Chapter 30

When Qin Yan returned from Bingzhou, it was slightly earlier than expected, on the second night.

Feng Bao was waiting at the door, rubbing his hands in his sleeves as he watched Qin Yan dismount from his Qingcong horse and quickly lead it forward, handing the reins to a stable boy beside him.

“Master,” Feng Bao said, carefully handing over a handkerchief.

Qin Yan took it and wiped his hands. “Hmm.”

“Master, I have already informed the Madam about our return tomorrow morning.”

Qin Yan hesitated slightly at the mention of “Madam” but replied, “Understood.”

As he continued to walk forward, he caught sight of Feng Bao’s hesitant expression from the corner of his eye and furrowed his brow. “What is it?”

Feng Bao was hesitant at first, but since Qin Yan had asked, he didn’t dare keep it to himself.

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“Yypvla, vseyu R ynnsxrydkle vbl Yyeyx vs pll vbl esoau yde clvasvbyz tkqvp vbyv vbl Fw qyxkzu pldv. Mbl Yyeyx oyp kdkvkyzzu iwkvl rzlyple, cwv yqvla srldkdt y qlo esoau csmlp, bla lmralppksd nbydtle.”

“R oldv vs vyjl y zssj yde pyo vbyv yryav qasx y qlo ale casnyel csmlp qkzzle okvb nzsvb, yzz vbl svblap olal sdzu byzq qwzz.”

Wldt Jys’p osaep olal nzlya, yde obkzl kv xyu cl nsxxsd qsa psxl qyxkzklp vs byhl y pxyzzla esoau, kv oyp wdwpwyz vs elnlkhl rlsrzl cu sdzu qkzzkdt csmlp byzqoyu. Rv xyu pllx kxralppkhl vs swvpkelap, cwv sdzu vbl cakel blaplzq jdsop vbyv kv’p fwpv y qynyel.

Mbl Fw qyxkzu kp nsdpkelale y olyzvbu qyxkzu kd Kkysgbsw, ps vblka yrrasynb vs vbl esoau oyp iwkvl rlvvu.

“Ebyv ycswv vbl zyde ellep yde pbsrp?”

“Yypvla, vblal olal iwkvl y qlo ellep qsa pxyzz nswdvu pbsrp yde psxl cyaald zyde…kq usw esd’v zssj nzsplzu, usw xktbv vbkdj kv’p tldlaswp.”

Ckd Zyd zsolale bkp lulzkep yde zlv swv y nsze zywtb.

G qlo pvlrp yblye oyp vbl cakeyz nbyxcla, yde y qktwal oyp kzzwxkdyvle cu nydezlzktbv, pllxkdtzu zlydkdt shla y vyczl, cwv kv oyp ekqqknwzv vs pll nzlyazu.

Feng Bao saw Qin Yan approaching the door and quickly added, “Master, the Madam told me not to mention this to you…”

Qin Yan paused at his words.

When he looked towards the silhouette at the window, his gaze shifted, and he walked towards the study.

Feng Bao followed him and took a quick glance at the window, puzzled by Qin Yan’s expression. It didn’t seem like he was indifferent to his wife’s feelings, so he thought Qin Yan would go in and comfort her.

Feng Bao didn’t have time to think too much as Qin Yan quickened his pace, creating some distance between them. He immediately caught up.

“Master, where will you be sleeping tonight?”

“Has Ling’an arrived?”

“Yes, Master, he has arrived.”

As the night deepened, the large red wedding candles that had not burned out from the day before glimmered with bright flames, making it even harder to see the pitch-black night outside. Su Mi was wearing a light apricot-colored silk undershirt with wide sleeves, leaning over the mahogany table, her eyes slightly red with water vapor, and her arm sleeves still damp.

She hadn’t originally cared much about the dowry for her marriage, but some shop leases needed someone to manage them to prevent the family’s businesses in Jingzhou and Jiaozhou from being abandoned. In addition, she had to pick out some silk quilts and jewelry to bring to Jingzhou, so she went with Chun Mei to see the dowry that was sent to the Su family on the day of her marriage to Su Xian.

However, when she saw it, Su Mi felt a little disheartened. Most of the red cages contained only half of the goods, except for the boxes of silk. During Su Xian’s marriage, she had seen those boxes full of precious treasures, and Su Mingde had even searched for rare items, like the piece of jade hairpin she had previously worn, which was made from the leftover green jade from Xinjiang.

