Yanyue suggested they stroll in the Rose Garden, as the agitated old lady was not eating.
The old lady agreed, and they held each other's arms as they left the dining room, with Aunt Li following them.
They bumped into Wanyue, who was coming down the stairs merrily.
"Sister, where are you guys going?"
Yanyue did not want to answer, but she was not rude either. "I'm taking Grandma on a walk to the Rose Garden," she said.
Wanyue clasped her hands and widened her eyes happily. "That's great! I have never seen the Rose Garden, so can sister let me go too?"
Yanyue paused. "Well—"
Then, Wanyue grabbed her arms and said, "C'mon, sister. You can't be that stingy, right?"
Her sister was right. She was not stingy, but she was probably too liberal. That was why her sister could openly show herself in her home, arms in arms with her husband.
"Who knew what they did just now upstairs?" she thought.
But she could not change anything by being petty, as she had forced herself into this marriage in the first place. So, she said nothing and let her sister go with them.
Grandma Lu did not like it, but her granddaughter-in-law did not refuse, so she let it go.
The Rose Garden was the first garden in the Palace. It was also the place where many love stories took place. One such story belonged to the current king and his underground lover.
However, that story was forbidden throughout the country, and no one dared mention it for any reason.
As indicated in its name, the Rose Garden was a maze filled with roses. There were a variety of roses. Damask rose and Rosa Peace, both large and showy shrubs with different hues, filled the entrance, while the classic deep and velvety scarlet, Mr. Lincoln, made up most of the garden's face. It graced the Rose Garden and the surrounding area with its strong fragrance.
After a quick stroll, Yanyue took Grandma Lu back to the house as the evening was getting cold.
As they walked on the pebble path, Yanyue saw a snake before them, jerking away with Grandma Lu in fear.
"Snake! Be careful, Grandma!" she yelled out.
As she tried to avoid the snake, she accidentally bumped into Wanyue. The woman screamed and fell bottom-first onto the rocky path.
"Ahh, sister!"
Yanyue heard the exclamation and tried to grab her, but it was too late.
"What did you do to her?!"
A roar came from ahead of them.
Something was stuck in her throat. "I... it was an accident!"
She received a death glare from Beichen.
"I saw you pushed her!"
The woman on the ground clutched onto her stomach, pain written all over her face.
"Ah Chen, my stomach hurts!" Wanyue exclaimed.
Yanyue saw the discomfort on her sister's face and was worried. She told Beichen to take her to the hospital.
He swiftly picked the woman up and put her in his car. Before leaving, he turned to Yanyue and said, "If anything happens to her, you will pay!"
Yanyue's eyes widened in horror as she watched them leave.
"My dear child, don't worry. I know it's not you!" Grandma Lu said.
She was dispirited and said quietly, "Thank you, Grandma."
After settling down with the old lady, Yanyue took a taxi to the hospital. She wanted to make sure that her sister was not hurt. She would feel guiltier if she got injured, as she had bumped into her sister in a moment of fear and from avoiding the snake.
She found the ward. Before entering, she looked through the glass and saw that her sister was lying on the bed, and Beichen was holding her hand. She had never seen him look that weary for a person before. But perhaps he was just cold and distant to her and not to the people he loved.
She knocked and then opened the door slowly.
"Wanyue, are you hurt anywhere? What did the doctor say?" she asked, looking concerned.
Beichen frowned and asked her harshly, "What are you doing here?"
She sighed and explained herself. "I care for her because she's my sister. And I was the one who accidentally bumped into her, so I'm responsible if anything were to happen."
"Just remember your words," he sneered.
Wanyue rubbed the man's hands to calm him down. "Ah Chen, it was an accident. Please don't blame my sister."
His gloomy expression was gone, and he became doting when he talked to the woman in bed.
"You don't have to defend her. No one knows her better than me."
After his remark, the doctor entered the room with the inspection result.
The doctor's following sentences shocked Yanyue.
