Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

Yun Shuyao kept her eyes open as the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn.

He immediately ordered Chun Tao to help her wash up, and then ordered Chun Zhi to summon Ming Rui.

Chunzhi returned shortly after leaving and learned from the gatekeeper that Mingrui had not returned since going out with the young master yesterday.

Her bad premonition reached its peak.

Yun Shuyao had the coachman hitch up the carriage, and took Chun Tao and Chun Zhi with her, along with the two female guards Xiao Fang had given her, Ming Xue and Ming Shuang.

The five of them went straight to the Inspection Department.

Yun Shuyao sat at Xiao Fang's desk and waited until it was time to go to the yamen before she saw Lu Zhao and Lin Hui.

But neither of them had any idea where Xiao Fang had gone.

Yun Shuyao was burning with anxiety. After explaining in detail how Xiao Fang had been called away at the last minute the night before, Lu Zhao and Lin Hui also became anxious.

They immediately mobilized the people from the Censorate and headed straight for the residence of Li, the Vice Minister of War.

Upon arriving at the Li residence, they found that the Li family was holding a funeral.

Lord Li, who had arranged to meet Xiao Fang last night, was inexplicably murdered, his throat slit, and his body was dumped at the gate of the mansion.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao, Lin Hui, and the others' eyes immediately turned red. They quickly dispersed the crowd, spread the word, and began searching the entire city for clues about Xiao Fang.

They kept all of this from Yun Shuyao, only telling her that Xiao Fang had gone out of the city to handle a case.

In the evening, Lu Zhao and Lin Hui, following the clues they had gathered, found Xiao Fang in a dilapidated temple outside the city.

That evening, Xiao Fang returned to his residence. He only briefly met with Yun Shuyao before leaving under the pretext of official business.

He also said that he has been staying at the Inspection Department recently and will not be going home for the time being.

Yun Shuyao carefully examined him and saw that he moved freely and seemed to have no signs of injury, but his face was somewhat dark.

I assumed he was in a bad mood because his official duties were being disrupted, so I didn't bother him.

Three days later, Xiao Fang finally returned to the manor, but Yun Shuyao still sensed that something was wrong.

Xiao Fang dined with her as usual, asked her what books she had read and what accounts she had settled that day, and even talked to her more than usual.

But when she reached out to straighten his collar, he subtly took a half-step back.

That half-step was so light, it seemed unintentional.

But Shu Yao's hand hovered in mid-air, paused for a moment, and her heart sank a little.

She didn't ask, but she knew that Xiao Fang was hiding something from her.

What truly aroused her suspicion was the nighttime.

As she turned over, she accidentally touched Xiao Fang's left rib. The man groaned in his sleep and then immediately woke up.

My first reaction upon waking was not to look at her, but to gently move her hand away.

"Are you being pressed down?"

Yun Shuyao asked him, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"no."

Xiao Fang tucked the blanket around her, his tone calm.

"Go to sleep."

But Yun Shuyao kept her eyes open in the darkness and smelled a scent similar to wound medicine.

It was extremely faint, overshadowed by Chen Baixiang, but she was his wife, and she could tell what incense he burned every day even with her eyes closed.

Moreover, Xiao Fang used his right hand when he moved her hand just now, while Xiao Fang is used to using his left hand.

The following night, Yun Shuyao reached out to untie the belt of his inner garment.

It wasn't the usual hesitant, tentative approach; it was a direct response.

Normally, Xiao Fang would have already pounced on her, but tonight, he held Yun Shuyao's wrist instead.

The force was very light, but the position of the fingers was as precise as if they were gripping a person's joint.

"Yao Yao".

Xiao Fang only called her name, and then said nothing more.

"let me see."

Yun Shuyao said that this was not a question, and her attitude was non-negotiable.

"There's nothing to see."

For the first time, Xiao Fang did not go along with Yun Shuyao's wishes.

"Then why don't you dare let me see?"

The lamp flickered and crackled, filling the brief silence between the two.

"Yun Shuyao".

Xiao Fang rarely called her by her full name, but every time he did, he meant it sincerely.

The man released her wrist, sat up, turned his back to her, and spoke in a very low voice.

"Don't look."

He spoke those two words very slowly, as if he had been holding them under his tongue for many days.

