After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

Liu Yuansheng was annoyed by Jiang Zhihuan's series of questions.

"So, you came to see me to persuade me to help you deal with Xiao Jinghan?"

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Yuansheng came to this conclusion.

A conclusion that chilled her to the bone.

Jiang Zhihuan stared at Liu Yuansheng for a long time before saying, "Not bad."

Liu Yuansheng's body went limp. "No, no..."

Jiang Zhihuan: "Yuansheng, I know you're in a difficult position, but this is the only way for us to be together."

"I had previously asked Master Jing'an to convey my thoughts to you, and I also wrote these things down in my letter to you, but you have not replied to me for a long time. I was scared, so I risked coming to see you. You must give me an answer no matter what."

"I'll give you an answer?" Liu Yuansheng asked. "What kind of answer do you want?"

"Are you willing to help me deal with Xiao Jinghan or not?" Jiang Zhihuan asked. "Or to put it another way, are you still willing to be with me?"

Liu Yuansheng was stunned.

In her mind, she never connected the two things: harming Xiao Jinghan and being with Jiang Zhihuan.

But Jiang Zhihuan made her make a choice.

How will she choose?

"Yuansheng, speak up."

Jiang Zhihuan started to panic as he waited for Liu Yuansheng's reply. "We're pressed for time; we can't afford to waste any more."

Is it really that hard to give me an answer?

Liu Yuansheng shook her head.

It's not that giving him an answer is difficult, but rather that there is no answer for her at all.

"I don't know how to answer you," she said. "You seem like a stranger to me."

"strangeness?"

Upon hearing those two words, Jiang Zhihuan rushed forward, grabbed Liu Yuansheng's wrist, and exclaimed excitedly, "I am Jiang Zhihuan, Yuansheng! Have you forgotten everything between us? Or do you no longer love me?"

"Do you know that every day I was away from you, I thought of you, and I longed to see you every moment? After returning to the capital, I learned that you had married Xiao Jinghan, and I was driven mad with remorse!"

Jiang Zhihuan's eyes gradually reddened. He shook his head and said with great heartache, "I regret why I left you, and I regret even more why I couldn't return to the capital sooner. If it had only been ten days, you wouldn't have had to marry Xiao Jinghan, and I wouldn't have had to endure the pain of unrequited love."

Liu Yuansheng's heart ached with each word Jiang Zhihuan spoke.

Given the circumstances, all she could do was sigh and say, "Fate is cruel."

"Don't say that," Liu Yuansheng said. "Seeing you pass the exam with flying colors and achieve your goal makes me happy for you too."

Jiang Zhihuan was slightly taken aback. He raised his face and looked at Liu Yuansheng, saying, "What good is fame and fortune? I've lost my lover, Yuansheng. Please tell me, just to put my mind at ease, are you still willing to be with me?"

"I just want an answer, a real answer from you, whether it's what I want or whether it's acceptable to me, I want to hear it."

Going crazy.

Liu Yuansheng really felt like she was going crazy.

Jiang Zhihuan and Xiao Jinghan were driving him crazy by competing against each other.

"Tell me quickly," Jiang Zhihuan urged her on, like a gambler at the end of his rope, betting on her sincerity. "Do you still like me? Are you willing to be with me?"

"I……"

Just as Liu Yuansheng was about to speak, Sun Zhiyao and her maid rushed in, saying, "Mr. Jiang, you'd better hide quickly, Young Master Xiao is here!"

Liu Yuansheng didn't think much of it, but Jiang Zhihuan was very nervous. He gave her a resentful look and then hurriedly retreated with Sun Zhiyao's maid.

By the time Liu Yuansheng realized what was happening, Jiang Zhihuan was already gone, and only Sun Zhiyao, pretending to drink tea, remained in front of the pearwood round table.

Liu Yuansheng looked at Sun Zhiyao, wanting to ask her why she was willing to help Jiang Zhihuan, but then Xiao Jinghan walked in.

He wore a plain apricot-colored straight robe made of fine Hangzhou silk, with only a few light ink bamboo patterns embroidered on the hem. He did not wear a complicated crown or belt, but simply used a mutton-fat jade hairpin to hold back his black hair. The hem of the robe hung down to his feet, revealing a pair of soft satin boots with cloud patterns. As he walked, the hem of his robe swayed lightly, exuding elegance and simplicity.