Actually, it wasn’t about the dowry. It was given by her parents, and they would give as much as they wanted. But this became a trigger, and as a woman who had just married, Su Mi’s thoughts were sensitive, so she couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.

Fortunately, she told Feng Bao not to let Qin Yan know; otherwise, he would look down on her. For some reason, she didn’t want to let Qin Yan know that there was someone in the family who didn’t care about her.

…

Time passed quickly, and the red wax candles on the candlestick had burned more than halfway. Su Mi covered her eyes with both hands, rubbed them lightly, and finally figured it out. She had to go back to see her mother tomorrow. It wouldn’t look good if her eyes were swollen, and if it looked like Qin Yan had bullied her, her mother would be even more upset.

Su Mi looked at the sky outside. Feng Bao had said that Qin Yan wouldn’t be back until the earliest tonight, so he probably wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow morning.

That’s good. If Qin Yan had come back earlier, she wouldn’t have dared to show her displeasure. She would have to endure it. What if she couldn’t endure it?

Feeling a little lucky, Su Mi leaned forward and blew out the candle.

The next day, Su Mi instructed Chun Mei to apply makeup carefully to cover the dark circles and scabs on her lips before following Feng Bao to the gate of the Yuan Mansion. Qin Yan had already sat in the carriage.

It was already autumn, and the curtains of the carriage were much thicker than in the summer. Su Mi’s hand, which lifted the curtain, looked slender and delicate, like the petals of a magnolia.

Speaking of which, on the day after the wedding, Qin Yan had left the house, and today was the first time she had seen him since then.

Su Mi had originally wanted to sit in the same seat as before, but today’s carriage was not the one Qin Yan had chosen during the selection…

Qin Yan caught a glimpse of Su Mi’s movements, and his lips slightly curled up.

Su Mi was completely unaware, and after sitting down, she gently called out, “Good morning, My Lord.”

Su Mi had already thought through the matter of her dowry last night. She had been acting melodramatically and had needlessly suffered for a whole night. Now, she put aside these thoughts and saw Qin Yan again, which reminded her of the events of the wedding night.

Her bruises had not yet healed, and Su Mi was somewhat unwilling to let them go without asking about them.

She always felt that what happened that night was real, so she carefully considered her words and said, “My Lord, I heard from Chun Mei that I had a drunken outburst that night. I don’t know if I offended you.”

“Yes, you did offend me.”

As soon as Qin Yan spoke, Su Mi became nervous and looked at him.

“However…” Qin Yan looked at Su Mi, and his gaze swept over the corner of her lip, which was about to scab over. Although it was covered with makeup, he was the one who bit her, so he knew best where it was located and could see it clearly.

“I have already punished you, so there’s no need to bring it up again.”

Qin Yan’s words stopped Su Mi from asking further questions. She looked at him, who had turned back to the letter he was reading, as if he had lost interest in talking to her. So she swallowed the words she wanted to say.

Since she had slept late last night, Su Mi became a bit sleepy after sitting for a while and even yawned a few times.

“My Lord, I want to take a nap for a while.”

“Okay.”

With Qin Yan’s reply, Su Mi felt relieved. In fact, she had peculiar feelings towards Qin Yan. These two days when Qin Yan was away, she thought carefully about it. She liked him, but she was also afraid, especially since Qin Yan always seemed to get angry for no reason. Anyway, she was careful and didn’t want to make any mistakes.

She adjusted her sitting posture, leaned against the protruding rectangular wooden edge on the inside of the carriage window, and closed her eyes.

At the moment she closed her eyes, Qin Yan put down the letter and looked at her with an indescribable expression in his eyes.

Sometimes he also wanted to know what she was thinking, but he didn’t want to be bothered. She provoked him when she shouldn’t have, and she was worried about him, so she had to be cautious in everything she did.

…

The carriage rattled on and soon arrived at Su’s residence.

Due to Qin Yan’s different identity, Su Mingde and the female members of the Su family were waiting at the door to greet him.

In the hall of the second courtyard, Qin Yan was still given the seat at the head of the table.

