Chapter 739 Okay, you wait until I sober up tomorrow!
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but look up at him and say, "When I say things like that normally, you get angry with me; but when I say things like this today, you don't believe me. What exactly do you want from me?"
That familiar, stubborn look and tone immediately put Yuwen Ye at ease.
It's not a dream.
So he smiled and said, "But you never talk to me like this normally, what's wrong with you today?"
Shang Ruyi glared at him again, then couldn't help but smile before saying softly, "Because today, I heard a sentence."
"What did you say?"
"One life, one love, one partner..."
"One life, one love, one partner?"
Yuwen Ye frowned slightly, barely managing to make out that it was a line of poetry, but without any allusion or background, he couldn't discern its meaning in his haste. So he asked, "Where did you hear this? Who wrote it? What does it mean?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment. Although it was Yu Mingyue who said it, Shen Wuzheng had suspected that the two poems she had recited before were not written by her personally. This line was probably the same, so it was hard to say that she wrote it. But fortunately, she explained its meaning herself, so she said softly, "It means that a man and a woman stay together for life, and no one else can replace each other."
Yuwen Ye's eyes flickered slightly.
But the next moment, as if he had thought of something, his eyes immediately turned cold. He glanced at Shang Ruyi and said unhappily, "A lifetime together, no one else..."
"..."
"Then where did the person you're holding come from?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, wondering how he had gotten to this topic, but upon seeing his completely different emotions, she immediately realized—yes, Yuwen Ye's mother, Lady Guan Yunmu, was Yuwen Yuan's second wife.
If a person can only spend their entire life with one person and no one else, wouldn't Guan Yunmu have to live a lonely life and never have had the chance to be born as Yuwen Ye?
No wonder he was a little angry.
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "That's not what I meant."
Besides, let alone the official's wife, even her own mother was a second wife, so there's no way she would come here for this reason.
Yuwen Ye was still somewhat angry, but seeing her like this, he knew she didn't mean it, so he let out a deep breath and, after barely calming down, asked, "Then what do you mean?"
Shang Ruyi then said softly, "One life, one love, one couple means that a man and a woman can love each other and stay together for life. The man does not take concubines, and no one else can come between them, only the two of them."
Then, he added cautiously, "It's different from what happened with Mother."
Yuwen Ye's gaze softened slightly.
After thinking for a while, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly. He looked down at Shang Ruyi and said, "So, you are actually bothered by my marriage to Chu Ruoyan."
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him, somewhat helpless.
The two of them had already made things clear about the matter of him "minding" it, but perhaps because of his "bad behavior" in the past, he always acted as if it was none of his business when it came to his relationship with Chu Ruoyan, and he also said those things that were used to take advantage of him, so even now, Yuwen Ye still felt so insecure and had to confirm it from time to time.
How could I possibly not mind?
She thought for a moment, then pressed her face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, which had become lighter with joy, and then whispered, "What I mind is not her, but that no matter what, there will always be one more, or many more, people between us."
"..."
"Don't say I'm being dramatic. I knew this day would come when I married you. But knowing it is one thing, and feeling sad is another."
As she spoke, she looked up at Yuwen Ye and said, "Besides, whether you mind or not, you've already married her."
Yuwen Ye's eyes flickered. It was probably the first time he had truly heard her "inner voice," but he hadn't expected it to be like this. For a moment, he was a little stunned. Shang Ruyi could only hear his heartbeat getting heavier and heavier, as if her own emotions were also becoming heavy.
The two remained silent for a long time.
After an unknown amount of time, Yuwen Ye sighed softly, reached out and tightly embraced her waist, pressing her soft and fragrant body against his own, as if afraid that she would escape at this moment. He said in a deep voice, "Before I met you, I never thought about matters between men and women, so it didn't matter who I married or who I took as a concubine. What mattered was what I wanted to do."
"..."
"As for the people around me, it would be best if they were helpful to what I was doing, but it wouldn't matter if they weren't."
"..."
"But after meeting you..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him with sparkling eyes: "After meeting me, what happened?"
Looking into her bright eyes, Yuwen Ye let out a soft sigh, rested his chin on Shang Ruyi's forehead, and gently stroked it. He said, "I think, with you, I'm enough; and you too, with me, you should be enough."
"..."
"If possible, I would also prefer not to have any other people between us."
His voice was already deep and magnetic, but now, perhaps because these words were words he had never thought of uttering, yet had truly lingered in his heart, they came from the depths of his soul, making his voice incredibly gentle. Shang Ruyi pressed herself against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and inhaling his pleasant warmth and breath. Hearing these words, she felt as if she were in a dream.
It was even gentler and more captivating than the beautiful dream we had just had.
However, neither of them were the type to irrationally fall into a fantasy. They always had a taut string in their hearts. After indulging for only a moment, Yuwen Ye continued, "But Father Emperor changed dynasties."
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat, and she said, "Yes."
"So some things are destined."
"Um."
