Chapter 108

Chapter 108: I Pushed Him Away Immediately Gan Qiongying did not feel the expected tight embrace; instead, she sensed Lihua's body stiffen. Tilting her head, she saw his taut face and tightly pressed lips. A gust of wind blew, carrying a mix of scents into her nose. Gan Qiongying couldn't help but wrinkle her nose, realizing it was the smell clinging to her own body. A pang of guilt struck her. From the moment she saw Lihua off in the morning until just now, Gan Qiongying had been dealing with the people in the rear courtyard. She, too, found the mingled odors unpleasant and knew she must have been tainted by them after so long. She had intended to bathe and change once everything was settled, but who could have guessed the matter would drag on until evening without resolution? Having been stewing in the room for so long, she had practically been marinated in the smell and had grown accustomed to it, completely unaware of the stench she now carried. What was most infuriating was that Fan Xi had suddenly thrown herself into her arms. Gan Qiongying had been genuinely startled, and upon hearing of Lihua's return, she rushed out without a second thought, completely forgetting about her clothes. Now, Lihua was undoubtedly angry. Based on the few times he had gotten upset before, Gan Qiongying could already pinpoint the exact reason. The God of Wealth's possessiveness was quite strong. As a devout follower, Gan Qiongying was highly self-aware and immediately fawned over him to soothe his temper, almost as if she were offering three sticks of incense. "Husband," Gan Qiongying said, ignoring Lihua's stiffness as she clung to him, burying her face in his chest. Her voice carried a hint of weariness. "I'm so tired today." Lihua lowered his arms, his tone still cold. "Is that so? It seems the Princess is not idle even within the manor." The remark was clearly sarcastic, but Gan Qiongying remained unflustered. She loosened her grip slightly and looked up at his face. "You must be tired today too, husband." Lihua stood motionless, still not returning her embrace. The anger in his eyes was completely concealed, making him appear no different from usual, yet something about him felt profoundly off. It was as if even the aura he emitted was icy cold. He had been busy from morning till night, unwilling to waste a single moment, all to finish his tasks quickly and return to the Princess Manor early. Yet the person he had been thinking of all day seemed not to spare him a single thought. She had been quite busy, after all, with plenty of others to keep her company. Lihua despised himself for this more than anyone else could. He had no idea what he truly meant to Gan Qiongying. Strictly speaking, they weren't even like an ordinary married couple. Their hearts were not connected, nor had they pledged eternal love to each other. Too many things stood between them, as vast and insurmountable as mountains and seas. Yet Lihua couldn't control himself. If a person could truly control their heart, how could there be so many lovelorn souls in this world? Seeing Lihua remain silent, Gan Qiongying immediately pressed herself against him again, leaning into him as much as possible, her voice sweet and intimate. "I've been thinking of you all day, husband. Have you missed me?" Hearing this, Lihua lowered his head, meeting Gan Qiongying's clear eyes. Not a trace of tenderness or affection could be found, even if he dug three feet into the ground. In that moment, Lihua's heart nearly turned to ice. He sighed and asked, "Aren't you tired of this, Princess?" Of forcing yourself to endure, of exhausting your wits to deceive and coax—aren't you tired? After all, she had so many others. Lihua moved his lips, wanting to ask one more question: "Why exactly?" Why treat him like this? Overnight, she suddenly changed, being good to him, clinging to him, making him confused about his feelings, sinking him into a "beautiful dream," making him now anxious and uncertain, stirring his heart and mind—what was it all for? As long as she said it, as long as Lihua could do it, he would give his all. Lihua wanted to beg Gan Qiongying to stop tormenting him. But Lihua didn’t dare ask. He was afraid the answer he’d hear would make it impossible for him to even continue this "beautiful dream." Gan Qiongying released Lihua, realizing that coaxing alone wasn’t enough. She chose to be honest. Of course, only partially honest. She took several steps back, not noticing the bitterness in Lihua’s eyes as his embrace suddenly felt empty. Lihua forced himself to stay calm. He didn’t want to appear too anxious and uncertain—that would be too embarrassing. But he didn’t have time to fully compose himself, so he could only lower his head and stare at the ground. Once Gan Qiongying steadied herself, she raised her hand and pointed toward the main hall. "I sat there all day today!" Her expression was somewhat aggrieved. "I wanted to deal with all those people in the rear courtyard as soon as possible today, so they wouldn’t keep popping up one by one and annoying you." Hearing this, Lihua slowly raised his head, clenched his hands, and unconsciously reached for the wound on his fingertip again. "I met about a few dozen people," Gan Qiongying estimated. Actually, she knew the exact number, but acting more clueless made it seem like she cared less about those in the rear courtyard. At this point, her expression turned helpless, and she sighed. "They were all worse off than the last. Back then, I couldn’t think of a good solution, so I wanted to ask for your help." "My husband is smarter than me," Gan Qiongying looked at Lihua, deciding to turn the tables. "I thought you had already dealt with most of them and wanted to handle the rest, but I didn’t finish even one today." After saying this, Gan Qiongying rubbed her wrist, acting as if she were extremely tired and impatient. Gan Qiongying began recounting who she had dealt with, going into various details, speaking nonstop. Of course, she didn’t reveal everything, avoiding the parts she couldn’t tell Lihua. "Oh, right!" Gan Qiongying suddenly became angry. "I was so exhausted that I closed my eyes to rest, and I was parched and wanted tea, so I asked Manyue to pour me a cup." "But then someone somehow slipped into the hall and quietly walked up beside me. I thought it was Manyue, and I wondered, why is Manyue so fragrant today?" Gan Qiongying’s expression was animated as she continued. "When I turned around, I was so scared I jumped right out of my chair!" Gan Qiongying widened her eyes and spread her hands shoulder-width apart. "Such a huge face was right in front of me!" She immediately straightened up. "I pushed him away right then and there!" Gan Qiongying said, pressing a hand to her chest as if still shaken. "It really scared me at the time. Who knows how many pounds of powder he had on—the smell on me came from just brushing against his sleeve." As for this part, she made it up herself. If she told the truth—that someone had massaged her shoulders for a while—Lihua would definitely turn and run straight back to the Consort’s residence without looking back today. Thinking of this, Gan Qiongying almost laughed. Why did she feel like Lihua was acting like a sulky little wife, always ready to run back to her parents’ home?