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

"Hiss—wait a minute? There are no marks on her stomach, so she shouldn't have fainted from the pain, unless…"

A familiar voice came from beside him; it was Liu Yi, Wei Ziye's good friend and doctor.

"Unless it touched an old, unhealed wound inside her abdomen, but if the old wound hasn't healed, how could she be running around so energetically?"

"An old injury?" Wei Ziye frowned, his gaze towards Shen Mingshu changing slightly.

"Yes, didn't she jump over the moat?"

Liu Yi looked at Shen Mingshu's thin face and clicked his tongue twice.

"He's so thin and sick; he must have had a tough time these past few years."

"Ouch, it hurts..."

Shen Mingshu murmured indistinctly, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, like a wounded fawn pleading for help.

This expression stirred up some memories for Wei Ziye. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he turned his face away slightly to emphasize it.

"She didn't jump, otherwise how could she not have any injuries? The old wound is only in her abdominal cavity, so it might be for other reasons."

Liu Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully, neither agreeing nor denying: "We need to observe her for a few more days to find out the specifics. Should I ask her directly after she wakes up?"

Wei Ziye resisted having more interaction with Shen Mingshu, but he couldn't deny that Shen Mingshu was lying there because of him.

"Put the medicine money in the Wei family's account. As for the rest, don't meddle in things that aren't your business."

Seeing Wei Ziye coldly get up to leave, Liu Yi asked, "Aye, if she really jumps into the river because of you, what will you do?"

Wei Ziye paused, placed his hand on the door, and turned to look at the unconscious Shen Mingshu, as indifferent as ever.

"What do I care about those who belittle themselves?"

After saying that, he pushed open the door and left, instantly draining all the life from the room.

"Tsk tsk! How ruthless... Hey! Wait for me!"

Liu hurriedly packed his medicine box: "Little Yin! Prepare the medicine and give it to the young lady. I have to go out for a while—"

The sound gradually faded into the distance until silence returned. Only then did Shen Mingshu slowly open her eyes, her face no longer showing any vulnerability.

What a heartless scoundrel!

……

When he woke up again, Wei Yuan was the one feeding him the medicine.

Shen Mingshu's eyes reddened, and without saying a word, she choked back tears and threw herself into Wei Yuan's arms.

The bitter medicine in the bowl sloshed slightly. Wei Yuan hugged Shen Mingshu, gazing at the rippling soup with heartache in his eyes.

"Ming Shu, how about we go back to Yun City?"

Shen Mingshu's tearful eyes froze. She looked up from his embrace, puzzled, and asked, "Did something happen at the academy?"

Wei Yuan shook his head, put down the bowl, and pulled Shen Mingshu back into his arms, his tone filled with weariness.

"My mother insisted that we leave the capital after the exams before she would agree to the marriage, but my eldest brother refused."

"The Wei family has few descendants, and he wants me to stay and revitalize the family. He even said he would help me get a government position, but on the condition that..."

Wei Ziye's request was simply to get rid of Shen Mingshu, this scourge.

Shen Mingshu could guess without even thinking.

She lowered her eyes sadly, trying to get out of Wei Yuan's arms, but Wei Yuan tightened his grip on Shen Mingshu.

"I rejected Ming Shu! I don't care about my career, and I don't want to bear the responsibilities of the Wei family. I only want you!"

Shen Mingshu hugged him back, moved, and then heard Wei Yuan sigh, his voice hoarse.

"But the scientific expedition still has two months left. I'm afraid you'll get hurt again, just like now. I can't protect you, and I can't make him pay back his debt."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Ming Shu, it's my fault..."

"They say love is about owing something, A-Yuan. I can feel your love for me, and that's enough. Besides, this was caused by a relapse of my old injury, so you don't need to feel guilty. I'll just avoid him more in the future."

Shen Mingshu gently comforted him, looking up at him: "But A-Yuan, no matter what happens, once you pass the exam and get an official position, you'll leave the capital and live a peaceful life with me in this small town, right?"

"Of course, we promised that I would live up to your expectations after I graduate high school! But right now..."

Wei Yuan lowered his eyelashes slightly and said carefully, "The enrollment procedures that the Wei family is handling for me will take some time. My grandmother hopes that I can return to the manor to live."

