Chapter 381
**Chapter 379: She Doesn’t Love Me?**
Li Yuanjing couldn’t shake the feeling that there might be some truth to it!
A sense of smugness crept into his heart.
Shen Wei had concealed from him that she was the mastermind behind the wealth of the Qiang Kingdom. To Li Yuanjing, this revelation was something he could understand.
After all, the female tycoon of Qiang, “Ye Zhanggui,” had generously donated silver to the national treasury on multiple occasions, aiding the kingdom in times of natural disasters and human misfortunes. If it weren’t for Shen Wei’s behind-the-scenes support, Ye Zhanggui wouldn’t have acted so nobly.
This clearly showed that Shen Wei had been quietly helping the Qiang Kingdom all along, and by extension, helping him, her husband!
If this isn’t love, then what is it?
Li Yuanjing felt a surge of emotion.
It turned out that for many years, unbeknownst to him, Shen Wei had been silently sacrificing so much for him.
...
As night fell, after finishing all the correspondence regarding Ye Zhanggui in his study, Li Yuanjing’s heart raced with excitement.
Shen Wei had returned and was waiting for him in their chamber after her bath.
Li Yuanjing strode into their shared quarters and found Shen Wei leaning against the bed, engrossed in a storybook.
After her bath, her long, silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, slightly damp. The glossy strands, free of any adornments, highlighted her naturally beautiful features.
Li Yuanjing felt his heart flutter.
He approached her, affectionately wrapping his arms around her, and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her smooth, fair forehead, murmuring, “Weiwei.”
His voice was husky and low.
Shen Wei looked up and caught the glimmer of desire in Li Yuanjing’s eyes.
After years of sharing a bed, she was all too familiar with that intense gaze. Whenever Li Yuanjing looked at her like that, it meant a long night of passion was ahead.
Shen Wei sighed inwardly.
She set down her book, distanced herself from Li Yuanjing, and, after a moment’s thought, looked him in the eye and said earnestly, “I have something very important to discuss with you.”
Li Yuanjing’s lips curled into a slight smile.
He had already guessed what Shen Wei was about to say.
It had to be about Ye Zhanggui.
Shen Wei’s secretive business dealings were meant to support the Qiang Kingdom, so Li Yuanjing generously forgave her for her deliberate concealment. He replied warmly, “I understand your intentions. I won’t blame you; I comprehend your actions.”
Shen Wei’s eyes lit up, surprised by his understanding. She smiled brightly and asked, “You really can understand my reasoning?”
Li Yuanjing smiled gently and nodded, “Of course.”
Only then did Shen Wei let out a sigh of relief.
Clutching her book, she told Li Yuanjing, “Since you agree, I’ll move to the courtyard next door tonight.”
Li Yuanjing’s smile froze.
What?
Move to the next courtyard?
It dawned on Li Yuanjing that Shen Wei’s intentions were not aligned with his.
His brows furrowed deeply in disbelief as he asked, “What did you want to discuss with me just now?”
The palace lamps illuminated the chamber, casting a warm glow on Shen Wei’s radiant face. She answered honestly, “Now that we’ve left the palace, there’s no need to adhere to all those formalities. We’re both of a certain age; it’s better for us to sleep separately from now on.”
Li Yuanjing felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
Sleep separately?
What? Shen Wei wanted to sleep apart from him!
Shen Wei patiently explained, “With the new emperor just ascending, the court is still unstable. As parents, we should consider our children’s future. You’re over forty now; if the Empress Dowager were to become pregnant, it would be a scandal. For the greater good, we should sleep separately.”
“Besides, that contraceptive potion is truly awful. I’ve been drinking it for over a decade, and I really don’t want to anymore.”
Shen Wei had never liked sharing a bed.
After enduring for years until retirement, she naturally wanted to claim the entire bed for herself, to roll around freely and comfortably.
Moreover, she had been taking the contraceptive potion given by the renowned physician Mo, and it made her feel nauseous.
Li Yuanjing was furious, his face turning red with anger. “Absolutely not!”
What kind of couple sleeps apart?
Their relationship was strong; how could they separate?
He simply wasn’t used to sleeping alone!
Li Yuanjing stared at Shen Wei’s beautiful face, utterly baffled as to why his Weiwei would entertain such a dreadful idea.
Shen Wei tilted her head, pondering for a moment, and gently suggested, “If you really have so much energy and can’t stand sleeping alone, the concubines in the harem are free. I can bring them over to keep you company tomorrow—”
Before she could finish, Li Yuanjing’s face darkened like coal.
He was seething with anger, gripping Shen Wei’s slender arm tightly, and asked, exasperated, “Weiwei, you’ve been acting strangely lately. I can overlook many things, but sleeping apart is out of the question! It’s only natural for a husband and wife to share a bed. After all these years, how could we abandon that?”
Shen Wei looked into Li Yuanjing’s eyes and, after a moment of thought, sincerely replied, “Actually... it’s not really a perfect match. Most of the time, I feel quite uncomfortable.”
Li Yuanjing: ...
Uncomfortable?
That was a harsh truth.
Li Yuanjing had always been self-assured, used to women accommodating him, rarely considering their feelings. If it weren’t for Shen Wei’s years of dedication to fitness, she would have long been worn down by him.
Of course, in recent years, Li Yuanjing had grown increasingly affectionate towards Shen Wei, and he had been more considerate in their intimate moments. But Shen Wei truly didn’t want to share a bed with him, conveniently ignoring her feelings from the past few years.
Li Yuanjing felt as if the sky had fallen.
His mind buzzed.
In that moment, his dignity as a man felt like it was cracking!
With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced back and forth in the opulent chamber. He never imagined that Shen Wei had been enduring him all these years.
Li Yuanjing asked himself, over the past few years, he had treated Shen Wei like a precious gem, completely devoted to her, unable to tolerate any other woman, eager to present her with the best of everything in the world.
For Shen Wei’s sake, he would even willingly abdicate the throne to his son and retire with her by the lakeside.
Yet Shen Wei actually found him distasteful...
Seeing him fuming, Shen Wei felt like a bewildered spinning top. Overcome by drowsiness, she yawned and gently urged, “Don’t pace around. I’m still moving to the courtyard next door tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll bring a few of the concubines over—”
Li Yuanjing interrupted her, exasperated, “You want me to find other women? Have you been pretending to love me all these years?”
As soon as Li Yuanjing’s words fell, the chamber was engulfed in silence.
The soft glow of the palace lamps illuminated the room.
A heavy stillness hung in the air.
Li Yuanjing’s head buzzed. In the past, if he had ever doubted Shen Wei’s love for him, she would have immediately defended herself, expressing her deep feelings for him.
But this time...
His Weiwei was unusually silent.
After a long pause, Shen Wei sighed, slowly standing up, her delicate, fair hand patting Li Yuanjing’s shoulder. “Your Majesty, we’re both of a certain age now. Let’s not get tangled up in love like the young ones. Let’s just make do with life and not question too much.”
Li Yuanjing felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His voice trembled as he asked a question that had been buried in his heart for days, “Weiwei, do you not love me?”
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