Chapter 58 Asking about another man first thing in the morning
"She asked other men first thing in the morning."
Her palm caressed her lower back, the warmth seeping through her thin nightgown. The scene from yesterday was still vivid in her mind. Her face flushed, her legs went weak, and she quickly pushed him away.
Was that someone else?
That was her formally married husband; to outsiders, he was her real husband.
She was the one who found the person to maintain the balance.
He was innocent and willing to help her, and she didn't want him to be implicated.
Where is he?
Yu He An did not answer.
"Untie it! If you don't tell me, I'll find it myself." She was annoyed and struggled to raise the chains; she couldn't be handcuffed forever.
"I don't understand." Yu He sat at the round table, slowly pouring and drinking tea, and pulled her to sit on a small stool next to him.
When her attempts to be tough failed, she had no choice but to soften her stance.
"We can't keep him handcuffed all the time; it's very inconvenient to have him with us everywhere we go."
"It's quite convenient." Yu He'an held the teacup in his right hand, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and did so as usual.
"I need to change my clothes." She was still wearing her close-fitting nightgown; how could she go out and meet people? She couldn't just stay in the room forever.
Yu He'an's gaze swept over her, lingering on her face for a few moments before moving down. The neckline of her nightgown was slightly open, revealing a section of her fair neck with several red marks.
She had seen those cold eyes filled with lust before, and by extension, she felt that his gaze now was not exactly innocent either.
Seemingly overwhelmed by the gaze, Yu Tan clutched her sleeve and helplessly licked her lips.
The lips, ravaged by the abuse, were coated with a soft, glossy sheen, making them look even more like honey.
If he said anything more, Yu Tan would want to disappear into the ground.
"I'll just turn my back."
Yu He'an was still puzzled. She became anxious, thinking that this was no different from imprisoning her.
no.
She doesn't want to be imprisoned or coerced; she has already planned to leave once she breaks free from the constraints of the plot.
No one will do.
"I need to use the restroom, you can't keep following me."
After Yu He'an returned to Bianjing, she naturally had to go back to the Marquis's residence. What kind of logic would it make to take her back in handcuffs?
Yu He'an, who has always been a model of propriety and a paragon of virtue, deviated from the norm for the first time by handcuffing his newlywed sister and taking her back to her parents' home.
At that time, not only would Old Madam Song be furious, but even Yu Zheng might be so angry that she would faint.
"I can untie it, but you have to promise me first."
The long, slender knuckles were on the side of the waist. When pressed, a tingling and numb sensation shot straight to the brain, full of suggestive meaning.
A surge of heat rushed straight up from her chest; without even looking, she knew her neck and cheeks were flushed. She bit her lip, her voice barely audible, quite strangely, "I...I agree."
Yu He'an lowered his eyes, a clear smile in them.
"Yaoyao, are you planning to have an affair with me behind your husband's back?"
She hurriedly tried to deny it: "I...I didn't."
"Great, it would be even better if it didn't exist. Anyway, I've been waiting for a long time, and waiting any longer will only lead to more problems."
I'll take you back to the Marquis's mansion in a bit and tell them that I kidnapped your husband, ruined your marriage, and planned this all along; I'm going to force you into marriage.
Everything was forced upon me; they had no choice but to agree, even if they didn't want to. They can control you, but they can't control me.
Yesterday, the Marquis's daughter was married off; today, the Marquis's son is being married off—the two happy events are being held in one go.
Yu Tan's face turned even redder; this time, she was quite angry.
"Yu He'an, what nonsense are you spouting?"
“You weren’t this angry when you were forced to do things you didn’t want to do, but now you’re angry.” After saying this, Yu He’an slowly sipped his tea, patiently waiting for an answer.
She didn't want to choose either of the two paths; she wanted to find a third.
Through the doors and windows, she saw a group of tall men in black short-sleeved shirts gathered in the courtyard. They weren't the guards of the Marquis's mansion; they looked more like江湖人士 (jianghu figures) from a storybook.
Lanxin was standing in the corner of the courtyard with a copper basin for washing when she was stopped.
She roughly understood that if she really refused to choose any path and fought back fiercely, Yu He'an, who was blinded by anger, might actually be swayed by the plot and forcibly imprison her.
"The first one." The words were uttered through clenched teeth, so softly they were almost inaudible.