"The patient is okay. There was a fetal gas, but the fetus is stable now. However, as her husband, you must be careful not to let her do anything rash as it may irritate the fetus, and that might cause a miscarriage."
Beichen looked at the doctor in confusion.
"Doctor, what did you say? She's pregnant?"
"Mr. Lu, your wife has been pregnant for two months now. Please be mindful of the pregnant person. She can be discharged tomorrow morning."
Yanyue listened to the doctor's words. The wife from the doctor's mouth was referring to her sister, his lover. It hurt to pretend like she did not understand the situation.
The doctor explained the medication and left the room.
"Ah Chen, are you mad? I didn't think that that time would result in this," the woman on the bed said, her eyes red.
The man shook his head and held onto her hands again. "Silly, I'm happy that you're pregnant. I'm not going to leave you, ever!"
Wanyue cried and hugged Beichen, who had no intentions of letting go either.
Yanyue saw the love of the two people and decided to leave. She should not embarrass herself even more by being in their presence.
She arrived back home, exhausted. The news was a big blow to her, even though she told herself she should not be surprised. She was just his wife in name, but his real wife was the woman at the hospital who was pregnant with his child.
Grandma Lu did not leave because she worried her grandson would blame her granddaughter-in-law. And her doubts were correct as the concerned woman came home dispirited. She knew that something must have happened.
"Xiaoyue dear, why are you sad?"
Yanyue looked at the sweet granny in front of her. She felt warmth bubbling inside her, and the tears she had held back all this time poured out. The old lady embraced the poor girl and patted her head as if she were consoling a toddler.
"Cry, just cry out everything," Grandma Lu said softly.
Yanyue did not know how long she had cried, but the stuffy feeling in her chest was gone.
"Grandma, I want to rest."
The old lady nodded, "Good, go get some rest."
Yanyue went back to her room. This was their newlywed room, but they had never been in it together, and today, she learned the hard way why he could not stay with her in the same room. If it were not to fulfill the contract whenever he needed it, then he would never take a look her way.
She did not wash or change her clothes and went directly to sleep.
In the depths of the night, she heard a sharp cry. It was repetitive and rhythmic, almost soulful to the ears. But then everything was so dark that she could not see who or what was giving this heart-piercing cry.
She followed the cries, but they were getting further away. She felt desperate to reach that sound before it disappeared completely.
Finally, she saw it.
A woven basket.
She slowed down.
She peeked and then covered her mouth in awe.
It was a baby!
He looked so soft. She wanted to touch him, so she kneeled.
But when she reached her hands out, the baby disappeared, and everything around her was dark again.
She realized it was a dream as she woke up from bed with sweat all over her body. She touched her eyes, and they were wet.
Was she crying even in her sleep?
It was just past three, and she could not return to sleep. In her dream, she thought about the baby's cries.
Did she dream about a baby because Wanyue was pregnant?
She sighed and kneaded her eyebrows.
She washed her face with cold water and took out her design book to work on projects. Since it was the weekend, she stayed at home. The sun was already out when she felt her stomach rumbling.
Grandma Lu was over, so the servants prepared a bigger breakfast.
"Xiaoyue, come to have breakfast," said the old lady, who was already eating her share.
"Grandma, you were up early this morning," Yanyue said as she sat at the table.
She took a sip of the oolong tea, frowning a bit. The tea was a bit too bitter for her taste. Reaching for the honey on the table, she added a spoonful to the tea. Stirring the cup nonchalantly, she ensured all the honey was incorporated into the tea.
The tea was much sweeter this time, and she sighed in appreciation of the tremendous floral flavor.
"Grandma, try this oolong tea," Yanyue said as she filled a cup with the said tea.
She knew the old lady also had a sweet tooth, so she added a spoonful of honey to the tea.
The old lady took a sip and was also impressed by the flavor. Even though honey was added to the tea, its rich oxidation and roast levels remained, making it full of complex flavor.
She nodded her head in agreement. "This oolong tea reminds me of the foggy morning mountains after a light rainfall the night before. It is fresh and tasteful to the tastebuds. Xiaoyue, tell grandma where you get this tea from?"
