Chu Yu didn't know whether to say Wei Yun was perceptive or that he always happened to appear at just the right moment.
Every time she felt unsettled, he would always come over at the perfect time to comfort her.
She held his hand and said slowly, "It's good that you came." Then she looked up at him and smiled. "Just now, I felt like you were so far away from me."
So far that she suddenly understood what it meant to regret urging one's husband to seek fame and fortune.
"I know," Wei Yun said, holding her hand. He lowered his gaze and spoke slowly, "A Yu, the road ahead of me is long. Even I don't know where it will lead. I'm afraid power might cloud my judgment, afraid that wealth and glory might corrode my heart. So I tell myself—in public, I am Wei Yun, but in private, I must always be Wei Huaiyu. For the rest of my life, I must remain the same as when I first fell for you. This love must stay pure, untainted by even the slightest impurity."
Chu Yu didn't respond. She simply watched him quietly. "What if you become emperor?"
"What if I do?"
"An imperial harem would be necessary, wouldn't it?"
Wei Yun laughed. "No. If an emperor must have an imperial harem, then I won't be one."
"A Yu," he said solemnly, gripping her hand, "there's nothing in this world that can't be resolved. If staying by my side would subject you to such suffering, then it would mean I'm incompetent. And a man like that—" He paused, then forced out the words with difficulty, "—wouldn't be worth keeping."
Hearing this, Chu Yu suddenly laughed.
"You said it yourself."
Her voice was soft. "Wei Huaiyu, you have to keep your word."
Wei Yun looked at her, his lips curving into a smile. "Of course."
They walked together for a while longer, but Wei Yun still had many guests to attend to, so Chu Yu returned first. When she arrived at Wei Manor, the place was bustling with activity. From afar, she could hear the laughter of the women. As she entered, she saw Liu Xueyang chatting and laughing with the noblewomen.
Wei Yun was hosting a banquet outside, and these noblewomen had been arranged to stay at Wei Manor—an arrangement Chu Yu had made herself. She just hadn't expected the banquet to start so early.
Surprised, Chu Yu walked in and saw Jiang Chun standing by the door. Before Chu Yu could even speak, Jiang Chun already knew what she wanted to ask and said with a wry smile, "Mother-in-law returned first. Seeing that many of the noblewomen had already arrived, she started the banquet early."
Chu Yu nodded and looked over to see Liu Xueyang speaking with Wei Qingping. Wei Qingping's expression was calm as water as she knelt beside Liu Xueyang. Liu Xueyang held her hand, chatting and laughing, while Wei Qingping responded to each remark. Yet she seemed out of place in this lively gathering, even a little lost.
Sensing Wei Qingping's discomfort, Chu Yu stepped forward with a smile, greeting Liu Xueyang before exchanging pleasantries with the others. The atmosphere was already lively, but noticing Wei Qingping's unease, Chu Yu said to her, "Princess Qingping, you seem rather restless. Why not join me for a stroll in the garden?"
Wei Qingping looked up, gratitude flickering in her eyes. Seizing the opportunity Chu Yu had given her, she excused herself from Liu Xueyang and followed Chu Yu out. Once they reached the corridor, Wei Qingping let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Madam."
"Does the princess not enjoy such gatherings?"
Chu Yu clasped her hands in her sleeves, smiling as she asked. Wei Qingping nodded. "I rarely interact with women who talk so much."Hearing this, Chu Yu couldn't help but laugh and turned to Wei Qingping: "Speaking of my mother-in-law like that, aren't you afraid I might take offense?"
Wei Qingping paused, frowned in thought for a moment, then nodded: "You're right, I shouldn't have said such things to you."
Chu Yu was amused by Wei Qingping's reaction. She led her inside, took a wine flask from the cabinet, and with her back turned, said in a calm tone: "Just a joke, no need to take it to heart, Your Highness. You've traveled far and wide, never meant to be confined to domestic affairs. Such a temperament—" Chu Yu turned to look at Wei Qingping, her eyes filled with admiration—"I truly envy you."
