Chapter 55 p1
“What’s the matter?” Jingyu’s mind couldn’t keep up.
“What else could it be? You’ve always been the one to contact Chunxiao Tower. It’s impossible that you don’t know. The Young Master and that Yingniang have a secret!”
There was a secret, a secret that almost got her killed.
Jingyu patted Xiyun’s head. “Don’t overthink it. Go and learn to dye silk threads from Mr. Ye. At least you won’t starve if you learn it well.”
“Hey, what do you mean? Are you saying I’m stupid?” Xiyun chased after Jingyu and walked away.
Although Xiyun suspected that the Young Master had other women outside, she still firmly believed that Yuli was the legal wife.
Perhaps just like last time, after Yuli had a fight with him, they would be as good as new.
But this time, the Young Master had not returned to the residence for four consecutive days, and Yuli would prepare a meal every day and move a chair to the second gate to wait for an hour.
But the guards in the residence suddenly forbade her from leaving. Jingyu explained to her that it was because the Mistress was not leaving the residence that she was allowed to stay and serve.
Xiyun was more concerned about Yuli’s mood and didn’t think much of not being able to leave the residence.
Yuli’s expression was as usual in front of her. In fact, because she was not worried about Huayan Fang’s affairs, she was eating and playing in the courtyard, and every night, in order not to waste too much food, she ate more than usual and had even gained some weight.
Xiyun didn’t dare to ask, afraid of touching a sore spot. Although Yuli pretended to be normal, she saw that she would be in a daze when she was alone, and her expression was not so relaxed when she practiced calligraphy every day.
And after that day, Jingyu not only moved to Mingyue Residence to live with her, but she would also often have private conversations with the Mistress, and would stop talking as soon as she got close.
Xiyun knew that what they were talking about was definitely related to the Young Master’s movements outside. Jingyu definitely knew, and the Mistress also cared a lot.
She was the only one who was excluded. Xiyun was a little depressed.
On the fifth day, Xiyun’s depression reached its peak, and she planned to expose this matter.
In the morning, she saw Yuli and Jingyu talking by the lake. Xiyun stood at a distance, planning to go over after they had finished.
By the lake.
Jingyu: “Since that day, the shadow guards in the residence have ignored me. They were personally trained by the Young Master, and their actions are flawless. I can’t find out about the Young Master’s affairs.”
Yuli looked at the lake and did not reply.
“But I can see that there are signs of an increase in the number of shadow guards around Mingyue Residence. The Young Master is in control of the movements in the residence.”
“What if I send a message in my name?” Yuli suddenly asked.
“We can try,” Jingyu said, and asked, “What does the Mistress want to say?”
What to say?
Have you thought it through? How long are you going to wait to tell me your identity?
The answer is that he hasn’t thought it through.
From tomorrow on, I won’t wait for you. You can come back or not.
Then he would really drag it on indefinitely.
Yuli looked at the lake. The cool summer wind rippled the surface of the water, the weeping willows swayed, and the leaves of the locust tree rustled.
If she jumped in, choked on water, and caught a cold, he would surely come back.
Yuli took two steps forward, reached the edge of the plank road, squatted down, and tested the water temperature with her finger.
It was very cold, and she shivered.
Yuli immediately dismissed the idea. It was Xie Yao who was crazy, not her.
Yuli stood up, far away from the lake, and looked at the seemingly peaceful and quiet residence. Not a single shadow guard could be seen. It was probably not that strict.
Why not try to escape?
The original heroine had run away so many times. She would surely succeed.
If she ran away, he would surely come to see her.
Mm… what if he went crazy and killed a batch of people before seeing her?
Yuli was changing her mind. Xiyun suddenly came up to her. “Mistress, our Huayan Fang’s business is so booming. If we manage it well in the future, we will surely make a lot of money. We can buy a big house and live together, and it will be no problem to recruit the most handsome husband in the world. We don’t have to suffer the grievance of sharing a husband!”
Both Yuli and Jingyu froze.
Xiyun sneered. “Don’t listen to Jingyu. We won’t tolerate this. Anyway, the Mistress hasn’t even met the Young Master’s parents. You are not a husband and wife at all. We can pack our bags and leave now.”
Jingyu wanted to object, but Yuli held her. “You’re right. He’s giving me the cold shoulder like this. I’m going to divorce him.”
But such words could not be said openly. Yuli went back to Mingyue Residence, took out a piece of paper, and was about to write him a letter.
She couldn’t bring herself to write the word “divorce.” She couldn’t disregard his feelings. He just wasn’t ready.
Yuli sighed, stopped her brush, and in the end, didn’t write anything.
