Chapter 183: Chapter
Lu Yue walked quickly through the quiet corridors of the estate, her boots clicking softly against the stone floor.
The sky outside was turning dark, but the air inside Xi Wenzhe’s private courtyard felt heavy and hot. Two large metal braziers burned brightly in the corners of the room, filling the space with thick warmth to fight the poison still trapped in Wenzhe’s body.
The imperial physicians had just finished their work. They had cleaned his cuts, rubbed healing oils into his skin, and wrapped his chest and shoulders in fresh white bandages.
Wenzhe lay back against the dark wooden headboard. His face was pale and thin, marked by dark circles under his eyes, but his jaw remained locked in a hard, stubborn line. Even though his body was badly hurt, he refused to show weakness.
Standing right beside the bed was Dong Li, his loyal personal guard, speaking in a low voice about the guards outside and the security of the estate.
A soft knock sounded at the heavy wooden door.
Dong Li stopped talking and walked over, pulling the door open just enough to see. When he saw who it was, he stepped back and let her in.
Lu Yue stepped inside the warm room. She bowed low toward the bed, keeping her head down. "General."
Wenzhe slowly opened his dark eyes. He looked at her with a cold, tired stare. He did not say her name, and he did not smile. He had asked for her because there was something burning in his mind, something he refused to ask about directly, but couldn’t ignore.
"How have things been in the inner courtyard?" Wenzhe asked, his voice rough, low, and slow. He did not mention Sue Yueqing by name, acting as if he only cared about general house matters. "While I was gone... did everything stay in order?"
Lu Yue raised her head slightly, her eyes filled with worry and sadness as she thought of her mistress.
"If the General is asking about the inner courtyard... things were very bad," Lu Yue answered honestly, her voice shaking just a little bit. "The Young Madam did not rest at all. The moment news came that you were missing, she didn’t just stay in her room crying. She kept going back and forth to her maiden home, begging her father, the Grand Chancellor, and her brothers to send out every helper and search team they could find to look for you."
Wenzhe’s eyes shifted slightly. His fingers twitched against the thick blanket, but he kept his face completely still.
"She went to her father?" Wenzhe asked flatly.
"Yes," Lu Yue nodded, stepping a bit closer. "She begged them over and over again. She lost so much sleep waiting by the gates every single night. She barely ate a single bite of food for two whole months. General... even her broken ribs never fully healed from her fall. She was in so much pain, but she didn’t care about herself at all."
Wenzhe listened in total silence. A cold, bitter feeling twisted inside his chest. He didn’t soften up, and he didn’t look sorry. In his mind, her heartbreak and thin cheeks were nothing compared to the nightmare he had survived out on the battlefield, all because of her. But hearing that she had run to her father still rubbed him the wrong way.
"Is that all?" Wenzhe asked coldly, his voice dry and harsh.
Lu Yue blinked, surprised that her words didn’t seem to touch him at all. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should mention the strange new person, but decided the General had a right to know everything happening under his roof.
"There is one more thing, General," Lu Yue said, her voice dropping lower with worry. "A new guard arrived at her courtyard today. He says his name is Yang Li, and that the Grand Chancellor sent him."
Wenzhe’s dark eyes narrowed sharply. "A new guard?"
"Yes," Lu Yue replied. "The Young Madam let him stay. But... he acts far too familiar with her. He is way too bold. He makes her get out of bed, tells her what to do, and even gets her to eat things she normally refuses. He is acting like he owns the place, and he is way too close to her."
Wenzhe’s jaw tightened so hard a muscle jumped in his cheek. Even though he was angry at Yueqing and wanted nothing to do with her right now, hearing that another man was inside his courtyard, telling his wife what to do, sent a sudden, sharp spike of dark jealousy straight through his heart. He hated it. But he forced his face to stay calm, refusing to let Lu Yue see how much those words bothered him.
"You may leave," Wenzhe said flatly, turning his head away to dismiss her.
Lu Yue bowed deeply, turning around and walking quietly out of the room, closing the heavy doors behind her.
As soon as the door clicked shut, the room went completely quiet. Wenzhe lay there staring at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling with heavy, angry breaths.
Without opening his eyes, Wenzhe spoke to the man standing beside his bed.
"Dong Li," Wenzhe whispered, his voice dangerously low.
"Yes, General?" Dong Li stepped closer.
"Go find out everything about this new personal guard," Wenzhe ordered, his fists clenching tightly against the sheets. "Find out who he really is, and what he is doing near my wife."
Dong Li gave a low bow, his expression serious, and turned on his heel to carry out his orders.
Back in the quiet courtyard, night had already settled over the estate, casting dark shadows against the paper windows. Inside the room, instead of quietly eating her dinner alone like she usually did, Su Yueqing and Nine were right in the middle of a stubborn argument.
Nine stood by the table, crossing his arms and looking down at her with an unyielding expression.
"You can’t just hide in this room forever, Host," Nine urged, tapping his finger against the wooden surface. "Tonight is the big family dinner to celebrate Wenzhe and Duke Xi coming back. You need to go over there, show your face, and eat a proper meal with the rest of them."
Yueqing sat on the edge of the bed, her face set in a stubborn frown as she shook her head. "I am not going. You know how Wenzhe looked at me yesterday. The whole family is going to stare, and I don’t want to deal with their cold eyes. Besides, I don’t need anyone telling me where I have to eat."
"I’m not telling you, I’m advising you as your system," Nine replied smoothly, flashing a confident grin. He stepped closer and offered her a light hand. "Come on. Think about it. If you stay locked in here, they will just think you’re scared or guilty. But if you walk in there with your head held high, looking healthy and well-fed thanks to me, what can they even say? Plus, there’s going to be roasted duck and all kinds of good food."
Yueqing glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You just want to watch the drama."
"A little bit of entertainment never hurt anyone," Nine admitted with a soft laugh, his eyes twinkling. "Seriously, though. You need to get out, and this is the best chance to show them you aren’t broken. I’ll be right behind you the whole time."
Yueqing let out a long, heavy sigh, looking between Nine’s persistent smile and the dark doorway. Slowly, feeling the quiet pressure of his words wearing down her resistance, she uncrossed her arms and stood up from the bed.
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