Chapter 77: Chapter Seventy-Seven The Princess Consort Doesn’t Want Me Anymore

Chapter 77: Seventh Consort Yun Doesn’t Want Me Anymore

Wei San and Wei Zheng began with an accident, then continued by mistake; from start to finish, it was all a deception.

The person wearing Wei Liu’s face mask—the one who had humiliated him and filled him with bitter hatred—turned out to be the master he revered most, the one he regarded as divine. This realization lodged in Wei San’s throat, making it impossible for him to let go.

He spoke with extreme calm: “I presume Your Highness is aware that I have seen that face mask. I mention this not to question anything, nor does Your Highness need to explain. If my conduct during this time has brought Your Highness some amusement, then at least I have served some purpose. If Your Highness wishes for me to continue playing this role in this game of forced conquest, you may simply say so directly. In the end, I will always obey you.”

He had already concocted countless excuses for Wei Zheng and knew all too well that, given his status, whatever Wei Zheng did to him was justified. Yet deception was an undeniable fact, and he couldn’t bring himself to remain indifferent.

So… please don’t use this tenderness that easily misleads and ensnares him to deceive him again. His heart is made of flesh too; it can ache.

“You don’t believe that I love you?”

Wei Zheng widened his eyes in disbelief. The young assassin’s earnest expression didn’t seem feigned. Anxious and angry, he opened his mouth to defend himself, but the words died in his throat.

It was true that initially, he had only seen Wei San as an amusing little toy, thinking he would discard him once he grew bored. But later, he developed a taste for it and gradually came to appreciate Wei San’s goodness, eventually developing feelings for him. His greed grew—he wanted not only Wei San’s body but also his undivided love.

Wei San might appear dull, but he was far from foolish. He saw things more clearly than anyone else. He never truly placed himself on equal footing with Wei Zheng. He treated being Wei Zheng’s male favorite as a mission. Once the mission ended, he would leave without a second thought, neither expecting sincerity from Wei Zheng nor allowing himself to invest genuine love.

A relationship built on deception, once its gorgeous facade is torn away, collapses instantly.

In the end, Wei Zheng reaped what he had sown.

After that falling out, the atmosphere between them froze. Wei San grew increasingly silent and no longer brought up the matter of the child’s fate.

Wei Zheng didn’t know how to handle him. Wei San didn’t trust him; no matter how heartfelt and sincere his words seemed, they came across as pale and false.

For the first time in his life, Wei Zheng chose to escape. Using the excuse of pressing palace duties, he avoided Wei San for two days, leaving before dawn and returning only after the lights were out.

Wei San never asked where he went, quietly staying in the bedchamber and playing his role as Secondary Consort Yun.

Wei Zheng simmered with pent-up frustration with no outlet until Duan Lin brought someone back to the assassin camp.

Wei Zheng went directly to the assassin camp. Duan Lin informed him that the person was being tortured in the interrogation hall.

On the way to the interrogation hall, Wei Zheng asked, “Did you find out why he set Wei San on fire?”

Duan Lin’s face twisted, unsure how to respond.

Wei Zheng glanced at him suspiciously. “You didn’t find out?”

Not wanting Wei Zheng to doubt his competence, Duan Lin immediately straightened up and said, “We found out. It’s just…” He hesitated, organizing his words. “The arsonist is named Niu Sanwa, from Litou Village. He’s nearly thirty and is famously unmarried in the village. During the time Wei San was living under an assumed identity, Niu Sanwa sent a matchmaker to propose to him. Wei San refused.”

Wei Zheng’s expression darkened, fierce enough to skin someone alive and grind their bones to dust.

“How dare he! How dare he covet what belongs to me?”

Wei Zheng nearly crushed the jade ring on his thumb.

Duan Lin had expected this reaction and quietly took half a step back to avoid being caught in the crossfire when his master’s anger flared.

He cleared his throat and continued, “Niu Sanwa claimed he set the fire out of impulsive rage after Wei San rejected his proposal.”

“Impulsive rage?” Wei Zheng sneered. “I saw clearly that day—the doors and windows were barricaded with wooden beams. It was clearly premeditated.”

If the doors and windows hadn’t been blocked, Wei San could have broken through and escaped the flames. If Wei Zheng hadn’t decided to visit spontaneously, he would never have seen Wei San again.

Even now, the memory of that night’s fire made Wei Zheng shiver with dread.

Duan Lin hadn’t known there was more to the story. Frowning deeply, he shared the peculiarity he had noticed.

“I also suspect Niu Sanwa is hiding something. When I went to Litou Village to investigate, I overheard villagers chatting about how, after his proposal was rejected, he… well…” He couldn’t help but twitch his lips. “He copulated with a sow. The villagers said it was like he was under a spell—completely irrational, and no one could pull him away.”

Wei Zheng’s expression was indescribable.

Duan Lin also found it too bizarre and didn’t dwell on it, instead analyzing, “I don’t think it was a spell. It’s more likely he offended Wei San and Wei San retaliated by playing a trick on him.”

