Chapter 182: Chapter 182: He’s Really Going to Take a Concubine.
His appearance made Cui Lingyao’s heart ache. She couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck, resting her face in the crook of his shoulder.
After a long moment of contemplation, she whispered, "If this is truly so difficult for you, then... we can put off taking this concubine for now."
’Put it off... for now...’
All his agonizing torment had finally earned him her reluctant concession.
’And it was still just *for now*!’
A chill spread through Xie Jinbai’s heart.
The cold seeped through his veins, invading every inch of his body.
It almost made him shiver.
"There’s no need!"
He tightened his grip on the woman in his arms, drawing a little warmth from her, and said flatly, "Compared to your life and death, what does a little difficulty for me matter?"
Cui Lingyao’s body tensed for a moment. She lifted her head from his shoulder, somewhat astonished. "You’ve made your decision?"
Regarding whether to take a concubine, last night he had said he would give her an answer within three days.
Not even a full day had passed.
Xie Jinbai lowered his gaze to look at the young woman in his arms.
Their eyes met. His gaze was completely devoid of emotion.
After a long moment, Xie Jinbai gave a slight nod.
"I have. You were right,"
He said, "I already have one concubine, so it’s not like I’m some paragon of chastity. This vast Prince Mansion can certainly afford to support a few more concubines. As long as you don’t mind, I have no reason to resist."
’A beautiful wife, lovely concubines, and children born of them... these were never things a man like him should have cared about. For a man of his power and status, physical fidelity was a joke. Throughout the entire imperial court, and even among all his own advisors and Household Ministers, there was hardly anyone—save for a few rare exceptions—whose household was ’clean’ with only a primary wife. Even Liu Rong had one wife and four concubines. What was there for him to find so difficult? It was just sleeping with women. It’s not as if he didn’t know how. However many she wanted him to sleep with, he would sleep with that many!’
Cui Lingyao was speechless.
She looked stunned, remaining silent for a long time.
"What is it?" A flicker of movement in Xie Jinbai’s eyes.
Her mere silence was enough to make the dead embers in his heart stir uncontrollably back to life. He lowered his head, moving closer to her, and asked in a coaxing tone, "I’m doing as you wish. Aren’t you happy?"
’Not happy...’
Cui Lingyao snapped back to her senses and forced a smile. "Of course not. I’m very happy you’ve come to see it this way."
’Absolutely overjoyed!’
Xie Jinbai squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at her beaming expression.
He was once again confronted with how foolish he was.
He leaned his head back against the carriage wall, slowly trying to soothe the wrenching pain in his chest. The corners of his eyes turned a bloodshot red.
He looked like a cornered beast, ready to devour someone at any moment.
Cui Lingyao wasn’t feeling any better herself at that moment and had no mind to consider his pain.
After a long, silent pause, Cui Lingyao said with difficulty, "As for the candidates... should I arrange them for you, or..."
"Shut up!"
Afraid that if she said another word, he would lose control and strangle the woman before him, Xie Jinbai gripped the nape of her neck, pressed her into his chest, and ground out through clenched teeth, "I’ll do it myself!"
’He would rather do it himself than have the woman he loved arrange concubines for him without a trace of resentment!’
Cui Lingyao’s vision went dark as her head was buried in his chest.
The faint scent of cedar filled her nostrils. Her mouth and nose were covered, leaving her unable to speak.
’...And she didn’t want to speak anymore, either.’
She didn’t understand. Everything was going according to her wishes, so why didn’t she feel any joy? Her sole purpose in returning to Great Yue was to make this man take concubines and have children, and that was indeed what she had been working towards all along. To complete this mission, she had hurt everyone in her path, using whatever means necessary without a second thought. Lying had become second nature, to the point where she herself didn’t know which of her words were true and which were false. Now, with the mission on the verge of completion, she should have felt relieved and happy. Why, then, did her chest ache with such a dull, heavy pain?
It hurt so much.
It hurt even more than the day she had watched Li Wanrong enter the Prince Mansion.
Inside the carriage, the two of them held each other tightly, but neither spoke a word until the carriage came to a stop.
Xie Jinbai wrapped her up securely and carried her steadily out of the carriage.
