Chu Yu looked at Wang Lan’s forced smile, thinking she was disturbed by Shen You. She patted Wang Lan’s hand and said, “Don’t overthink it. If it’s not meant to be, it’s better not to dwell on it.”
Realizing Chu Yu had misunderstood, Wang Lan sighed in relief and went along with Yu’s assumption.
After chatting for a while, Wei Qingping returned to the carriage and looked at Wang Lan, saying, “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
The three of them conversed in the carriage to Bai Ling. Wang Lan’s heart was in suspense the entire time. Even after reaching Bai Ling and entering her residence, she couldn’t help but think about the marks she had seen on Chu Yu.
Whose marks were those?
Even someone as slow-witted as Wang Lan remembered Wei Xia’s words about Chu Yu and Wei Yun going to catch up on sleep in the morning.
She had been truly obtuse. If it had been someone as perceptive as Jiang Chun, they would have likely detected the issue right away.
Did Jiang Chun know about this?
Wang Lan couldn’t contain herself. The night she returned, she went to see Jiang Chun.
Jiang Chun had just finished reminiscing with Chu Yu when Wang Lan arrived. Jiang Chun smiled and said, “A Chun has come to see me too?”
Wang Lan stepped forward and exchanged pleasantries with Jiang Chun. After chatting for a while, Wang Lan dismissed the servants and said, “I came because I have something to discuss with Sister.”
Jiang Chun was drinking tea with her head lowered. Hearing Wang Lan’s words, she looked up in confusion and saw Wang Lan forcing a smile as she said, “It seems A Chu Yu has found someone she likes outside. Do you know about this, Sister?”
Jiang Chun paused, unsure of how much Wang Lan knew. She hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “How did you find out?”
Seeing Jiang Chun’s hesitation and evasiveness, Wang Lan decided to be direct. She took a deep breath and said, “Is it Xiao Qi?”
Jiang Chun didn’t speak. She put down her teacup and said calmly, “These matters are not for us to manage.”
“How… how can this be!” Wang Lan suddenly stood up. “An elder sister-in-law is like a mother. A Chu Yu raised him. This… this is simply outrageous!”
Jiang Chun remained silent. She fiddled with the tea leaves in her cup and slowly said, “A Chu Yu is only a year older than Xiao Qi. How could anyone have raised the other? They’ve simply supported each other. Don’t you know the situation in our Wei household? They’ve been through hardships together. If they’ve developed feelings, it’s a beautiful thing.”
“Did you know about this all along?” Wang Lan realized. Jiang Chun nodded, and Wang Lan looked shocked. “They’re breaking the rules, and you’re not even trying to stop them?!”
“A Lan, rules exist to make people’s lives better,” Jiang Chun calmly said. “Rules that make life better are called etiquette. Rules that make life worse are called dogma. One word’s difference, but worlds apart. If they haven’t wronged anyone or broken rules in others’ hearts, what’s the problem?”
“This is too absurd…” Wang Lan shook her head in disbelief. “They… you… you’ve all gone mad…”
Jiang Chun stood up and handed her a cup of hot tea. “Whether you understand or not, it’s ultimately not your concern. Keep it to yourself, don’t cause trouble, and mind your own business.”
Hearing this, Wang Lan was stunned. Shen You’s face suddenly flashed through her mind.
Who can control who they like?
She suddenly deflated. Standing before Jiang Chun, she let out a deep sigh and finally left.
Back in Bai Ling, under Liu Xueyang’s watchful eye, Chu Yu didn’t dare to be too unrestrained. That night, she told Wei Yun not to come over, thinking it better to exercise some restraint.
When Chu Yu went to bed that night, she found herself unable to sleep for some reason.
She kept feeling as if there was someone beside her, just a turn away. But when she turned and found no one there, not only was the space empty, but her heart felt empty too. She tossed and turned until midnight, unable to fall asleep.
Quite annoyed with herself and seeing that it was already late, she got up, put on an outer robe, and snuck into Wei Yun’s room.
When she arrived, Wei Yun’s room was still brightly lit. Not wanting to alert anyone, she quietly perched on a tree, planning to wait until Wei Yun extinguished the lights and the surrounding guards left before sneaking in.
However, Wei Yun seemed very busy and didn’t extinguish the lights. So she could only stay on the tree, watching Wei Yun kneeling at his desk, earnestly reviewing documents.
