened it.
There were raindrops he left on it, and now the night wind was blowing, bringing a chill.
“Miss…” Emerald stood beside her.
"Young Master and Second Young Master, what's going on here...?"
Ji Wanyuan managed to compose herself on the way here. She pouted and said, "You want to ask me what happened to them?"
"What else could it be? He's just gone mad, isn't he?"
Jade lowered her voice and, while pouring tea for Ji Wanyuan, leaned close to her ear and said, "The young master is very angry. You have to coax him."
Ji Wanyuan, “?”
"Should I coax him?"
"I didn't do anything with my uncle, why should I coax him?"
"Besides, we just ran into each other. It wasn't me who went to talk to my uncle. Why should I coax him? I didn't do anything wrong."
"Oh, Miss! Please listen to me!"
Jade said it was because Wen Qiyan's expression was very unpleasant, and she was afraid that Wen Qiyan would suffer a loss. Regardless of whether it was Wen Qiyan's fault or not, she should speak more gently to avoid any trouble.
Ji Wanyuan said, "Are you going to hit me?"
You can hear noises coming from the bathroom, it seems that Wen Qiyan is about to come out.
She immediately fell silent, mumbled a few "uh-huhs" in response to Jade's instructions.
“I told you before that the Second Young Master had feelings for you, but you didn’t believe me, Miss.”
Ji Wanyuan didn't want to get involved with Emerald in this matter, lest she go on and on about the same things, like telling her to keep her distance from Wen Yunqin.
It's not her fault at all today.
She quickly changed the subject, asking, "What exactly does my uncle want to tell me?"
Judging from Wen Yunqin's words at the time, it didn't seem like he was lying or deceiving anyone.
Wen Yunqin said it was a very important matter, but what... is it that's so important?
As Ji Wanyuan was pondering to herself, a voice suddenly came from the other side, "Since you're so eager to know, why don't you go ask Brother Qin again?"
Not to mention Ji Wanyuan, even Fei Cui was frightened.
"you!"
She choked on her food, still shaken, and looked at the man who had appeared opposite her at some unknown time. "Weren't you... taking a shower?"
It's done so quickly?
It was all Jade's fault for blocking her view; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so engrossed in her thoughts that she completely failed to notice Wen Qiyan approaching.
I was fine when I came over, but he still managed to find fault with me.
Jade wanted to help Ji Wanyuan stop her, but Wen Qiyan raised his gaze slightly and swept it across her, so even if she wanted to pretend she was blind, she couldn't do anything about it.
Moreover, Wen Qiyan's attendant Qinghe instructed the old woman to dismiss the maids serving on both sides, without calling her. How could Emerald be so oblivious as to stand between the two of them?
After everyone left, only Ji Wanyuan and Wen Qiyan remained.
He slowly dried his hair, his gaze lingering on Ji Wanyuan.
The man remained silent, yet Ji Wanyuan felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
She didn't think she had done anything wrong, but she inexplicably wanted to avoid the man's gaze, and she couldn't explain why or what was wrong with her.
After a long while, the man suddenly threw the handkerchief aside, startling Ji Wanyuan.
"What...what are you doing?"
She looked up and met the man's deep gaze, and couldn't help but purse her lips.
After Wen Qiyan sat down, she subconsciously moved to the side.
"What does Brother Qin want to tell you?"
Ji Wanyuan: "...You misheard."
"Really? I'm not that hard of hearing."
Ji Wanyuan paused slightly, pondered for a moment, and decided that running away wasn't the solution. She decided to put things out in the open to demonstrate her integrity.
“My uncle said he had something important to tell me. I was just curious and didn’t have any other intentions.”
Did I say you had other ideas?
Ji Wanyuan's lips twitched, feeling deeply troubled by his persistence. "Since you don't think I have any other intentions, why are you looking at me like that and questioning me?"
"Is asking you a question considered an interrogation?" His gaze was cold and intense, making her feel a little scared.
He really knows how to shut people up.
Ji Wanyuan turned her face away coquettishly and snorted, "Anyway, I don't like you talking to me in that tone!"
He stared at her profile for a while.
Ji Wanyuan felt the man's gaze but stubbornly refused to turn away.
It wasn't until Wen Qiyan stood up and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye that Ji Wanyuan moved away a little.
She wanted to see what Wen Qiyan was up to.
Before I could even see anything, the man had already come over.
He picked up the medicine box, took out a porcelain bottle, and said to her, "Help me apply the medicine."
Apply medicine? Was he injured by Wen Yunqin?
Out of curiosity, Ji Wanyuan turned around, only to find that Wen Qiyan had torn open her inner garment.
She did see some marks, but what attracted her attention even more was the man's well-defined chest and abdominal muscles.
I only intended to steal a glance, but I suddenly froze, "..."