"Yaoyao, what did you say? I can't hear you." Yuhe put down the teacup, almost laughing in exasperation. Why did she have to choose the underhanded way instead of the straightforward one?
"I choose the first option." Yu Tan was so frustrated that her face turned red with anger, and she was so nervous that fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and the tip of her nose.
Yu He'an finished his cup of tea, put down the teacup, and said with the greatest magnanimity he had ever shown, "Fine, I won't tolerate him for long."
"Untie it." She waved the chain.
The words, "Untie the chains and go find him," were still echoing in his mind, sending chills down his spine.
"Brother, untie it." The soft, gentle voice urged softly.
My wrist was grabbed, and with a "click," the key went into the shackles, and the shackles finally loosened.
She rubbed her reddened wrist, regaining some of her confidence.
"I have one condition: you cannot reveal our relationship to your grandmother... not only to outsiders, but to everyone."
As long as she doesn't expose herself, she can escape after the story ends.
This only adds a little more variation; the overall situation remains the same.
"Oh?" Yu Tan is truly skilled; she really intends to hide him away. Yu He'an lifted his eyelids, feigning ignorance. "What relationship?"
"Just...just a romantic relationship."
"Oh? Okay." His tone was relaxed, as if it were nothing difficult.
She let out a long breath; although the situation had been somewhat complicated, she had managed to keep it a secret.
"Then how are you going to explain this to your new husband?"
"I have my own way of doing things."
"Yaoyao, you're really good at this." He put one arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. The firm muscles under her buttocks were full of vigorous power. "Since you've made your offer, I'll accept it. It's a give-and-take situation, so I have my own offer too."
"What are the conditions?" She could no longer trust him without listening and agree immediately. She had suffered countless hidden losses at Yu He'an's hands.
"You can't enjoy the happiness of having multiple wives. Yao Yao, remember to keep your distance from your new husband."
She said sullenly, "I know."
He held a sheet of Xuan paper filled with small characters between his slender fingers and handed it to her, while his large hand was still resting on her lower back.
She frowned, pursed her lips, and for a moment dared not answer.
What's this?
A divorce agreement?
Haven't we already agreed on the terms?
"Didn't we already agree on this?"
Seeing that she wouldn't take it, Yu He'an had no choice but to unfold the Xuan paper.
The document, written in black on a white background, was not a divorce petition, but a lawsuit accusing Xie Ling of a wrongful conviction and pleading for an overturning of the verdict.
Xie Ling is her father. After learning about her background, she lowered her eyes and stared at the complaint, unable to utter a word for a long time.
Staring at the signature on the petition: Yu He'an.
She used to think that if she could get rid of the plot, she would be free. Now there is another one. Only when these two cases are completely resolved can Zhao Qingwu truly relax.
"The petition should have been submitted to the Dali Temple yesterday."
However, just over three months after he returned from investigating the case, his beloved woman dressed up in red and married another man.
"The case of Lord Xie must be investigated first before we can proceed with the case of Lord Zhao. The cases are complicated, and the witness testimonies have already been collected. Overturning the case is only a matter of time."
There are still many things involved and much that need to be negotiated, but these are things that should not be mentioned to Yu Tan. Now is the time to bring this miscarriage of justice to light.
The reason Zhao Qingwu never mentioned her father was because she feared she would follow in Xie Ling's footsteps and bury herself in the investigation.
"Thank you, brother." She recalled the past; these things should have been done by Xie Ling's daughter. "Let me do these things myself."
She accepted the petition and planned to make a copy of it before presenting it to the Dali Temple.
"In a little while, I will go to the Dali Temple and submit the petition. Now that I have told you the whole story, I can't let you be kept in the dark."
She could probably understand now. No wonder Yu He'an was so eager to investigate the case. He wanted to clear her name before Old Madam Song's birthday banquet, so that she would no longer be a person who was criticized.
After Yu He'an left, the men in black in the courtyard dispersed, and the courtyard returned to peace.
She changed into a high-necked ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and covered her neck with lead powder several times, finally making her presentable.
Lanxin followed behind her, tacitly agreeing not to ask any further questions.
The two searched the courtyard and the house, and finally found He Sheng, who was still wearing his wedding attire and fast asleep, in the west wing. Aunt He was sitting with her legs crossed, eating melon seeds and watching over him.
