Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 101

Chapter 101

The guards and maids of the Princess’s manor could all sense the heavy, oppressive atmosphere that followed Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang after they returned from Ci’en Temple.

The two no longer shared that quiet, lingering gaze from the past, an atmosphere so thick that no one else could break into it.

Now, Mu Wanyao had donned her veil once more and walked in front, with Yan Shang following closely behind, his eyes fixed on her back. His gaze was somewhat vacant. When Mu Wanyao glanced back, she saw him staring at her in a daze, his eyes filled with a certain sorrow.

The sorrowful way he looked at her felt as if a needle had sharply pricked her heart.

Mu Wanyao remained silent for a moment, forcing that emotion down.

She said, "Get in the carriage. We’re returning to the manor together."

Yan Shang replied, "There’s no need..."

Mu Wanyao snapped impatiently, "Get in the carriage when I tell you to! Why so much chatter?"

The Princess’s sudden outburst startled everyone. The guards and maids looked around helplessly, unable to understand why the Princess would flare up at Yan Er-lang for no reason.

However, Yan Shang understood.

Yan Shang looked at her. Through the gauze of her veil, he could not see her expression, but he could imagine her once again closing that door to her heart. She had sealed herself away in ice and snow once more, beginning to guard against him with thorns.

Yan Shang’s mind was in turmoil; he had too many tangled accounts he couldn't make sense of. He wanted to say something, but he felt that everything he said now would be hypocritical and overly polite. In the end, he fell silent and boarded the carriage with her.

This was the first time the two had traveled in the same carriage, yet they remained silent the entire way.

She didn't try to tease or provoke him, and he sat quietly the entire time. A small table separated them, as clearly demarcated as the Chu-Han border.

The oppressive atmosphere was unbearable. When they finally arrived at the manor gate, Mu Wanyao felt a sense of relief wash over her—she no longer had to face Yan Shang. She couldn't wait to open the carriage door, and without waiting for Yan Shang to get out first and help her, she reached for the maid’s hand outside to step down immediately.

Her sleeve was gently tugged from behind.

Yan Shang whispered, "Yaoyao..."

Mu Wanyao’s back stiffened instantly.

Yan Shang continued, "I don't mind..."

With her back to him, Mu Wanyao felt a surge of repulsion and insisted on interrupting him, "Yan Shang, I’m begging you, when can you stop being this hypocritical for once? You feel I’m in pain, you feel you must express your stance, so you express it? I can’t be bothered with how many schemes you have when facing others, but here with me, can you not be so hypocritical?

"Let go!"

The person behind her did not speak, but he also did not let go. Mu Wanyao couldn't be bothered to deal with him further; she gave her sleeve a sharp tug, pulling it free from his grasp. She left without looking back, leaving Yan Shang alone, staring blankly down at his own empty palm.

The troubles greeting Mu Wanyao were not limited to just this one issue.

Although she had promised Yan Shang she would drink less, she couldn't help but drink through the night that same evening. It took her a full day of sleep to recover. A day later, towards dusk, Mu Wanyao finally saw the letter written to her by the Jinling Li clan.

There was a letter from the head of the Li clan, and tucked inside was also a letter from her uncle, Li Zhi, the Magistrate of Nanhai County.

The two letters were essentially the same in content: they were both urging her to become engaged to Wei Shu.

The letters stated that the timing was now sufficiently mature. Mu Wanyao held great power in Chang'an, and Wei Shu currently had no major issues; it was the perfect opportunity for the two to get engaged. Even if they only married next year after the engagement, that would be fine.

The Li and Wei families were simply afraid that prolonged delays would invite trouble. They feared that Mu Wanyao’s power would become too great for them to control in the future, so they were anxious to finalize the engagement at this moment, while her power had not yet reached the point where she could cover the sky with one hand. Once the engagement was set, the two houses could interact freely. The Li family could then use Mu Wanyao’s hand and the Wei family’s help to slowly return to the political center of Chang'an.

Forced marriage, forced marriage!

Forced into marriage again!

Seeing these two letters, Mu Wanyao was furious, feeling as though she was beset by trouble from all sides.

