Chapter 15 My feelings were expressed but restrained by propriety; I did nothing wrong…
Chu Minglang's neck and ears flushed slightly. She shyly released Yu Tan's hand, turned around, and bowed to Yu He'an.
"Brother He'an."
Once her hand was released, Yu Tan was finally freed from the control of the plot, her face turning even paler. "Brother, I..."
Yu He'an stood under the corridor, having seen countless things. His expression was indifferent to the point of being ruthless as he stared coldly at her. If his gaze could materialize, it could pierce two holes in her.
Chu Minglang hurriedly explained, "Brother He'an, it's not what you saw. Just now, Sister Yu caught a chill in the snow and felt unwell, so she fell over. I just helped her up."
Yu Tan shrank back, her heart pounding. Judging from Yu He'an's expression, he must be angry. She had always been most afraid of Yu He'an getting angry.
When Yu He'an was young, he would get angry and silently read his book. At first, she didn't know that Yu He'an was angry. She just thought that Yu He'an was engrossed in his books. It wasn't until she called him all afternoon and he ignored her that she realized that Yu He'an was angry.
Unable to find any playmates to leave the Marquis's residence, she waited helplessly for Yuhe'an to calm down.
Yu He'an stared at Chu Minglang and said in a deep voice, "Chu Minglang, you need to be careful in your actions. Also, she can say what she wants to say herself."
She lowered her head, not daring to look at Yu He'an's face at all, helplessly clutching the silk thread on her sleeve. There was no way to explain this. If she had just fallen, why did he hold her for so long?
"Brother, I..."
Chu Minglang quickly explained, "Brother He'an, it was my fault for acting improperly and for not considering things thoroughly. I will definitely come to apologize in person another day."
Yu He'an had already turned and boarded the carriage. She quickly got up and followed, obediently sitting on the very edge of the carriage.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was terrifyingly somber and eerily quiet, with only the sound of the wheels rolling over the street.
Yu He'an turned his head: "Yu Tan, do you still remember what you said yesterday?"
She naturally remembered what she had said yesterday. She told Yu He'an that she had no interest in Chu Minglang and already had a marriage prospect in mind.
But today she was caught embracing Chu Minglang.
In Yu He'an's eyes, she was the kind of person who changed her affections frequently. Faced with Yu He'an's scrutinizing gaze, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
She clearly wanted to explain everything to Chu Minglang and stop getting involved in this entanglement, but she triggered the plot, which is probably the punishment for trying to change things.
Yu He'an was the person she trusted most, and she tried to explain to him.
Yu Tan said aggrievedly, "Brother, this was really an accident. Just now... Lord Chu only helped me up."
Yu He'an's gaze fell on her, as if interrogating her: Why didn't you separate? Why did you hug for so long?
Yu He'an sighed: "Since your grandmother has chosen your marriage partner, if you are truly fond of Chu Minglang, you should inform your grandmother."
Even so, he should have gone through the proper betrothal and formal marriage ceremony, not like this... What kind of behavior is this, tarnishing his reputation with public displays of affection?
The cold voice cut like a sharp blade into her heart.
Reputation, how laughable.
If she were to actually fall into that kind of situation, what reputation would she have left?
At that time, Yu He'an wished he could be eight feet away from her.
Why won't anyone listen to her explanation now? She only gave her a hug...
She couldn't push him away, she couldn't recount the plot, and she was even punished.
In this world, she is merely an accessory to the real heiress, a figure hated by everyone, and no one likes her.
Yu He'an and Wu Niang both don't want her.
So what if I feel wronged and heartbroken? Who cares?
Yu Tan tilted her head back and opened her eyes wide to keep the tears from falling. She bit her lip, looking defiant.
She said bitterly, "Grandmother was just mentioning it casually. I have no in-laws, and my brother also thinks Chu Minglang is a good match. We should get to know each other better and be closer to each other sooner. Why has he become the unbearable person my brother speaks of?"
"Yu Tan." Yu He'an's tone was tinged with anger, his Adam's apple bobbed, his lips were pursed, and his gaze was coldly fixed on her.
Yu Tan glared back defiantly, her lips twitching uncontrollably.
"My feelings were expressed but kept within the bounds of propriety; I did nothing wrong."
"Do you really think that way?" Yu He'an grabbed her wrist.
Yu Tan said defiantly, "Really?"
