Chapter 59: Cold War

Chapter 59: Cold War

In that instant, Liu Yun's whole body went rigid, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst.

She dared not meet Xiao Hang's eyes, because it would make her completely transparent.

She forced a tight smile and stammered, "Nothing, just copying some scriptures to pass the time."

"Oh, why has my husband returned?"

By all rights, the Crown Prince should be at Tianyuan Hall deliberating right now, and could not possibly be back.

Yet here he was, back anyway.

Xiao Hang rested one hand on the edge of the table, almost caging her small frame in his arms, his eyes glinting.

He wasn't blind—Yunniang's reaction was way too off to be just scripture copying.

It looked more like she was writing something she had no business writing.

As luck would have it, the Emperor wasn't feeling well today and canceled the morning court, giving everyone the day off.

So Xiao Hang had come back.

This surprise return had let him stumble onto a little secret.

Watching Yunniang's obvious attempts to hide the papers, plus her guilty face, Xiao Hang couldn't stop his mind from jumping to the worst conclusions.

Could she have taken a lover and be writing to some other man?

Though the notion was absurd, Xiao Hang couldn't stop his mind from wandering there.

Fidgety and on edge, he snatched the thick stack of papers while she wasn't looking.

"Give it back!"

Liu Yun lunged to grab them back, scared out of her wits.

Are you kidding? Those love stories of hers were not something just anyone could see!

Especially not Xiao Hang—just the thought made her want to crawl into a hole.

But with the gap in their height and strength, no matter how she stretched, she couldn't reach them, only managing to work up a sweat.

Finally, out of patience, Xiao Hang used one arm to pin her to him, as easily as catching a chick.

"Don't move, or I won't mind doing something to the Crown Princess right here and now."

At that, Liu Yun stopped struggling and went still.

She believed him, afraid of stirring his interest again and getting shoved into the bed curtains to be worn out in broad daylight.

She couldn't take it, and wouldn't the Eastern Palace servants secretly laugh at them if word got out?

She wasn't having that.

Once Liu Yun settled down, Xiao Hang eagerly dug into her little secret.

Xiao Hang was naturally sharp, with a stellar memory since childhood, able to skim ten lines at a glance.

After flipping through just a few pages, he got the gist.

Scriptures, his ass! These were clearly love stories!

What made him even angrier was that the male lead in the stories was clearly based on that Ye guy!

Realizing what this might really mean, Xiao Hang found it hard to breathe.

His Yunniang, his wife—she actually had feelings for that good-for-nothing Young Master Ye Qingliu!

Xiao Hang couldn't accept it, grinding his teeth in rage.

Too bad that Ye guy wasn't around, so he had no one to take it out on, leaving only his eyes, red with fury, locked on Liu Yun.

God knows what an awkward ordeal Liu Yun had just gone through.

Having her own husband read her love stories right in front of her—within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Liu Yun was so mortified she almost cried.

Compared to this, every scare she'd had before felt like nothing.

Finally, when she met those eyes, which seemed to hold a brewing storm, Liu Yun's heart clenched, and she swallowed hard.

She knew her jealous husband had figured it out.

On the verge of tears, Liu Yun timidly reached out and tugged Xiao Hang's sleeve, testing the waters. "Husband, are you okay?"

She'd rather he say something than just keep staring at her like that, leaving her in the dark about what came next.

As she spoke, she watched Xiao Hang's chest heave. Suddenly, he grabbed her chin, his eyes turning dark and deep.

"Yunniang, you're already married to me. In life, you're mine; in death, you're mine. You'll never have a shot with that Ye guy!"

"I won't dig into the past, but don't cross this line again, or you'll deal with the consequences."

Those words seemed to take a lot out of him. As he finished, Xiao Hang dropped his gaze, as if all his energy had been spent, looking completely worn out.

Liu Yun couldn't stand hearing that, as if it implied something between her and Young Marquis Ye.

Annoyed, she shot back, "What are you talking about? There's nothing between me and Young Marquis Ye, and I don't like him!"

She'd only once had a thing for guys like Young Marquis Ye, not some deep-rooted crush.

Besides, Ye Qingliu always said stuff that rubbed her the wrong way, and after getting to know him, her admiration had fizzled out.

Now that she was married to the Crown Prince, they weren't exactly soulmates, but they were close and got along well.

