My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 89: If Line 2 - He Should Push Her Away.

　　It took Yun Ling some time to accept this reality. 

　　She didn't know why she had returned to six years ago, and that six years ago was also different in many ways. 

　　And perhaps… it wasn't just six years ago. 

　　After Xie Jue left, Yun Ling sat silently by the window for a while. 

　　The night was deep, and the moonlight streamed in through the window, like gauze or mist, a hazy scene. 

　　Looking up, she saw the moon hanging high in the night sky, like a curved blade, its edges sharp. 

　　She didn't know how long she sat there, but the wedding candles were almost half-burnt when Yun Ling opened her eyes again. Her gaze fell upon the empty bedchamber, draped in red silk with auspicious characters. 

　　Yun Ling covered her face with her hands, her tears soaking her palms.

　　The next day, when Yun Ling woke up, a palace maid was already waiting outside the hall with water. Yun Ling, somewhat clearer-headed, remembered that the Matron who checked the wedding handkerchief was probably also outside. 

　　Yesterday, she and Xie Jue hadn't shared a room, so the handkerchief would naturally be clean. If this news got out, the palace servants would know he hadn't spent the night with her. 

　　A Crown Princess who was neglected on her wedding night would naturally be considered unimportant. How could she manage the inner court in the future? 

　　Yun Ling had been too tired yesterday to consider this. 

　　Rubbing her aching temples, Yun Ling said, “Let them all come in.”

　　Even without the wedding handkerchief, it didn't matter. She had been a lady-in-waiting, a Crown Princess, and an Empress for many years. A small inner court was nothing to her. 

　　The Matron who checked the wedding handkerchief entered, bowed to Yun Ling, and then went to the bed to search. After searching around and not finding it, her expression changed. Not giving up, she searched around the foot of the bed as well.

　　Yun Ling wasn't even looking anymore. 

　　Then she heard the Matron say happily, “Found it!” 

　　Yun Ling turned her head and saw the shocking red stain on the originally pure white handkerchief in the Matron's hand. 

　　How did the wedding handkerchief get on the bed? 

　　Her gaze shifted, and she saw Lǜshuǐ standing nearby, her eyes darting nervously. 

　　Yun Ling understood immediately. 

　　Lǜshuǐ wouldn't dare to do something like this on her own initiative; in the entire East Palace, only one person would dare to do this. 

　　The Crown Prince.

　　Yun Ling smiled faintly. He truly wouldn't let his wife lose face. 

　　At least, it was much better than when she was in the Cold Palace, wasn't it? 

　　Dream or rebirth, whatever it was... 

　　She still had to, and could only, continue moving forward. 

　　Three days after the wedding was the return visit to her family home. 

　　The Crown Prince was to accompany the Crown Princess back to the Xiao family estate, and the Xiao manor was bustling with preparations early that morning. 

　　The weather was clear and bright, the wind gentle and pleasant. 

　　The servant at the gate of the Xiao manor saw the magnificent carriage approaching and hurriedly went to report it. 

　　In a short while, Grand Tutor Xiao and his wife, Old Madam Xiao, came out smiling, while Lady Lin and Xiao Jujian waited happily behind them.

　　Lady Lin hadn't seen her daughter for several days and didn't know how she was getting along with the Crown Prince in the East Palace. 

　　After a short while, the carriage from the East Palace arrived. 

　　The Crown Prince was the first to get out of the carriage and stood aside. 

　　Yun Ling was naturally happy to see her mother. She had been dealing with Palace affairs late into the night and hadn't slept well. The carriage traveled at a leisurely pace, lulling her into a light doze. 

　　She was awakened by Lǜshuǐ and realized they had arrived at the Xiao manor. 

　　Lifting the curtain, she saw her grandparents and mother waiting, and couldn't help feeling happy. She instinctively reached out her hand for him to help her down. 

　　Xie Jue looked at the delicate, slender white hand that was offered to him. 

　　Looking up, he met her bright eyes. 

