Chapter 48

Su Ci didn’t have time to respond.

Yang Yanzong abruptly turned and walked away.

Seeing her bewildered expression, completely unaware of what he was talking about, Yang Yanzong felt a surge of anger. But catching sight of the guards in the courtyard and his trusted subordinates waiting outside his study, he forced himself to calm down and walked away. He strode into the corridor, kicked open the study door, and threw his whip onto the desk, his suppressed anger only growing stronger. He couldn’t understand why she was always so different, so unconventional. On the surface, she complied and seemed agreeable, but deep down, she was the most rebellious and independent-minded person.

A woman in status, but with a girl’s mindset, marriage seemed to make no difference to her.

He even suspected that if something happened to him, she would quickly remarry if needed, and her life would be just as happy as it was now. He couldn’t think about it too deeply. The more he thought about it, the more it made his sides ache, and his lungs feel like they were about to explode.

Yang Yanzong kicked the leg of the desk, causing a loud thud. The heavy nanmu desk was kicked half a meter from its original position, and the pen holder and several medical books fell to the floor.

After being married for several months, Su Ci often came and went, leaving many traces of herself in the study—medical books, cushions, doodle papers, and various other things—scattered all over his desk and around the room.

Seeing this made Yang Yanzong feel stifled. He turned and left the side room where the desk was located, sitting in the main hall, and coldly said, “Come in.”

The subordinates waiting outside: “…”

He seemed to be in a good mood before entering the gate. What happened? Is the old lady too difficult to deal with?

The reason was unknown to outsiders, but under the cold atmosphere enveloped the entire day, everyone spoke quickly and worked efficiently, completing two days’ worth of tasks in one day. It wasn’t until late at night, after handling all the accumulated urgent matters, that Yang Yanzong finally put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

By this time, Su Ci had already gone to bed.

There was no other way; it was almost midnight. Earlier, she had sent A Zheng to ask, and Yang Yanzong was still busy. She sensed that he seemed a bit angry for some reason. She was puzzled but planned to cheer him up.

Men’s hearts are like needles at the bottom of the sea. However, for a harmonious life, a sweet mouth and some coaxing are necessary. Everyone benefits from it.

But Su Ci’s plan to cheer him up didn’t come to fruition. A Zheng said Yang Yanzong was busy, so she waited half an hour and saw he hadn’t returned to the room. She went to check on him herself and found he was indeed busy, with people constantly coming in and out of the study.

Since he was busy with important matters, Su Ci didn’t want to disturb him. It’s not very dignified for a wife to interrupt her husband’s work time. So, Su Ci happily decided to go to sleep and deal with things tomorrow.

After a long journey, she was quite tired and didn’t see the need to stay up late. She didn’t have as much energy as Yang Yanzong. Before the hour of the pig (9-11 PM), she was already struggling to keep her eyes open.

Su Ci fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, sleeping soundly until dawn. She didn’t know when Yang Yanzong returned, and she woke up to find he had already left.

She thought about it and decided that since the matter with Mrs. Yan was resolved, she didn’t need to stay home all day. So she happily got ready and went to work. She didn’t think Yang Yanzong’s issue was a big deal and planned to ask him when he had time to come home. It was said that things were busy outside, with the silver sinking incident causing a massive uproar in the court. Then, she waited until Mrs. Yan fell ill.

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Su Ci received a message from her family and hurried back to the Yang residence. As soon as she entered the back courtyard, she smelled the strong, bitter scent of medicinal soup.

This time, Mrs. Yan wasn’t pretending; she was really sick. That day, she had hurriedly called for a doctor and revived Concubine Yan. The Sixth Prince’s residence had directly packed up Concubine Yan’s personal belongings and thrown them at the Yang family’s gate. The person who came was the Sixth Princess’s maid, who threw the items at the gate, infuriating Mrs. Yan. After two days of nursing Concubine Yan, Mrs. Yan personally took her to the southern suburban estate to recuperate and returned a day later, only to fall ill herself.