They only knew how to force her into marriage; they only knew how to make an issue out of her marital status! Even now, when she had reached this point, in their eyes, marriage was still her greatest utility!

Mu Wanyao was so angry she let out a string of curses, throwing yet another roomful of ornaments, cups, and precious porcelain, frightening the maids of the Princess’s manor until they trembled. The Princess did not have a good temper, but ever since Yan Er-lang had entered her life, her temper had smoothed out considerably.

This was the first time in two years Mu Wanyao had been this enraged.

Mu Wanyao’s eyes were sharp; noticing Xia Rong backing away with a pale face, she slammed the table and roared, "You are forbidden from inviting Yan Shang! If any of you lets Yan Shang know a single word about what happened in my manor today, I’ll pull your tongue out!"

The Princess’s eyes were filled with malice and violence. She was no longer charming and moving, but had become cold and sharp. The people of the Princess’s manor were terrified and naturally obeyed. Xia Rong, her personal maid, was so frightened while serving the Princess that her whole body trembled. And for merely shivering a few times, she was punished by the Princess by being sent to the kitchen to wash dishes.

Alas... how she missed the days when Chunhua was around.

Mu Wanyao’s mood improved slightly after venting her anger. She had no appetite for dinner that night, so she took the letters to her sleeping chamber to study them. Just as the two maids were hesitantly bringing a fruit platter to find the Princess, they ran into Mu Wanyao coming out of the chamber.

Mu Wanyao said it was too stifling and she needed some air. The maids immediately arranged for the Princess to stroll through the manor, wondering whether they should invite the manor’s musicians to play and sing to please her. Before they could even form a plan, Mu Wanyao had already climbed to the manor’s highest three-story pavilion on her own.

The lanterns on the pavilion were lit. With a thin blanket over her legs, Mu Wanyao sat on the pavilion, habitually wrapping her arms around herself, staring blankly at the lights in the mansion across the street.

She was thinking about the alliance between the Li and Wei families.

She thought about it coldly, determined to push away this marriage.

With Yang Si having left the Crown Prince’s side, it was a time of dire need for talent. She needed to plant more of her own people and win over more court officials—how could she let it be revealed at such a time that she was going to get engaged to the Wei family? How would the Crown Prince view her then? Would the foothold she had only just secured be undermined by this incident?

And what benefits would nodding to this marriage bring her?

There were no great benefits.

It only benefited the Li and Wei families.

Once those two houses colluded, she, a princess without the ability to bear children, would easily be discarded. They might simply arrange for someone else to marry into the family; Mu Wanyao’s role in all of this would be nothing more than a bridge for the Li family to return to the court. They cherished the royal blood in her veins... but without heirs, her value would be hard to say.

Mu Wanyao thought coldly that she could not let herself walk into such a desperate trap.

Today’s Mu Wanyao was different from the one who had first returned to Chang'an. After three years of honing in the political arena, she understood far better than before what these people were truly thinking. She was very clear that she could only rise by leveraging power if she stood between the Crown Prince and the Li family. Leaning toward either side—unless one side had already secured ultimate victory—was not worth it.

This marriage alliance did not bring her enough benefit.

She would either have to refuse the marriage or haggle, demanding that the two families give up more benefits before she would consent. As long as the benefits were sufficient, she would have even greater power after marriage and would not be controlled by them. Whether she had heirs or not, neither family would be able to do anything to her.

It’s just... what about Wei Shu?

And what about Yan Shang?

Must they all be sacrificed for her own selfish desires?

Mu Wanyao hesitated slightly. Her vacant gaze focused, and she habitually found the location of the study in the residence across the street, looking toward it. This sight left her stunned. The night mist was pervasive, and she saw an indistinct figure push open the window and stand before it.

She didn't know how long he had been standing there.

Mu Wanyao stared blankly, her heart jumping to her throat.

She thought sadly: Is he looking at me? Can he see me?

Will he keep looking at me?——

Yan Shang’s heart was in chaos.

Hearing one word allowed him to see the whole picture.

His heart had been in turmoil since the moment Mu Wanyao said she could not bear children. He couldn't help but wonder why she said that; was she born unable to have children, or did it happen later? How did she know she couldn't? Was there even such a thing as being born unable to have children?

