Chapter 284: Chapter 265: You Are Truly, Deeply in Love
Chu Yang stared at her panicked appearance and said, "What do you think I want to do? Could it be, like Yu Wenye treated you?"
"...?"
Shang Ruyi’s brow furrowed.
She thought for a moment, trying to calm down, and said in a deep voice, "Please, Your Majesty, watch your words. Yu Wenye is my husband."
Chu Yang’s brows slowly knitted together. All along, under his instructions, Shang Ruyi could only refer to herself as "Ru Yi" in front of him, even if she sometimes forgot, she would immediately correct herself.
But this time, she was clearly doing it on purpose.
Between "臣妇" and "Your Majesty" was a chasm as vast as the Grand Canyon.
And what her husband did to her, no other person could do.
In Chu Yang’s long and elegant phoenix eyes, his anger flared up greatly. But soon, it slowly subsided in his heated breath, replaced by an inexplicable sadness.
Looking down again at the hand he was holding onto, although she couldn’t pull free, she faintly resisted. He suddenly let out a bitter laugh and said, "No matter how much I try to draw you near, you still won’t come to me."
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said softly, "Your Majesty, by your side should be the Empress."
Chu Yang looked as if he had been scalded by these words, immediately releasing his grip.
Shang Ruyi took a step back, lightly soothing her wrist that had been seized. Although Chu Yang’s strength wasn’t as great as Yu Wenye’s, so even if he gripped her wrist tightly it wouldn’t leave any marks, the skin still bore a burning impression, causing Shang Ruyi’s heart to palpitate restlessly.
Watching her for a while, Chu Yang said, "It seems you two are truly, mutually in love."
Shang Ruyi lowered her head and said softly, "Isn’t this Your Majesty’s blessing?"
"...!"
Chu Yang’s brow furrowed slightly.
Indeed, the first time they met—even though it couldn’t be called a meeting, it was on the road to Shang Ruyi’s marriage—he had heard about this orphan from a fallen family without any father’s protection, who surprisingly stole the heart of the man he cherished for his own daughter. Thus, he intercepted her halfway, firstly to see what kind of person she was, and secondly, to see if she was worthy enough to upset his daughter.
Of course, he hadn’t expected to encounter such a calm and intelligent young woman.
Although he never showed his face, he did demand "joy" from her, and in the end, even wished her and Yu Wenye—a harmonious union, saying those four words at that time with such irony.
And now, the irony was in himself.
Chu Yang was silent for a long time, finally looking up at Shang Ruyi, sneering coldly, "Good, very good."
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s heart began to pound fiercely.
She realized that her words might have angered the other person, but at this moment, she had no other path to take—in fact, she had never had more than one path to take.
With his eyes slightly narrowed, Chu Yang looked at her for a long time, suddenly sneering and said, "Did you know, I have never feared defiance from others, if the world does not comply with me, I will flatten it, let alone just one person?"
Having said that, he waved his hand coldly.
The coachman ahead dared not delay, immediately cracking the whip, and with a loud crack, the carriage drove away from in front of Shang Ruyi.
Shang Ruyi said nothing as she watched the carriage gradually disappear in the distance until it vanished at the end of the long road ahead. Her hands and feet felt cold, her heart even colder. It took a long time before she mumbled to herself, "Your Majesty, one person’s defiance is easy to flatten; but if the whole world defies, the one being flattened may not be the world..."
Unfortunately, these words fell on Chu Yang’s deaf ears.
She understood even if said in front of Chu Yang, he wouldn’t listen.
After a soft sigh, Shang Ruyi turned back to her own carriage, meeting Tushere’s worried gaze, she merely said lightly, "Go back, and don’t speak unnecessarily."
Tushere carefully nodded.
Before long, they were back at the Yuwen Mansion. Shang Ruyi instructed Tushere to pack the things they bought into a box to take when they visited Ban Yan Temple, then returned to her room to rest and rejuvenate.
Although she had slept for so long yesterday, once she sat down, a wave of fatigue swept over her like a tide. Shang Ruyi’s eyelids drooped a few times, and she unexpectedly fell asleep leaning against the bed.
However, this time, she did not sleep as soundly as the night before.
Not only was it restless, but she even slept uneasily, as if lying on a cold lake, beneath her was a thin layer of ice, and all around were burning flames. Before the scorching heat could reach her, the ice beneath had already melted, and she immediately sank to the cold lakebed.
The suffocating feeling was unbearable; she flailed her hands wildly, trying to catch hold of something—even just a straw.
And then, she actually grabbed onto something.
The warm, rough texture in her palm was so familiar, offering her a chance at life, filling her with joy and gratitude, suddenly opening her eyes!
What she saw was a familiar, stern face.
Yu Wenye!
Shang Ruyi’s eyes widened, yet she seemed unfrightened, as if transitioning from a dream into reality with a sudden warmth and pleasant surprise. Not knowing when he returned, nor how long he had been bending over gazing at her, his clothes were tossed carelessly beside the bed, half dragging on the floor; and looking up at his amused yet solemn gaze, then down at his hand—
It was held firmly by her, fingers tightly interlaced!
Shang Ruyi’s face flushed red, instinctively wanting to let go, but he instead clenched, not letting go of her hand.
Shang Ruyi immediately said softly, "What are you doing?"
"..."
Yu Wenye did not reply immediately, just looked at her, "What were you dreaming about just now?"
"Ah?"
"You seemed quite frightened."
"...A nightmare."
"What kind of nightmare scared you like this?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi hesitated a bit. Though she didn’t know how to interpret dreams, the feeling within the dream was not unfamiliar. It had been haunting her since a severe illness, reappearing often after the wedding. Reflecting on today’s incidents, she vaguely understood the source of her heart’s shadow.
Yet, all this she couldn’t share with the person before her.
After thinking for a while, she replied softly, "Nightmares are all frightening."
No sooner had she spoken than she felt her hand squeezed tightly. Looking down at the large hand holding hers, their palms closely pressed together, his warmth continually transferred to her, just like his breath. Looking up, she saw Yu Wenye say, "Still afraid?"
"..."
So it was his familiar sense of reassurance in the dream.
Shang Ruyi gently shook her head, the panic in her eyes had completely vanished, replaced by a warm smile.
Yu Wenye also smiled.