Cheng Yunshuo, after saying those words, left with the waterlogged Qiu Ling in his arms. Xing Dai Rong stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with disbelief as she watched Cheng Yunshuo walk away, cold and emotionless. Anger coursed through her, making her tremble. How could he do this to her? He had promised to love her forever!
That night, Cheng Yunshuo didn’t return to the Leisure Pavilion. He stayed in Concubine Qiu’s Qiuxiang Courtyard. Xing Dai Rong spent the entire night wreaking havoc in the Leisure Pavilion, smashing things and crying hysterically.
Lu Lingyun heard about it the next day.
“Young Madam, last night, the Young Master stayed in Concubine Qiu’s place, but she used all her tricks and he only slept in a separate room from her,” Chunxing reported back to Lu Lingyun.
“Why?” Chunhe questioned, “Shouldn’t the Young Master have broken things off with her?”
Lu Lingyun rocked gently in her armchair in the courtyard, smiling faintly, “How can there be a real break? They’re just testing each other.”
“Testing each other?”
“Testing who will give in,” Lu Lingyun smiled. In a relationship between a man and a woman, if they don’t have a common enemy to fight against, the remaining time is spent in a daily battle between husband and wife. It’s either the east wind overpowering the west wind or the west wind overpowering the east wind.
Previously, Cheng Yunshuo had indulged Xing Dai Rong in everything. He loved her so much that he allowed her to break rules and etiquette, far exceeding her love for him. It was Xing Dai Rong who had held the upper hand. But now, they’d encountered a serious test of their limits, and Cheng Yunshuo was unwilling to give in any further. He wanted Xing Dai Rong to make the concession.
Last night, he had stayed in Concubine Qiu’s quarters, but refused to sleep with her, which spoke volumes.
And Xing Dai Rong, from the few interactions Lu Lingyun had with her, had a palpable arrogance. Lu Lingyun couldn’t understand where it came from, but her words and her eyes carried a disdain and contempt for everyone. She looked down on everyone, including Cheng Yunshuo.
This was why she constantly pushed Cheng Yunshuo to make concessions, to accommodate her every whim. They were locked in a standoff, each waiting for the other to yield.
“Young Madam, who do you think will give in?”
“That’s obvious, it’s definitely her,” Chunhe scoffed, “Last night, she spent the whole night smashing things in the Leisure Pavilion and then went to sleep. If it were her usual self, she would have barged in and created a scene.”
Lu Lingyun chuckled softly, “No, it’ll be Cheng Yunshuo.”
“Why?” Everyone asked in unison.
Why? Because Cheng Yunshuo still loved her deeply. It’s always the person who loves more who makes concessions. But there’s no such thing as eternal concessions. When you ask someone to keep giving in, to keep retreating, eventually the feelings will fade.
Lu Lingyun remained silent, a faint smile on her lips. Soon, Xiao Wei rushed in to report, “Young Madam, the Young Master has returned to the Leisure Pavilion.”
Everyone turned to look at Lu Lingyun. They all felt a sense of awe for her. Their Young Madam truly seemed to have everything under control, effortlessly predicting the future.
Lu Lingyun just smiled faintly at their gazes. She wasn’t that clever, just experienced. She had lived a lifetime longer than them.
“Send Concubine Qiu a piece of silk and some ginger tea with red sugar. She fell into the water yesterday, she must be quite uncomfortable,” Lu Lingyun instructed calmly.
“Yes,” Chunxing acknowledged, leaving to deliver the gifts to Qiuxiang Courtyard.
Qiu Ling sat in the courtyard, cursing under her breath.
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter