It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Without waiting for her response, Gu Linjun quickly took out a small porcelain bottle from his arms, carefully unscrewed the lid, lightly scooped up a pea-sized amount of milky white ointment with his fingertips, and carefully applied it on her injured wrist.

His fingers were as light as feathers as he massaged slowly, and every movement was so natural, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him and the woman in front of him was the only one in his world.

Zheng Chengyan watched all this, the pain in his heart surged like a tide. It was an unprecedented feeling. No matter his infatuation with Jiang Yingying or his favor for the many concubines in the mansion, he had never experienced such heartache.

His hands trembled slightly, and he wanted to say something to Gu Linjun, but in the end it turned into a weak warning, "My Lord, I remember your words that night, but no matter how beautiful the flowers in the courtyard are, I can't own them. Forcibly demanding them will only increase regrets."

Su Wanyu was quite surprised by this. It turned out that the conversation that night involved such a private topic.

She felt mixed emotions and couldn't help but sigh secretly.

Facing Zheng Chengyan's words, Gu Linjun did not get angry but laughed instead, calm and composed, and those cold eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.

"Second Young Master Zheng, I invited you to dinner today because of our past friendship with your wife. If your words were heard by others, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Please think twice before speaking in the future."

His words carried a warning that could not be ignored, "May I tell you that yesterday there was a guard in the palace who was too talkative and paid the price for his careless words. He had his tongue cut off."

Although the words were plain, they were like a sharp sword, pointing directly at Zheng Chengyan's heart, instantly breaking down his last line of defense.

For a moment, Gu Linjun's previous abrupt behavior seemed to be Zheng Chengyan's rudeness. Compared with the complacency when he went out in the morning, he now looked embarrassed.

This banquet seemed destined to end in disharmony.

Zheng Chengyan's heart was filled with fear and anger, his face turned pale, and he bowed very reluctantly, then left in a hurry, even forgetting to take Su Wanyu with him.

His fleeing figure created a perfect excuse for Gu Linjun to be alone with her.

At this time, the setting sun is as red as blood, and the golden afterglow shines through the window lattices of the pavilion and sprinkles into the room, adding a warm and mysterious atmosphere.

Facing this scene, Su Wanyu looked at Gu Linjun in confusion, her eyebrows full of doubts, "Prince, why did you host a banquet for us today, but repeatedly and deliberately angered Zheng Chengyan?"

Gu Linjun's answer was direct and honest, "Do you know that he is trying to use the power of King Liang to deal with me?"

Su Wanyu nodded slightly, indicating that she knew about this.

Gu Linjun's expression turned stern. "Not only did he reject the King of Liang's suggestion to cancel our engagement, he also had evil intentions towards you. If I hadn't forced him today, how long would he have planned to occupy you?"

"Has King Liang been convinced by you?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wanyu couldn't help but ask in surprise.

Gu Linjun shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of cold confidence, "He wants to take my life, so how can he be truly loyal to me? I just planted a few trustworthy spies around him."

"He insisted on not divorcing me because he coveted the wealth behind me."

Su Wanyu smiled self-deprecatingly, with a hint of complex emotions flashing in her eyes.

Gu Linjun stared at her deeply, with indescribable affection in his words, "Wanyu, what kind of entanglement do you have with him?"

Although the two had communicated privately many times and their tacit understanding needed no words, Gu Linjun was keenly aware that Su Wanyu always unconsciously kept a certain distance from him, and was extremely cautious every time she approached him. Even during the chance encounter at Wuming Temple, she was always reserved.

The purpose of forcing Zheng Chengyan to take action this time, in addition to frustrating his spirit, was also to show his deep concern and protection for Su Wanyu...

His eyes were deep, as if they wanted to penetrate her hard protective shell and reach the deepest part of her heart. He was eager to uncover the fog of the past and give her the warmth and understanding she had never had.

He wanted to be her support and help her heal her inner wounds.

Su Wanyu's eyes slightly raised, twinkling like cold stars, staring at him, with a barely perceptible sarcasm in her tone: "Do you really want to know? Are you sure you want to share those dark, cold memories with me?"

Gu Linjun's eyes were firm, as if he was making an eternal vow: "Well, I want to know everything about you, whether it's bitter or happy. I am willing to be your shield and withstand all the wind and rain for you."

Su Wanyu's sneer revealed a hint of self-mockery. She had never imagined that there would be someone in this world willing to uncover her scarred past and touch upon the darkest time that she least wanted to recall.

She didn't try to hide those past events, but every time she touched upon them, it was like tearing open the old wounds again, causing blood to flow.

Therefore, she chose to remain silent and let time slowly cover up the pain, until today, she finally found someone who was willing to listen.

"In the tenth year of Cheng'an, the spring breeze was warm and gentle, which should have been a good time for all things to revive, but I received an imperial decree and was forced to marry into the Changping Marquis's mansion and become the wife of the second son, Zheng Chengyan. Before that, he had appeared in front of me several times with a gentle face, which moved my naive heart. My father thought this was an honor bestowed by the royal family, so he sent me into the Zheng family's gate with a grand ceremony of ten miles of red makeup."

"However, the wedding night that should have been filled with joy became the beginning of my nightmare. Zheng Chengyan showed his true face, and his words were full of contempt and insults towards me. In the days that followed, he even disdained to look at me again and abandoned me in the empty and deserted bridal chamber."

"At that time, I was still young and ignorant, and I mistakenly thought that my status was not worthy of him, and that my family was insignificant, so I was not welcomed. So, I tried hard to adapt to the new role, managed the housework diligently, tried to prove my worth with actions, and exchanged my sincerity for his recognition."

"I naively thought that my efforts would always be rewarded, but the reality is a cruel irony. Zheng Chengyan not only asked to marry Jiang, but also joined forces with the family to repeatedly force me to hand over the inheritance that belonged to my father."

"Until that moment, I woke up from my dream. I angrily stirred up a storm in the Zheng Mansion, and then returned to the Su Mansion with exhaustion and determination, hoping to get my father's help to end this unhappy marriage."

"Fate played tricks on me. The Zheng family had already laid a trap. They used clever lies to defraud me of all my dowry. Then, I was mercilessly imprisoned in the woodshed in the backyard, and endured inhuman torture every day. In front of outsiders, they described me as a mad woman, a being who did not deserve sympathy."