“For this lifetime, you will always be my wife.”
Yan Nantian leaned down, his cheek close to hers.
The familiar scent of sandalwood seemed to return.
Yun Zhao was dazed.
Her fingertips unconsciously stirred the water, creating small ripples.
The beautiful oath blurred in the water's reflection.
When his gaze fell upon her, Yun Zhao's shoulders trembled slightly, her fingers curling. "Plop," a large tear dropped into the water, splashing droplets.
He was immediately moved, his voice filled with heartache: "Don't cry, it's my fault, don't cry, Zhao Zhao."
Interrupted by her tears, he seemed to overlook something... As Yan Nantian's thoughts began to form, she turned and threw herself at him, hitting his chest and causing him to slightly stagger backward.
"I'm not crying!" She lifted her head, her dark, glistening eyes glaring at him fiercely.
Yan Nantian's gaze softened instantly.
He curved his eyes, leaned down, and with one hand pressed against her head, he pretended to seriously inspect her eyes: "...Hmm, you're not crying."
His smile was warm and certain.
Seeing him like this, Yun Zhao felt as if a wet, tangled ball of twine was wrapped around her chest—heavy, messy, and occasionally tugging at her heart, causing a dull pain.
He had figured out her thoughts, knowing she would soften upon seeing a gift.
This was a sincere, weighty affection.
If it were before, she would have already picked it up and held it close, not even wanting to put it down while eating or sleeping.
But now...
Yun Zhao huffed angrily: "You said it's impervious to water and fire, so let it soak in the cold water by itself!"
Yan Nantian chuckled: "Alright."
Neither of them glanced at the pitiful gauze again.
He led her to the window seat and pressed her down onto her own silver-furred cloud cushion.
He sat beside her, and the candlelight cast two shadows on the window paper.
As if they were a natural pair.
"Ah Zhao," he gazed down at her, his pale face unable to hide his weariness, his voice hoarse, "It's not that I didn't want to chase you, I just really didn't have the strength. You ran so fast, didn't even think to wait for me."
Yun Zhao turned her head to look at him.
He rarely showed such weakness, such grievance, such vulnerability.
Stripped of that warm, false mask, he looked languid and lacked energy. Yet, when he looked at her, his eyes sparkled with tiny lights.
Yun Zhao wasn't fooled and sneered, "No strength? Where's your internal energy then!"
Yan Nantian sighed: "Soaking in the depths of the sea."
Yun Zhao narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing him, trying to discern if he was lying.
He lightly pointed his chin toward the west hall, calmly telling her: "The healing is done with Imperial Physician Zhang's internal energy—the one you call the gourd old man. I don't have the energy to be a wandering doctor helping the world."
"Oh."
Yun Zhao believed him, but still remained expressionless and ignored him.
The two sat in silence.
Being together, not speaking didn't feel awkward at all.
Yan Nantian picked up some official documents to read, occasionally glancing at Yun Zhao and handing her tea or snacks.
Yun Zhao: "Yan Nantian."
He: "Hmm?"
Yun Zhao: "You look like a little eunuch with that fawning attitude."
He smiled faintly: "That won't do, silly Zhao."
The candlelight illuminated his gentle features.
Yun Zhao let out a light hum, continuing to ignore him.
The night deepened gradually.
Yun Zhao boredly tapped her heel against the edge of the seat, making noise intentionally to disturb Yan Nantian as he reviewed documents.
He lowered his gaze, his lips curling with a helpless smile layer after layer.
His posture remained "proper," looking quite dignified.
After a long while, he finally stacked the documents neatly and placed them into a golden brocade box.
He looked at her, amused: "Why are you staring at the hall entrance all the time?"
Yun Zhao lightly glanced at him and turned her gaze away, completely ignoring him.
He said: "Even if you gaze until your eyes are filled with the depths of autumn waters, no random person will barge in."
Yun Zhao: "???"
How did he know her mind was playing out various scenarios from storybooks?
Scenario One.
A palace maid suddenly bursts in, shouting: "Your Highness, it's bad! Our lady's old ailment has flared up!"
Scenario Two.
A frail maiden appears at the door, clutching her chest in disbelief, her doe-like eyes filled with sorrow: "You... you... you're already divorced, aren't you?!"
Scenario Three.
A dark, windy night...
Yan Nantian: "I've told you countless times, stop reading those low-quality storybooks."
Yun Zhao: "."
Yun Zhao: "I will read them!"
"Must you?" he asked slowly.
Yun Zhao provocatively looked at him, nodding slowly and deliberately.
Yan Nantian complied: "Then I'll write them for you."
"..." Yun Zhao was speechless, "I only read low-quality ones!"
Yan Nantian obediently: "Then I'll write low-quality ones."
Yun Zhao had no way to deal with him.
She had figured out his tactics—from the beginning, he had been trying to coax and guide her, deliberately ignoring that troublesome matter, pretending it didn't exist.
"Bang!"
Yun Zhao slammed the table and stood up.
Yan Nantian amusedly looked at her.
Yun Zhao's beautiful face was full of provocation, her chin held high as she strode out of the sleeping chamber.
He stood up and leisurely followed her.
Lanterns hung on both sides of the corridor, with lotus lamps and glowing stones embedded in the floor, making the entire Donghua Palace brightly lit, with no dark corners.
Yun Zhao pretended to stroll around the courtyard, intentionally or unintentionally passing by the west hall's door.
Once, twice, three, five times.
Inside, like all unoccupied chambers, only a faint candle burned.
It was eerily quiet, as if no living person was there.
Yun Zhao lingered for a long time, but no one jumped out to assert their presence, not even a cough or breath.
He was quite good at controlling the situation.
Yan Nantian smiled as he followed her, occasionally trying to tug at her sleeve.
