Chapter 509 Reluctant to part with something, yet unable to obtain it.
The room fell silent instantly.
Shang Ruyi felt the scorching gaze still fixed on her in the darkness, but she hesitated and remained silent for a while before asking, "Shall I choose?"
Yuwen Ye replied, "Hmm."
"What's the point of letting me choose?"
"it works."
"..."
This time, Shang Ruyi remained silent for a longer period of time before she finally spoke softly but clearly: "I will choose the country and its people."
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's breath hitched.
Just as his body jolted, a pair of soft, warm hands quickly climbed up his chest, then wrapped around his neck and encircled him. Immediately afterward, a soft, fragrant body nestled against him and hugged him tightly.
Yuwen Ye's body stiffened again.
He was familiar with this atmosphere and this aura. It was the same atmosphere when Shang Ruyi took the initiative to make up with him after their previous conflicts, and she would exude the same aura.
So, she was trying to make amends.
After making that choice, she tried to win him over again.
Yuwen Ye hadn't actually had a chance to get angry yet, but feeling the fragrant and soft body in his arms deliberately entwining him, he still felt a slight anger rising up. He exhaled heavily and said with a half-smile, "I thought you would say that you want it all."
"..."
Shang Ruyi buried her face in his neck.
Warm breath brushed against Yuwen Ye's neck. Even before Shang Ruyi finished speaking, he could feel her breath trembling slightly. After a while, he heard a muffled voice coming from below—
That's what I was thinking.
"Then why not?"
"Because...this is a real choice, not just casual conversation."
"..."
“What I’m choosing isn’t either fish or bear’s paw; it’s the ‘nation’ itself, which I cannot afford to be disrespectful of, nor can I make excuses for. Moreover, my uncle’s life is also involved.”
Even now, after so much time has passed, her relationship with Yuwen Ye has undergone a complete transformation compared to their previous simple transaction. But she has not forgotten why she chose to break off the engagement and remarry, why she insisted on marrying him, and why she refused to give up or divorce him even when he treated her coldly and she suffered such injustice.
Her uncle and aunt, and Shen Wuzheng, were the most important people to her.
She chose this marriage, chose him, to protect them!
Having chosen this path from the beginning, how could we possibly give up so easily?
Yuwen Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "Don't you hope that a miracle will happen?"
"miracle……?"
These two words startled Shang Ruyi.
Yes, she once said that the person in front of her was a miracle given to her by the gods and Buddhas. What was originally just a temporary measure, or even a choice made out of necessity, turned out to be a wonderful marriage that she never dared to dream of and could not obtain even if she begged for it. This was probably the greatest miracle that God gave her as compensation after that bizarre experience.
So……
Shang Ruyi was silent for a while, then said with a sour tone, "But I also know that there is no such thing as a perfect life. God may have favored me, but God's favor comes at a price, and He is not omniscient or omnipotent."
Is it divine favor?
These words made Yuwen Ye frown, as if he sensed something.
You mean—
"And what about you?"
Before he could finish speaking, Shang Ruyi interrupted him. She raised her head, her clear, hopeful eyes shining even in the darkness, and said softly, "Actually, the person who should make this choice shouldn't be me, but you."
"..."
"No, it's not a choice either."
"..."
"When Dad asked you to go to the tea room, it wasn't to give you a choice, but to make you agree to the choice he gave you, right?"
"……right."
"So, you—did you agree?"
As she spoke the last few words, Shang Ruyi suddenly lowered her head again. Even though she tried her best to bury her face in his chest, her voice muffled as if it came from the abyss, the two of them were still so close to each other that even if Yuwen Ye couldn't hear the tremor in her last few words, he could clearly feel the slender body pressed against him trembling uncontrollably.
It's like being afraid.
Fear……
The moment those two words surfaced in his mind, Yuwen Ye was somewhat surprised. Although he had almost never experienced such emotions growing up, and he seemed to think that Shang Ruyi would not experience such emotions either.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, he actually sensed this emotion from her.
And Yuwen Ye's intuition was indeed correct; Shang Ruyi was truly afraid at this moment.
I'm afraid he won't agree, but I'm even more afraid he will agree...
