The mule cart rumbled along slowly, heading towards the manor.
Su Xiaoqi pressed herself against the carriage wall. Though she didn't look up, she could feel Shen Yun staring at her.
He watched her intently, almost without blinking, making her uncomfortable. She wanted to glare at him but felt a little hesitant.
While she dared to be angry with Shen Yun, it was based on her understanding of him.
She knew his ambitions were grand, and as long as it didn't involve harming his family, he wouldn't get angry over such trivial matters.
However, she felt a bit worried about further confrontations.
Of course, Su Xiaoqi didn't know that no matter how she treated Shen Yun, he wouldn't be angry with her. How could he not be, when he was so fond of her?
His tolerance and concessions towards her were beyond his own imagination.
Just like now, he had considered not telling Xiaoqi about this matter.
But seeing how she had been fussing about it for days, and with their departure tomorrow, he didn't want her to set off with a troubled mind.
His original intention was to start their journey with Xiaoqi in a relaxed manner, taking advantage of the early hour to travel while sightseeing.
He couldn't let Zhao Ye's situation become a fuse between him and his wife, causing them to grow distant.
"Regarding Zhao Ye's identity, my wife should have her own judgment," Shen Yun said.
Su Xiaoqi blinked, looking at Shen Yun with surprise.
What did he mean, was he planning to reveal the truth?
Yet, she seemed to no longer need it.
After all, she had read the entire novel.
Due to her obsession, she had finally guessed Zhao Ye's identity based on the subsequent plot.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi fall silent, Shen Yun gave a wry smile: As expected, his wife was more sensitive than anyone.
Meeting Shen Yun's serious gaze, Su Xiaoqi tentatively asked, "If you don't tell me, do you not trust me?"
She regretted asking immediately after.
How could Shen Yun answer such a question? If he said yes, wouldn't she be sad?
But if he said no, how could she believe him?
Su Xiaoqi lowered her head and whispered, "You don't have to answer."
Before Su Xiaoqi could finish speaking, Shen Yun said, "It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust myself." His voice remained calm and clear, but Su Xiaoqi detected a hint of urgency within it.
Shen Yun felt the need to explain himself: "Who doesn't desire the merit of assisting the emperor, but one must have the life to fight for such merit, and also the life to enjoy it."
Su Xiaoqi looked at him curiously, awaiting his next words.
"Although the court appears calm on the surface now, it is far from peaceful."
Shen Yun roughly explained the current situation in the capital to Su Xiaoqi.
Previously, the court had undergone a change, and the current emperor's court was not very stable. Furthermore, there were subtle signs of contention for the throne between the emperor's eldest son and his youngest son.
Therefore, this was an opportunity for those like them, who might enter the court.
Su Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow slightly.
She had always known that Shen Yun would become a high-ranking official in the future.
But she hadn't realized that from the very beginning, he harbored such aspirations for power.
"Having lived in the village for so many years, they respected my maternal grandfather and didn't say anything to my face, but I knew that in their hearts, they thought I didn't have a father and was a..." bastard.
Shen Yun couldn't bring himself to say those two words in front of Su Xiaoqi.
But judging by his expression, he seemed quite hurt.
Su Xiaoqi knew about these things; they were described in detail in the book.
Shen Yun was originally a gentle and reclusive scholar.
His later descent into darkness, besides the death of all those he cared about, had a deeper reason: he had always remembered being called a "bastard" by the villagers pointing fingers at him when he was a child.
From that moment on, he desired power.
Because only those in high positions were beyond criticism.
Thus, he embarked on the path of power, never looking back.
Su Xiaoqi suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for him.
For so long, she had been consumed by the fear of Shen Yun killing her.
She had overlooked that Shen Yun was also a normal person.
He too had his joys and sorrows, his emotions, and she had deified him.
She had thought he was beyond these emotions.
"Husband..." Su Xiaoqi hugged him.
"I know you're not telling me Zhao Ye's identity for my own good."
Although they were about to go to the capital, Zhao Ye's identity was not something they could easily meddle with.
So, it was better not to know. If they knew, it would likely stir up unnecessary thoughts in both of them.
Shen Yun rested his head on Su Xiaoqi's shoulder. Looking at this understanding young woman out of the corner of his eye, his heart suddenly felt full.
He had once considered using Zhao Ye's identity to achieve something.
But now, he suddenly felt it was unnecessary.
He used to think he had crawled at the feet of others for too long, and he strived to rise, to become someone superior.
But after Xiaoqi, he found his desires had changed.
What he wanted more was for both of them to be safe, to have a few more children, to not care about the treacherous currents outside, and to live a peaceful life.
Although it might seem overly idealistic, his pursuits had genuinely changed because of Xiaoqi.
"Xiaoqi, promise me you'll never leave me, okay?"
With her by his side, he could always maintain his original intentions, but if she left, where would his deep affection be placed?
Su Xiaoqi found Shen Yun incredibly endearing now, and stimulated by his voice, which was so pleasant it could make one's ears pregnant, she found it hard not to nod.
"Mmm, if possible, I won't leave you."
Thinking about it, if her relationship with Shen Yun remained this good, and their lives continued like this, it didn't seem like a bad thing.
Su Xiaoqi relaxed her mind and leaned into Shen Yun's embrace.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi's thoughts, Shen Yun curved his lips. Had his persistence finally paid off?
As they spoke, they had already arrived at the entrance of the manor.
Li Shushao was waiting for the gatekeepers to remove the threshold so they could drive directly in.
Suddenly, two figures darted out from the woods ahead.
"How's that, I told you this was the only way you could see them," a woman's voice called out.
Qi Yunwei said with disdain, "Hmph, a blind cat catching a dead mouse."
"Hey, Young Master Qi, you can't be so heartless. I helped you corner them.
If we had used your method, we wouldn't have been able to get into their manor. You have no idea, Young Master Shen is fine, but his wife is not someone to be trifled with."
Zhao Xiaohua, thinking they were too far away and separated by the carriage curtain, spoke freely, fabricating stories about Su Xiaoqi's character.
Qi Yunwei looked at the woman before him with great interest.
He had met this woman on his way to the manor.
Ever since she learned he was coming to Furong Manor, she had been pestering him.
She had even volunteered to lead him in.
Who would have thought she was here to intercept the Shen family's mule cart.
Little did they know that all their conversation was falling into the ears of the sharp-hearing Su Xiaoqi, who leaned closer to Shen Yun and said, "There are two people outside looking for you; one is Young Master Qi, and the other is Zhao Xiaohua."
Shen Yun raised an eyebrow, pulled open the carriage curtain, and indeed, Qi Yunwei had already walked up to them.