Wei Qingping didn't respond. She gazed at Chu Yu, her usually cold expression softening with a smile: "But compared to the Madam who once single-handedly guarded Phoenix Tomb City, my exploits are mere child's play."
Chu Yu turned around with the wine flask and met Wei Qingping's gaze. After a moment, she said slowly: "That was many years ago."
As she spoke, she handed a bottle of wine to Wei Qingping and led her outside to the corridor, where they casually sat leaning against the pillars.
"I heard Your Highness travels extensively across the land, healing the sick. You must have many interesting stories?"
"Not really."
Wei Qingping wasn't much of a talker and replied simply. Chu Yu smiled, took a sip of wine, and asked casually: "How did you and the Marquis meet?"
"Three years ago, rumors said he was defending White City, but he was actually in Hexi. I was practicing medicine there and happened to run into him, so I saved him."
"Was he poisoned then?"
"Bone-deep Entanglement."
"I heard Your Highness personally went to Tianshan to fetch the cure?"
At this, Wei Qingping fell silent and didn't elaborate. Chu Yu took another sip of wine and said slowly: "There must be more to it, but no matter. I've been the one asking all the questions—don't you have anything to ask me?"
Wei Qingping remained quiet, lifting her eyes to study Chu Yu. Chu Yu's beauty was striking, her wrists slender. As she raised the wine flask to drink, her sleeves slipped down, revealing jade-white wrists that blended softness with a heroic air, exuding a unique charm.
Observing Chu Yu, Wei Qingping finally spoke: "Could you tell me about Northern Di, Madam?"
Surprised by the question, Chu Yu found it odd but nonetheless recounted every detail of those events—how she disguised herself to infiltrate Northern Di, how she found Wei Yun, the pursuit they faced, and how she brought him back to Great Chu...
Chu Yu was naturally eloquent, weaving the past into a gripping tale that held Wei Qingping spellbound, her eyes wide with admiration.
After Northern Di, Chu Yu spoke of Phoenix Tomb City, and then of the various battles she fought in her youth in Luozhou. Wei Qingping sat beside her, cradling the wine flask and listening intently. By the end, the alcohol had taken effect, and she exclaimed excitedly: "Sister Chu, come away with me!"Chu Yu was slightly taken aback when Wei Qingping grasped her hand, gazing at her earnestly. "You don't belong here. Come away with me. In the future, I'll heal the sick, and you'll uphold justice. When the nation faces peril, we'll stand together to save it. In times of peace, we'll wander freely. You shouldn't be confined to the inner chambers of the Wei family," Wei Qingping hiccuped with difficulty, her words slurred. "Look at what they've reduced you to. I'll take you away," she swayed as she stood, pulling Chu Yu insistently. "I'll take you to see the matriarch. I'm taking you away."
Chu Yu didn't move. Wei Qingping turned to look at her, puzzled. "Sister Chu?"
"Qingping," Chu Yu smiled helplessly, "go rest. You're drunk."
"You don't want to?"
"Qingping," Chu Yu said calmly, "no one has reduced me to anything. Heroes fade with age, and beauties dim with time. Though regrettable, it's inevitable."
"But you're only twenty-one."
Chu Yu froze momentarily as Wei Qingping knelt before her, earnest. "Chu Yu, there's a vast world out there. Don't let the Wei family ruin your entire life."
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Chu Yu's mind suddenly flashed with Liu Xueyang's admonishing words and the image of Wei Yun's back as he received the homage of thousands.
She knew it was true—the Wei family hardly needed her anymore. In these inner chambers, she had slowly become someone even she didn't recognize.
Dazedly, she took another sip of wine as Wei Qingping spoke again, "Chu Yu, I'll take you away."
Chu Yu turned to look at her, about to respond, when a cold voice cut in, "Princess, you're drunk."
