The dream was so real that he didn't notice he was dreaming at all.
Through the window lattice, Chu Yan saw Shang Yunruo putting medicine into a teacup. He knew it was the Aphrodisiac Powder. A few days ago, he saw her secretly meeting the top courtesan of the brothel.
That top courtesan was not most famous for her beauty but for the self - made Aphrodisiac Powder.
Shang Yunruo had already handed the cup to Chu Jinli and softly urged him to drink.
He knew she always wanted to consummate the marriage with his elder brother and longed to become his real wife.
But he also knew his elder brother didn't love her and didn't want her to regret for the rest of her life.
More importantly, just thinking about her being intimate with another man, Chu Yan couldn't control the crazy thoughts in his heart and wanted to break all this.
When he came to his senses, he had rushed out and smashed the cup just taken by Chu Jinli.
The medicine bubbled white on the ground. Chu Jinli knew at a glance that there was medicine in it.
Chu Jinli looked at Shang Yunruo in disbelief and questioned, "You want to harm me? What kind of medicine did you put in it?"
Shang Yunruo explained eagerly, "It's just, just the Aphrodisiac Powder. I didn't mean to harm my husband..."
Chu Jinli showed disgust and loathing on his face. "You actually use such despicable medicine. I can tolerate your usual arrogance, but you are so shameless! Even if I divorce you, the Prime Minister won't blame me!"
Shang Yunruo was shocked and shouted, "Husband, I just want to consummate the marriage with you. If you divorce me, I'll appeal to the emperor and accuse you of refusing to consummate the marriage with me, so I had to take this measure!"
Chu Jinli kicked the wooden chair beside him angrily. His fingers trembled as he pointed at her, but he was so angry that he didn't know what to say.
After a moment of silence, knowing her overbearing and making - trouble personality and that she would do what she said, he just coldly left a sentence and then left resolutely.
"From now on, I'll act as if I never had a wife like you. I'll never set foot in Muchenxuan again!"
Shang Yunruo couldn't see. She stretched out her hands and groped forward, trying to hug him tightly. She cried and begged him not to go, but she didn't even catch a corner of his clothes.
She tripped over the threshold. Chu Yan was quick - witted and held her in his arms, but she bit his shoulder and shouted and struggled hysterically, "Chu Yan! Why did you do this! This was my only chance! You don't want me to live a good life with your elder brother, right?"
Chu Yan let out a muffled groan. He endured the pain in his shoulder and couldn't say a word.
Because he really didn't want that.
Shang Yunruo's eyes welled up with tears. The tears soaked the gauze on her eyes, irritated the wound, and oozed red congestion, which was shocking to look at.
Her voice choked. "Chu Yan, I've been so good to you. Is this how you repay me?"
Chu Yan gently placed her on the chair with heartache. He wanted to go and find medicine to treat her eyes, but she grabbed his arm tightly and screamed, "Come here!"
At her order, several servants came over. She commanded, "Tie up the second young master for me!"
Chu Yan instinctively wanted to resist, but he was immobilized by the three words she uttered.
"I hate you."
He stared blankly at her. Even though he couldn't see her eyes, he could still feel the determination in them. Chu Yan stood still and let them capture and tie him up.
These three words echoed constantly in his ears and mind. It was like his head was being held underwater. He didn't recover from that suffocating emotion until he was locked in the small dark room.
He moved a bit, only to find his hands and feet were tied.
After a while, the door opened. Shang Yunruo came in with a teapot. Without giving him a chance to speak, she pinched open his mouth and poured the liquid in the teapot into his mouth.
He felt a surge of heat quickly expanding and surging up, as if it was going to burst out of his body. His whole body was hot and itchy, and his blood vessels seemed to be about to burst.
Was it the Aphrodisiac Powder she fed him?
Shang Yunruo changed her usual gentleness and concern. Her voice was a bit shrill. "You're just a low - class bastard. Do you think I really cared about you? If it weren't for playing the role of a virtuous wife in front of Jinli, I'd think it was dirty to even look at you!"