　　She actually wanted him to help her personally.

　　Xie Jue's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly reached out and helped her down. 

　　It was only when his hand reached out that Yun Ling realized he didn't love her. 

　　Perhaps it was because she had just woken up and had seen her family, that she hadn't reacted in time, and her hand had instinctively reached out.

　　And she always forgot this fact. 

　　Forgot that he didn't love her. 

　　He didn't love her; he had only helped her down because he wouldn't deliberately embarrass her in front of everyone, in front of the Xiao family.

　　Yun Ling was helped down from the carriage by him and then went into the Xiao manor with him. 

　　Seeing her mother again after three days, she was standing in the courtyard in a light blue dress, smiling as she waited for her to come over. Yun Ling felt her eyes well up.

　　She quickly walked over and hugged her. 

　　Seeing her daughter rush into her arms like a child, Lady Lin thought she had suffered some grievance in the East Palace and asked with concern, “What's wrong? Did something happen in the East Palace...?” 

　　Yun Ling immediately shook her head. “No, Mother, don't worry. Everything is fine in the East Palace. The Crown Prince is very considerate of me.” 

　　“I just... missed you, Mother.”

　　Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ quickly chimed in, “Yes, please rest assured, Madam.” 

　　Lady Lin was relieved. “That's good.” 

　　Then she said with a smile, “You child, why have you become so clingy like you were when you were little?” 

　　Saying this, she called for a Matron to bring in a bowl of sweet soup that Yun Ling loved. 

　　Pulling Yun Ling to sit down, she carefully inquired about her life in the East Palace, worried that she might be struggling with something. 

　　Yun Ling naturally explained everything in detail. 

　　Lady Lin felt much more at ease seeing that her daughter wasn't struggling with anything. And today, the Crown Prince had personally helped her daughter out of the carriage, showing that the couple had a deep affection for each other. 

　　Lady Lin was overjoyed.

　　As long as Ah Ling can live in harmony and love with His Highness the Crown Prince, that's the best thing. 

　　The mother and daughter talked for a while, when a maid suddenly came rushing in to report, “Madam, that Concubine Wu had a little accident while strolling by the lake. She fell and was injured.” 

　　When Lady Lin heard this, she didn't even look up. “Has the Master gone to see her?” 

　　The maid said, “The master has already gone.” 

　　“Go down,” Lady Lin said indifferently. “Since the master has gone to see her, then I won't go.” 

　　Concubine Wu… Father actually took a concubine. 

　　The Xiao family was a prominent and prestigious family, a family of upright officials. Although, for prominent families, taking several concubines was common, the Xiao family did not have a strong tradition of taking concubines. Grandfather only married Grandmother, and her brother had only married Xie Jinjia.

　　Father… had a strained relationship with her mother; it could even be said that he disliked her mother. 

　　Yun Ling had always wanted to know what had happened when her mother escaped from Yunze. Since there was no affection, why did she end up marrying Father in the end? 

　　Taking this opportunity, Yun Ling simply asked. 

　　Lady Lin hadn't expected her daughter to suddenly ask about the past and was taken aback. She hadn't intended to tell her about these things, but Yun Ling insisted, so Lady Lin sighed and began to slowly recount the story. 

　　Back then, Lady Lin and Qin Yi had been childhood sweethearts, and their families had arranged their marriage. Therefore, Lady Lin had told Qin Yi about her dream prophecy. But later, her father suddenly fell seriously ill, and Lady Lin was pursued by Lin Yihai and escaped in a desperate flight, seeking help from the Qin family. However, the Qin family, fearing repercussions, not only refused to help her but also broke off the engagement and turned their backs on her. 

　　Lady Lin had no choice but to flee Yunze.

　　The first person she met in the capital was Xiao Jujian. He brought her back to the Xiao family and had people carefully care for and protect her. Lady Lin gradually became moved by his kindness. The Xiao family had a reputation for integrity, and Old Madam and Grand Tutor Xiao were both upright people. Lady Lin had initially thought that Xiao Jujian was also a noble gentleman, and that their meeting was a destined union. But it turned out that this was all a carefully planned scheme by this hypocritical Xiao Jujian. 

