Grievance

"Ah! Husband?" Yan Wanning froze, feeling a little guilty. She flashed him a smile to hide it and asked softly, "When did you get here, Husband?"

He couldn't have heard, could he?

Hmph! Even if he did, it doesn't matter. I wasn't talking nonsense. If he conducts himself properly, there's no need for him to take it personally, and naturally he wouldn't be a bad thing.

With that thought, Yan Wanning instantly stopped feeling guilty and even felt somewhat justified.

"It's getting late. I came to take you home, my lady."

Seeing her cheeks puffed up, Si Yunqi shook his head with a helpless smile. But when he saw someone's arms wrapped tightly around his little wife's slender, supple waist, his face darkened. He said coldly to Gu Qingshi behind him, "Keep your wife in line."

She shouldn't be putting her hands all over his wife. What kind of behavior was that?

When Gu Qingshi saw An Yingying's flushed face and how clearly muddled she was, his expression wasn't much better. The smell of wine in the private room was neither strong nor faint, but it was especially noticeable near An Yingying. Had she been drinking?

Smack!

Gu Qingshi reached out to touch her, but she knocked his hand away. An Yingying frowned at the sight of him, her voice filled with displeasure. "Why are you haunting me everywhere I go? I even have to see you in my dreams. How annoying."

"An Yingying, have you been drinking?"

"Hmph, so what if I have? It's none of your business." An Yingying released Yan Wanning and waved a hand at him, trying to hit him. She muttered, "Stinking man, big pig's trotter, bastard."

Gu Qingshi caught both her hands, his face expressionless. Annoyed, An Yingying kicked at him, but he dodged easily and tightened his grip on her.

"Gu Qingshi, let go of me!"

"An Yingying, behave yourself."

"Ah!"

Ignoring her struggles, Gu Qingshi hoisted her over his shoulder. An Yingying cried out in surprise, sobering up considerably.

"Young General Gu, be careful. Don't hurt Yingying."

Yan Wanning watched An Yingying worriedly. Young General Gu seemed to have a terrible temper. He wouldn't hit her sister again, would he?

"Rest assured, Princess Consort. I won't hurt her."

Gu Qingshi said a word of farewell to Si Yunqi, then carried her away. Yan Wanning watched them until they were out of sight.

"Stop watching, my lady." Si Yunqi leaned close and drew her into his arms. "Have you had any wine?"

"No." Yan Wanning shook her head and leaned against him. "The smell of wine on me is from Yingying. Would you punish me if I had been drinking, Husband?"

"Yes." Si Yunqi kissed her dewy eyes. "So don't go drinking recklessly when you're out, my lady."

"Oh."

"It's getting late. Shall we go home?" Si Yunqi asked her.

Yan Wanning wriggled out of his embrace and gazed longingly at the dishes on the table, which they had barely touched. "Husband, let's finish eating before we go home."

Si Yunqi looked at her dotingly. "All right."

Yan Wanning took a bite of the fragrant, savory fish. Whatever came to mind made her eyes sparkle as she looked at him and said softly, "Husband, do you remember saying you'd grant me one request?"

Si Yunqi nodded dotingly. "I remember. What would you like, my lady?"

Yan Wanning smiled even more happily. "I've heard that martial artists all know how to perform sword dances. Husband, could you find a time to perform one for me?"

Si Yunqi agreed to her request without hesitation. "Is that all?"

Yan Wanning nodded, and Si Yunqi kissed her lips. "Silly girl."

With that, he produced an exquisite golden butterfly hairpin out of thin air as if performing a magic trick, and slipped it into her hair.

Surprised, Yan Wanning shook her head, and the golden hairpin gave a clear, pleasant chime.

"Is this a gift for me, Husband?"

"Yes. I bought it on my way back from Yucheng. I didn't know whether you'd like it. If you don't, you can..."

Yan Wanning reached out and covered his lips. "I like it," she said softly.

"I have something for you too, Husband."

At that, Si Yunqi's ink-black eyes lit up. She took a pouch with exquisite embroidery from her robes and said softly, "I made it myself. I wanted to give it to you, but I never had the chance, so I didn't take it out."

Si Yunqi felt a happiness he had never known before. He said gently, "It's beautiful. Would you put it on me, my lady?"

"Mm."

Yan Wanning carefully tied the pouch around his waist.

"Gu Qingshi, you bastard, let go of me." An Yingying stared at Gu Qingshi in fury, her eyes red.

"An Yingying, are you angry?" Gu Qingshi frowned and sighed softly. "Because of Bai Lian?"

"Pah! What do I have to be angry about?" An Yingying gave a mocking smile. "What do you and Bai Lian have to do with me? Gu Qingshi, you've been looking forward to this day for a long time, haven't you?"

"An Yingying, I've already told you. I'm only taking her as a concubine to repay a debt of gratitude, and to let Grandmother recover from her illness in peace."

"Even if Bai Lian enters the household, she won't be a threat to you."

"Ha! Gu Qingshi, are you saying I'm not magnanimous?" An Yingying shoved him away with all her might. "If you think I'm not magnanimous enough, why don't you divorce me and make Bai Lian the young madam of the Gu family?"

"That's not what I meant." Seeing her trembling with anger and shedding tears without end, Gu Qingshi, who was no good at comforting people, didn't know what to do. So he pulled her into his arms by force and explained with uncharacteristic patience, "The Gu family owes her a life. I have to repay her."

"So I have to suffer for what the Gu family owes her?" No matter what, she couldn't bring herself to understand it. "I was clearly betrothed to you when we were children, yet your grandmother has always thought I took Bai Lian's place. She's found ways to make things difficult for me time and again, and countless times she's said to Bai Lian right in front of me, 'If only Qing'er had married you. What a pity.'"

"Didn't you know any of this? Your grandmother made it sound as though I'd insisted on clinging to you and shamelessly marrying you, as though... as though I were some shameless woman. She dragged me, An Yingying, through the mud."

An Yingying seemed finally to have found an outlet, and she wanted to pour out every grievance. She was almost too choked with tears to speak. Gu Qingshi was left speechless; everything he wanted to say had become an excuse.

"Gu Qingshi, don't forget, it was your grandfather who proposed the betrothal back then, not mine. Your grandfather may have saved mine, but my An family has already repaid that debt. We never had any intention of clinging to the Gu family." An Yingying took quite a while to compose herself before continuing, "If your grandfather hadn't brought it up, this betrothal would never have existed. It was your Gu family members who proposed the marriage, and it was your Gu family members who treated me coldly."

"You've taken all the advantages for yourselves. Don't you think you're bullying me?"