And if it happened later... what did she encounter in Wuman for this to happen?

His heart ached with numbness at the thought. He hated his own lack of imagination, and he hated that he didn't even dare to imagine it. He thought of Mu Wanyao standing in the water at Nanshan, crying out to him, "Must the beautiful only be taken by others?"...

Yan Shang hunched over, clutching his chest, wondering why he hadn't noticed at the time.

Her suffering was far deeper than he had imagined!

If her suffering was caused by Wuman... how sad and desperate she must have been when he stopped her from killing Meng Zaishi at Nanshan? She was isolated and helpless, and even he didn't trust her, thinking her reckless...

But in this human world, who is truly supposed to be calm about everything?

The ones who are calm about everything are saints, and that is neither Mu Wanyao nor Yan Shang.

Meng Zaishi... why hadn't he killed him back then?

However, Yan Shang had to force himself not to think about those things; thinking of them was useless. The more important thing now was the current problem—if Mu Wanyao couldn't have children, what would they do?

Since ancient times, filial piety has been the foundation of the world.

To have no heirs is to be unfilial, and that is a grave error.

Why were the eunuchs so despised and looked down upon by the scholars? Aside from the loss of dignity, wasn't it because they were cut off from their descendants, leaving no heirs?

Yan Shang supported his forehead, his head aching from thinking. He slowly opened a letter from Lingnan that he had received when he left this morning. He had been busy at the Ministry of Revenue all day and only now had the time to open it.

Because of the great distance, and knowing that the relationship with his father, brothers, and sisters for the rest of his life might only be maintained through letters, Yan Shang cherished every letter that came from home. He wrote home often and sent gifts; after he wasn't short on money, he frequently sent funds home, hoping this would alleviate his guilt for not being able to support his father.

Every time he received a letter from home, he would cherish it and read it over and over, soothing his homesickness.

But that night, just seeing the envelope made Yan Shang’s arms feel numb; he felt immense pressure. He couldn't catch his breath, and after being numb for a long time, he finally opened the letter.

The letter contained news about his family and their concerns for him. There was one piece of good news: his third brother was betrothed to a young lady from a wealthy family and would be married this year. Knowing Yan Shang was a government official who could not easily leave Chang'an, and that Yan Shang could not return to Lingnan, they comforted him in the letter, saying that once his third brother passed the provincial exams, perhaps he could bring his wife to Chang'an so Yan Shang could see his sister-in-law.

The letter was filled with joy.

Yan Shang was happy for his third brother, too.

It was just that his father urged him at the end, asking why he was still delaying his marriage. Could it be that even when his third brother had children and Yan Xiaozhou was married off, he still wouldn't be married?

Compared to the mere exhortations of Yan’s father in letters from the past two years, this year, with the third brother betrothed, his father was already extremely anxious and quite impatient. Because Yan Shang still wasn't married, the pressure on his father from neighbors was immense. If Yan Shang could get married, the Yan family might take the opportunity to see him.

Yan Shang was one year away from reaching the age of twenty (the "weak crown" age). To be unmarried at that age was enough to worry even his easygoing father, who rarely managed his son’s affairs.

His father asked if the young ladies of Chang'an were too difficult to please, and worryingly asked if he needed someone to act as a matchmaker for him. He urged him again: don't be too picky, just find someone suitable; don't become the joke of the Yan family. His father believed that his own "Second Son" was gentle and kind, handsome, and knew how to speak well; how could no ladies in Chang'an like him?

It must be that Yan Shang was too picky, delaying this important matter of marriage.

His father ended the letter by indulging in a fantasy about the future of having a house full of grandchildren.

Yan Shang supported his head and read the letter, until at the end, he could almost no longer bear to look. He was consumed by guilt. Not only was he unable to get married, he might also... perhaps... never have children either.

He liked Mu Wanyao, but he could not have children with her.

His heart wept blood. Yan Shang closed his eyes and slumped over the table, feeling he had lost his direction—filled with both hatred and helplessness.

For the first time, he felt hesitation, fear, and lingering doubt about this relationship.

"Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants."

