Union

Chapter 161: Under Control

Yunying, who had just opened her eyes, was still unable to distinguish between dream and reality.

She still felt pain, especially when she saw the face she had longed for day and night, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

"I didn't want you to divorce her, I didn't force you..."

Chen Yanzhou held her hand in his palm.

She had been huddled in the blankets, so her hands should have been warm, but they weren't.

Her hands were as cold as ice cubes; even just holding them in her palms felt freezing.

Chen Yanzhou brought her hand to his lips, warming her with his breath and body heat.

He also felt both amused and exasperated. "I divorced her because we couldn't live together anymore. What does it have to do with you? What are you thinking? Why are you taking the blame? I've only ever seen people take the blame for themselves. This is the first time I've ever seen someone take the initiative to assume responsibility."

As Chen Yanzhou spoke, he couldn't help but laugh.

Yunying suddenly froze at this moment.

She thought it was all a dream, but wasn't it a dream?

She moved her fingers; the skin she touched was warm, and his breath was incredibly hot.

He held her hand tightly, unwilling to let go. Seeing her eyes were misty, he gently bit her hand in his mouth.

It won't hurt, but it will definitely wake Yunying up completely.

Upon waking, Yunying stared intently at Chen Yanzhou for a long while before slowly touching his face.

Chen Yanzhou turned his head and kissed her palm. "It's real, not fake. Are you still half asleep? You can't even tell the difference between reality and dreams."

Yunying was now completely awake.

She struggled to sit up, looking in front, behind, left, and right, but refusing to look at Chen Yanzhou.

Chen Yanzhou just kept smiling and didn't try to get her to talk. He just stared at her, which gradually made Yun Ying's eyes redden.

Chen Yanzhou couldn't hold back any longer and pulled her into his arms. He first wiped away her tears, then lowered his head and asked, "Why are you crying again? Who was gossiping about you? Or have you been upset because I haven't come to see you for so many days?"

Yunying sobbed for a while, but eventually felt that crying was too dramatic, so she decisively stopped crying.

But thinking about her dream, and how she was condemned by everyone and became a bad woman and a vixen in their eyes, she felt extremely sad and couldn't bear such accusations.

She stammered, "I didn't mean to ask you to divorce her..." She could only repeat this one sentence.

"I know. Our divorce isn't because of you."

Chen Yanzhou didn't know exactly what Yunying had heard, but the reason for his divorce from Lin Shuqing wasn't widely publicized. All that was known to the public was that the two were incompatible.

Although this is just a way to fool everyone, the real reason is probably already guessed by many. But as long as both parties stick to their guns and deny it, any further speculation outside is just that—speculation and doesn't count.

Chen Yanzhou naturally didn't want to tell Yun Ying the reason, not because he was worried about losing face, but simply because he didn't want Lin Shuqing to be active in front of the two of them.

He knew perfectly well what Yunying was thinking. Her silence didn't mean he didn't know. There were reasons why she hadn't spoken before, and there were reasons why she was speaking now.

After a moment of silence, Chen Yanzhou whispered a few words in Yun Ying's ear.

The hot breath brushed against Yunying's ear. At first, Yunying only felt a tickle, but then she belatedly realized what Chen Yanzhou had said...

Yun Ying grabbed Chen Yanzhou's hand, her face full of disbelief.

Chen Yanzhou felt uncomfortable under her gaze, so he turned his face away and said, "I'm not lying to you, it's all true."

Yunying murmured to herself, "But how could that be?"

Lin Shuqing, after all, came from a noble family and received a strict upbringing. Furthermore, noble ladies like her were always accompanied by maids and servants. The saying "one step out, eight steps back" would be entirely accurate.

The girls are heavily guarded, making it incredibly difficult for them to even see a man from another region, let alone have any unspeakable encounters with him.

Yunying was skeptical. "Don't try to fool me."

Chen Yanzhou laughed, "Although I don't get along with Lin Shuqing, I would never joke about a woman's reputation."

"So it's true?"

"It's true."

Even after Chen Yanzhou confirmed the news, Yunying still couldn't quite believe it.

Lin Shuqing had a perfectly good life, yet she had an affair?!

How wonderful those days were! My husband wasn't around, so I didn't have to rush to serve him. My in-laws were considerate, and my sisters-in-law were harmonious. All I had to do each day was take care of myself, and I had plenty of money to spend. I could go back to my parents' home whenever I wanted.

