Chapter 77

Sang Yao had hardly seen the Empress a few times, but she remembered the Empress as a kind and gentle person. With this in mind, Sang Yao realized that every time she saw the Empress, she seemed to be calm and not angry.

The Empress was said to be the birth mother of the Crown Prince. Why was he so happy when his mother was ill?

And what was the surprise? How did Lu Li know about it?

After Lu Li left, she turned her head to ask Xie Yun, “His Highness just mentioned my sister. What does he have to do with my sister?”

Xie Yun didn’t have much control over Lu Li, and except in a few cases, he wouldn’t interfere with Lu Li’s decisions. Sang Shu was not a simple woman, and he knew some of the interactions between her and the Crown Prince during this period, but he didn’t pay much attention to them.

The cooperation between these two could be expected, and it was complicated. He didn’t want Sang Yao to think about these things. So, instead of explaining to Sang Yao, Xie Yun just said, “Ignore him, your sister is fine.”

“Really?”

Xie Yun’s hand slid from Sang Yao’s shoulder to her wrist, then held it. He hmmed and said, “Let’s go back.”

Sang Yao was not really interested in these matters. Based on her reliance on Xie Yun, she didn’t ask much and followed him back to the room. Sang Yao was not very happy today.

She hadn’t seen him since early this morning, and he had been gone for so long today without sending a message through someone to her, leaving her waiting from morning till now.

What honeymoon? Only the first five days could barely be considered a honeymoon, and these two days he had been staying in the study.

But she thought about Xie Yun’s identity and tactfully suppressed this dissatisfaction.

Xie Yun held her hand, but didn’t talk to her much along the way. He didn’t even ask if she had eaten. This was actually the norm. The longer she spent with Xie Yun, the more she could feel that he was a man of few words.

The dissatisfaction resurfaced. Sang Yao complained silently in her heart. He spoke little, was not considerate, and not gentle. When she argued with him, she couldn’t win.

Xie Yun had been holding her wrist. As they walked, his hand slid down, and he held her hand, which was cold, with his warm hand.

Forget it.

Sang Yao silently pouted, thinking that since he held her hand tightly, she would forgive him. Xie Yun pushed open the door, and Sang Yao took the initiative to say, “Have you eaten? It’s been a long time since noon.”

Xie Yun hurriedly said, “I just had a meal at the palace.”

Xie Yun didn’t say anything else. He let go of her hand and walked straight to the long table, pulling out a piece of paper and starting to write with a pen.

It seemed he had no intention of talking to her.

Sang Yao walked to the desk and sat down by herself, staring at him for a while. Xie Yun remained focused, completely unaware of her gaze. Sang Yao took out a half-read booklet and started reading it.

The plot of the booklet was very clichéd.

It was about a concubine of an official who was carried into the mansion because of her beauty. The official lost interest after a few favors, and usually ignored the young woman. Later, the young woman became involved with the official’s son.

The son was very attentive to the young woman, caring for her in every way, and they spent every day together, living a happy life under the nose of the official.

The son was very good at coaxing people, saying sweet words every day, like calling her sweetheart, my love, and it doesn’t cost a thing.

The sweat dripped down.

Xie Yunke had never pampered her like this before.

Looking at his current appearance

She held her cheeks in her hands silent. She wondered, does this man still remember? He didn’t kiss her in the morning, nor at noon.

He came back and just sat down to write his letter.

Sang Yao didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

But her eyes were full of grievances.

Under her gaze, Xie Yun lowered his head and forcefully compressed the three hundred words he was originally going to write into fifty.

After finishing it quickly, he folded it up, opened the door, and handed it to Jing Lian.

When he returned, Sang Yao was still sitting on the round stool, not looking at him at all.

The girl’s face was clearly unhappy.

Xie Yun walked over to her, reached out and touched her chin, and said, “Are you angry?”

Sang Yao pursed her lips, saying she wouldn’t talk to him if she didn’t want to.

She was full of anger, stood up, and was about to walk to the side of the bed. However, as soon as she took a step, Xie Yun pulled her into his arms.

Xie Yun had never been one to explain himself, but he looked down at Sang Yao and said, “There was an urgent decree from the Emperor this morning. The letter had to be sent out by the end of the day. There’s still fifteen minutes left.”

He unprecedentedly coaxed her, saying, “Don’t be angry.” His way of coaxing was really clumsy.

Sang Yao pursed her lips, holding back for a moment before she couldn’t hold back any longer and made a reluctant sound.

She said, “I’m not angry.”

She thought for a moment and then said, “I wasn’t waiting for you. It’s just that next time if you have something to do, you should send someone to tell me, like today at noon, I didn’t know you wouldn’t be back for your meal.”

Xie Yun made a sound of agreement. He hugged her, thinking she was really clingy. Sang Yao then worried, “Won’t you be busier after your wedding leave is over?” Xie Yun pondered for a moment before saying, “Strictly speaking, yes.”

