A cool wind poured in along Yu Xi’s neck; her faintly sweating back turned cold in an instant.
Outside, a crashing rain had begun, pouring without end.
Distracted, Yu Xi pricked her finger on the embroidery needle, a bright bead of blood welling up.
She looked up at Lu Zhi, the dark, overcast sky outside framing his face; the wild wind billowed his robes, but he stood perfectly still, his expression cold.
Yu Xi lowered her head, not sure whether he’d come to demand an explanation or something else, still holding onto a trace of hope. “Husband, have you come to ask why I quarreled with cousin?”
In Lu Zhi’s mind, Gao Zhengyu was frail and virtuous, sensible and understanding, if the two had quarreled, it was likely Yu Xi who had caused trouble first, given her history of domineering behavior.
Seeing her uneasy expression now, his suspicion only solidified further. He lowered his lashes. “I’ve told you before, now that you’ve married me, you need to rein in your words and actions. Tomorrow morning, you will go apologize to cousin.”
Thunder cracked suddenly, and Yu Xi’s eyes widened slightly, she felt so wronged.
“But, but you haven’t even asked why I quarreled with her, I won’t apologize, I refuse to apologize to her!”
Seeing her so utterly immovable, Lu Zhi’s patience began to wear thin, his voice turning cold. “Yu Xi, I’ve already indulged you again and again. What more do you want?”
Yu Xi bit her lip, lowering her head slightly. “But I didn’t do anything wrong.”
She disliked Gao Zhengyu, and she cared about what her husband had gone through, that was why she’d lashed out at Gao Zhengyu with harsh words.
But right now, Yu Xi’s heart felt as though it were shattering into pieces. Her eyes reddened, and she gripped her handkerchief, saying nothing.
The servants closed all the windows in the room, but the wind’s howling didn’t lessen, instead battering the window frames, growing even noisier.
Watching Yu Xi like this, Lu Zhi opened his mouth, thinking of the news Madam Lu had just brought him, that Gao Zhengyu had been so enraged she’d coughed up blood.
If Yu Xi refused to apologize, she would surely face criticism throughout the capital in the future, accused of having a vicious heart, unable to tolerate others.
Regardless of right or wrong, regardless of what people would say, this apology had to be made, Yu Xi had no choice.
“Will you go or not?”
“Not going,” Yu Xi’s stubborn streak flared up too, and she turned her head away, refusing to look at him. “I did nothing wrong, I won’t apologize.”
Having said this, she’d expected Lu Zhi to scold her thoroughly, but heard no sound for a long while.
Yu Xi turned her head uneasily, only to see Lu Zhi’s disappointed, cold gaze, before he turned and left.
Yu Xi froze, instinctively wanting to chase after him, but forced herself to hold back. Still, her tears wouldn’t stop falling no matter what, she thought Lu Zhi was so annoying, Gao Zhengyu was so annoying, everyone was so annoying.
“Wuwu…” Yu Xi slumped over the table and cried. “That damn broken medicine jar, annoying, annoying, annoying! Damn husband, annoying!”
Xique sighed, knowing no amount of comforting would help now. Since things had come to this, she might as well start packing, with things as they were, their young lady would surely obediently agree to go back to the marquis’s residence with her tomorrow.
Once they were back at the marquis’s residence, if their young lady wanted to find another handsome husband, the marquis and his wife could surely find her one.
·
The heavy rain kept falling. Having coughed up blood, Gao Zhengyu’s face had turned even paler.
She forced a smile for Madam Lu. “Auntie, it’s truly not sister-in-law’s fault. I said the wrong thing and upset her, it’s all my fault.”
Madam Lu hesitated, on the verge of speaking, when Lanzhi, seeing this, quickly wiped away tears. “My lady, you have no idea, just now, the cousin’s wife called our young lady a broken medicine jar, said she deserved to have no mother to love her. Our young lady wanted to let it go, but the cousin’s wife kept pressing and scolding her, and our young lady got so upset it all came pouring out, this, this… my lady, you must stand up for our young lady!”
Although Madam Lu felt Yu Xi wasn’t the type to say such things, seeing her niece’s condition, she couldn’t help but feel for her, and said gently, “There, there, don’t hold this against your sister-in-law, she’s young and doesn’t understand things yet. I’ll have someone call her over right now to make amends to you.”
As she spoke, Madam Lu was about to send someone to call for Yu Xi, when she saw Lu Zhi arrive instead.