Her bright eyes were glistening with tears, as if they might fall at any moment. Despite saying the harshest words, she looked incredibly pitiful. Yu He'an turned his head away, not wanting to look at her face anymore.
When Yu Tan was deeply entangled with Ji Yushang, he thought Chu Minglang was a good match for her.
Jiang Tingfeng, a playmate from Yuyang who appeared midway through the journey, made Chu Minglang seem even more outstanding.
But when Chu Minglang and Yu Tan actually embraced, he felt that Chu Minglang was too frivolous and did not care about Yu Tan's reputation.
Yu Tan changed her mind and turned to Chu Minglang's arms.
A beautiful and graceful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections; everything should be done step by step, slowly and steadily.
But he couldn't go against Yu Tan's wishes, and all his worries turned into just wanting her to be happy.
Yu He'an sighed deeply, softening his tone, "If you really like Chu Minglang... I..."
"No need," Yu Tan coldly refused, her face tense. "I can say what I need to say myself."
He was given his exact words, which effectively shut him down.
After this farce, the two of them had nothing more to say. Yu Tan turned her face away from the window and refused to look at Yu He'an again. When the carriage arrived at the Yu residence, she immediately opened the door and got out.
She stormed back into the yard, and the heat from inside the house made her feel even more aggrieved; her eyes and nose turned red.
"My lady," Lanxin caught up with Yutan after running all the way, "Did you and your husband have a fight?"
She nodded, unusually assertive in front of Yu He'an, "So what if we argued?"
Seeing that Yu Tan's complexion was not good, Lan Xin did not mention it again, but quickly told her to take off her cloak. Only after taking off the cloak did she realize that the collar of her inner short jacket was wet from the melted snow.
"Wife, why didn't you say anything? What if you catch a cold?" Qiaoxin quickly went to find a padded jacket for her to change into, and then fetched a basin of hot water to wash her body.
I was only concerned with arguing with Yuhe earlier, and now I belatedly feel a chill.
She obediently changed her clothes and cleaned herself.
Wu Niang and Yu He'an were so angry that she couldn't eat dinner. After dark, she went to bed. Now that she was grown up, she would definitely be more principled than when she was young. She would never go to Yu He'an's place again.
Qiaoxin thoughtfully brewed a herbal soup to dispel cold and stop coughing, placed it by the bedside, bent over and stuffed a hot water bottle at the foot of her bed, and tucked the corner of the quilt in.
Yu Tan suddenly remembered what Lan Xin had said: Qiao Xin had someone waiting for her at home, waiting for her to get married.
Qiaoxin was three years older than her and was indeed of marriageable age.
"Qiaoxin." Yu Tan took Qiaoxin's hand and helped her sit on the edge of the bed. "Are you getting married?"
Qiaoxin blushed instantly, her face full of a young lady's shyness, and she said hesitantly, "Wife, why did you suddenly bring this up?"
Yu Tan frowned and pressed, "Does your sworn brother know about this?"
Qiaoxin blushed even more and nodded, "Of course he knows."
"Did he urge you? When you were about my age."
Qiaoxin whispered, "They bring it up every year after she came of age, and now they urge her every month when she goes home."
Yu Tan pulled the blanket up a little higher and said dejectedly, "So that's how it is."
“My lady, don’t overthink it. My husband is just worried about you. I heard from Lanxin that it’s all thanks to my husband that this scene happened. If others had seen it, it would have damaged your reputation…” Lanxin glanced at Yu Tan’s cold expression. “My lady, please drink your medicine first.”
Yu Tan covered her face with the account book, lying comfortably in the warm blankets. She felt fine; she had recovered long ago. "I don't want to drink."
Qiaoxin advised, "My lady."
"Leave it there, I'll drink it after I've finished looking at it." She felt much warmer, put on an outer robe, and began to check the accounts. Her fingertips traced through the pages of accounts, and when she finished checking, the third watch gong sounded, and she felt a little dizzy. Sleepiness finally came.
Yu Tan put down the account book, wrapped herself in the quilt, and drifted off to sleep.
She slept soundly, her hands and feet felt like they were filled with lead, and she couldn't move.
Nightmares never fail to appear.
She was driven out of the Marquis's mansion, her wedding was abducted, and she was imprisoned in a red tent and subjected to the most defilement and abuse.
