Chapter 24 Fallout “Rongrong, you offended the Marquis?!”…

Chapter 24: A Falling Out

"Rong Rong, did you offend the Marquis?!"

"What happened?!" He knelt, scooping her into his arms, only then noticing her pale face and the fine sheen of sweat on her temples. His expression shifted dramatically. "Rong Rong!"

Yue Rongrong yearned to push him away, to defiantly refuse his help, but the pain was too overwhelming to utter a word or summon any strength. She could only let him carry her into the carriage.

Wen Song drove the carriage at a furious pace.

Shen Jichen held Yue Rongrong tightly, his mind a chaotic mess. Each time Yue Rongrong groaned in pain, he roared furiously out the window, "Faster!"

Yue Rongrong clutched his lapel, as if trying to distract herself from the throbbing pain in her abdomen. She wanted to tell Shen Jichen not to be so harsh, but all that escaped her lips was a strained whisper, "It hurts so much…"

Shen Jichen’s heart twisted with anguish, his voice low, firm, yet tender: "Don't be afraid, you'll be alright." He wasn't sure if he was comforting her or himself.

Yue Rongrong felt his hand tremble, and an inexplicable pang shot through her heart. Then she dismissed it as overthinking. She tried to smile, but only managed a faint twitch of her lips: "Shen Jichen… why are you so nervous? I’m just… having my period…"

Shen Jichen froze, blurting out, "Doesn't it usually come on the sixteenth? Today is only the eighth."

For a fleeting moment, Yue Rongrong’s heart warmed, and the pain seemed to recede slightly, but her eyes grew hot. She feigned greater pain and remained silent.

Shen Jichen, believing she was too pained to speak, cursed, "Damn it! It’s never been this bad before!"

Yes, that was before. Now, she couldn’t even predict her own cycle. For a moment, Yue Rongrong’s sorrow eclipsed the pain. She lifted her head slightly and saw Shen Jichen’s anxious face. Her nose stung with emotion, and she mustered all her strength to push herself out of his embrace, struggling to speak through the agony: "Take me back to Jinxiu Tower."

Shen Jichen pulled her back into his arms, furious: "In this state, why would you go back to Jinxiu Tower?!"

Yue Rongrong pressed her lips together, refusing to surrender to emotions that weren’t hers to keep. Even taking a deep breath sent shivers of pain through her: "Then I won’t trouble the Marquis anymore. I wouldn’t want to get you dirty."

Shen Jichen was instantly provoked into a rage: "Yue Rongrong!"

Yue Rongrong braced against the carriage wall: "You should go worry about your Jin Tangsong instead." She didn’t know why, but at that moment, she thought of Jin Tangsong, and an undeniable, inescapable bitterness bubbled in her heart.

Shen Jichen’s eyes widened slightly, a faint hint of a smile flashing as he stared intently at her: "You care?"

He longed to hear her say it, even just one word. But Yue Rongrong pressed her lips together and clenched her teeth, refusing to speak.

Finally, a dark shadow flickered in the depths of his eyes. He scoffed coldly: "She doesn’t need your concern."

Yue Rongrong tried to resist further, but the carriage suddenly stopped. Without another word, Shen Jichen picked her up and carried her into the Marquis’s residence.

He marched right through the main hall, ignoring the shocked gazes of all the servants, and carried her directly into his main courtyard. Her skirt was already stained, but he placed her on his bed without hesitation, calling maids to change her clothes. The resident doctor arrived promptly, immediately recognizing Yue Rongrong’s condition and urgently ordering a bowl of medicine to improve circulation and reduce cramping.

Shen Jichen, still uneasy, turned to Wen Song and ordered him to fetch a royal physician.

Yue Rongrong trembled in fear. Without thinking, she grabbed Shen Jichen’s hand. The cold, soft touch went straight to his heart. He paused slightly, slowly looking down, his eyes flickering as if he had regained something precious, and he gripped her hand tightly.

"Don’t call the royal physician. I don’t want to see one," she pleaded, her voice shaking with fear.

Shen Jichen, thinking she was in pain, said sternly, "Don’t be stubborn."

Yue Rongrong suddenly grew frantic, pushing his hand away, her voice hoarse: "What right do you have to control me? We are nothing to each other. Everything was made clear three years ago! By what authority do you interfere? Why do you keep pestering me? Why did you come looking for me!" She finished in one breath, only to feel darkness cloud her vision as she leaned back against the bedpost.

