“Has he kissed you so deeply?”
He must be mad—to feel guilty over her being struck, to still ache for Pu Jinyu’s beating despite her betrayal, to be reluctant to kill her.
Her current plight was entirely of her own making.
Suppressing the fury in his heart, Yan Chiyun spoke coldly and rigidly, “I will handle this matter myself.”
“But—” Madam Pu tried to speak again.
Yan Chiyun directly cut her off. “Attendants!” His subordinates immediately appeared, awaiting his orders.
“Escort my mother-in-law back.”
With these words, even if Madam Pu wished to stay, it was impossible.
She glared resentfully at Pu Jinyu on the ground, instinctively wanting to threaten her. Yet, fearing she might alert the enemy and reveal a flaw in Yan Chiyun’s presence, she ultimately said nothing, suppressing her anger as she left with a furious expression.
After she departed, only he and she remained.
Now that midsummer had passed and autumn approached, the guest chamber was connected to the lakeside pavilion. With the window lattice wide open, the evening breeze blew in, stirring a chill.
Goosebumps rose on Pu Jinyu’s arms.
Yan Chiyun looked down at the woman on the ground, disheveled and utterly wretched.
Some time had passed, yet she still sat motionless on the floor, covering her face, as rigid and lifeless as a wooden stake.
Yan Chiyun considered himself a man of considerable patience, but facing her, he felt almost defeated. How could she remain so indifferent even at this point?
He did not understand why she had secretly engaged in an affair, and even sought to expose herself to death after being discovered.
Under normal circumstances, shouldn’t she have denied it or pleaded for mercy?
But she did not. Her calmness was eerie, even terrifying. The first words she spoke were to request a divorce from him.
Did she like that Cheng Wenque so much that she wanted to be with him after the divorce? What about that damned, worthless, and ugly man surpassed him, surpassed him in any way, that made her feel moved?
Even if he divorced her, did she not consider that, given how far things had escalated, Cheng Wenque would marry her? That man was not worth her struggle.
Thinking of this, Yan Chiyun suddenly laughed mockingly at himself. Cheng Wenque was not worth her struggle, but what about her—this woman who had publicly trampled on his dignity before everyone at his third brother’s Wedding Banquet—was she worth his defense, worth his struggle for her?
Not only did Madam Pu and Madam Yan fail to understand his protection, even he himself did not know why he had so quickly stepped in front of her. Seeing her slapped, he felt choked with guilt—how laughable.
In short… it made no sense.
After everyone left, the surroundings fell silent, the atmosphere deathly still. Yan Chiyun’s inner fury, having reached its peak, gradually cooled. Looking at her state and observing her reaction, he felt something was amiss.
He sensed something was wrong; none of this seemed quite right.
But at this moment, his anger had not completely dissipated; gloom still lingered in his chest.
If he had not fallen for this detestable woman who betrayed him, he would not have been so violently out of control, unable to calm down for so long.
He could have handled this matter rationally and coldly, without letting it escalate to such an embarrassing extent.
It was all because he had developed feelings for her. Her act of adultery not only trampled upon the Yan Family’s reputation but also genuinely wounded the budding affection he had for her. He was disappointed in her and filled with hatred.
This tangled mix of emotions was unfamiliar and intense, causing him to lose control and fail to notice the many people approaching the Front Hall, leading to so many witnesses.
Another short while passed, and she still showed no sign of movement, as if she intended to remain slumped there until the end of time.
Yan Chiyun watched her coldly and was the first to speak. “Pu Wange, don’t you have anything to explain to me?”
After all this time, she should have calmed down by now.
Yet she remained silent. The night breeze stirred, and her hair swayed with the wind, wrapping around her delicate face and accentuating her fragility. Apart from the small, finely shaped chin that was visible, he also caught sight of her slender fingers.
Madam Pu’s slap had been exceptionally forceful—so much so that even a man like him, accustomed to the harsh punishments and agonized screams of Zhaoyu Prison, couldn’t help but frown.
It was true that Pu Wange had committed adultery, disgracing both families, but Madam Pu was her own mother. After all, she was her own flesh and blood. No matter how angry she was, was it really necessary to strike with such force?
