Chapter 26: I Understand, Husband, You Care for Me Deeply.

The surrounding commoners murmured and whispered, their voices filled with condemnation and criticism.

Lihua stood outside the carriage for a moment. Only when he saw the Princess Manor guard Chen Wa truly withdraw and stand beside Gan Qiongying’s carriage, glaring at him with hostility, did he finally believe that Princess Duanrong—who had always acted with arrogance and recklessness, charging ahead without regard, and had even defied the Emperor multiple times—had actually yielded so easily.

Was it all because of his single remark?

Lihua was momentarily stunned. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he led his attendants to the old man’s side, stood still, and crouched down.

“Elder, please rise quickly,” Lihua inquired softly, his voice gentle. “Can you still stand?”

Hearing this, the old man looked up. Lihua’s gesture to help him up truly startled him; how could he dare to accept such assistance? Instinctively, he shied away.

“It’s nothing, it’s really nothing serious,” the old man said, avoiding Lihua’s hand as he tried to stand on his own.

But the old man had indeed been hit quite hard. After all, he was advanced in years, and though he had always been strong and healthy, the sudden impact had left him injured. Having knelt on the ground for so long, his legs had already lost their strength.

As he tried to push himself up with one hand on the ground, he staggered and nearly fell back. At that moment, a hand suddenly rested on his arm.

“Take your time, elder,” Lihua said, mindful of his strength as he slowly helped the old man to his feet. “Are any bones injured?”

Once the old man was steady, his eyes still filled with panic, he instinctively stepped back.

Lihua did not approach further. Instead, he gestured behind him. San Jiu immediately understood and handed Lihua a money pouch.

Lihua then signaled to the maidservants nearby, who promptly went to help the old man gather the scattered firewood.

The previously chaotic intersection was soon restored to order. The onlookers who had gathered to watch the spectacle did not disperse. Some seemed to recognize the Consort’s other identity, and murmurs began to rise once more.

“I always felt he looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen him.”

“Now that you mention it, I think I have an impression too.”

“When the famine struck the outer regions, I believe it was him who set up porridge kitchens to distribute food for free and aid the victims.”

“Isn’t he the owner of the Yuanchen Merchant Guild? I once accompanied my father to a guild banquet and saw him there!”

“I heard that Princess Duanrong’s Consort was a merchant, but I never imagined it was really true…”

Lihua took out some silver pieces and handed them to the old man. “Please, you must accept this. Your grandchild’s illness is urgent.”

The old man, having collided with a noble’s carriage and nearly been arrested as a criminal, dared not accept the money. He shook his hands in refusal, stepping back repeatedly.

Lihua took a step forward, leaning slightly. “The child is still young. Any illness must be treated promptly. Please don’t delay, lest it leave lasting harm.”

He thought to himself: Don’t end up like me, with an irreparable disability.

The old man had been absolutely unwilling to accept it, but at the thought of his little grandson at home, tears welled up in his eyes instantly. He broke into sobs.

“Thank you… thank you… kind sir!” he cried, trembling hands accepting the silver before he dropped to his knees again, tears streaming down his face. Overwhelmed with emotion, he kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude. “This old man has no way to repay you…”

Seeing that the old man had accepted the money, Lihua said nothing more and turned back toward the carriage.

He hesitated for a moment beside the rear carriage before slowly making his way toward Gan Qiongying’s carriage.

He knew Gan Qiongying had been watching him, but he hadn’t expected her to be waiting for him right by the carriage.

“Come up,” Gan Qiongying said, reaching out her hand to him naturally.

Lihua stiffened once more, lifting his head to meet Gan Qiongying’s smiling eyes. The warm glow of the setting sun bathed the entire street, casting a warm golden halo over Gan Qiongying’s already delicate and charming face.

“Come on up,” Gan Qiongying urged, shaking her hand slightly. “Let’s go home together.”

Home.

She had said “home” again.

Only now did Lihua become aware of the gazes around him. His attendants, standing close by, were also watching him. After much internal struggle, he had actually wanted to take her hand the moment he heard the word “home,” but his hand hung at his side as if weighed down by a thousand pounds.

Gan Qiongying patiently waited with her hand outstretched. Seeing the faint redness on Lihua’s ears—which he himself hadn’t noticed—her eyes sparkled with even greater amusement.

Time seemed to stand still. The surrounding maidservants held their breath, but Lihua remained motionless, lowering his gaze, lost in thought.

Seeing how truly embarrassed he was, his ears flushed crimson, Gan Qiongying decided not to press him further. With a sigh, she began to lower her hand.

