Chapter 23: You Make Me Sick

Madam Yan considered herself a noble lady, quite capable of holding her composure.

Having experienced so many things over the years, she could always maintain an unchanged expression even in the face of disaster.

But today, she was truly angered by Yan Chiyun to the point of laughing repeatedly.

She couldn’t understand what kind of love potion that Pu girl had fed him?

Even an affair, being intimate with another man, caught in the act by him—he could tolerate this, and still declare so firmly that he would absolutely not divorce her.

No wonder he had been so successful all these years.

If he could endure even something like this, what situation could possibly shake him?

But if she said that out loud, it would sound too harsh.

Madam Yan couldn’t bring herself to say it.

After a long pause, she choked out, “You—”

Possessed by evil spirits?

Before she could finish those four words, General Yan interrupted her again, “Chiyun must have his reasons for acting this way.

Just listen to him.”

“You, as his father, don’t persuade him to mend his ways, but instead help him become a cuckold?”

How many people had seen it that day!

Even if they couldn’t afford to offend the Yan family and dared not gossip or spread rumors, everyone was waiting to see how the Yan family would handle this.

If they didn’t divorce, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

Madam Yan was truly so angry she spoke without thinking.

General Yan frowned, his expression turning unpleasant.

Her personal old maid promptly called out, “Madam,” her expression soothing her, telling her to calm down.

Madam Yan sat back down in a huff, but looking at Yan Chiyun made her even angrier.

This was her most outstanding son, who had never made a single misstep.

Lately, she didn’t know what had gotten into him.

Faced with a woman who had betrayed him, he chose to stay and forgive.

Oh, not just that—he even reflected on himself and took the blame upon himself.

That Pu girl, whether in appearance or temperament, had indeed been impeccable in the past, and Madam Yan had liked her very much.

But ever since this incident occurred, looking at her now, Madam Yan only felt she was duplicitous and utterly disgusting.

To have such a person as her daughter-in-law, to bring her in and out, to socialize with other noble families—Madam Yan couldn’t accept it.

“You go back first.

I’ll talk to your mother.”

General Yan said that investigating the case had been hard work, and since His Majesty had given him two days of rest, he should rest well.

“Your son thanks Father.”

Yan Chiyun cupped his hands in salute.

General Yan waved his hand.

Yan Chiyun withdrew from the courtyard and walked back silently along the covered corridor.

His subordinate was reporting to him about Pu Jinyu’s activities that day.

Saying she was very quiet, just like before—eating meals, reading books, not moving around much, nor talking much.

“What books did she read?”

Originally, his study was not open to anyone.

The day Pu Wange entered, someone immediately came to report to him.

He had thought about it and didn’t order anyone to stop her.

“The young mistress mostly reads some topographic maps.”

Topographic maps?

Yan Chiyun’s brow furrowed slightly. “Where does her gaze linger most?”

“The capital,” the subordinate replied, then quickly added, “The young mistress seems to be looking for some place.”

“What place?”

Yan Chiyun asked again.

“I haven’t been able to discern.”

It was just a feeling.

“Tomorrow, mark all the books she’s looked at and the places where her gaze lingered and bring them to me.”

He wanted to know what place she was curious about.

“Yes.”

Approaching the courtyard, looking at the bright and quiet room, Yan Chiyun found his heart inexplicably nervous.

Mother was right.

Most of the fault in this matter lay with Pu.

It should be her feeling guilty, her avoiding, her nervous, her not daring to face him.

How had it become the opposite?

He stood silently at the door for a moment, then Yan Chiyun walked in with a file in his hand.

His subordinate closed the door behind him.

He swept his gaze around and saw her leaning against the round table, reading a book.

Hearing the movement, she looked over, her gaze as quiet and direct as ever.

Yan Chiyun returned her gaze.

Their eyes met in the air, looking at each other for a long time.

The injury on her face had healed.

She wore her usual delicate makeup.

Even without going out to see anyone, she still applied her powders and rouges.

A goose-yellow dress made her appear, beyond her usual dignity, somehow playfully charming.

Yan Chiyun walked forward and placed the file on the table.

Pu Jinyu’s gaze fell on the file.

Confusion appeared in her eyes, but she still didn’t intend to speak, didn’t talk to him.

Yan Chiyun, his face cold and brow furrowed, pushed the file toward her.

“Take a look?”

“After you finish reading, we’ll talk for a while.”

With that, he didn’t wait for her answer.

He simply found clean clothes and walked straight toward the adjacent bathhouse.

