Thirty-Six Stratagems for Divorcing a Wife (GL) - Chapter 32
Lu Jianzhou threw Nian Yanshi onto the bed and leaned over her, her nose almost touching the tip of the brush, glaring at her.
“What are you trying to do…” Nian Yanshi didn’t expect her to be so forceful. Her hands were sore from being held, and having been pampered since childhood, she had never been treated this roughly. “Get off me…”
Hearing this, Lu Jianzhou pressed down even harder, roaring with restless anger: “Nian Yanshi, listen to me! You belong to me!”
Her words were domineering, yet they warmed Nian Yanshi’s heart, making her forget the pain in her hands. Her tone softened: “Of course I’m yours…”
“You… you’re okay?” Lu Jianzhou’s aggression immediately deflated.
In truth, Nian Yanshi had been fine all along. She sat up, moving her sore joints: “It must be the power of love… see, I really like you.”
“I’m sorry.” Lu Jianzhou said these three words for the second time to Nian Yanshi.
“What for?” Nian Yanshi asked curiously, but Lu Jianzhou’s face was hidden behind her bangs. When Nian Yanshi brushed them aside, she saw crystalline tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m sorry… for not saving you sooner… I’m useless,” Lu Jianzhou sobbed, crying harder. “I was just angry… this morning you told me you wouldn’t be cursed, you said you’d only smile at me, you promised to never leave me… but as soon as I entered the palace, you didn’t recognize me… Do you know? I was really scared, scared that you’d just ignore me… I’m not as pretty as Li Ji, I don’t know how to win you over. I’ve always been arrogant, not understanding your goodness, trampling on your feelings, thinking your love for me was a given. Only when I truly lost you did I realize the beauty I’d lost. I…”
Nian Yanshi felt a pang in her heart and patted her back gently to comfort her: “It’s okay, I understand. It won’t happen again. Lu Jianzhou, do you know? I’ve felt this kind of emotion from you countless times before. When you didn’t like me, you did all sorts of things that made me dislike you—meeting your childhood friends in secret, going to brothels with Nian Ye, insulting me publicly, bullying me despite my status as a princess, siding with your mother against me, breaking promises, flirting freely, even taking a concubine—but do you know? None of that hurt as much as when you refused to look at me. So, Lu Jianzhou, you can insult me, hate me, even harm me—but never ignore me.”
“I…” Lu Jianzhou looked up at her, words choking in her throat. “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t ever say sorry to me again,” Nian Yanshi said with a smile, kissing her forehead. She silently added, what you really want to hear is “I love you,” why don’t you understand? “But why are you so useless? Men aren’t supposed to shed tears easily. See, I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“I’m not a man to begin with!” Lu Jianzhou wiped away her tears, a faint blush appearing on her face. “And it’s not even why I was crying…”
“Then why were you crying?” Nian Yanshi asked, and Lu Jianzhou struck a heroic pose, firmly placing her hand on Nian Yanshi’s ironing board.
Nian Yanshi: “(σ‘д)σ”
Lu Jianzhou: “Even though you’re better, the medicine hasn’t fully worn off yet, right? Come on! I’ve heard the first time is painful, but I’m ready!”
It took Nian Yanshi a while to mentally untangle the twists and turns and realize what Lu Jianzhou meant: “So someone told you some sort of ‘antidote’ method?”
“Yes, don’t blame me, I’m doing it for your good. I’ve thought it through. Since we’re already married, there’s no harm in this. I may not fully understand how women… do this, but you’ll understand, come on!” Lu Jianzhou said, lying stiffly on the bed with her eyes closed. “Be gentle, I’m still scared of pain.”
“That meddling old thing…” Nian Yanshi muttered inwardly, pulling her hand away. “Who told her to get involved…”
“How can you say that about grandma…” Lu Jianzhou weakly sat up, tugging at her clothes. “So… are you coming or not?”
“So you were crying because of this?” Nian Yanshi thought. All this time, she believed Lu Jianzhou had finally realized the heartache of chasing her when she first married, but it turns out she had been crying over giving herself instead!
Lu Jianzhou fidgeted shyly: “Well… I’m still an innocent maiden. I wasn’t prepared to give something so important… naturally I was scared…”
“Lu Jianzhou, do as you please! And here I was feeling sorry for you!” Nian Yanshi, irritated again, turned away and lay down.
“Hey…” Lu Jianzhou tugged at her, but there was no reaction.
