On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Yang Siyu did not push her away, but instead put his arm around Consort Hui's back and gently patted her shoulder with his other hand.

At the same time, tears streamed down her face.

But she didn't make a sound. She just rested her chin on Consort Hui's head and patted it gently, letting her tears slide down her cheeks and drip onto Consort Hui's wind-blown hair.

Hongcui stood behind, covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

She had been with Consort Hui for so many years and had never seen her cry like this before.

Back when she was in the palace, even if Consort Hui was so angry that she went crazy, she would at most smash a couple of cups and say a few unpleasant words, but she would never cry in front of others.

Because she felt that crying was a sign of weakness, and that it was something to be laughed at by others.

But now she clearly doesn't care anymore; she just wants to cry out everything that's been weighing on her heart for the past twenty years.

The maidservant under the eaves in the distance stopped sweeping, peeked over in this direction, and then withdrew.

The crying shook the snow off the trees, causing clumps to fall and land at their feet, where they silently melted into the snowdrifts.

Consort Hui cried for a long time.

So long that she herself didn't know how much time had passed, only that in the end her voice was hoarse, and she leaned against Yang Siyu as if her bones had been removed.

Yang Siyu remained motionless, standing there with a large patch of Huifei's tears soaking his shoulder, even the fur on his fox fur was stuck together.

Finally, Consort Hui slowly stopped crying, lifted her head from Yang Siyu's shoulder, her eyes swollen like peaches.

Her nose was red, and tears had washed away the thin powder on her face, leaving streaks.

She glanced at Yang Siyu, her lips twitching: "Look at you, you've messed up my hair."

Yang Siyu was taken aback, then burst out laughing.

"Hehehe, you're the one who cried your eyes out, why are you complaining that I messed it up?"

Consort Hui glared at her, but with her eyes so swollen, her glare had no intimidating power whatsoever; instead, it looked rather comical.

Yang Siyu took a handkerchief out of his sleeve and handed it to her.

Consort Hui took the handkerchief, first pressing the corners of her eyes, then wiping her nose, and then turning the handkerchief over and pressing it all over her face.

After wiping, I looked at the handkerchief and found it covered in tear stains and makeup marks; it was filthy.

Consort Hui said in a low voice, "I've gotten your handkerchief dirty."

Yang Siyu waved her hand: "It's okay, I can wash it off later."

Consort Hui clutched the handkerchief, not returning it, but kneading it in her hands.

Yang Siyu could tell that she didn't want to return it, so he simply said, "Don't return it yet, just keep it."

Consort Hui nodded and tucked the handkerchief into her sleeve.

The two stood under the plum tree for a while longer. Consort Hui's emotions gradually calmed down, but she still felt weak and lightheaded, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

Hongcui finally dared to come up and cautiously walked to her side: "Miss, shall we go back? Your voice is hoarse from crying. Go back and drink something hot to soothe it."

Consort Hui ignored her, turned to look at Yang Siyu, sniffed, and said in a tone she had never used before in her life, "Yang Siyu, thank you."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "I mean it."

Yang Siyu reached out to tidy her hair, which was wet with tears, and tucked a few strands of hair stuck to her face behind her ears.

"Don't say thank you anymore. For people like us, being able to survive and have someone to talk to is already the greatest blessing."

Consort Hui felt a lump in her throat again at these words, and quickly tilted her head back and blinked hard.

Yang Siyu tugged at her arm: "Let's go, it's cold outside, I'll take you back to Beiyuan."

"I don't need you to take me. I'm not a child anymore."

Consort Hui said this, but her feet had already followed Yang Siyu.

Hongcui followed behind, looking at this and that, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

In all these years, she had never seen Consort Hui speak to anyone like that.

Back in the palace, she always put on airs with everyone, even when arguing with Zhao Shuyu, she would still hold her chin up.

But when she cried just now, she looked just like a wronged little girl.

The two walked side by side down the passageway.

Yang Siyu walked at the same pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

Consort Hui, with her pregnant belly, walked even slower, so Yang Siyu slowed down to wait for her. The cuffs of their two fox fur coats occasionally touched together, making a rustling sound.

Yang Siyu asked, "What do you eat every day now?"

Consort Hui said, "I'm tired of the food Zhang Ma makes, like porridge and soup."

"You have to eat it even if you're tired of it. You're serving two people now, so you can't be picky."

"What you said is exactly the same as Hongcui's."

Yang Siyu smiled and said, "Hongcui is right. When I was pregnant with Min'er, I was the same way. I would vomit everything I ate, and later I would feel nauseous just from the smell of food. The imperial physician said I had excessive liver fire and prescribed some medicine, which made my mouth taste bitter. But I couldn't not eat, otherwise the baby wouldn't grow well in my belly."

Upon hearing this, Consort Hui lowered her head and touched her stomach: "I'm not vomiting much anymore, but I have no appetite. I don't want to eat anything, and everything tastes bland."

"That's due to a deficiency of qi and blood." Yang Siyu frowned. "What did Doctor Li say?"

"They told me to take angelica and codonopsis, saying it would replenish my qi and blood. I had Hongcui boil it for me several times, and it was so bitter it was unbearable."

"If it's bitter, add some red dates and honey. Don't force yourself to drink it." Yang Siyu thought for a moment, then added, "I'll have the kitchen make you some appetizers to try. What kind of flavor do you like?"

Consort Hui was taken aback: "You still care what I eat?"

"If I don't care about you, who will? What else can your Hongcui do besides cook plain porridge?"

Hongcui muttered pitifully from behind, "This servant can also steam egg custard..."

Yang Siyu glanced back at her and couldn't help but laugh: "Hehehe, okay, steamed egg custard counts too."

"Hehehehe~" Consort Hui laughed too.

This was the first time she had smiled since leaving Beiyuan.

It wasn't a wry smile or self-deprecating laughter, but rather the kind of laugh that comes from being amused.

After laughing, I felt a little embarrassed and quickly straightened my face.

The two walked through the bamboo forest and then through a moon gate; the North Garden was just ahead.

Consort Hui stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.

She turned around and looked at Yang Siyu.

The winter sunlight shone from behind her, casting a long shadow that stretched all the way to Yang Siyu's toes.

Yang Siyu said, "Go back, it's cold outside."

Consort Hui nodded, then turned halfway around, her hand resting on the courtyard gate.

He took two steps and stopped, without turning back, simply asking, "Will you come again tomorrow?"

Consort Hui was wearing a light purple cotton-padded jacket, her hair was a little messy from the wind, and her shoulders were slightly hunched.

From behind, she doesn't look like a concubine who once held immense power in the harem at all; she's just an ordinary woman with a large pregnant belly.

Then, standing at his own door, he asked another woman if she would come to chat again tomorrow.

"Here you go," Yang Siyu said. "I've had the kitchen make some pear soup. I'll bring you a bowl tomorrow."

Consort Hui's shoulders trembled slightly, and then she heard Yang Siyu's footsteps fading into the distance.

Hongcui helped her up and said, "Miss, let's go inside. It's too cold outside."

Consort Hui hummed in agreement and turned to walk towards the main room.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly spoke, "Hongcui."

"This servant is here."

"Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

Hongcui quickly nodded: "This servant understands."

"But we can tell Zhang Ma about the pear soup and ask her to clean the table and replace the bowls with new ones tomorrow."

Hongcui paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Yes."