Song Wanchu knew that what was shattered was his pride and dignity.
He clenched his fists so tightly that they creaked. The veins on the back of his hands bulged, as if his flesh and blood were about to be torn apart.
His breathing seemed to grow heavy, and the emotions in his eyes were dark and obscure.
In his eyes, Song Wanchu was like a kite with a broken string, about to drift away with the wind at any moment.
He wanted to grab that string, but seeing the repulsion in her eyes, his arms felt too heavy to lift.
"The emperor's decree cannot be defied. You'll be mine for the rest of your life!"
Song Wanchu looked at him, but her eyes had gone blank. There was no trace of him in them anymore.
The imperial decree couldn't be revoked, but her love had ebbed like a receding tide.
In twenty - five days, she would get the release document for a concubine.
Liang Yuzhou stepped on the silver notes scattered all over the floor and left the room.
The scene outside the door shocked him.
Wen glared at him fiercely, then rushed into the room and hugged Song Wanchu tightly.
Zhou Yan poked his head out from behind the door, looking embarrassed, with an expression of "I know I've caused trouble again".
"Um, Second Master... something has happened at home..."
The news that Song Wanchu had returned the betrothal gifts from the Duke's Mansion had spread like wildfire in the city. How could the Duke's Mansion not be in turmoil?
Liang Yuzhou felt extremely annoyed. "Why are you here?"
"Second Master, I really didn't know you sneaked in."
Zhou Yan rubbed his hands nervously and explained humbly in a very soft voice, "My elder brother returned to the Duke's Mansion. The old lady was in a fit of rage, and the master beat the mistress. The whole family was in chaos. My elder brother told me to come and invite you back quickly. He only told me that you were in the Qi Mansion but didn't tell me you climbed over the wall. So I..."
So he entered the Qi Mansion through the front door, and Wen personally led him to the courtyard of the mistress.
No wonder Wen had been very cold to him all the way. When he politely greeted her, Wen even snorted several times.
It was understandable that the Second Master wanted to see his wife, but such behavior was a bit disgraceful...
"Don't worry, Second Master. I didn't hear anything when you were talking to the mistress."
After explaining, Zhou Yan specifically added this sentence.
It was clearly like the proverb "a guilty person gives himself away by conspicuously protesting his innocence".
Liang Yuzhou was in a terrible mood. Without even looking at Zhou Yan, he strode away.
Zhou Yan chased after him.
It was not until Liang Yuzhou's figure disappeared that Song Wanchu finally let out the suppressed pain.
She no longer cared whether Liang Yuzhou loved her or not. But it was she who had said those heart - wrenching words. She was the one who was heartless, and she was also the one who was heartbroken.
Even the summer heat couldn't warm her body. She grabbed the only warmth she could find and cried in Wen's arms.
"Aunt, my heart hurts so much..."
She didn't know which thing made her more grief - stricken: was it that Liang Yuzhou had forgotten his promise to marry her, or that Liang Yuzhou clearly didn't love her but still wanted to possess her and tried to use her to maintain Yu Huiyan's good reputation?
Wen clumsily wiped away her tears while shedding her own. "My dear Wanchu, forget about him. You won't hurt if you forget."
...
"Second Master, aren't we going home?"
When the carriage reached a fork in the road, Liang Yuzhou told the coachman to turn towards Qingyazhai.
Liang Yuzhou ignored him, and Zhou Yan didn't dare to ask any more questions.
The Second Master was now enveloped in a gloomy aura, like an abyss that could swallow everything.
He knew that the Second Master was angry.
Liang Yuzhou instinctively touched the sachet on his waist and gently sniffed it.
Inside were the dried medicinal herbs that he had boiled and then dried and put into the sachet. It had been preserved for six or seven years.
The smell of the medicine was almost imperceptible.
Just like Song Wanchu's feelings for him.