“Are you coming or not…” she tried again, still nothing.
“Not anymore? Sleeping?” Finally, she tugged once more—still motionless…
“Pfft—” As Lu Jianzhou lay down, Nian Yanshi, who had been facing away, rolled over in the dark and hugged her neck, burying her face in her neck. “Mmm, sleeping!”
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After the purse incident, Li Ji had calmed down a bit and avoided Lu Jianzhou.
As for Nian Yanshi, she looked like a cat frightened by a mouse.
Lu Jianzhou laughed: “See, not everyone can appreciate your beauty!”
She couldn’t understand why she had been so easily manipulated by Nian Yanshi—just because of her looks, she had been tricked effortlessly.
Nian Yanshi was indifferent: “As long as you appreciate my beauty, that’s enough. And you too—if anyone dares to compete for you again, I’ll make sure they suffer even more!”
Lu Jianzhou, a little scared, asked: “Did you do something to Li Ji that I don’t know about?”
“Why are you caring for that fox spirit?” Nian Yanshi mischievously patted her chest.
“Of course not! I wouldn’t let you suffer!” Lu Jianzhou said, moving her hand away.
But just then, Madam Lu and Zhen Qingqin were glaring at them.
Lu Jianzhou, lacking dignity, moved a little away from Nian Yanshi.
“Lu Jianzhou, come here.” Madam Lu called, already waiting at a large rock.
Lu Jianzhou went over, leaving Nian Yanshi and Zhen Qingqin behind.
“I’m going to Chuzhou to see Jianzhou with your father. Are you coming?” Madam Lu asked bluntly.
Lu Jianzhou glanced at Nian Yanshi, who was curiously looking over from afar, feeling guilty: “Send my regards, I won’t go…”
“You won’t go? How will your father see Jianzhou?!” Madam Lu hadn’t even asked her opinion, much less expected her to refuse. “Leave has been arranged by the palace, and Nian Yanshi will stay to look after Qingqin. Go prepare yourself; we depart tomorrow.”
“You went ahead without asking me!” Lu Jianzhou protested. “Besides, can Nian Yanshi really handle Qingqin?”
Madam Lu scolded: “Unlike your brother, you’re learning to be foolish!”
“Am I really that foolish?” Lu Jianzhou felt a bit down… shouldn’t a mother praise her child’s cleverness?
“In any case, I don’t fully trust Nian Yanshi,” Madam Lu said seriously. “If the news leaks, it could be life-threatening. This must be handled very secretly.”
Lu Jianzhou looked at Nian Yanshi from afar, who was chatting and laughing with Zhen Qingqin. Seeing Lu Jianzhou’s gaze, Nian Yanshi smiled knowingly.
Lu Jianzhou approached, vaguely saying: “I may be sent on a palace assignment tomorrow and don’t know when I’ll return. You two should look after each other until I come back.”
“What kind of assignment? Can’t family come?” Nian Yanshi asked, not wanting to be separated, fully indulging in their honeymoon haze.
“It’s nothing major, just handling a case,” Lu Jianzhou said, masking it with a smile.
“A military officer, handling a case…” Nian Yanshi’s cleverness didn’t let her miss the tiny scheme; she was about to press further.
Lu Jianzhou had no way out: “You, a young lady, asking so many questions… I’m hungry, going to eat first. Are you coming?”
Seeing Nian Yanshi hesitate, Lu Jianzhou stuffed something into her hands: “It won’t be long. Don’t miss me too much. I saw you like playing the zither, but didn’t protect your beautiful fingers. I bought you a pair of nail guards at the market yesterday—wear them always.”
While Nian Yanshi was pondering why she suddenly cared so much about her fingers, Lu Jianzhou had already slipped away.
“Clearly lying…” Zhen Qingqin couldn’t help but comment. “Always been like this, can’t hide anything.”
Nian Yanshi felt reassured and smiled: “Qingqin, you’ll be staying at the General’s residence these days?”
“Of course, but I may be out early and return late. Some friends are visiting the capital, and I’ll be showing them around,” Zhen Qingqin replied coolly.
“That’s good. I want to practice some calligraphy and painting I’ve gotten rusty at, so I may stay in my room most of the time,” Nian Yanshi said pleasantly.
Both spoke convincingly, without a hint of lying.
The next day, Lu Jianzhou grumbled about why no one came to see her off…
Little did she know, two agile and handsome figures were already quietly trailing behind her…