Chapter 42: She Could Let Herself Go.

Lihua’s fingers curled slightly, the words choked in his throat by agitation stuck there, neither rising nor falling, leaving him truly stifled.

Every word he had just spoken had actually been a slip of the tongue. Tonight, he should have pretended to know nothing, should not have acted like a husband catching an affair, trying to corner his “unfaithful” wife into speechlessness.

But he couldn’t control himself.

He couldn’t imagine, nor could he accept, the sight of her being gentle, indulgent, and laughing freely with those male consorts.

Would she also wear that same expression she had when clinging to him these past few days, burrowing into the arms of those male consorts?

What’s more, he kept wondering: would she, for the sake of romance, also call those male consorts “husband” or “my lord”?

Just the slightest thought of it, even without actually witnessing any secret rendezvous, merely seeing her walk toward that courtyard, felt as if his insides were being scorched by fire.

So he couldn’t help but say those things—words he was already regretting.

But he hadn’t expected Gan Qiongying to react this way.

“Manyue, go call the mansion physician…”

“Never mind, just go to the mansion physician and fetch some wound medicine for bandaging.”

Manyue, who had been standing outside the door, immediately left upon hearing the order.

Gan Qiongying held Lihua’s hand as if cradling some rare treasure, carefully peeling out a small piece of bark that had pierced his palm.

Wasn’t it a rare treasure indeed?

This was a living God of Wealth.

An essential treasure for running away from home!

She had poured all the tenderness and affection she could muster in this lifetime into this, finally managing to bring him home. Counting the time, it was almost time to start the countdown to the two hundred thousand taels due next month.

Just thinking about it made Gan Qiongying exceptionally happy.

Especially now that she knew all the hidden truths and had decided to run away with the Emperor, Lihua was the source of all her capital.

“Husband,” Gan Qiongying said, holding his hand with genuine, heartfelt concern, “if you keep hurting yourself like this, I’ll have all the trees in the entire Princess Manor chopped down tomorrow.”

She spoke with utter seriousness. This palace was built against mountains and beside water, featuring real mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and lakes—a magnificent sight.

The trees within the palace were countless. If they were all chopped down, it would be equivalent to clearing an entire mountain. Though not quite as absurd as King You of Zhou lighting beacon fires to amuse his nobles, it would still be a uniquely extravagant folly.

Lihua looked at Gan Qiongying, and she continued, “I went to burn paper offerings. Today is the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Didn’t you smell the strange scent on me?”

“I was afraid of disturbing your rest, so I went secretly in the middle of the night. I wasn’t meeting anyone in secret—I just went to a rather desolate courtyard in the manor, which happened to be near where those gentlemen live.”

Gan Qiongying, coming from the modern era, knew that communication was key in a marriage.

Although their marriage was fake, a mere facade, she couldn’t afford even the slightest discord with the God of Wealth.

So she decided to mix truth with lies, confessing whatever she could.

“You know, this Princess Manor was once a palace. The courtyard I went to today… was where the Emperor and I lived together for many years as children.”

Gan Qiongying rubbed her thumb over the back of Lihua’s hand and said, “I was thinking of Emperor Huicheng and my mother, who passed away early.”

“I’ve been having nightmares these past few days, dreaming of many things from my childhood. You know that, don’t you?”

Gan Qiongying spoke up to this point, casting a slightly reproachful glance at Lihua as she said, “I don’t want to keep having nightmares. When they were alive, I truly wasn’t filial, so burning some paper money is just to ease my conscience.”

“How could it be worth you getting up in the middle of the night to catch an affair, and even hurting your hand again?”

As soon as Gan Qiongying finished speaking, Lihua flinched as if shocked, pulling his hand back and hiding it in his sleeve.

His expression was also very unnatural, completely unsure how to handle this situation.

“If you weren’t asleep and saw me getting up in the middle of the night, suspecting I was meeting a man in secret, why didn’t you call out to me?”

Gan Qiongying chuckled, “You are my husband, the Prince Consort bestowed by imperial decree under the bright sun. Even if I truly were unfaithful, you could just catch me and bring me back, then go and deal with the adulterer.”

Gan Qiongying leaned sideways against the table, leaning closer to him and said, “Taking it out on yourself—are you trying to make me feel sorry for you…”

Her tone was full of teasing.

But Lihua had no idea how to respond. His eyes and heart were filled with complexity. He wanted to bring up her past misdeeds—even the Emperor couldn’t control her, and as a noblewoman, she had done outrageous things. He was just a lowly merchant; what could he do besides endure it?

But he pressed his lips tightly together, unwilling to bring up the past.

Her transformation, though it left him utterly bewildered and anxious, filled with unease day after day, made Lihua increasingly unable to resist.

Just then, Manyue returned carrying the mansion physician’s medicine box.

Gan Qiongying personally removed her outer robe, rolled up her sleeves, washed her hands, and tended to Lihua’s wound.

Fortunately, this time the wound wasn’t deep, but it was clear he had used considerable force. A tree branch had been jabbed into his palm, squeezing out a lot of sap, which needed careful cleaning.

She worked diligently, her hands that had never touched rough work, her delicate fingertips soaked in rose and milk, gently brushing against his palm, tickling him.

The tickling was unbearable.

But Lihua didn’t pull away.

Gan Qiongying continued to pour out sweet words without restraint, “Husband, please don’t do this again. It truly hurts to see. Whatever happens, we can discuss it as husband and wife and resolve it peacefully.”

“Anyway, I’ll listen to you,” Gan Qiongying said softly.

Compared to a few days ago, she was like a completely different person.

It was almost like a magical transformation. Something out of the ordinary must have a reason, and Lihua knew he shouldn’t indulge in this illusory, fleeting fantasy before him.

