In his twenty-one years of life, Gu Yan had never been slapped like this before. Since childhood, even his parents had never dared to lay a hand on him.
Seeing Yun Xiangye still rubbing her sore hand, Gu Yan said angrily, “I’ve been humbling myself before you these past two days. I know you’re angry with me, so today I planned to take you to the palace to see your cousin. But look at you—you’re becoming more and more unreasonable.”
Yun Xiangye retorted, “Gu Yan, was it me who concealed my identity for three years? Or was it me who had cousins saying behind your back that you weren’t worthy of being my husband, only fit to be my male concubine?”
Gu Yan frowned deeply. “Yun Xiangye! What nonsense are you talking? What male concubine? Is this something a proper person should say?”
Noticing that Nuonuo on the bed showed signs of waking up, Yun Xiangye hurried over and gently patted her, speaking softly, “Be good, sleep well.”
Then she turned a sharp gaze toward Gu Yan and said coldly, “If you truly think I’m being unreasonable and dislike me, just write me a letter of divorce and be done with it. After all, you only married me back then because you needed me for a marriage for good luck.
And I only married you for the marriage for good luck because I felt indebted to you for saving my life.”
Hearing Yun Xiangye’s words, Gu Yan frowned tightly. “You married me only because you felt indebted to me for saving your life?”
Yun Xiangye replied, “Yes. I had already established a household under my own name and vowed never to marry in this lifetime. If not for my debt to you for saving my life and the necessity of the marriage for good luck, I would never have married you.”
Gu Yan narrowed his eyes, his eyes reddening. After three years of marriage, he finally learned that Yun Xiangye had been forced to marry him!
“Even if you were forced to marry me, you are still my wife now.”
Gu Yan’s voice was icy cold. With that, he grabbed Yun Xiangye’s wrist and pulled her into the outer room. Once they reached the small couch there, he lowered his head and kissed her red lips, biting the corner of her mouth fiercely.
It was a long time before Gu Yan released Yun Xiangye.
Seeing the anger in Gu Yan’s eyes, Yun Xiangye said, “So you know how it feels to be angry too.”
She looked at Gu Yan and continued, “Gu Yan, why are you angry again? Didn’t you also marry me only because you needed me for the marriage for good luck? If you had ever truly regarded me as your wife, you wouldn’t have put me in this situation today.
You know very well that your family has many businesses and your mother is usually busy with household affairs, needing a reasonable and tactful daughter-in-law to manage the household. For three years, you never once thought of teaching me how to be the daughter-in-law of the Princess’s estate.
In your eyes, I am nothing more than a wife you were forced to marry. In your heart, I am just someone dispensable.”
Gu Yan frowned deeply. “You’ve made enough of a scene these past two days, and I’ve taken your slap. No matter how angry you were, it should be gone by now.”
Yun Xiangye found it laughable. In his heart, he had never truly regarded her as his real wife.
Not only had he concealed his identity, but Gu Yan also knew his cousin had feelings for him yet still allowed her to stay at the Gu residence.
Just because she mentioned the young lady of the Wei family, he had scolded her for damaging his cousin’s reputation as a young woman. Could all of this be offset by a single slap?
Gu Yan lowered his head again and kissed the corner of Yun Xiangye’s lips. “Nuonuo is already two years old. It’s time to give her a little brother or sister.”
Yun Xiangye gave Gu Yan another slap. She already knew that she held no place in Gu Yan’s heart. She didn’t even know how to continue living in Chang’an City—how could she possibly bear a child with him?
Gu Yan received another slap on the other side of his face, looking at Yun Xiangye in utter disbelief. “Are you done yet?”
Yun Xiangye said, “As the esteemed son of Prince Ning, there are plenty of women willing to bear you a son. Not to mention others, Wei Nian would be the first to volunteer. And those ladies in your chambers, Lanyi and Zhuyi, probably can’t wait to give you a few more sons.”
Gu Yan reached out and covered Yun Xiangye’s red lips. “Yun Xiangye! Do you think Chang’an City is like your little town of Yongxing in Jiangnan? Why do you keep tarnishing the reputation of my cousin Wei Nian, an innocent young lady? If you’re angry with me, you can vent your frustrations on me—hit me, scold me—but what does it have to do with other women?”
“Lanyi and Zhuyi have served me for many years. Even during the years I was away from Chang’an, they kept my residence and storerooms in perfect order. Even if you’re jealous, you shouldn’t make baseless accusations…”
Yun Xiangye grabbed Gu Yan’s hand with both of hers and bit down hard on the back of his hand, not letting go until the taste of blood filled her mouth.
Gu Yan stared at Yun Xiangye in shock.
He had first met Yun Xiangye in February. At the time, he was boating on the lake with friends when he spotted two women on a small boat across the water. He shouldn’t have looked for too long, but seeing the two sisters swimming and laughing, speaking the soft Wu-Yue dialect of Jiangnan, he couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.
