His words were sweet like honey, but his actions were blatantly roguish. Others painted with brushes and ink, but he painted with his mouth.
You Yuji pulled her robe closer, lifted the curtain, and got off the bed. She looked back, and in the dim light of the bed curtains, Si Que was sleeping. When he was awake and looking at her, his face always carried a smile. Yet, when he slept, his expression reverted to its aloof and proud demeanor.
You Yuji lingered a while longer, gazing at Si Que’s features. She adjusted the corner of his quilt and gently lowered the bed curtains. Due to the detoxification process, Si Que had been unusually drowsy lately.
Feeling stifled, she walked to the window and gently pushed it open. Unfortunately, there was no wind today, and the cool breeze she longed for didn’t greet her.
The room was stifling, the outside was stifling, and it seemed her heart felt increasingly suffocated too.
From a young age, You Yuji had rarely been indecisive, but today, she found herself trapped in confusion and bewilderment. She didn’t know if it was because she couldn’t see the road ahead clearly, or if she simply didn’t want to move forward.
She turned around, leaning against the window, and looked towards the bed. The curtains blocked her view of Si Que. She gazed at the bed curtains, not knowing what she was looking at, her eyes gradually becoming vacant.
At first, she cared a lot. She stubbornly wanted him to love her more, wanted him to devote himself to her wholeheartedly, never uttering a single lie. However, ever since he brought her out of the Eastern Palace, many things had become unclear. Those things she once cared about no longer seemed so important.
What about the future then?
You Yuji frowned slightly.
They had disagreements; the paths they wished to take were different. She longed to leave Chenjing, whether to Si’s land or to her mother’s homeland, anything was better than staying in Chenjing. All she sought was a bit of freedom.
But he, like most men in the world, began to seek power.
Power was a good thing, but also a dangerous thing.
You Yuji slowly lowered her gaze, her eyes falling on her abdomen. She didn’t want to blame her indecisiveness on the sensitivity of pregnancy; she knew she had become indecisive.
“Big Sister!” came the voice of You Jiamu from outside the window.
You Yuji immediately turned around and whispered to her brother standing in the courtyard, “I’m coming.” She closed the window, glanced at the bed to make sure Si Que hadn’t been awakened, and then quietly stepped out.
You Jiamu stood in the yard, his eyes involuntarily falling on his sister’s belly as she approached. He quickly averted his gaze and smiled, “Big Sister, we haven’t taken a walk and chatted in a long time!”
“Then tell me about what’s happened these past six months.” You Yuji smiled, walked to his side, and together they headed towards the garden in the backyard.
You Jiamu happily recounted the events of the past six months to his sister, though his gaze occasionally strayed to her belly. When he and Brother Yuanyi returned, they noticed his sister was pregnant. She hadn’t mentioned it, and though he was curious, he dared not ask.
As he talked, he suddenly fell silent.
You Yuji glanced at him and saw his blank expression. She smiled, raised her hand, and waved it in front of his eyes. You Jiamu snapped out of it and immediately put on a smile.
You Yuji, feeling a bit tired, leaned against the railing and sat down. She smiled and asked, “Since when did Jiamu become so hesitant?”
You Jiamu, seeming to deflate, sat down next to his sister and spoke softly, “Sis, I just want to ask if anyone has bullied you during these past six months?”
As soon as he asked the question, his entire spine tensed up. Even the first time he went to the battlefield, he wasn’t this nervous. He lifted his eyes, staring intently at his sister, hoping not to see any hint of avoidance in her gaze.
You Yuji smiled and took hold of You Jiamu’s hand. Despite his young age, his hand was large and calloused. She placed his hand on her belly.
You Jiamu was startled and instantly withdrew his hand, hiding it behind his back. There was a trace of fear in his expression.
You Yuji laughed at his reaction. She took his hand again and placed it back on her belly. She lowered her eyes and spoke gently, “Jiamu, you’re going to be an uncle.”
You Jiamu opened his mouth, wanting to say that his sister still hadn’t answered his question!
“Your real brother-in-law is currently asleep in my room.”
You Jiamu instantly turned his head to look in the direction of his sister’s room. They had walked a bit of a distance, and with the white walls and tree branches in the way, he could no longer see her room. He turned back to You Yuji, incredulous, his mouth wide open but unable to say a word.
You Yuji raised her hand, gently closing his mouth. She softly said, “We are fine. It’s just that his health isn’t very good, and there have been many things keeping him busy lately. Once things settle down, you can formally call him brother-in-law.”
You Jiamu’s brow remained furrowed.
Clearly, his sister’s words should have reassured him, but without an official title, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy seeing her belly growing.
He scrutinized his sister’s expression again, and the worry that had been hanging over him since he returned home yesterday slowly eased.
“Since sister says so, I feel somewhat relieved. But if there’s anything troubling you, you must tell me!”
