Chapter 052: You Are a Bastard

Chapter 052: You Are a Bastard

The more He An thought about it, the angrier he became. He didn't know where he had gone wrong, that she couldn't see his feelings. But such matters couldn't be spoken aloud. In a fit of anger, he forcefully kissed her and carried her to bed.

At this point, Ruan Qinghuan truly felt his anger but couldn't understand why he was mad. He An wasn't someone who acted rashly, nor would he vent his frustrations on her due to others.

After a soft moan, she stopped resisting and, in a fit of pique, turned her head to the side.

He An realized he had hurt her and stopped his actions. "I can distinguish between work and personal life. However, it seems there are many things my wife still doesn't see clearly?"

She heard the implication in his words, but at that moment, Ruan Qinghuan couldn't think straight, and He An didn't give her the chance to ponder.

That night, He An seemed to revert to the night he was drugged, as if he had lost his rationality but was exceptionally intense.

Later, an exhausted Ruan Qinghuan could only murmur softly until dawn, when He An finally relented.

Holding her tightly, He An, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "Do you understand how I feel now, my wife?"

Ruan Qinghuan was too tired, and his words didn't register. She just hummed and fell asleep in his arms.

He An kissed her forehead tenderly and got up to fetch a box of ointment from the items they had brought along. He gently applied it to her, but Ruan Qinghuan didn't appreciate it.

As dawn approached, his mind replayed what Ruan Qinghuan had said the previous night.

She had spoken about the urgent issues in Lu City, with clear reasoning and proper arrangements. She even knew that tents could be requisitioned from the nearby military camps.

These were indeed good solutions, but it was still baffling that she knew such things.

Not to mention, she came from a merchant family. It might be understandable if she had some knowledge of business, but her understanding of court affairs and various military camps was surprising. Even the daughters of officials might not know this much.

All the way, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue might not have been entirely lying. The journey day and night was indeed very exhausting, and if they encountered rough roads, it was even more jolting.

Yet she had never complained once. When tired, she would lean on him, and if she really couldn't hold on, she would lie down for a while. There was no sign of a pampered young woman.

With the Ruan family's wealth, she should have lived a life where she never had to lift a finger for domestic work, let alone endure hardships.

So, this perseverance and endurance amazed He An, but it also caused him more heartache.

Unfortunately, it was she who gave him surprises and also she who gave him frustrations.

Last night, she had said to Chu Li that she didn't know if she liked him and that he didn't know his own feelings either. That was complete nonsense.

True, there had been some unpleasantness when they first married, but hadn't his actions afterward been clear enough?

If he had no feelings for her, He An would never have touched her.

"He An, you are a bastard." Ruan Qinghuan cried out in her sleep. "It hurts..."

He An kissed her forehead tenderly, got out of bed, and fetched a box of ointment from the items they had brought along. He gently applied it to her, but Ruan Qinghuan didn't appreciate it.

The next day, when Chu Li came to see her, it was already late in the morning. Hearing from Xia Lian that Ruan Qinghuan hadn't gotten up yet, Chu Li was surprised. "Could your wife be sick from exhaustion?"

The road to Lu City had indeed been rough, and they had been traveling day and night, enduring much hardship. Chu Li thought that since Ruan Qinghuan was just an ordinary woman without martial arts skills, she probably couldn't bear such exhausting travel.

Xia Lian nodded awkwardly.

Ruan Qinghuan was eventually woken by the noise, got out of bed, and welcomed Chu Li into the room.

Chu Li looked at Ruan Qinghuan, who was having breakfast close to noon. Though she looked listless, her complexion was quite rosy.

"You're really exhausted."

"Cough, cough, cough..." Ruan Qinghuan was drinking her porridge when she almost choked at the comment.

Chu Li patted her back sympathetically. "No wonder, the roads around Lu City aren't easy to travel. Even riding a horse here, I was shaken quite a bit."

Ruan Qinghuan: "..."

So that's what Chu Li was talking about, which had startled her.

After chatting for a while, Ruan Qinghuan finished her breakfast. Chu Li then coyly suggested, "Can I call you 'sister-in-law' from now on? Calling you 'Madam' all the time feels too distant."

"Sure, go ahead."

Chu Li grinned. "Sister-in-law, then we’re practically family now."

Ruan Qinghuan nodded hesitantly, feeling like Chu Li's words were a setup.

Sure enough, Chu Li grabbed her hand. "Sister-in-law, you won’t leave me hanging about my marriage, right?"

Ruan Qinghuan laughed, realizing Chu Li's true intention.

Chu Li was at her wit's end. Ji Lingchuan's free-spirited nature made him impervious to her efforts. Instead of getting closer, he tried to avoid her whenever possible.

She found Ruan Qinghuan's previous words reasonable. Instead of endlessly chasing him, she wanted to understand Ji Lingchuan’s true feelings.

If he really didn't like her... Chu Li immediately changed her train of thought, unwilling to dwell on it.

But what if, after giving it a try, Ji Lingchuan realizes he likes her? Then wouldn't it be a happy ending for both of them?

With this thought, she became a bit anxious. "Sister-in-law, just tell me what to do to make him stop running away?"

"If you don't want him to escape, the first step is not to chase."

"Ah?" Chu Li frowned, not quite understanding Ruan Qinghuan's meaning.

Ruan Qinghuan whispered a few words in her ear, and Chu Li's expression grew increasingly surprised. "Will this work?"

"Won't know until we try, right?"

**

Today, only a drizzle fell. By noon, He An was likely already inspecting the dam. Their plan to visit the eastern hills together would have to wait.

With nothing else to do, Ruan Qinghuan agreed to Chu Li’s idea of going shopping in town and taking the chance to learn more about Lu City.

As they stepped out, they noticed two officers at the door, likely from the county yamen.

Seeing Ruan Qinghuan and Chu Li, the officers saluted. "We are here to protect the Chancellor’s wife and Miss Chu. Feel free to ask if you need anything."

Ruan Qinghuan: "..."

Chu Li, however, was unconcerned. "When I came, it was the same, but I lost them halfway."

She said this in front of the officers, who exchanged glances, silently urging each other to stay sharp and avoid any slip-ups.

Ruan Qinghuan understood—it was protection in name only, but really surveillance. This County Magistrate Bao must be quite paranoid.

The sudden appearance of Jiang Heng and Jiang Chen caught the officers off guard. Seeing their defensive stance, Ruan Qinghuan waved them off, saying, "They’re with us."

Jiang Heng and Jiang Chen positioned themselves beside Ruan Qinghuan. "Madam, Miss Chu, please follow us."

Ruan Qinghuan didn't expect Jiang Heng and Jiang Chen to come. They hadn't shown themselves all the way, staying in the shadows. Now that they were in Lu City, there was no longer any need to hide.