Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

Shen Mingshu felt his cool, large hand, closed her eyes comfortably, buried her face in his palm, and was incredibly obedient.

"Nothing's wrong, but is my cousin here?"

Wei Yuan felt somewhat guilty when he thought of Wei Ziye's almost cruel indifference towards her back then.

"I'm sorry, Ming Shu. I was just being polite when we met at Qingyun Academy. I didn't expect him to actually come. It was my fault for not informing him beforehand."

"Since I'm accompanying you to the capital for the imperial examination, it was only a matter of time before we met."

Under the influence of the drug, Shen Mingshu, somewhat moved, hooked her arms around Wei Yuan's neck and kissed his neck with affection.

"It's just that it's inconvenient for me to go out and entertain them."

Wei Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed a few times. He lowered his head and kissed Shen Mingshu's lips. "Soon I'll be able to sleep with my wife legitimately. Just bear with it a little longer... mmm!"

The effects of the medicine wore off after three days.

Shen Mingshu had never been so proactive and enthusiastic before. Not only did she pull down Wei Yuan's neck, but she also took his hand and gently stroked it upwards from his waist...

When Wei Yuan touched the softness beneath the bodice, his hand stiffened for a moment.

But seeing the woman's seductive eyes, the thought of resistance vanished as soon as it arose.

His large hand reached out and touched hers; Wei Yuan's breathing instantly became heavy, and his kisses traced down the woman's temples.

Just as he bit the woman's neck, "thump thump—" the wooden door was knocked on crisply.

Shen Mingshu opened her eyes, her gaze hazy, and met Wei Ziye's cold gaze. Her desire vanished instantly.

"Ah!" She was so frightened that she quickly shrank into Wei Yuan's arms.

Wei Yuan pulled the blanket over her body and awkwardly got up to explain, "Sorry, brother, I forgot you were still here."

Wei Ziye didn't look at him; his cold eyes were fixed on the blush on Shen Mingshu's cheeks.

After a long silence, he finally spoke softly, "Come out."

When you're done, turn around and leave.

Shen Mingshu tugged at Wei Yuan in fear, but Wei Yuan gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, sleep a little longer. I'll go and take him away first."

Shen Mingshu nodded, obediently snuggled into the blanket, and soon fell asleep again.

……

The sound of clinking bottles came from outside the door.

Wei Yuan was the first to explain: "Brother, I know you and Ming Shu had some misunderstandings before, but Ming Shu was young and didn't understand back then. Now she knows she was wrong and has been punished."

"Admit your mistake? Ha—"

Wei Ziye sneered, the seductive look in Shen Mingshu's eyes flashing through his mind, and a surge of suppressed anger rose in his heart.

That damned woman actually seduced Wei Yuan!

After downing a glass of wine, he slammed the glass against the table, making a sharp sound.

Seeing this, Wei Yuan silently drank a cup as well, and continued, "Three years have passed, and Ming Shu and I have already pledged our lives to each other. I've returned this time hoping the Wei family can propose marriage to her on my behalf. Could you... help me discuss this with my mother?"

"Wei Yuan!"

Wei Ziye finally lost control of her emotions and coldly questioned, "Do you know what you're doing! Of all the people to choose, why her? Do you even know what she—"

Thinking of everything that had happened in the past, Wei Ziye paused in his questioning, took a deep breath with a headache, and then changed his story.

"Have you ever truly understood her?"

"Big brother, we've been together for three years. Ming Shu is a good girl."

Wei Yuan spoke with unwavering sincerity: "If it weren't for her by my side these past three years, I wouldn't have even been able to scrape together the travel expenses to travel to the capital."

Wei Zishi frowned: "Your grandfather's family is short of money?"

Although the Yuan family is not in the capital, they are still very wealthy. How could they not even pay for their grandson's exam?

Wei Yuan smiled bitterly: "It was my mother who told them to let me hone my skills properly."

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

The Yuan family had to go to great lengths to curry favor with a minor official in the capital. Given the Wei family's status as the head of the four major families in the capital, the Yuan family naturally wouldn't dare to disobey the wishes of their matriarch, Zhang Yu.

The room fell silent.

After a long silence, Wei Ziye finally spoke again, "Mother has gone too far this time."

Seeing that Wei Yuan remained silent, he asked again, "Do you blame her?"

Zhang Yu was the one who brought him down to earth, so how could he not resent him?

