"Someone from her family." Wu Yixing pinches her soft cheek. He wonders if he is somewhere in her heart now. Does she also long to see him when he isn't there?
"The empress has been distracted because of you and Li Jun. When she heard that he is going to the border, she made a mistake of contacting the spy to tell him about Li Jun. She wanted to manipulate the emperor and make the third prince the emperor soon. I have caught the person. You don't have to go see her today. I will reveal everything tomorrow."
He observes her face. It's slight pale. Recently, she has been sick a lot. She's always tired. Should he feed her a vitality tonic?
"That's a relief." Yoori releases a breath of relief.
She's sure that she would have used her third ability on the empress to make her confess in public. But, the empress has a strong mind. She could get caught. The ability to compel someone is similar to hypnotizing them. It takes a lot of energy. She already used it on one person to know Wu Yixing's past. If she uses it on another one, she might end up going to coma.
Wu Yixing looks at her flat belly and pats it gently. "It's still flat."
Yoori scowls at him. "Your antidotes are useless."
"Are they?" He lets out a laugh. "We will know within a year."
"What do you mean?" She slaps his hand hard. "What would happen in a year?"
"You will start showing in a few months." He pinches her lips.
Does it mean...? She looks down at her flat belly.
"Wu Yixing, the empress fed me poison." He eyes are filled in worry. "How can I get pregnant?"
"Who delivers those poisons to her?" He removes the hairpin from her hair. "She's been feeding you tonics since you met her. Isn't she such a kindhearted woman?"
Yoori gawks at him foolishly. He could tell her the truth. She has been anxious for so long while this prince has been fooling her. Damned health tonics!
"But, my body already contains the poison that you fed me that day. You give me the antidote every night." She recalls unhappily. "What will happen to my baby if I am already poisoned?"
She doesn't now that the antidote that he gives her every day is actually a health tonic too. How will she react when she finds out that he already gave her the real antidote the day they made a deal?
He smiles to himself, imagining her reaction. She won't be pleased for sure.
"Ah... that... I fed you the real antidote that day." He sees her staring at him blankly. "I have been giving you health potions since that night. I did tweak it to slower your movements because you are fast sometimes."
At that moment, Yoori realizes that she has been fooled since the moment she met him.
"You!" She rolls her sleeves and grabs the sword. "I will kill you today."
Wu Yixing grabs her arm before she can strike him with the swords. "It's not good for our child if you are agitated."
"You dare to say those words!" She kicks him hard. "Lying to me, fooling me, marrying me, seducing me, impregnating me... you have no shame."
He leans closer, looking smug. His hot breath sends a tingle down her nerves. "How did I seduce you? I can't remember. Help me recall it."
"Wu Yixing!" She yells his name, trying to push him away. Soon enough, the yells turn into moans.
***
Wu Qiuyue bites her lips as the tears flow down on her pale cheeks. Li Jun won't take a look at her no matter what she does. She is being treated like air.
He is still looking for Mo Wei.
"She left you on her own." She shouts at him bitterly, "Must you treat me this way?"
He doesn't answer her. He goes outside and finds the guards. "Go and get your punishment."
The orders are clear. The madam must not step inside the master's room
She runs to him and grabs his forearm. Why are you punishing everyone because that woman ran away?
Li Jun jerks her arm away. Due to his action, she falls on the cold floor. She squeezes eyes in pain. She is infuriated and hurt because of his harshness. "Why can't you love me? I am better than her in every aspect."
Under her heavy glance, she shrinks down. That look in his eyes. He is seeing nothing of her. "I don't see it."
He can't see how she's better than Mo Wei in every aspect. Wu Qiuyue can't smile like her. She can't speak like her. She can't fill the emptiness of his heart like Mo Wei did.
"Leave." He is too tired to deal with her. "If you don't want to be thrown out of this house, then don't cross your limits again."
The threat is clear. Wu Qiuyue wipes the tears on her face and gracefully leaves his room. She didn't expect him to threaten her like this. She wonders where that man disappear who treated her with respect and care. That woman changed him. Mo Wei turned her husband into this being who cares about nothing but her.
Li Jun sits on the chair and looks at the copy of a letter. It's been a little more than a month. The content of the letter that she sent to Mo Qian has been translated with great effort. He can't figure out who the timekeepers are. He can't find her or the people who helped her escape.
Mo Qian won't reveal anything to him either. He can't force her to speak. She's Wu Yixing's wife. He feels powerless.
He wants to chase her to K country. He wants to abandon everything and leave. His duty to the nation. His son. His promises to his dead wife.
He clutches the letter to his chest. He can't do it.
Crossroads.
He doesn't know the meaning. But, he knows that Mo Qian is not living an unhappy life with Wu Yixing.
The light in the lamp flickers. He recalls the day he saw her sitting on the tree. His fingers curl around the coin that she gave him. He wants to see her again.
Will she keep her promise and visit him on his 90th birthday?