Mrs. Yan was first shocked and then frightened by Yang Yanzong. Although she suppressed her fear at the time, it still affected her. Hearing the confirmed news that the Sixth Prince had executed the heir and that he had pleaded guilty in court, Concubine Yan fainted several times from crying. Mrs. Yan was also heartbroken. Regardless of her personality, her sisterly bond with Concubine Yan was genuine. The shock, sorrow, and anxiety took a toll on her, and she even quarreled with Yang Chongying several times over Concubine Yan. When she returned, she fell ill.

Mrs. Yan lay in bed, her head wrapped in a medicinal cloth, her face pale with a flush. Thinking of her unfortunate sister, she still shed tears. Yang Yanzong had ordered that her sister couldn’t stay at home to recuperate, so she hadn’t slept all night, and thinking of Concubine Yan made her heart ache.

A maid brought in freshly brewed medicine, and Su Ci quickly took it. The maid helped Mrs. Yan sit up, and the new maid, a bit flustered, found a cushion to place behind Mrs. Yan.

Su Ci stirred the medicine with a spoon, let it cool for a while, and then brought a spoonful to Mrs. Yan’s mouth.

Mrs. Yan reluctantly drank it, frowning. She didn’t look well and didn’t want to see someone she disliked when she was unwell. Seeing Su Ci made her feel even more blocked, and Su Ci wasn’t very good at feeding medicine. After one sip, Mrs. Yan said, “I don’t need you. Miss Su, go out. Don’t stand in front of me.”

Alright, whatever you say, Su Ci thought. She wasn’t particularly fond of taking care of people or feeding them medicine anyway.

Su Ci raised her eyebrows, handed the bowl of medicine to the maid, and left the room.

Mrs. Yan was indeed seriously ill this time. Before noon, Yang Yanzong rushed back on horseback. As soon as he entered and saw his mother in this state, he frowned and sighed. He quickly took the medicine bowl and fed Mrs. Yan the remaining half bowl, spoonful by spoonful.

“Mother, are you feeling any better?” Yang Yanzong handed the bowl to Yang Yanzhen behind him, leaned in to support Mrs. Yan, and removed the cushion, intending to help her lie down. But Mrs. Yan waved her hand, preferring to sit up as lying down was more uncomfortable.

The three brothers sat and stood by the bed, comforting Mrs. Yan gently after she took the medicine.

Mrs. Yan forced a smile, “Mother is fine, just a bit tired these past few days.”

“Then you should rest well.”

Yang Yanzong nodded. He didn’t relent on allowing Concubine Yan to stay in the house but said gently, “Once you feel better, you can visit Aunt. The estate by the mountain and lake is a good place for recuperation.” He didn’t care much for Concubine Yan, but he cared for his mother, so he made sure the estate where Concubine Yan was staying was quite nice.

Mrs. Yan forced another smile.

“With more people in the house, there are more things to do. Get well soon so you can be busy again.” The three Yang brothers knew what their mother liked, so Yang Yanzong said this. After he finished speaking, Yang Yanzhen looked around, “Hey, where’s Father?”

He had seen his sister-in-law outside but not his father. Had he gone out?

The maid quickly answered, “Master came to see her this morning and just left.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Yan immediately perked up, though she looked a bit gritted her teeth, pounding her chest, “Don’t mention your father! That old rascal!!” She was furious. After last year’s incident, she finally managed to get rid of all the concubines in the house. But now, with the maids returning, Yang Chongying had taken two of them into his room, and this happened while Mrs. Yan was worried about Concubine Yan.

She was heartbroken, taking care of her frightened and sorrowful sister. She wanted to discuss with Yang Chongying about letting Concubine Yan stay at home, but she didn’t dare to talk to her eldest son. She thought of asking Father Yang to ask Yang Yanzong indirectly, but as soon as she mentioned it, Yang Chongying scolded her harshly.