There was a private room in Qingyazhai specially prepared for Liang Yuzhou. Zhou Yan opened the door for him. Liang Yuzhou stopped at the door and then turned to tell Zhou Yan, "Go to Xunxiangji and buy some jujube - paste cloud - slice cakes. Send them to the Qi Mansion."
As for who it was for in the Qi Mansion, there was no need to say more. Zhou Yan understood.
After Zhou Yan left as ordered, Liang Yuzhou stepped into the room. Not long after, the door was pushed open again.
"Second Master."
The person who came was a man in a silver - gray robe, in his forties, with a full beard.
He bowed respectfully.
"Second Master, I've found the former imperial physician of the Princess Mansion, Jiang Xiumin, who retired to his hometown three years ago as you asked."
Jiang Xiumin used to be a highly respected imperial physician in the Imperial Medical Bureau, on a par with Shen Yumo's grandfather, Shen Anmu.
The emperor and the princess had a deep sibling bond, so he specially assigned Jiang Xiumin to be the imperial physician in the Princess Mansion, responsible for taking the princess's pulse.
Three years ago, he had saved Liang Yuzhou, who was on the verge of death from a severe poison, from the jaws of death. He had made a great contribution, and the princess had even rewarded him with a hundred taels of gold.
But not long after, he left the Princess Mansion on the pretext of being ill.
Liang Yuzhou couldn't get a definite answer from Aunt Fang about whose heart - blood was used back then.
Apart from Aunt Fang, Jiang Xiumin was the only one who knew the truth.
Liang Yuzhou had just picked up the teacup but put it down again when he heard this. "Where is he?"
"In his hometown, Changzhou."
The bearded man said, "However, he is now a disabled person."
"Disabled?" Liang Yuzhou frowned deeply. "What happened?"
"His family said that three years ago, on his way back to his hometown, he encountered a group of extremely cruel bandits. They severed his hand and foot tendons and cut out his tongue. Fortunately, a chivalrous young man saved his life.
Although he is still alive, he can neither speak nor write. He is in a daze most of the time and can hardly understand what others are saying."
Liang Yuzhou's frown deepened. His eyes were deep and unfathomable. He stared at the gradually dimming light outside the window and tapped his fingers on the table.
Those who knew the truth back then had either died, been disabled, or given evasive answers.
Was it a coincidence?
If the truth was really as the princess said, that Yu Huiyan had offered her heart - blood to him, then what was there to hide?
Was he overthinking, or was Song Wanchu really telling the truth?
He maintained the same sitting posture until the sky outside was completely dark.
His eyes were as dark and deep as the night sky outside.
"Bring Jiang Xiumin back to the capital at all costs."
"Yes, Second Master." The bearded man only took the order without asking the reason.
After the bearded man left, Liang Yuzhou didn't pick up the teacup for a long time.
The tea had gone completely cold. When he drank it, his mouth was filled with bitterness.
He remembered the tears on Song Wanchu's face when he had walked out of her bedroom just now.
Probably, that was the taste of this cold tea.
His hand slowly moved to his chest, and his fingertips traced the shape of the scar bit by bit.
The wound was so deep. How could his heart not hurt?
The door was knocked again. Liang Yuzhou thought it was Zhou Yan coming back. He turned his head slightly, but instead, he saw the owner of Qingyazhai. Beside him was Yu Huiyan.
"Second Master, Miss Yu heard that you were here and wanted to come up and see you."
When he used the private room alone, he didn't like to be disturbed. The owner knew his temperament.
But Yu Huiyan had a special status. After thinking for a while, he still brought her up.
Liang Yuzhou showed no sign of joy when he saw his fiancée. His eyes were even a bit cold, which made the owner extremely nervous.
It seemed that even his beloved fiancée couldn't break his rules.
"Cousin."
After standing at the door for a while, Liang Yuzhou didn't say a word to let her in. Yu Huiyan felt a bit embarrassed and timidly asked, "Are you in a bad mood because of Aunt?"