A woman’s appearance was of utmost importance. Wasn’t she afraid of permanently damaging her own daughter’s face?
Moreover, from the moment she discovered the incident to bursting in, Madam Pu hadn’t even asked Pu Wange for an explanation. She immediately sought to beat her to death, even taking matters into her own hands.
She showed not the slightest bit of protection for Pu Wange. Judging by her words and actions just now, there was almost none at all—as if Pu Wange were not her daughter but an enemy.
Had he been so consumed by anger that he was seeing things incorrectly? How could he even doubt whether Madam Pu was her real mother, simply because she had struck her so harshly and was determined to kill her without hesitation? Did that make Madam Pu cruel?
Or was it because he cared for Pu Wange that he instinctively resented Madam Pu for laying hands on her?
At this thought, his expression turned icy.
As he gazed at her profile, he found himself unconsciously wanting to crouch down and brush aside her long hair to see just how severe her injuries were.
He couldn’t do that. Pu Wange had yet to offer any explanation for her adultery. He had asked her several times, and she hadn’t responded. Why should he step forward to examine her injuries? That would be far too demeaning.
“How long do you intend to remain silent?” he asked again, his voice cold.
Pu Jinyu still ignored him.
“Fine,” Yan Chiyun laughed coldly, angered once more by her silence. “Very well.”
With that, he turned and left without another glance in her direction.
The sound of the man’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance until it disappeared entirely. Only then did Pu Jinyu slowly rise to her feet.
She brushed aside her hair, found a hairpin on the ground, and hastily pinned her hair up, revealing a swollen and frighteningly bruised cheek. The blood at the corner of her mouth had already begun to dry, and her rouge was smeared into a messy blotch.
Even injured like this, her face showed no emotion, nor did she display any sign of pain. She draped the Silk Shawl over her shoulders, straightened her dress, and glanced at the shattered tables, chairs, and benches. Her gaze lingered on the broken lantern candle for a moment before she turned and walked out.
But as soon as she reached the doorway, she was stopped by the men Yan Chiyun had left behind.
“Young Madam, the master has instructed us to escort you back to your courtyard.”
Pu Jinyu said nothing and followed them.
Passing through the Chuihua Gate, the lively atmosphere of the front hall seemed to linger, but it no longer concerned her.
She walked quietly until she returned to the courtyard.
All the maidservants who usually attended to her had vanished, including Siyan, leaving her completely alone. The entire inner chamber felt vast, empty, and terrifying.
Just as she steadied herself, she heard the sound of a lock clicking shut outside the door. Not only had Yan Chiyun left guards to watch over her, but he had also locked her in?
Pu Jinyu did not make a fuss. She turned and stared at the tightly shut door for a moment before entering the bathing chamber to wash up and change into clean clothes. She then applied medicinal ointment and cosmetics to her face.
As night fell, Yan Chiyun did not come. Pu Jinyu climbed onto the bed to rest. She was truly exhausted today—no, to be precise, she had been exhausted all along. Now that this matter was done, with the scent of medicine lingering on her face, she closed her eyes and soon drifted into sleep.
In contrast to the quiet of the courtyard, the atmosphere in the Yan Family’s front hall after the guests had departed was tense and stifling. Madam Yan was so furious that she slumped into an armchair, while an elderly maid beside her patted her chest, urging her to take care of her health. General Yan’s expression was equally grim.
Faced with the Yan Family’s accusations, Madam Pu remained firm in her demand to take the person away, promising to give the Yan Family an explanation in due time.
Yan Chiyun looked at the woman across from him and asked knowingly, “What kind of explanation does Mother-in-Law intend to give the Yan Family?”
Meeting the man’s inscrutable gaze, Madam Pu avoided a direct answer and instead spoke evasively, “Naturally, it will be an answer that satisfies the Yan Family.”
“Does Mother-in-Law intend to kill her?” As he asked this, Yan Chiyun’s eyes remained fixed on Madam Pu’s face.
He noticed that Madam Pu’s expression showed no trace of concern for Pu Wange—only an urgent, burning anger. She wanted to swiftly dispose of her own daughter.
Why was there not a hint of tenderness or care? Could it be that Pu Wange was not her biological daughter?