Unexpectedly, Yun Xiangye fell into the lake. She knew how to swim, but her clothes that day became tangled, preventing her from moving freely. She was on the verge of drowning.
Without a second thought for propriety, Gu Yan jumped into the lake to save her. Only after rescuing her did he learn that she was the well-known owner of the Five-Color Embroidery Workshop in Fangqiao Town, Yongxing City.
At fifteen, she had lost both parents and registered as an independent female householder. Gentle and dignified, whenever families in Fangqiao Town married off daughters or welcomed new brides, they would seek Yun Xiangye to embroider their wedding garments.
Later, Gu Yan fell seriously ill after being submerged in the cold water of the late winter lake in February, and his condition persisted despite treatment.
His mother was a physician, so he never believed in the superstitions of charlatans and fortune-tellers about marriage for good luck curing illnesses.
But at the time, his uncle Prince Xiang and his aunt were deeply worried. In his feverish state, he agreed to the arrangement.
After all, Gu Yan thought that since he had rescued Yun Xiangye from the water, she would likely be unable to marry anyone else in the future.
After their marriage, Yun Xiangye remained gentle and caring, brewing medicine for him, feeding him, and tending to him with meticulous care.
After having a child, Yun Xiangye became an even better wife. Over the past three years, though they may not have been deeply in love, their life together was peaceful and content.
Yet, after only two days back in Chang’an, she had completely abandoned her usual gentleness and grace, slapping him twice with such force?
And now, like a child throwing a tantrum, she had bitten his hand so fiercely.
Yun Xiangye released Gu Yan’s hand, her eyes red and brimming with tears as she began packing her belongings.
Gu Yan stepped forward and grasped her hand. “Can you be reasonable? You’re the one who bit me and hit me, yet you’re the one crying?”
Yun Xiangye wiped her tears with the back of her hand, shook off Gu Yan’s grip, and continued packing her bags.
Gu Yan felt a headache coming on. He pulled Yun Xiangye into his arms once more and said, “Xiangye, you weren’t like this before. Why have you become so unreasonable these past two days?”
Yun Xiangye said, “Gu Yan, what feelings Wei Nian harbors for you, I refuse to believe you don’t know! Yesterday, she called you ‘cousin’ but addressed me as ‘Miss Yun’—didn’t you hear? Am I not worthy of being called ‘cousin-in-law’ by her?”
Gu Yan sighed helplessly, “You’re being too petty. It’s just a form of address. I’ll have Wei Nian call you ‘cousin-in-law’ tomorrow.”
Yun Xiangye retorted, “Yes, I’m petty. Then write me a letter of divorce—”
Hearing the words “divorce,” Gu Yan grew truly irritated. He silenced her by pressing his lips against her red ones, cutting off the rest of her sentence…
He pulled her out to the outer chamber and kicked the inner room door shut with his foot…
Outside, the north wind howled, the windows occasionally creaked, and the shadows of trees swayed beyond the panes.
On the small couch in the outer room, Yun Xiangye tried to push Gu Yan away, but the disparity in their strength forced her to relent.
Moreover, Nuonuo was sleeping in the inner room, and Yun Xiangye dared not make too much noise, fearing she might wake the child.
Unable to free herself, Yun Xiangye vented her frustration by digging her nails into Gu Yan’s fair back, which only spurred him to torment her further…
Much later, Yun Xiangye lay in Gu Yan’s arms, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.
Gu Yan’s voice whispered beside her ear, “Will you still talk about divorce from now on?”
Furious and resentful of the physical disparity between men and women, Yun Xiangye closed her eyes and pretended to be exhausted, feigning sleep. As she pretended, she could feel Gu Yan gently washing her, and eventually, the pretense turned into real slumber.
The next morning.
Before returning to Chang’an, Gu Yan had been appointed as a Censor. Today was his first day attending court and reporting to his office.
As Gu Yan stepped out, he encountered his parents waiting for him at the main gate.
From afar, he could hear his father’s jealous tone.
“In all these years, I’ve never seen you get up early to see me off to court. But for Gu Yan’s first day, no matter how busy you are, you’re happy to rise early and send him off, never minding the cold.”
Xie Zhixuan smiled faintly. “After all, it’s Yan’er’s first day at court. I won’t send him off in the future. Yan’er is here now, so don’t be jealous. Aren’t you afraid our son will laugh at you?”
“Father, Mother.”
Gu Yan approached the gate and bowed in greeting.
In the winter, the sky was still dark at the hour of Mao. Only as Gu Yan drew near did Xie Zhixuan and Gu Ling see their son’s face clearly under the lantern light.
On both of Gu Yan’s cheeks were symmetrical, swollen red handprints, suggesting the slap had been delivered with considerable force.
Gu Ling chuckled and said, “Your wife seems meek, timid, and fragile, but who would have thought she’s a martial arts master?”
Gu Yan, puzzled by his father’s words, asked, “Hmm?”