Love Under the Distant Stars

Chapter 20

Chapter Nine

The night sky was dotted with stars. Qi Ruiyang stood in a corner of his garden, his hands behind his back, gazing up at the starry sky. His handsome face was expressionless, but his eyes held a complex look...

He, the second young master of the prestigious Qi Prince's mansion, had seen countless women, none of whom had ever stirred his heart. Yet, he fell in love with someone he shouldn't have—his best friend's wife. An ancient proverb says, "One should not trifle with a friend's wife." This was destined to be a fruitless love affair. He resented fate's arrangement. Why was she Ouyang Tianyun's wife? Why her? If it were someone else, or not Tianyun's wife, he could have used his family background and wealth to forcibly take her away. But she…

Qi Ruiyang closed his eyes in anguish. Su Yuyin, an exceptionally intelligent woman—her name, her beauty, and her talent had deeply captivated him. She was the first woman who had won him over completely, the first woman he had ever loved, and he wanted her to be the only one. Yet, she belonged to someone else. The thought of this tore at his heart with excruciating pain…

What should he do...?

As usual, Su Yuyin took an early walk in the courtyard, breathing in the fresh air. After so many days of practice, she could walk much more steadily now than when she first arrived. But she still didn't like her small feet. She longed to wake up one day and find herself back in her original body, back in her own time and space, and that all of this was just a dream. She really wanted to go home…

A cloak gently fell over her shoulders, and Ouyang Tianyun's voice came from behind her: "The morning dew is heavy, why are you dressed so thinly?" It sounded like a reproach, but it was full of tenderness and pity.

"Thank you!" Su Yuyin said softly after recognizing the person who came.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Tianyun was taken aback. Did husband and wife need to be so polite? Or did she not consider him her husband at all? Yes, she had once said that she did not love him, so how could she consider him her husband?

"You're welcome," he replied casually, taking a great deal of effort to look away from her face and gaze into the distance.

The two walked forward in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Uh—how's Young Master Liu's situation?" Su Yuyin broke the silence and asked.

“The Wang family has already proposed to dissolve the engagement. As for Jue’er, Junhan has asked Yang Zhen’s parents to take her in as their goddaughter, and they will be getting married next month. Junhan asked me to say ‘thank you’ to you.” He replied, his eyes always fixed on the distance, afraid that if he were to look at her face once his gaze fell upon her, he would never be able to look away.

"That's wonderful." Su Yuyin smiled with relief upon hearing his words. "True love prevails in the end. They love each other so much, they will surely be happy."

"And what about us?" He turned to look at her.

"Us?" Why is the question back to them? Su Yuyin sighed. Hadn't she already answered him? "There's no future for us. Give up!"

"You are clearly a person of strong emotions, so why are you so heartless to me? Is it just because of the unintentional hurt I caused you back then?" Ouyang Tianyun cried out in anguish, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Answer me!"

Su Yuyin turned her head to the side, letting him shake her. She had already said what she needed to say last time, so what else could she say?

"Why aren't you saying anything? Speak up!"

"Stop shaking me!" Su Yuyin looked at him coldly, her voice devoid of warmth. "I'll say it again: I don't love you, so we can't be together. Have I made myself clear enough?"

Her icy gaze and voice were like a sharp blade piercing Ouyang Tianyun's chest, causing him unbearable pain. His hands, which had been gripping her shoulders, suddenly released their hold. He closed his eyes in agony, and when he opened them again, besides the pain, there was also a resolute determination in them…

“You don’t love me… I have nothing to say, but you can’t stop me from loving you, and I will never give up.” After saying this, Ouyang Tianyun turned and left. If he stayed any longer, he couldn’t guarantee what he might do to her. Besides, he needed to be alone for a while, otherwise he would go crazy.

Watching Ouyang Tianyun's departing figure, Su Yuyin lowered her eyelids. He had confessed his love to her more than once. She was not sure if his love was as real as he said, nor was she sure if she had feelings for him, and she was even more unsure when she would leave this place. How could she reciprocate his feelings?

Men's words are indeed unreliable. The very next day after he confessed his feelings to her, his "adorable" cousin returned to Green Jade Manor. The two of them were inseparable, all lovey-dovey, like a couple deeply in love. Is this the love he was trying to express? Just like now, the two of them are standing embracing under the plum tree not far away... Humph! This is the true face of men!

"Yuyin."

A soft call pulled Su Yuyin back from her thoughts. She turned around and saw that it was Qin Yue.

"What brings you here today? Where's your husband?" Su Yuyin smiled at Qin Yue, took her hand, and led her into the woods.