“Yes.” You Yuji nodded with a smile. She was always gentle with her family.
“Oh, right! I have some candy here! I bought it for you!” You Jiamu took out a few pieces of candy from the pouch at his waist and stuffed them into You Yuji’s hand.
His gaze passed over You Yuji and landed on You Heng, who was hiding behind the wutong tree, making eye signals at Brother Yuanyi. It was clear that their entire conversation had been overheard by You Heng. You Heng grinned and nodded at You Jiamu.
Yesterday, upon discovering You Yuji was pregnant, neither of them had slept all night, pondering over it, which led to You Jiamu coming today for a chat. Meanwhile, You Heng hid nearby, ready to jump out and attack anyone who might have bullied Yuji!
You Yuji lowered her eyes, slowly unwrapping the candy and placing the orange piece into her mouth, pretending not to notice Jiamu’s frantic gestures behind her.
She had long since noticed her second brother hiding behind the wutong tree; after all, it wasn’t easy for someone nearly ten feet tall to hide.
Considering how uncomfortable it must be for him to squat behind the tree, she hadn’t finished the candy before standing up to leave. You Jiamu escorted her back, and only then did You Heng stand up, knocking his numb legs.
You Jiamu ran off as soon as he saw his sister to the courtyard gate, rushing to report to You Heng. The brothers discussed that it wasn’t wise to storm the house, so they decided to station people at every gate of the You residence, determined to catch the mysterious lover!
Unfortunately, they didn’t succeed.
To be precise, when You Yuji returned to her room and quietly pulled back the bed curtains, Si Que was already gone. She stood by the bed for a moment, then silently let the curtains fall.
She walked over to the table where a hairpin left by Si Que lay. She sat down, gently shaking the hairpin, her gaze soft and weak as she watched the tassels sway.
Before long, Lady Jing hurried in to report that Chen Anzhi had arrived.
“In the morning, after such a big embarrassment, now coming here, I wonder if he is coming with a dark face to make trouble again!” Lady Jing complained unhappily.
Lady Jing’s words reminded You Yuji of Cuiyu, and she hadn’t expected Cuiyu to have such fortune. You Yuji walked to the dressing table, took an envelope from the drawer, and stood up to leave. She asked, “Is everything arranged well on Chunxing’s side?”
Lady Jing nodded. “Rest assured, Madam, everything is in order.”
Seeing You Yuji stepping over the threshold, Lady Jing hurriedly went up to support her.
Chen Anzhi waited anxiously in the flower hall. On his way from the prince’s mansion, his mind was full of Si Han’s words. He rushed here to find the princess he longed for. However, upon reaching the You family, he began to think about other things—his numerous resolutions and plans over the past half month.
Hadn’t he decided to reform himself, to treat his wife and concubine well and not let the household be chaotic again?
The signed divorce papers were still in You Yuji’s hands. Outsiders might not know, but he was clear that from the day he signed the divorce papers, You Yuji was no longer his wife.
At this moment, he should coax You Yuji back first.
After all, in this marriage, he was indeed at fault. Initially, he had wrongly accused and scolded You Yuji many times due to Fang Qingyi’s false accusations. Given the current situation, for the sake of future peace, he could reluctantly lower himself once.
As for Princess Que? Since she was on good terms with You Yuji, if he managed to coax You Yuji back, would he still fear Si Que wouldn’t return? Even if these two pitiful women had once sought comfort in each other, once they felt his affection, they would naturally settle down.
The sound of footsteps interrupted Chen Anzhi’s thoughts. He turned to look at You Yuji appearing at the door. The warm sunlight outside fell on her shoulders. Chen Anzhi stared blankly at her snow-white cheeks, perhaps because he hadn’t seen a woman for so long in the army, he found himself momentarily dazzled by this sight.
After eight months, You Yuji hadn’t become thinner; instead, she appeared more plump, her complexion radiant, as bright as the moon. She was still wearing her favorite light purple dress, the fabric lightweight, with the skirt fluttering slightly even without wind. She had added a wide duck-egg blue shawl, draped around her arms, one side long and one side short, partially covering her upper body.
Seeing You Yuji more plump than when he left, Chen Anzhi felt a bit uncomfortable. Had she not worried about him suffering hardships, injuries, or even life-threatening situations in the army?
You Yuji stepped inside, gracefully walked over and sat down, naturally adjusting her shawl that draped over her legs.
“I was just about to go to the prince’s mansion to find you, didn’t expect you to come here.” You Yuji slightly raised her hand. “Please sit, Your Highness.”
“You were looking for me?” Chen Anzhi looked into You Yuji’s eyes and sat back down.
Baohe brought in tea and snacks with the maids. She placed the teacup heavily in front of Chen Anzhi and rolled her eyes as she turned away.
You Yuji asked, “Did the princess tell you about delivering the divorce papers to the clan?”