She was already able to observe everything with detachment, but today's dream seemed a little different.
A single lamp flickers, emitting a strong fragrance of epiphyllum.
A swaying red veil and ambiguous silk threads entangled in the room.
She looked down and was startled.
I straddled the seat very boldly.
The young man's white robe was half-undone, revealing his long neck and Adam's apple bobbing restlessly.
Her face was covered by a plain-colored handkerchief, revealing only her fair chin, thin, red lips glistening with moisture, and her straight nose pushing the handkerchief into an arc.
Unable to see his face, Yu Tan in her dream was not so afraid.
She leaned down, pressed her lips to her thin lips, and gave her a light kiss.
Seemingly dissatisfied with just a taste, he tightened his grip on her waist, urging her to hurry.
She pushed the table, took some peach blossom wine from the low table, took a big gulp, and pressed her husband down to drink it all.
My lord is below me, and my imposing manner is in no way inferior. I entwine my lips and tongue with hers.
She was breathless from the kisses, but thankfully the drug took effect quickly.
After a few dozen breaths, her hand fell limply to her side. She took a few deep breaths, hurriedly got off the bed, and fled.
The veil of illusion in the dream recedes, and everything becomes real.
She saw clearly that the place of her imprisonment was Tonghua Lane.
She ran frantically out of the alley, and when she reached the third house, she inexplicably went inside.
The house was colder than I remembered; it was empty and devoid of any human presence.
Wu Niang wasn't there, and the charcoal brazier she mentioned hadn't been bought.
She wandered around the house like a lost soul, while outside, there was a great commotion, as if something terrible had happened.
As soon as she pushed open the wooden door, her face was covered in rotten vegetable leaves and dirty water.
"You can't make something out of nothing. What good is it to be raised in the Marquis's mansion? Once you leave the mansion, you'll still end up as someone's mistress."
She hurriedly retreated inside, and before the door could be closed completely, she saw a tall, elegant man standing far away in the crowd. His white robes fluttered, his brows were furrowed, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his face showed unconcealed disappointment. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before moving away.
He flicked his sleeves, turned away in disgust.
"Indecent and immoral."
She hurriedly closed the door, and a lot of vegetable leaves and dirty water splashed over the courtyard wall and into the yard.
She stood helplessly behind the wooden door, not even knowing where to hide. Dirty water and rotten vegetable leaves pelted her, but she was so numb that she couldn't feel the pain.
She ran away, and in a daze, she returned to the mansion that imprisoned her. She lived a life of confusion, and then she ran to the third house in Tonghua Lane. No matter how many times she went in, it was always empty. There was no one she wanted to see, only the scorn of the world.
Yu He'an's cold gaze and merciless turn felt like an ice hammer striking her heart.
As if she were trapped in a maze, she ran desperately.
He simply ran from the mansion where he was imprisoned to Tonghua Lane, hid in that empty house, and leaned against the wooden door to listen to the world's curses.
Each time it was worse than the last, and just when she thought she was numb, it would hit her sore spot, and she couldn't help but want to escape.
Escape...
Escape this absurd fate...
Escape from the plot...
*
The heavy snow stopped at dawn, and bright sunlight streamed in through the window.
Qiaoxin put away the quilt she had been keeping watch over, added some charcoal to the stove, and the room became as warm as springtime. She even broke out in a light sweat on her back.
Yu Tan was sensitive to the cold, so the house had an underfloor heating system and two additional heaters to keep her warm enough to sleep soundly during the winter.
Lanxin had already carried the copper basin into the room. She glanced inside in surprise and saw a small bulge in the brocade quilt of the canopy bed behind the sky-blue gauze curtain.
Lanxin lowered her voice: "Is my wife still sleeping?"
Qiaoxin nodded and whispered, "My wife didn't wake up last night either."
"That's great! Doctor Xue is truly amazing." Lan Xin tiptoed out with the copper basin.
Lanxin and Qiaoxin waited quietly outside until the sun shone into the courtyard. Only then did Qiaoxin realize something was wrong and quietly went inside.
"My lady, if you are still sleepy, have lunch before you go to sleep."
Qiaoxin lifted the gauze curtain and gasped in surprise at what she saw on the canopy bed.
A note from the author:
Thank you for the nutrient solution from the roadside couch potato! [fireworks][starry eyes]
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