Chapter 024: She’s Hoping He’ll Leave

Chapter 024: She's Hoping He'll Leave

By the next morning, news of Liu Yueru's reunion with her lover had spread throughout the capital, leaving those who had suspected an affair between the Prime Minister and Liu Yueru utterly shocked.

Rumors spread that Liu Yueru, though loyal and sentimental, did not abandon her impoverished fiancé when she moved to the capital. Instead, she had him brought to the capital and settled him in a villa on the Prime Minister's estate.

Within a few days, this rumor became well-known, turning into the latest gossip over tea.

At a teahouse that day, patrons were discussing the matter when a few women at the next table chimed in, "You’re just enjoying the drama. That Miss Liu is actually a woman who sees profit and forgets righteousness, a fickle creature."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's because the kind-hearted Madam of the Prime Minister's residence, out of respect for the late General Liu who died for his country, helped cover up Miss Liu's scandal. I heard that she originally wanted to seduce the Prime Minister, but even if she tried, it didn’t work out. That impoverished young master from a fallen family found his way to the capital and was settled in the villa by the Prime Minister."

Another woman chimed in, "In the end, if your heart is crooked, the outcome won't be good."

As they spoke, a commotion arose outside. A public humiliation parade was passing by, causing quite a stir in the capital.

The teahouse patrons rushed out to watch. The officials leading the parade occasionally banged a gong, and in the prison cart sat a disheveled maid with lifeless eyes, looking utterly miserable.

Officials posted notices at intervals, and upon inspection, they revealed a clarification regarding the rumors about the Prime Minister's wife. "So the maid in the cart dared to slander her master for spreading false rumors about the Prime Minister's wife. She's got some nerve, risking her life like that."

"No surprise there, she probably tried to seduce the Prime Minister."

"Exactly, she's one of those people with sky-high aspirations but paper-thin destiny. For defaming the honor of an official’s family, she could face several years in prison."

As early summer nights were still cool, sitting in the courtyard listening to the chirping of insects and birds should have been a pleasant affair.

After several days of being cooped up, Ruan Qinghuan was growing anxious about the shop in the eastern part of the city.

She had been stuck in the residence for five days and was starting to feel like she was going stir-crazy.

Fortunately, ever since the incident with Liu Yueru, He An seemed to have suddenly become busy. He spent two consecutive nights in the palace and even when he returned home, it was very late, choosing to sleep in the study.

This arrangement alleviated the awkwardness between them.

After that night's incident, Ruan Qinghuan hadn't figured out how to face He An. Now that they were officially husband and wife, if he crossed any boundaries again, she wouldn't have any reason to refuse.

In this era, men typically held the power in intimate matters, and wives had little say in such affairs.

Xia Lian was bustling about the courtyard. It was already dark, yet she was still tinkering with the flower beds in the corner.

Ruan Qinghuan sighed, "Xia Lian, can't you just let those flowers grow freely? Why do you insist on making everything so neat?"

"I'm idle in the residence anyway. Once the flowers bloom, they’ll lift your spirits, Madam. In the future, when you have a little master or young miss of your own… speaking of which, planting flowers isn't enough. We should plant some fruit trees in the garden too..."

"Xia Lian..."

A few soft coughs came from the gate, interrupting Ruan Qinghuan's attempt to scold Xia Lian. He An stood there like a shadow under the moonlight, his figure barely visible in the moonlight, cloaked in a dark robe.

He was back today?

He An instructed Jiang Ming to prepare hot water, signaling his intention to stay in Changchun Garden tonight.

Ruan Qinghuan's mind raced. To avoid the awkwardness, she decided to go to sleep. Once she was asleep, any awkwardness wouldn't concern her anymore.

Ruan Qinghuan had just stepped into her room when He An followed right behind her.

The room was brightly lit, and Ruan Qinghuan noticed that He An looked somewhat tired.

However, He An apologized, "I've been too busy with affairs and haven't had the chance to apologize to you. Are you still upset with me?"

"I’m not a grudge-holding type, you know. Lord He, you should go and bathe," Ruan Qinghuan replied.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it didn’t sound quite right. "I mean, you've been tired all day; it's better to rest after a bath."

Ruan Qinghuan wished she could bite her tongue off. These words made it sound like she was waiting for him to go to sleep. "Don't misunderstand, I..."

"I’ll be quick," He An interrupted before she could finish and headed into the bathing area.

Ruan Qinghuan's eyes shifted back and forth between the daybed and the bed, and finally, she settled on the daybed, quickly lying down with a quilt, counting one, two, three, four, five, six, seven in her head. Even as she neared a hundred, sleep was still elusive.

As time dragged on, the door to the bathing area opened.

At that moment, Ruan Qinghuan felt more awake than before.

He An looked at the small, delicate figure curled up on the daybed. Even though she was covered with a quilt, her tension was palpable. If he hadn’t witnessed her assertive side himself, he wouldn’t have thought of her as fierce at all.

"Can't sleep? Want to chat for a while?"

Feeling the weight beside her, Ruan Qinghuan sat up abruptly, only to see He An sitting at the edge of the daybed, his eyes filled with caution.

He An's simple clothes were loosely draped over him, the ties undone. His wheat-colored skin was dotted with water droplets, and his wet hair dripped water. The dampness clung to him, giving him a rugged and charming look.

Ruan Qinghuan couldn't help but swallow. Was he trying to seduce her?

Then, a towel appeared in her hand. He An, with a natural expression, turned his back to her. "Help me dry my hair."

He acted like they were already an old married couple, even though they had only been married for less than a month.

The idea of having another woman in his life was something He An had never considered before. Now that there was someone waiting for him at home, it didn’t seem too bad.

Between the court's heavy responsibilities, occasional skirmishes with the Southern Barbarians, and the constant power struggles, his mind was consumed with politics.

He had once thought that living freely and unrestrained was ideal.

Moreover, he hadn’t been optimistic about the marriage with the Ruan family. According to Jiang Ming's findings, the Ruan family's legitimate daughter was known for her spoiled and reckless behavior. Marrying such a woman gave him a headache just thinking about it.

However, due to various factors, he had ended up marrying Ruan Qinghuan. He thought that as long as she stayed out of trouble, he would provide her with a lifetime of stability.

At some point, He An had gradually realized that this girl was different from the rumors.

She was very opinionated, independent, and meticulous, traits that were evident when Liu Yueru had tried to provoke her several times.

What surprised He An even more was that she seemed to view this marriage similarly to him, not particularly optimistic and indifferent to his affairs about the marriage.

Hair mostly dry, Ruan Qinghuan took a wooden comb and smoothed his hair. "There, you can rest now. Good night, Lord He."

"Qinghuan."

"Hmm?"

He An had never understood attachment before, but now, he felt something stir within him.

Ruan Qinghuan noticed that he seemed a bit strange. "Is everything okay, sir?"

"In a couple of days, I might have to take a trip out of town for a while."

"Oh… I understand. Take care, sir."

He An’s brow furrowed. He paused. "She sounds like she’s eager for me to leave," he thought.