Su Mingde wanted to exchange pleasantries, so he said, “Master, Mi’er is young and may have offended you. Please forgive her…”

He had thought that even if Qin Yan didn’t say anything, he would at least smile casually, but unexpectedly, Qin Yan pressed down on the tea leaves that had floated to the top of his teacup and slowly spoke up.

“What do you want from me today?”

“What, what?” Qin Yan’s words left Su Mingde baffled.

“Your daughter married an eunuch; shouldn’t you give her some benefits?” Qin Yan said this with a half-smile on his face. “Isn’t that what you want?”

Su Mingde was at a loss for words after Qin Yan’s remark. Though he had thought the same thing, he had to be tactful and polite when bringing it up. Why was the chief not giving him face?

“Lord Qin, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Then don’t bother me for nothing.”

“It’s not like that…” Su Mingde said it hurriedly.

Qin Yan sneered. “Su Mingde, you should know that you can ask me for help because of Su Mi. As for me, I don’t need your flattery.”

Su Mingde understood what Qin Yan meant. He didn’t need his flattery because he needed Su Mi’s. So, he would do his best to flatter Su Mi. However, he couldn’t understand why the chief suddenly said that.

Could it be that he had found out about the dowry and was standing up for Su Mi?

Su Mingde hadn’t wanted to do it in the first place, not because he lacked the money but because Su Mi would eventually have to return it. Besides, Auntie Zhao was right: with Qin Yan’s status, he wouldn’t care about such trivial matters. So, Su Mingde had tacitly agreed to exchange it for the deed that Mrs. Yu had prepared in advance. Auntie Zhao had found someone to do it herself.

In theory, the chief shouldn’t care about such small matters. But now, it seemed like he was favoring Su Mi so much that he cared.

“Lord Qin, I understand. I will make up for what’s missing, and I won’t do it again.” Since everything had been said, Su Mingde wouldn’t hide anything. He laughed nervously. “I actually have something I’d like to ask for your help with.”

“Go ahead.”

---

Mrs. Yu led Su Mi to her small courtyard. She wanted to have a private conversation, but Auntie Zhao and Su Zhen followed closely behind.

With outsiders present, Mrs.Yu remained silent for a while, waiting for Zhao Auntie to speak first. If there was nothing wrong, why would she come now?

Auntie Zhao smiled and said, “Second Miss, I’m sorry to disturb you. Actually, your aunt has something to ask for your help with.”

After saying that, Auntie Zhao pulled Su Zhen’s sleeve. Su Zhen immediately put on a smiley face. “Sister Mi.”

Su Mi could guess what was going on when she saw Auntie Zhao’s actions. Besides her marriage, what else could be related to Su Zhen?

Sure enough, Auntie Zhao saw that Su Mi was silent and continued, “You and Zhen have grown up together since childhood. She can’t compare to you in terms of looks and luck. She’s been of age for a long time, and she still doesn’t have a husband. Your father and I are worried. Your father is embarrassed to tell you, but I’m your aunt, and even if I have to swallow my pride, I’d like to ask you to find a husband for her.”

Su Mi smiled and pretended not to understand. “Auntie, I’m not a matchmaker. How could I find a husband for Zhen?”

“Second Miss, you’re now the chief’s wife. You have connections in the capital…”

Yu Qingniang interrupted and said, “Su Zhen’s marriage—didn’t you already find a matchmaker and get the marriage contract? Why do you need Mi’er to help you with anything?”

“Madam, you can’t say that. Both are Master’s daughters, and Zhen’er is also Second Miss’s sister. We should help and support each other,” replied Auntie Zhao.

Yu Qingniang was about to say something else, but Su Mi stopped her and said, “Aunt, I am also very cautious in front of Lord Qin, afraid of making him unhappy. If you want me to speak for Zhen’er, I think we should wait a few more years until my relationship with Lord Qin is deeper. It’s better for Aunt to teach Zhen’er to wait a little longer.”

Upon hearing that she had to wait for a few more years, Auntie Zhao’s face immediately fell. Women couldn’t afford to wait for so long!

“Second Miss, if Zhen’er is in the capital in the future, she can take care of you. Moreover, this matter is also Master’s idea,” Auntie Zhao emphasized the word Master deliberately.