Shen Jichen suppressed his pain and anger, his jawline hard as cold iron. His pride had been shattered, and a sharp pain pierced his heart unexpectedly. He was about to lose his temper but held back, afraid she couldn’t handle it in her current state.

Even his unwilling hand reached out to steady her. Shen Jichen looked at his hand frozen mid-air and laughed coldly in self-mockery—he was completely pathetic!

The room fell completely silent. Only Wen Song stood outside, not daring to breathe loudly. Then a servant arrived with the medicine bowl. Wen Song quickly took it, entered without raising his head, and presented it with both hands, murmuring softly, "Marquis."

After a long moment, Shen Jichen took the bowl from the tray. Seeing it served in a delicate magnolia-patterned porcelain bowl, he felt nothing but irony. He laughed coldly, full of mockery, his suppressed voice slightly hoarse: "Drink your medicine."

Yue Rongrong had resolved to end their entanglement and refused to drink: "I won’t!"

Saying this, she supported herself on the bedpost, stood up, and stumbled toward the door.

Shen Jichen made no move to stop her. His deep, unfathomable eyes stared at the medicine bowl, his voice icy: "Yue Rongrong, whether we draw a clear line isn’t your decision." As he spoke, he tilted his head back and drank the entire bowl of medicine in one gulp, then pulled Yue Rongrong toward him.

Yue Rongrong, weak as a willow, crashed into his arms. He cupped the back of her head, forcing her to look up, pressed his lips against hers, pried open her teeth, and forced the medicine into her mouth, kissing her harshly.

The warm medicine flowed down Yue Rongrong’s dry throat into her chilled organs, instantly warming her. A tear slid from the corner of her eye.

After what felt like an eternity, Shen Jichen’s heart felt wrapped in tight cotton bands. He released her abruptly, his voice strained: "Whether we draw a clear line is my decision." His chest heaved as he roared, "Get out!"

Yue Rongrong trembled in shock, wiped the medicine from her lips, and fled without a backward glance.

Shen Jichen angrily smashed a cobalt-blue vase nearby, shattering it into pieces. His eyes turned bloodshot.

Wen Song’s heart shattered along with the vase—that was worth a fortune!

"Send a carriage to take her back!" Shen Jichen’s roar made Wen Song jump, and he hurried away to comply.

**

Yue Rongrong fell ill as well. The manager wondered if Yunjin Pavilion’s feng shui had turned bad lately, with everyone falling sick one after another. Zhong Yu said calmly, "Should we invite a monk to perform a ritual?"

The manager rolled her eyes: "Take good care of Rong Rong."

Zhong Yu shrugged and sat by Yue Rongrong’s bedside, curious: "Your periods have always been painful, but never this bad. What happened?"

Yue Rongrong didn’t answer, but thankfully Zhong Yu didn’t press further.

Ren Hanzhen had almost fully recovered and sat by the bed, watching Yue Rongrong with a gloomy expression. She didn’t even hear Zhang Jing call her name several times.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhang Jing came over and nudged her.

Ren Hanzhen finally smiled at her.

Zhang Jing asked, "Are you going to the Duke’s residence tomorrow?"

Ren Hanzhen lowered her eyes, her smile slightly strained: "No."

Zhang Jing blinked in surprise and couldn’t help asking, "Did you really do something wrong?"

Ren Hanzhen rarely showed impatience: "No." She stood up and left the room.

Zhang Jing was also displeased and muttered, "What’s with the attitude?"

Zhong Yu withdrew her gaze and leaned closer to Yue Rongrong: "Han Zhen really is acting strange."

Just as Ren Hanzhen stepped out, she ran into the furious manager, who stormed in and scolded: "I really! I’ve raised a bunch of debt collectors! Zhen Xi and Young Master Luo have cut ties! Han Zhen isn’t going to the Duke’s residence! Now the Marquis’s residence has sent word that Rong Rong doesn’t need to come anymore! You’re something else! You only know how to offend nobles!"

Zhang Jing gasped and exclaimed, "Rong Rong, did you offend the Marquis?!"

Yue Rongrong’s heart sank to the bottom, and she replied vaguely.

The manager laughed sharply: "Yue Rongrong, you’re getting more capable! Do you even want to stay in the capital anymore?"

Zhong Yu suppressed her shock and quickly stood to soothe the manager, coaxing him away.

Ren Hanzhen remained standing at the door, equally stunned. Eventually, a sense of schadenfreude and relief overwhelmed her shock. She looked calmly at Yue Rongrong, a gentle smile sweeping away her earlier gloom. In the end, no one could enter the Marquis’s residence. She felt immensely relieved and clear-headed.