In this era, the consequences of having no heirs, the consequences of being pointed at by others for a lifetime... it was too terrifying. He was not a princess of Mu Wanyao’s stature; no one would dare criticize the Princess, but they would criticize him. The entire ancestral hall would watch him, and under the weight of being "unfilial," he would be looked down upon by the world and by his own clan. Even if he could endure it, he still had to face his family’s disappointment and their sighs.

The price of paying with his life for this was simply too high.

So high that it shocked him into consciousness, making his whole body run cold, leaving him bewildered as to why it had to be this way.

What had he done wrong, what had his Yaoyao done wrong, that they had to face such a dilemma?

Yan Shang pushed open the window, trying to get some air. Unexpectedly, yet in anticipation, he saw the lantern lights in the pavilion of the mansion across the way. Under the swaying lantern, there was vaguely the dark silhouette of a young lady sitting on a rattan chair.

The young lady sitting alone in the high pavilion made him ache with longing.

And now, and now... Yan Shang just stared fixedly there, without blinking.

Vaguely, he felt moisture form in his eyes. He felt as if nailed to the spot, feeling heart-wrenching sorrow and unbearable embarrassment.

He could only watch her from afar with sorrowful eyes—

For many days afterward, Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao did not cross paths.

Living in the same alley as neighbors made not meeting much harder than wanting to meet. But the two of them seemed to have an unspoken agreement; when Yan Shang went to the government office, Mu Wanyao never left the house, and when Mu Wanyao returned in the evening, Yan Shang was still working at the office.

It was only that the lantern on the pavilion always stayed lit at night.

On a day in early April, Mu Wanyao was in the palace, keeping her father the Emperor company. The cook in her manor had brewed this spring’s "Peach Blossom Brew," and she had specifically brought it to the palace to ask the Emperor to taste it. Perhaps it was because it was spring and the weather was warmer, but the Emperor’s condition had improved and he had more spirit, so he enjoyed having Mu Wanyao come to the palace every day to talk and laugh with him.

Sitting under the begonia flowers by the window, her peach-red skirts spreading across the floor tiles, the Princess Danyang wore her hair in loose, soft buns, her eye-corners slightly reddened, her lips stained with cinnabar. Her beauty far surpassed the rich intensity of the begonia red by the window.

She was holding a small cup in her hands, smiling and introducing the brewed wine to the Emperor, when she heard the eunuch outside announce: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the Ministry of Revenue Official have requested an audience."

The Emperor saw the hand of his youngest daughter, holding the glass cup, tremble slightly, and her thick, dense eyelashes flutter.

The Ministry of Revenue Official was Yan Shang.

The Emperor watched Mu Wanyao put down the glass cup without moving a muscle, lift her snow-white face, and say to him with a smile, as if acting spoiled: "Then this daughter will take her leave first."

The Emperor smiled and stopped her: "No need to leave; we are all family here."

Who was "family"? Yan Shang?

Mu Wanyao reacted quickly: "Princesses cannot interfere in political affairs."

The Emperor’s lips curled in a deeper smile.

Even if she couldn't interfere, she had interfered quite enough. In any case, the Great Wei was very tolerant of princesses; as long as it wasn't treason, they generally turned a blind eye to the affairs of princesses, and no official came to criticize the princess for interfering in politics too much.

The Emperor only said: "It doesn't matter; they will probably only say a few words."

Since the Emperor had said so, Mu Wanyao found it difficult to retreat. However, her heart was racing; her hands were resting properly on her knees, but they were clutching her sleeves tightly. She hadn't seen Yan Shang for many days... was she about to see him?——

"This official pays his respects to Your Majesty, and to Her Highness the Princess."

The familiar, gentle voice flowed toward her like spring water, murmuring into one’s heart. Her withered heart seemed to bloom again because of that voice.

Mu Wanyao turned her head slightly to look at Yan Shang.

Their eyes met.

He, however, did not dare to look much, quickly averting his gaze. He stepped back and stood behind the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince and the Emperor were both observing Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang. Seeing the two behave this way, the Emperor and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance. The Crown Prince revealed a relieved smile, feeling that his plan might succeed.

The Emperor remained indifferent, thinking that might not be the case.