Dusk had already fallen.
Dinner had been prepared in the side hall.
Cui Lingyao had already eaten with her parents at the Marquis Mansion, but Xie Jinbai had not.
He had filled his stomach with tea while with Cui Mingrui, not eating a single grain of rice. Seeing that his wife had no intention of joining him for dinner, he went to the side hall alone.
Cui Lingyao, unsure how to face him, let out a small sigh of relief when he left. She turned and instructed Dongzhi and the others to prepare water for her bath.
’It’s about time I moved back to my own courtyard,’ she mused. ’Who ever heard of a wife who doesn’t live in her own spacious courtyard, but instead lives in her husband’s study? Even if Xie Jinbai’s study was quite large, with its own front and back yards.’
She took a fragrant, scented bath. When Cui Lingyao emerged from the washroom, she found that the man who had gone to dinner had still not returned.
Dongzhi and Xia Zhi were drying her hair with a towel. Seeing their mistress glance frequently toward the door, they smiled and said, "The Prince has gone to the front courtyard to handle official business. He said he’ll come back to accompany you as soon as he’s finished."
Cui Lingyao was silent.
There was no trace of joy or anticipation on her face.
Dongzhi and Xia Zhi exchanged a look, and both saw the worry in the other’s eyes.
They had both witnessed Xie Jinbai’s deep love and devotion over the past three years. They had assumed that once their mistress woke up, the star-crossed lovers would finally get their happy ending.
But from the looks of it... their young lady was being incredibly cold to the Prince.
They wanted to say something to persuade her, but seeing their mistress wearily rubbing her temples, they could only swallow their words.
Xia Zhi deftly made the bed, then filled a bed warmer and tucked it inside.
Cui Lingyao said, "It’s freezing outside. You don’t need to keep watch tonight. Go and rest."
"Yes!"
The door closed softly.
Cui Lingyao picked up a book of miscellany and flipped through a few pages, but she couldn’t bring herself to read a single word.
The man’s words from the carriage kept echoing in her mind...
*This vast Prince Mansion can certainly afford to support a few more concubines.*
’He was really going to take concubines.’
...
「The night grew deeper.」
Xie Jinbai returned, treading on the autumn frost. The entire courtyard was silent and cold.
Two lanterns hung under the eaves, their candlelight faint.
The servant on night duty came forward, about to bow and greet him, but he was stopped with a raised hand.
He gently pushed open the door, unfastened his heavy cloak, and walked without pause toward the inner chamber.
On the canopy bed, bathed in a warm yellow glow, was a slight, curved mound. His beloved was nestled under the covers, fast asleep.
She was sleeping on her side, her fair, tender cheeks slightly puffed out.
She looked so innocent, it made one’s heart ache.
Xie Jinbai’s heart softened, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her.
One kiss wasn’t enough.
He kissed her several more times.
He waited patiently for the chill to leave his body before lifting the covers, getting into bed, and pulling her into his arms.
"Yaoyao..."
He lightly kissed the woman in his arms and murmured, "Be a little nicer to me."
The heartbreak in his words was simply indescribable.
Half-asleep, Cui Lingyao somehow managed to catch his words.
She furrowed her brow, reached out to wrap her arms tightly around his waist, and buried her face in his chest, casually placating him, "I’ll always be good to you."
’Even in her sleep, she didn’t forget to lie to him.’
A bitter taste flooded Xie Jinbai’s throat.
He instinctively tried to suppress the bitterness and pain.
But this time, perhaps because the woman in his arms was too pliant, too harmless, he couldn’t stop himself from pressing his lips to hers, his hand tearing at the collar of her nightgown.
And slipping inside.
In her sleep, Cui Lingyao felt her breathing become difficult. She frowned and opened her eyes, only to find that her clothes had been nearly stripped from her body.
The man on top of her was burying his face in her collarbone, nibbling at her skin.
A dense trail of kisses fell lower and lower...
"What are you doing!" Annoyed, she raised a leg to kick him.
But she had barely lifted it before he caught her calf.
The man’s large palm slid up from her calf to her knee.
He gripped it and pushed her legs apart.
Xie Jinbai pushed himself between them.