Moreover, he wasn’t an unyielding stone that couldn’t be warmed. After three months of being together, Li Wanzhao felt that Wen Chen was different in front of her than he was in front of others. 

After all, they slept in the same bed, spent their days together, and were intimate with each other. 

Could he really remain unmoved? 

Now that things had come to this, Li Wanzhao really wanted to live her life with him. 

With a harsh stepmother and a father who was growing distant, she could only rely on him in this situation. 

She didn’t regret marrying him. Regret was useless. The most important thing was to live the days ahead well. 

She got up, hugged his waist, and burrowed into his arms. The biting coldness pierced her nose. He had just returned from outside and still carried some chill on him. 

Li Wanzhao hugged him even tighter, wanting to transfer the warmth from her body to him. 

Wen Chen’s body stiffened, but he didn’t push her away. 

He even reached out and patted her back, as a form of… comfort. 

He wanted to end this topic as soon as possible. 

To coax her quickly and end it soon. 

She suddenly said, “Chen Lang, are you confident about this county exam?” 

She was holding him very tightly, and the breath she exhaled while speaking seemed to penetrate his thin clothes and soak through his chest. 

She remembered that when they were studying at the school, his studies were excellent. At first, the teacher didn’t want tuition and wanted him to attend classes at the school. 

The teacher at the school thought he had the potential to be a tanhua (third place in the imperial exam), thinking that if he could teach someone who entered the Hanlin Academy, his life of teaching and educating people would not be in vain. Thinking like this, he hurriedly brought Wen Chen into the school. As for why it was tanhua and not zhuangyuan (first place)… it was still because he was good-looking. Historically, those who became tanhua were all graceful people. 

But even knowing this, Li Wanzhao was still not very relieved and wanted to ask him if he was confident. 

Wen Chen heard her ask this and said, “Why are you asking about this?” 

“If you can pass the children’s exam this time, maybe my father won’t be so angry with us.” 

Her father’s anger made her feel tormented, and her life was not easy. 

If Wen Chen could pass the exam and become a xiucai (a degree holder), maybe her father would change his opinion of him. 

Wen Chen understood Li Wanzhao’s meaning. 

His gaze shifted to the straight lattice window. Through the gaps, he could vaguely see the snowy scenery outside. Not knowing what he was thinking, his eyes became even deeper. 

Wen Chen didn’t comment on Li Wanzhao’s words. 

After a long time, he said, “Yes, perhaps.” 

As children, they always lacked a sense of security. When their parents ignored her, she became fearful and tried to do all kinds of good things to please them. 

But dislike was dislike. No matter how good she did, it was useless. 

Li Wanzhao didn’t say anything more. She hugged him, and sleepiness slowly came over her, and she fell asleep just like that. 

Wen Chen heard her long breathing, carried her to the bed, dutifully took off her shoes, socks, and outer garments, covered her with the quilt, and turned to leave. 

Wen Chen walked towards the study, and his servant immediately followed him in. 

“Your Highness, there is a message from the capital.” 

The servant’s name was Zhongji. He was a follower who had been with Wen Chen when he was still a prince in the capital. 

Before, because Wen Chen was just a poor scholar, Zhongji couldn’t appear as his servant, so he had been hiding in the dark. Later, after Wen Chen married into the Li family, things were different from before, so Zhongji used a method to sneak into the Li family’s servants and became the servant serving him. 

Zhongji lit the fire, and the study became bright. He heard Wen Chen ask, “What did my maternal grandfather say?” 

Wen Chen’s mother was the current empress, and his maternal grandfather was the current Duke. Only his maternal grandfather’s people knew his whereabouts when he went out this time. 

While knowing his whereabouts, they also protected and monitored him. 

The empress only had one son, the crown prince. If something happened to Wen Chen, the throne would inevitably fall into other hands. This was clearly not what the Duke’s mansion wanted to see. 

Zhongji replied, “The Duke said that he knows your marriage was a last resort, but please, avoid having children at all costs…” 

As a relative of the emperor, the Duke naturally hoped that the future crown princess would come from his family. Wen Chen marrying a wife outside was already something he was dissatisfied with, but thinking that things were different now, he didn’t say anything. However, he could not accept if a woman outside gave birth to the eldest grandson first. 

Wen Chen also knew what his maternal grandfather was thinking and couldn’t help but laugh. 

The laughter contained some undetectable coldness. 

He said to Zhongji, “Reply to my maternal grandfather that I know what I’m doing. This marriage was an accident, and marrying a wife was also a last resort. It doesn’t count.” 

“As for the matter of children, my maternal grandfather doesn’t need to worry.” 

This marriage was indeed a last resort for Wen Chen. 

As for the matter of children, he naturally wouldn’t leave trouble for himself without the Duke reminding him. 

At that poetry gathering, it wasn’t just Li Wanzhao who was drugged. In fact, Wen Chen was also drugged… 

He and Li Wanzhao could be said to have taken what they needed. 

Later, when the incident happened, he couldn’t get away unscathed. 