Who let him have a mental illness? She, a person with a sound mind and body, could only indulge the patient.
That night, she made a table full of delicious food as usual and steamed custard buns. Xie Yao still did not come back. In order not to waste too much food, she ate until she was full again.
While digesting her food in the courtyard, perhaps because of the accumulated food over the past few days, her stomach was upset, and she vomited without any warning.
Yuli squatted on the ground, vomiting until she was dizzy, her nose and eyes hurt. After she finished vomiting, it took her a long time to recover.
Jingyu and Xiyun were busy, handing her tea and water.
Yuli watched them help to clean up, sat on the swing in a daze for a while, and tears suddenly flowed out.
Afraid of being seen by them, she quickly wiped away the tears before they could fall, and swore through gritted teeth, “I will never make you food again.”
After swinging for a while, Yuli wanted to go back to her room to rest.
Suddenly, a maid brought a doctor over, saying that he was going to take her pulse. Yuli guessed that it was Xie Yao’s idea. He was hiding far away, but he was watching her closely.
Yuli’s heart was extremely blocked, but it was not good to make things difficult for the doctor, so she cooperated with the examination.
After that, Yuli washed up early and went to bed. She lay in the center of the big bed, trying to put aside everything about Xie Yao, but it was difficult.
He had once been extremely concerned about her mood and body, and any subtle reaction would not escape his eyes. Now, even if he was not here, the shadow guards would surely report her daily routine to him. She was waiting for him like this every day, making delicious food, but it was all in vain. Did he not know how upset she was?
Did he not care?
It would be good if he didn’t care! Then she could leave, and the sky would be the limit.
Then why was he giving her the cold shoulder?
It couldn’t be that he thought he was not good enough and was too self-conscious to see her, right?
His deep and inscrutable, and even his deliberately concealed, domineering air, had anything to do with self-consciousness?
It couldn’t be that he felt happy seeing her anxious and consumed by her own thoughts, right?
Yuli’s head was about to explode. She suddenly sat up.
From beginning to end, everything about her was under his control. The current situation must also be.
He must be hoping that in this anxiety and self-consumption, she would wear down her spirit and lie flat, letting him do as he pleased.
Although she couldn’t figure out the specifics, what he wanted to achieve must be even more unacceptable to her than her current suffering!
She couldn’t just go along with his wishes. Self-consumption, right? She would go for external consumption and wear him out!
Yuli lifted the quilt, got out of bed, dressed neatly, and went out to call for Jingyu.
Jingyu came out of the room very quickly, with Xiyun close behind.
Yuli: “Let’s go, let’s go out and find the Young Master.”
Jingyu was extremely surprised but still followed.
Xiyun was both surprised and excited. This was to tear off all pretenses with that woman.
Yuli walked towards the hanging flower gate. Jingyu followed closely, and Xiyun followed with a fierce look in her eyes.
After leaving the door, Yuli turned towards the direction of the carriage and horses.
“Can you ride a horse?” Yuli’s heart was pounding. She was afraid that she would chicken out if she was not careful. She walked very fast, asking Jingyu as she walked.
“I can, but I’m not very skilled.”
“That’s good. Let’s go by horse.”
Jingyu was dumbfounded. “But, the place where the Young Master is, we can’t just barge in. And there’s a curfew now. We might run into the imperial guards as soon as we go out, not to mention the shadow guards in the residence…”
“I know,” Yuli said firmly.
In just a few words, they had already reached the stables. Xiyun went straight for the carriage, but Yuli walked towards a dark, strong horse in the stables.
She couldn’t ride a horse and was scared in her heart. Jingyu came over in time and held the horse.
“Do we really have to do this?”
“Quick, help me get on the horse.”
Jingyu held the horse and instructed Yuli to step on the stirrup.
Xiyun ran over quickly. “I, I can’t ride a horse!”
Jingyu and Yuli had no time for her.
The black horse was too tall. Yuli tried several times but couldn’t get on.
Finally, she got on. The horse took a few casual steps. Jingyu was still holding it, but she was already swaying on the horse, on the verge of falling.
Finally, several shadow guards appeared. One snatched the reins from Jingyu’s hand, and another called out “Yexiao.” The horse immediately stood still.
Yuli broke out in a cold sweat. She maintained her composure and said to them from above, “Go and tell your master that I miss him. If he doesn’t come back in two days, I will go and find him.”
Jingyu and Xiyun were still in a daze. The shadow guards reacted very quickly and lowered their heads in agreement.
“Go now,” the shadow guard left. Only then did Yuli climb down from the horse.
When she landed on the ground, her legs were trembling.
But her heart was extremely relieved.
It’s your turn to be consumed by your own thoughts, you dog man!
*