It’s him? It’s him!

Wuyan couldn’t help trembling all over – not from fear, but from unwillingness. She didn’t want to open the door, yet knew she had no choice. Her hands and feet were ice cold, as if her limbs were frozen and unable to move. She struggled to get up, but her movements were too slow – the two doors had already been kicked open violently.

“Why didn’t you open the door? What were you doing inside?”

Huo Chang’an’s brow was tightly furrowed, his lips pressed together as he stood in the doorway. His expression was grim and somber, his cheeks slightly flushed, his eyes holding bloodthirsty fire – like an enraged tiger or leopard ready to tear someone apart at any moment.

Behind him was the dark courtyard, with concubines standing around. The night cast a layer of panic and terror on their faces. They must have come out with Pingping when they heard the commotion, not expecting it to be Huo Chang’an. Even Zhuxin was frowning with worry and alarm.

Wuyan finally supported herself against the table edge and slowly stood up. Her heart was still empty, but her nose began to sting.

As she had told Zhuxin, she had been young then and chose to flee. Because she was angry at his casual promises – if he truly loved her, couldn’t he have resisted the aphrodisiac’s temptation and controlled his desires?

His nature was unrestrained. Though he had dismissed all his concubines, being equally young and passionate, when faced with choice, he had followed his desires. He was unwilling to wronged himself because he believed it was just one night’s dew – even if she minded, it would eventually pass.

But she couldn’t overcome her own barrier. She had personally witnessed how many beautiful young women, brought back to mansions by male-supremacist fathers, became terrible women consumed by jealousy over time.

During her palace years, she had again entertained thoughts of being with Lian Yu. Looking back now, it was more rational than emotional. She had experienced his story with A’luo. A’luo had died, and he quietly mourned for her – this was why he often “spent the night” in her palace.

No earth-shattering drama, no sworn oaths – just bit by bit, yet enough to move one’s heart.

Who doesn’t want to be remembered? Even if they suddenly died one day, they would still live on in memory.

Besides this, she truly didn’t want him to bear infamy. Even if Lian Yue had acted deliberately, what was done was done.

She actually didn’t love him less than he imagined, so all she could do was leave.

If she had foreseen today’s predicament and could choose again, she would still choose the same way.

Even if she could leave with her mother, what happiness would she have left in this lifetime? Yet she still hoped he could be happy. She truly didn’t love him less than he thought.

But why couldn’t he help her once, instead choosing to imprison her in this Huo mansion to watch his happiness and joy? She hoped he would find happiness, but she couldn’t bear to witness that happiness personally.

She was jealous of Lian Yue, jealous of other women – she was just an ordinary woman after all.

Why did he want her to personally watch him have children with other women?

And she couldn’t even hate, because she still needed favors from the couple.

She forced herself to squeeze out a trace of smile. “You’ve come.”

Huo Chang’an’s brow furrowed even deeper and tighter, his eyes full of predatory intent. Suddenly flicking his sleeve, he slammed the door shut, cutting off all the shocked and inquiring gazes of Zhuxin and the others.

“You should know that Lian Yue is carrying my child.”

His voice was extremely cold as he walked toward her, a heavy smell of alcohol emanating from him.

So he had been drinking, Wuyan thought. No wonder his face was so red. Yes, on such a joyous occasion, how could he not drink to celebrate? She still remembered that after that incident, he had painfully told her he would never drink too much again.

How could she have taken those words seriously then? People always change.

He was here to mock her, wasn’t he? Because of today’s events, he knew that in her heart, she still harbored feelings for him?

She needed his help, yet made him wait outside for so long. Now that they finally met face to face, she appeared to still maintain composure, not heartbroken as he had expected – how could he not be angry?

But aside from pretending nothing had happened, what else could she do? She was nothing to him – she had no right to vent her feelings. And if she truly showed what was in her heart, it would only invite his contempt and mockery.

Could she continue this charade? She was already exhausted.

As Pingping had said, all he had left for her was the longing for what he couldn’t have. She had prepared for the worst, but now that Lian Yue was pregnant, he would know propriety and might not easily touch her – for her, this was at least an opportunity.

Therefore, she couldn’t let him see her as a joke, while also not angering him.

Her heart was churning like raging waves. She wanted to kill him. Her heart was filled with hate and fury, twisting and turning, yet she had to treat him with the calmest attitude possible.

“Congratulations.” She replied thus, pausing slightly before saying gently, “The maids in my room have all retired. Let me go to the kitchen and have them prepare some sobering soup for you. Please wait.”

When she said “congratulations,” his gaze was suddenly tinged with fierce coldness. But upon hearing “let me go to the kitchen and have them prepare some sobering soup,” though his gaze remained stern, the anger in his eyes seemed to scatter like a candle flame exploding.

A trace of bewildered strangeness seemed to flash through his eyes for a moment. How could that be? She shook her head with a smile, thinking she must have seen wrong. Did she really think time could return to the past?

She was about to leave to get the soup when her elbow was suddenly gripped tightly. She turned in alarm to see Huo Chang’an had indeed reached out to grasp her arm. His eyes were dark and deep, his voice cold and harsh: “Does my mansion have no servants? Have the help do such things!”

As he spoke, he released her hand and walked to the door, pushing it open and looking toward the courtyard. Several women looked over almost immediately with shock and suspicion. He gave orders: “Send a maid to the kitchen to bring this lord a bowl of sobering soup.”

Pingping immediately bloomed with a smile. “Master, the maids are clumsy. Let me personally make a trip – please wait.”