　　After marrying Xiao Jujian, it was only after he inquired about the ‘dream prophecy’ of the Lin family that Lady Lin gradually realized his true intentions. 

　　Xiao Jujian had known Qin Yi for a long time.

　　He probably heard about the Lin family's dream prophecy and saw Qin Yi's successive promotions, so he assumed that Qin Yi had achieved his feats by using the Lin family's abilities. 

　　But he didn't know that the Lin family's ‘dream prophecy’ didn't have such power. Qin Yi's ability to handle several cases acutely was due to his own abilities. To help Qin Yi, Lady Lin also secretly worked hard and learned a great deal about governance. 

　　Lady Lin told Xiao Jujian everything about the Lin family's ‘dream prophecy,’ informing him that the Lin family had no ability to help him rise in power. Xiao Jujian's dream of using the ‘dream prophecy’ to achieve fame and fortune shattered, and he also resented that she had once been Qin Yi's fiancée, so he changed his demeanor completely. 

　　By now, she no longer had any feelings for Xiao Jujian. 

　　But when she and Xiao Jujian broke things off, Ah Ling was already in her womb. She had given birth to two children, and she had to be responsible for them. If she left, Xiao Jujian would remarry, and even with her father-in-law and mother-in-law's protection, it would be difficult to ensure the safety and well-being of her two children. Only by holding the position of Mrs. Xiao could she prevent her two children from suffering any grievances.

　　With Old Madam Xiao around, Xiao Jujian wouldn't dare to take the initiative to divorce her. 

　　She just wanted her two children to have a good life. 

　　Lady Lin thought very clearly. 

　　Yun Ling walked over and hugged her mother, her eyes already red. “But my brother and I cannot ascend to high positions by stepping on the blood, tears, and grievances of Mother's forbearance.” 

　　She had wanted to say this for so long, she had wanted to tell her mother this for so long, and now she finally said it. 

　　“You can't give up your own life for my brother and me.” 

　　Lady Lin closed her eyes, her nose inexplicably sour. She gently patted her daughter's hand. “Silly child, Mother knows your filial piety.”

　　“But as a mother, there are always considerations for being a mother,” Lady Lin patted her hand, then smiled. “Now that you've both grown up and established your families, what does Mother have to worry about?” 

　　“So from now on, every decision Mother makes will be for herself.” 

　　Yun Ling buried her face hard against her mother's chest, her voice choked with emotion. “Mm.”

    ——

　　Leaving her mother's courtyard, Yun Ling passed through the moon gate and walked along the winding corridors, seeing the Crown Prince playing chess with her brother in the water pavilion. 

　　Even from a distance, Yun Ling could see his tightly furrowed brows; he didn't look well. 

　　Yun Ling knew he had been extremely busy lately, and because of the matter with the King of Dingyang, he had hardly slept. 

　　Before, Yun Ling had only seen his composure when he finally dealt with the King of Dingyang, but she hadn't seen the effort he had put in behind the scenes. 

　　Yun Ling walked to the water pavilion. When Xiao Qibai saw her arrive, he smiled and said, “Your Highness, the Crown Princess has arrived.”

　　“This chess game is at a stalemate for the moment. Your Highness, please forgive me, I will go back and think it over carefully.” 

　　Xie Jue's long fingers, with clearly defined joints, rested on his forehead. His gaze remained on the chessboard, and without raising his eyes, he simply responded indifferently, “Mm.” 

　　Xiao Qibai then got up and left, leaving the place to them. 

　　Several servants from the Xiao manor and some Jinyiwei (锦衣卫 - Imperial Guard) were standing outside the water pavilion. 

　　Yun Ling walked over and looked at the chess game. With just one more move, the white pieces would fall into the black pieces' trap.

　　It was almost a dead end. 

