Chapter 248 I Don't Have That Much Willpower
Although Yuwen Yuan had said from the beginning that he would "keep it short," by the time they had finished saying what needed to be said and discussing what needed to be discussed, it was already past midnight when Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi left the study.
It was pitch black outside.
Shang Ruyi's eyes couldn't adjust and she almost fell, but a warm, large hand reached out and steadily supported her.
Looking up again, she finally managed to make out the gentle features of Yuwen Ye's face in the faint moonlight. His eyes seemed gentle as well, so when he spoke, his voice was also gentle: "Are you tired?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head.
Yuwen Ye didn't let go of her; he held her wrist and walked back into the night.
The surroundings were silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the corridor. Their unhurried, even steps actually eased the tension between them, and even made the originally biting cold wind seem gentler.
The cold wind outside also sobered Shang Ruyi up a bit.
He immediately asked the question he'd been holding back for a while: "Did you... tell Dad?"
Yuwen Ye continued walking ahead without turning back: "What did you say?"
"Recite those questions I asked you before?"
Why do you think that?
“If you didn’t tell your father, he could have told you everything that happened tonight. There was no need to call me over.”
Having disloyal thoughts towards the court is nothing to think about in one's own mind, but once two people talk about it out loud, or even several people start discussing it, it becomes a huge matter. If even a whisper is leaked, one could be punished and have their entire family executed!
Yuwen Yuan was an extremely cautious person. Although he was very kind to his daughter-in-law, Shang Ruyi could sense that he did not trust her easily.
Without some testing and final confirmation, he wouldn't suddenly reveal his thoughts and plans to her. The only possibility is that someone has already tested her for him and confirmed some things.
Since waking up from her serious illness, Shang Ruyi had not told even her close relatives, such as her uncle and aunt, about her thoughts.
The only time she revealed it was on the second day of their marriage, when Yuwen Ye took her to the Xianglaiju restaurant in Taiyuan City. She asked Yuwen Ye for his opinion on the court, and anyone who wasn't a fool could understand the deeper meaning behind his words.
At the time, her words displeased Yuwen Ye, who even warned her not to mention it again. At that time, she thought he was loyal to the court. Later, after learning about his relationship with Princess Xinyue, she also believed that his loyalty was mixed with some personal feelings, making it even more impossible for him to have any unwarranted criticism of the court.
But today, he didn't object to what Yuwen Yuan said at all.
On the contrary—
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi's heart pounded even harder. She couldn't help but look up at the man holding her hand. His broad shoulders and back looked like a mountain in the night, and at the same time, such a mountain seemed to obscure his emotions and thoughts.
She still couldn't see through him.
As if sensing her gaze, Yuwen Ye turned his head slightly to look at her, and then said, "I already said that."
"Why?"
"What, you think I shouldn't have told Father what you said?"
"...No, it isn't."
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said softly, "I am your wife and a member of the Yuwen family. I shouldn't hide my thoughts from you."
Yuwen Ye suddenly said, "You are still a good daughter-in-law of the Duke of Sheng."
He said it very calmly, without even much emotion, but Shang Ruyi inexplicably felt that he seemed unhappy.
And, just as he said those words, he let go of her hand.
However, at that moment, they happened to reach the door. Yuwen Ye reached out and pushed the door open, then went inside. There were still candles lit in the room, so there was no need to hold her hand in the light.
Shang Ruyi followed him into the house and closed the door herself.
In my heart, it felt as if I had just been held by a warm, large hand, and now that it had been released, I felt a chill.
After watching Yuwen Ye enter the room, she took out a map from a cabinet against the wall, spread it on a low table in the center of the room, placed a candlestick aside, and then quietly began to look at it.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the bloodshot eyes clearly.
Does he want to look at the map again?
After enduring so much hardship at Dali Temple, shouldn't you be resting now that you're finally back?
Shang Ruyi walked over and said softly, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye didn't answer her immediately. After a long silence, Shang Ruyi even doubted that she had spoken too softly and that he hadn't heard her at all. Just as she was about to repeat herself, she heard him whisper, "I'll go to sleep in a while."
"……oh."
Thinking back, the things Yuwen Yuan had just told them in the study were indeed extremely important. They were not only a matter of life and death, but also related to the entire Yuwen family, and even the future of families related to them. They could not afford to be careless.
However, Shang Ruyi watched him look at the map for a long time without moving an inch.
His eyes were also somewhat unfocused.
I don't know where he's looking.
In fact, after all these days of hardship, she hadn't had many opportunities to get a good night's sleep. She was exhausted at this moment, but with Yuwen Ye not sleeping, she couldn't fall asleep either. She could only silently walk to the bedside and sit down. One hand subconsciously touched the wrist he had just grabbed, where his body temperature and scent still seemed to linger. She just didn't expect him to let go so quickly.