Pu Jinyu’s gaze followed the man’s back.

Through the hazy screen, she saw him enter the bathtub.

Only then did she withdraw her gaze and look at the file beside her hand.

When Yan Chiyun emerged from his bath, he saw that the file had already been opened.

His heart settled slightly.

But when he looked at her expression and saw it still hadn’t changed, his brow furrowed again.

He walked to the round table and sat down, right across from her.

Stating the obvious, he asked, “Did you look at it?”

Pu Jinyu didn’t speak, just looked at the handsome, clean face of the man before her, watching him with his cold face and furrowed brow.

“How long are you going to stay silent?”

Was this her true nature?

Silent, indifferent, ignoring him?

All the words she had spoken before in the household were probably just necessary responses put on while wearing her virtuous mask, weren’t they?

He endured it again and again, truly unable to bear it any longer.

He directly took the file, pulled out the letter inside, and pointed at the information found during the investigation, stating bluntly that these were all the past misdeeds of her dear lover.

“In Lanling, he was already philandering, flirting left and right, dangling an official’s daughter on one side and a merchant’s only daughter on the other, all to gain benefits from them and help himself climb the ranks!”

The more he spoke, the angrier he got.

He really didn’t understand how she, such an intelligent and clever young lady from a prestigious family, could have her mind clouded by such a despicable man.

Could it be that this man was particularly good at making her happy in private?

Facts proved this was true.

After discovering her and Cheng Wenque’s affair, his people had searched both courtyards.

On Cheng Wenque’s side, they hadn’t found any clues; they must have been destroyed by that Cheng fellow.

But on her side, they found quite a few letters exchanged between the two.

That man had also given her quite a lot of rouge, powder, hairpins, and jewelry.

Upon seeing this, he had ordered his subordinates to throw it all away and burn it.

The things she used now were all new; what remained were gifts he had given her.

These past few days, she must have noticed those things were missing, but she hadn’t come to ask him for them.

Perhaps she knew she was wrong, so she didn’t dare come to ask, and didn’t mention it either.

Thinking of this, he calmed his emotions slightly, his tone no longer as severe and stern as before.

“How he deceived those women back then is how he came to deceive you now.

So you should understand why he targeted you.”

He had never analyzed the pros and cons like this for anyone, especially not when the evidence was already laid out before their eyes.

Pu Jinyu looked at the man’s anger-filled face.

Why was he telling her this?

Did he think she was so stupid she didn’t understand?

If it was to humiliate her, why get so angry?

He seemed very angry.

So many days had passed, and he still couldn’t let it go?

That didn’t seem like Yan Chiyun’s nature.

“Oh,” she finally uttered after a long while.

Yan Chiyun, “?”

She was so calm.

Learning about Cheng Wenque’s true nature, she wasn’t angry or annoyed?

“You—”

Before he could finish, the woman interrupted him impatiently, “When are we getting divorced?”

Yan Chiyun froze, looking at her face.

“What did you say?”

Pu Jinyu felt the ferocity gradually seeping from the man.

When she looked at him, she saw his face slowly darken.

But still completely unafraid, she met his gaze and repeated what she had just said, asking him when they would divorce.

Divorce?

She wanted a divorce that badly?

Why couldn’t she continue living with him?

He had already compromised to this extent, painstakingly explaining all this to her, clearly indicating he wouldn’t hold her betrayal against her.

Why did she still want a divorce?

Again, he was so angry he laughed, but still struggling to maintain his composure as he asked, “What will you do after divorcing me?

Fly away with him like two birds, have children together?”

“That’s none of your business.”

She actually threw that line at him, then turned her back, not even looking at him.

“None of my business?”

Yan Chiyun laughed bitterly, repeating her words.

Had she forgotten that he was still her husband?

He had lived with her for nearly four years, yet he couldn’t compare to a man who had been in the Yan residence for less than four months?

Looking at the woman’s delicate and dignified face, he suddenly stood up, stretched out his long arm, and directly lifted her up.

The files and letters on the table clattered to the floor, ignored by everyone.

He forced her to look at him.

“Pu Wange, what kind of spell did he cast on you that you insist on following him?”

She didn’t speak.

Her silent, unresponsive demeanor was nothing but provocation, angering him further.

The calmness, severity, and patience he had maintained for days, upon seeing her stubborn, unyielding expression, surged uncontrollably in his anger.

“Do you think he’ll still want you after you divorce me?”

He gritted his teeth.