Yun Shuyao watched his back; his clothes were stretched along the outline of his shoulder blades, making him look no different from usual.

But this was the first time in all the time she had known him that she had heard something almost like helplessness in his tone.

"Xiao Fang."

Yun Shuyao sat up, facing his back, her voice trembling.

It wasn't because she was cold, but because she was trying her best to suppress some kind of surging emotion.

"Let me see."

Xiao Fang didn't move.

Yun Shuyao reached out and touched his shoulder, trying to turn him around.

Xiao Fang suddenly stood up.

He moved with such speed that he didn't seem like an injured person. He grabbed his outer robe, put it on, and walked to the door in a few steps.

His hand rested on the door frame, pausing for a very brief moment, as if he wanted to turn around, but ultimately he didn't.

"You rest first. I'll go to the study."

The door opened and closed again, a wisp of night wind blew in, causing the candlelight to tilt sharply before slowly straightening itself.

Yun Shuyao sat on the couch, her hand still outstretched in a gesture of trying to hold him back.

Just now, she saw a strip of white cloth half an inch protruding from the side of Xiao Fang's neck, near the collar.

In that instant, she understood everything: it wasn't a minor injury, nor was it something Xiao Fang disdained to mention.

He was so badly injured that he was afraid she would see it.

Xiao Fang would rather sleep in the study with his injuries than let me change his dressings.

This thought hurt her more than any injury.

Seven days.

Xiao Fang waited until his wound had scabbed over before daring to return to his bedroom.

His clothes were neatly arranged, with the collar covering his Adam's apple and the sleeves tied up meticulously.

When he entered, Yun Shuyao was sitting in front of her dressing table removing her hairpins.

He glanced at him in the bronze mirror, his hands still moving, and said only one sentence.

"You're back?"

His tone was so flat and devoid of any warmth.

Xiao's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface.

He figured that she was probably upset because he hadn't shown up for a few days, and that he could appease her.

"I've been busy these past few days as the case is wrapping up."

Xiao Fang walked up behind her, and as soon as he put his hand on her shoulder, she stood up.

She didn't shake him off; she simply stood up naturally just before those large hands touched her.

The timing was so precise that he couldn't tell whether it was a coincidence or intentional.

"Let's take a break."

Yun Shuyao coldly uttered two words, then went to the bedside, lay down, faced inward, and closed her eyes.

Xiao Fang stood there, watching her back.

Of course, he could walk over, pull her close, whisper a few comforting words in her ear, and turn the page in his usual way.

But since the wound has just scabbed over, there will be a very tight pulling sensation when you reach out. If you hug her in an unnatural way, she will definitely notice.

So he turned off the light and lay down beside her, with a person's distance between them.

It was within reach, but he didn't reach out.

Yun Shuyao lay awake in the darkness, listening to his breathing gradually become steady, and to the barely suppressed heaviness in his breath.

Those are signs of physical discomfort that only appear when a person is asleep.

Yun Shuyao bit her lower lip tightly to prevent herself from turning over and hugging him tightly.

For the next month, Shu Yao treated him as usual.

I'll eat what I need to eat, say what I need to say, and accompany him to the occasions I need to attend, but I won't touch him proactively anymore.

She picked up food for him, but no longer wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

They slept in the same bed at night, each covered with their own blanket.

Before Xiao Fang left, Yun Shuyao would still straighten his clothes, but her fingertips would never touch his skin again.

As Xiao Fang was "tidying his clothes" in front of the mirror for the umpteenth time, he finally realized one thing:

Every move she made proclaimed, "I am your wife, and I am doing my duty."

But if you don't need me, then I'll take back everything that was extra.

The wound has healed, and new flesh has grown out. It's pink, slightly raised, and no longer hurts when pressed.

He felt the scar slowly tightening inside his body, making it hard for him to breathe.

Xiao Fang originally planned to take the time to comfort his wife after he recovered from his injuries.

But things took an unexpected turn for the worse.

Every ten days, Yun Shuyao would return to the hot spring villa for one day without fail to visit her mother.

Xiao Fang should have picked her up when he finished his shift, but today, as soon as Yun Shuyao left, he sent someone back with a message.

The wording was gentle, but the meaning was straightforward—the Crown Princess was staying overnight at the estate.

They didn't mention when they would reply.