Chapter 104 I said, I like you
Yuwen Ye's face immediately darkened.
He wasn't stupid; how could he not hear the almost sharp sarcasm in Shang Ruyi's words? But he didn't say anything more, only staring coldly at the person in the mirror.
Until Shang Ruyi said, "For example, you can tell them that I actually ran into an old friend—Princess Xinyue—and accompanied her to Tinghe Tower for drinks. If you say that, why would your family worry about me?"
Yuwen Ye's eyes flashed.
He looked at the mocking expression on the pale face in the mirror and said in a deep voice, "Do you know who she is?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Fortunately, I'm not too stupid."
In fact, she felt that it was really silly of her to only realize this today.
This afternoon, sitting in the post station and looking at the misty, rainy scenery, she finally understood why the betrothal gifts given to her by the Yuwen family were so expensive, far exceeding the normal betrothal gifts for princes and nobles.
She was nothing more than an orphan from a declining family, who even needed to be raised by her uncle.
Looking back now, such an expensive betrothal gift should have been sent to the royal family. Only when marrying a princess would such an expensive betrothal gift be required.
The woman he was betrothed to was none other than the famous Princess Crescent Moon—Chu Ruoyan.
Shang Ruyi had heard of this princess before. She was the emperor's most beloved daughter, sixteen years old, and the eldest daughter of Empress Jiang. Because of her outstanding appearance and intelligence, she was well protected from a young age. It was said that in her early years, princes from various countries, such as the Turks, wanted to marry her. However, the emperor was reluctant to let her marry far away and was willing to offend the envoys of various countries in order to keep her by his side.
The most famous and absurd thing about her is that when she was a child, her father, who never followed the rules, held her on the dragon throne and listened to the officials discuss matters. Just because she was scared and cried, he interrupted the court meeting and dismissed all the officials.
It is evident that she was born into a privileged family and was pampered and spoiled.
Recalling the captivating face she saw at Tinghe Tower today, and then thinking about the enormous difference between the two of them, Shang Ruyi felt as if her heart was being pricked by countless needles, both painful and distressing.
Looking back on the moment she stumbled upon the two of them, she even felt that she was the more ridiculous one.
No wonder, the eunuch who was ordered to investigate the Duke's mansion had just left when a little eunuch inexplicably came and asked him to enter the palace. The two people who came before and after were acting on orders from different people.
The servants, including himself, were kept in the dark.
But Yuwen Ye knew perfectly well what was going on.
It was precisely because they knew everything so clearly that they so casually abandoned their "entering the palace."
Shang Ruyi laughed and said, "Now I understand why your friends had that kind of expression when they heard my nickname last night. Princess Xinyue, a favored daughter of heaven, a golden branch and jade leaf, but I am called Mingyue Nu."
"..."
"It's ridiculous that I even said that nickname in public..."
"..."
"And also, your poem urging me to get ready,"
As she spoke, her voice became hoarse, yet she recited the poem she had only read once, word by word: "The nine heavenly palaces open in succession, jade horses and golden carriages tread on clouds. A cup of acacia fragrance fades away, and the embroidered goddess descends from the Jade Terrace."
As she spoke, she sneered, "Nine heavens above, a fairy maiden on a jade terrace... that poem, you wrote it for her, didn't you?"
Yuwen Ye remained silent, but a knot had formed between his brows.
After a long silence, he said, "You're overthinking it."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Is that all you have to say?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye stopped in his tracks: "What do you want to hear me say?"
Shang Ruyi suddenly stood up from her seat and walked straight behind him: "Don't you owe me an explanation for this?"
Yuwen Ye remained cold: "I don't think I need to explain anything to you."
"you--"
"You don't really think that just because we're married, you're my wife and I need to be loyal to you, and that I have to explain to you who I meet and who I have sex with, do you?"
"..."
"Shang Ruyi, have you forgotten something?"
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ruyi's heart sank.
Yuwen Ye turned around coldly, his deep eyes now like frozen ice, staring at her coldly as he said, word by word, "If you've forgotten, I can remind you again. Our marriage is a transaction. In front of outsiders, we are husband and wife, but to me—you are just Shang Ruyi. You have no right to bind me."
"..."
"My meeting with Princess Crescent Moon today is a matter between her and me; how has this affected our deal, and how has it affected you in any way?"
"..."
"Let me ask you, what grounds do you have to demand an explanation from me?"
At this moment, Shang Ruyi was speechless.
Although she had nothing to say, her chest ached from the rapid, pounding of her heart. Some words seemed to be pounding against her chest with each heartbeat, ready to burst out at any moment.
Don't say it!
Don't say it!
If she were to speak out, Shang Ruyi in his presence would not only be embarrassed and helpless, but utterly humiliated and ashamed...
Amidst the turmoil and collision of emotions that nearly shattered her, Shang Ruyi spoke, her voice trembling, "Even if I like you, it's not okay?"
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.
Shang Ruyi felt her blood going from cold to hot, then hot to cold, as if she were being tormented by both ice and fire. For a moment, she forgot everything around her and just stared at the person in front of her.
finally……
Finally, I said it.
To this day, she can no longer deny it—
It turns out she liked him.
Actually, she wasn't stupid. Every time she saw him after their first meeting, her heart would race like that. What else could it be but love? Knowing full well that this path might be full of thorns and even dangers, she still resolutely walked on it. What else could it be but love?
However, she never expected that on their wedding night, Yuwen Ye's cold words would shatter her budding feelings.
Even so, the feeling of liking someone is not so easy to change.
She continued to quietly, even when her reason prevented her from taking any further steps, she still harbored a quiet affection for him.
My heart flutters with every approach of his, and I am happy because of his slightest tenderness.
But now—
Seeing the surprised expression on his cold face, yet completely unmoved, Shang Ruyi felt utterly defeated, but stubbornly refused to give up.
She stared intently into Yuwen Ye's eyes and said, word by word, "I said, I like you."
"..."
"I love you as a wife."
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