Upon seeing him enter, Sun Zhiyao immediately stood up and gave a proper bow, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Highness and offers her regards."

"Miss Sun, you're too kind. Please get up."

Xiao Jinghan walked to Liu Yuansheng's side and asked, "Have you been drinking tea? What kind of tea?"

Liu Yuansheng paused for a moment, then slowly came to her senses and said, "I can't taste it either. Would you like to try some?"

"Alright." Xiao Jinghan sat down smoothly. "Then I'll trouble you to pour me a glass, Madam."

Liu Yuansheng glanced at Xiao Jinghan.

This was the second time Xiao Jinghan had addressed her as "Madam" in front of outsiders.

For some reason, Liu Yuansheng always felt that he did it on purpose.

But they didn't understand why he did it.

She stood there, stunned, while Ying'er handed her the teapot, gesturing for her to make tea for Xiao Jinghan. Liu Yuansheng absentmindedly made Xiao Jinghan a cup of tea and asked, "Why has the young master come?"

"I went to the yamen to take care of some business and stopped by to see you." Xiao Jinghan blew on the tea foam, took a sip, and said, "Hmm, this tea smells wonderful. Is it pre-Qingming Longjing?"

"Exactly," Sun Zhiyao said.

"If my good-for-nothing brother knew that he could drink Miss Sun's tea, he would be incredibly envious."

Upon hearing Xiao Jinghan mention Xiao Jingzhuo, Sun Zhiyao's eyes flickered, and she said, "I'm feeling a little unwell, so I won't disturb the young master and his wife while they drink tea."

After saying that, he bowed slightly and made an excuse to leave.

"Why did Miss Sun leave as soon as I arrived?" As soon as Sun Zhiyao left, Xiao Jinghan said indifferently, "It seems that Xiao Jingzhuo isn't the only one who's unwelcome."

Liu Yuansheng didn't know how to respond, so she simply remained silent.

Ying'er, who had witnessed everything that had just happened, had something to say, but she dared not speak. She only hoped that Xiao Jinghan would quickly discover Jiang Zhihuan's presence, drive him away, and keep him far away from her young lady.

Perhaps sensing something, Xiao Jinghan abruptly asked, "What were you all talking about just now?"

Jiang Zhihuan's face involuntarily appeared in Liu Yuansheng's mind. She paused for a moment and said, "He didn't say anything, just advised Miss Sun to put aside past grievances and accept her fourth brother's words again."

"Oh? Is that so?" Xiao Jinghan said, "But you seem to have something on your mind."

After speaking, his eyes fell on Liu Yuansheng, scrutinizing her intently.

Ying'er's heart leaped into her throat. She couldn't help but look towards the covered walkway, trying to give Xiao Jinghan a hint. After all, it was Jiang Zhihuan who was seducing her young lady, not the other way around. Rather than letting Xiao Jinghan discover it later and mistakenly believe that her young lady and Jiang Zhihuan were having an affair, it was better to expose Jiang Zhihuan now and let the young master deal with him properly.

Unfortunately, no matter how Ying'er gestured, Xiao Jinghan wouldn't look in the direction of the covered walkway. He just stared at Liu Yuansheng's face with a half-smile and said, "Why aren't you saying anything? Did Sun Zhiyao reject you?"

Liu Yuansheng shook her head, thinking to herself that it wasn't true, because she hadn't discussed this matter with Sun Zhiyao at all. Thinking about it, she felt that she had let Xiao Jingzhuo down, and couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. She just didn't know how things were going with Xie Qinghe.

"I think Miss Sun still has feelings for Fourth Brother," Liu Yuansheng guessed. "After all, if it weren't for what happened in our household, the two of them might already be married."

"In the end, it's all because Jingzhuo is so useless." Xiao Jinghan held Liu Yuansheng's wrist, smiling as he comforted her. "Alright, don't worry about these things anymore. You must be hungry after being out for so long. How about I take you to eat?"

At the mention of food, Ying'er immediately perked up, "Great! Miss, let's hurry and go eat with the young master! Look how late it is."

"Shall we leave now?" Liu Yuansheng asked, deep in thought. "I wonder how my sister-in-law is doing. I hope there's good news."