This strange thought resurfaced in his mind, but he remained composed, revealing nothing.
No matter how strained the relationship between mother and daughter, when it came to matters of life and death, surely it couldn’t be this cold-hearted?
Even a vicious tiger does not devour its own cubs. If it were merely because the Pu Family was in decline and could not afford to offend the Yan Family, why would she be even more eager than the Yan Family to swiftly eliminate her own daughter? If he recalled correctly, this was her only daughter.
Yan Chiyun couldn’t help but wonder if it was Madam Pu’s ruthlessness that had shaped her daughter’s cold and peculiar temperament.
“She has committed such a shameless act. Does my esteemed son-in-law still intend to keep her?” Madam Pu was also watching Yan Chiyun closely.
As someone with more life experience, this time, Madam Pu clearly saw it—Yan Chiyun was reluctant to part with that little wretch, Pu Jinyu.
Indeed, if he hadn’t developed feelings for her, why would he have been so enraged and so concerned about the little wretch’s adultery? He had even taken her back, ostensibly to confine her, but likely out of fear that Madam Pu would try to beat or kill her again.
No, Yan Chiyun absolutely must not develop feelings for that little wretch, Pu Jinyu. While their affection was still shallow, it was necessary to completely sever the bond between them.
She absolutely could not stay. Yan Chiyun was now the head of the Yan Family, a man whose word was law.
If not for his interference, she would have already beaten Pu Jinyu to death or taken her away, as Madam Yan and General Yan had already agreed to her proposal.
If Pu Jinyu did not die, she had a premonition that the matter of the substitute marriage would eventually be exposed, because Pu Jinyu was gradually slipping out of control. If not for Concubine Ruan still being in the Pu Family, who knew what she might do.
“There may be more to this matter,” Yan Chiyun said.
General Yan, Madam Yan, and Lord Pu, who had remained silent since learning of this matter, all turned to look at him.
“What more could there be?” Madam Pu retorted, her heart already tense with anxiety.
“I will speak once I have investigated thoroughly.”
Originally, they intended to summon Cheng Wenque for questioning, but who would have thought that after being locked in the firewood shed, Cheng Wenque had fainted and was on the brink of death.
Initially, they planned to let him fend for himself, but Yan Chiyun, considering the peculiarities of the situation, still had someone examine him. However, it was merely an examination—no effort was needed to treat him, just enough to keep him barely alive.
Yan Chiyun did not engage further with Madam Pu, only telling General Yan that he had just managed to placate the noblewomen who had witnessed the incident. To the outside world, it was explained as a misunderstanding. If they were to punish Pu Wange internally now, others would surely gossip endlessly.
Even if they dared not openly criticize the Yan Family, who could control what was said in private?
General Yan looked at him for a moment. “Very well. Since you are now the head of the household, you have the final say. Handle this matter as you see fit.”
“Master!” Madam Yan was very dissatisfied and immediately called out to General Yan. But before she could say anything more, General Yan raised his hand and frowned. “Enough. The Li Family’s young lady has just entered our household. No matter how serious this matter is, it must be suppressed for now.”
Even if Pu Wange were to be punished, it could not be done at this moment, or else the Li Family would also become involved.
With General Yan having spoken thus, Madam Pu could only suppress her resentment. She looked toward Lord Pu.
He stood up. “In-laws, no matter what, this matter is the fault of the Pu Family. It is because her mother and I spoiled her too much from a young age that she became ignorant of her limits and committed such a grave mistake. A married woman follows her husband. Since the Yan Family has already made a decision, whatever punishment is decided, the Pu Family will have no objections.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Pu sneered inwardly.
Madam Yan did not respond. General Yan, with a cold expression, reluctantly nodded in acknowledgment.
Before leaving, Madam Pu requested to see Pu Jinyu, but Yan Chiyun said it was getting late and suggested they meet another day.
On the way back, Madam Pu could not help but make sarcastic remarks in the carriage to Lord Pu, saying that this was the behavior of a daughter born to a concubine. Even if she wore the skin of a legitimate daughter, her bones were still tainted with lowly ways.
