Translated by: Tinker

When Zhao Nanyu married Song Luan back then, he didn’t think too much about it when the struggle between the daughters of the Song family included him. In fact, at that time, his mind was still vaguely conscious, and he was not completely delirious.

On the contrary, it was the woman under him, with flushing complexion and tears in the corners of her eyes, and her weak and boneless hands tightly wrapped around his neck as she rubbed against him vigorously, saying that she was very uncomfortable.

At that time, Zhao Nanyu felt that if he had to get married, it seemed that the woman in front of him seemed to be pretty good.

He didn’t feel that he was taking advantage of others, and Zhao Nanyu even thought that the most arrogant young lady of the Song family was also interested in him.

After their affair, her sisters led people in to see the scene. Zhao Nanyu dressed calmly, covered Song Luan with quilts, and earnestly said that he would be responsible.

At the moment when he turned his head, Zhao Nanyu saw the woman in the quilt crying, and her tears constantly slipped from her eyes. She cried so hard that it seemed like she couldn’t live anymore.

Zhao Nanyu sighed in his heart. It turned out that he had guessed wrong. The young lady of the Song family didn’t like him. Maybe she had a lover in her heart, which made her very sad.

But they already did the deed, even if she was reluctant in her heart, it was useless.

Back then, Zhao Nanyu thought that if they got married in the future, he would treat her very well and make her forget her lover.

On the day of marriage, Zhao Nanyu was happy in his heart, but his mood had always been restrained, and no one could see much emotional change on his face.

She was beautiful and gorgeous.

Her face was hidden in the red cap. Zhao Nanyu led her out of the carriage, and the faint fragrance reached the tip of his nose.

After the wedding ceremony, Song Luan was sent to the new house.

The younger generation of the Zhao family originally wanted to visit the bridal chamber, but Zhao Nanyu stopped him.

Zhao Wenyan secretly pulled him aside and asked him in a low voice, “Second brother, shouldn’t you be happy?”

Zhao Nanyu nodded, with an imperceptible smile hidden in the corner of his eyes. Because he had been filled with several glasses of wine, his original jade white face was slightly red. He said, “I am in a good mood.”

Zhao Wenyan also obviously drank a lot of wine and was drunk when he spoke. He then said with a smile, “They all said that you don’t like the bride. They say that you are forced to get married, but only I know that you like her.”

The drunk brother lowered his voice and whispered to him, “I’ve seen my sister-in-law. She’s so beautiful. The girls in the capital are not as good-looking as she is.”

Zhao Nanyu pursed his lips and said, “Yes.”

When he entered the new house, the woman on the bed had already taken off the red veil by herself. Unlike the beautiful girl that day, she had a cold face as she looked at him faintly.

Zhao Nanyu’s heart seemed to have been thrown into a basin of cold water. He stabilized his mind, walked slowly over, and asked in a soft voice, “What’s wrong?”

Song Luan glanced at him, and her words were harsh. “I don’t like you. It’s not my wish to marry you. Don’t touch me, and we will have our own separate lives.”

Anger, resentment, and jealousy.

The anger in his chest almost couldn’t be suppressed, and his heart kept falling.

Zhao Nanyu had not been so sad for a long time.

He said with a cold face, “Okay.”

Zhao Nanyu also has self-respect. He didn’t want to force others who acted difficultly. Now it didn’t matter. It’s not unbearable to treat each other as guests.

However, shortly after their marriage, Song Luan found that she was pregnant. At that time, Zhao Nanyu was very happy. He thought that the ice-cold relationship between them could finally be eased.

Song Luan, who became pregnant afterward, began to treat him better.

It was rare that Song Luan gradually began to ask about him.

Song Luan was born spoiled and was loved by her family since she was a child. She was very charming and had little temperament. Zhao Nanyu was just a nobody in the imperial court at that time and didn’t have much power or money.

He was still not willing to treat her unfairly. In terms of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, he had given the best he could give.

Song Luan’s stomach got bigger every day, and her temper got worse. She threw things easily. One time when she fell, she cried because of how dirty the ground was.

Zhao Nanyu squatted down and collected all the dirt on the ground. Standing in front of her, he listened patiently to all her sobs. After a long silence, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently lifted her tearful face, and wiped away the tears on her face.

“Okay, okay…don’t be sad.”

Zhao Nanyu had never coaxed people before. He was still a bit stiff when he said this.