Both Wei Qingping and Chu Yu turned to see Wei Yun standing at the corridor's bend, watching them quietly.
His expression was unreadable, betraying neither joy nor anger. Wei Qingping, still intoxicated, frowned.
"Shi Yue, escort the princess to the main hall," Wei Yun instructed Qin Shiyue, who stood behind him. At the name, Wei Qingping looked up, her expression dazed.
Qin Shiyue stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Princess, this way."
Wei Qingping stared at Qin Shiyue, her drunkenness seeming to fade slightly. She glanced between Wei Yun and Chu Yu, pressed her lips together, and finally turned to leave.
Once the courtyard held only Chu Yu and Wei Yun, he approached, crouching to shake the wine bottle beside her. "You've had quite a bit," he remarked with a faint smile.
Chu Yu said nothing, bracing herself as she stood and staggered forward.
Wei Yun picked up the bottle, silently watching her retreating figure.
"I don't know what I did wrong," he suddenly said. Chu Yu remained silent. Wei Yun gazed at her back, his voice steady. "I thought I'd done well enough. I never refused anything you wanted to do. I tried my hardest to give you everything you desired."
"So why," his voice trembled, "do you still want to leave?"
"You're overthinking it," Chu Yu replied wearily.
Wei Yun seized her, yanking her into his embrace. Gripping her chin, his eyes reddened as he demanded, "Look at me!"
"You want to leave, don't you?" His body shook. "You didn't refuse her just now. She struck a chord with you—you want to go, don't you?"
"Wei Yun," Chu Yu's voice was icy, "let go."
"Where did I fall short? What did I do wrong?"Wei Yun's voice trembled, "Why did you want to leave five years ago, and why do you still want to leave now?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Five years ago," Wei Yun's voice shook, "I already knew that once the Wei family's matters were settled, you would leave."
"Five years later, I thought I had kept you, but in reality, you still want to go."
"Tell me," Wei Yun held her tightly, closing his eyes in pain, "what exactly will make you stay?"
"Wei Yun..." Chu Yu sounded weary, "This has nothing to do with you. It's just that I no longer have a place here."
"What kind of place do you want?"
Wei Yun gripped her hand tightly, "What position can't I give you? Do you want a First-rank imperial title, or to be the empress, or—"
"I don't know!" Chu Yu suddenly interrupted. "It's not about power or status, it's about me—do you understand?"
Chu Yu pushed him away forcefully, breathing heavily as she struggled to speak, "It's about my own place—where I, Chu Yu, belong in the Wei family. What am I now? I'm your sister-in-law, Chu Linyang's sister. Your mother thinks I'll eventually marry out. She's arranging a marriage for you—she has her heart set on Wei Qingping, determined to have you marry a woman with power and beauty. In her eyes, you are like the sun and moon. No matter how good I am," she gritted her teeth, "I'm still just your sister-in-law."
Wei Yun didn't respond. He stared at her coldly and said, "Go on."
Chu Yu fell silent. She closed her eyes, exhaustion in her voice, "I've had a bit to drink—I might be drunk. Don't listen to my nonsense."
As she spoke, she reached out to pull away from him, "I should go to bed first..."
Wei Yun tightened his grip on her hand, yanking her back and pinning her against the wall. His voice was calm yet icy, "Keep talking."
Chu Yu clenched her jaw. She looked at Wei Yun and laughed, her eyes filled with mockery, "Why aren't you saying anything now? Have you run out of words, or do you just not want to speak?"
A wave of humiliation surged through her, making her tremble slightly. Wei Yun watched her coldly and said, "Say more."
"Let me see just how far you're willing to degrade yourself."
"Wei Yun!"
"Call me Wei Huaiyu!"