"What? Do you really want Fourth Brother and Miss Sun to be together?" Xiao Jinghan asked.

"Yes," Liu Yuansheng said, "I just can't bear to see two people who love each other separated because of worldly reasons."

"Alright." Xiao Jinghan thought for a moment and promised, "Here's what we'll do: you come with me to eat first, and I'll figure out a way to make sure that kid wins the girl's heart."

Xiao Jinghan took Liu Yuansheng to Baohe Tower.

Upon arriving at Baohelou, Ying'er was naturally the happiest. With Liu Yuansheng's tacit approval, she ordered a large table of dishes, sat down, and ate heartily, stuffing her mouth full to prevent herself from bursting out and telling Xiao Jinghan everything about Jiang Zhihuan's secret meeting with Liu Yuansheng, thus betraying her master.

Most of the delicacies on the table ended up in Ying'er's stomach; Liu Yuansheng only ate a little.

Seeing that Liu Yuansheng didn't have much of an appetite, Xiao Jinghan ordered the carriage to stop when they passed the sesame seed cake stall, and specially got out to buy her a sesame seed cake.

"I remember you like this, eat it."

Xiao Jinghan handed the piping hot sesame flatbread to Liu Yuansheng, "Eat it while it's hot."

Liu Yuansheng held the sesame seed cake in her hand, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

She used to really like sesame cakes.

It wasn't that the flatbread tasted particularly delicious, but rather that Jiang Zhihuan would always bring her a flatbread whenever he visited her at Shuiyue Nunnery.

The fragrant flatbread was taken from his clothes, still warm from his body, and placed in her arms.

The flatbread was warm, her hands were warm, and her heart was warm.

But now, as Liu Yuansheng holds the flatbread in her hand, she can no longer feel the warmth of the past.

She lowered her head and took a bite, but she couldn't taste the same flavor as before.

It was a pity to throw it away, but it was useless to keep it, so in the end it was given to Ying'er, who happily ate it.

After returning to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Liu Yuansheng did not leave the house for more than ten days, but stayed in the house to keep Yan'er company.

Yan'er can crawl now, her chubby little arms and legs moving around on the bed, she's so adorable. Liu Yuansheng suddenly realized that she was happiest when she was with Yan'er, because the innocent child only had eyes for eating and playing, no conflicts, no scheming, and certainly no terrifying decisions that forced her to make.

A month passed in this way, and Xie Qinghe sent someone to deliver a message saying that the Sun family had agreed to the marriage proposal from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and decided to hold the wedding for the two in the twelfth lunar month, and would not cancel the engagement.

This is really good news.

After all this time, Liu Yuansheng thought the Sun family was determined to never turn back, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better and fulfilled Xiao Jingzhuo's wish.

Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that Xiao Jinghan had secretly helped Sun Zhiyao's two brothers gain a foothold in the Six Ministries of the court, which is why Lord Sun had put aside past grievances and agreed to their marriage.

The process doesn't matter, as long as the ending is good.

These are Xie Qinghe's exact words to Liu Yuansheng.

Liu Yuansheng recalled Xiao Jinghan's arrogant face, realizing that he must have put in a lot of effort for Xiao Jingzhuo's marriage.

He really is a stubborn guy with a soft heart.

Soon, the household began making preparations for Xiao Jingzhuo's marriage.

Liu Yuansheng also got busy.

When she got busy, she put Jiang Zhihuan's matter out of her mind and just followed Xie Qinghe to pick out, select, and order things, keeping herself extremely busy every day.

On the eve of the wedding, Liu Yuansheng was subjected to a lot of hardship. Xiao Jinghan couldn't bear to watch any longer and kept her confined to Chenxiang Courtyard, forbidding her from helping Xie Qinghe with her affairs.

The night was soft and gentle, the stars and moon hung low, and the warm light diffused a gentle glow throughout the room. Liu Yuansheng, dressed in her undergarments, sat on the dressing table, drying her damp hair. She was tired, but peacefully enjoying this moment of leisure.

Her hair was thick and long, and even after wiping it for a long time, it was still wet. Just as she was about to call Ying'er in to help her wipe it, a warm, large hand took the handkerchief from her and said, "Look at you, so weak and listless, you can't even wipe your hair clean."