At first, Lord Pu paid no attention, but as Madam Pu grew more and more impassioned, he could no longer bear it and asked her how much longer she intended to go on, urging her to let it rest.
“Does the Master actually feel sorry for that little wretch? For so many years, she has monopolized everything that belonged to Wange, enjoying fine clothes and lavish food. And now, she even uses Wange’s identity to carry on illicit affairs, ruining Wange’s reputation and destroying everything our Pu Family has built! How much longer will you shield her?!”
Did he think she hadn’t understood the true meaning behind his words at the Yan Family’s residence?
Lord Pu’s expression turned grim, but he did not want to argue with her.
Madam Pu grew increasingly aggressive, saying that if Pu Jinyu remained so ungovernable and the matter of the substitute marriage were exposed, they might as well all perish together.
No sooner had these words been spoken than the carriage came to a halt at the entrance of the Pu Family. Madam Pu did not wait for Lord Pu and was the first to step down from the carriage. Judging by the direction she headed, she was likely going to vent her anger and settle scores with Concubine Ruan.
Lord Pu frowned but said nothing.
In truth, regarding the matter of the substitute marriage, nearly four years had passed. Even if it were exposed now, it might not bring only misfortune.
Earlier at the Yan Family, what Madam Pu had observed—Yan Chiyun’s lingering affection for Pu Jinyu—Lord Pu, being a man himself, could hardly have missed.
Thus, he had remained silent until the Yan Family made their decision, only then did he speak up to express his stance.
Given the current circumstances, even if Pu Jinyu’s true identity were revealed, though she might no longer be fit to be the mistress of the Yan Family, she could still serve as Yan Chiyun’s concubine.
As long as the two remained connected, the ties between the Yan Family and the Pu Family would persist. With both being daughters, at this point, distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate had lost its meaning.
Madam Pu, having bottled up a bellyful of anger at the Yan Family and then hitting a wall with Lord Pu, seized Concubine Ruan. This time, she didn’t order the servants to act but personally stepped forward to kick and strike Concubine Ruan, as if pouring all the force she hadn’t used on Pu Jinyu at the Yan Family onto Concubine Ruan instead.
Unlike Pu Jinyu, who remained unmoved, Concubine Ruan did not take the beating meekly, especially after Madam Pu scratched her face with her nails.
Enraged, she fought back, grabbing Madam Pu’s hair and kicking and hitting even more fiercely.
In no time, Madam Pu found herself at a disadvantage and had to call for the servants to help restrain Concubine Ruan.
Under their roof, Concubine Ruan was beaten until her hair was disheveled, and blood trickled from her mouth. Knowing when to yield, she immediately begged for mercy, swearing she would never dare again.
But this time, Madam Pu was truly ruthless. She ordered a knife brought to her, intending to ruin Concubine Ruan’s face.
From Madam Pu’s earlier scolding, Concubine Ruan had already learned of Pu Jinyu’s affair. Thinking of how Pu Jinyu had been neglecting her lately, she inwardly wished she could rush to the Yan Family and teach that worthless girl a lesson.
Who would have thought that before she could even curse a few words, Madam Pu was already set on disfiguring and killing her? Concubine Ruan wept bitterly, pleading for mercy repeatedly while signaling with her eyes to those nearby.
Her trusted maid, taking advantage of the old matrons’ inattention, slipped away to inform Lord Pu.
By the time Lord Pu arrived, Concubine Ruan’s face had already been slashed twice. She cried as if her heart were breaking, saying Madam Pu might as well kill her and cursing Madam Pu as a venomous woman.
“Enough!” Lord Pu roared angrily.
Madam Pu halted her actions. Seeing her savior arrive, Concubine Ruan immediately threw herself into Lord Pu’s arms, weeping pitifully and calling out “Master,” clinging to him with a fragile, helpless demeanor that was a stark contrast to her earlier wailing.
Seeing the wounds on her face, Lord Pu frowned and quickly ordered someone to fetch a physician.
“You have gone too far!” Lord Pu shielded Concubine Ruan and shouted at Madam Pu. “Look at the state you’re in! Is this the conduct of a lady from a noble family?”
