Chapter 13: Responds to Softness, Not Force

In the end, it all came down to a round of empty threats followed by sweet words to smooth things over.

Under Gan Qiongying’s urging, Lihua obediently drank his medicine and was finally allowed to leave.

But just before he stepped out the door, Gan Qiongying slightly toned down her gentleness and said to Lihua, “I won’t keep you tied down. Do whatever you want, but you must return before dark.”

Lihua’s step faltered. The brief moment of harmony that had arisen between them due to Gan Qiongying’s concern and soft words vanished with her veiled threat, like hot blood rushing back to his head.

In an instant, Lihua felt chilled from head to toe.

He pursed his lips, and the warmth in his eyes completely faded.

Throughout his life, he had never received genuine tenderness or sincere concern from family or loved ones.

He shouldn’t let himself be swayed by the faintest hint of warmth offered by a woman who, though called his “wife,” actually looked down on him, humiliated him, and only desired his appearance.

Thus, Gan Qiongying watched as the bright, star-like eyes of her “God of Wealth” grew dim and icy in an instant, pushing others a thousand miles away.

There was no trace left of the obedient, dazed man who had just been sipping medicine from a bowl in the hall.

Gan Qiongying sighed inwardly.

She was finally starting to understand.

It seemed Lihua was someone who responded to softness, not force.

Gan Qiongying thought for a moment—wasn’t that easy enough?

After being intimidated and frightened, he wouldn’t dare disobey her. The rest didn’t require force.

So, Gan Qiongying took a step forward and reached out to grab Lihua’s sleeve.

Her phoenix eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled up at him, leaning closer and whispering, “Come back early, alright? I’ll have nourishing soup and medicine prepared for you later.”

Lihua instinctively took two steps back, trying to pull away. Though his expression barely changed, the ice in his eyes visibly cracked.

But Gan Qiongying clung to his sleeve, putting on the full act of a lovestruck girl.

Reluctantly, she said, “I know you have business to attend to. I’m not trying to restrict your freedom—I just want you to come home to sleep at night. We’re husband and wife; isn’t that only natural?”

Lihua finally managed to tug his sleeve free and instinctively glanced at the maids standing nearby.

Led by Silver Moon, all the maids kept their heads bowed, staring at the floor, standing as still and disciplined as wooden stakes.

Lihua could hardly believe how many faces Princess Duanrong could wear.

Seeing his stunned, speechless expression, Gan Qiongying smiled and said in a sticky-sweet tone, “Don’t be angry with me anymore. Everything in the past was my fault. I’ll change from now on, alright? I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

As she spoke, she moved closer again. Lihua retreated, but he was a proper, jade-like gentleman with a slight leg disability. He disliked moving around in front of others, let alone walking quickly or running.

So, within a few steps, Gan Qiongying caught up to him.

They stood by the moon gate in the inner courtyard, Lihua tense all over, watching her as warily as if she were a wolf closing in on him.

Gan Qiongying leaned close and said, “Why run? You haven’t agreed yet… If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as a yes.”

She pursed her lips and smiled, saying, “Go through this moon gate. Your people are all over there. You have a weak constitution, so don’t work too hard.”

Lihua’s disadvantage was that he had bitten his tongue so badly he couldn’t even speak.

Thus, he could only move his lips slightly, then, with ears flushed red, he flicked his sleeve and stomped angrily through the moon gate.

In truth, his retreating figure carried a hint of fleeing in disarray.

To be honest, he was terrified of Princess Duanrong acting like this. He would rather she used extreme measures—at least then he could openly break with her.

Meanwhile, Gan Qiongying watched him limp away, her brows slightly furrowed.

His leg injury would need to be properly examined by the mansion physician tonight.

Lihua did indeed see his own people in the side courtyard. As soon as San Jiu saw him arrive, he hurried forward to support Lihua.

Lihua’s personal attendants swarmed around him, almost encircling him completely.