Liu Yuansheng looked up at Xiao Jinghan in the bronze mirror, but remained silent.

Recently, Xiao Jinghan has been staying in her room. Sometimes she falls asleep first, and he will sleep on the daybed, afraid of disturbing her or waking her up.

Most of the time, he would sleep next to her, and just sleep quietly without doing anything.

But Liu Yuansheng still sensed something was off and felt that something had changed about Xiao Jinghan.

"Is your fourth brother's wedding preparation almost done? Will it take much longer?" Xiao Jinghan asked while drying Liu Yuansheng's hair. "If it's still not finished, I'll find someone to help. Be careful not to exhaust yourself."

"I'm not tired, it's my sister-in-law who's tired," Liu Yuansheng said. "I was just helping out."

"Well, that's about right. I'll tell my fourth brother later and tell him to take his marriage seriously so he doesn't exhaust his two sisters-in-law."

Xiao Jinghan put down the handkerchief and looked at Liu Yuansheng in the bronze mirror. "It's done."

The woman in the mirror had skin as smooth as jade and strikingly beautiful features. She was a natural beauty, and even the sorrow and melancholy between her brows and eyes carried a unique charm that captivated people.

Xiao Jinghan looked around for a while and said, "It's getting late, let's get settled."

After saying that, he helped Liu Yuansheng to her feet.

Liu Yuansheng was very light, and Xiao Jinghan lifted her up easily. She followed Xiao Jinghan to the canopy bed, sat down, and then habitually glanced in the direction of the daybed, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Jinghan noticed Liu Yuansheng's nervousness. "Why are you so unwilling every time we share a bed?"

Liu Yuansheng opened her mouth, "It's not that I'm unwilling."

"That means you're willing," Xiao Jinghan said. "I won't do anything. Go to sleep, sleep peacefully."

Xiao Jinghan threw off the covers, intending to help Liu Yuansheng lie down, but Liu Yuansheng grabbed his arm and whispered, "Your Highness."

A faint, cool fragrance wafted into Xiao Jinghan's nose, causing him to gasp and laugh, "I advise you not to look at me like that, and not to speak to me in that tone."

Liu Yuansheng was taken aback.

Yes, it was this inexplicable and ambiguous feeling that made her feel that Xiao Jinghan had changed.

Perhaps Xiao Jinghan felt guilty towards her after figuring out what happened to the Eldest Princess. Recently, Xiao Jinghan has been very kind to her, always trying to please her, which makes her uneasy.

The fact that the young master treated her very well was known not only to the entire Chenxiang Courtyard, but also to the old lady. Every time she saw the two of them, she was very satisfied, her eyes seeming to say that the day she would hold her great-grandson was finally just around the corner.

But Liu Yuansheng knew that there was no marital relationship between the two of them.

Not yet.

Her throat tightened, and she lowered her eyes, avoiding Xiao Jinghan's gaze, and said, "Young Master, there's something I've been wanting to tell you, but things at home have been piling up, and it's only now that I've said it."

"Oh? What is it?"

Xiao Jinghan asked.

Liu Yuansheng didn't know where she got the courage and impulse from, but she almost effortlessly asked Xiao Jinghan for a divorce, "Your Highness, let's get a divorce?"

Xiao Jinghan, who had been staring at her lips with tender affection, suddenly froze, "You want a divorce?"

"Yes." Liu Yuansheng tried to remain calm as she explained, "My marriage to the prince was a misunderstanding and a mistake from the very beginning. Now that all the misunderstandings have been cleared up, it would be better if we got a divorce."

Xiao Jinghan stared intently at Liu Yuansheng's face and chuckled, "So that's what you've been thinking about lately, isn't it?"

Xiao Jinghan suddenly stood up, looking down at her and said, "Tell me, when did you come up with this idea?"

"From the first day I married the Crown Prince," Liu Yuansheng said honestly, "At that time, my father kidnapped Abbess Jing'an and forced me to marry you. For Abbess Jing'an's safety, I had no choice but to get into the bridal sedan chair of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. From that moment on, I decided that I would either commit suicide or divorce you."

"You want to commit suicide?" Xiao Jinghan was amused by Liu Yuansheng's words. "You're so aggrieved after marrying me?"

"It's not that I feel wronged; the Crown Prince treats me very well. It's just that this marriage was a mistake from the start, and I can't possibly ruin his life, can I?"

