Chapter 3

It was the cold of late spring, and the spilled tea on the palace floor was still steaming.

The old Emperor’s expression immediately turned cold.

The great hall was as silent as a cicada in winter, and several small servants who were pouring tea had already fallen to their knees in fear.

“Imperial Mother…” Yu Yunji felt a chill down her spine, but before she could speak, she was cut off by the old Emperor.

“Good, very good,” the old Emperor’s pressure on Gu Qi was like a giant rock, causing cold sweat to break out, “Such great arrogance, Gu family, is this your way of showing your power to me?” In contrast, Gu Qi didn’t show any sign of fear or regret.

… Forget it, one can’t use normal thinking to fathom a madman.

In front of him was a large area of boiling water and enamel porcelain. Gu Qi’s expression was calm, and he didn’t even kneel to apologize.

He bowed to the Emperor: “It’s this son-in-law’s fault, I hope Your Majesty will punish me.” Yu Yunji looked at him in disbelief.

What was this madman Gu Qi up to again? Punishment? What punishment? If Imperial Mother were to punish him, the only one to suffer in the future would be her.

“Then you should act like you’re asking for punishment,” the old Emperor’s brows were already slightly furrowed, “Kneel down.” Gu Qi stood there, looking at the shattered porcelain in front of him, his heart cold.

To make him kneel here and ask for punishment, these two were indeed worthy of being mother and daughter, even their methods of torturing people were strikingly similar.

Although he was the legitimate son, he had suffered no small amount of punishment in the Gu family. He naturally knew what life would be like after marrying into the Han Wang’s mansion and becoming the Han Wang’s husband. But precisely because he was the legitimate son born of the primary husband, he had no choice.

But why? The Gu family treated him and his father that way, yet still wanted to tie the family’s rise and fall to him.

These people were all equally shameful, their faces all equally ugly.

But he was just an ant, a fish on the chopping block. If not for marrying into the Gong Wang’s mansion…

He calmly looked at the shattered porcelain on the ground, slowly kneeling down.

How he wished that at this moment, Gong Wang could say a word for him, or at least give him half a caring glance.

The imagined pain didn’t come, but a warm and soft hand covered his shoulder.

“Imperial Mother!” Yu Yunji hurriedly pulled him up, “Imperial Mother, it was Mi’er’s lack of restraint last night that exhausted the Wang husband to this state. The teacup not being held steady was also Mi’er’s fault. If you want to punish someone, punish Mi’er.” Gu Qi didn’t defend himself at all, and in her urgency, she bluntly said these words.

“Mi’er, you…” The old Emperor was completely speechless.

Although she knew her daughter had such a hobby, as a good Emperor mother, she naturally didn’t mind. What’s wrong with a child having a hobby? It wasn’t against the law, no big deal.

But she never thought that her Mi’er would say these things so openly.

Yu Yunji didn’t stop: “If it weren’t for Wang husband waking me up, how could Mi’er have appeared before Imperial Mother at this hour.” “Imperial Mother, you’re the best.”

“If I were to return with injuries, I’m afraid it would disappoint the important ministers…” The old Emperor had calmed down a bit, but hearing about the important ministers made her mood sour again.

She coldly snorted: “Then let these important ministers see what they’ve done, deceiving their superiors and oppressing their inferiors.” If it weren’t for Gu Shu supporting that old thing, how could her Mi’er be bewitched into marrying a madman.

Unable to resist Yu Yunji’s pleas, the old Emperor waved her hand, still with a cold face, and accepted the new tea offered by Gu Qi. This was considered the end of the matter.

After Yue Wan sent the group out, she returned to see the old Emperor holding the imperial brush, writing something on a memorial.

“Was there anything unusual?” she asked.

Yue Wan replied: “No, but why would Your Majesty suspect the Wang husband?” The old Emperor’s eyes were deep: “Do you think Mi’er truly has feelings for him?” Yue Wan thought for a moment, it seemed genuine, so she replied as such.

“Mi’er does not have feelings for him,” the old Emperor said calmly.

She didn’t explain to Yue Wan, she knew her daughter best. Today in the great hall, when Yu Yunji held his hand, Gu Qi’s actions didn’t escape her eyes when she ordered them to offer tea.

Gu Qi’s self-destructive behavior was the most unpleasant and annoying. If Mi’er truly liked him, she should have noticed when Gu Qi did such things.

The old Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

To make her daughter cooperate with him in this act, Gu Qi truly had some skills. But such self-destructive people are the most terrifying.

“Then what does Your Majesty plan to do?” Yue Wan asked seriously.

“Add more people to the Han Wang’s mansion.”

—

When parting with Yu Zhiyuan, Gu Qi looked at her back for a long time, seeming quite melancholic.

“Why didn’t you defend yourself? Did you really want to kneel on that shattered porcelain?” Yu Yunji said.

It’s fortunate that she’s favored, otherwise, she couldn’t withstand Gu Qi’s actions like this.

Afraid that if not favored, before long, both of their lives would be over due to his actions.

Gu Qi’s hand slowly tightened in his sleeve: “…Would defending myself have any use?” He had been wronged in the Gu family for so many years, how many times had he defended himself, but who would ever stand on his side.

“Since it’s useless, why waste breath trying to explain?” He, Gu Qi, didn’t need anyone’s pity, nor did he need anyone to stand by his side.

Yu Yunji retorted: “But you haven’t tried, how do you know explaining won’t work?” She couldn’t understand Gu Qi’s behavior. He was like a rose in full bloom, exuding a strong fragrance, yet carrying an air of impending destruction, death, and decay.

Perhaps it was due to their different living environments. She was a child born into a family’s love, where if she spoke up to explain, someone would listen.