Wei Yun suddenly raised his voice. He leaned in close to her, his tone frigid, "Did my mother upset you? She's arranging for me to marry Wei Qingping, and you've been bottling it up—why didn't you tell me? Do you feel that now that the Wei family is thriving, you're no longer needed, and it hurts—but you still didn't tell me? Chu Yu, in your heart, do you think that me being with you, me loving you, my family treating you well—is all because we want something from you? That if you can't give the Wei family anything anymore, you're worthless?"
Without waiting for her response, he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Do you also want to say that my mother wants me to marry a noblewoman, that you're a widow, that you're still my sister-in-law—that it would tarnish my reputation? That your Chu family won't take sides this time, that you can't bring me the support of Wei Wang's power like Wei Qingping can? That in every way, you fall short of Wei Qingping? Do you want to persuade me to marry Wei Qingping as my official wife?"
"And then what? Keep sneaking around like we are now?"
"Don't make it sound so disgusting."
"You're the one making it disgusting!"
Wei Yun's voice rose sharply.
He stared at her fiercely, like an eagle locking onto its prey. Suppressing his anger and bitterness, he held Chu Yu tightly, leaving her no room to move."Let go," Chu Yu frowned. "We'll talk when we get back."
"I'm not going back."
"What if someone sees—"
"Let them see!"
"Chu Yu, listen to me," Wei Yun pressed down on her struggling body, gritting his teeth. "I will marry you. I've been holding back because I feared you weren't willing, that you didn't think we'd reached this point yet. But don't think I'll endure this forever."
Chu Yu froze momentarily. Seeing her dazed expression, Wei Yun lowered his head with a mix of fierceness and tenderness, biting her lips before his tongue swept through her mouth in a relentless invasion. When she tried to push him away, he pinned her hands; when she tried to kick, he trapped her legs. Their bodies pressed tightly together until, after what felt like an eternity, he finally withdrew, satisfied and cooled.
Breathless from the kiss, Chu Yu's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, making Wei Yun's throat tighten. Suppressing his lingering desire, he adjusted her disheveled clothes, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and gently wiped her lips before fixing her hair. "Next time you're upset," he said softly, "don't bottle it up. Talk to me. I didn't die on the battlefield only to come home and be angered to death by you."
Still panting, Chu Yu glared at him with those eyes brimming with defiance and something warmer.
Wei Yun chuckled at her expression, kissing her cheek before whispering in her ear, "Call me 'husband,' and I'll conquer the world for you. Hmm?"
"Get lost!"
"Alright." He straightened with a smile, patiently retying the knot of her jade pendant. "Dealing with my mother isn't your strength. Go back and wait for me."
"Isn't it just about marrying Wei Qingping?"
Wei Yun looked up, amused. "Wait for me in our room tonight. You'll have to reward me properly, understand?"
Chu Yu remained silent, her temper noticeably softened. Wei Yun glanced at the darkening sky. "It's raining?" He removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
His warmth and scent enveloped her instantly. Like a young girl, she watched as he fastened the cloak, his voice gentle. "Hurry back. Don't catch a cold."
As he turned to leave, Chu Yu grabbed his sleeve. "It's not the right time yet. Don't provoke your mother."
Wei Yun understood her concern—announcing their relationship now would be unwise. Though frustrated, he hadn't lost his rationality. Patting her hand, he reassured her in a steady voice, "Don't worry. I'll handle it properly."
He then signaled to Wanyue and Changyue, who had been waiting nearby. "Escort your mistress back and prepare ginger tea for her."
The two attendants acknowledged the order. Wei Yun watched until Chu Yu disappeared down the corridor before retrieving his handkerchief to dab at the corner of his lips.
"Find out everything my mother has recently discussed with the First Madam," he ordered the hidden Covert Guards.
A faint rustle of leaves marked someone's silent departure from the courtyard.
Wei Yun's gaze shifted to the swaying lanterns illuminating the distant hallway. A cold laugh escaped him. "They've grown tired of living."
Author's Note: Wei Yun: "Never imagined my wife's first attempt at eloping would be with another woman..."
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