Chapter 63 Bluffing

A few more days passed. Seeing Song Xirui drinking bowl after bowl of such medicine, Su Yun finally could not help asking, "My wife, where did you get this prescription?"

Even if their family owned mountains of gold and silver, they could not afford to sustain her constant drinking of this medicine!

Hearing this, Song Xirui blinked and blurted out, "From Yunsheng Hall. Why does my husband ask?"

A faint, ambiguous smile hung on the corners of her lips.

Over the past few days, Su Yun's brows would furrow every time he saw her taking her medicine, especially recalling what Hongdou had previously mentioned about the medicinal powder costing eight hundred taels per liang.

How could she not understand the thoughts of her usually frugal husband?

Most likely, he felt she was spending too much money!

Upon hearing the words "Yunsheng Hall," Su Yun's mouth twitched slightly, and he forced out, "Nothing much. It's just that the saying goes, every medicine has three parts poison. If it is merely qi deficiency and a weak constitution, it is still better to nourish oneself with food and cut down on medicine, lest your health be ruined instead."

The medicine from Yunsheng Hall was notoriously expensive; how could Song Xirui bear to pour it down her throat?

She was truly a spendthrift to the bone!

Song Xirui nodded, however, and said, "What my husband says is true, but once I stop this medicine, your concubine lacks the strength to do anything. Please just let me finish these dozen or more doses."

With this attitude, even if Su Yun wanted to say a few more words, he had no choice but to swallow his surging anger back down into his stomach.

In private, Song Xirui instructed Hongdou, "Make some noise in the courtyard and spread the word that my health is failing, that I can only sustain myself with medicinal decoctions every day, but that I still devote myself wholeheartedly to caring for my husband."

"Madam!" Hongdou grew anxious, hurriedly grabbing her hands to inspect them. Seeing that her ten fingertips had a rosy, healthy color, she finally relaxed and said, "Madam, you must not curse yourself like that!"

Song Xirui smiled and nodded. "Don't be afraid; it's just for show anyway. Just use what you learned from Old Woman Wang to paint me as pitiful as possible, understand?"

Hongdou nodded and immediately set out to carry it out.

A few days later, Su Yun overheard the servants whispering among themselves.

"Have you heard? Madam's health isn't doing well."

"Ah... How can that be? Doesn't the young master spend all day in Madam's chambers?"

"Hush, keep your voice down! I heard that before, it was because the young master only favored Miss Yun and neglected Madam, which caused Madam to fall ill. Now that the young master has lost Miss Yun and returned to Madam, it's not for any other reason than wanting Madam to take care of him! It's such a pity that Madam's constitution was already weak; with this added burden, she's in an even worse state."

"Sigh, Madam is clearly a young lady from a distinguished family, yet she has driven herself to this point for the young master's sake. To speak of it is truly pitiful."

The two of them chatted for a moment, but turning around, they caught sight of Su Yun standing behind them with a gloomy expression. Both of them were frightened into trembling. "Young master! We..."

To their surprise, Su Yun merely waved his hand and said with a calm expression, "Just attend to your duties properly and do not spread such idle gossip, understood?"

The two of them nodded like pounding garlic and hurriedly scurried away.

Su Yun walked toward Song Xirui's courtyard, his mood somewhat complicated along the way.

He did not dislike Song Xirui—it was neither because he disliked her flower-like face nor because he disliked her gentleness and attentiveness toward him.

On the contrary, Song Xirui was simply too good, good to a fault.

It was human nature: the better Song Xirui treated him, the more he loathed it.

He loathed how those good intentions weighed down upon him like a massive mountain, preventing him from lifting his head!

Be it his colleagues or the Emperor, which of them had befriended him because of his status as the top scholar?

It was entirely because of Song Xirui.

Because Song Xirui had a powerful father!

Yet Su Yun was a man of such immense pride; how could he endure others calling him a sycophant who climbed up through matrimonial connections?

What made it hateful was that Song Xirui knew this full well, yet she still returned to her maternal home time and again, repeatedly humiliating him!

And yet, in all fairness, Song Xirui truly treated him very well.

Most importantly, she could wash away the bad luck shadowing him!

Su Yun knew that his destiny was born with an ominous aura. This was not something claimed by Song Xirui alone; every eminent monk or Daoist priest who had ever crossed his path would shake their heads and sigh the moment they read his fortune!

At least until his fortunes changed, he could not afford to lose Song Xirui's assistance.

He had to keep her firmly within his grasp.

Only by doing so could he rise rapidly to power and one day stand openly by Yun'er's side.

Since he wanted to patch things up with Song Xirui, he naturally had to make some gesture.

Su Yun reined in his thoughts.

The hairpin meant for Luo Yun'er would be given to Song Xirui for now.

He stepped inside the Crabapple Courtyard.

Song Xirui, who had been reading vernacular storybooks alongside Hongdou, put the books away with an expression of intense disgust, instantly donning the facade of a virtuous wife once again. Looking at the entering Su Yun, she smiled and asked, "How is it that my husband has returned so early today?"

Su Yun remained silent, his brows furrowing once more at the sight of the medicine bowl on the table.

"Oh! I forgot to tell Hongdou to clear it away," Song Xirui feigned surprise. "I end up annoying my husband yet again."

She had deliberately left the medicine bowl there precisely to make Su Yun uncomfortable.

Unexpectedly, rather than flying into a rage, Su Yun sat down before Song Xirui and spoke in a deliberately subdued voice, "My wife, you have truly been wronged these past few days."

Song Xirui blinked in momentary surprise before breaking into a smile. "For my husband to say such things is to overpraise your concubine too much. As long as I can help my husband even in the slightest, it is my greatest honor."

It seemed Hongdou's scheme had worked.

The servants throughout the courtyard already knew that their virtuous eldest mistress had worn down her health by toiling for a heartless man.

Seeing this, Su Yun felt even more moved. "My wife, I have given it thought. From now on, I will surely treat you well and never cause you anger again."

He was naturally scholarly in appearance, and when he spoke in such a manner, it was easy for a woman to find it comforting.

Song Xirui put on a deeply touched expression. "Very well, that is what your concubine wishes as well."

Right after that, Su Yun drew a hairpin from his breast pocket.

It was smooth and lustrous throughout, clearly crafted from superior materials.

Song Xirui feigned curiosity and asked, "What is this?"

Su Yun immediately replied, "It is a gift for my wife."

He presented the hairpin to Song Xirui on the spot, and sure enough, he caught an expression of utter delight upon her face.

This caused him to inwardly scoff at his own previous anxieties.

How could Song Xirui possibly not love him?

She likely loved him so deeply she would willingly die for him.

Inside the room, Song Xirui and Su Yun continued to exchange hollow pleasantries.

Outside the window, however, someone grew displeased with the sight of the two acting like an affectionate married couple.

Xiao Yunci felt a surge of resentment and picked up a pebble, hurling it against Song Xirui's window.

The sound instantly caught the attention of the two inside.

"What was that?" Su Yun glanced outside, but there was nothing to be seen.

Song Xirui's heart leapt straight to her throat.

It must have been that bastard acting up on purpose!

What was that? What else could it be?

That scoundrel Xiao Yunci!

Su Yun harbors no suspicions, however, and coupled with the fact that the medicine Song Xirui had given him was taking effect, within less the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he drifted toward the daybed on his own and fell sound asleep.

Song Xirui's gaze darkened as she walked over to the window and tapped lightly three times. A figure flashed from outside, stepping straight into the room.