“How busy will you be?”

Xie Yun said, “I might not come back at noon.”

Sang Yao: “……”

She was silent for a while, then realized that Xie Yun’s cold face showed a hint of a smile.

He said, “Miss Sang, to prevent you from missing me too much, I will find a way to avoid this possibility.”

He was really confident.

Sang Yao subconsciously wanted to retort, but before the words came out, he hugged her waist and suddenly silenced her. Sang Yao was stunned for a moment, then reached out and hugged him.

The sunlight streamed through the latticed window, shining on the two of them. His kissing skills became more skilled, and Sang Yao couldn’t keep up with him. In no time, she lost her temper and leaned against Xie Yun.

Before this kiss could end, there was a knock on the door.

Sang Yao came back to her senses and quickly pushed Xie Yun away. Being interrupted suddenly, Xie Yun was obviously not happy either.

Jing Lian succinctly said from outside, “Young Master, there’s a message from the palace asking you to come in immediately.”

Sang Yao and Xie Yun distanced themselves a bit, and she said, “You should go quickly.”

Xie Yun pursed his lips. Sang Yao looked up at him and saw a bit of the lipstick from her lips on his lips. It didn’t match his unhappy face.

Her cheeks felt hot, so she stepped forward and used a handkerchief to wipe off the redness, then said, “You should go now.”

Xie Yun impatiently glanced at the door, then looked at Sang Yao. The girl’s lips were red, and her eyes were watery.

Xie Yun loosened his grip on her hand, then tightened it again. Before Jing Lian could speak again, he hurriedly lowered his head and fiercely pressed his lips against hers. Sang Yao was stunned for a moment, then reached out and hugged him.

Xie Yun kissed her fiercely, then reluctantly let go.

He left with a word, “We’ll continue tonight.”

Sang Yao replied with a sound, then her gaze returned to the corner of his lips. She frowned, raised her hand, and said, “Wait—”

Only when she was about to say it, Xie Yun let go of her and strode out of the room.

Jing Lian quickly followed Xie Yun, shrinking his shoulders, carefully explaining, “Young Master, it was Chief Eunuch Li who came to urge you personally. I didn’t…”

Xie Yun glanced at him, feeling annoyed, and said, “Shut up.”

Jing Lian stared at Xie Yun’s face, his pupils dilated involuntarily. He followed Xie Yun around a corner and said, “Master, you…” Xie Yun didn’t like him speaking and said coldly, “Are you deaf?”

As they were about to leave the mansion, Jing Lian gathered his courage and said, “Young Master, there is indeed something important I need to say.” Xie Yun slowed his pace, stared at him, and said in a deep voice, “This matter should be as important to you as your life.”

Jing Lian swallowed hard, lowered his head, and said, “Master, there’s still some lipstick from the Young Lady on your lips, not wiped clean.” The air fell silent for a moment.

Xie Yun was in a hurry and didn’t bring a handkerchief. He reached out and took the handkerchief handed to him by Jing Lian, wiping it off.

At first, Sang Yao thought that at the latest, Xie Yun would come back in the evening.

But as night fell, she had her meal alone, bathed, and went to the yard to play with Bai Bai for a while, but Xie Yun did not come back.

It wasn’t until the end of the third watch that a servant came to tell her that Xie Yun would not be coming back tonight.

The Empress Dowager was seriously ill and urgently needed a certain medicine. The Emperor ordered Xie Yun to go and fetch it personally, and he had to leave immediately.

The medicine was far outside the capital, and even with fast horses, Xie Yun wouldn’t be able to return until the day after tomorrow.

So, Sang Yao faced her first time alone in the empty room in seven days.

After Huai Meng took off Sang Yao’s hairpin, she saw in the mirror that the beautiful woman in the mirror was obviously lacking her usual vigor. Huai Meng comforted her, “Young Lady, the Young Master should be back the day after tomorrow. It won’t be long.”

Sang Yao was somewhat surprised.

The day after tomorrow, and it won’t be long?

She asked, “Did Xie Yun often do this before?”

Huai Meng agreed, saying, “The Young Master is decisive and prudent in his work. Every case he handles is resolved properly, so Elder Xie and the Emperor value him greatly.”

Moreover, Xie Yun himself is not interested in other things and sleeps late. The so-called cases are more like a game to him. When you were not here, the Young Master rarely returned to the bedroom.”

These days, the Young Master has postponed many things just to accompany you.”

Looking at herself in the mirror, Sang Yao realized that she couldn’t be happy.

She thought that when Xie Yun came back this time, his wedding leave would be over. He would definitely become busier. That was inevitable.

Before, Sang Yao thought that the most ideal life after marriage was for her husband not to love her, not to worry about food and clothing, and to let her find a place to live comfortably for the rest of her life.