"Grandma, I discovered an old garden in the back of the greenhouse. I've been taking care of the place and dying plants there. This tea is the result of my hard work!"
The old lady was slightly shocked. The garden was once a spectacle of the Palace alongside the famed Rose Garden, but its owner was gone. Now, it was dying and in danger because no one bothered to take care of it anymore. The tea reminded her of the garden's owner, and she sighed.
Yanyue saw the old lady's nostalgic expression. "Grandma, have you also been to the old garden? Do you perhaps know who the owner was? No one would tell me anything when I asked them. I couldn't find any records in the Palace's blueprint or the history books. Such a beautiful garden, but it was abandoned," she said sympathetically.
"Yes, the garden was as beautiful as its owner. Unfortunately, the owner passed away, and that place became a hotspot for ghost sightings and stories. That is why no one dared to go and take care of the garden. But I'm surprised that you managed to revive the garden. I should go and take a look at it once in a while!"
Yanyue smiled. "People are quick to judge. I've been taking care of the garden for more than a month now and saw no traces of ghosts anywhere."
Grandma Lu laughed lightly. "That is because our Xiaoyue has a pure heart that even ghosts are afraid of."
Yanyue smiled at the old lady's jokes. Breakfast ended well, with them resting in the living room.
"His Highness is back," a servant said, reporting to them as they were still immersed in gossiping about daily matters.
When he was mentioned, yesterday's events came back to Yanyue. It was not that she did not want to remember but that she chose to hide those memories out of fear that they would hurt her even more. However, it seemed like she would never be able to escape reality.
Beichen brought Wanyue back to rest as instructed by the doctor.
The old lady saw the scene of her grandson caring for another woman and was not happy.
"Ah Chen, I told you not to take her here ever again? Did you not hear me yesterday?"
Beichen looked at his grandma while dismissing the woman next to her. "Grandma, she can't leave the Palace."
Grandma Lu raised her voice. "Do you not know who your wife is? Yanyue is your wife! You cannot treat her like this!"
Yanyue saw Beichen's dark glare. He was unhappy with her.
Beichen snapped back. "Grandma, I've never considered that woman my wife. Wanyue is the only woman I will recognize as my wife. She is also pregnant with my child, so she must stay here to take care of her health. Here, we have the best nutritional food for a pregnant woman."
Grandma Lu was shocked at the news. "She's pregnant?!"
Then, Wanyue answered quietly, "Grandma, I've been pregnant with Ah Chen's child for two months now."
The old lady could not believe her ears. Looking at the poor child on her side, she understood why she came home bawling her eyes out yesterday. She suddenly felt aggrieved for putting the child under such circumstances.
"Ah Chen, are you sure the baby is yours? Who knows how many men she has slept with?"
Beichen's eyebrows creased in displeasure.
"Ah Chen, this baby is yours. You're the only man I've ever had!" Wanyue said as she started to cry weakly in the man's embrace.
Beichen was angry to see his lover crying. "Grandma, I know you don't like Wanyue, but you can't slander her! The baby is mine, and that's final!"
Yanyue watched the scene quietly. She could not interfere in this matter because, sooner or later, they were going to divorce. They both married each other to improve grandma's health.
Grandma had shown signs of getting healthier, so once the old lady was completely free of her illness, then she would divorce him. It was only fair to him and her sister. So, even if this situation pierced her heart, she would have to tolerate it longer.
Ultimately, the old lady could not stop her grandson from bringing the woman in. She was so angry that she almost fainted due to elevated blood pressure.
"Grandma!" Yanyue held onto the weak old lady with Aunt Li. Beichen rushed over to his grandma and set her on the sofa.
"Go away, you unfilial grandson!" the old lady said, sickly and with her eyelids half-opened.
He did not care and still held onto his grandma. "Call Doctor Mo!"
He had already asked the servant to prepare a separate room for Wanyue, so he asked the servant to take the woman to her room while he stayed with his grandma when the doctor came to check on her.