Such a wonderful day, one that others wouldn't even dare to dream of, yet she doesn't cherish it at all. Is she really so spoiled that she's lost her mind?
Yunying was hesitant to praise or criticize Lin Shuqing's actions, and she didn't know if Lin Shuqing had other reasons for her actions.

But even if there are other reasons, does that justify being unfaithful in marriage?

Yunying's mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts.

Suddenly she felt a lightness in her body as someone lifted her up around the waist.

Yunying was shocked; she was still wearing her nightgown, and her clothes were disheveled.

She hurriedly patted Chen Yanzhou, "Why are you picking me up? Let me put my clothes on first."

Chen Yanzhou ignored her crumpled nightgown and chuckled, "It's too dark in the room. I'll carry you to the windowsill. Sit down first, and I'll go get you some clothes."

Chen Yanzhou said it, and he did it. Although he was restrained in his words and polite in his behavior, his eyes were like those of a wolf or a tiger, and no matter how you looked at them, they were full of aggression.

Yunying's heart skipped a beat, thinking that this person was now divorced and could barely be considered single...

She silently wrapped her clothes tighter around herself and quickly put on a pair of silk stockings.

After I finished doing all that, I heard Aunt Wu knocking on the door outside.

When Aunt Wu opened the door, she saw that it was the handsome young man who opened the door, while Miss Yunying was sitting by the window combing her hair.

She couldn't figure out what the relationship between the two was. She couldn't very well say that Miss Yunying was this young master's lover or mistress, could she?

It looks somewhat similar, but not quite.

Unable to come up with a solution, Aunt Wu gave up on thinking about it and simply told the Second Master and Yunying, "I brought some hot water for the young lady to wash up, and I also prepared hot tea for this young master. I wonder if the young master has had breakfast yet? I will go to the dining hall later and fetch some breakfast as well."

Chen Yanzhou helped take the tea, and with his other hand he took the hot water that Yunying needed for washing up.

After doing all this, he asked Yunying, "Would you like to have breakfast in the dining hall, or go down the mountain to eat something?"

Yunying thought for a moment and said, "Let's eat in the dining hall. If there's porridge, I'd like to have some."

Upon hearing this, Second Master instructed Aunt Wu, "Bring two servings of porridge and some side dishes; that's all." When he left the capital, he had specially bought Yunying some shumai, steamed buns, and rose-flavored pastries from an old shop in the city. The food was still warm in a special food box, perfect for eating with the porridge.

Having received the instructions, Aunt Wu happily went to prepare.

Yunying couldn't comb her hair well, and in her discouragement, she thought she might as well just tie a hairband at the back of her head.

It was at this moment that a handful of her beautiful hair was taken into someone's hands.

Second Master held his long, satin-like hair in one hand and a comb in the other. He combed it a couple of times in a messy manner. His hair was easy to comb through, but when it came to styling it, he was flustered and couldn't get it to look presentable for a long time.

With no other option, he could only take the hairband from Yunying and barely manage to tie his hair into a bun.

Yunying remained silent throughout, letting him do as he pleased. Once she realized her hair was tied up, she touched it and couldn't help but smile.

The second master also laughed, his handsome features filled with unbridled joy.

Second Master said, "I'll study it carefully later."

Yunying hummed in agreement, but didn't ask him why a grown man would want to learn this.
She got up to wash up, and the Second Master followed closely behind her.

I followed her to the clean room and then followed her out.

I watched her wash her hands and face, and then I watched her carefully apply some moisturizing balm to her face.

Yunying had originally intended to apply light makeup, but the Second Master was watching her from so close up. She wasn't made of stone; how could she possibly remain unmoved?
Her hands were trembling, and the eyebrow pencil was shaking too, as if she was about to draw an earthworm.

Second Master was itching to get his hands dirty, eager to try his hand at it too.

But is this something he can do right now?
Even though he and Lin Shuqing were divorced, he never expressed any interest in her, let alone said anything about asking her to marry him...

Yunying never drew her eyebrows.

Fortunately, she had a nice eyebrow shape, naturally green without makeup, and naturally red lips without lipstick. Her eyes were like water apricots, with clear black and white.

It's true, even without makeup, her eyes have a striking effect. Just standing there, she stands out and makes people want to take a second look.

