Yanfeng could not explain why he wanted to protect Yanyue even though she was not his cute Lulu. When he saw her helpless expression, he immediately intervened.
"I apologize for my aunt and cousin," he said helplessly.
Yanyue shook her head, "I should thank you instead. If not for you, I would not have been granted an opportunity to prove my mother's innocence."
Her downcast eyes made Yanfeng eagerly offer his assistance.
"I know my aunt best, so if you need help, just call me."
He handed her his card, although she hesitated to accept.
"Why do you want to help me? Or do you still think I'm the person you're looking for?"
Yanfeng rubbed his head childishly, as if exposed. He responded with some guilt, "No, I don't take you as her. But I believe that you won't present something that is not original. Plus, I know my aunt well, so I don't want an innocent person to be harmed."
Yanyue did not know why she considered his words as if she had known him for a long time. Even though he might have had an ulterior motive for approaching her, she did not decline the card.
"Thank you, Yanfeng," her lips raised into a subtle smile.
When people questioned her, this person spoke to her with sincerity. This supplied her with the energy to continue being strong.
She sighed, "Unfortunately, the launch stopped early, so you couldn't enjoy what we arranged tonight. But, thank you once again for coming this evening."
"If you are disappointed, then just remember to invite me again in the future!" said Yanfeng in his optimistic tone.
The woman smiled in agreement. "I will trouble you then. Please have a safe drive home, Yanfeng."
They departed, and Yanyue went to help out with the banquet tear down.
*
The Eastern Palace was enormous, but there was no one to greet her or a husband to anticipate her return. It was as if she was the only person existing in this place, which was more like a prison than a home to her.
As expected, her husband was not back.
Where else could he be besides with her sister? Given today's situation, she knew he was probably coaxing her.
Yanyue squeezed the pain in her heart away and proceeded upstairs.
After showering and changing into her nightgown, she stood before her mother's treasure chest that she had brought from her apartment.
This was the only keepsake of her mother that she had come upon after spending days in her mother's room crying and feeling like the most unfortunate kid in the world.
That day, her stepmother scolded her for not sharing her favorite doll with her stepsister. She had never been verbally abused before in her six years of life, so when this woman who had just entered her house raised her voice at her, she felt her whole world crumble.
It was especially devastating for her because her mother passed away in less than a month, but her father had already brought this wicked woman home along with her child. She felt that her doting father abandoned her.
So, she locked herself in her mother's room.
Surprisingly, she discovered a secret room when she touched a book on the bookshelf. She was a six-year-old child, so it became her little secret when she found this chamber.
There was not much in the room, but the golden-red treasure chest caught her eye. Regrettably, she could not open it because it had a code that she needed to break first, and had to wait until high school that she found a way to crack the code.
Inside the chest contained many of her mother's cherished objects.
There was a photo album whose pages became flimsy and fragile after the countless unknown times that she flipped through it.
Then, there was a smaller chest loaded with jewelry. Her mother seemed to be an enthusiast for jewelry, which was normal for a well-known designer like her.
There were many design books in the chest, which Yanyue read repeatedly until she memorized all the content. She wanted to know what being in her mother's shoes was like.
What amazed her the most was what she found next wrapped in a plastic cover.
She picked up the object and unveiled its synthetic part. She remembered the first time she saw it: She was in awe, and the sparkles of the gemstones shone in her eyes. If she could use one word to describe it, it would be magical.
She noticed the notes and drafts at the bottom of the chest. She read the notes and found that her mother never named the dress. Such a stunning dress should be attached to a name, so she called it the Black Swan Crystal, following the crucial materials used to mend the dress into one.
She had kept the Black Swan Crystal hidden until now. But who knew her stepmother would say the dress did not belong to her mother? Even more puzzling was that there was a version of the dress.
This would affect her mother's reputation, the company, and everyone working there. She must find out where the white version originated to understand everything and uncover the truth.
She unlocked the treasure chest and scanned the notes again. The notes could contain clues that would benefit her.
She sat by her desk, reading the notes back and forth until she drifted off. When she woke up in familiar arms, she was dumbstruck to see the face that had only appeared in her dreams right before her.
"Bei- Your Highness..."
The man laid her on the bed. It had been a week since he slept with her, so his body was sensitive and ready.
He bent his head down to her lips, anticipating the warmth and sweetness of her kiss. But she turned her head to the side, and he felt her delicate cheeks.
Lines developed between his brows.
"You don't get to say no," he said coldly, reminding her of the contract she had signed.
She met him again on the verge of tears.
"Why do you do this?" she inquired. "You love someone else."
She spotted a suggestive smirk from him.
He replied, "I don't need love to do this."
She bit her lips to prevent her tears from scattering.