But someone like Gu Qi, who actively took blame upon himself, she had never seen before.

“Heh, Han Wang is an imperial princess, a pampered darling of heaven. How can lowly beings like us compare to you?” Gu Qi’s lips curled into a smile, but that beautiful face didn’t show a hint of joy.

“…Stop being sarcastic,” Yu Yunji sighed slightly, “But after all, I am your wife in name. Between wife and husband, we share glory and shame. Next time when I’m around, you don’t need to be like this.” You don’t need to bear it alone silently anymore.

She knew what kind of pitiful character Gu Qi was in the book, but even pitiful people have detestable aspects. As time passed, she had gradually forgotten about it.

When she met Gu Qi’s phoenix eyes beside her, she heard him sneer lightly: “You pity me?” Yu Yunji didn’t respond.

“What right do you have to pity me.” Gu Qi shook off the warm hand, the early spring chill slowly taking away the warmth from his palm.

“Yu Yunji, don’t think that saying a few words for me means anything. I don’t need your pity,” his eye corners were again covered with a sickly thin redness, “We’re both rotten people. So what if you have the Emperor’s love? Without a father, you’re still a pitiful wretch.” He smiled gleefully, looking at her somewhat provocatively, as if anticipating her reaction.

Yu Yunji looked at him calmly, silent for a long time.

If the original owner heard these words, she might have angrily pinned him to the ground long ago.

But she wasn’t the original owner. Even if she had read this story thousands of times, she wouldn’t empathize with the original owner on these matters.

Gu Qi’s laughter gradually died down, and the sickly look on his face slowly receded.

“It’s not pity, it’s concern.” He saw Yu Yunji say with a serious face.

Her expression was too sincere. Gu Qi just met her enchanting peach blossom eyes, and his soul could be deeply drawn in.

Concern? Concern for whom? Him?

In this world, apart from his birth father, no one cared whether he lived or died. After his birth father passed away, no one had ever shown concern for him. This word was too unfamiliar, yet he heard it again from Yu Yunji’s mouth.

The current imperial princess who treated human lives as worthless grass, a good-for-nothing who excelled in strange and lewd skills, concerned about him.

When had she ever treated human lives as human lives?

Gu Qi truly laughed, from the bottom of his heart, tears seeping from the corners of his eyes as he laughed hard.

“Haha, hahaha…”

Yu Yunji took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve and offered it to him.

He was laughing so hard he bent over, but when that handkerchief with a faint floral scent was offered, he still slapped it away from her hand with a look of disgust.

That handkerchief embroidered with tuberose fluttered with the wind and fell to the ground.

“Princess Han Wang, let’s be frank. What exactly do you want to do?” Gu Qi’s phoenix eyes were still bloodshot, like an asura crawling out of hell.

It had to be admitted that no matter how fierce his expression, this face was extremely beautiful.

“I thought I made myself clear.” Yu Yunji said calmly.

Gu Qi’s eyebrows rose high: “I brought this matter to light because I want to hear Princess Han Wang tell the truth.” “You are my husband, of course I care about you.” Yu Yunji pressed her fingertips to her temple, “Stop making a fuss, the wind is strong here, let’s go home.” With that, she didn’t care what expression Gu Qi had, and grasped that cold hand again.

She said, let’s go home.

Gu Qi didn’t know how he ended up following her onto the carriage.

After his father died, he no longer had a home. Home was hatred, and also an extravagance. What you can’t get is an extravagance.

Yu Yunji told him to go home with her.

Gu Qi’s expression suddenly became wary. Among the royal family, no one had shallow thoughts. These words she said were nothing but trying to coax him into lowering his guard, so that in the future, if she wanted to do something to him, it would be easier.

What a good calculation. Had this scoundrel also changed her taste?

Thinking this way, he heard Yu Yunji ask him: “Do you have any attendants serving you?” He didn’t like crowds, in fact he was used to being cold-hearted. Unlike ordinary young masters from big families who bring several attendants when marrying, he didn’t like having many people serve him, so he only brought one confidant.

“Yes.” Gu Qi said flatly.

Yu Yunji wanted to say something more, but the carriage suddenly jolted.

The carriage was originally spacious, with the two sitting very comfortably.

Now with this sudden accident, the people inside and those valuable objects all began to sway and shake violently.

After all, she was a woman, her body more stable, and she immediately steadied herself.

But Gu Qi couldn’t grab onto a reliable handhold, and for a moment he was like a duckweed swaying in the wind.

The final jolt was extremely violent. The carriage seemed to have been hit by something, and Gu Qi’s entire body was shaken towards her.

“Ah…” Gu Qi exclaimed in surprise.

He wasn’t a martial arts practitioner, and his body wasn’t in good condition. Now, like a drowning person trying to grab a lifeline, his phoenix eyes widened slightly with rare panic, and he steadily fell into her arms.

Gu Qi was already dizzy from the shaking, and suddenly falling into a soft embrace, he was immediately enveloped by a sweet fragrance.

It was a floral scent he had never smelled before, some unknown precious flower that was sweet yet not cloying. Falling here, the previous depression immediately disappeared.

However…

Gu Qi’s body was soft from the fall, and now even if he wanted to get up, it was somewhat difficult. He propped himself up to half leave that embrace, but another jolt came, and he fell solidly into Yu Yunji’s arms.

Damn it, these people must be doing this on purpose.

Yu Yunji had her chest buried twice in succession, and her face flushed slightly red: “You…” “Don’t, don’t move.” Gu Qi squeezed out the words with difficulty.

Why now of all times? This chastity lock was no different from torture.

Also, did Yu Yunji’s body really have some secret aphrodisiac?