A love affair at the Poetry Gathering forced them together. 

　　Li Wanzhao stepped into the inner room under the moonlight, took off her outer garments, and lay down on the chaise lounge in the dark. Her personal maid, Zhixia, wanted to light the lamp, but she stopped her, “No need to light it, I’ll just lie down for a while.” 

　　With her stepmother in charge, Li Wanzhao’s life was not easy. Even though her father treated her well, he inevitably had times when he couldn’t look after her, especially after the incident at the Poetry Gathering. Li Guan was unwilling to pay attention to her anymore, and Chen 氏 (her stepmother) had an easier time manipulating things. 

　　The charcoal and lamp oil in Guining Courtyard were always a bit short. 

　　Usually, when there was no one in the courtyard, they wouldn’t light the fire. 

　　To save oil. 

　　Zhixia asked her, “The young master doesn’t know when he’ll be back. Does Miss want to have dinner first?” 

　　Li Wanzhao pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping her cold body, still holding the pen case in her hands. 

　　”No, I don’t have much of an appetite.” 

　　Zhixia knew she was upset after returning from the Old Madam’s place, so she didn’t try to persuade her further. She sighed and went outside, leaving her alone in the quiet. 

　　About half an hour later, Wen Chen finally returned from outside. 

　　When he returned, Li Wanzhao was still lying on the couch. 

　　There were no lights lit in the room. Wen Chen asked Zhixia outside, “Isn’t she inside?” 

　　”She’s back, lying on the couch inside resting.” 

　　Zhixia answered Wen Chen while getting up to light the lamp in the main room. 

　　The candlelight illuminated the room at once. 

　　Wen Chen’s face also became clear and bright. 

　　The man was tall and slender, wearing only a simple azure robe, with a thin cloak draped over it. The winter wind was biting, rushing in from outside, and his lips were inevitably frozen white. Despite this, he still had a jade-like appearance, dignified and outstanding, with a noble spirit. 

　　He was just too good-looking… so good-looking that it was unreal. 

　　It was as if he was a celestial being descended from the heavens. 

　　Even ordinary clothes looked like brocade and silk on him. 

　　He had a good appearance, and his character was also good. 

　　However, his family background was really not worthy of him. 

　　Alas, if his family were just a little better off. 

　　Zhixia sighed inwardly, not wanting to think any further, and instructed Wen Chen, “Miss went to the Old Madam’s place earlier and is in a bad mood. Please comfort her later.” 

　　Hearing Zhixia’s words, Wen Chen understood. 

　　In the three months they had been together, he had roughly figured out Li Wanzhao’s temperament. 

　　Every time Li Wanzhao went to deal with her stepmother and the Old Madam, she would be in a bad mood. 

　　And she was also someone who easily got angry, so every time she came back, she would be so angry that she couldn’t eat or sleep well. 

　　Wen Chen wouldn’t be arrogant about his status. He clearly knew his current situation. 

　　Nothing more than living under someone else’s roof. 

　　He couldn’t bear to watch her get herself killed by anger, so he stepped towards the inner room. 

　　He took out the fire starter and lit the candle in the room. 

　　The room lit up, and his gaze fell on the person lying on the chaise lounge. 

　　Li Wanzhao was facing the wall, with her back to the outside. 

　　The blanket covered her body, sliding over her waist, outlining a curve. Through the rise and fall of her breathing, Wen Chen could tell that she was not asleep. 

　　Li Wanzhao was lying on the couch, a breath stuck in her chest, how could she possibly fall asleep? Noticing the movement behind her, she turned around. 

　　She looked up at Wen Chen, her eyes seeming to be filled with mist. 

　　”Chen Lang, you’re back.” 

　　He didn’t like this place, didn’t like this… 

　　Wen Chen was stunned when he saw her watery eyes. 

　　He didn’t really understand what Li Wanzhao was trying to gain. 

　　She wasn’t very tolerant, but she had to fight those people to the death. Whether she won or lost, she would be angry over and over again, not knowing who she was angry with. 

　t know what was wrong this time, but tears were coming out. 

　　Her tearful eyes were like sparkling water in the candlelight, staring straight at him. 

　　That “Chen Lang” in her mouth was mournful and touching, as if it was hitting his ear. 

　　At first, they weren’t very familiar, and she wouldn’t tell him when she was angry. 

　　Until one day, he asked her, and she poured out her grievances to him like beans… 

　　Since then, whenever she felt wronged, she would always complain to him. 

　　Wen Chen’s ears were about to get calluses from hearing all the complaints. 

　　At first, he would be annoyed. 

　　But later, he got used to it. 

　　Wen Chen couldn’t avoid it, sighed, and walked towards her. 

　　He sat on the edge of the couch, his wife’s tearful eyes were closer. 

　　He asked, “What’s wrong again?” 

　　What’s wrong again. 

　　If Li Wanzhao looked into it carefully, she could taste the hint of impatience in Wen Chen’s words. 

　　However, his words were too clear and plain, and Li Wanzhao didn’t notice anything wrong. 

