But why did she leave? Leaving him in despair, too exhausted to continue living?

Jin Mo stood alone under a tree, the place where he once met Xiao Lian. Looking beyond the courtyard, his gaze distant, he wondered how Xu Yi was doing.

Xiao Lian clung to Jin Yu, unwilling to leave. Su Xi looked flustered at Jin Yu, who nodded to reassure him. Jin Yu carried Xiao Lian to the room before leaving.

Xiao Lian, surrounded by loneliness, opened his tear-filled eyes. Though he wanted things to remain as they were, he couldn’t endure the pain forever. He buried his head in the bedding, sobbing softly. Pretending not to care was truly unbearable.

#

On New Year’s Eve, snow began to fall, brightening the night sky.

Yun Mei applied a light layer of makeup and, seeing Xiao Lian, smiled, “Why are you alone here? It’s cold outside; come inside.”

Xiao Lian turned away slightly dejected. “I won’t go in.”

Yun Mei looked at the closed door, her sadness evident. Xiao Lian tugged at his clothes, “Come play in the snow with me.” When Yun Mei remained silent, his eyes grew teary, pulling her toward the snowy ground.

Snowflakes fell on their faces, cold and invigorating. When Yun Mei came to her senses, she found herself in swirling snowflakes, looking questioningly at Xiao Lian, who was pulling her.

Xiao Lian gave her a pained smile, “Let’s play in the snow together.”

Yun Mei paused, looking blankly at the snow-covered landscape, then at her clothing and delicate hands holding a hand warmer, and finally at Xiao Lian who was about to cry, reluctantly agreeing.

Jin Yu was slightly stunned, looking at his expectant eyes, saying nothing. She had originally planned to sleep here. Since they were husband and wife, he would eventually become hers.

Feeling Jin Yu’s gaze, Yun Mei lowered his head uneasily, his long eyelashes trembling, hiding the dimness in his eyes. Jin Yu sighed and embraced him. Having become more sensitive to emotional matters after getting intimate with Su Xi, she noticed that Yun Mei’s feelings towards her were no longer calm, even carrying some hatred. After Jin Mo returned, Yun Mei even hoped she could rescue him from pain, just as she had held onto Su Xi before. If she hadn’t discovered Yun Mei’s feelings towards her, she might not have left the Jin residence with a man who had no place for her in his heart.

Jin Yu softly whispered in Yun Mei’s ear, “Didn’t you notice that Xia Rong has already left the room?” This was the first time Jin Yu had spoken to Yun Mei so gently. When Xia Rong had brought in the medicine earlier, Jin Yu had instructed him to rest.

Yun Mei looked around the room in a daze, noticing Xia Rong was gone. Pondering Jin Yu’s words, his cheeks flushed, revealing shyness and a hint of sourness. “Is my wife really going to spend the night here with me?”

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Jin Yu replied gently. “If you still can’t accept it, I’m not in a hurry.”

“No,” Yun Mei shook his head, his eyes misty as he looked up at Jin Yu. “That’s not what I meant…” Although it felt strange, he was already hers, both body and heart. The last time in Shi Li Town, she had touched him intimately.

Jin Yu held Yun Mei’s soft body and kissed his cheek. His face reddened, and his heart raced with excitement. This was the first time his wife had kissed him and taken the initiative. Whispering softly, he said, “My wife, my wife…”

Jin Yu’s eyes flickered as she asked considerately, “Are you physically resistant? Then I won’t do anything else tonight.”

Yun Mei quickly shook his head, tears in his eyes. “No… I’m very happy… I want to be my wife’s…”

Jin Yu smiled, kissing him from his forehead to his cheeks and then to his red lips, gradually seducing him. She softly kissed the corner of his mouth and gazed at his body before meeting his eyes, her voice gentle, offering him one last chance: “You can still change your mind now.”

Yun Mei’s ink-like hair cascaded down, some on the pillow, some dampened against her flushed cheeks. Jin Yu’s hair mingled with her own three thousand blue-black strands.

Yun Mei was overwhelmed by joy, tears flowing as she embraced her emotions, wanting to etch this moment into her heart. The sound of her moans mixed with breathy gasps became increasingly alluring. Her body trembled under the sensation, desperately grasping Jin Yu and wrapping her legs around her, moving with their rhythmic entanglement.

Soft sounds escaped her lips as she, stunningly beautiful with her delicate figure and passionate expression, became utterly seductive. Even Jin Yu could not resist kissing her crimson lips.

Red candles warm the sweet night, the long evening filled with soul-consuming passion.

Yun Mei’s eyes flickered, then dimmed, wondering about the future. A bitter expression crossed her face as she nestled closer to Jin Yu’s embrace, gently kissing her cheek with trembling lips, “I want…”

Jin Yu flipped over, pinning her beneath her body, holding her hands down. She kissed Yun Mei deeply, reaffirming her unwavering love.

As their skin touched, their bodies merged, breaths became heavy, and soft moans escaped Yun Mei’s lips. She wrapped her slender legs around Jin Yu’s waist, hands climbing to her neck. Despite her shyness, she craved a complete union.

Jin Yu stopped, looking into Yun Mei’s misty eyes, “Who is holding you right now?”

“My wife…” Yun Mei breathed, lips parted, “Mm ah…”

Jin Yu resumed moving, each thrust deep and rhythmic. Yun Mei moaned, “Wife… mm… ah… mm… Mu Xi…”

Suddenly, Jin Yu halted, a fierce determination in her eyes, before accelerating her movements, completely possessing Yun Mei. She couldn’t lose her, not now.

From now on, he would remain by her side, obediently serving as her husband.

Moans echoed from the tent, bodies intertwining, revealing intimate moments.

When Yun Mei fell asleep, Jin Yu traced his body, noting how his inexperienced body had surrendered to her multiple times, sometimes even reciprocating.

Yun Mei’s cheeks turned red as he shyly pushed Jinyu away, lowering his head while Jinyu embraced him, wiping the tears from his face, a faint smile appearing.

Yun Mei was shy after experiencing intimacy the night before, lingering in Jinyu’s tenderness and longing for Jinyu’s arrival every night, hoping he would look at him more, which gave him comfort.

Though Yun Mei sometimes felt weak, he found solace in the thought that Jinyu might like him and was willing to touch and look at him. No matter who she was, she was now his wife, and he never imagined becoming the husband of someone of her status. His wife had promised not to involve him in any more intrigues, so there was little to worry about. Happiness filled Yun Mei’s eyes, a subtle smile appearing as he began to speak more, chatting with Xia Rong and conversing with Su Xi and Xu Yi.

When Yun Mei spoke with them, he occasionally looked distracted but never mentioned Jinyu’s identity. He felt a mix of blame, confusion, and sympathy for Su Chenbi, a noble man cruelly tortured for years.

Once, Xu Yi asked Yun Mei, “Do you like the wife?”

Yun Mei responded, stunned, “Like? Why do you ask?”

Xu Yi lowered his eyes, “The wife used to like you very much. You must not hurt her anymore…”

Yun Mei remembered that he had hurt ‘Jinyu’ before but was not Su Chenbi and would not betray her. A slightly bitter smile crossed his lips, “The wife used to like me very much, but now she likes you more. Can’t you tell?”

Meanwhile, Su Xi, with tears in her eyes, looked up at Jin Yu, “It’s snowing heavily outside, and Xiao Lian is in poor health. He’ll freeze if he’s alone…”

Jin Yu helped her sit properly, “You’re pregnant. If you’re worried, I’ll go out myself and bring him back to you.”