Chapter 110: Repaying Her
As the sun gradually climbed higher, a grand canopy was set up nearby to provide shade.
Zhao Yiyi sat primly in her seat, holding a cup of clear tea. Her gaze was fixed on the galloping horses in the field and the leather polo ball that tumbled and soared incessantly.
As for the voices of the two brothers beside her, she treated them as if they were non-existent.
Prince Yan naturally didn’t dare to offend the Emperor. After a brief attempt to defend himself and catching a glimpse of the Emperor’s dark expression, he obediently retreated down to the field.
“Are you tired?” Looking at the cold beauty before him, Gu Zhen leaned over and asked softly.
In an instant, Zhao Yiyi’s cheeks flushed deep red. As the crimson hue continued to rise, she slowly tightened her grip on the teacup and turned to look at him with a trace of annoyance. Her cold demeanor vanished rapidly, replaced by a look that inspired pity and affection.
“What nonsense are you saying?” she complained with her head lowered, refusing to look at him.
A smile touched Gu Zhen’s eyes. He reached out, intending to smooth a stray lock of hair by her temple, but mindful of being in public, his fingertips curled back and he withdrew his hand. “If you’re still tired, go back and rest for a while.”
Hearing his deep, mellow voice, Zhao Yiyi felt even more embarrassed and annoyed, almost unable to bear it. Her pearly white teeth bit her lip as she scolded in a low voice, “Shut up!”
Despite the harsh words, her tone and expression were filled with bashfulness. There was no true malice to be found; it only made one’s heart flutter in response.
Having pushed her this far, Gu Zhen didn’t dare provoke her further. He simply sat down beside her and lowered his voice. “Alright, then I won’t ask.”
Zhao Yiyi pressed one hand on her knee, thinking indignantly: Whether he asks or not, what does it have to do with me?
That being said, Zhao Yiyi truly felt her legs were somewhat weak and sore, especially her knees, which throbbed with a faint pain. Earlier, hidden behind the bed curtains where the light was dim, she hadn’t bothered to check.
Thinking of this, her slender hand unconsciously pressed against her leg. Using the table and her sleeve as cover, she began to massage it lightly. However, she still turned her head to give Gu Zhen a fierce glare.
She thought she looked terrifyingly angry, but she didn’t realize that after the morning’s events, her eyes were still shrouded in a lingering, alluring charm. One glance from her was enough to make a man’s bones go soft.
Gu Zhen’s body stiffened. His expression darkened slightly, and his hands clenched into fists so tight the veins nearly burst, as he struggled to suppress the surge of heat within him.
The fire in his heart had never truly been extinguished. Even earlier, he had only found a modicum of release.
Because he was worried she couldn’t handle it, he hadn’t dared to use much force, let alone truly follow his own whims. How could he have possibly enjoyed himself to the fullest? Later, when he heard her sobbing and pleading for mercy until her voice was hoarse, he had been forced to stop according to her wishes.
After years of marriage, he could tell that Yiyi’s crying contained a fair amount of exaggeration, mixed with a deliberate, coquettish flattery that made his heart soften. He knew she could have handled more, but he couldn’t bear to continue.
Consequently, that fire remained banked within him, difficult to restrain.
“Do your legs hurt?” Gu Zhen asked casually, his gaze still fixed forward while he took an inconspicuous look at where her hand was hidden by her sleeve.
Zhao Yiyi pursed her lips and didn’t answer him.
Gu Zhen didn’t take offense. He simply smiled, his phoenix eyes reflecting a trace of helpless amusement. “Alright, stop rubbing them, or they’ll only feel worse later. When we get back, I’ll massage them for you.”
Zhao Yiyi slapped away the hand he reached out, still refusing to acknowledge him.
Gu Zhen turned to look at her and whispered, “If you continue being so naughty, just wait and see how I deal with you when we get back.”
He was being so stern, yet saying such embarrassing things. Even though no one nearby could see or hear them, Zhao Yiyi couldn’t help but mutter, “How can you be such a bully?”
She meant it as an accusation, but her sweet, delicate voice made it sound like she was acting spoiled.
Gu Zhen found it somewhat funny, but fearing that laughing aloud would provoke her anger, he suppressed the urge and watched the polo match with an air of indifference.
Following a gasp, a burst of intense cheering erupted. The crowd watched as one of the teams scored a goal.
“Didn’t you say she was just being reckless earlier?” Gu Zhen turned to tease her.
Zhao Yiyi lazily waved her silken fan, her long, jade-like fingers gripping the handle as she said nonchalantly, “I never said Duanduan wasn’t good at polo. It’s just that there are many people here today; I didn’t want her to stand out too much.”
Today was the day for selecting personal and honorary guards, and girls like Duanduan technically shouldn’t have been there. They were only disguised in men’s clothing to provide a bit of cover, but everyone knew who they were. It was just a matter of not speaking the truth aloud.
Watching was one thing, but actually taking the field brought the matter out into the open.
Gu Zhen gave a muffled laugh. “So she played—so what? Who would dare say anything?”
Zhao Yiyi’s hand paused for a moment before she resumed fanning herself slowly. With those words from him, there really was nothing to worry about.
On the field, Prince Yan had also changed into agile attire and was riding a red-maned horse with expert grace. As the horse trotted onto the field, it looked like it was strolling through a leisure garden. Compared to the younger boys, the difference in skill was immediate.
