The little girl was startled, nodded while holding the fruit in her hand.

That meant the Young Madam had seen her appearance?

Concubine Huang and Chang Chunlan’s faces filled with alarm.

“This is terrible. You should leave quickly,” Concubine Huang said. “The marquis listens to the Young Madam most of all. If he finds out she was frightened, or if she says something, you’ll never be allowed through the gates of Marquis Dingxi’s manor again in your lifetime…”

Chang Chunlan’s face filled with fear. The little girl suddenly reached out and tugged at her sleeve.

“Mama, that lady wasn’t afraid of me…” she said. “She even looked at my face…”

Because of her mouth and nose condition, her speech was breathy and unclear, but Concubine Huang and Chang Chunlan heard this sentence clearly, their expressions becoming even more troubled.

“Also, she personally fed me this…” Yan’er held up the fruit to show Chang Chunlan. “I said it was delicious, so she gave me so many…”

This they had witnessed themselves. Yan’er was timid and would never dare ask people for things, so someone must have offered voluntarily.

Could this Young Madam be…

“Oh right, this Young Madam is a divine physician,” Concubine Huang suddenly realized. “She dares to cut open people’s bellies—naturally she wouldn’t be afraid of Yan’er’s condition.”

So that was it. Chang Chunlan sighed with relief, looking down at her happily eating daughter, her feelings complex.

“Yan’er, how did the Young Madam… treat you?” she couldn’t help asking.

“The lady held me on her lap… asked how old I was and what my name was… what I liked… and fed me fruit…” the little girl immediately said happily, her eyes bright. Clearly this had been a pleasant experience for her. She spoke quickly, becoming even more unclear.

In all her years, apart from herself, no one had been willing to actively hold the child. Even her husband, who could tolerate their daughter, wouldn’t do so. No one dared look at Yan’er’s face and still speak so calmly, or rather, no one was willing to look at Yan’er’s face—even she herself didn’t dare look…

Chang Chunlan looked at her daughter’s unprecedented happy expression and sighed with a heavy heart.

“Mother, what kind of person do you think this Young Madam is?” she asked in a low voice.

Concubine Huang sighed.

“I can’t see through her,” she murmured. “I’ve never met someone like this…”

When Chang Yuncheng returned, it wasn’t too late. Upon entering, he first looked toward Qi Yue’s side and saw the woman sitting at her desk. His heart unconsciously relaxed—good, she hadn’t run off again.

“You’re back?” Qi Yue naturally heard the maids’ reports and leaned out sideways to greet him with a tilted head.

Seeing this woman’s smiling face as she leaned slightly out from the inner room, Chang Yuncheng felt very comfortable.

“How improper,” he said with a stern face, taking off his cloak. “I’ve returned and you’re still sitting there.”

Qi Yue made an “oh” sound, biting her brush.

“Oh, so if I’m not sitting, should I be lying down?” she said casually.

Chang Yuncheng tossed his cloak to a maid and stepped forward. Hearing her words, he froze momentarily.

Lying down…

He couldn’t help but shiver slightly, seeing before his eyes the image of this woman lying on the bed, smiling slightly at him…

The alcohol that hadn’t yet dissipated instantly sparked a flame in his eyes.

Bright lamplight, warm brazier fire, thick drawn curtains and bed hangings, plus the woman sitting quietly over there—truly a peaceful and warm evening.

Qi Yue didn’t like being served, so there were originally no maids in the room. Chang Yuncheng waved his hand, and the two maids attending him quickly withdrew.

Qi Yue had spoken casually and forgotten about it, seriously sketching various floor plans, when suddenly she felt heat behind her—someone had sat down behind her.

Qi Yue jumped in fright.

“What are you doing?” She immediately stood to avoid him, simultaneously smelling the faint alcohol on Chang Yuncheng. “You’ve been drinking?”

“Obviously,” Chang Yuncheng said curtly, reaching out to press down on Qi Yue’s shoulders.

The woman who had stood up immediately sat back down.

“Chang Yuncheng, three strikes and you’re out—weigh this carefully in your mind,” Qi Yue simply stopped trying to hide, sitting up straight and speaking sternly.

The scent emanating from the man was all too clear…

“Weigh what? Can weighing make babies!” Chang Yuncheng growled in a low voice, unceremoniously reaching out to pull this woman into his embrace.

What was this bastard thinking! Sperm had gone to his brain! Looking so proper with his stern face all day, what was really in his head!

“You shameless man, what babies!” Qi Yue shouted angrily, raising her hand to struggle. She still held her brush, which jabbed into Chang Yuncheng’s face with this movement.

She was still using a brush made from trimmed goose feathers, which immediately left a mark on Chang Yuncheng’s face. Though it didn’t draw blood, it left a white mark.

“You wicked woman!” Chang Yuncheng leaned back and shouted.

Qi Yue was also startled and quickly reached out to turn his face and examine it.

“I didn’t poke your eye—what are you shouting about!” She sighed with relief.

Seeing that she had immediately reached out to check on him, Chang Yuncheng’s sullen mood disappeared and his heart itched as he again reached out to hold her.

“Chang Yuncheng, I’m telling you, if you treat me like this again, I’ll move out right now,” Qi Yue said sternly, letting him hold her without struggling or moving.

This wicked woman always dared to say and do anything. If she moved out in the middle of the night, the whole manor would know by dawn!

“If you can take one step out of this room, I’ll take your surname,” Chang Yuncheng said angrily, his arms tightly binding her to him.

“Chang Yuncheng, you’re doing this again!” Qi Yue trembled with anger, raising her hand to grab his ear. “Are you even a man! What do you take me for? A plaything to vent on?”