Chu Yan wriggled on the ground forcefully. The veins on his neck bulged, and his whole body trembled. He could clearly hear every word she said, but he couldn't give any response. Only tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
He wriggled to her feet and rubbed his hot face against her shoe surface, but she kicked him away. She stepped on his face with the sole of her shoe and ground it hard, saying disgustedly, "Disgusting thing!"
Under the effect of the medicine, although Chu Yan could clearly feel the pain, he still wanted to grab the only straw of salvation in front of him. He wanted to get closer to her, stick to her, and even more.
At this moment, he had no ability to think and couldn't tell whether it was the effect of the medicine or his psychological need.
His wrists were trapped, but his fingers tightly grabbed the hem of her skirt. He knelt in front of her and clung tightly to her.
Shang Yunruo seemed to want to humiliate Chu Yan and watch him suffer and be tortured, but she was afraid of being reported to the grandmother, so she ordered the servants to retreat and only left Chuyao outside.
She kept retreating and was forced to the edge of the couch. She fell on the bed and shouted for Chuyao.
When the door was pushed open, Chu Yan had already pounced on her. He climbed all the way to her neck, ear, and finally found her lips.
The combined strength of Shang Yunruo and Chuyao couldn't shake Chu Yan for a while.
She was kissed fiercely by him. He nibbled, sucked, and licked her lips. He felt much better, but he also became more and more eager for her and wanted to devour her completely.
Suddenly, she bit his lips hard. The heart - piercing pain from his lips made Chu Yan suddenly wake up.
He opened his eyes wide, like a drowning man finally surfacing. He gasped for air.
But the feeling of the blood spreading in his mouth still remained. The blood seemed to fill his whole mouth.
He curled up in the corner of the bed, with his legs curled up and his arms hugging his legs tightly, shrinking himself into a ball.
The last time he was in this posture was when his mother died in front of him.
Chu Yan buried his head between his arms and once again felt the despair as if the sky had fallen.
The woman he regarded as his salvation and light not only hated him but also abandoned him.
This was the third time he had been abandoned.
The first time was when his mother put a knife on his neck.
The second time was when his father said, "You can cut."
"Brother Yan? What's wrong with you?"
Yin Shan noticed something was wrong. He came down from the beam and stood beside his bed, frowning and asking.
Yin Shan's voice completely pulled Chu Yan back to reality from the dream. He slowly raised his head. With the help of the moonlight, he saw Yin Shan's face and then realized he had just had a dream.
A very real dream.
Facing Yin Shan's repeated question, Chu Yan relaxed and waved his hand, saying, "I had a nightmare."
After Yin Shan was sure he was okay, he jumped back to the beam.
Chu Yan sat blankly by the bed and softly asked, "Yin Shan, I've got the internal strength of Huajin."
Yin Shan yawned and said, "Congratulations."
Chu Yan said, "I suddenly knew how to do it. It was like I triggered something and suddenly became enlightened."
Yin Shan didn't care. "It's because you've been working hard usually."
Chu Yan said, "That day when we raided the shop, I also suddenly knew how to deploy troops. You know, I've never led troops before, but I felt a kind of familiar ease."
Yin Shan said, "Are you showing off your natural talent?"
Was it just natural talent?
Chu Yan lowered his eyelids. He couldn't figure it out. After thinking for a while, he softly asked, "What is she doing?"
Yin Shan knew who he was asking about without thinking. He clicked his tongue lightly. "I'm not a peeping Tom. How would I know what she's doing?"
The memory in the dream was too deep. When he thought of Shang Yunruo, all he could think of was the look of her stepping on his face and spitting on and loathing him.
He murmured in a low voice, "Maybe she's using false gentleness to please my elder brother... Her kindness to me was all for pleasing my elder brother."
In the main house of Muchenxuan, Shang Yunruo tied the last knot. She held up the jade pendant and showed it off to Chuyao, saying, "I said I could tie a safety knot even with my eyes closed!"
Chuyao clapped her hands and praised, "Miss is so amazing. But this jade is so precious. Are you really going to give it to the second young master?"
Shang Yunruo said, "Of course. Only the warm and gentle jade is worthy of him. Ayan will definitely look good wearing it, and it also matches the two new sets of clothes I made for him. I'll send it to him tomorrow!"