Gu Zhen’s expression cooled slightly, and he instinctively turned his head.
Zhao Yiyi was leaning against the back of her chair, simply watching the events below without a word. Her expression revealed neither joy nor anger.
“Why does Your Majesty keep looking at me?” she asked calmly, then suddenly smiled. “Is it because I am too beautiful?”
Gu Zhen could hardly withstand such a playful tone.
He nodded composedly and said warmly, “Indeed. Since Your Majesty is so captivating, how could I bear to look away?”
Zhao Yiyi’s face reddened. She had intended for him to back off, but she hadn’t expected him to be so shameless. She gritted her teeth and said, “I never knew Your Majesty possessed such a silver tongue.”
Gu Zhen looked at her and smiled, leaning in closer to whisper, “There is much you don’t know, Yiyi. In the future, I will let you discover it all, bit by bit.” A mischievous glint appeared in his phoenix eyes. “You know nothing of your husband’s affairs; it seems you deserve to be punished.”
“Who wants to care about you?” Zhao Yiyi glared back, then turned her head away, ignoring him entirely. Give him an inch and he takes a mile, constantly pressing forward without retreating an inch.
The warm sunlight shone down, casting a small shadow on the ground. As the light hit her profile, she radiated a soft, jade-like glow. Gu Zhen’s gaze unconsciously fixed on her, the expression in his eyes softening and filling with a tender light.
He felt regret.
Regret that from the very beginning, he had harbored prejudice against Yiyi because of the Ru’nan incident. He regretted even more the words he had once said to his subordinates—it was as if he had never truly viewed her as his wife.
Since he had married her, he really should have treated her better. Such coldness, disdain, and faint repulsion would wear down even the greatest of feelings over time.
He had also wondered: what if he hadn’t fallen in love with Yiyi? What if, even in the end, he hadn’t realized his feelings for her and had remained that way—never even reaching a state of mutual respect? What would have happened to her then?
“It’s all in the past.”
A voice as gentle as spring water came from his side.
Gu Zhen froze, turning to look at her with hesitation, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Yiyi, I…”
“It’s all in the past,” Zhao Yiyi repeated, turning her head to look at him, asking calmly, “Those are things from long ago. I have already cast them to the back of my mind. Could it be that Your Majesty is the one who cannot let go?”
Those past events, though once deeply etched in her heart and agonizingly painful, were finally over. One should look forward.
The road ahead was wide and open, seemingly shimmering with light. Given that, why must the two of them dwell on past tragedies and remain unable to forget them?
She once couldn’t let go either, once tried to carve those grievances into her heart. But from the moment she finally let go and looked back, she realized it all felt so unreal. It was shrouded in a sense of illusion, leaving her heart somewhat bewildered.
Zhao Yiyi looked at the people on the field galloping and swinging their mallets. She pointed at a youth in a green robe, the corners of her lips slowly curving upward. “Duanduan has never forgotten what happened, but she let it go long ago. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be who she is today.”
Because of her relationship with Yiyi, no matter how others advised her or how the Empress Dowager showed kindness, Duanduan refused to get close, let alone truly call the Empress Dowager “Mother.” Even when Yiyi spoke to her personally, Duanduan wouldn’t budge. However, the relationship between her and the Empress Dowager had lost its former hostility and gradually became peaceful. Simply because she had let go, she didn’t want to calculate grievances anymore and intended to live her life in peace.
“You were the one who told me to let go of the past and look forward together.” Zhao Yiyi smiled gently, her picturesque face looking even more alluring in the light. “From the moment I asked you that question, I didn’t intend to dwell on the past. Why has Your Majesty become the one who can’t let go?”
Gu Zhen’s heart trembled. He felt as if something was blocking his throat. It took a long while for him to find his voice, whispering, “Yiyi, it is I who let you down.”
Precisely because of that wrongdoing, and the guilt toward the woman he loved, he found it even harder to let go.
He had once thought that everyone who had insulted or wronged Yiyi should pay, including himself. In the end, he hadn’t escaped either, yet after torturing himself into that state, her heart had softened.
But sometimes he couldn’t tell if Yiyi had truly had a change of heart, or if… she was simply soft-hearted because of his injuries.
“Yes, I know.”
In the past, she was the one who was anxious and insecure, fearing gain and loss. Now, the relationship between them had completely reversed.
Zhao Yiyi simply gave a faint response and turned her head, asking word for word, “So, didn’t you promise to spend a lifetime making it up to me? What, have you regretted it after only a few days?”
A wave of warmth flowed into Gu Zhen’s heart, slowly circulating through his veins to his limbs. His body felt alive again. His fingertips, which had been gripping the armrest so tightly they were stiff, began to relax and tremble uncontrollably.
“I have never regretted it,” Gu Zhen said solemnly, staring into her eyes. “Yiyi, the only thing I have ever regretted in this life was regarding you. I regret that I should not have treated you that way back then.”
Zhao Yiyi’s face broke into a slow smile. “There are still decades to come. I shall wait for Your Majesty to repay me slowly.”
📖 Advance Access: Complete Novel
- Option 1: Note your email on PayPal/Ko-fi.
- Option 2: Email proof to beezzzreads@gmail.com.
- Option 3: Comment below.
Recommended Reads