After such an incident, Niu Sanwa became the village laughingstock, making arson as revenge somewhat understandable.

Wei Zheng concluded firmly, “Wei San wouldn’t target anyone without reason. Niu Sanwa must have done something to anger him.”

As it turned out, Wei Zheng wasn’t being biased at all. When An Yi got the full story out of Niu Sanwa, he was so enraged he laughed on the spot. He whipped Niu Sanwa several times with chili-soaked lashes and still felt it wasn’t enough.

“Cut off his genitals and feed them to the dogs. Make him watch.”

“Let him experience, from beginning to end, exactly how he tried to burn Wei San to death.”

With these two casual remarks, Wei Zheng decided Niu Sanwa’s fate and didn’t bother with him further.

The more Wei Zheng thought about the suffering Wei San had endured while away from him, the more his heart ached. He longed to return to Wei San’s side immediately and comfort him, but then he remembered Wei San’s recent distant attitude and felt disheartened.

He decided this couldn’t continue and once again lowered his pride to ask Duan Lin, “I did something that upset Wei San. What should I do to make him forgive me?”

Duan Lin gave him a look of great surprise but quickly schooled his expression and cautiously replied, “That depends on what you did, Your Highness.”

Previously, Duan Lin had only known Wei San was favored, but now he understood just how much weight Wei San carried in Wei Zheng’s heart.

For his master to humble himself like this, seeking advice just to make Wei San happy, it was clear how deeply he cared.

Duan Lin couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. His earlier intuition had been correct—it wasn’t Wei San who had fallen deeper, but Wei Zheng.

Having watched both of them grow up, Duan Lin had never imagined these two vastly different individuals would end up together. Who would have thought the lofty Virtuous Prince would ultimately fall for a mere assassin?

“Do I have to say?”

Wei Zheng didn’t want others to know too much about his and Wei San’s affairs, especially the part where he had assumed a false identity to deceive Wei San.

Although what he had done was indeed unethical, he still had some pride to maintain.

“It’s not absolutely necessary.”

Duan Lin, having weathered many storms, easily saw through his hesitation and offered him a way out.

“Wei San responds better to softness than hardness. If you act pitiful and show weakness, soften his attitude, things will naturally become easier later.”

“You mean…”

Wei Zheng pondered for a moment and found it highly feasible.

.

The main palace bedchamber’s lights went out half an hour later than usual today. Wei San sat quietly in the guest hall, flanked by two maids holding lamps who struggled to stay awake.

In the past, Wei San would have gone to bed long ago, but today he intended to talk things through with Wei Zheng and had waited until now. Unfortunately, the person he was waiting for still hadn’t arrived.

He asked the maid beside him, “Hasn’t the Prince returned yet?”

The maid shook her head. "There's no word from the gatehouse."

Wei San pursed his lips without speaking and waved the maid away, dismissing her.

"You may all leave."

The maids bowed and withdrew, leaving him alone in the hall.

Wei San stared blankly at the night outside. After two days of calm reflection, he had come to a realization—staying in this unclear situation was no solution. The matter of the child’s future had to be resolved, and the complicated relationship between them needed closure.

He was well aware that Wei Zheng was deliberately avoiding him. Strictly speaking, they had only seen each other once in the past two days. Wei Zheng left before dawn and returned only after Wei San had already gone to bed. The only way to actually see him was to wait—a simple, blunt approach.

Just as Wei San was growing drowsy from waiting, a faint noise finally came from outside.

Wei Zheng had returned, supported by Duan Lin. He was heavily intoxicated, having consumed who knows how much alcohol, stumbling unsteadily yet still insisting on seeing Wei San.

Wei San jolted awake at once, his brow furrowed with concern as he hurried forward.

"Why did His Highness drink so much?"

Wei San had never seen his master drunk before—this was a first.

Duan Lin sighed helplessly. "His Highness has been troubled these past few days. Tonight, he drank alone out of misery. I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn’t listen, and ended up drinking far too much."

Wei San froze, realizing it might be because of their recent conflict that his master was in such low spirits. But...

Would his master really drink himself into a stupor over him?

Wei San found it hard to believe, yet an odd, faint sense of pleasure stirred deep within him.

"Wei San..."

Drunk people aren't rational. The moment Wei Zheng recognized the person before him as his beloved little assassin, he immediately pushed Duan Lin away and stumbled, leaning heavily on Wei San.

"Your Highness, please stop this! Be careful!"

Wei Zheng stumbled, nearly tripping and falling. Wei San’s heart skipped a beat in fright. He rushed forward to steady him while being careful not to bump his own stomach, suddenly all hands.

The drunk man, however, paid no mind and simply clung to him, smiling goofily. "No, no—Wait, this is my princess!"

Then, his expression shifted in an instant. His brows furrowed, his eyes reddened, and he whined pitifully, "But I made the princess angry. The princess doesn’t want me anymore."

Wei San: "..."