"Even so, you are betraying Wanyue by doing this," she countered and darted to the side of his cheeks, avoiding his intense gaze. "And... I don't want to do this anymore."
He frowned, pinched her chin, and turned her face back to align with his.
"What I do to Wanyue has nothing to do with you. Your duty is to satisfy my needs," he said, biting her lips. "If you don't do it with me, are you thinking about latching onto that young man, Yanfeng?"
Yanyue frowned from the pain, swayed her head and said, "No, what does he have to do with this?"
Beichen caressed her red lips again. She was too unprepared to avoid.
"He was all over you earlier, and you were the same," he snarked irritably. "Did he hand you his card, so you can call him to meet each other at the hotel?"
It appeared that he had seen her with Yanfeng, but he perceived everything wrong.
"We are just friends," she said, trailing off, "but we know our boundaries... unlike some people."
Beichen took offense even though she did not mention his name.
"You better think before you speak," he warned, then kissed her lips again. His kiss was fierce this time because he was transferring his anger to her.
She shut her eyes and cried, "Don't, my stomach hurts!"
He ignored her request and shoved his hand down. Only when he saw bloodstains on his finger did he halt.
He eventually noticed the woman's pale face.
"I'm uncomfortable," said the weak woman, who was clutching onto her stomach now. "Please, take me to the hospital."
His heart was racing.
"Fuck!"
He picked the woman up and walked hastily downstairs to the car.
"Drive!"
The driver saw the unconscious Princess Consort and took off to the Royal Hospital at full speed.
When Yanyue came to be in the morning, she was already in a hospital gown and lying on a patient bed. She did not know if her baby was alive or not, and her instantaneous reaction was to check her stomach.
"Baby," she whispered weakly.
Teardrops rolled down her eyes.
The door opened and Grandma Lu appeared with Beichen and Aunt Li supporting her arms.
"Dear, it must be so painful!" said the old lady sympathetically, sitting beside the bed and wiping away the tears streaming down Yanyue's face. Don't cry; Grandma is here."
However, the concerned and tender voice affected her mood and made her want to cry even more.
"Grandma, my baby is gone," she sobbed softly, "I won't ever see him again."
Although she did not know the gender, her dreams of a baby boy made her believe that the baby in her stomach was a boy.
The old lady shook her head, "No, my dear. The baby is okay."
Her sobbing lagged as she comprehended the old lady's words.
"Do you mean here," she touched her stomach, "there is still a baby here?"
"My great-grandson is so strong, so of course nothing will happen to him," Grandma Lu spoke to cheer up her granddaughter-in-law.
Then, she turned to her grandson and asked, "What kind of husband are you? Why didn't you take care of your wife well? You let her work too much!"
Yanyue glanced at Beichen. She recognized when he was growing angry because his face was gloomy.
"Grandma, don't blame the Prince. It's my fault," said Yanyue.
"In that case, you need to cancel your work! You're pregnant, so you should stay home to take care of your body! When did our Lu family treat their wives so poorly?"
Yanyue did not want to leave her job. "Grandma, it's okay. A few days of rest will do."
However, the old lady was an unyielding soul. She would not take no for an answer if she were determined on something.
"No, Grandma forbade you to work until you have given birth!"
In the end, Yanyue could not do anything but watch as Grandma Lu ordered Aunt Li to call her to ask her to take some time off from the company. She lamented her defeat.
Before the old lady left, she turned to her grandson.
"Stay here to take care of my granddaughter-in-law and my great-grandson. Don't let this happen again!"
Beichen did not dare to reject or challenge his grandma as making her angry would elevate her high blood pressure.
The old lady got her way every time. No one knew whether this was good or bad.
The room became uncomfortable after the old lady and Aunt Li left.
Yanyue could not endure the stiffness.
"Um, don't worry about me. You can go," she suggested.
Beichen scoffed, "If I go, you will report this to Grandma. Don't think I don't know your tricks. How did Grandma know I wasn't home all those times if you didn't tell her?"
"I—" I didn't tell her... was what Yanyue wanted to say, but when did he ever believe in her?
"I won't tell grandma."
Despite her proposal, Beichen disregarded her and relaxed on the couch. This was a VIP room.
Yanyue sighed and reclined on the bed. She pretended to sleep so as not to make the situation more unbearable. Perhaps, he would go whenever he felt bored.
However, her yawns would not stop after a while. She slept in the end.
In her dreams, a man embraced her like he was his entire world.
"I promise that I will always love you. Please, marry me?"
She turned around in his arms to face him. His gazes were deep and passionate like the words that he had proposed.
After a long time, she finally nodded her head. "I love you, Jun!"
She wrapped her hands behind his head and tiptoed to plant a kiss on his lips. They mingled on the ocean's cliff until the sun was long gone over the horizon.
"... Jun..." Yanyue murmured in her sleep.