The smile on Princess Jiahe froze on her face, and her complexion gradually flushed.
Yu Huiyan was most afraid of long nights and many dreams. Her marriage to Liang Yuzhou couldn't be delayed any longer!
If possible, she wished she could consummate the marriage with Liang Yuzhou tonight!
"Brother-in-law, don't talk to Auntie like that. My brother loved me. If I can marry you, his spirit in heaven will be very pleased."
Liang Yuzhou's deep eyes fixed on Yu Huiyan, and she suddenly felt a little out of breath.
"You respect my brother, so it's okay for me to wait..."
She thought that by saying this, she would seem very sensible.
"You're really a good sister to him."
Liang Yuzhou got up. His expression remained cold all the time. "Mother, I'm done eating. I'll leave first."
Not a single bite of the food in his bowl had been touched.
Yu Huiyan's body froze, and a sense of uneasiness welled up in her heart.
Liang Yuzhou had promised in front of Yu Rongbai's spirit that he would marry her. A vow made to the dead couldn't be taken back...
Yu Huiyan chased after him. "Brother-in-law, your robe."
She smiled gently. Her body in the wind looked extremely frail.
Liang Yuzhou didn't reach out. Zhou Sheng glanced at his master's face and took it.
As soon as they walked out of Fragrant Snow Pavilion, Zhou Sheng quickly asked, "Second Master, this robe..."
Liang Yuzhou's face darkened. "Burn it!"
He was really angry.
A low-pressure aura constantly emanated from him. Zhou Sheng knew that the Second Master was very unhappy because the Madam didn't care at all about who he ate with.
The lights were on in Water Rhyme Residence. Liang Yuzhou pushed the door open and walked in. Song Wanchu gave him a casual glance and then lowered her head to continue her embroidery.
Liang Yuzhou suddenly realized that in the past, Wanchu would always wait for him at the courtyard gate, regardless of the cold or heat.
In his memory, Wanchu would stand in the cold wind. When she saw him coming from afar, she would greet him with a beaming smile, raising her rosy little face and looking at him with bright eyes.
Now, she ignored him and didn't even want to get up to greet him.
In the past, Liang Yuzhou looked down on her false flattery. She would call out Shi Luohan's name in her dreams but still pretend to be affectionate towards him.
He hardly ever gave her a good look. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't only torturing Wanchu with his coldness but also struggling with himself.
He could never reconcile with the self who loved Song Wanchu but was always bothered by the fact that she loved another man.
He had missed a lot of her tenderness, and now he could never get it back.
Nan Zhi and Su Yue saw that their young lady ignored Liang Yuzhou, so they each busied themselves with their own things and were very cold towards Liang Yuzhou.
Yao Guang thought the atmosphere was too awkward, so she quickly ordered the kitchen to bring in hot food.
"Madam hasn't had dinner yet. Second Master, please sit down and have some with Madam."
"Yao Guang, you don't need to be so busy." Song Wanchu didn't even raise her head. "The Second Master had a reunion dinner today. Miss Yu cooked for him personally. How could he look up to the simple food in our small kitchen?"
Liang Yuzhou was already in a bad mood, and after hearing this, he was even more unhappy!
When he saw that Song Wanchu was actually embroidering a wedding dress, his face turned ashen.
She was dressed simply, without any makeup on her face, but her body was surrounded by the fiery red wedding dress. The passionate color was in sharp contrast to her gentle temperament.
He walked up to her and snatched the fabric from her hand.
"You seem to be quite concerned about other people's affairs!"
Song Wanchu looked into his eyes and sneered coldly. "Is the Second Master afraid that I'll hide needles in the wedding dress? Don't worry. I'm not that vicious."
"This inferior fabric doesn't match your craftsmanship."
Liang Yuzhou walked around behind her, put his arms around her waist, threw the needle and thread in her hand away with one hand, and then pulled the wedding dress off her lap.
The wedding dress fell to the ground, looking like a pile of fiery red clouds.