The Crown Prince had come to see the Emperor to talk about the envoys visiting various countries and the matter of opening trade routes for Great Wei. Talking back and forth, it came back to not having money, so he came to find the Emperor.

The Emperor clicked his tongue, looking at the Crown Prince: "With the affair of the powerful clans last year, the Ministry of Revenue just made a fortune—it’s been used up so quickly? That’s not necessarily the case."

The Crown Prince stiffened.

The Emperor’s hints to him ended there: "Think of a way yourself."

The Crown Prince felt the Emperor seemed to be pointing out his corruption, yet said nothing more. Unable to figure out how much the Emperor knew about the Ministry of Revenue’s affairs, he could only grit his teeth and smile: "It is this son who was abrupt; this son will find a way to fill the gap."

The Emperor was indifferent: "Mhm."

The Crown Prince was in a rush to change the subject: "The matter of Great Wei opening trade routes with various countries is the responsibility of Yan Suchen. I called him to come along so he could explain this matter in detail to Father."

The Emperor nodded—

Mu Wanyao had been listening to their discussion of state affairs from the side. She sometimes let her mind wander, thinking: Yan Shang only just arrived at the Ministry of Revenue; is the Crown Prince in such a hurry to use him?

By noon, the Emperor actually kept the Crown Prince and Yan Shang for a meal.

Mu Wanyao was surprised for a moment.

The Emperor had always been indifferent toward the Crown Prince, neither saying he was good nor saying he was bad. But after all, he was the Crown Prince, and the Emperor usually gave him face; keeping the Crown Prince here for a meal, while rare, was not strange. What was strange was, why keep Yan Shang?

What right did Yan Shang have to be kept?

Yan Shang was only a seventh-rank official, just having escaped the status of a tiny petty official. Logically, someone of his rank didn't even have the qualifications to attend the morning court, let alone an audience with the Emperor... by what right did the Emperor see him differently?

Mu Wanyao looked at Yan Shang inquisitively.

Seeing that Yan Shang’s eyes also revealed some surprise.

So he didn't know either.

Mu Wanyao composed herself, reminding herself to be vigilant—

The meal was quite proper, but when the Emperor and the Crown Prince were drinking, the two discovered Yan Shang could not drink, so they both found it interesting and asked a couple of extra questions. Yan Shang drank a bit of turbid wine with the two, but not much. And as the wine opened them up, the tense atmosphere relaxed quite a bit.

Mu Wanyao listened from the side as they chatted about boring little things, so she let her guard down and began to concentrate on her meal.

She kept her eyes lowered, using her chopsticks with incomparable elegance, never letting them touch the rims of the cups or small plates, and making not a single sound. This manner of dining was pleasing to the eye; it was worthy of the bearing of a princess.

After several cups of wine, the Crown Prince was a bit flushed. He looked at Mu Wanyao, then at Yan Shang, who was sitting properly on the other side. Yan Shang hadn't looked at Mu Wanyao even once from start to finish, which made the Crown Prince admire Yan Shang’s ability. If it were any other young man, they would have long since been unable to resist stealing a glance at such a beautiful princess.

Moreover, the Crown Prince knew that the relationship between Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao was not ordinary.

Yet, what Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao showed in front of the Emperor and the Crown Prince was as if they were not very familiar with each other.

They were truly able to fool people.

The Crown Prince chuckled and suddenly leaned in, looking at Yan Shang: "Suchen."

Yan Shang lifted his eyes.

The Crown Prince smiled at the Emperor: "Father, don't you think Suchen and Yaoyao look exceptionally well-matched?"

Mu Wanyao stiffened and lifted her face.

The Emperor’s gaze swept over them, smiling and cooperating with the Crown Prince: "They do look well-matched. Didn't I issue a marriage decree for the two of them back then? It’s a pity Yaoyao was ignorant and refused. I recall Official Yan also said he wasn't worthy of the Princess?"

Just as Yan Shang was about to speak, the Crown Prince forcefully interrupted: "Is that so? So Yan Suchen refused as well."

Half-jokingly, he pointed his finger at Mu Wanyao and said to Yan Shang with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "Suchen, take a closer look today. Where is our Yaoyao incompatible with you, and where are you unworthy of her? You are both similar in age and both possess the youthful looks of a hero; isn't this the most well-matched pair? You helped her when you were at Nanshan; do you mean to tell me you have no feelings for her? I don't believe it."

