But, just as she reached out her hand, a hand suddenly extended from inside the curtain, grabbing her wrist and pulling her in abruptly. Shang Ruyi, caught off guard, tumbled into the private room.
She only had time to let out a low cry before being forcefully pushed against the wall, a hand clamping tightly around her neck, leaving her unable to move.
Yet Shang Ruyi never intended to move anyway.
She opened her eyes wide, and in her panic, met those familiar eyes, as restrained and brilliant as obsidian.
A familiar, hoarse voice sounded.
And Shang Ruyi, dumbfounded, met his gaze for a long while before finally speaking, her voice even hoarser, heavier, and carrying an unmistakable tremor: "It’s—you—"
Standing before her was none other than her husband, Yu Wenye, who was supposed to be in the palace.
At this moment, his usually stern face showed a trace of emotion, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, studying Shang Ruyi over and over, wanting to say something, but after uttering those two words, unable to say any more.
Shang Ruyi couldn’t speak any more either.
Because her gaze moved past that handsome face in front of her, looking behind him, only to see a slender figure curled up in the corner of the private room, wearing a headscarf and robe, dressed as an eunuch.
Yet Shang Ruyi recognized at first glance that it was a girl disguised as an eunuch.
The girl was about sixteen or seventeen, with icy skin and jade-like beauty, an extraordinarily beautiful woman, especially with her big, teary eyes on her fair face, tears still visible, invoking pity like pear blossoms in the rain.
But all of Shang Ruyi felt as cold as ice.
She couldn’t believe her own eyes; from the moment she reached the third floor and accidentally glimpsed a familiar figure flashing in the private room, she kept hoping she had seen wrong, but—
In the private room so quiet it almost lacked the sounds of heartbeats and breathing, a soft voice rang out.
But the one calling out this address was not Shang Ruyi, who was instantly paralyzed and thunderstruck, but that captivating beauty. She carefully stepped forward, looking at Yu Wenye’s somewhat stiff back, and said softly, "She, is your—"
Yu Wenye looked back at her, then at Shang Ruyi.
His expression was complex, and he did not answer the girl, instead intensely staring at Shang Ruyi, "Why are you here?"
For some reason, even though there was a sharp pain in her chest, Shang Ruyi almost laughed.
Maybe because the question was just too funny.
So funny that she even forgot to retort, yet she seriously replied, "I’m accompanying my uncle and aunt here for a drink—even though you’ve gone to the palace, I still have to go home to visit them."
As she spoke, she glanced at that girl again.
Then she looked back at Yu Wenye, "Sorry, for disturbing you."
Yu Wenye’s brows furrowed instantly.
Shang Ruyi reached out, tugging at the hand clasped around her neck, trying to get him to release her, but somehow, although Yu Wenye’s hand wasn’t squeezing her breathless, it still didn’t let go.
His arm, like iron pincers, tightly held her, and no matter how much Shang Ruyi tugged, it showed no sign of loosening.
She smiled again, "Do you have something else to say to me?"
Yu Wenye still looked at her with knitted brows.
For a long while, finally, that hand slowly showed signs of relaxing.