To be honest, when she went to Youxian Courtyard with her cousin Qingru before, she had seen the upper bodies of several male courtesans. Those male courtesans were all carefully selected by the head of the courtyard to serve honored guests, but none of them were as good-looking as Wen Qiyan.
The man in front of me is not only good-looking, but his bone structure and physique are also very good. It's just that... some parts of him are very unsightly and only cause torment.
"Have you seen enough?" the man asked.
Ji Wanyuan suddenly came to her senses, and a somewhat unnatural expression appeared on her face.
"If you've looked enough, help me apply the medicine."
The moment she finished speaking, the man shoved a porcelain bottle into her palm.
Ji Wanyuan muttered to herself, "Why do you need my help? Can't you just call a servant?"
"Are you willing to let others see my body?"
Ji Wanyuan frowned. Why did those words sound a little strange?
"You're a man, what's the big deal if you don't look?"
"I am your husband."
He said, "Since he is your husband, shouldn't he be your property?"
Ownership?
"Anything that belongs to Miss Ji must not fall into the hands of others, even if it is smashed or killed." This saying is widely circulated in the capital.
"What, you don't want to admit it?"
Ji Wanyuan hadn't even reacted until she was wiping the abrasions on the man's chest and arms.
For a moment, she couldn't figure out whether she was possessed or Wen Qiyan had been beaten senseless.
He actually said... that he was her property?
Are you crazy?!
"Did your uncle kick you in the head, or did you have a stroke?"
"When I'm alone with you, do you have to bring up Qin Di to upset me?"
Mentioning Wen Yunqin immediately made him frown, and Ji Wanyuan had no idea where he got such a magnanimous attitude.
She wanted to argue with him, but when she met his handsome face, which was clearly starting to darken, she was afraid that if she kept arguing, he would bring up what she had been whispering about with Emerald. So Ji Wanyuan had no choice but to give up. She held her breath and obediently applied the medicine to the man with her cheeks puffed out.
Wen Qiyan's injuries were not serious, mostly abrasions, presumably caused by the branches of the potted plants and trees splashing with rainwater.
She silently applied the medicine to him and went to wash her hands.
I thought I could rest after applying the medicine.
Unexpectedly, the man suddenly spoke up, "You really want to know what Qin Di has to say to you?"
Ji Wanyuan unconsciously slowed down her hand-washing movements, unable to discern the meaning behind his words, and did not immediately respond. She suspected that Wen Qiyan was bluffing her.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Didn't you hear me?"
After he finished speaking, he even repeated what he had just said.
Ji Wanyuan didn't want to be led by the nose by him, so she grabbed a clean handkerchief from the side and slowly wiped her hands. "Why are you asking this?"
"I already said I just—"
He interrupted her, "Just answer me whether you really want to know."
Ji Wanyuan was already a little annoyed after being interrupted twice by him.
"If I say I really want to know, are you going to bully me again?"
Did I say that?
Ji Wanyuan said irritably, "You didn't say that, but your intentions are obvious."
Wen Qiyan did not argue with her anymore, but said, "The so-called important matter that Brother Qin wants to tell you is the real inside story of the marriage between the Wen and Ji families."
Ji Wanyuan was caught off guard by those words he threw at her.
Her heart started racing instantly.
When Wen Qiyan said this, his gaze was fixed on her face.
She was unsure whether he had seen her momentary shock and the panic she had suddenly shown when she tried to dodge.
In short, Wen Qiyan's expression was really sharp, making her involuntarily panic.
After a long silence, Ji Wanyuan finally found her voice, "W-what's the inside story?"
He countered with, "What inside story do you not know?"
"What do I know?"
"I thought you already knew." He looked at her trembling eyelashes, understanding all her turmoil.
It seems that Ji Wanyuan did indeed know all along. Who told her?
She hadn't been informed at all by Prime Minister Ji. Was he an adopted son of the Ji family?
He dared to bypass Prime Minister Ji and discuss these court matters with Ji Wanyuan, thus dragging Ji Wanyuan into it?
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Ji Wanyuan suppressed her panic and denied it outright.
"If you don't know, then you don't know. Why make such a fuss, my wife? Getting angry and throwing a tantrum is bad for your health, especially since you're pregnant."
The man was relaxed and composed, and even poured two cups of tea. He drank one himself, and placed the other on the table where she was sitting.
Yes, the day's events aren't over yet.
Ji Wanyuan paused for a while, still trying to catch her breath, wondering what Wen Qiyan wanted to say to her.
Why bring this up? Since you've already said you don't know, then this play must have a happy ending.
So she countered, "What do you mean by telling me the inside story of the marriage between the Ji and Wen families?"
"Wasn't His Majesty's decision to grant us this marriage because he knew about our past and that I was pregnant with your child, which led to our union?"
After hearing this, he called her name, "Ji Wanyuan".