The Crown Prince said lazily: "Tell me, if Father were to issue a marriage decree for you once more, Yan Suchen, would you still refuse?"

Yan Shang’s pupils paused.

He looked at the Crown Prince, then up to the Emperor on the throne. He understood what these two meant; they were actually playing matchmaker for him and Mu Wanyao. The last marriage decree ended unhappily, and now they had taken interest again.

Yan Shang was silent.

For a moment, he actually wanted to think, why not just let it be?

He could not resist a royal decree, nor could he resist it with his life, saying again that he wasn't worthy of the Princess. The Emperor and the Crown Prince were like people pushing him; he had been lost and didn't know how to handle the relationship between himself and Mu Wanyao... this way, he didn't need to think.

Someone had arranged the marriage for him, and no matter what happened in the future, he couldn't resist anyway. He only needed to think about how to deal with the problems in the future, and didn't have to face any more multiple-choice questions.

Yan Shang’s silence brought joy to the Crown Prince’s heart, knowing that for someone as reserved as Yan Shang, this almost indicated that he agreed... Mu Wanyao, however, said coldly: "Father, Brother, have you forgotten about me again?"

The Crown Prince was startled and looked over: "What? Do you disagree again?"

Mu Wanyao was so angered by his tone of surprise that her eyes reddened. She laughed coldly and threw her chopsticks down: "Is it that I never have a say in my own marriage? You always discuss it in front of me, time and time again, arranging things for me?"

She stood up.

Not at a banquet, but with only these few people, Mu Wanyao did not hide her temper.

She looked at Yan Shang with icy eyes, word by word: "I disagree! I still disagree!"

Having said this, Mu Wanyao turned around and walked away, exiting the palace.

The palace atmosphere instantly chilled.

Yan Shang stood up and bowed to the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Just as he was about to say a few more words, he heard the Emperor say indifferently: "Alright, you go chase after her and see. Yaoyao has a big temper; she’s probably angry."

Yan Shang’s pupils shrank slightly, feeling that the Emperor’s level of tolerance toward the Princess now seemed much higher than it was at the time of the first marriage decree—

Yan Shang rushed out of the hall, but Mu Wanyao had already vanished from sight.

Just as he was about to chase after her, the voice of the Crown Prince, who had followed him out, came from behind: "Suchen, wait."

Yan Shang was burning with anxiety but still stopped, turning around to bow to the Crown Prince, who had exited the hall.

The Crown Prince said: "You must coax Yaoyao, do you understand?"

Yan Shang naturally agreed.

The Crown Prince pondered for a moment and said: "Don't take this lightly. I have already learned that the Jinling Li clan and the Luoyang Wei clan have intentions of letting Yaoyao get engaged to Wei Shu. If you don't seize the opportunity and win Yaoyao back, she might just marry Wei Shu."

Yan Shang froze.

He looked at the Crown Prince, his eyes quiet for a moment, and said: "So this is the real reason why Your Highness wanted to issue the marriage decree."

So it wasn't for Mu Wanyao's sake at all.

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, sensitively feeling that Yan Shang seemed to have become cold, but Yan Shang quickly adjusted his attitude, saying respectfully that he would do his best, and after bowing to the Crown Prince again, he hurried away—

Mu Wanyao had already driven her carriage back to the manor, and Yan Shang chased all the way into the Princess’s manor.

He knocked on the door outside her sleeping chamber with kind words, begging her to let him in. The person inside did not respond. Yan Shang gritted his teeth and whispered: "Your Highness, we must resolve this problem today! This matter cannot be dragged out any longer! How can Your Highness keep avoiding it?"

The cold, mocking laughter of the young lady inside drifted out. She said: "Come in."

Yan Shang pushed the door and entered, seeing Mu Wanyao sitting upright, her gaze cold and piercing as she aimed it at him, having been waiting for him all along.

Yan Shang closed the door, stood there for a long time, and said: "Why did Your Highness refuse the marriage just now?"