Su Mi looked at Auntie Zhao for a moment, but her expression remained unchanged, and she continued to smile, saying, “Since it is Father’s idea, I will try it.”

Auntie Zhao immediately smiled and chatted with them for a while before taking Su Zhen away from Yu Qingniang’s courtyard.

Yu Qingniang looked at their backs, stroking Su Mi’s hand, and frowned. “Mi’er, why did you promise her?”

“I didn’t promise her anything. I didn’t help them speak, and they wouldn’t dare to ask Lord Qin.” Su Mi blinked at Yu Qingniang. If she insisted on not helping them, it would be fine for her, but Yu Qingniang was still here, and she would bear the brunt of Su Mingde’s anger in the future.

Yu Qingniang understood what Su Mi was thinking and felt warm in her heart. After today, Su Mi would go to the capital, and she didn’t want to talk about these depressing matters anymore.

“Mi’er, is Lord Qin good to you?” This sentence was useless, but Yu Qingniang still couldn’t help but ask.

“Mother, don’t worry. Lord Qin is very good to me.”

“I asked someone to get a talisman for you from Lingquan Temple. You can take it with you to the capital.” Yu Qingniang handed the talisman to Su Mi and smiled. “Actually, thinking back, the last fortune-telling was also accurate. When I saw the marriage contract that day, the word ‘water’ was also included.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Su Mi’s fingers traced the corners of the talisman, but her mind suddenly went back to the sentence in the fortune-telling.

But if it was really accurate, what was her relationship with Qin Yan?

The two chatted for a while until someone came to report from the front yard. Although Yu Qingniang was reluctant, she had to send Su Mi out of the courtyard.

Before boarding the carriage, Su Mi saw that there were several Su Mansion carriages behind them, as if they were going back to the villa together.

Su Mi looked at them suspiciously and found that the carriage was filled with large red baskets containing some dowry items.

Qin Yan rested one hand on a soft pillow, his gaze originally fixed on the sandalwood incense burner on the purple sandalwood table. But when he saw Su Mi lift the curtain of the carriage, he looked up at her. Her pretty face was full of unrestrained joy.

“Did you see it?” she asked.

“Mm,” Qin Yan replied lazily, his tone indifferent as he idly brushed the hem of his robe on the chair. “Is this worth thinking about all night?”

Although his words seemed slightly impatient, Su Mi listened with great pleasure and said, “Thank you, Lord.”

Qin Yan remained silent, feeling that only he could bully her and that no one else had the right to do so.

Su Mi took a seat beside him and raised the hem of her robe, which had fallen open on the chair, placing it lightly on her lap. She unconsciously smoothed out the creases with her hand as she appeared to be lost in thought.

Since the day of the selection, Su Mi had been wanting to ask Qin Yan why he married her. In fact, he had been very good to her, even asking for her dowry on her behalf. Could it be that he liked her a little bit?

In front of Qin Yan, Su Mi seemed unable to hide any of her thoughts, unlike in front of Auntie Zhao and the others. She couldn’t help but ask nervously, “Lord I, why did you marry me?”

Qin Yan seemed a little caught off guard by Su Mi’s sudden question, but there was only a hint of surprise in his eyes. He answered without hesitation, “That day, Prime Minister Zhang Huaian was standing next to me. You were the one I wanted to marry most, apart from the person he wanted me to choose.”

Qin Yan’s words were clear, and Su Mi understood them well. At first, she felt a little happy, but upon further consideration, she felt a little disappointed. She was the only one Qin Yan recognized among all the maidens—the one he wanted to marry the most but also the one he had to marry. So in the end, she had thought too much. Why would Qin Yan like her?

“I understand, Lord,” Su Mi said softly, lowering her head and smoothing out her robe.

Seeing the smile on Su Mi’s face gradually fade, Qin Yan turned his head to look outside the curtain. He wouldn’t have brought it up if Su Mi hadn’t asked. But now that she had, he had no reason to hide it from her.

He hadn’t reached the point where he had to marry Su Mi, but since Zhang Huaian had presented this opportunity and he wanted to keep her by his side, there was no harm in marrying her. After all, he could afford to give her everything she wanted.

However, on the night of their wedding, he felt lust for the first time for a woman. The feeling was too out of control, and now he felt a little unhappy thinking about it.

It was like he didn’t like the way Su Mi looked right now.