　　No wonder her brother had left early.

　　Seeing her standing there, Xie Jue asked in a low voice, “Is something the matter?” 

　　Yun Ling then shifted her gaze, her lips curving into a slight smile. “Nothing much, I just saw Your Highness playing chess here, so I came to take a look.” 

　　Then she said, “I'm a little tired. Could Your Highness please escort me back to my room to rest?” 

　　It wasn't an unreasonable request. 

　　But Xie Jue was already tired and didn't have much patience to escort her. His thin lips moved, preparing to refuse, when he saw her pursing her lips, looking somewhat pitiful and softly saying, “This is the Xiao manor, everyone is watching. Won't Your Highness even grant me this small request?”

　　“If that's the case, I'm afraid everyone will know that I—” 

　　Pausing, her voice became even softer, “Don't have Your Highness's heart.” 

　　A gentle breeze blew from the lake, ruffling a strand of Xie Jue's hair and brushing it against his jaw. 

　　But for some reason, Xie Jue felt a slight itch in his throat. 

　　After a moment of silence, he dropped the chess piece, stood up, and swallowed. 

　　“Let's go.” 

　　Yun Ling was already the Crown Princess, so it was perfectly acceptable for the Crown Prince to visit her chambers.

　　Xie Jue arrived at her courtyard and saw the three characters, ‘Mingzhu Yuan’ (Bright Pearl Courtyard), above the entrance. 

　　He twitched his lips and gave a slight sneer. 

　　Entering her chambers, his gaze swept across the exquisitely decorated room. It was clear that she was greatly loved. 

　　The canopy bed was neatly covered with a luxurious quilt. 

　　“You rest,” Xie Jue said. “I'll have someone call for you when I return.” He turned to leave. 

　　Yun Ling quickly called out to him, “Where are you going, Your Highness?” 

　　“I heard from Eunuch An that Your Highness hasn't had a proper rest these past few days. Looking at Your Highness's complexion, it's clear that you're exhausted. The reason I asked you to escort me back was so that you could come and rest properly. We are married,”

　　She walked to his side, her voice soft and gentle, “Your Highness, sleep here. I won't disturb you.” 

　　Then she turned and left. 

　　Xie Jue rubbed his aching forehead; he was indeed very tired. 

　　She was quite calculating, managing to subtly win over An Zhong. 

　　And she won over An Zhong, then used the excuse of having him escort her back, making all these calculations just to… let him rest properly?

　　The door was closed from the outside, the footsteps faded away, and the surroundings immediately became quiet. 

　　Xie Jue furrowed his brows, his gaze deep as he stared at the doorway. 

　　After a moment, he turned and walked towards the bed. 

　　Very well, then.

    ……

　　The sun was shining brightly today. Yun Ling had a servant bring out a wicker chair and sat down. 

　　Warm sunlight fell on her face, feeling wonderfully warm.

　　The afternoon was comfortable and peaceful. Yun Ling leaned back in the wicker chair, closing her eyes to rest. 

　　After some time, Yun Ling was awakened by a harsh, cold voice in her mind. She slowly opened her eyes. 

　　Only a painful echo remained in her mind; she was dazed for a long time. 

　　Raising a hand to rub her temples, she asked the maid Lǜshuǐ beside her, “How long have I been asleep?” 

　　Lǜshuǐ replied, “Half an hour.” 

　　Seeing Yun Ling awake, Lǜyī quickly brought over the refreshments from the kitchen. “Crown Princess, shall we send some to His Highness?”

　　Yun Ling opened the container. It contained honey-glazed fú sū (a type of pastry) and ¹nài huā (a type of tea). She shook her head. “Take it away and bring a cup of plain tea instead. His Highness doesn't like sweets.” 

　　Lǜyī hadn't expected the Crown Princess to be so familiar with the Crown Prince's tastes. “Yes.” 

　　Xie Jue woke up after a short nap. 