Mu Wanyao: "Heh, you, on the other hand, didn't want to refuse. You wanted to rely on others to push you, to solve the problem for you directly. That way, if this marriage is a royal decree, you’ll be helpless and won't be able to resist. The problem I gave you, you wouldn't have to solve at all; you’d only have to deal with the issues afterward."

Yan Shang looked at her and said: "What’s wrong with that? I only need to think about how to deal with my parents, how to deal with my clan, how to deal with the public’s gaze... what’s wrong with that?"

His tone also couldn't help but carry a hint of resentment.

Mu Wanyao slammed the table: "Because it isn't your own true intention at all! You were forced to walk to this step! Your original intention was to hesitate, to not have thought it through! You are just a coward, afraid to think it through in detail!"

Yan Shang’s eyes reddened, and he couldn't help but say: "Then what do you want me to do? What do you want me to do? If I swore to you on the spot that it didn't matter, you’d say I was hypocritical. Now that I agree, you say it isn't my true intention. What is a true intention? Do I not need time, do I not need to consider? Such a major matter... you want me to identify with you, to support you without hesitation... you only care about your own pleasure for a moment, you don't think about the consequences, you don't think about my difficulties?"

Mu Wanyao was furious.

She stood up abruptly, grabbed the cup in her hand, and threw it at him.

She said: "Then go think about it properly! But I’ll tell you this, whether you think it through or not is useless, because..."

Yan Shang: "Because no matter whether I can think it through or not, you will never marry me!"

The two fell silent for a moment. Mu Wanyao stared at him blankly.

Seeing his reddened eyes—he, who was supposed to be a gentle young man, had been angered into this state by her. He was forcefully controlling his emotions, but his voice was still strained because of it: "You are considering the marriage with the Wei family, considering the alliance... what I think doesn't affect you at all, right?"

Mu Wanyao lifted her chin, her face two shades paler.

She said coldly: "I ordered the Princess’s manor to seal off the news—who told you?"

Yan Shang whispered: "So you were still thinking about keeping it from me? The problem between us is not just how I think, but also how you think... are you truly unwilling to give me a name? Is your marriage only tied to profit? You would rather marry into the Wei family than consider me?"

Mu Wanyao: "I won't marry."

Just as a glimmer of joy appeared in Yan Shang’s eyes, he heard her icy voice: "But I won't marry just because the profit isn't enough to move my heart. I will handle this marriage issue properly, but this has nothing to do with you, and it is not because of you."

Yan Shang: "Why... we’ve reached this point, and you still feel profit is more important, and I am not important? I am willing to go childless for you for a lifetime, yet you aren't willing to put down your..."

Mu Wanyao: "Ridiculous! You’re willing? You’re being forced!"

Yan Shang stared at her.

Mu Wanyao saw his shattered gaze, and her heart suddenly softened, unable to bear it. She slowed her tone, somewhat regretting why she had ever told him she couldn't bear children.

Mu Wanyao said as gently as she could: "Yan Shang, why don't we both take a step back? You don't have to consider whether I can have children, and I won't marry anyone else. Let’s restore our previous relationship... being lovers, isn't that quite good?"

Yan Shang whispered: "You think being lovers is very good? That a relationship without responsibility is very good?"

Mu Wanyao: "What are you dissatisfied with? You get to eat and run without having to worry about whether you’ll get me pregnant or having to take responsibility for me. Don't all men dislike taking responsibility for women? I’ve directly helped you solve that problem, so don't you think this is good? You don't lose anything! You haven't lost a thing, and you haven't suffered any losses!"

The world went black before Yan Shang’s eyes.

He was both angry and disappointed.

He felt waves of coldness, and the whole room seemed to begin spinning before him due to the aftereffects of the wine.

He tried his best to restrain himself, but his voice couldn't help but rise: "I haven't suffered a loss? I haven't lost anything? The feelings I’ve spent on you don't count for anything? My affection, my love, these aren't sacrifices? Only material sacrifice is called sacrifice?"

"It was clearly you who came to provoke me first! And yet you treat me like this in the end! What do you want me to do? There are many things you didn't tell me from the start, and now you say them. The feelings I’ve poured out are like spilled water; what do you want me to do?!"