Chapter 102
**Chapter 102: A Brief Separation Feels Like a New Marriage**
Zhao Yang furrowed her delicate brows, thinking it was the steward of the Wang residence coming again.
She scolded playfully, “This princess still wants to enjoy the day with Wei Wei. Go back and tell my second brother to send someone to fetch me in a couple of days. With so many concubines in the Wang residence, why does he insist on taking me away?”
The deep blue curtain of the carriage swayed, and a slender hand pushed it aside.
The Yan Wang stepped down from the carriage.
Dressed in a black brocade robe, his face was as cold as ice, with a high nose and slightly pursed lips. There was a silent pressure emanating from his brows that made one instinctively feel a sense of awe.
When the Yan Wang's gaze fell upon Zhao Yang, she felt an overwhelming weight, as if a towering mountain was pressing down on her.
Zhao Yang stammered, her heart pounding like a drum, “S-second brother…”
In the past, Zhao Yang had never feared the Yan Wang; she even dared to tease and play with him. But in the last two years, the aura of “unspoken authority” around him had grown stronger. Sometimes, when she saw him, it felt as if she were gazing upon their father seated on the dragon throne.
The Yan Wang said coldly, “You claim to wash your face with tears every day, feeling gloomy? I see you’re doing just fine.”
Zhao Yang choked, unable to retort.
Just a few days ago, she had indeed been in tears and feeling downcast. But with Shen Wei’s thoughtful comfort, she had quickly recovered. Now, when she occasionally thought of Yan Yun Ting, it was only a slight pang in her heart, nothing more.
The Yan Wang’s gaze shifted, glancing at Shen Wei beside Zhao Yang.
Shen Wei wore a light green silk dress, her hair casually styled, with a few strands falling gracefully by her ears. Holding a budding lotus flower, she stood by the lakeside, fresh and elegant, soft and charming.
“Your Highness,” Shen Wei greeted him with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with affection.
The Yan Wang’s heart, which had felt empty for days, was finally filled with a sense of calm. He stepped forward and took Shen Wei’s hand.
Her hand was slightly cool and soft.
It was the touch he had longed for.
The Yan Wang led Shen Wei into the carriage, and the dark carriage of the Wang residence turned around, leaving at a leisurely pace.
Only when the carriage of the Yan Wang was no longer in sight did Zhao Yang dare to stomp her foot in frustration, instructing her servants, “Let’s head back to the princess’s residence!”
...
The carriage swayed gently.
Shen Wei sat obediently beside the Yan Wang, her beautiful eyes studying him, as if assessing him from head to toe.
After a moment, Shen Wei reached out, touching the Yan Wang’s handsome cheek, her voice filled with concern, “Your Highness, you’ve lost weight again. Did you not eat well during your days in Yunzhou? Next time, I’ll accompany you.”
The Yan Wang’s heart softened completely.
The temperature in Yunzhou fluctuated greatly, and the food did not suit his taste. He had been busy with military affairs there, working from dawn till dusk, and indeed felt exhausted.
Only Shen Wei would care whether he was tired or if his meals were appropriate.
“I’m fine,” the Yan Wang said, pulling Shen Wei into his embrace, inhaling the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers emanating from her.
The elegant scent teased the Yan Wang’s senses.
During his trip to Yunzhou, he had only brought the Tiger Guards for convenience, meaning he hadn’t indulged in meat for quite some time. At his youthful age, with the warmth of soft beauty in his arms, he was naturally stirred.
Shen Wei understood the Yan Wang’s thoughts well. She leaned in closer, loosening his outer robe, and playfully wrapped her arms around his neck...
The carriage was moving at a leisurely pace. Cai Ping walked alongside outside. Suddenly, she heard muffled sounds coming from inside the carriage.
At first, Cai Ping thought the carriage had broken down. She perked up her ears to listen closely, and her face slowly turned red.
In broad daylight, the master and the Wang were actually...
After blushing for a while, Cai Ping suddenly grew worried. The master was still pregnant, not even two months along! The physician had said that couples should not be intimate during the first three months of pregnancy.
Cai Ping felt anxious but, as a maid, she dared not interrupt the sweet moments of her masters. All she could do was clasp her hands in silent prayer, worrying all the way.
An hour later, the carriage finally returned to the Yan Wang’s residence.
As the curtain was lifted, Shen Wei trembled as she stepped down. The moment her foot touched the smooth bluestone path, her legs wobbled, nearly causing her to fall. The Yan Wang quickly grasped her hand, his voice low and husky, “Take it slow.”