But Huo Chang’an seemed to suddenly remember something and lowered his voice slightly: “No need.”

He quickly closed the door. Through the crack as it opened and closed, the bewildered expressions of Pingping and the others could be vaguely seen.

For some reason, compared to an angry Huo Chang’an, this quiet version made Wuyan feel even more uneasy.

“I’m not even drunk. What sobering soup?”

He turned back, tilting his head slightly, and suddenly said this.

“Oh.”

Wuyan didn’t know how to respond. He looked at her with a very strange gaze – seeming angry, seeming hateful, yet also containing a trace of nervousness.

This expression only appeared when he had made her angry in the past – like a pitiful little dog. Huo Chang’an like a little dog? Who would believe it if she said it? This kind of expression couldn’t possibly appear before her again. Wuyan smiled bitterly to herself – she was always overthinking. It was so with Lian Yue’s matter, with the kite incident, and now this.

“Lian Yue is pregnant. What do you say?”

He stared at her, bringing up the old topic again.

Wuyan’s heart clenched painfully, her jaw unconsciously clenching tight. Was he determined to humiliate her like this? She took a deep breath, suppressing all her anger and grief, and answered: “Congratulations. Congratulations on having your own heir, Huo Chang’an.”

The corners of his mouth suddenly lifted in a cold smile. His strong chest heaved rapidly, veins bulging on his forehead – clearly he too was suppressing enormous rage.

“If Li Huaisu, Murong Zhen, or Gu Shuangcheng also had Lian Yu’s children, would you congratulate him as well?”

Wuyan saw him advancing step by step, his eyes showing every trace of fierce light, his handsome face slightly twisted – as if her answer didn’t satisfy him, he would kill her on the spot, like he treated enemies on the battlefield.

She suddenly understood what he was thinking. He wanted her to be jealous, wanted her to question him like a madwoman!

He no longer loved her, but as Pingping had said, he still harbored the male obsession with conquest.

They had once loved each other deeply – why couldn’t he let her go for the sake of their past affection?

She wasn’t afraid of him killing her, but she was terrified that in his heart, nothing remained of their past. If this were the old days, she would have confronted him directly, telling him she was jealous of those women. But at this moment, she dared not, and was unwilling to deceive anymore. She only hoped to get along peacefully with him in their remaining time, even if he had children.

She slowly sat down on the floor, closing her eyes wearily. “I would be happy for Sixth Young Master. As for the others, never mind. If it were Huaisu, I would be happy for Huaisu. I don’t know what kind of answer you want to hear, but this is what I truly think.”

She wanted to tell him she was tired and beg him to let her go, but these words could never be spoken. From the moment she begged him to save her mother, she had been looked down upon by him. If she pleaded pitifully now, she would have nothing left.

“You speak of blessings with your mouth while feeling jealous in your heart. You swear to leave the palace forever and show favor to Lian Jie – are you seeing if he’ll keep you? Your feelings for him run so deep. But who would love someone who thinks so highly of herself?”

By her ear, he laughed coldly. Her heart twisted into knots, and suddenly her body felt light. She opened her eyes in bewilderment, meeting heavy mockery in his gaze as he carried her toward the bed.

Her heart filled with terror. At that moment, Pingping’s smiling voice came from outside: “Master, have you retired? I’ve brought sobering soup for you.”

Huo Chang’an, carrying her, walked to the door and kicked it open with one foot. “I said it wasn’t necessary. Close the door and get lost. Tonight no one is allowed to come disturb us.”

He had probably never used such a tone with Pingping before. Her face went deathly pale, her hands slipped, and the tray quickly fell to the threshold, creating a mess. She trembled all over, saying in a shaking voice: “Master, this servant didn’t mean to…”

“Close. The. Door.”

Huo Chang’an’s gaze was already cold as a blade. Pingping shot a resentful glance across Wuyan’s face, then with trembling hands, frightened, slammed the door shut from outside.

Inside the room, Huo Chang’an said nothing, carrying Wuyan with large strides to the bed and throwing her onto it, then began removing his clothes.

For friends following the author’s Weibo, you probably think I’ve been celebrating birthdays with people these past few days. Actually, these days there have been some matters with the story and my own affairs that have put some pressure on me, so I’ve been writing very slowly. Since resuming updates, though I can’t manage daily updates, I will make up all missed updates later. Sorry I couldn’t make up the previous days’ updates today, but I will gradually catch up, please believe me. Everyone, please don’t wait up at night for updates – just read during the day. I’ve always told everyone this, but out of love, you still wait at night, which makes me feel very guilty. The Huo-Wei emotional storyline was already somewhat difficult to handle and not easy to write. With pressure mounting these days, I’ve been writing even more slowly. Last night I wrote until very late and still couldn’t finish. Recently I really don’t know what time I’ll finish writing, so please don’t wait up at night. Also, readers who like this section are very fond of it, and some friends who prefer the main character scenes are also very understanding – I’m truly grateful for this. But inevitably I still receive harsh criticism from some readers who dislike this section. Yesterday a reader, out of care, asked me if the Huo-Wei scenes were too much, and with such heated debate now, were they afraid some readers might leave because of this? I said that looking back, everyone will find their storyline is just a drop in the ocean compared to the full text. This book’s story is still long – the setup portion has only just been completed so far, and what follows will all be intense scenes between the main characters. Because I’m writing slowly, this section seems long. I cherish every reader – fans turning to passersby turning to haters also makes my heart heavy. But if I tried to avoid friction by catering to everyone’s preferences, this book would have infinite possibilities and couldn’t develop at all. I hope everyone can understand. Thank you.