The moment Lan Xin pushed open the door, He Sheng woke up groggily and looked up at Yu Tan.
He rubbed his head and chuckled sheepishly, "Miss Yu, the guests at yesterday's wedding banquet were so enthusiastic that I couldn't refuse them all, and I ended up drinking a few too many cups and ended up sleeping here... Did I... make things difficult for you...?"
The reason she chose He Sheng to accompany her in the play was twofold: firstly, he was a good person and humble, and secondly, he had a simple background and no in-laws to serve.
"No."
He Sheng struggled to get up. He clearly remembered that yesterday, when the wedding banquet was about to end, he saw a man with an extraordinary demeanor standing in front of the courtyard gate. He kindly invited him in for a drink of wedding wine, but he couldn't remember what happened after that.
Who is this?
Aunt He twisted her arm as she was cracking sunflower seeds, and elbowed He Sheng in the back of the head. He Sheng didn't even have time to groan before he slumped back into a deep sleep.
She had seen Aunt He's hands when she rolled out dough; they were very strong, and the noodles she pulled out were also very chewy. But she never expected that she would be strong enough to knock out an adult man with a single elbow strike.
"Aunt He, there's no need for that."
Aunt He put down the melon seeds, stopped crossing her legs, and sat properly.
"My lady, my husband said to let him faint first."
Yu He'an didn't instruct him to keep him unconscious. This kind-hearted victim, she doesn't know how much money she'll have to pay in compensation.
Aunt He clapped her hands: "My lady, what would you like for lunch? I'll continue as the cook. I've checked, this alley is more lively than the previous one, I like it here."
She paid for the house herself, choosing a bustling and prosperous area with thriving commerce, which was naturally different from the quiet and secluded place Yu He'an had chosen.
She named the dishes she usually ate, and Aunt He got up and went to the kitchen to get busy.
As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw that the gatekeeper had indeed become Uncle Chen, who greeted her with a smile, "Hello, madam."
After witnessing Aunt He knock He Sheng unconscious with an elbow, she realized that Uncle Chen was no ordinary person either. No wonder only two people remained in Yu He'an's courtyard.
When He Sheng woke up again, it was already dusk. He quickly got up and rushed to the kitchen to cook. Yu Tan had married him, and even if it was just a business relationship, he couldn't let his daughter suffer. He saw the cook smiling as she brought out the dishes.
"Young Master He, wash your hands and eat."
He felt that the cook was very familiar, as if he had seen her before he fell into a deep sleep. The wedding wine was really too intoxicating. Yu Tan had been cleaning up the mess after the wedding, and the courtyard had long been cleaned up.
Before he could react, he was pushed into the main hall.
Dinner was already laid out in the hall, and Yu Tan was already sitting at the small dining table waiting for him. Her gaze was fixed on the round table, her long hair was tied up, revealing her slender neck.
There were red marks on her fair neck, like mosquito bites.
He was practically a freeloader; the courtyard was bought with Yu Tan's money, and even dinner was prepared by a cook hired by Yu Tan.
He also has a few mosquito-repelling plants in his room, I'll get them in a bit.
After finishing her dinner quietly, Yu Tan waved away those around her, indicating that she had something to discuss with him.
“Young Master He, the original plan may have to be extended. I will give you some extra money.”
The original plan was to put Madam Song at ease and break free from the constraints of the plot, then they would leave Bianjing under the pretense of going out to make a living, and the money would be settled and they would owe each other nothing. But now that the case has been overturned, they will probably have to stay in Bianjing for a while longer.
“I was the one who benefited from this, so Miss Yu doesn’t need to feel guilty and doesn’t need to give me any more money.”
"Just accept it."
He Sheng remembered the matter of the fake couple, and after speaking, he moved to the west wing on his own.
Before going to sleep, he remembered that Yu Tan had been bitten by mosquitoes. Seeing that the lights in Yu Tan's room were off, he had no choice but to place the mosquito-repellent grass under Yu Tan's window.
After He Sheng passed by, the window opened and closed again, and a tall figure nimbly jumped through the window. The mosquito repellent plant that was stuck on the windowsill fell to the ground and was stepped on a few times in disgust.
Author's Note: Thank you MiMao, AQ, Xiao, and XihaYeZe for the nutrient solution. [shy]
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