Chapter 157 Not an Illness
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath.
"That day, I met you and Princess Xinyue at Tinghe Tower, and afterwards..."
Yuwen Ye suddenly remembered something, his tall frame trembled slightly, and he looked at her with an incredulous gaze: "That day, after you left, you didn't go home, nor did you return to the Shen residence. Nobody could find you?!"
Shang Ruyi lowered her eyes: "Yes."
"Are you with him?"
"yes."
Where did you go?
"..."
Shang Ruyi didn't know what the point was of dwelling on that day. He hadn't cared where she went or who she was with. She sighed and said softly, "I... I wasn't in a good mood that day. It suddenly started raining, and when he saw I was alone, he accompanied me to a post station on the outskirts of the city to take shelter from the rain."
"What else did you do?"
"Enjoy the scenery."
"Just looking at the scenery?"
These words suddenly stung Shang Ruyi. She looked up at Yuwen Ye, a hint of resistance and displeasure in her eyes: "What else can we do?"
At this point, she finally understood Yuwen Ye's purpose in coming to her room. Looking into his deep eyes that were fixed on her, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but think back to that night when she stubbornly demanded an explanation from him. Was she in the same state then?
No, they're not the same.
What she wanted was emotional closure, but he, of course, didn't.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but sneer inwardly, then met those cold eyes and said, "My acquaintance with His Majesty the Emperor is a gentleman's friendship, and it is innocent."
"clean……"
Yuwen Ye repeated those two words, then sneered: "Hugging and embracing a man who isn't your husband in public. Shang Ruyi, is this what you call innocence?"
These words, sharp as needles, pierced Shang Ruyi's heart instantly.
She immediately frowned.
What do you mean by that?
"Tell me, what do you mean?"
"..."
Their eyes met sharply. For a moment, Shang Ruyi even wondered if Yuwen Ye was... jealous.
But the next moment, when she met those cold, almost emotionless eyes, Shang Ruyi immediately came to her senses.
Of course not.
What he was concerned about was not the affection between the nominally married couple, but the reputation of the Yuwen family. As the young mistress of the Yuwen family, she was carried back to the government office by the emperor. Even if she took a stroll on the street today and found that the common people did not recognize her, the officials present all saw it. This would have a great impact on the reputation of the Duke of Sheng. As for Yuwen Ye, he was proud and arrogant, and this incident would obviously also damage his reputation.
It's easy to imagine that even Tushe'er and Lei Yu were not at ease with her at the time, and even somewhat dissatisfied.
But--
Can I really blame myself entirely for this?
A faint bittersweet feeling welled up in Shang Ruyi's heart. She looked up into Yuwen Ye's eyes and said earnestly, "Back then, I was severely injured by Ashina Shali's whistling arrow. I couldn't control what happened after I fell unconscious. No one else has that ability."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's pupils dilated slightly.
His gaze lingered intensely for a moment, and when he looked at her again, he was filled with conflicting emotions.
He said in a deep voice, "Your injury—"
Shang Ruyi glanced back at her shoulder, then looked at him and said, "It's nothing."
The couple arrived at Yanmen County one after the other, both wounded by the whistling arrows of the Shali Khan. They had just escaped death before the battle. Ordinary couples who have experienced such life and death, even if their feelings are not strong, can still develop some closeness in life and death.
But they seemed even more unfamiliar to me than before I arrived.
Shang Ruyi gave a bitter smile and said, "I know this matter will damage the reputation of the Yuwen family. I will give Father an explanation after we return to Luoyang."
"Give your father an explanation?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's face immediately darkened again.
He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "You are the same as always, only caring about your status as the Duke's daughter-in-law."
Shang Ruyi looked at him for a while, and finally said with a bitter smile, "But isn't our marital relationship a transaction?"
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's body stiffened slightly.
He looked at Shang Ruyi for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "You're right. It seems you're much more clear-headed than before."
Shang Ruyi said with a somber tone, "Second Brother, you once said that if a person doesn't live clearly, it's better not to live at all. This time, coming to Yanmen County, I've practically walked through the gates of hell. If I don't stay clear-headed, I won't make it."
"..."
Yuwen Ye looked at her for a while, said nothing, just nodded heavily, then turned around and pushed the door open and walked out.
As soon as the door opened, a chill swept in, and Shang Ruyi immediately shivered.
She subconsciously took a few steps to catch up, as if she wanted to say something to Yuwen Ye, but her steps were weak and she couldn't keep up with Yuwen Ye's long strides at all. Just as she reached the door, Yuwen Ye had already walked out of the courtyard gate.
But at the courtyard gate, he encountered a slender and beautiful figure who arrived gracefully.
Upon seeing this, Shang Ruyi immediately stopped at the doorway.
That is Princess New Moon.
The princess, dressed in colorful robes, moved with the grace of a butterfly. Her beautiful face, adorned with exquisite makeup, made her appear even more stunning and charming. As she eagerly approached, her bright, clear eyes were filled with focused and boundless joy, as if seeing this person was the happiest thing in her life, bringing warmth even in the biting north wind.
But looking into those eyes, Shang Ruyi's heart inexplicably grew colder.
She slowly retreated back into the room.
The two standing at the courtyard gate seemed completely oblivious to the somber gazes behind them. In particular, Chu Ruoyan's eyes seemed to glare over Yuwen Ye the moment she saw him: "Second brother, I've been looking for you for ages. So this is where you are—come back with me quickly."
"...What is it?"
"I just found two more doctors to examine you."
Yuwen Ye said calmly, "My arrow wound is healed."
"It's an injury on your leg,"
Chu Ruoyan said, "You've been having cramps for a while, and it finally got better last month, but now it's back again. If it weren't for the sudden cramps yesterday, you wouldn't have lost your aim on horseback and let that Ashina Shali go."
"..."
"This time, I'm determined to find a doctor to cure your illness!"
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a moment, then subconsciously turned his head to look behind him, as if trying to see something.
But there was nothing at the half-open doorway.
He turned his head coldly and said expressionlessly, "No need for treatment."
"Why?"
"That's not a disease."
"ah?"
Chu Ruoyan was stunned. Before she could say anything, Yuwen Ye had already left without looking back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com