The fabric that Yu Huiyan had chosen for her wedding dress was actually Rosy Cloud Brocade, which was worth a hundred gold pieces per bolt. Only noble concubines and above in the palace would be allocated two or three bolts each year.
But Liang Yuzhou still thought it wasn't good enough and didn't match Yu Huiyan's status.
Song Wanchu felt a pang of sourness in her heart and sneered. "Then I'll wait for the Second Master to find more precious fabric and then start embroidering."
Liang Yuzhou rested his chin on her shoulder. His warm breath blew on the back of her neck and ears.
Suddenly, the man behind her let out a low laugh, his tone full of meaning. "It really does take more precious fabric to be worthy."
He pulled her up. "Accompany me to have dinner."
Song Wanchu curled her lips. "Can the Second Master still eat?"
Since he entered the door, her sarcasm had never stopped.
Liang Yuzhou's lungs seemed to be about to explode. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who would just eat at another woman's place?"
In his life, he had only had meals at the same table with three women: the old lady, Princess Jiahe, and his wife, who didn't even give him a good look!
Song Wanchu shook off his hand. Her expression was cold. "Miss Yu is your fiancée. How can she be just anyone?"
Every word was full of sarcasm, stabbing at his nerves.
Liang Yuzhou left Water Rhyme Residence on an empty stomach.
Yao Guang was already waiting for him under the old locust tree.
"Second Master, Miss Yu tried to poison Madam. She put Soul-Shocking Powder in the pea cakes and forced Madam to eat them in the name of the Madam sending things..."
Yao Guang became more and more angry as she spoke.
She didn't understand why the Second Master would keep such a venomous woman by his side!
Liang Yuzhou's face was terrifyingly cold.
"You did a good job."
"Second Master, Madam asked Doctor Shen for Soul-Shocking Powder today. Will Madam..."
Yao Guang had heard Madam promise Shen Yuhe that she wouldn't use such a poison to commit suicide.
But she was very worried.
During the days in the small courtyard, Madam had been listless. After returning to the Duke's Mansion, she still couldn't muster up any spirit and was sickly all day.
She was very afraid that Madam would think of doing something stupid.
Liang Yuzhou's eyes were cold. "Let her do whatever she wants."
He knew in his heart that Song Wanchu wouldn't be willing to die.
There were still things outside the Duke's Mansion that she cared about.
Seven days later, Shen Yuhe sent someone to deliver a packet of Soul-Shocking Powder.
At the same time, news spread that the old lady was returning to the mansion.
Song Wanchu felt a mixture of emotions, both sad and happy. She was very nervous and didn't know how to face the old lady.
Princess Jiahe and Yu Huiyan were extremely panicked.
"Didn't the old woman say that she wouldn't come back until the day of Zhou'er's martial examination? Why is she back early?"
The old lady had long since forbidden Yu Huiyan from setting foot in the Duke's Mansion. If she got angry, things would get out of hand!
Yu Huiyan was a little calmer than Princess Jiahe. She was already Liang Yuzhou's fiancée, and with Liang Yuzhou supporting her, could the old lady really carry her out and throw her away?
"Auntie, since the old lady is back, we should go and pay our respects. After all, one doesn't hit a smiling face."
Song Wanchu had already arrived at Peace and Happiness Hall one step ahead of the two of them.
Before she could kneel down, the old lady hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"My Wanchu, you've suffered so much!"
She hadn't expected that her grandson would be so overbearing and intercept the person on the way and forcefully bring her back.
The news that Liang Yuzhou would ask the emperor for an imperial edict to marry Yu Huiyan after the martial examination had also inevitably reached the old lady's ears.
How could the old lady still be in the mood to worship the Buddha!
She wanted to knock that stupid boy on the head and see if he had been bewitched by Yu Huiyan!
Song Wanchu looked at the old lady's graying hair and felt very sad.
The old lady held her hand. "Wanchu, I know you've made up your mind to leave. The concubine release letter has already taken effect. I'll say a word and send you back to your natal family. Zhou'er won't dare to do anything to you again!"