But her gentle smile, so tender and boundless, made him feel as if he had stepped into a swamp—the harder he struggled, the faster he sank.

No one could understand how much he longed for this.

To interact normally with someone like this, peacefully, able to be touched at any time.

Lihua was like a cat soothed by Gan Qiongying’s words, spreading his palm open and letting her do as she pleased.

Little did he know, Gan Qiongying had now completely thrown caution to the wind. When she first crossed over, she felt surrounded on all sides and afraid of everything.

She didn’t dare break character, didn’t dare reveal her true self.

Being good to Lihua, bringing the God of Wealth home, she still had to find excuses and pretend to be reserved.

Even making money had to be done cautiously, using a lovestruck facade to cover things up.

But now she wasn’t afraid anymore. The Emperor was on her side, and no matter what, she was now the notoriously domineering Princess.

Besides the Emperor, who else did she need to care about?

Who else?

She could let herself go.

So, these days, the dependence and vulnerability Gan Qiongying showed toward Lihua, including the fawning flattery like a little sycophant at this moment, were all genuine.

She genuinely felt sorry for Lihua.

Damn, this was a golden touch!

During her illness these past few days, she had clung to Lihua, who handled account books right by her sickbed.

She had secretly glanced at a few.

Good heavens, with just a flick of his fingers, this guy could move hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

Converted to modern times, he was the epitome of a domineering CEO!

A single gesture worth billions!

And such hands had been injured because she got up in the middle of the night to burn some paper money—she was truly sinful! Heaven would not tolerate it!

“Please don’t let it scar,” Gan Qiongying said. “Your hand was just starting to heal, and your tongue hasn’t fully recovered either. No, tomorrow I must have the Imperial Physician come again to examine you properly and get some scar-removing medicine.”

“The rainy season is about to start. Starting tomorrow, your leg needs hot herbal compresses too. I’ll watch over you…”

Listening to her fuss over him and seeing her gentle expression, Lihua couldn’t utter another word.

After bandaging the wound, Gan Qiongying washed up briefly and then led Lihua to bed.

Lihua was tall and long-legged. He and the male lead, Zhongli Zhengzhen, were twins, so his physique was naturally top-tier. Even with a mask covering his true appearance, his posture alone exuded an elegant and upright aura.

Only his left foot had a slight limp when he walked.

Gan Qiongying always matched his pace, never pulling him along awkwardly. But no matter how much they tried to hide it or how slowly they walked, there was still something different about him compared to ordinary people.

Walking behind her, Lihua bent slightly, watching the crown of her head revealed after she removed her hair ornaments. Every considerate pause in her step felt like a gentle brush of a feather against his heart.

Both of them remained silent, quickly finishing their bedtime routines and getting into bed.

It was already very late. Gan Qiongying yawned, neatly tucking her arms under the blanket, and fell asleep in a standard posture.

Of course, once she was truly asleep, her posture was beyond her control.

She now slept very naturally beside Lihua.

The bed was large, and the two of them kept to their own sides like well water not interfering with river water. Given her habit of hugging things in her sleep, Gan Qiongying felt that placing an extra blanket between them needed to be brought up as soon as possible.

But for tonight, this would do…

Lihua, as usual, turned to the inner side of the bed and lay down properly, his body also neatly positioned.

He kept his eyes open, waiting for Gan Qiongying to fall asleep.

But at this moment, he felt not the slightest bit sleepy.

He looked at his bandaged hand, his gaze lingering on the cloth for a long time without moving.

Then, for the first time, he turned over.

Facing Gan Qiongying.

His lips moved several times before he finally whispered, “Are you asleep?”

Gan Qiongying, half-asleep, murmured “Hmm?” in response, opening her eyes wearily.

But she was incredibly patient. Even in this state, she managed to give Lihua a gentle smile.

Well, who wouldn’t smile in their sleep while hugging a giant ingot of gold?

Seeing her smile, Lihua pursed his lips and said, “The matter of Little General Qu… are you really leaving it to me to handle?”

His voice was tense, pressed low. “Do you still like him?”

He asked too softly. Gan Qiongying was too drowsy and didn’t hear clearly, so she didn’t respond.

Lihua waited for a moment but received no definite answer. He took a deep breath,

held it for a while, then raised his voice and said, “If you like Little General Qu, I’ll cut off all his cunning schemes and make him accept his fate, staying obediently in the inner quarters to serve the Princess!”

Gan Qiongying was startled awake, her body twitching. Hearing Lihua’s words, she felt both amused and exasperated, her mind still hazy. She reached out, fumbling and patting somewhere without aim.

“Whatever you say, whatever you say. I don’t like them, don’t like them, don’t like them…”

“I don’t like anyone…”

Gan Qiongying stroked Lihua’s face, her eyes closed as her fingers gently scratched, as if soothing a small animal by tickling its chin. She murmured, “I only like my husband…” for his money.

She spoke nothing but the truth.

It’s often said that the state between sleep and wakefulness is most like drunkenness, and that drunken words reveal the truth—what slips out unconsciously is genuine.

Lihua listened to her words, his gaze fixed intently on her profile, emotions churning ceaselessly in his eyes.

There was none of the gentleness, propriety, timidity, or weakness that Gan Qiongying had assumed or that Lihua had previously displayed.

Instead, it was filled with a startling intensity of obsession.

A person who has spent a lifetime trudging through wind and snow, believing they must continue naked until freezing to death in the wilderness, only to suddenly encounter a fire that grows ever larger—what would they do?

At first, they would fear, doubt, and tremble.

But once they feel even a hint of warmth, they become like moths drawn to the flame. Even if it means perishing in the blaze, their flesh charred, they can no longer bear to return to the biting cold.