　　Li Wanzhao gave the pen case in her hand to Wen Chen. 

　　Wen Chen didn’t expect that she was still carrying such a thing in her arms, and reached out to take it. 

　　The pen case was taken out of her arms, still carrying a burning heat. 

　　The temperature of the pen case was transmitted through his fingertips, and Wen Chen seemed to feel the heat from her body. 

　　They slept in the same bed, and his nose was filled with her scent. 

　　As a result, when he touched the object she took out of her arms, he couldn’t help but think of those scents. 

　　He didn’t quite understand what Li Wanzhao was doing by giving him this, and unconsciously stroked the pen case with his fingertips, asking, “This is?” 

　　In fact, Wen Chen didn’t look like someone from a poor place at all. His demeanor and appearance didn’t look like it. Instead, he looked like a child from a wealthy family. 

　　Li Wanzhao had asked about his background, and Wen Chen only said that his “ancestors were rich” but had later declined. 

　　Ancestors were rich… 

　　Li Wanzhao thought that if his ancestors were really rich, with his physique, his ancestors must have been princes and nobles. 

　　His fingers were also unrealistically beautiful, with long fingers, distinct knuckles, and fingertips like transparent white jade, not at all like the hands of a poor person. 

　　Li Wanzhao liked them very much. 

　　Her gaze fell on his beautiful hands, and she answered his question, “This pen was given to me by my father.” 

　　Li Guan gave it to her? 

　　Wen Chen thought of Li Guan. 

　　An old antique. 

　　Rigid and rule-abiding. 

　　Since the incident of their affair, Li Guan had forced them to complete the marriage and had never paid attention to Li Wanzhao again. 

　　Even during the New Year’s holiday a while ago, he avoided her. 

　　How could he suddenly send her something? 

　　Seeing that Wen Chen didn’t speak, Li Wanzhao explained, “My father always gives me something every New Year. This year, I thought he wouldn’t give it to me because he was angry with me, but later I heard Uncle Man say that he put the thing at the Old Madam’s place and asked her to pass it on… but she kept it.” 

　　Uncle Man was an old servant by Li Guan’s side, named Li Man. 

　　Speaking of this, she propped herself up and got up, her gaze also falling from his hands to his face. 

　　She looked at him and said, “This pen is very good. Uncle Man said that my father looked for it for a long time, probably for me to practice writing, but I’m not in school anymore, and I don’t like to write anymore. You can take it and use it. In February, you’ll have the county exam, and it’ll be useful.” 

　　Wen Chen opened the pen case and looked at the wolf hair brush inside. 

　　He was silent, not speaking. 

　　Li Wanzhao knew that he didn’t talk much and was used to his occasional silence. 

　　She looked at his face, but couldn’t help but recall the affair at the Poetry Gathering that they were caught in… 

　　That time, she was drugged and couldn’t remember what happened. She only remembered that after waking up, they were lying on a bed, disheveled. 

　　She recognized that he was also a student in the school. 

　　Later, Li Wanshu brought people into the room, and everyone’s eyes were like needles piercing them. 

　　Disgust, aversion, contempt… 

　　She could no longer raise her head. 

　　Then Li Guan rushed over. 

　　He looked at her, utterly disappointed. 

　　Li Wanzhao was most afraid of seeing her father’s expression. Her father dismissed everyone, and only she and Wen Chen were in the room. 

　　She panicked and wanted to explain, but her father didn’t give her a chance to speak at all. A slap landed on her face, causing her ears to ring. 

　　She cried and said that she had been drugged. 

　　Her father didn’t speak and punched Wen Chen. 

　　Wen Chen didn’t speak, letting him do it, from beginning to end, like a wooden man, as if he wasn’t the one who did that thing on the bed just now. 

　　Like a bastard who doesn’t recognize people after getting laid. 

　　Wen Chen’s appearance made Li Guan even more angry. 

　　He couldn’t wait to beat him to death on the spot. 

　　But there was no way. Things had reached this point. Their affair had been seen by so many people. Li Wanzhao’s reputation was ruined. Even if he could block the news and prevent it from spreading, the people who came to the Poetry Gathering today were all noble daughters of Enwen Prefecture. Wouldn’t they go home and tell their families about this? 

　　No good family would marry a woman like her. 

　　In the end, Li Guan decided to marry them. 

　　Li Wanzhao thought that after she and Wen Chen got married, her father wouldn’t be angry with her anymore. 

　　But obviously, she thought too much. 

　　Li Guan solved this matter for her, but he was no longer willing to speak to her. 

　　Her father didn’t want to pay attention to her anymore. 

　　She had no one now, only that taciturn husband. 

　　Wen Chen was a very quiet person. From the incident to Li Guan arranging for him to marry into the Li family, he hadn’t said a few words from beginning to end. 

　　Li Wanzhao found that although he didn’t talk much, he was still okay as a person. Not to mention his dignified appearance, his character was also upright. 

　　Except for his poor family and few words, he was pretty good in every way.