Yuwen Ye didn't spell it out explicitly, but she understood perfectly well—Yuwen Yuan's change of dynasty destined his three sons to have extraordinary status from then on. While Yuwen Cheng, in terms of ability and character, could never rival his two brothers even if he had wings, Yuwen Ye and Yuwen Qian certainly had the potential to compete.
So when he said it was destined, it was indeed destined; he would definitely compete for the position of crown prince.
Yuwen Yuan's favoritism towards his eldest son also destined him to have a difficult journey.
The fact that Empress Dowager Jiang and Chu Ruoyan, who still wield some influence, will help him means that Chu Ruoyan will definitely stay by Yuwen Ye's side.
Yuwen Ye slowly said, "If the Daye Dynasty hadn't met its end, she could still have survived even if I had rejected her; but now that I've married her, if I were to 'use' her and then abandon her—"
At this point, he looked down at Shang Ruyi and said, "She won't survive."
Shang Ruyi immediately replied, "Of course not."
Although she "minds" it, deep down she never had the idea that Yuwen Ye should abandon Chu Ruoyan. Even though she could sense that Chu Ruoyan was hostile towards her because of Chu Yang, she never harmed her in the first place.
Compared to Yu Mingyue's dirty tricks, Chu Ruoyan is much purer and cleaner.
Moreover, as a woman herself, Shang Ruyi could empathize with the despair and pain Shang Ruyi felt before and after the fall of her country and the destruction of her home. Yuwen Ye was not only her emotional anchor but also her last lifeline in this world. If Yuwen Ye were to truly abandon her, the humiliation would be unimaginable to most people.
Let alone as a woman, even as a person, Shang Ruyi herself would not agree to it.
So she said, "I'm just—thinking about it."
After saying that, she lowered her head, pressed her face against his chest, and murmured, "It really is just a thought."
Yuwen Ye also lowered his head and looked at her face, which was mostly covered by her somewhat disheveled hair. These days of wandering must have really been tough on her. The little bit of chubby flesh on her cheeks had disappeared, and her thin face showed a heartbreaking look of haggardness.
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a long time, then, as if he had made up his mind, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Not just you, I've thought about it too."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him: "What have you been thinking about?"
Yuwen Ye looked into her eyes and said, "I've thought about it, and I don't plan to have any other women."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was stunned.
For a moment, her mind went blank, and even after she came to her senses, she didn't know how to respond to those words. Was Yuwen Ye trying to comfort her, or—
Seemingly understanding her bewilderment, Yuwen Ye smiled faintly and said, "Before, I only thought about it in my heart and never told you because I couldn't guarantee that I could do it."
"..."
"But telling you now is a form of guarantee."
"..."
“You once told me not to lie to you, not to hide things from you, and not to hurt you. I promised you all of that, and I will never let you down.”
"...!"
At this moment, Shang Ruyi's mind went completely blank.
She stared blankly at Yuwen Ye, listening to his promise—she understood how proud this man was. No matter how happy someone might be, he wouldn't utter a single word to make them happy if he couldn't guarantee it. But once he opened his mouth, nothing could stop him, not even mountains of knives or seas of fire or the depths of hell.
He really...
Shang Ruyi was speechless, feeling her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. The two of them were tightly entwined, and Yuwen Ye could clearly sense how turbulent her emotions were beneath her quiet demeanor.
But why don't you say a single word?
He reached out and grabbed her chin, pulling her towards him. "What's wrong? Don't you believe me?" he asked.
"..."
Shang Ruyi hesitated for a long time before saying in a somewhat dry voice, "But Father... won't allow it."
Regardless, even if Yuwen Yuan was wary of this son, he wouldn't let him be so willful.
The greatness of a family lies not only in its power and military strength, but also in the abundance of talented individuals, and the continuation of the royal family is the foundation for its continued existence.
Yuwen Ye smiled faintly: "As long as there are still battles to be fought outside, he can't care about this."
"That's—"
Shang Ruyi was worried. After all, she couldn't answer the questions she had asked Yu Mingyue that night, given how aggressive Yu Mingyue had been. "What if neither Madam Chu nor I can have a son?"
Yuwen Ye gritted his teeth in anger: "Can't you say something I like to hear?"
"..."
"Besides, if we have more children, we're bound to get a son eventually. I refuse to believe it—"
As he spoke, his hands began to wander, peeling off her clothes and reaching inside. His palms touched her warm and delicate skin, which he found irresistible. With a flip, he pressed her soft, jade-like body, which exuded an alluring, faint fragrance, beneath him, and was about to take her.
But at that moment, Shang Ruyi reached out and placed her hand on his chest: "No!"
Feeling the changes in Yuwen Ye's body, she couldn't help but blush. Even though his words had stirred her heart, and she was now feeling his passion, she still insisted on not letting Yuwen Ye touch her tonight.
He drank so much alcohol, what if his child is born mentally challenged?
So he pulled his coat tighter: "You've been drinking tonight, no way!"
Yuwen Ye felt a surge of heat and longed to take her immediately, but unexpectedly, she became "coy" and couldn't help but grit her teeth: "What are you doing?"