So, if Xie Yun was busy, he would definitely not have time to accompany her. In a sense, this was closer to her ideal life.

But the more Sang Yao thought about it, the more unhappy she felt.

She had to admit that she actually wanted Xie Yun to accompany her.

Although Xie Yun always annoyed her, liked to argue with her, never said he liked her, was not a reliable and stable person, and was not the gentle person she imagined him to be.

But the fact was, Xie Yun had only been gone for one afternoon, and Sang Yao already felt like she had been waiting for a long time.

She vaguely felt like she had changed a bit. This didn’t feel quite right.

From the beginning, all their intimate encounters were just a “practice” without emotions. It was because of a series of coincidences that they ended up being close, and to fulfill the marital duties, they embarked on this strange plan. From kissing, to getting used to being naked together, to the spine-tingling tremors, the sequence seemed fine.

Her thoughts drifted back to the first day of their marriage.

Since intimacy could “progress gradually,” then why did she readily accept such passionate, entangled kisses?

Would she accept them if it were someone else?

---

Xie Yun went to Yanhe near the capital this time.

Yanhe had a trading post in the dark alleys, where all sorts of forbidden transactions had taken place over the years—rare treasures, precious herbs, various weapons, and even human trafficking, yet no evidence was ever left behind, and the local officials turned a blind eye. The court found it difficult to manage, so they didn’t send anyone to investigate directly to avoid alerting the culprits.

This time, Xie Yun claimed to be going to collect herbs, but in reality, he used this excuse to explore Yanhe. At this moment, a group of people walked through a grand market. The leader was a handsome young man dressed in a dark robe, with a distant look in his eyes. The Yanhe magistrate accompanied him, occasionally exchanging words, though the man rarely responded.

The path seemed endless, with glass display cases on both sides showcasing various treasures, herbs, and even oddly patterned snakes and frogs.

Xie Yun showed no interest whatsoever.

The Yanhe magistrate regarded Xie Yun’s arrival with great caution, having heard about his uncompromising nature. He said, “I apologize if our reception seems rushed.”

Xie Yun replied, “Magistrate Wu, you’re too polite.”

They walked briskly, with the magistrate sensing Xie Yun’s urgency. Indeed, Xie Yun was somewhat impatient.

The man with triangular eyes beside him kept chattering incessantly, something Xie Yun had never found irritating during previous assignments.

This honeymoon felt like a formality.

Today, he should have refused.

As they walked halfway, a clear blue light reflected on the white jade floor nearby, resembling the sky’s clarity.

The magistrate stopped and gestured confidently, “I heard that Mr. Xie recently got married. Congratulations.”

After several days, now they decided to congratulate him. Xie Yun nodded, “It has been eight days since my marriage.”

“Mr. Xie, this piece of blue crystal is called ‘Azure Sky.’ It’s the treasure of our store. I haven’t seen anyone in Yanhe who can match its beauty.”

“As pure as jade, as clear as ice. I’ve heard that Mrs. Xie is exceptionally beautiful. If she fancies this crystal, it would be its good fortune.”

Honestly, this crystal meant little to the Xie family, and Xie Yun didn’t find it particularly special. Having traveled extensively in his youth, he had no habit of bringing back souvenirs.

The magistrate noticed Xie Yun’s indifferent expression and thought dealing with officials from the capital was always difficult—they showed no interest in anything.

He continued, “There are also these…”

The magistrate’s words finally had some effect. They had walked halfway down the long corridor, and Xie Yun, who had initially

It’s just going through the motions. They came here to avoid suspicion and just look around.

But for some reason, he couldn’t help but notice things after that amethyst.

However, there wasn’t anything particularly special here. No treasures or jewels were lacking, and she didn’t seem to like these things much anyway.

Until they were about to leave, Xie Yun spotted a cute jade cat in a corner display case. It reminded him of the pink handkerchief.

Sang Yao had been sleeping alone for two days.

Yuzhi was afraid she’d get bored, so they came to the Broken Jade Pavilion together to pick out jewelry and take a stroll outside.

But there wasn’t much to see on this street, perhaps because they hadn’t left the mansion in the past few days. Sang Yao hadn’t seen Mingrong and Rong Yan for a long time.

Yuzhi was trying on hairpins, while Sang Yao stood bored in front of a rack of earrings, thinking it was about time Xie Yun came back.

But she didn’t want to ask anyone, so she just waited.

Then, in the next moment, Yuzhi said, “Huh? A Yun is back.”

Sang Yao snapped out of her daze. She asked, surprised, “How do you know, Second Sister-in-law?”

“He should be just back.”

The evening breeze brushed against the Western Gate, where Xie Yun usually left the palace. Sang Yao hurried over and indeed saw him.

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the night sky turned deep blue.