She was both angry and upset. The next day, she took her sister to the estate and stayed for a day before returning home. The house was finally quiet, but she hadn’t even had time to feel sad when she learned that a few days ago, Yang Chongying had taken two of the most beautiful maids from his courtyard into his room and had them serve in his study.

A few days ago, Yang Chongying had sent a servant to inform her, but the maid didn’t dare to say anything. After a few days, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and finally told her.

Mrs. Yan was furious. Those two maids had taken advantage of the situation in just a few days!

Her chest pain was mostly due to this. She grabbed her son’s hand and cried, “I’ve been feeling terrible these days, but your father is having a great time, letting those two little wretches anger me. Doesn’t he think about who is managing all the affairs in this house? He, he, he’s driving me crazy!!”

Complaining to her son about her husband’s affairs was somewhat inappropriate. Yang Yanxin and Yang Yanzhen frowned upon hearing this and exchanged glances, but their mother’s pale and tearful face won out their symphaty, and they remained silent.

Yang Yanzong also frowned. Yan Shi noticed this out of the corner of her eye and hesitated but continued to cry and complain for a while.

Yang Yanzong listened silently, “Alright, Mother, I’ll talk to Father.”

“Rest well, and don’t worry.”

Mrs. Yan was satisfied, finally felt better, and didn’t complain about lying down anymore. Yang Yanzong helped her lie down, tucked her in, and instructed the maids to take good care of her.

Leaving the inner room, Yang Yanzong rubbed his temples, sent his two brothers off on errands, and then headed to Yang Chongying’s west courtyard.

Entering the room, father and son sat down, and a young maid served tea. Yang Yanzong glanced at her and said to his father, “Father, Mother is ill and quite tired, but it’s mostly a matter of the heart. The doctor said that soothing her liver and relieving her stress is essential. If you have time, please try to comfort her.”

Yang Yanzong didn’t mention the concubines, only subtly suggesting that his father should pay attention to his mother’s emotions.

This was quite different from what Mrs. Yan had imagined. But Yang Yanzong’s words weren’t wasted. Though subtle and concise, they conveyed the message. Everyone knew why Mrs. Yan was troubled.

Yang Chongying never expected Mrs. Yan to be so shameless, talking about these things with their grown, married son and even asking him to intervene.

Yang Chongying was furious.

After mentioning it, Yang Yanzong didn’t bring it up again. Father and son talked about various matters, and Yang Yanzong inquired about his father’s well-being. He didn’t stay long and soon took his leave.

After Yang Yanzong left, Yang Chongying was still angry. Mrs. Yan, that foolish woman! She really infuriated him!!

He would have regretted marrying her if it weren’t for her giving him a good son. But then again, having such a good son, who made him proud and brought honor to the Yang family, made all her flaws tolerable. So, after a bout of anger, Yang Chongying finally calmed down and went to the main courtyard.

While some can hold their anger, others cannot.

After leaving the west courtyard, Yang Yanzong stood for a moment. The sun was bright and somewhat glaring. After handling these matters, he thought of Su Ci and headed back to the main courtyard. But as soon as he stepped into the main courtyard and saw Su Ci, his anger flared up uncontrollably.

What was Su Ci doing? Actually, not much. Since Mrs. Yan didn’t want her to serve, she left the room. Going back to her own room to rest didn’t seem appropriate, so she stayed in the main hall.

Yang Yanzong and his brothers had returned during this time, but they were in a hurry to check on Mrs. Yan’s condition, so they didn’t speak to her. She listened outside the door for a while, hearing Mrs. Yan repeatedly complain to her sons about Yang Chongying’s concubines, like a monk chanting scriptures. Finding it both boring and annoying, she decided to go to the courtyard.

Mrs. Yan’s room had a large flower window on the east side, and from the flower terrace, Su Ci could keep an eye on the inside. Although it probably had nothing to do with her, Mrs. Yan certainly wouldn’t think of her.