Aunt Wu quickly brought over the porridge, and Yunying and Second Master ate a late breakfast with the snacks he had bought.

Perhaps it was because she saw the person she had been longing for, or perhaps it was because her suppressed feelings were finally relieved, but Yunying had a rare appetite and actually finished a whole bowl of millet and pumpkin porridge.

Seeing this, Aunt Wu smiled broadly, teasing Yunying, "Since the young master came, the young lady's appetite has improved. Before, she couldn't even finish a bowl of porridge a day, and she looked so thin..."

Aunt Wu was given a day off by Second Master, and she happily packed her things and went home.

Yunying and the Second Master did not go down the mountain; after their meal, they wandered around Linghui Temple.

During the conversation, the Second Master couldn't help but ask her, "Were you preoccupied the past few days? You do look much thinner than before." He was asking Yunying, but he knew the answer in his heart.

When he saw her, she was in a nightmare.

She was a person with a heavy heart, always feeling that being with him would violate ethics and morality, and that she would be doing something shameful.

He was always curious about this, wondering if the nannies on the estate of the Marquis of Chang'an taught them this way when she was young.
It should not be.

After all, the girls on that estate were all meant to be given to the powerful and wealthy. To become a concubine of a powerful man was already considered lucky; most of them were merely beauties without titles or status, or maids who could be exchanged or given away.

If that's the case, isn't having too high a moral standard fatal?
If things were really like that, how many of the maids over there would have survived?

He wanted to ask her this question more than once, not out of any other intention, but purely out of curiosity. But reason kept him silent, just like when he heard "three people in a shadow," when he heard that string of physical principles.

Chen Yanzhou still doesn't mention these things to Yunying, but when he talks about how "thin" she is, he can't help but frown.

He clenched his fist; it was an extremely thin and bony hand. His wrist looked as if it could be broken easily; its emaciated appearance was alarming.

For the ten thousand and first time, Chen Yanzhou regretted bringing her back to the capital, and even more so, leaving her alone at Linghui Temple for such a long time.

She was so thin; he was primarily responsible.

Yunying's wrist was gripped, and she struggled slightly. But Chen Yanzhou held on tight and wouldn't let go.

Yunying lowered her voice and said, "Let me go, there are lots of people watching."

Perhaps because the two were both so good-looking and their behavior so intimate, many people stared at them as they walked.

Several people stared intently at the Second Master, then suddenly realized what he meant, as if they recognized him.

This made Yunying even more alarmed, as if she had done something shameful and had been caught and raped.

However, when she tried to break free, Chen Yanzhou wouldn't let her.

The man noticed her resistance and struggle, and stopped to look at her.

"Yun Ying, I'm getting a divorce."

Yunying stammered, "I...I know."

"Divorce means that I am now single and I can pursue you."

Yunying: "..."

She hesitated for a long time before muttering softly, "But that depends on my willingness."

"Don't you want to?" Chen Yanzhou looked at him, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yun Ying, do you intend to take advantage of me and then abandon me?"

Yunying, who had no idea when she and he had started their relationship, was now wondering how he had started something and then abandoned her. Had her behavior become so despicable?

Yunying is no match for Second Master when it comes to talking.

Even though she felt she was completely in the right, in the face of the Second Master's sophistry, she seemed to have truly become the one without reason. The Second Master casually said, "Yun Ying, you have no heart." "You never said you liked me; it was just me liking you one-sidedly." "Who told me to like you so much? Even if you betrayed me, what could I do?"

Indeed, Second Master was a master of the power of language.

With just a few words, he had Yunying completely under his control.

She was initially conflicted because the Second Master hadn't seriously pursued her, and he hadn't even said he liked her. But the Second Master completely reversed the truth, making it seem like she was the one who had wronged him, and that she was the unfaithful and heartless one.

Yunying looked completely bewildered.

She no longer cared about the hand that the Second Master was holding. At this moment, she was filled with awe: No wonder the Second Master was able to become the top scholar; besides being well-read, he must also be very eloquent to achieve that.

Like her, clumsy with words, she can only be manipulated at will.

She was clearly in the right, but she couldn't articulate her reasoning, so she was seen as the one in the wrong.

She really felt wronged.

Feeling wronged, Yunying tugged at her hand again, not wanting to walk with the Second Master anymore. But the Second Master chuckled and said, "Don't be silly. If I don't hold your hand, you'll run into the wall."