Liang Yuzhou countered the question. Instead of being aggressive, he concealed his edge. Upon closer inspection, there was even a hint of ambiguity in his tone.
Song Wanchu suddenly had an illusion that Liang Yuzhou drank that poisoned wine without hesitation because he loved her.
But she quickly came to her senses.
Liang Yuzhou didn't love her. This was a fact that almost everyone knew.
Since Yu Huiyan returned to the capital, she had never been self - indulgent again.
The carriage was silent for a moment. Liang Yuzhou stared intently at her.
"Is it because of my father's death?"
This was the only reasonable answer Song Wanchu could think of.
The old duke showed extraordinary guilt and self - reproach for her father's sacrifice. He even took the initiative to submit a memorial to the emperor, posthumously conferring her father the title of a third - rank general, and his memorial tablet was placed in the Lingxiao Pavilion for worship.
However, Vice - General Han Cheng, who also sacrificed in the bloody battle at Pingsha Pass, seemed to be ignored by the old duke.
Clearly, Han Cheng's official position was much higher than her father's, and he was more qualified to enter the Lingxiao Pavilion.
Although Liang Yuzhou was proud and cold, he respected heroes. He had sneered at her a lot, but he had never shown the slightest disrespect to her father.
Did he drink that poisoned wine because he was afraid that the Song family would have no descendants and didn't want to increase the guilt of the Duke's Mansion?
In fact, her father's sacrifice was mostly due to the cruelty of the war itself. Since ancient times, how many soldiers had died on the battlefield. It was understandable for the old duke to feel guilty, but Liang Yuzhou had nothing to do with this matter and didn't need to take the risk of losing his life for the Song family.
Song Wanchu denied her own answer. Her mind was in a mess, and she couldn't sort out her thoughts.
Liang Yuzhou's eyes flickered slightly.
Around the palace banquet three years ago, he hadn't found out the truth about Song Hengyi's death yet, but he already had some suspicions.
At that time, the old lady hadn't asked for the imperial edict for the marriage yet, and he didn't know that Song Wanchu had a sweetheart.
At the palace banquet, due to his status, he could only watch her from afar, with joy, expectation, and uneasiness.
He had already started to investigate the hidden secrets behind the bloody battle at Pingsha Pass. He was eager to get the truth, but he was even more afraid that the truth was as he had guessed.
There were complex interests behind the bloody battle at Pingsha Pass. It was not until a year later that he found out the truth.
The boulder hanging in his heart smashed his heart hard.
In pain and confusion, he even meanly felt a hint of relief.
He was relieved that Wanchu had already married him, that their marriage was bestowed by the imperial edict, and that he had found out the truth before Shi Luohan.
He concealed it from Song Wanchu and cut off all the clues that Shi Luohan could trace.
On the one hand, he despised his own mean behavior, on the other hand, he never regretted making such a choice.
Knowing that Song Wanchu had guessed the wrong answer, Liang Yuzhou concealed the fleeting disappointment in his eyes and joked with a smile, "Not too stupid."
Song Wanchu was a little surprised.
The answer she thought was wrong was actually right.
Sure enough, it wasn't because he liked her...
The little flame flickering in her heart went out quietly before it even started to heat up.
She shouldn't have had any expectations long ago.
She just didn't expect that before leaving, she found that she really owed Liang Yuzhou her life.
Although Liang Yuzhou had used her heart - blood to survive, if it weren't for saving her, he wouldn't have been poisoned.
He was right. She owed him.
Her heart felt heavy, as if oppressed by a sense of morality.
"Liang Yuzhou..." Song Wanchu's voice was a bit hoarse. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Was it because he was afraid that she would promise to marry him in return?
If the princess hadn't accidentally let it slip without knowing, she might have been kept in the dark all her life.
"It's not too late to know now."
Liang Yuzhou looked at her playfully, hooked her chin, and brought her face closer to his.
Their breaths intertwined, and the ambiguous temperature rose steadily. The ice blocks placed in the carriage were melting at an accelerated rate.
Liang Yuzhou kissed her red lips. The force was not strong, like the spring breeze gently caressing her lips.
Except for the time when she was under the effect of "Spring Night Warm" and took the initiative to make love, she had always resisted at other times, and each time she was forced by Liang Yuzhou.
But this time, she had no reason to push Liang Yuzhou away.
"Second Madam Liang, you owe me your life. How are you going to repay such a great kindness, huh?"
He looked at those two red lips with satisfaction. They had become charming after being kissed by him, just like the peony flower in the pot, charming and moving.
His lips still rubbed against the corner of her mouth, leaving just a little space for her to speak. It was so intimate that it was shameful.
"What do you want me to do?" Song Wanchu's clear and helpless eyes were covered with a layer of faint mist.
Liang Yuzhou loved the way she looked on the verge of tears, so pitiful. It would arouse his stronger lust. He wanted to caress her whole body, pin her under him, and make her cry bitterly.
Song Wanchu thought there was a hint of wildness in Liang Yuzhou's smile.
"Wanchu, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you won't leave me. Even if you hate me, resent me, and wish you could kill me, don't leave me."
After saying that, Liang Yuzhou hugged her. His chin rested on her shoulder, and he smelled the fragrance of her hair.
Her soft body gave him a real sense of possession. He couldn't help but mock himself. Liang Yuzhou, could you be any more despicable?
Wanchu didn't owe him anymore.
He had already known from Jiang Xiumin's reaction that it was Wanchu who had offered her heart - blood.
But Wanchu still thought that he didn't believe her.
Let this misunderstanding continue.
The carriage was completely silent. Liang Yuzhou's breath blew on Song Wanchu's ear, and the warm and itchy feeling was spreading, but her body was getting colder and colder.
Tonight, her dowry would be sent away.
She had originally planned to get the release letter for a concubine within five days...
She couldn't refuse Liang Yuzhou's condition, but she didn't want to agree.
The reason he didn't let her go was nothing but his possessiveness. He also didn't want to be laughed at by others. A noble and proud man couldn't even keep a concubine.
She suddenly remembered what the princess had said -
Staying with a man who doesn't love you has no future. Instead of waiting to watch your miserable life...
Liang Yuzhou's embrace wouldn't always be warm, and it was even less likely to be her harbor for a lifetime.
"Liang Yuzhou, when you say this, it makes me think that you really like me and can't bear to let me go."
She laughed self - deprecatingly.
The smile on Liang Yuzhou's lips froze. There seemed to be a gust of ice and snow in his eyes, cold and terrifying.
"What if I say you're not wrong?"
Song Wanchu twitched the corner of her lips, but found that she couldn't smile at all. "Is the Second Lord trying to deceive himself or mock me for being self - indulgent?"
Liang Yuzhou's eyes were trembling.
"Without the Second Lord's mockery, this concubine already has self - knowledge."
Her voice was so soft, but it was like a heavy boulder weighing on Liang Yuzhou's heart.
He thought that promising to make her the legitimate wife after becoming the heir apparent was enough to prove his love.
It turned out that she had never believed him from beginning to end.
"Liang Yuzhou, torturing each other for a lifetime is a very painful thing."
Song Wanchu finally laughed. Her grief was hidden deep in her eyes. "Isn't it better for us to set each other free?"
She wanted to try to persuade him so that it would be easier for her to get the release letter and leave.
"Song Wanchu, then let's torture each other."