Madam Lu looked behind him, not seeing Yu Xi, and frowned. “Where’s Xi’er? She didn’t come?”
Lu Zhi shook his head and walked to Gao Zhengyu’s bedside. “Cousin, are you all right?”
Gao Zhengyu weakly tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Cousin, I’m fine, please don’t blame sister-in-law, it’s all my fault.”
As she said this, she coughed twice more, as if she might faint again at any moment.
Madam Lu hurriedly patted her back to help ease her breathing.
“Someone, go call the young mistress over,” Madam Lu said, displeased. “Whatever the case, she should at least come see how her cousin is doing. This is truly improper.”
“Mother,” Lu Zhi spoke up, pausing. “This matter truly was Yu Xi’s fault, but she’s frightened right now too.”
With that, Lu Zhi turned to Gao Zhengyu. “Cousin, husband and wife are one, since my wife did wrong, I bear responsibility too. Let me apologize to you on her behalf for now. Please rest well, and tomorrow I’ll bring her to see you personally.”
Gao Zhengyu paused. “Cousin, you’re apologizing to me on her behalf?”
Lu Zhi lowered his eyes. “Yes, cousin. If word of this got out, it wouldn’t reflect well on the Lu family’s reputation either. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
Gao Zhengyu’s breathing quickened, as if she truly felt the urge to cough up blood again, but she forced herself to hold it in. “All right, I’ll do as cousin says.”
Lu Zhi gave Gao Zhengyu a few more words of reassurance before leaving, with Madam Lu close behind him.
“I hadn’t meant to bring this up, but you’ve seen it yourself, Zhengyu’s health is already poor, and now that she’s been upset like this, it’ll only make finding her a match harder in the future…”
Madam Lu sighed. “I think you understand what I mean. Since it was Xi’er who caused this trouble, and you say husband and wife are one, why not take Zhengyu in as an equal wife.”
Lu Zhi frowned but didn’t answer. Once Xuanyu had the umbrella ready, he left without another word.
Madam Lu watched his retreating figure and sighed again, saying to those around her, “Have the whole household keep their mouths shut. If any gossip gets out, I will show no mercy.”
The servants in the courtyard all knelt down. “Yes, my lady.”
Inside the room, Gao Zhengyu had still been sulking, but hearing Lanzhi’s words, her face brightened. “Really?”
“This servant heard it with her own ears, absolutely true!” Lanzhi said, equally excited. “The lady wants the young master to take you as an equal wife!”
Color returned to Gao Zhengyu’s face, a flicker of triumph crossing her eyes. “Good. Once I marry in, I certainly won’t go easy on that Yu Xi!”
Just wait, Yu Xi would never be able to compete with her!
·
That night, lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Yu Xi cried for a while, then fell asleep, still muttering “hate husband” before drifting off.
Suddenly, a crack of thunder startled her, and Yu Xi’s eyes flew open.
She looked around in a panic, her voice thick with sobs. “Xique… husband? Where are you?”
The rain was too loud; the maid keeping watch outside hadn’t heard anything. Yu Xi hugged the blanket, trembling.
Another flash of white light streaked across the sky, and Yu Xi remembered that dream, remembered Xique telling her that after leaving, Lu Zhi had gone to stay a long while at Gao Zhengyu’s courtyard before leaving. Her heart ached terribly.
Amid the rumbling thunder, Yu Xi slipped on her shoes and, crying, ran toward the front courtyard.
She needed to explain everything clearly to her husband, it was because she found Gao Zhengyu so disagreeable that she’d cursed at her, and she absolutely refused to hand her husband over to anyone else.
It was late at night, and Lu Zhi had already gone to bed.
Xuanyu, asleep outside the door, immediately grew alert upon hearing someone approach. “Who’s there?”
Yu Xi ran up, crying, “Open the door, I need to see husband.”
Xuanyu startled. “My, my lady?”
Yu Xi was soaked through, her hem drenched with rain, looking utterly bedraggled.
Xique, having chased after her, hurried to drape a cloak over Yu Xi, saying to Xuanyu, “Why are you standing there like a fool? Go announce her!”
Xuanyu hesitated, their master had only just gone to sleep…
But Yu Xi had already stepped forward, pounding on the door. “Husband, open the door, I have something to tell you.”
No answer came from inside. Yu Xi cried, “Lu Zhi, open the door!”
Xuanyu startled, about to tell Yu Xi to stop shouting or their master would get angry, when the door opened.