After sleeping together, he wanted to leave? Was that possible? 

Li Guan wouldn’t let him go easily. 

He didn’t believe that Li Wanzhao was drugged. If he said that he was drugged, Li Guan would be even less likely to believe it. 

In short, everything they did would be attributed to the word “fornication.” 

To preserve Li Wanzhao’s last bit of innocence, he had to marry her. That way, the gossip wouldn’t be too harsh. 

To avoid extra trouble, Wen Chen could only accept it. 

But he didn’t expect that Li Wanzhao would accept it even faster than him… 

After they got married in a hurry, she clearly regarded him as her husband. 

Thinking of living a good life with him. 

But in the future, he would return to the capital. Everything here, and the wife he married under the identity of Wen Chen, would naturally not count. 

To him, she was like Enwen Prefecture, which he would abandon without hesitation at any time. 

He didn’t like this place, didn’t like everything here… including her. 

A Son’s Status Depends on His Mother 

The next morning, when Li Wanzhao woke up, the space beside her was empty and had no warmth. 

Wen Chen was no longer by her side and should have gotten up and gone to the school. 

It was difficult to get out of bed in the cold weather. Li Wanzhao wanted to stay in bed for a while longer, but she didn’t expect that someone from Chen’s side would come to summon her. 

Li Wanzhao had a feeling that there would be no good news. They were probably thinking of ways to torment her after she took the pen back yesterday. 

It was just a pen, but none of them wanted the other to be happy. 

Li Wanzhao thought that this was Li Guan’s New Year’s gift to her, and it should have been hers. What was it doing at the Old Madam’s place? If it stayed there, it would probably fall into the hands of her younger brother. 

But she got the wolf hair brush back as she wished, and her stepmother and the others couldn’t be happy. 

Zhixia was serving her to get up and couldn’t help but complain, “This Chen is too narrow-minded. It was originally our thing, and we took it back. How did it become our fault? Going over there this time, I don’t know what methods they’re thinking of to humiliate people, and the master is still angry…” 

When she mentioned Li Guan, Zhixia’s voice gradually faded. 

They all knew that Li Guan was a stubborn person and couldn’t easily calm down. 

Li Wanzhao had already sat up. After changing her clothes, her black hair cascaded down her back like silk. Zhixia brought a comb to style her hair. 

Li Wanzhao’s face was reflected in the yellowed bronze mirror, with cherry lips, a delicate nose, and slightly furrowed brows. Her gaze was vaguely focused in front of her, without any focus. After a long time, she sighed and said, “I only hope that Chen Lang can pass the imperial examinations soon. We’ll slowly endure it. There’s always hope for the future.” 

The two went to Chen’s courtyard. 

Unexpectedly, besides Chen, her second aunt, Huang, was also there today. 

Li Guan was now serving as the prefect, and his younger brother, Li’s second master, was serving as an experience officer in the prefect’s yamen, usually assisting him. They were all family, and since Li Guan was successful, the Old Madam wanted him to fulfill his brotherly duty and take care of his brothers at home. 

Because of this relationship, Huang usually had more dealings with Chen. 

Building a good relationship with the eldest son’s wife was naturally beneficial to their second son. 

The two were sitting in the main room talking. When they saw Li Wanzhao arrive, they stopped talking at the same time. 

These two were together, not knowing what bad things they were planning. 

Chen was the first to laugh. Her expression looked kind, and she said to Li Wanzhao, “Chao jie’er is here. Come and sit down.” 

Li Wanzhao’s expression was normal, and she sat down in a seat to the side. 

Today, the wind and snow were heavy, and she brought a chill with her as soon as she entered the door. There was still some snow on her scarf. 

The cold wind poured into the room. Huang exclaimed twice and hurriedly said to the maid standing at the door, “Close the door quickly. It’s freezing.” 

The maid closed the door. 

Huang didn’t say anything more about the door. Her gaze fell on Li Wanzhao again. She said with a smile, “Chao jie’er is filial. Your mother called you, and you came. You’re very diligent.” 

Huang didn’t come from a high background and was a bit older than Chen. She didn’t maintain herself as well as Chen. When she spoke, she always unconsciously carried a bit of a worldly air. 

Li Wanzhao didn’t quite understand Huang’s words. She had always been on good terms with Chen, so what was she doing by praising her as soon as she came over? 

Hearing Huang praise her, she not only didn’t agree but instead looked up at her and said in a light voice, “Aunt is also diligent.” 

As if she wasn’t the one who came in the cold weather. 

Li Wanzhao’s words were nothing more than saying that Huang was also running around diligently and that she was also very filial to Chen. 

Huang had seen Li Wanzhao’s skillful mouth. She didn’t want to suffer any losses. 

She was clearly praising her, but she turned around and ridiculed others. 

She really had a sharp tongue and didn’t give an inch. 

Although Huang usually followed Chen and praised Chen, she was exposed by Li Wanzhao, so how could she feel good? But she couldn’t argue, and Chen was also petty. If she retorted now, she might feel uncomfortable when she came to her senses.