"He went to pack his bags."

"Getting ready? Going on a long trip?"

"Yes. We're going to Luoyang. Tianji is going there to inspect the businesses, and he'll take me back to my parents' home for a visit." Qin Yue smiled broadly as she talked about her husband, and it was clear that she was doing very well.

Sigh! It seems that not every man in ancient times had multiple wives and concubines; some were devoted to one woman. Ouyang Tianji and Liu Junhan—whether they would remain faithful to only one person forever, she couldn't say, but at least they were devoted now. Perhaps that was enough. She suddenly thought of an advertising slogan: "Not caring about forever, only caring about having had it." After all, no one can predict the future.

"Going to Luoyang? A couple traveling together, how enviable!" she said with a smile. Thinking about her, she's always in this courtyard, what could she possibly be doing? She's practically moldy.

“You could ask your older brother to take you out for a walk!” Qin Yue interjected, thinking her brother would agree. Seeing Su Yuyin remain silent, she continued, “Actually, your older brother loves you…”

“He loves me? Forget it! Look…” Su Yuyin pointed to where Ouyang Tianyun was standing, seeing the two embracing intimately. She turned to Qin Yue, “This seems to be the second time we’ve seen this. I remember you asked me before if I was jealous? I said I wouldn’t be jealous if I didn’t have feelings for him. I still think so now, only with a little more disappointment. I originally thought he was a devoted and loyal man, someone who would only love one person in his life. But he has come to me more than once and said that he loves me, not Xiangmei. And now… you see it without me having to say it.”

Qin Yue looked at the two people under the tree again. Could it really be as her sister-in-law said?

"Perhaps it was because I told him I didn't love him that I hurt his pride," Su Yuyin thought, explaining why he rushed into Xiangmei's arms for comfort. But this was for the best; at least he wouldn't bother her anymore.

"Perhaps... he really loves you." Qin Yue spoke up for Ouyang Tianyun. Tianji had told her that her older brother seemed to have fallen in love with her sister-in-law.

"Really? If the roles were reversed today, and you were in my position, would you believe he loves you? Yue'er, love isn't just about words; I value actions more. I can't stand having other women share my lover with me. Love is selfish, and I think you understand that." Su Yuyin spoke calmly, making it hard to imagine that she was actually in that position.

Qin Yue was at a loss for words. Her statement was the same as Tian Ji's: to pursue a true love that is free from any impurities.

"Alright, let's not talk about such unpleasant things anymore, let's talk about something else." Su Yuyin took Qin Yue's arm and walked forward, leaving all the unpleasant things behind.

The two ran out of the woods laughing, unaware that a pair of beautiful eyes were watching them with a hint of sorrow.

Why? Why couldn't this get her attention? Why didn't she feel jealous when she saw her husband being affectionate with other women? Looking at the clothes he was wearing, clothes she had sewn herself, Ouyang Tianyun remembered how she had tried so hard to please him when she gave him the clothes. Why was she now telling him so coldly that she would never love him?

"Cousin, what are you thinking about?" Xiangmei came to his side.

"nothing!"

“Cousin, you have something on your mind, why don’t you tell me so I can share your burden?” Xiangmei was a little worried, but what she was worried about was whether Ouyang Tianyun would be snatched away by that vixen Su Yuyin. Since the day she returned, although her cousin held her every day, she knew his heart had already flown elsewhere. Sometimes he would even stare straight at that vixen. Humph! Ouyang Tianyun’s body and heart belonged to her, and everything in the Ouyang family belonged to her too. No one could take it away…

Ouyang Tianyun glanced at Xiangmei thoughtfully, considering how to tell her what had happened. "Mei'er, I..."

"Cousin, just say it, don't beat around the bush." Xiangmei clung to his arm and shook it, which reminded Ouyang Tianyun of a few days ago when Su Yuyin had also clung to his arm and shaken it like that, looking quite adorable. A smile spread across his lips, which made Xiangmei shout unhappily, "Cousin, what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing?" Ouyang Tianyun suppressed his smile and replied with the same words.

"Cousin, you haven't fallen in love with my sister, have you?" Nothing? This was clearly a ploy to manipulate her. She'd heard about it as soon as she returned to the manor—her cousin had fallen for Su Yuyin. She truly regretted going to the villa for refuge, thinking that Leng Haoyu would seek revenge on the Ouyang family, and that she could use him to get rid of Su Yuyin. She never expected that Leng Haoyu would be so easily persuaded. That vixen must have used some kind of sorcery to bewitch everyone.