Lu Zhi, in his nightclothes, frowned at the thoroughly bedraggled Yu Xi. “What are you causing trouble about now?”
The next moment, Yu Xi threw herself into his arms, her voice choked with sobs. “I need to explain, I never bullied cousin, husband, you have to believe me.”
Lu Zhi’s hand at his side moved slightly. He said to Xuanyu, “Bring two buckets of hot water.”
“Say what you need to say once we’re inside.”
Seeing the two of them go into the room, Xique’s heart grew anxious, and she stood watch by the door, worried something might happen.
Inside, Lu Zhi lit a lamp, Yu Xi following close behind him at every step.
As the room brightened, Lu Zhi finally got a clear look at her, Yu Xi’s face was covered in tears, her eyes swollen, more than half her body soaked through, trembling.
“Why put yourself through this?” Lu Zhi lowered his eyes and draped his own outer robe over her. “Are you cold?”
Yu Xi didn’t answer, but carefully caught the hem of his robe, leaning into his chest, sobbing, “Not cold.”
Lu Zhi let out a slow breath. “What did you want to say?”
Yu Xi’s tears fell again like a string of broken beads. “I really didn’t bully cousin, she was the one boasting about how you nearly lost your life back then searching for medicine for her, that’s why I called her a broken medicine jar, I didn’t want her joking about your life like that.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhi frowned. “So she coughed up blood because you angered her over this?”
Yu Xi nodded, looking up at him, then lowering her head again. “If you don’t believe me, never mind then…”
She knew there was no way Lu Zhi would believe her, after all, who would cough up blood over a remark like that.
“I believe you.” Lu Zhi said instead.
Yu Xi opened her mouth in surprise. “Husband, you… you believe me?”
“Mm,” Lu Zhi wiped the moisture from her face. “But you still need to go apologize to cousin tomorrow, otherwise it won’t sound good if word gets out.”
Yu Xi’s tears instantly turned to laughter, and she nuzzled against Lu Zhi’s waist again and again, but after only a couple of nuzzles, she started crying once more. “Wuwu, I thought you didn’t want me anymore, I was even starting to hate you…”
Lu Zhi shook his head, helpless. “You’re my wife. Whatever happens, I should still believe you.”
But Yu Xi was too stubborn, and he hadn’t wanted to be the first to back down either.
Delighted now, Yu Xi held onto him and wouldn’t let go, starting to act coy again. “But I got so scared tonight, husband, you have to sleep with me.”
“Go to sleep, then,” Lu Zhi said gently. “Dry off first.”
He believed Yu Xi, as long as she said it, he naturally believed her.
After all, they were husband and wife; he owed her that much trust.
The side room off the study wasn’t large. Yu Xi quickly dried off and burrowed into the blankets.
Her nightclothes were completely soaked, but she wasn’t shy about it, and pressed close to Lu Zhi in just her undergarment, saying sweetly, “Husband, hold me.”
The narrow bed left little room; Lu Zhi wrapped one arm around her. “Sleep now.”
Having just made up with him, Yu Xi didn’t want to sleep. She leaned against his shoulder, sniffing at him one moment, staring wide-eyed the next, then starting to sob again.
“Why are you crying again?” Lu Zhi asked.
“Feeling wronged,” Yu Xi’s nose stung. “I hate her.”
Lu Zhi wiped the tears from her face. “She’s a pitiable person.”
Yu Xi, arms wrapped around Lu Zhi’s neck, didn’t care whether Gao Zhengyu was pitiable or not, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. “Husband, you’re not allowed to write me a letter of divorce, not allowed to marry her, or I’ll never speak to you again.”
“Where do you keep hearing these things?”
She kept squirming restlessly, and Lu Zhi’s palm stroked her smooth back, fine strands of her hair catching around his fingertips.
He’d lost all desire for sleep too, and said patiently, “It’s late. I’ll hold you while you sleep.”
Yu Xi nodded, still misty-eyed with tears.
She lay quietly against Lu Zhi’s shoulder for a while, then lifted her head and kissed the corner of his lips, saying sweetly, “Husband, I like you best.”
Having said this, she buried her face against the side of his neck again, sobbing softly.
Lu Zhi held her waist, silent for a long while, then said, “What would make you stop crying?”
Yu Xi’s crying caught in her throat. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest. “But, but it hurts right here, it aches, husband, rub it for me… wuwu, it won’t hurt if you rub it.”