Chapter 26: Sister Yuan, I will be obedient; I beg for your mercy.

Cheng Yuan’s eyes widened. Her bewildered expression made it clear that she was struggling to process the question. A moment later, a flush of crimson began to climb up her cheeks.

As Xie Changzhi pressed closer, she retreated until her back hit the hard stone table. Only then did she stammer, "Changzhi, is your illness still... not better? Are you running a fever again?"

"My illness is cured. As for whether I have a fever, why doesn't Sister Yuan try and see for herself?"

Xie Changzhi leaned over slightly, bracing his hands on the stone table and trapping her within his embrace. His robes, having come undone during their earlier scuffle, now offered a glimpse of the spring scenery beneath. Cheng Yuan caught a fleeting look at his abdominal muscles and, overcome with burning shame, turned her face away stubbornly.

Xie Changzhi’s gaze fixed on her slender, flushed neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he coaxed her in a low, seductive whisper, "Sister Yuan, come, touch me. Just like that day..."

His slender, well-defined fingers reached down, guiding her cold little hand toward his face.

"Sister Yuan, I am in so much pain. Please, have pity on me."

"Sister Yuan, don't refuse me..."

Cheng Yuan struggled to turn her head back, though she dared not meet his eyes, focusing only on their clasped hands. Her reason told her she should shake him off and tell him that this was wrong! But who on earth had turned this quiet, honest man into someone so bewitchingly tempting?

In a moment of distraction, Cheng Yuan felt something cold brush against her neck. Her pupils constricted.

"Changzhi!"

At the sound of her cry, Xie Changzhi stiffened. It was as if he had suddenly snapped out of a trance; his eyes filled with panic, and he released her hand. He stepped back twice. "Sister Yuan, I... I think I was possessed by some madness. I didn't mean it."

The flustered youth hung his head, not daring to look at her. Cheng Yuan gasped for air, her heart still pounding wildly.

"You..." The lecture died on her lips.

Xie Changzhi sank to his knees, his moist eyes looking up at her. He reached out a pale, slender hand as if begging, clutching the hem of her garment like a drowning man clinging to driftwood. "Sister Yuan, I know I was wrong. Please, don't send me away."

Cheng Yuan looked at Xie Changzhi, who resembled a puppy afraid of being abandoned by its master, and felt a complex mix of emotions. Forcing herself to look away until she grew calm, she finally spoke: "Get up first, then we’ll talk."

"I won't. If Sister Yuan refuses to forgive me, I will stay kneeling here."

Xie Changzhi was throwing a tantrum for the first time. He pursed his lips, his head bowed like the withered plum blossoms in the courtyard.

"Wait a moment," she said. "You aren't younger than me, so why do you insist on calling me 'Sister Yuan'?"

"If Huang Xuqiu can call you that, why can't I? Besides, I am the husband you personally chose." Xie Changzhi spoke in a muffled, stubborn, and aggrieved tone.

Cheng Yuan felt a headache coming on. How did Huang Xuqiu get dragged into this again? Even earlier, just mentioning his name made Xie Changzhi act out of character.

"What does he have to do with this? I just find it strange. If you want to call me that, go ahead." It didn't cost her anything.

Xie Changzhi’s dark eyes brightened for a moment before he quickly veiled them.

She tugged at his arm. "Get up. You’re already suffering from a cold, and you're kneeling on the snow. Are you trying to waste our money on medicine?"

"Then, Sister Yuan, have you forgiven me?"

"Yes, yes, I forgive you." Cheng Yuan cast a vigilant glance around, relieved that no one had seen this embarrassing scene.

Xie Changzhi took her hand and slowly stood up. Even after letting go, a trace of joy lingered in his eyes.

"However, I think there is one thing I must make clear to you," she said, sitting down on the stone stool.

Seeing her calm expression, Xie Changzhi felt a sudden, ominous foreboding.

"Sister Yuan, it's late, and I'm a bit tired. Could we perhaps discuss this tomorrow..."

"No, now. Changzhi, I believe you know that I married you into my family so that there would be a man in the house to silence the gossip. In other words, this position of husband—if it weren't you, it could have been anyone. As long as he was sufficiently obedient."

The color drained from Xie Changzhi's face in an instant. His lips trembled, and it took him a long time to find his voice.

"I... I know." He lowered his head again.

He had known from the very beginning that this was a transaction of mutual need. But he didn't know when he had begun to crave her affection so desperately—even if it were only a little.

Cheng Yuan saw his visibly wounded expression and felt a pang of pity, but she quickly hardened her heart. "Changzhi, you are a good man. I believe our partnership will be very pleasant."

After saying this, she turned her head, narrowly missing the burning gaze Xie Changzhi fixed upon her. A night breeze blew past, bringing a chill with it. Xie Changzhi felt the warmth in his heart fading away with the wind.

After a long silence, he spoke slowly, "I understand, Sister Yuan. From now on, I will continue to fulfill my duties."

Cheng Yuan’s eyelashes fluttered, and an indescribable emotion welled up within her.

"However, I have one request."

"What is it?" Cheng Yuan instinctively looked back at him. Their eyes met in the night air.

"I will be obedient enough. I only wish to be your one and only husband."

—

When Cheng Zhi opened her eyes, her mind took a moment to clear, but the person beside her instantly grasped her hand.

"Mother! You're finally awake!"

Cheng Yuan’s eyes, red-rimmed from exhaustion, erupted with immense joy, tears glistening at the corners. The bewilderment on Cheng Zhi's face lasted only a second before she, too, began to weep.

"Yuan'er! It was Mother's fault; I shouldn't have accepted those hawthorn berries. I’ll listen to you—when we return, we will cut all ties with Grandma and the others. We will never have anything to do with them again."

Cheng Yuan hugged her tightly. As cool tears slid down her face, she could hear the relief and regret in Cheng Zhi’s voice. She held her mother even closer. "Mother, I was wrong too; I shouldn't have been so willful..."

Xie Changzhi and Huang Xuqiu stood on either side of the doorway, both silently refusing to enter, merely glaring at each other.

"Oh, what a touching scene. Am I intruding?" A delicate, charming voice rang out from the doorway.

"You must be the cousin from the Zhu manor?" Huang Xuqiu’s voice sounded with vigilance.

Following that was Xie Changzhi’s low, guarded tone: "What do you want?"

Cheng Yuan looked over to see that he had already pulled out a stun baton. The two men stood cautiously before the woman who had her eyes covered.

"Audacious! How dare you speak to our young lady like that in the Zhu manor! My lady has come to visit in person, and you dare block her at the door!" A small maid standing behind her spoke with arrogance.

The cousin smiled gently. "Lan'er, don't be rude."

She turned her attention forward. "I have come today only for the young lady inside. Have you finished speaking with your mother?"