Chapter 3 The Day of the Misunderstanding...
That day, she politely refused, saving him some face. Shang Xu wasn't a shameless person, and although he was worried about consummating their marriage, he was too embarrassed to bother her again.
Two days passed peacefully, and then it was time for the bride to return to her parents' home.
Shang Xu stood in the corridor, glancing ahead every now and then with a hesitant look in his eyes. Yan Yize's study was not far away, but he dared not take another step forward. Her cold words from that day still echoed in his ears, and he naturally did not want to annoy her.
But if he were to return home alone today, he would be ridiculed by the world. Shang Xu looked distressed and stared blankly at the falling snow outside the corridor. The white snow fell sparsely, like scattered jade fragments.
Through the snow curtain, you can see the snow piled up on the courtyard wall, forming small hills that rise and fall like continuous mountains. The bare tree trunks next to it are covered with snow, making the branches sway incessantly.
Just as he was lost in thought, not knowing what to do, a graceful figure emerged from around the corner of the corridor. Yan Yize was wearing a cross-collared, straight-hemmed robe with gold-embroidered blue lotus patterns, over which he wore a fur coat. As he walked, the blue-green skirt swayed, its undulating arc resembling a blooming blue lotus.
Upon seeing him, Yan Yize's calm eyes remained undisturbed. She stopped, her gaze fixed on Shang Xu. After a moment, seeing that he hadn't recovered, Yan Yize frowned slightly, her clear voice like pearls falling on a jade plate, "Since you're here, why didn't you come to my study?"
She glanced at the snow falling outside the corridor. The snow was beautiful, but it was cold. If he stood here for too long, he would get sick and suffer. Although it had nothing to do with her, he was still her husband in name only.
Startled, Shang Xu turned around abruptly, forgetting even his fear of her. Unable to hide the panic in his eyes, he hurriedly bowed, "Greetings... Your Highness."
Yan Yize stood ramrod straight, her elegant figure like a pine tree under the snow, unyielding to the wind and snow. Her expression remained unchanged, unconcerned by his rudeness. She lowered her voice and asked again, "Why are you standing here?"
The corridor ended at her study. Since he was here, he must have come to see her. But she couldn't understand why he was standing here if he was already here.
They have clearly forgotten what they said.
Shang Xu's heart skipped a beat. He lowered his head nervously, his hands clenching tightly. He was filled with unease because of her words that day: "If there's nothing else, then don't come."
She was the mistress of the house, and everything was decided by her word, whether it was important or not.
In Shang Xu's understanding, the deeper meaning of this sentence was that he should not appear in front of her. And her question was undoubtedly an interrogation in Shang Xu's eyes, questioning why he disobeyed and came to her to get in her way again.
"I..." Shang Xu pursed his lips, unsure of how to begin. The two had not yet consummated their marriage, and his situation in the mansion was extremely awkward. He had to carefully consider every word he uttered, for fear of inadvertently offending her.
As a substitute bride, his very existence was a disgrace; not driving him out of the mansion was already a favor.
Shang Xu lowered his eyes, his lowered eyelids obscuring the emotions in them. In this situation, he didn't know whether he should ask for her forgiveness or beg her to accompany him back to his parents' home. He was afraid that mentioning either of the two would displease her. He struggled for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer.
After waiting for a long time, Yan Yize still didn't hear his follow-up words. She didn't know if he didn't want to answer or if it was difficult for him to answer. But she wasn't the kind of person who would pry into things. So why bother to investigate further?
Yan Yize remained standing upright, his eyes calm, showing no emotion at the man's silence. He shifted his gaze from him to the falling snow outside the corridor, admiring the snowscape for a moment before casually saying, "It's about time, let's go."
Shang Xu was still struggling with his decision when he heard her words. He reacted instinctively, looked up at her blankly, and asked, "Where are we going?"
"The Shang family." Yan Yize answered succinctly. She turned her head, and a flicker of emotion finally appeared in her calm eyes. She looked at him with puzzlement, her clear voice gentle and measured, "You came to see me not about the homecoming ceremony?"
Shang Xu belatedly realized what was happening, quickly averted his gaze, lowered his head, loosened his clenched hands, and the huge weight on his heart disappeared; it turned out it wasn't a reprimand.
Under her probing gaze, Shang Xu nodded hastily, "Yes...yes."
Yan Yize sensed his insincerity and casually asked, "What are you thinking about?"
I didn't expect to get an answer, but...
"I'm wondering how you'll punish me."
Shang Xuzheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Before he knew it, his thoughts slipped out of his mouth.
The corridor was silent, and the wind outside seemed to pick up. Shang Xu swallowed nervously, his head buried like a quail, biting his lower lip tightly. His face was pale, and he looked annoyed. Why did he blurt it out unconsciously?
Yan Yize was completely bewildered, his eyes filled with confusion. After thinking for a moment, he still couldn't figure it out. He frowned and simply asked, "Why should I punish you?"
Shang Xu kept silent, intending to get away with it. Why should he remind her of something she had forgotten, so that she would have a reason to punish herself?
Yan Yize, however, had no intention of letting him get away with it. Since it concerned her, she was also curious and wanted to know as well.
"If we don't speak up soon, we'll be late for the trip to the Shang residence."
These words instantly seized Shang Xu's lifeline. The wind howled outside the corridor, and he hung his head dejectedly, feeling for the first time how disturbing the wind was. After thinking it over, he reluctantly stammered, "You...you said before that I shouldn't come looking for you unless it's important."
Yan Yize lowered his eyes and thought about it carefully. She seemed to have said something like that, but what did that have to do with punishing him?
Suddenly, Yan Yize had a flash of inspiration. Considering his hesitation and reluctance to move forward, his thoughts became even more certain. He gave him a complicated look, finding it amusing. He realized that what he had said was only literal, but clearly, he had misunderstood her, and not even deeply.
Yan Yize raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "You think too much, it's a pity you don't write storybooks."
The person who was completely confused was now Shang Xu. He quickly looked up and stole a glance at her. Seeing that she didn't seem angry that he had exposed the truth, but instead had a faint smile on her face, he immediately realized something and blushed.
Shang Xu lowered his head awkwardly, feeling his face burning hot. He stared at the ground, wishing there was a crack there so he could hide inside.
Let's go.
Yan Yize did not pursue his wild thoughts, nor did he mention it again, and took the lead in walking forward.
By the time he realized what was happening, she had already walked quite a distance. Shang Xu dared not delay any longer and immediately followed her. Walking beside her, he secretly raised his eyes and secretly observed her. A sense of calm arose in his heart. She did not seem as scary as he had imagined; in fact, she was rather gentle.
Gentle? If Yan Yize knew what he was thinking, she would definitely laugh; she has never been a good person.
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