Indeed, after seeing Yang Yanzong head to the west courtyard, Mrs. Yan relaxed and lay down. Soon, she complained endlessly to the maids about ungrateful little wretches. Feeling her head swell from listening, Su Ci decided to sit further away since it had nothing to do with her.

When Yang Yanzong found her in the courtyard, Su Ci was sitting on the peony flower terrace. The peony flowerbed was a bit high, so her feet didn’t touch the ground, and she was swinging her legs idly. Early-blooming peonies were in full bloom, and a bee showed interest in her. She leaned back to avoid it, laughed, and then looked up at the sky, her hands resting on the sides of the flower terrace.

Relaxed, carefree, and a bit bored. He was instantly furious!

“What are you doing here?!” Yang Yanzong grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the east courtyard, his steps as fast as the wind. He kicked open the door and, as soon as he let go of her hand, exploded!

“Can you be more considerate towards your mother-in-law, towards your husband!!”

“That’s my mother. She’s sick and bedridden, do you know that?! As a daughter-in-law, what should you be doing?!”

“You’re part of the Yang family, do you know that?”

Su Ci hadn’t integrated herself into this family at all!

She hadn’t truly considered that by marrying into the Yang family, she became his wife, the Yang family’s daughter-in-law. She had no awareness of what a wife should do or how she should behave!

He had always thought that after marriage, Su Ci would settle down, be obedient, and center her life around her husband and family, like any other woman in the world. Mrs. Yan, Mrs. Chen, even Ji Yuanhao’s wife, Mrs. Ren, and countless other women in the world were like this. Why was she so different?!

Yang Yanzong was truly baffled. How could the daughters of the Su family be so unconventional? On the surface, Su Ci seemed more docile than Su Yan, but that was an illusion. Her rebelliousness and self-will surpassed Su Yan’s in every way!

Yang Yanzong was furious. It shouldn’t be like this!

This completely contradicted his understanding and the values he had formed since childhood. If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t care, but he cared more and more about Su Ci, so he was very concerned. A sharp and intelligent person couldn’t be easily fooled; superficial happiness wasn’t enough for him. He demanded more!

Yang Yanzong was never a gentleman of refined manners. He was strong-willed and assertive, like a wolf or a tiger. He relentlessly pursued what didn’t belong to him, let alone what he believed should be his.

The conflict between them had always existed, and it was only a matter of time before it came to a head. Yang Yanzong managed not to embarrass Su Ci in front of others, which was the result of his utmost restraint.

But Su Ci: “…”

“Uh, but your mother said she didn’t need me to serve her. She told me to leave, so I left.” Su Ci cautiously added, “Don’t be angry, okay? I asked the doctor, and he said it’s a matter of the heart. She’ll recover with some rest once her emotional issues are resolved.” As for the biggest emotional issue, didn’t Yang Yanzong talk to his father about it?

It was like this. Whether she genuinely didn’t understand or was pretending to be confused, their argument was like a chicken talking to a duck.

With Yang Yanzong’s pride, he couldn’t ask, “Don’t you love me or care about me at all?” Moreover, he was more angry—he didn’t think Su Ci’s behavior was right, so he couldn’t even ask why.

She was still the same, trying to cuddle up to him and act coquettishly, her big eyes blinking innocently. They seemed clear, but it was hard for anyone to see through them.

As they argued, Su Ci also got a bit angry, “Then tell me, what did I do wrong?”

“Point it out, and I’ll change it!”

One spoke of the root cause, saying her attitude was the problem and needed deep reflection and correction. The other focused on the surface, believing she had done well enough. The examples given were all invalid. If you want to nitpick, go ahead, point it out, and I’ll see. If you find something, I’ll change it. How about that?

So, it was destined to be fruitless. Yang Yanzong was exasperated, and they parted on bad terms. He slammed the door and stormed out like a whirlwind.

Su Ci was still angry, rubbing her wrist. “Fine, leave if you want. Who can’t leave?”

Making a fuss over nothing.

She went back to the medical camp.