“I’ve gone too far?” Madam Pu, with her hair disheveled and tears in her eyes, let out a deranged laugh. “Pu Mingdong, who exactly has gone too far?”
“This vile woman ruined me, and now her daughter has ruined my daughter’s face and reputation! How can you expect me to swallow this anger?”
Only by slashing this vile woman’s face could she quell the hatred in her heart.
Madam Pu charged forward again. Lord Pu quickly stepped between her and Concubine Ruan, calling for others to come in and take her away.
Concubine Ruan was still crying in his arms, and Lord Pu patiently coaxed her for a few words.
“…”
The Pu Family was in turmoil, while the Yan Family appeared calm yet was far from peaceful.
Yan Chiyun did not return to the courtyard. Instead, he went to another courtyard to handle official matters. Though he claimed to be attending to business, he couldn’t focus on the complicated official documents at all. The account books from the gambling den even showed obvious omissions in the review.
If this continued, problems were bound to arise. He pushed all the documents and account books aside, closed his eyes, and raised a hand to cover his tightly furrowed brow, obscuring his handsome features.
After a moment of silence, he asked the subordinate beside him, “Where is she?”
“The guards reported that the young mistress returned, bathed, applied medicine, and rested.”
“Asleep?” Could she really sleep?
“…Yes.”
The subordinate clearly sensed his master’s foul mood and responded hesitantly, his voice slightly lowered, fearing that trouble might spread and affect him as well.
Yan Chiyun was once again so angry that he laughed.
She had turned the household upside down, tangled his emotions into a mess, yet she herself had peacefully drifted off to sleep?
Yan Chiyun laughed in anger, nodding repeatedly. After a long while, he rose with a grim expression and left the courtyard.
After these days of indulgence, Pu Jinyu’s body was no longer as instinctively tense from discipline as before, but her vigilance remained high.
As she turned over, she felt a gaze fixed upon her. She slowly opened her eyes to look.
Sure enough, she saw a tall, slender figure standing at the edge of the bed. The man’s handsome face was half-hidden in the shadows, his gaze fixed on her side. It was unclear how long he had been there, standing and watching.
Pu Jinyu was indeed startled at first. After all, it was late at night, and suddenly discovering someone standing at the edge of your bed, staring intently at you, would frighten anyone.
She was even startled into a moment of clarity, but she quickly regained her composure. The fear on her face gradually faded as she stared directly at the man’s face without speaking, meeting his gaze without any evasion.
Madam Pu had indeed struck with great force. Her face was more severely injured than he had imagined, her delicate features swollen to nearly twice their size. By the moonlight and faint candlelight, even the terrifying bruises could be seen.
He instinctively wanted to ask if she had applied medicine, but then he remembered the servant saying she already had.
The servant said she was asleep. At first, he didn’t believe it, but when he came to check, she truly was asleep.
Even with injuries on her face, she slept soundly, not even noticing his presence until she turned over in her sleep. Her makeup was as impeccably applied as ever.
After what happened today, did she feel no guilt, no distress, no concern at all?
Did she not consider that her actions would cause her husband pain, sorrow, or disappointment?
How could she sleep? And sleep so soundly at that.
“So you can still be afraid.”
After a long while, his emotions churning violently, Yan Chiyun sneered and uttered these words.
He was referring to how she had been frightened by him.
She wasn’t afraid when caught in adultery, yet she was scared to see him in the middle of the night?
Listening to the man’s mocking tone, looking at his gloomy face, and sensing his still-raging, almost pained state, Pu Jinyu found it all truly novel.
In her previous life, she had been with Yan Chiyun for so long, until she died of heart failure during a difficult childbirth, yet she had never seen Yan Chiyun so furious.
She never expected that he would care so much about her having an affair with someone else, losing his composure to such an extent, and that his loss of composure would last so long.
If he cared so much, why did he come looking for her? To kill her? It didn’t seem like it.
She continued to watch him, like a beautiful little mute, her dark, soft long hair cascading down her back, her entire appearance soft and dignified to the extreme. Those bright, sparkling eyes stared at him, making his heart tremble with uncontrollable longing.
Today, the intimate scene between her and Cheng Wenque, along with the words they exchanged, lingered in his mind, refusing to fade. He should have been disgusted. He shouldn’t have come looking for her again; even a single glance at her should have filled him with loathing. So why did his heart still stir?