Looking at his handsome profile again, for some reason, his brows were furrowed deeply.
Shang Ruyi felt drowsy but didn't want to fall asleep, so she could only droop her eyelids and murmur, "Why are you unhappy?"
The sound was already as faint as a mosquito's murmur.
But his sharp retort immediately echoed through the room: "Who's unhappy?!"
This answer startled Shang Ruyi awake. She opened her eyes wide and saw that Yuwen Ye had turned to look at her, and in the candlelight, his face was clearly filled with anger.
What's wrong?
Why did it take him so long to answer when I asked him before, but he answered this question so quickly?
It's as if they've been waiting for this all along.
Shang Ruyi was somewhat at a loss. Looking at Yuwen Ye staring at her, she vaguely sensed something, but excessive fatigue still left her somewhat confused. She could only get up and slowly walk over. After thinking for a moment, she sat down opposite Yuwen Ye and looked at him intently.
After a long pause, he asked, "Are you really angry?"
Yuwen Ye narrowed his eyes slightly.
The way she said it made it seem like if she said he was angry, he would become rude to her.
However, Shang Ruyi couldn't detect the dangerous aura emanating from him at all. She was convinced once again that he was really angry. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Why?"
Just now, everything was fine.
Yuwen Ye gritted his teeth.
He suddenly reached out a large hand to her.
Only at this moment did Shang Ruyi have a sense of impending danger. She subconsciously closed her eyes, but after a while, there seemed to be no movement on her body, and then she slowly opened her eyes again.
When she opened her eyes, she was startled.
Because her hand was grabbed by Yuwen Ye.
No, to be precise, it was her little fingertip that was being pinched by Yuwen Ye with two fingers.
Shang Ruyi immediately tensed up.
At this moment, the anger on Yuwen Ye's face had vanished, and even a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Still no feeling at all?"
Shang Ruyi was still in shock and could only shake her head: "It's been so many years, it can't be recovered."
Yuwen Ye looked at her and asked, "Why was your little finger broken? Why is it numb?"
Shang Ruyi was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to answer, but before she could speak, Yuwen Ye continued, "Why... do you have so much of a past?"
"..."
How many other things about you are unknown to others?
"..."
Seeing that he wasn't pressing for answers, yet seemed eager to know everything, Shang Ruyi suddenly realized—that wasn't what he really wanted to ask.
He simply wanted to ask her through her fingers, to ask about the things she had hidden from him, to ask about all the secrets she held... perhaps including why she broke off the engagement and why she remarried him.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
On their wedding night, when he learned that her little finger was numb, Shang Ruyi told him the reason, but did not reveal the truth behind it. She only told him that it was in the past, not a secret, implying that she would tell him if he asked.
At that time, he was completely uninterested and didn't even ask a single question.
Now, however, he is asking questions, and asking so many of them.
Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a surge of joy. Looking at him through the flickering candlelight on the table, she said softly, "You want to know? But it's not time yet."
"when?"
"...There are still a few days until the deadline in January."
After saying that, her own face turned red.
Yuwen Ye was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood. His face didn't turn red, but his body was burning hot. These words were like a spark, instantly igniting the heat he had been deliberately suppressing. In an instant, even his breath became scalding hot.
Looking at the rosy cheeks in front of him, he couldn't help but reach out his hand.
But reason held him back just before he touched her; he hesitated for a moment, then let go.
He suddenly said, "Then why don't you go to sleep?"
Shang Ruyi didn't know why he suddenly urged her to go to sleep, but it was indeed time to rest. She hurriedly stood up with her head down, and Yuwen Ye also stood up.
But he turned and walked toward his bed.
Shang Ruyi subconsciously said, "Huh—?"
Are they going to have to sleep in separate beds now?
Yuwen Ye immediately stopped in his tracks.
His broad shoulders and back felt slightly stiff. After a while, he turned around, looked down at her, and a hint of fire burned in his usually cold eyes. He said in a low voice, "I don't have that much willpower."
"..."
"Right now, I don't have that much stamina..."
"..."
"Be good, go back to sleep."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi immediately understood what he meant. Her blush hadn't faded yet, and now even the tips of her ears turned red. She lowered her head, only responded with a sound, and hurriedly turned around and went back to her bed to lie down.
After thinking for a moment, he pulled the blanket up to cover his face.
Seeing her shy expression, a smile appeared on Yuwen Ye's face. Then, he clenched his fist, suppressed the slight flutter in his heart, slowly turned around and walked back to his bedside, where he fell asleep.
Night fell silent in tranquility.
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