Shang Ruyi quickly moved out from under him, pulled a blanket over herself and wrapped it tightly around her body, and said seriously, "Since that's the case, then from now on we must take this matter seriously. If you drink alcohol, you're not allowed to touch me; if you're sick, you're not allowed to touch me. In short, if we want the child to be well, then we two must be well first."
"..."
Yuwen Ye's mood darkened.
But he didn't actually reach out again. He just lay silently on the bed, his chest heaving violently even through the thick blankets, taking a long time to calm down. Then, with red eyes, he turned to Shang Ruyi and said, "Fine, you wait until I'm sober tomorrow!"
"..."
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
She suddenly realized that she had gotten herself into trouble again.
Regardless, tonight was managed to get by, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them each wrapped themselves in a blanket, and although they were separated, they were still very close, sleeping on the same pillow.
The night outside was very dark, and I had no idea what time it was.
Although she had just been woken up by Yuwen Ye, she couldn't fall back asleep. After lying down for a while, Shang Ruyi asked softly, "By the way, did anything happen after the banquet today?"
Yuwen Ye was still angry and didn't look at her, lying on his back with his eyes half-closed: "No."
"What about my brother?"
Why ask him?
"Didn't he go to talk to Yu Mingyue?"
"Hmph, those two talked for a long time, and the banquet was almost over before they came back."
"What did they say?"
"I don't know. He didn't look too good when he came back, but it shouldn't be anything serious. He left quickly after the party, so I didn't have time to ask. I'll find some time to meet him in a couple of days and ask him."
"Alright."
"but--"
At this point, Yuwen Ye opened his eyes again, turned to look at Shang Ruyi, and said, "Just listen to what Yu Mingyue said, don't be like you were tonight, taking everything to heart like a fool."
Shang Ruyi said unhappily, "How am I stupid?"
Yuwen Ye sneered, "This person's words sound nice, but he completely disregards human life and death."
"..."
"What do you mean by a couple staying together? It only applies to you and her. You come from extraordinary backgrounds, so perhaps you have the qualifications and opportunity. But what about the other women?"
"..."
"You've already done a great job by simply doing your own thing. But Yu Mingyue is someone who likes to give advice to others. However, she has neither the ability to help people improve their status nor the capacity to grant them land as a means of support. All she does is make empty promises. In the end, what will become of these people? Do you think she'll cover for them? She's just doing it for the sake of saying it."
"..."
"Take Lüxiao for example. If you asked her to spend her life with a man, given her talent and beauty, any ordinary man would be beneath her. But considering her background and experiences, what do you think could happen to her?"
Shang Ruyi remained silent.
Even though she stood up for Lüxiao when Yu Mingyue humiliated her before, verbal victory is one thing, but in reality, it's another.
Yuwen Ye understood clearly that not all men could be like him, remaining silent about their wives' potential fate while trapped in the Western Turks, only striving to rescue them and stay together. Most people valued such matters highly. Unless Lüxiao met another "Yuwen Ye," she had virtually no way out.
But then something occurred to her, and she subconsciously said, "But, she also has Xiao Yuansui..."
Yuwen Ye didn't speak immediately, but only glanced at her. In that glance, whether it was because of the dim light around them or because he was feeling drowsy at that moment, Shang Ruyi could see a hint of helplessness and pity in his eyes.
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a long while before saying calmly, "It would be best if she stayed in Dasheng."
Shang Ruyi was taken aback.
Yuwen Ye did not delve into the topic further, but continued, "Besides, a person's life is long. If I were to follow my thoughts from a few years ago and only have one person in my heart, what would become of you and me?"
"..."
"The laws of the court allow for divorce, remarriage, and remarriage. I don't know where she got the stubborn idea that she wants someone to be with her for life. If she meets a good person, that's fine, but if she meets the wrong person, forcing her to stay with them for life, isn't that a sin?"
"..."
"Human hearts and emotions are too complicated, but she was stubborn—no, in her own words, she was a 'diode'."
"..."
Shang Ruyi became increasingly silent.
Admittedly, she also found Yu Mingyue's words pleasant to hear and comforting, but rationally speaking, they were rather unrealistic and impractical, and showed a kind of arrogant "let them eat cake" attitude towards other women.
She couldn't help but wonder if Yuwen Qian's return to the Yuwen family was simply due to some of Yu Mingyue's words. But this man was knowledgeable yet lacked wisdom; he didn't even understand himself, so how could he be qualified to instruct others on their lives?
But some dreams, even if they are illusory, are still beautiful, aren't they?
Just as she was lost in thought, the night grew deeper, and Yuwen Ye's cold voice suddenly rang in her ears: "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Um?"
"You'd better go to bed early and get some rest! Don't say I didn't warn you!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi remembered his earlier threat to wait until tomorrow. Her face flushed instantly. Ignoring him, she covered her face with the blanket and turned away.
Under the dim night sky, Yuwen Ye turned his head and looked at her puffed-up back of the head. After a while, a gentle and doting smile appeared in his eyes.
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