Grab, pull back. Grab again, pull back again.
Finally, she tired of the game and let him hold her sleeve, following him back to their familiar place.
"Not angry anymore, okay?" he coaxed her patiently.
Yun Zhao: "No."
She completely disregarded her mother's teachings, coldly looking at Yan Nantian, she said defiantly: "I said it, unless she's sent away, I'll annul the engagement!"
He wanted her to brush it off, but she refused!
Yan Nantian's eyes darkened slightly: "Ah Zhao."
“Yan Nantian,” Yun Zhao lifted her face, unyielding, throwing down a challenge, “Don’t talk to me about brotherly affection. If you’re so loving, bring your third brother out of the cold palace and live together!”
The two of them had truly fought to the point of drawing blood.
The third brother lost and was imprisoned.
Yan Nantian was silent for a moment: "If doing so can make you less angry, it's not impossible."
Yun Zhao: "..."
He seriously thought about it: "Father won't mind, but I'm afraid the third brother's foul mouth might annoy you. If we poison his speech, it might be a bit troublesome, but not impossible—let's bring the third brother over tomorrow, shall we?"
Yun Zhao: "..."
Yun Zhao: "Yan Nantian!"
She was genuinely amused by him.
"But Ah Zhao," Yan Nantian innocently spread his hands, "I won't kill the third brother if he moves in. What about you?"
Yun Zhao glared at him, her bravado covering her inner weakness: "I'm not going to kill anyone!"
Yan Nantian lowered his eyes, chuckling softly.
"Really not?" he said slowly, reaching out and removing her hairpin.
Despite his frail appearance, his movements were swift.
Yun Zhao hurriedly raised her hand, but was a step too late.
Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, brushing her waist.
He held three black poison needles between his fingers, sighing: "Don't worry about pricking yourself."
Yun Zhao: "Mind your own business! Hey, hey, you—"
She flusteredly tried to stop him, but he easily dodged.
His movements flowed smoothly as he searched her and found a small dagger, a medicine pouch, a sleeping gas, a small crossbow... even a tiny green snake, about an inch long.
Holding it, it spits saliva at him.
Even Yan Nantian was a bit speechless.
His voice was weak: "..." Zhao ah.
Yun Zhao stared at the rather cute snake, her lips twitching slightly.
"Not stupid enough to hide poison in your mouth, are you?" he muttered, prying open her mouth and inspecting it from top to bottom.
Yun Zhao resigned herself to his manipulation.
Soon, all the weapons were confiscated, and she was once again harmless and pure.
He understood her, just as she understood him.
He led her to the bed, helped her arrange her hair, and asked her seriously: "Ah Zhao, since you already know my intentions, yet still insist on wanting to kill, is it for your mother?"
Yun Zhao huffed angrily, too lazy to correct his address: "Can't kill anymore, so what's there to talk about!"
Yan Nantian said, "That woman is your father's own flesh and blood. Are you disregarding your father and only siding with your mother?"
These words made Yun Zhao want to laugh.
She sneered, "And what else? Of course, I don't help whoever is in the wrong!"
"Ah," Yan Nantian understood, "I see. Whoever is in the wrong, our Ah Zhao won't help."
Yun Zhao was suspicious, not knowing what he was plotting.
Yan Nantian said, "But Ah Zhao, in this matter, the one who was wrong first is your mother."
Yun Zhao: "?!"
He quickly reached out and pressed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from jumping up.
"Wen Nuannuan's birth mother was a maidservant who helped your father understand human affairs before the wedding," Yan Nantian stated without emotion. "Originally, she was to be given a contraceptive potion and sent away, but your mother couldn't bear it and had her stuffed into a sack and drowned at sea."
Yun Zhao: "..."
That was something her own mother would do!
Yan Nantian continued, "Unfortunately, the maidservant was not meant to die. After being rescued, she discovered she was pregnant."
Yun Zhao closed her eyes.
Yan Nantian went on, "She gave birth to a daughter and later married a whale hunter surnamed Wen."
Yun Zhao suddenly had an ominous feeling: "Could it be that..."
"Yes," Yan Nantian smiled, "it's precisely that later renowned whale hunting hero, Wen Changkong, who was brutally murdered a few days ago, shocking the court."
Yan Nantian had gone to Whale Fall Sea specifically for this case.
Yun Zhao: "..."
"Ah Zhao," he raised his hand and, taking advantage of her distracted state, gently stroked her cheek, "Wen Nuannuan's background can no longer be hidden. If she says the wrong things or gets into trouble, it won't be good for Lady Xiangyang, understand?"
Yun Zhao, like a puppet, nodded her head woodenly.
"Our Ah Zhao is the smartest," he gently pulled her to his side, "don't get involved in this matter, leave it all to me, okay?"
Yun Zhao smelled a faint jasmine scent.
"Oh," her voice was hoarse, "okay."
"No more mischief, alright?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm."
"Good Ah Zhao."
He helped her lie down and tucked the blankets tightly around her.
Through the bedding, he gently patted her.
Since the age of ten, they no longer slept in the same bed, but he always stayed with her until she fell asleep.
Yun Zhao buried most of her face in the soft pillow.
After a long while, she made a sound like a small animal: "Yan Gege..."
His movements paused slightly, and he lowered his eyes, smiling faintly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart: "Yan Gege is here. Sleep peacefully."
"Mm-hmm."
She hid her eyes as well.
Indeed, she was the person in the world who understood him the most.
He knew that she would be moved by the gift, and she knew that he would be moved by her reaction.
So at that moment, she had taken the opportunity to slip the poison hidden under her fingernails into the water.
He had almost discovered it.
Fortunately, he still couldn't resist her tears.
She really was a bad woman.
Exploiting his vulnerability, calculating his sincerity.