But he wasn’t alone. There were several officials Sang Yao didn’t recognize beside him, discussing something. Xie Yun occasionally replied.

With his remembered clear brows and eyes, he stood out wherever he went, like the moon surrounded by stars. He indeed resembled the high and unattainable moon.

This scene seemed familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen it before. She thought, perhaps it was because of her countless gazes before this, and he had always been like this, unchanging.

Sang Yao saw him and initially wanted to run over, but seeing the group of people around him, she hesitated.

But in the last moment before she withdrew her gaze, Xie Yun looked up and saw her.

Sang Yao saw him turn his head to say something to the person next to him, and then that person glanced at her before smiling and saying something back. Then Xie Yun walked towards her.

It felt like he was stepping on her heartbeat.

When Xie Yun was next to her, Sang Yao finally reacted. She asked, “When did you come back?”

Xie Yun replied, “Half an hour ago.”

Pausing for a moment, he explained to Sang Yao, “I had to go to the palace first, report, and then the Emperor ordered me to dine in the palace. I couldn’t decline.”

He glanced at Yuzhi and then clearly intended to ask Sang Yao, “Are you going back to the mansion?”

Xie Yun’s glance was highly suggestive, making it hard for Yuzhi not to understand. She said, “You go with A Yun first, Sang Yao. I’ll stay a bit longer.”

Sang Yao said, “Second Sister-in-law, you’ll be alone…”

Xie Yun interrupted her, “She won’t be alone. Don’t worry about her.” Yuzhi waved her hand and smiled, “Don’t worry about me.”

Sang Yao got on the carriage back to the mansion with Xie Yun. It wasn’t a long journey, and they sat opposite each other in silence. The silence lingered.

Sang Yao didn’t know why, but she felt somewhat awkward.

She actually had a lot to say. She had encountered many interesting things these two days and wanted to share them with Xie Yun. She also wanted to ask if he was tired these past few days and if he had rested well.

But suddenly, she couldn’t say anything. Not a word on the way back.

Once they got off the carriage, Xie Yun took Sang Yao’s wrist and led her back to the West Garden.

The room was illuminated by candlelight. Sang Yao closed the door, and as she turned around, Xie Yun handed her a piece of jade.

Sang Yao reached out to take it and, in silence, tentatively asked, “Is this for me?” Xie Yun grunted in agreement. After washing his hands, he was using a handkerchief to wipe off the water stains.

Sang Yao held the little cat in her hand as Xie Yun folded the handkerchief neatly and placed it aside.

As Sang Yao was about to speak, Xie Yun suddenly embraced her, pressing her against the wall and kissing her. His familiar scent overwhelmed her.

Sang Yao instinctively gripped the jade stone. After a moment of surprise, she opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

His kiss was still forceful, and Sang Yao’s lips began to ache. She didn’t even have the chance to respond. Since Xie Yun was much taller than her, he eventually found it inconvenient and lifted her legs, allowing her to wrap them around his waist.

Sang Yao wasn’t quite used to such eager kisses. She tried to turn her head away, but Xie Yun always held her chin, making it impossible for her to avoid him.

When Sang Yao’s head cleared a bit, she realized her outer garments had been torn off at some point.

Her snowy white skin was exposed, and her delicate shoulders were revealed. In this position, Xie Yun carried her towards the bed.

Sang Yao was thrown onto the soft beddings. She felt Xie Yun’s urgency and sensed some danger. In the gaps between kisses, she attempted to rescue her perilous clothing, stammering, “Wait, let’s… let’s bathe first.”

But Xie Yun obviously didn’t listen. He quickly undressed her skillfully, and Sang Yao couldn’t hold back her tears. She grabbed his arm, feeling uncomfortable all over, and couldn’t help but speak up in the chaos, asking him to be gentler.

The man’s kiss returned to her lips. He lifted her up and wiped away her tears with his rough thumb. His voice was low, slightly hoarse, and for the first time tonight, he said seriously in her ear:

“Miss Sang, have you missed me?”

Sang Yao didn’t answer.

Her eyes reddened, her black hair scattered, and her fair skin now had a few red marks. She avoided his gaze, tears still falling.

She looked pitiful.

She still tightly held the jade cat in her hand. They were in an extremely intimate position, and Sang Yao could clearly feel him. Xie Yun lowered his head, kissed away her tears, and then lifted her chin, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Sang Yao was still crying. She took the initiative to hug Xie Yun’s neck, her lips slightly red. Her voice sounded a bit aggrieved as she softly voiced her complaint.

“Why do you always call me that?”

“Aren’t we already married?”

Xie Yun didn’t immediately respond.

This scene overlapped with a recent afternoon. Under the intermingling sunlight, the girl slept defenselessly in his room, murmuring in front of him.

Xie Yun turned his head and kissed her earlobe. “What do you want me to call you?”

He whispered softly, “Sang Yao… or baby?”