"I may not be able to be with you these days."

Shen Mingshu's fingers tightened. She didn't want to deal with those old acquaintances for the time being, but right now, the effects of the virginity-restoring medicine couldn't be delayed.

"How about tonight...?"

Shen Mingshu wrapped her arms around Wei Yuan's neck, her gaze sweeping suggestively over his warm lips, gradually drawing closer—

"Tap tap—" A servant outside reminded, "Second Young Master, the Lady of the Marquis has brought medicine for Miss Shen."

Wei Yuan's brows furrowed in annoyance: "What kind of good medicine could it be? Crocodile tears, all pretense of compassion!"

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Shen Mingshu's eyes: "Perhaps she really came to visit. After all, we haven't seen each other for three years."

"..."

The door was pulled open by Wei Yuan.

He respectfully cupped his hands to Zhang Yu, but before he could say anything, Zhang Yu waved his hand dismissively, saying, "This lady will have a chat with her."

Wei Yuan paused, glanced at Shen Mingshu, said nothing, and left.

Three years had passed since they last met. Zhang Yu was wearing a brocade jacket, and his eyes and brows still carried the composure of someone who had long held a high position.

Entering the door, sitting down, raising a hand, drinking tea—every movement exudes an air of elegance.

The words he spoke, however, were incredibly harsh.

"Times have changed, yet you remain as lowly as ever, always causing me distress."

Shen Mingshu was already used to her harshness. She stood up and bowed, her gaze sweeping over the closed door, and she smiled slightly.

"Doesn't my aunt always come to me with the same thing?"

"Thump—"

The teacup tapped on the table, and Zhang Yu's brows sharpened: "How dare you compare Ah Ye to that stray dog? Shen Mingshu, wasn't the lesson from your petty tricks three years ago enough?!"

She was lowly, and Wei Yuan was just a stray dog. After three years apart, Zhang Yu's meanness and hostility had only intensified.

Shen Mingshu's smile faded; she didn't want to be her punching bag. She lowered her head and listened to the reprimand: "That's enough."

"Hmph!" Zhang Yu snorted coldly.

Back then, Wei Ziye was a germaphobe and didn't want any concubines. She was tricked by Shen Mingshu's soft and easily manipulated nature, which is why she brought her into the family.

In the end, Wei Ziye was proven to be normal, but Shen Mingshu became a problem.

They even forced me to get married!

"Two ungrateful dogs! If it weren't for me, you would have been wasted away by the Shen family long ago! And you even dared to jump into the river to force a marriage?"

"Shen Mingshu, you'd better not think about anything you shouldn't this time you've returned, otherwise, I wouldn't recommend that you drown yourself again!"

No matter what Zhang Yu said, Shen Mingshu remained unmoved, obedient to the extreme.

"Ming Shu dares not. This trip is solely for the purpose of marrying A Yuan and fulfilling Aunt's wish."

No one knew why Zhang Yu was so hostile to Wei Yuan, even going so far as to endure her disgust and allow her to tarnish Wei Yuan's career.

Unfortunately, like Wei Ziye, Wei Yuan had a kind of mental fastidiousness and didn't touch her for three years, let alone get her pregnant and make her completely dependent on him.

"Thump—" The same porcelain bottle was placed on the table.

Zhang Yu covered his nose in disgust: "Hmph, even a stray dog ​​has a psychological obsession with cleanliness. What a nuisance. Take this porcelain bottle; it contains medicine from Tiange, which can help you recover a bit."

Shen Mingshu looked up at the same porcelain vase and found it somewhat amusing—for Wei Ziye's career, this noblewoman Zhang Yu had truly resorted to all sorts of despicable means.

"I don't have much patience. You'd better get pregnant before Wei Yuan finishes his exams, so that A Ye can give up his hopes on him as soon as possible. After it's done, I won't treat you badly."

Shen Mingshu nodded obediently, "Thank you, Auntie."

"in addition--"

Zhang Yu glanced at Shen Mingshu's lower abdomen, his eyes revealing undisguised lewdness and mockery.

"Neither of your brothers can know that you were pregnant!"

"..."

Her fingertips dug sharply into her flesh, and Shen Mingshu slowly raised her eyes to look at Zhang Yu.