“You crazy woman, why is your mind always unclear! What do you think I take you for! You’re my woman, my wife,” Chang Yuncheng hadn’t expected this woman to be so savage. His ear hurt from being pulled as he tilted his head to shake free, speaking in a hoarse voice. “You’re the wife who will bear my children—that’s why I’m like this! If I weren’t like this, how would we have children!”

These crude, blunt words crashed into Qi Yue’s ears. She couldn’t help but freeze—damn it, how was it that she seemed to hear some tenderness in these words…

“Now you want to have children, but before you treated me like that…” She spat and shouted.

“Don’t bring up the past with me again. I didn’t want to before, but now I do—isn’t that allowed?” Chang Yuncheng was also agitated, spitting as he spoke.

“Why didn’t you want to before but want to now!” Qi Yue also said urgently.

“How should I know!” Chang Yuncheng said angrily. “Not wanting means not wanting, wanting means wanting—why so many whys!”

Their conversation seemed a bit strange…

Qi Yue opened her mouth.

“You, you’re like grass on the wall! Sometimes wanting, sometimes not wanting. Now you want to, but what if you regret it later? Will you tell me to get lost again?” she said angrily.

“Am I that kind of person? You really underestimate me!” Chang Yuncheng shouted, feeling refreshed after all this shouting back and forth. Looking at this woman before him with her flushed face and wide eyes, like an enraged little beast, his dissipated desire rose again. He reached out to push Qi Yue toward the bed. “You woman just talk too much—let’s get to business…”

Get to your sister’s business!

When did this kind of thing become business!

“You dare! Now it’s not about whether you want to or not—I don’t want to! If you dare force me again, I’ll die to show you!” Qi Yue shouted.

Chang Yuncheng’s movements stopped.

“What did you say?” he asked, as if hearing something very strange.

“I said I don’t want to have children with you right now,” Qi Yue said through gritted teeth.

“What could a woman possibly want or not want?” Chang Yuncheng indeed heard something strange and frowned.

Qi Yue choked and stared at him.

This man… his mind really wasn’t normal!

“Always talking nonsense…” Chang Yuncheng muttered again, deciding to temporarily ignore these boring matters and continued reaching out to pull at this woman…

The room was so warm—why was this wicked woman wearing so much…

Qi Yue came to her senses and raised her hand to slap him repeatedly.

“Lunatic! Now I don’t like you—do you understand? I don’t want to sleep with you!” she shouted.

This woman was so noisy!

“Then when will you want to sleep with me!” Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath, stopped his hands, and asked.

This question could choke someone to death. Qi Yue stared at him.

“When I want to,” she said through gritted teeth. “I don’t know when I’ll want to either. All I know is I don’t want to now! You bastard, get away!”

Chang Yuncheng stared at her.

After all this commotion, the alcohol had worn off and desire had faded. Chang Yuncheng released her, sighed, and sat on the bed.

“Pour me tea,” he said.

Qi Yue angrily stepped away, adjusting her clothes and spitting.

Chang Yuncheng sat sullenly for a moment, then had to do it himself.

Thinking about what had just happened, then looking at Chang Yuncheng now sitting calmly, Qi Yue felt awkward.

If this were modern times, she would have called the police long ago, or never spoken to this man again. But strangely, why could she still stand here calmly as if nothing had happened?

Oh right, perhaps it was because their relationship was husband and wife. Although souls had changed, no one knew that. In everyone’s eyes, they were husband and wife…

Husband and wife…

“Chang Yuncheng,” she called after hesitating for a moment.

Chang Yuncheng drank his tea and ignored her.

“Do you… really not want to divorce me anymore?” Qi Yue asked through gritted teeth.

“I’ve said I don’t want to divorce you,” Chang Yuncheng put down his teacup and said irritably. “Since we’ve already completed the ceremony, how can there be any reason to go back on it…”

“But you clearly don’t like me,” Qi Yue frowned.

“What does not liking have to do with not divorcing one’s wife?” Chang Yuncheng also frowned.

Right, Qi Yue suddenly understood. Not to mention ancient times—even in her parents’ generation, couples might not like each other but could still live together for a lifetime.

If you liked someone, you’d treat them better. If you didn’t like them, you’d just ignore them. You could still find someone you liked without moral constraints about bigamy or keeping mistresses.

“You’re thinking about this wrong,” Qi Yue hesitated, then decided to educate him. “You should only be together if you like each other. If you don’t like each other, there’s no need to force yourselves to be together…”

Chang Yuncheng looked at her with an expression that said he was looking at an idiot.

Qi Yue was annoyed by his look and slapped the table.

“Anyway, that’s how I think. Whether you understand or not, I don’t care, but don’t you dare force me again. Even if we’re to be husband and wife, it has to wait until I like you…” she said.

Although her words were still strange, at least this time she didn’t shout about separation and such. Chang Yuncheng drained his tea in one gulp.

“Too much talking. I’m going to sleep first,” he said, standing up and walking away.

Qi Yue was left standing there, somewhat dazed.

What had they been talking about that the conversation just ended abruptly?

What had just happened?

Had she said something she shouldn’t have?

Being husband and wife…

Good heavens, how could she… how could she…

Could she really try it…

Qi Yue turned to look at the bedroom across from her. Since when had the door there never been closed again, so she could see inside at a glance.

Inside, the man was taking off his outer clothes, revealing his muscular back.

This exhibitionist! Qi Yue’s face turned red as she quickly looked away, hurrying over to lower the curtain.