Yuan Gong found it hard to express his feelings at this moment.
From initial high expectations and guilt, to disappointment and despair, to now burning with anger yet unable to do anything about it, his big wedding day gave him an experience that was vastly different from what he had imagined. His heart was seething with unexplained frustration, yet he still had to go along with the words he had just spoken.
His face was as dark as charcoal, almost biting his teeth with a silver hairpin to cut open his arm, the bright red blood in the swaying candlelight had an eerie and seductive color, falling on the white silk handkerchief to form a dazzling red dot, like blooming plum blossoms.
Cui Ying happily folded the handkerchief and put it in the purple sandalwood box at the head of the bed, then blew out the candles and climbed back into bed with an unusually cheerful and lithe figure. "Husband, its getting late, you have a long journey tomorrow, go to sleep early."
She finished speaking and didnt even wait for a response before quickly falling asleep, exhausted, her breathing heavier than usual.
Yuan Gong coldly gazed at the woman sleeping soundly beside him, if not for the last thread of rationality left in his mind, he really couldnt help but want to strangle her to death.
The wound on his arm had not been bandaged yet, and this woman didnt even ask a single question, she just extinguished the candle flame by herself, treating him as if he were nothing.
So she was just trying to flatter and fawn on him in order to trick him into giving her his blood, so that she could deceive her grandmother tomorrow?
This is utterly absurd!
Yuan Gong could no longer bear to share a bed with such an unscrupulous and ruthless woman.
As the hour was not early, he had no intention of sleeping, so he got up. This movement made a lot of noise, and even Mu Di and Jie Geng, who were sleeping in the next room, came out to ask what was going on, but the person on the bed didnt notice at all and quickly occupied the whole big bed.
He was extremely disappointed, with a chill in his heart, and turned around to leave without any hesitation.
The sound of the door closing was dull and heavy, Cui Rong silently opened his eyes, then propped up the quilt and sat up leaning against the headboard.
She heard a hushed conversation outside the door, "Master, why are you up? Are there any instructions for me to carry out?"
A low, melancholic male voice said, "I suddenly remembered that theres still one place on the armor that hasnt been wiped clean. We set out tomorrow and Im afraid Ill forget, so Ill go to the study to polish it now. You two go rest, dont forget that when the time comes, you need to wake up Fifth Granny and also serve tea to the elders."
The footsteps gradually faded away.
In the gradually brightening night, she quietly gazed at that tightly closed door and sighed, "Sorry."
Living in a strange and conservative feudal era, wanting to live better requires some disguise.
Some people are quiet and low-key, while others show off to make an impression. She, however, has chosen to pretend to be silly and foolish in order to achieve her ultimate goal of getting by with minimal effort, a tactic that may not sound elegant but has proven effective for many years.
Sometimes saying some tactless words makes others underestimate oneself and not be taken as an opponent or enemy, which is also a survival skill.
Anning Bo Fu had many children and a large population. Among the 15 sisters, she was the ninth, and there were five or six sisters who were similar in age to her.
Her father, Chui Chengkai, served in the Ministry of Officials, and for many years he had no progress, was the most incompetent among his uncles, and also the one most despised by his grandfather. Her mother died early, and her late maternal grandfather, Luo En Tai, who was once prominent, but now both of her uncles are not in Shengjing, except for visiting during festivals, she has not seen anyone from her mothers family for many years.
In such a situation, no matter how low-key you are, there will always be those boring people who come to provoke you. Its better to have a smile on your face from birth, and laugh at people from time to time, occasionally showing a bit of foolishness. The elders will only pay more attention to care for her, and the sisters will not bother to take her as a target or opponent.
Otherwise...
She already has a stunningly beautiful face, if shes also clever and charming, that would be too enviable!
So, isnt it obvious that one shouldnt reveal their true thoughts in a strange place where there are walls with ears? How could Cui Ying not understand this principle?
It was just that at the time, Ju Cong cried so hard that she hurriedly wanted to comfort this silly girl who had grown up with her since childhood. She thought that everyone in the Yuan family had been called out, and this was a happy room, with people guarding outside, so she spoke without reserve.
Later, Yuan Wulang sent someone to pass on a message saying to go and rest in the study. Only then did she remember that during the wooden bridge period, she had gone out with a food box, and when she came back, she mentioned that the aunt guarding the yard had brought up that Wulang had come back before but left again soon after.
At that time, she had just finished a sumptuous meal and was indulging in happy thoughts of her future life, but didnt take it seriously at all. It wasnt until later that she suddenly realized that her careless words had brought about disaster.
Its really true that if you dont look for trouble, trouble wont find you!
Cui Ling had also thought about how to make amends, but Yuan Wulang left her with too little time, and she was too lazy to spend a lot of effort to win back the heart of her new husband. Later, she steeled herself and thought that since he already disliked her, she might as well let him dislike her completely, anyway, she never really cared about getting her husbands affection in the first place.
To put it bluntly, he is a person who is about to go into battle and is already under great pressure. Its really not necessary for him to have another person on his mind.
For her, this husband is about to go on a long expedition and may not return for a long time, or even may not return at all. In that case, she has no need to spend time and thoughts on him anymore. She is not an unfeeling person, once there is a connection, its hard to avoid thinking about it, the future days are long, being distracted will hinder her from enjoying life wholeheartedly, which doesnt match her ideal.
So last night, until Yuan Wulang was thoroughly driven away, she didnt get a clear look at his face. When the lights were turned on in the middle of the night, she also tried her best not to let her gaze drift onto his face, fearing that once she remembered his appearance, he would invade her dreams and accuse her of being a bad woman.
Although this approach is selfish, its also a way for her to protect herself.
Without emotions, even if theres a bit of good or bad in the future, she wont be heartbroken. This is the truth she finally understood after exhausting her past life.
As for Yuan Wulang...
Chui Ying had enough confidence that he would not report his actions to Old Lady Yuan.
Although the marriage was somewhat hasty, Grandfather An Ningbo sent someone to make inquiries about Yuan Wulangs character, and it was said that he was steady and magnanimous, a capable person, and would not bully her, an inexperienced young woman.
Moreover, all members of the Yuan family are extremely filial, and even if its just to make Old Lady Yuan happy, Yuan Wulang will not ruin her plans.
She indulged in wild thoughts, and before long, the sky brightened. Although her body felt heavy with fatigue, she thought that if she fell asleep again, it would be even harder to get up later. It was better to dress up now and wait for the nanny who came to take the auspicious handkerchief, so as to leave a good impression on Old Lady Yuan.