“Your Pu family is indeed a fairly prestigious house, but compared to the Yan family, it’s far inferior.”

“Getting close to you was nothing but a way to borrow the influence of my Yan family, using you to access my connections so he could establish himself in the capital, you foolish woman!”

“If you divorce me, believe me, he will abandon you immediately!

Do you know what he said about you when I sent people to interrogate him?”

“He said you used your status as the Yan family’s matriarch to force his hand, that he had no choice but to play along with you due to your power.

He said he never had any true feelings for you, that everything he said and did was just to protect himself, to humor you!

Do you understand or not!?”

Why wasn’t she afraid?

Her own mother had nearly killed her.

If she divorced him, did she think she could go back?

What was she thinking?

“Are you finished, Lord Yan?”

Her tone remained indifferent. “If you’re finished, let me go.”

He didn’t let go.

His cold eyes gazed at her, as if trying to see through her inner thoughts.

Finally, she began to move.

She struggled, trying to break free from his restraint, but Yan Chiyun held her shoulders firmly, unwilling to release her.

Her struggling grew more and more intense, and her expression finally changed—but it was something he didn’t want to see: disgust.

She actually looked at him with disgust?

What had he done to displease her, that she would look at him with such disgust?

“If you divorce me, Cheng Wenque won’t want you, and the Pu family will absolutely have no place for you either.”

Hadn’t she seen Madam Pu’s ferocity that day?

The corner of her mouth had been split open.

If he hadn’t protected her, she might have been beaten half to death.

He kept going on and on, and Pu Jinyu only felt annoyance.

She didn’t understand why, when things had reached this point, Yan Chiyun still wouldn’t divorce her.

Why bring up Cheng Wenque’s past and ramble on with a bunch of nonsense?

Calling her foolish—who was truly foolish?

Look at him now, eyes bulging, aggressively pressing her—utterly repulsive.

Could it be that he loved her elder sister, and so was unwilling to let go?

Unfortunately, she was not her elder sister.

She was going to destroy her elder sister’s identity.

Let her elder sister, even if things didn’t work out with some outside man in the future, be unable to swap identities back with her, suffering the scorn and criticism of the capital’s people.

She had lived a life for her, lived so many years.

She wouldn’t be the fall guy anymore.

Unfortunately, the Yan family’s power was too great, practically covering the sky with one hand.

Rumors hadn’t spread through the capital, but it didn’t matter.

That day, many officials’ wives and noble ladies had seen her affair.

The Pu and Yan families had already become laughingstocks in private.

There were always people whispering and pointing.

Her power was still too small.

She couldn’t destroy the Pu and Yan families.

Perhaps it was fate.

But having come this far, fate or not, living or not, didn’t matter to her anymore.

No day has a thousand hours of sunshine, no flower blooms for a hundred days.

Would the Yan family always be so prosperous?

When the Yan family encountered trouble and difficulties in the future, there would be plenty of people pouring oil on the fire.

The world lacks many things, but it never lacks people who throw stones at someone who has fallen into a well.

She had originally thought that day she would be killed by her stepmother or Madam Yan, but she never expected to live until today.

Logically, Madam Yan couldn’t tolerate her and would certainly pressure Yan Chiyun to divorce her.

But why wouldn’t he divorce her?

She wanted a divorce.

She had to divorce him!

She didn’t want to stay in this place that devoured people without spitting out bones, dying miserably from heart failure and exhaustion.

“Let me go!”

She finally voiced her resistance.

Not only did Yan Chiyun not let go, he even pulled her into his embrace.

He lifted her chin and looked at the disgust revealed between her brows.

Then, inexplicably, he bent his head and kissed her.

He sealed her lips, stifling back those words about wanting a divorce.

He didn’t want to hear them at all.

But this time, she was not compliant at all.

She no longer indulged him, dodging his kisses, hitting and kicking him.

Yan Chiyun grabbed her wrists, held her waist, and pinned her against the round table.

Then he remembered this table was made of sandalwood, afraid it might bruise her soft waist.

So he lifted her by the waist and placed her on top of the round table, then tried to lower his head and kiss her again.

But unexpectedly, she raised her hand and slapped him.

Slap!

A clear, resounding slap.

The force behind it was not much less than what Madam Pu had used that day.

The man’s handsome face was turned to the side by the slap.

All his movements froze in that instant.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected her to suddenly strike.

But what he hadn’t expected even more was what came next: she looked at him coldly and said,

“Yan Chiyun, the way you cling on and refuse to let go is so pathetic it makes me sick!“