Oops! My Inner Thoughts Are Ruining The Plot

Chapter 186: Chapter

Duchess Xi raised a hand to catch everyone’s attention as the lingering shock of the decree faded.

"Since the banquet is at the palace and starts early in the morning, our family will be staying the night at the palace guest quarters," Duchess Xi announced calmly, looking around the room. "Everyone should instruct your servants to pack properly tonight so we are not rushing."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yunhao and Yunchen immediately perked up, their eyes lighting up with hope. They turned quickly toward Duke Xi.

"Father, does that mean our martial arts and literary classes at the won’t resume until after the banquet?" Yunhao asked eagerly, barely hiding his grin.

Duke Xi gave them a dry, knowing look, then glanced over at his wife. Duchess Xi just smiled faintly, letting out a soft, resigned sigh before giving a gentle nod.

"Fine, classes are postponed until the day after the banquet," Duchess Xi conceded.

Upon hearing her words, Yunhao, Yunchen, and Gu Xiao let out loud cheers of joy, fist-bumping each other over the table.

While the boys celebrated their unexpected holiday, Gu Yue and Qianqian exchanged a pair of matching, mischievous grins. They quietly leaned across the table toward Lanyin, who was busy clearing away some empty plates.

"Hey, Lanyin," Gu Yue whispered loudly enough for those nearby to hear, her eyes twinkling with playful gossip. "If we’re going to the palace... do you think the Prime Minister’s son, Zi Han, will be there?"

Qianqian giggled, nudging Lanyin’s shoulder. "The top scholar who is definitely fascinated by my sister?"

Lanyin stopped wiping down the edge of the table and let out an audible, long-suffering groan, crossing her arms over her chest as she shot the two girls a sharp, warning glare.

"Stop it, both of you," Lanyin scolded in a stern whisper, her cheeks flushing pink as she cast a nervous glance around the room. "If you keep teasing me about the Prime Minister’s son, I’m going to find some extra embroidery work for you both to do before we even leave for the palace."

Gu Yue and Qinqin immediately clamped their hands over their mouths, giggling behind their palms as they exchanged knowing looks, completely unbothered by the threat.

At the edge of the room, Nine crossed his arms against his chest, watching the exchange with an amused, quiet smile.

Wenzhe, however, didn’t care about the girls’ teasing. His cold gaze snapped back to Yueqing, his patience wearing dangerously thin.

"The packing can be handled by the servants," Wenzhe said, his raspy voice cutting through the chatter as he stared directly at Yueqing. "Yueqing, come back to the courtyard. We need to talk about our arrangements for the palace."

Yueqing let out a soft whine, her face still smudged with a bit of cake from the chaos of dinner. She blinked in confusion, tilting her head.

"Huh?"

Before she could even finish, Wenzhe stood up from his chair, his jaw set in a hard line as he began walking toward the exit with Dong Li supporting his weight.

Aunt Ronghua nudged Yueqing’s arm, whispering urgently, "Go on, follow him. You’re his wife."

Yueqing scowled, shrinking back in her seat because she really, really did not want to go back to that tense courtyard with him. But when she glanced up, she saw the entire family staring directly at her, waiting to see what she would do.

With a heavy, miserable sigh, Yueqing pushed herself up from the table, motioning for Nine and Lu Yue to follow as she dragged her feet toward the exit.

Yueqing followed Wenzhe all the way back to his quarters, her feet dragging with every step as though she were walking to her own execution. Outside the heavy wooden doors, Lu Yue and Nine were forced to stand guard, squatting down against the corridor wall to wait while the husband and wife hashed things out inside.

Pushing the door open, Yueqing stepped into the quiet, dimly lit room and crossed her arms, fixing him with an annoyed glare.

"What exactly do you want?" Yueqing demanded, her tone sharp and defensive. "If you want to discuss palace arrangements, you should be talking to mother or the steward. I don’t know anything about packing or guest quarters!"

Wenzhe ignored her snapping, leaning heavily on a carved wooden pillar before slowly walking over to the edge of his mattress. He sank down onto the bed, letting out a quiet breath as the physical strain of the evening caught up to him.

Instead of shouting back or arguing, Wenzhe raised his dark, brooding eyes and looked straight at her.

"Come here," Wenzhe said calmly, his voice low and steady.

["Come here? Does he think I’m his dog?"] Yueqing thought, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him with pure irritation. ["You stubborn, impossible block of wood, I swear if you try to boss me around—!"]

Despite cursing him out thoroughly in her head, Yueqing didn’t dare refuse completely. With slow, exaggerated steps, she reluctantly shuffled forward, stopping a few feet away from the bed with her chin stubbornly lifted.

Wenzhe ignored the fierce scowl on her face, gesturing toward a small wooden tray resting on the table nearby.

"Dress my wound," Wenzhe commanded, his voice steady. "The basin of warm water, clean bandages, and ointment are right there."

Yueqing’s eyes flashed with disbelief, and she threw her hands up in exasperation.

["Are you kidding me right now?!"] Yueqing thought, her inner voice screaming in protest. ["Didn’t he have a whole team of imperial physicians, or at least Dong Li? Why is a general trying to turn his own wife into a nurse? This is absurd!"]

"Don’t you have a physician or a servant to do that?" Yueqing snapped aloud, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and refusing to budge toward the tray. "I am your wife, not your personal medic!"

Before she could take another step back, a flash of movement crossed the room. Wenzhe’s hand shot out with surprising strength, wrapping firmly around her wrist before she could dodge. He pulled her forward, stopping her right beside the edge of the bed.

His dark, unyielding eyes locked onto hers, holding her in place with absolute authority.

"You won’t get to leave this room," Wenzhe said quietly, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low hum as he stared up at her, "until you do as I say."

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