Every time Lihua left the Princess Manor, he was covered in injuries, his robes in disarray.

They gathered around him, accustomed to changing his clothes and treating his wounds. However, the maid closest to him froze mid-action when she saw the brocade robe he was wearing.

Then her eyes reddened. She glanced at the other maids nearby, and they all realized that Lihua was not wearing the clothes he had arrived in at the Princess Manor the previous night. The young girls’ lips trembled.

“Young Master…” Have you been humiliated?

Tianjiao didn’t dare to voice the question, but all the maids could sense something was off about Lihua, though none of them asked.

The girl at the forefront was named Tianjiao. She was an orphan Lihua had picked up on the road during his travels as a merchant. Only fourteen years old, with delicate features, she treated Lihua like a father.

Tears fell from her eyes in pairs, as if she were kneeling on a street corner again, selling herself to bury her mother.

Lihua, already unsettled by Princess Duanrong’s ever-changing attitude, saw the maids surrounding him, each staring at him as if mourning a great loss. At first, he thought they had been wronged in the Princess Manor.

Only when he followed Tianjiao and San Jiu’s fixed gazes on his clothes did he realize what was going on.

Lihua’s ears, which had just begun to cool, flushed red again.

He opened his mouth to explain, but unable to speak, he winced in pain from the sudden movement.

These clothes were indeed not the ones he had worn yesterday—they had been given to him by Princess Duanrong.

He hadn’t thought much of it at first, as all his energy from yesterday until now had been spent guarding against Princess Duanrong.

But now, upon careful reflection, why would she have men’s robes in her room?

Could it be… that they belonged to some gentleman who had stayed overnight in her quarters?

At this thought, Lihua felt as if thousands of ants were crawling over his skin. He immediately pushed past the crowd, strode into the room, and began tearing off his clothes.

San Jiu and Tianjiao quickly followed. Tianjiao and the other maids, understanding the situation, brought him fresh clothes.

“Young Master, don’t worry. I already sent word to the Second Young Master last night,” San Jiu said indignantly. “We’ll return to the shop tonight and never come back! At worst, we can follow the cargo ship to Jiangbei tomorrow!”

After changing his clothes, Tianjiao held the discarded garments, ready to take them away. But Lihua suddenly knocked the tray from her hands, coldly watching the clothes fall to the ground.

Of course, he had thought about leaving the Princess Manor and traveling far away on a cargo ship.

But how could he hide forever, even if he escaped for a while?

Princess Duanrong… was notorious in the streets for her ruthless methods. Could he truly believe she was someone easy to deal with just because of a few soft words and a display of girlish affection from her?

If he were to leave recklessly, what would become of his merchant guild?

His purpose in coming to Nánzhào… also left him no room for escape.

Lihua stepped over the clothes scattered on the floor and walked into the room, gesturing for San Jiu to come closer. Fortunately, although he couldn’t speak, San Jiu had been by his side for many years. They had traveled far and wide together, even venturing into bandit dens.

They had developed a simple way of communicating through gestures.

Before long, San Jiu nodded, his expression grave, and was the first to leave the Princess Manor to carry out the plan as instructed by Lihua.

Lihua also led his own people out of the Princess Manor. Contrary to his expectations, no one stopped them. In fact, the people in the Princess Manor treated them with great courtesy.

They even prepared a carriage specifically for them.

Lihua returned to his own residence and spent the entire day dealing with the backlog of affairs that had piled up.

As night fell… and no carriage arrived from the Princess Manor urging him to return, he finally felt at ease.

After washing up, he lay down on his own bed.

But for a long time, he couldn’t fall asleep.

After a while, he opened his eyes in the pitch darkness, stared at the canopy above his bed, and let out a derisive laugh.

Just as he had suspected, Duan Rong had treated him as a substitute for Zhongli Zhengzhen.

Now… naturally, she wouldn’t come looking for him anymore.