Why would she still pine for some irrelevant guy?

Xiao Hang was caught off guard for a second by Liu Yun's firm, resolute reaction, then his face hardened again. "Don't like him? Then why were you always staring at him before? And defending him? Even making him the male lead in your stories?"

"Is it because you couldn't marry him in real life, so you wrote him into your stories to comfort yourself?"

Getting more worked up, Xiao Hang's tone turned bitter, dripping with jealousy.

Liu Yun got angry too, her mind spinning, not knowing how to explain.

Was she supposed to say that before marriage she'd had a thing for guys like Ye Qingliu?

That sounded pretty bad too.

Thus, she pressed her lips together and fell silent for a few breaths, finally managing only a dry, curt reply.

"I've told you the truth—take it as you will, Your Highness!"

With that, Liu Yun snatched the stack of papers back, deliberately avoiding the pain in Xiao Hang's eyes, and hurried away.

Xiao Hang simply watched her leave without a word, the light in his eyes gradually dimming as a flicker of hurt flashed across his face.

He strode out of Cheng'en Hall, vanishing from sight in no time.

Jin He cautiously stepped inside, looking deeply worried as she asked, "What happened between you and His Highness, my lady?"

Drained from the whole commotion, Liu Yun merely shook her head without speaking.

Jin He wisely didn't ask more.

At dusk, Xiao Hang returned on time. During dinner, washing up, and getting ready for bed, he remained composed and calm, with no sign of the irrational behavior from that morning.

But it was all too quiet.

In the past, when the two were together, since Liu Yun was the quieter one, Xiao Hang would always do the talking.

Whether serious or joking, he'd always get her to say a bit more.

But now, aside from a simple "mm" or "oh," there was almost nothing.

Even in bed, he'd become quiet, just breathing hard as he pushed into her, and all those dirty words were gone.

Not only that, but he'd also found new ways to wear her out, carrying her out from behind the bed curtains to have his way.

The desk, the soft couch, even the floor rug—all became new spots.

Liu Yun couldn't get used to it, and even more so despised him for being so obsessed with it—how utterly shameless!

But soon she had no time to complain—his burning chest against her back made her knees go weak, and she could barely stay standing.

For three straight days, Liu Yun lived like this, feeling her body weaken, always sleepy during the day.

Needing to get away, body and soul, Liu Yun packed some things and, taking advantage of Xiao Hang's absence, fled back to her family's home.

After all, she was free to leave the palace, and no one could stop her.

When she arrived at the Liu house, Zhang Yuhua was delighted at first, but then, seeing her son-in-law hadn't come, asked in surprise.

"Why didn't His Highness come with you?"

Liu Yun was too embarrassed to mention the messy quarrel between them, so she just smiled and dodged the question, saying, "His Highness is busy with state affairs. I missed you and Father, so I came back by myself."

Zhang Yuhua figured that made sense and happily brought her daughter inside.

Spending the night at her parents' home, free from Xiao Hang's unreasonable words and the relentless thrusts that had worn her down, Liu Yun felt much lighter, both in body and spirit.

But in the Eastern Palace, Xiao Hang, left alone in the empty room, was doing much worse.

Lying in the sheets that still smelled of her, he couldn't hold back the longing in his heart any longer.

He wanted to hold her, look at her, kiss her, and finally sink into her to claim her completely.

Only that could calm his restless heart.

But now she was gone, leaving him with only an empty, restless heart.

On the third day after Liu Yun left the Eastern Palace, Xiao Hang couldn't take it anymore.

He finished his court duties early, changed into a new vermilion robe, and hurried to his in-laws' house in a rush.

On the way, all he could think about was bringing her back and having a real talk, so she'd feel secure as the Crown Princess.

At the Liu house, Liu Yun was chatting with her mother when her younger brother happened to be home on his day off. The siblings played pitch-pot, and despite her heavy clothes, Liu Yun soon had a light sweat on her forehead.

Zhang Yuhua had a maid bring honey milk, smiling as she called the two over to drink it.

The siblings had similar tastes, liking the same things, and honey milk had been a favorite of both since they were kids.

But this time, Liu Yun had no appetite, only taking a small sip before putting it down.

Zhang Yuhua watched from the side and finally couldn't help but ask.

"Shanshan, tell Mother the truth—did you and the Crown Prince have a fight?"

Author's note:

None