At that moment, Lihua suddenly moved, almost flustered as he grasped Gan Qiongying’s hand just as she was about to withdraw it.

Gan Qiongying raised an eyebrow. Lihua used her hand for support to climb into the carriage, and the maidservants collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Once inside the carriage, Lihua tried to release her hand, but Gan Qiongying held on firmly, pulling him down to sit beside her.

Because they were holding hands, they couldn’t sit facing each other and had to sit side by side.

The atmosphere inside the carriage gradually grew peculiar, as if the temperature had risen noticeably.

Lihua, unaccustomed to such closeness, attempted to pull his hand away again, but Gan Qiongying tightened her grip. Puzzled, he looked up at her.

Their eyes met, but neither spoke. Soon, they both turned their heads away, and the carriage began moving once more.

As the carriage rolled forward, Lihua tried twice more to free his hand but failed. Whether he had given up or simply conceded, he allowed Gan Qiongying to keep holding it.

Gan Qiongying loosened her grip slightly. To her surprise, Lihua didn’t seize the opportunity to pull away. Instead, he stared straight ahead, not sparing her a single glance.

They continued holding hands like this until their palms grew damp and sticky, their sweat mingling, yet neither let go.

In truth, Gan Qiongying was constantly testing Lihua’s limits. She knew about his relationship with Zhongli Zhengzhen, but she refused to believe that Lihua was willingly assisting him.

Lihua was kind, patient, and responded better to gentleness than force. Through their interactions over the past few days, Gan Qiongying had discovered that showing him kindness left him flustered and unsure—even if that kindness was based on his persistent misunderstanding that Gan Qiongying was “attracted to his looks.”

Just like now, with only a slight concession on her part today, Lihua had not only taken her hand but also allowed her to keep holding it, indulging her in taking advantage.

It was as if he had forgotten how, in the three months since their marriage—during the time before Gan Qiongying had crossed over—he had been humiliated, beaten, and berated by Princess Duanrong.

He was so gentle and respectful even to an ordinary elderly person. How could someone so good willingly help Zhongli Zhengzhen stir up chaos and attempt to incite war between two nations?

She kept her head turned, observing Lihua openly and boldly, her gaze shifting from his ears to his jawline.

What kind of material could this mask be made of to fit so perfectly? Even from this close, she couldn’t detect anything amiss.

That night, when she had accidentally seen Lihua’s true appearance, upon careful recollection, it had truly been breathtaking.

The same face, when worn by Zhongli Zhengzhen, though exquisitely handsome, was filled with a fierce and aggressive aura, sharp and imposing. Yet on Lihua, it was like a tranquil jade mountain and still waters, elegant and ethereal.

Perhaps Gan Qiongying’s gaze was too intense, for Lihua felt as if holes were being burned into him. Unable to resist, he glanced at her once more.

Gan Qiongying smiled at him and asked, “How much silver did you give that old man?”

“Just some loose change,” Lihua replied, his voice tight.

With some effort, he finally withdrew his damp hand, immediately tucking it into his sleeve.

Gan Qiongying’s hand now empty, she rubbed her palm, her tone tinged with a hint of resentment. “I just saw how gentle and soft-spoken you were with that old man…”

She leaned closer to Lihua, a playful smile on her lips as she questioned him, “We are husband and wife, bound by marriage. Are we not even as good as a stranger? Why do you always evade me and keep me at arm’s length?”

Lihua didn’t know how to respond. Though they were husband and wife, their beginning had been utterly wretched. Not only was their marriage forced upon them, but if not for Gan Qiongying’s sudden change of heart and attraction to his looks, they would have been nothing short of sworn enemies.

Yet his damp palm, unrelentingly moist, had seeped into his heart along the way. He had no desire to bring up Gan Qiongying’s past misdeeds now, but he also wanted to understand why she was treating him this way. As he wrestled with this dilemma, the carriage suddenly jolted.

In truth, the jolt was slight, but his heightened tension made him overly sensitive. Instinctively, he reached out to shield Gan Qiongying, not wanting a repeat of her earlier head bump.

But as he extended his hand, he realized Gan Qiongying was perfectly steady, not swaying in the slightest. Realizing he was overreacting, he quickly withdrew his arms, which had been poised to encircle her. Yet his ears once again burned with embarrassment.

Gan Qiongying was taken aback for a moment, but seeing Lihua retract his hand, she suddenly laughed.

With a smile, she shifted closer, almost pressing against Lihua’s side, and tentatively rested her head on his tense arm hanging at his side. Her tone teasing, she said, “I understand now—my husband cares for me deeply.”