Just as she held her breath, waiting for Yuwen Ye's answer with the same anticipation of a condemned prisoner awaiting his execution, she heard him slowly say in his equally low and hoarse voice, "I...did not agree."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback. Just as she was about to lift her head from his embrace, she heard his dry voice continue, "I didn't refuse."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was even more surprised. She lifted her head from his embrace and stared intently into his cold, stern eyes. Yuwen Ye also slowly looked at her. The two of them stared at each other intently in the dark light.
After a long pause, Shang Ruyi said, "You mean—"
Yuwen Ye said, "I haven't made a choice yet."
"Why?"
"Why?"
Yuwen Ye repeated her question, as if he were asking himself. His low, husky voice seemed to materialize in the darkness as he gently stroked Shang Ruyi's slightly cool cheek. Only when she felt an uncontrollable shiver did she realize that it was his rough, large hand that was truly gently caressing her cheek.
Inch by inch, it seems to be shuttling around, or perhaps savoring the moment.
After a long pause, he said, "Probably because I want both."
I want both...?
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but frown.
In terms of pragmatism, Yuwen Ye might not be as good as Duke Sheng, Yuwen Yuan, but he far surpasses himself. He never indulges in unrealistic dreams, and doesn't even believe in gods or Buddhas. Yet, at this moment, such a person wants both?
This is probably even more absurd than believing in gods and Buddhas.
Shang Ruyi asked again, "Why?"
Seemingly knowing she would press him further, this time Yuwen Ye didn't remain silent for long. He simply cupped her cheeks in his palm and slowly said, "Choices involve giving up something and gaining something. But now, these two choices—on one side, I can't bear to give up; on the other side, I haven't been able to gain."
On one hand, I couldn't bear to part with it.
On one hand, what was not obtained?
Shang Ruyi suddenly understood something. She looked up, about to say something, when a gust of wind blew the window open a crack, and a sudden chill swept past her ears and cheeks.
At the same time, Yuwen Ye's hand left her cheek.
Shang Ruyi looked up at the familiar silhouette so close to her in the darkness, and heard Yuwen Ye say, "I just didn't expect you to make such a decisive choice."
Shang Ruyi's throat tightened, and she said in a hoarse voice, "You're angry with me?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye did not answer immediately, but remained silent for a while, as if he was considering whether he was angry. A gust of night wind carried the oppressive atmosphere of the mansion into the quiet room and lingered around the two of them.
My thoughts grew increasingly heavy.
After an unknown amount of time, Shang Ruyi, whose skin felt slightly cool and who began to tremble involuntarily, finally felt a pair of warm, large hands caress her arms and then slowly pull her into their embrace.
It was Yuwen Ye who embraced her.
He hugged her tightly as she began to breathe again.
Then he said, "No."
After saying those two words, Yuwen Ye thought to himself—there shouldn't be.
After all, this wasn't the first time Shang Ruyi had made such a choice, and her memory wasn't that bad. She clearly remembered the conditions that Shen Shiyan and his wife had proposed to her more than a year ago when she wanted to save them from exile.
Regardless of whether their relationship stemmed from a past transaction or a current mutual understanding, what matters most to her is still—
Yuwen Ye let out a deep breath.
He felt he had figured things out, and he was even more confused by the sudden outburst of anger he had just experienced—born into a family like theirs, and facing such a crucial decision, everyone should be cautious, rational, and consider the bigger picture.
Shang Ruyi made the right choice.
He should also feel gratified to have such a wife who can see the big picture and is not preoccupied with personal feelings.
Therefore, my anger just now was indeed inexplicable.
It was like when she offered to provide a meeting between herself and Princess Xinyue in order to save Shen Shiyan and his wife. Although he knew that he only had brotherly feelings for Chu Ruoyan, so the condition she proposed should only make him feel ridiculous, at that time, he really felt a strange anger rising up, which almost made him lose his mind.
Thinking about it, he let out a long breath and said with certainty, "I'm not angry."
Hearing him say that, Shang Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief.
That's good...
So, neither of them did anything more, nor even said anything more, just held each other tightly, nestled close to one another. Shang Ruyi looked out at the dark night sky through the sliver of window that had been blown open by the wind. The night was deep and dark, without a single star, only a faint red glow spreading across the sky.
At this moment, another gust of cold wind blew in through the sliver of window. Although the two people on the bed were tightly embracing each other, for some reason, Shang Ruyi felt a slight breeze passing by her chest, even though she was pressed against Yuwen Ye's.
It's as if... there's an invisible rift spreading between them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com