Song Luan suddenly threw herself into his arms, hiccuping as she talked, “I’m so miserable that I don’t want to have more children in the future.”

“Good. No more.”

Even after a long time, Zhao Nanyu still recalled that the time when Song Luan was pregnant was the most peaceful time they spent.

She became a little dependent on him, and they were not as strange as before.

At that time, Zhao Nanyu thought that they could live such a stable life.

In the blink of an eye, the day Song Luan gave birth had come. As soon as he returned from the court, he heard the servant girl say, “Madame has started.”

Both the room and the midwife were prepared for Song Luan to give birth at ease.

Zhao Nanyu stood outside the house quietly listening to the cry inside. He squeezed his fingers as his face turned white gradually.

It was only when the sun was shining that Zhao Nanyu heard the cry of a baby coming from the room. He took a deep breath before his heart fell steadily in the air.

After Song Luan fell asleep, the midwife took the baby and said with a smile, “Congratulations, it’s a healthy young boy.”

He just glanced at the baby and didn’t reach out to hold it. “I see”

The child was still too young to see what he looked like.

Other than looking like a crumpled ball, it’s ugly.

After giving birth, Song Luan’s full attention was focused on the child. But she couldn’t take care of herself, how could she take care of a child?

Every day, Zhao Nanyu was in a hurry to look for a maidservant to watch over the baby, but Song Luan didn’t like the idea.

That day, he went into the palace for a banquet. When he came back, it was already the evening. The maidservant ran to him in a hurry and said, “Madam, she…madam fell into the water today!”

“How is she?” He asked eagerly.

The housekeeper gasped and said, “Fortunately, she was rescued in time. The doctor had seen her and said she will wake up soon, but it’s been almost an afternoon, and madam still has not woken up.”

Zhao Nanyu had no time to blame others. When he saw her pale face lying on the bed, his heart suddenly felt pain.

He watched over her all night. Song Luan seemed to have a nightmare and kept talking nonsense, all of which he could not understand.

The next morning, Zhao Nanyu waited until she woke up.

His voice was very hoarse and not very pleasant,  “You woke up.”

Song Luan slowly sat up from the bed, looking at him strangely with a hint of hatred.

In a trance, Zhao Nanyu felt that he was wrong.

Song Luan raised her hand and touched her face, as she all of a sudden, burst into tears.

Zhao Nanyu was startled, took her hand, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Song Luan stopped her tears and looked at him colder than that night of her wedding. She pointed to the door, “I don’t want to see you now. You go out.”

Zhao Nanyu was silent for a moment. “Then you have a good rest. I’ll go out first.”

He thought that Song Luan was just making trouble for a while, but in the following days, she would not hide her hatred towards him at all.

Song Luan’s eyes wrote her hatred for him.

She didn’t even want to take care of the child and gave the baby to the maidservant to take care of.

It was not that Zhao Nanyu hadn’t lowered himself to seek peace and coaxed her, but it was Song Luan who didn’t appreciate his efforts at all.

Zhao Nanyu thought, maybe if she didn’t like him now, she could like him in the future.

Song Luan’s change intensified, and before long, she began to hook with other men outside.

One after another, she humiliated him with bitter words.

Zhao Nanyu endured all of this and when she was cruel to their child, he stayed silent.

His hatred that had accumulated over the years broke out at the moment he saw her hugging other men.

Zhao Nanyu poisoned her. 

When he got the poison, his heart was numb and calm. He laughed but didn’t know what he was laughing at.

Well, maybe he was laughing at this thought–how did they become like this?

Zhao Nanyu was sitting in his study, half of his face covered in the dark. There was no light in the room. The maidservant knocked at the door and lowered her voice for fear of disturbing him. “Madam went out again.”

Zhao Nanyu snorted coldly, “Stop her, don’t let her go.”

The maidservant wiped the sweat from her forehead, “But… But…”

The maid servant’s words were not finished when Song Luan rushed into the room, “Why won’t you let me go? Huh?”

“I am your husband.”

“I want to go out. What can you do for me?”

“Try it. I won’t allow you to go out.”

“Zhao Nanyu, don’t go too far.”

“Song Luan.” He looked at her, and then said, “You should be restrained.”

Don’t take advantage of his remaining feelings to hurt him so unscrupulously.

Song Luan was stunned for a moment but then burst into a smile. “I’m not.”

Zhao Nanyu shook his head slightly. It had been a long time since she had smiled at him.

He looked down and murmured, “I won’t let you go.”