　　The bed was very soft, and there was a faint, subtle fragrance. He usually didn't sleep well in unfamiliar places, but for some reason, he fell asleep quickly after lying down. 

　　Faint voices came from outside the door. 

　　A gentle voice reached his ears, “Take it away and bring a cup of plain tea instead. His Highness doesn't like sweets.” 

　　Xie Jue's deep pupils flickered. 

　　How did she know his preferences?

　　Xie Jue had felt something was wrong since the wedding night. Before the marriage, Xie Jue had only seen this Miss Xiao once from a distance, and was not familiar with her. Naturally, she was not familiar with him either. 

　　Yet, on their wedding night, she had been so intimate with him, tightly holding his hand, calling him “husband,” and even trying to embrace him. 

　　It was as if they had always been this close. 

　　What exactly was she trying to do? Who was she? What was her purpose in approaching him? 

　　Xie Jue stared at the closed door, his eyelashes slowly drooping. 

　　After a while, a knock came from the door, and her voice sounded, “Your Highness, are you awake?”

　　Even the timing of her knock was perfect. 

　　She knew him far too well. 

　　After a moment, Xie Jue said, “Come in.” 

　　The door opened, and Yun Ling walked in carrying a cup of tea. Seeing that he was already seated on the red chair, she walked over and offered him the tea, “Your Highness, please try it.” 

　　Xie Jue took it and took a sip. The aroma was rich, the taste light and refreshing—precisely his preferred flavor. 

　　After he finished it, Yun Ling said, “Your Highness, since you are busy, after we greet Grandfather and Grandmother, we should leave and return to the Palace.”

　　It's getting late. 

　　Xie Jue put down his teacup, his long fingers stroking the side of the cup, and simply said, “Mm.” 

　　Yun Ling showed concern again, “I know Your Highness has been very busy recently, but Your Highness's health is important. Don't catch a cold, get plenty of rest, otherwise your headache will act up again.” 

　　She spoke each word earnestly.

　　A bit of tea had splashed onto his sleeve. Yun Ling leaned over, reaching out to wipe his sleeve, but before her fingers touched his sleeve, he suddenly and quickly moved away. He stood up, his long fingers forcefully gripping her cheek, slowly lowering his head to look down at her. His long, narrow phoenix eyes were dark and unreadable. “You seem to know me very well.” 

　　His fingers tightened slowly. “Who are you, really?” 

　　Xie Jue had noticed her strangeness and had already planned to test her. And what he did best was to use cruel methods to force a confession. 

　　She was just a weak woman. How much pressure could she withstand? 

　　But her face showed no fear at all; she just stared at him, as if unable to believe he would treat her like this. Her expression held an indescribable grievance and injustice.

　　Then, she reached out, her soft fingers grasping his wrist. Tilting her head up, her eyes, somehow, had reddened. “Your Highness, why are you treating me like this?” 

　　“I am your wife, am I not?” 

　　Xie Jue's hand paused. 

　　He was easily pulled down. 

　　A faint red mark appeared on her fair face. He hadn't actually used much strength, but she said, “Your Highness, you hurt me.” 

　　She wasn't afraid of him at all. 

　　Unafraid of his harsh and domineering demeanor, she didn't believe he would really kill her. 

　　And, boldly and presumptuously, she hugged him.

　　Her soft, warm body pressed against his chest, her arms tightly around his waist, clinging to him like a kitten. The same faint, tranquil scent from the quilt emanated from her, as peaceful and beautiful as the spring sunshine.

　　Acting like a spoiled child was never useful with him. 

　　He should push her away. 

　　Xie Jue furrowed his brows and stiffly raised his hand. 

　　But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. 

　　And she, it seemed, had anticipated this. 

　　She had anticipated that he wouldn't push her away.

________________

Glossary:

¹‘Nài huā’ (耐花) – a type of tea mentioned in the story. The literal meaning is “enduring flower,” but here it refers to a tea that’s probably mild and aromatic, suitable for multiple brews. It’s likely a fictional or stylized name used by the author.

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