"Waste my life? I think you have ulterior motives," Xiao Jinghan said. "You're still thinking about that Jiang Zhihuan, aren't you?"

Liu Yuansheng was taken aback.

Xiao Jinghan snorted, "Don't be so quick to deny what I'm saying. When you first married me, you didn't mention divorce. When the old lady forced you to have a child with me, you still didn't mention divorce. You had so many opportunities but didn't talk to me about divorce. Yet, after Jiang Zhihuan appeared, you started thinking about divorce. Aren't you still thinking about Jiang Zhihuan?"

Liu Yuansheng opened her mouth, but suddenly felt that she was speechless.

She wanted to deny Xiao Jinghan's guess, but she did harbor some thoughts of rekindling her relationship with Jiang Zhihuan. However, she would not admit that she divorced Xiao Jinghan for Jiang Zhihuan's sake.

Seeing that Liu Yuansheng remained silent and stopped speaking, Xiao Jinghan became even more certain of his guess: Liu Yuansheng did not care about him at all.

This was exactly what he had expected. He had even been waiting for Liu Yuansheng to help Jiang Zhihuan deal with him, but Liu Yuansheng did not do so.

Therefore, he secretly harbored a bit of hope, thinking that Liu Yuansheng had some feelings for him.

In the end, all of this was just his ridiculous wishful thinking.

"Speak up, have you run out of things to say?" A storm raged in Xiao Jinghan's heart. "If you can give me a reason that can convince me, I can agree to your request."

What were the reasons for persuading Xiao Jinghan?

Didn't she just give her reason?

"Your Highness, I am not divorcing you because of Jiang Zhihuan. As I said, I have considered the matter of divorce for a long time. I just didn't want to drag it out any longer, so I brought it up. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

After pondering for a long time, Liu Yuansheng said with a sob in her voice, "I hope that after you leave me, you can find someone who loves and respects you and spends your life with you. This is my wish. You have long regarded me as family. I hope you can be happy for the rest of your life."

family?

Xiao Jinghan was both amused and exasperated, unsure whether he should be angry at Liu Yuansheng's choice.

If you say she's heartless, she says she considers him family; if you say she's caring, she's making a scene and wants a divorce.

He knew she was a piece of ice riddled with wounds, and he was determined to make amends to her, but he never expected to be met with such a devastating blow.

The crux of the matter likely lies with Jiang Zhihuan.

Xiao Jinghan suppressed the resentment in his heart, sat down next to Liu Yuansheng, and said, "Fourth Brother's marriage was finally settled. If you want to divorce me now, what if the Sun family finds out and makes a fuss about breaking off the engagement? Then Fourth Brother will have to jump into the lake again."

"I didn't say I wanted to divorce the prince immediately." Liu Yuansheng's eyes widened. "I just told the prince my true thoughts so he could be prepared. Once Miss Sun has entered the family and everything has settled down, we can then get a divorce."

"You're quite thoughtful to have made preparations," Xiao Jinghan said with a smile. "Are you willing to leave your grandmother behind?"

"If Grandmother knew you were going to divorce me, she would be heartbroken."

Liu Yuansheng's face stiffened, and his expression became somewhat unnatural. "Yes, I know that this will definitely make Grandmother sad, but it's better to have a short pain than a long one."

"After the divorce, if the Crown Prince agrees, I will visit my grandmother often. In my heart, my grandmother is also my family."

"What about Yan'er? What will happen to Yan'er?"

"Yan'er?" Liu Yuansheng's heart clenched. This time, she was truly heartbroken. "I will visit Yan'er often. Also, I mentioned to the young master before that a child cannot be without a mother. It would be best to bring Yan'er's mother here as soon as possible. If Grandmother is unwilling to accept her, I can help persuade her."

Xiao Jinghan's head throbbed more and more as he listened.

"You're being kind, but I don't have the leisure to cause trouble."

Xiao Jinghan lifted his long legs onto the bed and lay down next to Liu Yuansheng as usual. "We're still husband and wife since we haven't divorced yet. It's perfectly normal for husband and wife to share a bed."

He grabbed Liu Yuansheng's arm and pulled her into his embrace. "Go to sleep. We'll talk about the divorce after Fourth Brother gets married."