Shen Wei blushed, playfully scolding the Yan Wang, “It’s all your fault.”
Her face was flushed, and her shy, enchanting gaze was reminiscent of a lotus flower glistening with raindrops.
The Yan Wang swallowed hard, his eyes darkening again, filled with a smoldering fire.
Back in the Liuli Pavilion.
The Yan Wang and Shen Wei entered the room, and the door to the bedroom closed.
A brief separation felt like a new marriage.
Though the Yan Wang was stirred with desire, he still remembered that Shen Wei was pregnant.
...
At noon, the bedroom door finally opened again, and the Yan Wang took Shen Wei to have lunch. Shen Wei’s throat was sore, her mouth swollen, her hands scraped, and her legs ached, so she could only eat some rice porridge with mountain delicacies.
The Yan Wang had the day off and wasn’t going anywhere, choosing to stay in the Liuli Pavilion with Shen Wei. He told her about the customs and culture of Yunzhou, the significant temperature differences between day and night, and the geographical advantages of Yunzhou in military terms.
If it were any other woman, she would have fallen asleep by now listening to the Yan Wang.
But Shen Wei was different; she pretended to be very interested. After a while, she would praise him with admiration and ask curious questions, opening up the Yan Wang’s heart.
After their brief separation, their reunion was filled with tenderness, as if there were endless things to say.
Time flew by, and night fell. Shen Wei forced herself to stay awake, listening to the Yan Wang talk about the customs of the border regions. As she listened, she suddenly felt a chill on her shoulder.
Her clothing slipped, revealing her smooth, fair shoulder, a subtle fragrance wafting in the air.
When she looked up again, she saw the rekindled fire in the Yan Wang’s eyes.
Shen Wei: ...
How long was this going to last?
The Yan Wang’s energy was indeed vigorous, and Shen Wei served him tirelessly until deep into the night.
Before she fell into a deep sleep, an overwhelming sense of regret surged within her. Why did she have to play these “cat and mouse” games? The Yan Wang’s emotions were in her grasp, but in the end, it was she who suffered.
...
Though the Yan Wang was lost in Shen Wei’s gentle embrace, he did not forget his duties.
The next day, he woke up refreshed and headed to court. Before leaving, he made sure to check on the vegetable garden he had personally tended. The vegetables were thriving—large, round eggplants, bright red tomatoes, and pumpkins beginning to bear fruit.
The Yan Wang was quite pleased, stepping out with a spring in his step.
Shen Wei lay in bed for a while, finally getting up with a sore back. She did some light exercises and had her meal.
Cai Ping brought over some ointment to apply to Shen Wei’s swollen lips and wrists.
“While I was away from the Liuli Pavilion, did anything happen in the Wang residence?” Shen Wei hadn’t forgotten to keep tabs on the situation at the Wang residence.
Accompanying the princess to Luoyue Lake was akin to a business trip.
Upon returning, she naturally wanted to know what had transpired in the Wang residence during her absence, to better control the situation.
“Replying to the master, I went to the Wen Temple as usual the other day to deliver money. Your brother has been diligent and hardworking, showing no signs of laziness. Furthermore, your sister Shen Qiang has been helping Madam Shen weave cloth at the Wen Temple and has even cultivated an acre of vegetable garden outside, planting vegetables and fruit trees. She’s quite industrious. I took a glance, and the vegetables in that garden are thriving,” replied Mama Rong.
Shen Wei smiled and casually asked, “How well are the vegetables growing? Even you, Mama Rong, are praising them.”
Mama Rong replied, “The vegetables are growing exceptionally well, vibrant green. The nearby fruit trees are pest-free and have adapted well to the new soil after being transplanted.”
Shen Wei pondered.
Her sister seemed quite skilled at planting.
Shen Wei vaguely remembered that Shen Qiang had married a merchant from Shu. That merchant often traveled for business, and their family had hundreds of acres of fertile land, mostly managed by Shen Qiang and her servants.
Shen Wei had opened a dessert shop, and to ensure the freshness of her ingredients, she had bought a large tract of fertile land in Nanshan to grow fruits and vegetables. She felt it was better to entrust her own land to family rather than outsiders.
She needed to find time to leave the Wang residence and visit Shen Qiang. After assessing the situation, she would consider whether to entrust her with important responsibilities.
Shen Wei then asked Cai Lian, “Is there any news from within the Wang residence?”
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