He was very focused when reading documents. The lamplight cast a warm glow on his noble face. Yu, lying on the tree trunk, watched the man’s calm and steady countenance, the contours outlined by the lamplight, and unknowingly began to feel drowsy.
She didn’t even know how it happened, but somehow, the high bed and soft pillows were no match for the cold tree trunk where she could watch this man, giving her more peace of mind.
Just watching him from afar could comfort her, and without realizing it, she closed her eyes.
Wei Yun finished reviewing the last document but still didn’t feel sleepy. He pressed his lips together, called Wei Xia over, and after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Madam’s room…”
“The lights were extinguished long ago.”
Wei Yun: “…”
He sighed, saying with some exasperation, “Little ungrateful one.”
But just as he finished speaking, a faint snoring sound came from the courtyard.
The sound was very soft, but for a skilled warrior like Wei Yun, it was extremely clear. Almost simultaneously, Wei Yun’s secret guards drew their swords, thrusting towards Yu!
Wei Yun hurriedly spoke, “Everyone, out!”
The moment they heard this, the secret guards immediately withdrew. Wei Xia smiled, glanced up at the tree, and led the servants out of the courtyard, stationing trusted men to guard it.
Suddenly, only Wei Yun was left in the courtyard. He walked to the window, supporting himself with one hand as he jumped over the windowsill, walked down the corridor, and came to the base of the tree. Although Chu Yu was sleeping hazily, she was still awakened by Wei Yun’s “Everyone, out.” She rubbed her eyes and sat up, only to see the young man standing beneath the tree, smiling up at her.
He tilted his head back, his cloud-patterned, moon-colored long robe falling to the ground, a white jade hairpin casually holding up his hair. His eyes, neither smiling nor not, held a hint of playfulness, looking at her as if she were a cat.
Chu Yu slowly came to her senses, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She had told him not to come find her during the day, and now here she was, secretly hiding to watch him.
“I just couldn’t sleep…” Chu Yu explained, a bit embarrassed. “I just came over to take a look, just to look.”
Wei Yun chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of huskiness, like a gemstone sliding across silk, melting one’s heart.
He didn’t say much, just extended his hand and said, “Come down, it’s cold.”
Chu Yu looked down at him, unable to suppress a smile. “What if I don’t come down?”
Seeing her being unreasonable, Wei Yun’s smile deepened. “If you don’t come down, then I’ll have to come up.”
Chu Yu looked at the tree trunk, thinking it could support her alone, but feared it might break if Wei Yun came up. So she said, “If I come down, you have to grant me a favor.”
“What favor?” Wei Yun smiled at her.
“Promise me one condition, I’ll tell you what later.”
“Alright,” Wei Yun agreed generously. Chu Yu was a bit surprised, “So generous?”
“I’ve already given you my whole self, what else couldn’t I give?”
Chu Yu was taken aback. Wei Yun’s words made her feel a bit shy, and she couldn’t tease him anymore.
Seeing her face turn red, Wei Yun knew she was embarrassed. He softened his voice and said again, “Come down, don’t let yourself get cold.”
This time, Chu Yu didn’t play coy. She dropped straight into his arms, and Wei Yun caught her steadily.
Wei Yun looked at the girl who had fallen into his arms. Moonlight fell on her face, which still bore a hint of flush. Her eyes held a mixture of smugness and mischief, looking lively and adorable, completely different from the calm and composed Madam Wei she was in public.
How do you know someone loves you?
It’s when they show their truest, most different selves in front of you.
Looking at Chu Yu like this, Wei Yun felt that this girl had not only fallen into his arms but also into his heart. He quietly gazed at her, unable to resist lowering his head to kiss her forehead.
Chu Yu was a bit stunned, then buried her face in his chest and asked, “Why are you kissing me?”
Wei Yun carried her slowly back to the room, his voice gentle: “Did you miss me?”
Chu Yu didn’t speak, and Wei Yun knew it was true.
He chuckled softly, laid her on the bed, then lay down himself and said softly, “I missed you too. Missed you so much I couldn’t sleep, so I could only get up in the middle of the night to review documents. I finished all the official business but still couldn’t sleep. Now that you’re here, I feel like I can fall asleep right away.”