He hated her—hated her calmness, hated her refusal to explain, and hated even more his own weakness and the stirrings of his heart, as well as his own entanglement. What was he doing coming to her in the middle of the night? To let her humiliate him?
How laughable, though he couldn’t quite say what exactly was so laughable.
What good would an explanation do? If she claimed Cheng Wenque had seduced her, would he forgive her?
He had seen it with his own eyes, heard it with his own ears—it wasn’t the other party who had taken the initiative. Instead, it was she…
Pu Jinyu didn’t respond. She watched the turmoil in his emotions, the restlessness that gradually made his chest rise and fall visibly.
Suddenly, she curved her lips slightly, shifting her position slightly by the bedside before looking at him again.
Yan Chiyun understood her meaning all too well from her actions. Was this how she had treated that man surnamed Cheng as well?
“What do you take me for?” And what did she take herself for?
His face remained dark as he questioned her.
Faced with the man’s visibly deepening anger, the amusement in Pu Jinyu’s eyes grew. She wasn’t afraid of him in the slightest. Instead, she even reached out toward him, spreading her arms as if asking for an embrace.
Yan Chiyun watched her demeanor, his expression darkening as he narrowed his eyes. He let out a scornful laugh. “Pu Wange, you are utterly repulsive.”
Even in the face of his rebuke and insults, she remained smiling, her expression unchanged.
Even with injuries on half her face, she didn’t appear ugly in the slightest; instead, she looked utterly pitiable.
After a moment of staring at each other, he suddenly took a deep breath, let out a few self-mocking chuckles, and turned to leave.
She watched as the man strode away with long, swift steps, his elegant and carefree figure quickly disappearing into the Inner Chamber.
The beaded curtains and jade drapes, lifted and dropped in haste, swayed and collided, producing crisp and pleasant sounds.
Pu Jinyu didn’t watch for long. She was about to lie down and go back to sleep, but as soon as her head touched the soft pillow, a gust of wind carrying a cool, refreshing scent swept open the bed curtains.
Her waist was gripped, her chin held, and her lips were captured in a kiss.
The man, seething with anger, had returned. He knelt on the Bed, dragged her out from under the covers, and unerringly found her lips, kissing her with fierce intensity.
It had been nearly four years since their marriage, but it was only in the past six months that Yan Chiyun had begun kissing her lips frequently. Yet, those kisses had always been gentle, never as fierce as this.
Moreover, she had always known he disliked the rouge on her face and the red tint on her lips. Whenever he kissed her, he rarely lingered on her lips.
He particularly enjoyed delving deeper, plundering the softness of her tongue, her breath, and her very essence, refusing to withdraw for a long time.
But even when the kisses were deep and prolonged, they were always gentle, mindful of her feelings and attuned to her breathing.
This time, he lingered on her lips for a long while, kissing, nibbling, and sucking repeatedly, as if trying to devour the lipstick on her lips and erase any trace of another man’s presence.
She couldn’t tell how long he had been biting and kissing her lips, but it felt like an eternity. She even began to feel a burning pain on her lips.
Without the slightest pause, he forced her lips apart, gripped her cheeks, and kissed his way inside.
His large hand gripped her shoulder, pressing her entire body beneath him, confining her within his control, allowing no struggle nor any chance to escape.
The man began a new round of plundering, savage kisses, sweeping through every corner of her fragrant lips, tugging at her soft tongue, turning and sucking over and over.
The sound of kissing echoed clearly by the bedside; she could hardly bear it, gasping for air, breathing heavily.
But he did not let her go, kissing her until her breath grew rapid and her vision darkened.
Only when she was nearly suffocated by his kisses, on the verge of fainting, did the man reluctantly pull away from her lips.
Their lips and tongues were fiercely entangled, silvery strands of moisture clinging between them.
Her eyes were dazed, tears brimming at the corners, as she heard the man ask in a deep voice,
“Did he ever kiss you this deeply?”
[Author’s Note]
Here we are! This chapter randomly drops a Luck-piecing red envelope [rainbow fart].
Thank you all for your support.