"Why did you refuse when His Majesty bestowed this marriage upon you?"
"What? He found out?"
"What excuse?"
“I asked my father-in-law, and he said that after he and my mother-in-law found out you were pregnant, they went to the Wen family to reason with my parents. Originally, the two families had already finalized the marriage, but later they regretted it and called off the engagement because you didn’t want to get married anymore?”
Why don't you want to marry me anymore?
"I..." Did Father actually say all this to Wen Qiyan in his study today? Why didn't he discuss it with her first? Wait, why is Father bringing up these old stories with Wen Qiyan?!
Her mind was in turmoil, and she had no idea that the man in front of her was just using the pretext he had deduced to trick her into revealing information.
Wen Qiyan could guess everything.
The Ji family, the Wen family, the emperor's thoughts in the imperial court.
But Ji Wanyuan is an exception...
She was clearly foolish to the point of naiveté. Although her words and actions were disguised, once everything was sorted out, it was not difficult to guess what she really wanted to do.
But there was one thing Wen Qiyan couldn't understand.
Why did Ji Wanyuan suddenly and so resolutely stop loving him and refuse to marry him? Was it simply because she learned the inside story of the marriage between the two families and realized that his motives for approaching her were impure?
No, it's not just that.
The key question is, who told her?
Since there was nothing from Prime Minister Ji's side, then... the two men most likely to tell her the inside story are Ji's adopted son and his son-in-law He Xun.
Upon closer examination, it seems unlikely that these two people are actually involved.
Ji Lingyue dared not overstep his bounds. He Xun had just entered the Dali Temple at that time and had not yet come into contact with most of the Ji family's affairs, let alone investigate this marriage. So how did Ji Wanyuan know about it?
Based on his intuition honed from years of experience investigating cases in officialdom, Ji Wanyuan learned the key to this matter, which also involved the shifting nature of her feelings for him.
Prime Minister Ji dotes on Ji Wanyuan; how could he bear to let her come and gather information? Her family has always protected her well, and she is basically naive about the ways of the world.
The imperial decree for the marriage had already been issued, but because she said she didn't want to marry, Prime Minister Ji even went to the palace to plead with the emperor.
Given how much Ji Zhao loves Ji Wanyuan, would he really be willing to let his daughter become a pawn, using their intimacy to gather information?
Therefore, it is highly likely that Ji Wanyuan herself is going to do this.
Why did she do it? What drove her to do it?
She clearly didn't like being intimate with him, and she knew that it wasn't advisable to have too much sex while pregnant, but she did it anyway.
It even has a sense of utter recklessness. But what is it all for?
Besides, it's also strange to recall that she was determined to arrange a concubine for him.
He ordered his men to investigate past events. In order to welcome Cao Xin into his family as his concubine, Ji Wanyuan caused a great disturbance when she returned to the Ji family.
She even went so far as to refuse food and water, threatening to starve herself to death. Her actions enraged Prime Minister Ji and his wife. Later, when she failed to take a concubine, she began to poison him.
Their determination to surround him with people is even greater than it was during the years they pursued him.
For a moment, Wen Qiyan couldn't tell whether he was jealous, resentful, or obsessed with the fact that Ji Wanyuan no longer loved him. Was he just overthinking things?
"Didn't I tell you that back then?" she said anxiously, gesturing wildly as she explained, "I... I felt you were too rough, and having sex with you really scared me, so I didn't want to marry you anymore. I was afraid that you would torture me after we got married, so... you know."
She finally admitted that she didn't want to get married at that time.
"And then what happened?"
"And then what?" Her brain couldn't process it all. Someone save her!
"Why did you later arrange for me to take a concubine?"
Everyone says it's because of food—
He interrupted her, "I don't want to hear these high-sounding excuses; that's not what you're after."
"What...what do I mean?" Could it be that Wen Qiyan knows something?
Is he a dog that has become a spirit? Or is he dreaming too?!
Did he find out what happened next in the storybook? Otherwise, why would he suddenly tell her all this?!
Did Father say that?
No... what exactly did his father say to him in the study today?
"Your intention in letting me take a concubine is definitely not because you are jealous or want to test whether I have feelings for you."
Ji Wanyuan stopped loving him a long time ago; she no longer cared about him and didn't care whether he had her in his heart or not.
Looking back now, her words are full of holes.
Going back further, inside the Wen family's flower hall, she hugged him and cried sincerely, saying that she loved him but was afraid of him. It was all an act to coax him!
At that time, he also asked her why she wanted to take a concubine for him, and what she said?
She cried pitifully, her tears and sweet words softening and numbing his reason and thoughts, thus manipulating him at will.
Ji Wanyuan is not stupid at all; the truly stupid one is him.
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Author's Note: I'm here! This chapter will also randomly drop 50 lucky red envelopes [glasses] Wishing all the little ones good luck!
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