Chu Yu responded with a small sound, indicating she had heard. Wei Yun moved closer, pulled her into his arms, and sighed, “Let’s not sleep separately anymore, alright? I’ll be very careful, what do you think?”
Chu Yu buried her face in his embrace, not saying anything. Wei Yun thought she still had reservations, so he said, “If Mother finds out, we’ll admit it. Whatever happens, happens. Okay?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu still didn’t speak. Wei Yun pulled her away slightly, sighed, and said, “A Yu, tell me what you’re thinking. Give me an answer. When you’re silent like this, I get scared.”
“I’m silent…” Chu Yu said a bit shyly, “Because I’m embarrassed, aren’t I?”
And so, the matter of sleeping separately was not mentioned again.
In the days that followed, Wei Yun began preparing for the attack on Qing Province, while Chu Yu started gathering medicinal materials.
There wasn’t much time left before the earthquake in Qing Province, so she wanted to prepare more disaster relief supplies. Wei Qingping helped her with this, assisting in preparing medicinal materials. Although she didn’t understand why Chu Yu was doing this, she never meddled in others’ affairs, so she simply helped with whatever Chu Yu asked her to do.
Apart from official business, Chu Yu spent her remaining time at home keeping Liu Xueyang company. Seeing Chu Yu so busy, Liu Xueyang felt reluctant to advise her, “A Yu, don’t exhaust yourself too much. If you wear yourself out, who will it benefit?”
Chu Yu smiled and agreed verbally, but continued doing what she had been doing.
Seeing Chu Yu looking haggard, Liu Xueyang felt distressed. She said to Gui Mama beside her, “I don’t understand why A Chu Yu is being so stubborn. Now it’s all about war matters, and Xiao Qi is there too. She should rest when she needs to. Why worry about so many things?”
“Madam is alone after all,” Gui Mama said casually as she massaged Liu Xueyang’s legs. “With nothing to care for in her heart, of course, she needs to find something to do.”
These words resonated with Liu Xueyang. She said worriedly, “That’s true. A Chu Yu is so stubborn and determined to remain faithful to A Jun. Her busyness is because of her inner sorrow. By the way, when we visited Magistrate Yan’s house before, wasn’t his son still unmarried?”
“That’s right,” Gui Mama smiled and said. “The Yan family is also renowned in Kun Province, a noble lineage of a hundred years. I’ve heard that the Yan family’s eldest son is both handsome and talented, elegant and graceful. In my opinion, Madam isn’t necessarily set on remaining single, it’s just that her standards are high, so it’s naturally difficult to find a suitable man. Although Master Gu had some conflicts with Madam if we find another excellent man, who knows?”
“You’re right,” Liu Xueyang held Gui Mama’s hand and thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s do this. Send an invitation card for me, saying that I’m inviting Madam Yan and Young Master Yan to our mansion for a gathering.”
Hearing this, Gui Mama agreed.
The next day, Madam Yan arrived at the Wei mansion with her eldest son, Yan Yunlang. As soon as they arrived, Liu Xueyang sent someone to summon Yu, asking her to come out and entertain the guests together.
Chu Yu didn’t think much of it and simply got dressed before heading out.
At this time, Wei Yun was discussing war strategies with his subordinates at the government office. Wei Xia rushed in and whispered in Wei Yun’s ear, “The Old Madam has invited Madam Yan and Young Master Yan to the mansion for tea, and has asked Madam to accompany them!”
Wei Yun’s expression changed slightly, his eyes turning cold. He straightened up, scanned the surroundings, and asked, “Who is Young Master Yan?”
“Do you mean Yan Yunlang, the son of Governor Yan?” Shen Wushuang quickly recalled someone. Wei Yun looked up at him, seeing Shen Wushuang’s solemn expression as he said, “The number one playboy of Kun Province, a legendary romantic. It’s said that he’s never failed to win over any woman he’s set his eyes on.”
Wei Yun’s face changed. He turned and walked away.
Shen Wushuang, not knowing what he had said wrong, asked in surprise, “Your Highness? Your Highness, where are you going?”
Wei Yun didn’t look back. He grabbed his coat, strode out of the room, and said coldly, “Going home.”
Shen Wushuang was stunned. He looked up at Qin Shiyue across from him.
This wasn’t going home at all!
This was going to confront an enemy!