Wei Yuan's fingertips curled up, but he only looked towards Shen Mingshu's room and said affectionately, "I was resentful at first, but since she was able to keep Mingshu by my side for three years, I no longer resent her."

Wei Ziye: "..."

The two fell silent, the only sound being the clinking of glasses against the table.

The two seemed to be having a drinking contest, but the silence made it seem more like they were arguing.

But Wei Yuan, a mere scholar, was no match for Wei Ziye, who had been navigating the officialdom for so long. Before long, Wei Yuan collapsed.

When Shen Mingshu woke up and went outside, she was almost driven back to her room by the strong smell of alcohol in the house.

"Cousin, A-Yuan can't drink alcohol..."

Shen Mingshu stepped forward with a hint of complaint.

Wei Yuan was already unconscious, but Wei Ziye was still able to sit upright, staring intently at Shen Mingshu with a pair of extremely suppressed yet possessive eyes.

"Shen Mingshu, you kept it a secret very well."

"It was Auntie who kept it a secret."

Shen Mingshu's long, dark hair cascaded down her back, making her small face appear even more slender and elegant.

"Cousin, Auntie is very wary of A-Yuan. If it weren't for my financial support, A-Yuan's career would have no future. Now, the only way for Auntie to feel at ease letting him pursue a career in government is to marry me."

"If I don't interfere with you, you and he can rekindle your brotherhood."

"Oh--"

Wei Ziye scoffed coldly, reached out, grabbed Shen Mingshu's wrist tightly, and roughly pulled her into his arms.

His extremely aggressive gaze swept over the red marks on her neck, and his hand gripping Shen Mingshu tightened more and more, as if he wanted to crush her bones.

"Does he know that one should not deceive one's brother's wife? How do you explain your first time?"

Shen Mingshu's face turned pale with pain: "He doesn't know anything about our affair."

Wei Ziye immediately revealed undisguised sarcasm and disgust, as if mocking her for still trying to enter the Wei family through deception and trickery.

Shen Mingshu was immediately embarrassed.

She softened her voice: "Cousin, I was immature before, but A-Yuan and I are truly in love. I promise, even if we get married, we will never appear in front of you and get in your way. Please, please don't tell him."

Tears fell onto the taut veins on the back of Wei Ziye's hand, burning him and causing him to relax his grip slightly.

"You still want to marry him?"

Shen Mingshu sobbed softly, looking into Wei Ziye's icy eyes, and said only...

"Without A-Yuan, I could never have escaped that heartbreaking past. Now, all I ask for is to grow old with a good man in this small town. I hope my cousin will grant my wish..."

"A liar's liar, shameless!"

With gritted teeth, Wei Ziye pinched Shen Mingshu's cheek tightly.

"Beneath the river's surface, currents surge, and numerous hidden rocks connect. How will you manage to save yourself and reach the shore?"

"If you hadn't saved yourself, how did you even get to the clinic when the riverbank was deserted?"

Wei Ziye suddenly exerted force: "You know perfectly well what your past was like!"

"Ugh—" Shen Mingshu heard a cracking sound from her jaw. Although it wasn't dislocated, the pain was so intense that it took her a long time to recover.

However, she had nothing to say.

Because she didn't know who had saved her.

Wei Ziye sneered, "Shen Mingshu, I've had enough of your self-directed and self-acted drama. Now you still want to fool others? Do you really think the Wei family are dogs you can manipulate at will?"

He was disgusted by the way he shook off Shen Mingshu. He didn't use much force, but Shen Mingshu slammed heavily against the corner of the table and didn't move for a long time.

"I have no interest in spreading my personal stains everywhere, nor do I wish for any more gossip about the Wei family to come from other people's mouths."

Wei Ziye seemed to regain his composure, wiping his hands with a handkerchief, his expression indifferent.

"Leave him, get out of the capital, and I, the young master, can give you compensation and guarantee your safety for the rest of your life. Otherwise—die."

Shen Mingshu clutched her stomach, the old wound compounded by the new one, the pain causing a ringing in her ears and cold sweat to bead on her forehead, leaving her unable to respond for a long time.

Wei Ziye saw that she was still lying motionless on the table, and a hint of impatience flashed across his brows. He reached out and turned her over, but she immediately went limp and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach, and was somewhat unconscious.

Wei Ziye's expression stiffened. He squatted down and looked at Shen Mingshu with eyes full of vigilance and distrust.

"Shen Mingshu?"

"It hurts..." Shen Mingshu murmured silently, her face pale, before fainting.

"Shen Mingshu!"