Northern Tang, King Chu's Pheasant Courtyard.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the half-faded double happiness characters posted everywhere in the room. The soft rays emanated from the gilded edges, rippling on the walls and enveloping the entwined silhouettes.
There was not a shred of affection in Yuan Qingling's expression, only endurance and unwillingness.
They had been married for a year, yet he had not touched a hair on her. The day before yesterday, when they went to see the Empress Dowager, she sighed at the sight of Yuan Qingling’s flat belly, greatly disappointed, and brought up the matter of taking a concubine. Yuan Qingling had no choice but to tell the Empress Dowager that although they had been married for a year, their marriage was not yet consummated.
She did not want to tattle and complain. She just...could not accept it.
Since first seeing him at thirteen, her heart had been tied to him. She had used every means possible and finally married him as his concubine. She had thought that even the coldest stone could be warmed with her embrace, but she had overestimated herself in the end.
He was her husband, yet she could not detect a shred of pity in his eyes, only maniacal hatred.
“Ugh...”
A sharp pain made her unconsciously groan, but upon seeing the iciness in his eyes, the pain stabbed into her heart like a poisoned needle.
A sudden rush of hatred welled up inside her. She hugged his body tightly, exerting herself to sit up and fiercely bit his lips.
Blood seeped out. The tangy taste of blood trickled into her mouth.
His eyes darkened. His tall figure rose from her. With a resounding slap that contained the sound of shattering jade, he struck her cheek. “Yuan Qingling, I have fulfilled your wish and consummated this marriage with you. But from now on, you and I will be like strangers.”
Yuan Qingling laughed bitterly, despairingly. “I knew you hated me.”
Before getting married, her mother had taught her about the bedroom matters between man and wife. But he had drunk an aphrodisiac before coming to her, merely taking her innocence before rising without an ounce of attachment.
His azure robe swirled as he wrapped his strong, sturdy body. With a kick of his slender legs, the table and chairs crashed thunderously to the ground, belongings shattering everywhere. His voice was frigid, his phoenix eyes full of disdain. “Hate? You are unworthy. I only feel disgusted by you. In my eyes, you are no different than a pesky fly, loathsome and repulsive. Otherwise, I would not have needed the aphrodisiac just to consummate this marriage.”
He stormed out like a whirlwind, leaving only the chilled wind swirling in from the doorway, instantly cooling her heart.
His voice drifted back distantly. “From now on, there is no need to serve her like a mistress. She is just a dog kept in my residence.”
It hurt, it really hurt. She had finally gotten her wish to consummate their marriage, but he chose to trample her heart in this way.
She pulled out the hairpin from her head...
Screams rang out from the inner chambers of Pheasant Courtyard.
“The Consort has committed suicide!”
Darkness shrouded Pheasant Courtyard. Her wet nurse escorted the doctor out before turning back with a frosty expression.
“If Consort had wanted to die, she should have waited until His Highness finished with you and sent you back before dying. Don’t dirty the manor grounds and bring bad luck to His Highness.”
Yuan Qingling slowly opened her eyes and looked at the mean-spirited woman before her.
“Water...” Her throat was parched and practically smoking.
“If you had the ability to die, you have the ability to pour water for yourself.” After speaking, her wet nurse shot her a disgusted look and spat before leaving the room.
Yuan Qingling struggled to get up. Her whole body felt like it was falling apart from the pain. She crawled to the table and tremblingly poured herself a cup of water, gulping it down greedily before feeling revived again.
She looked at the wounds on her wrists, still somewhat stunned by everything that had happened.
Since childhood, she had been known as a prodigy. At ten, she finished high school and was admitted to Guangzhou Medical University. At sixteen, she obtained her doctorate and became the youngest PhD candidate of the 22nd century. She did not go into medicine after graduation. Instead, she studied biomedical science and earned another doctorate. Afterwards, she delved into virology at the virology research institute for two years before being recruited by a biotech company to develop a drug that stimulated brain development.
