SWHCBB 23

Chapter 23: In My Past Life / Broke Down Begging for a Breakup, Only to Realize My Little Husband Never Meant to Coax Me

Even though he was furious, Jiang Chuang still had to take Wen Jue back and hand him over to Changning before going to arrange Bai Yuan’s lodging.

After personally settling Bai Yuan in, Jiang Chuang was promptly shooed away, but he was in a hurry to get back to Wen Jue anyway.

Wen Jue had Changning protecting him, so nothing would happen to him. But Jiang Chuang’s heart kept sinking deeper and deeper.

He suddenly realized, did he not understand Zhiyu at all? He had poured his whole heart into searching for a cure, but Zhiyu didn’t even seem like he wanted to get better…

Jiang Chuang’s footsteps gradually slowed. The closer he got, the more he hesitated.

He feared that Zhiyu really didn’t want to be cured. He also feared that mask of gentle sweetness would be put on again, wrapping himself up tight and keeping Jiang Chuang forever shut out.

Even without Prince Yi—if, five years later, Zhiyu still… then what had he returned for?

Jiang Chuang stood at the door. Inside sat the person he most wanted to see. Neither of them made a sound, but both knew they were separated only by this thin door.

Jiang Chuang unconsciously lightened his breath, not daring to make a noise, as if that might hide how flustered and miserable he felt.

The floor was beneath his feet, the door right before him. He just needed to push it open to see the one in his heart, his body still bore the marks left by Zhiyu’s scratching from the night before, but Jiang Chuang felt the world spin. All of it felt so unreal.

If Zhiyu refused to change, then what had he returned for? For the first time, Jiang Chuang felt truly lost, a loud buzzing in his ears.

Bai Yuan’s words echoed again in his mind.

“Right now he seems fine, but within two years, the toxins hidden in his body will begin to flare up. He won’t be able to stand wind or cold. Even a small wound will trigger it. Each attack will be worse than the last, his bones and muscles wracked with pain, worse than death.”

Scenes from the past flashed rapidly through his mind…

Back then, Su Zhi had reported to him that Wen Jue’s trusted aide Changning was acting suspiciously.

Jiang Chuang had discovered that letters exchanged with Prince Yi had been stolen by Changning under Wen Jue’s orders. Those forged letters were used to slander Prince Yi, accusing him of forming private factions with officials, nearly causing the Emperor to cast him aside forever.

That was also when Jiang Chuang realized, all the imperial marriage talk, the gentle husband, the sweet nothings, were all lies. He had been strung along like a fool, played like a dog by that damned Fifth Prince!

He had rushed back to the estate to confront Wen Jue, who at the time was smiling faintly at Changning, discussing something. There was a sealed jar of wine on the table. Wen Jue was smelling it, coughing now and then.

Blinded by rage, Jiang Chuang found Wen Jue’s smile an eyesore. He smashed the wine jar in fury, shards flying dangerously close to Wen Jue, the scent of peach blossom wine bursting in the air.

Amid that intoxicating aroma, Jiang Chuang drew his sword and held it to Wen Jue’s throat. When he saw the look of disbelief in Wen Jue’s eyes, he tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his own chest.

Changning had tried to protect Wen Jue and fought with Chen Lin. They exchanged deadly blows. If Chen Lin hadn’t been Jiang Chuang’s trusted comrade in arms for years, he might’ve died then and there.

It was only then Jiang Chuang realized the seemingly harmless, spoiled attendant at Wen Jue’s side was actually a highly trained killer.

When Jiang Chuang demanded Wen Jue’s motives, he took a step forward instead, a mocking smile on his pale face. “Things have come to this, will husband kill me for Third Brother’s sake?”

“You—!” Jiang Chuang was dizzy with rage. Seeing him take another step forward, he finally withdrew the sword. But only then did he see the bright red gash on Wen Jue’s neck. Every step had dragged the blade deeper.

Wen Jue touched the wound on his neck, his fingers stained with blood. Jiang Chuang only remembered him accusing him, accusing Prince Yi:

“Fourth Brother humiliated me for being motherless, mocked me for being blind, tricked me into jumping from a height and nearly killed me, while Third Brother stood by, watching it all quietly.” He smiled faintly and asked, “So, husband, do you still think Third Brother is a good man? Will you still kill me for his sake?”

Jiang Chuang was furious and pained, how could someone still act righteous after such scheming? “You married me from the start just to drag down Prince Yi, used me to bring him down?”

“Yes.” Wen Jue answered firmly, without hesitation.

Jiang Chuang shattered his sword in rage. It had all been a scheme from the start, not an ounce of sincerity. He spat out harsh words:

“Under that dazzling beauty lies nothing but filth, Wen Jue, you’re rotten to the core! I never want to see you again!”

Now, thinking back carefully, the memories began to clear. He remembered Wen Jue’s already-pale face before Jiang Chuang had even arrived, his trembling frame during the confrontation, the tear-reddened eyes, the choked, hoarse voice.

For a whole month after the fallout, Jiang Chuang never returned to the estate. He stayed at Deputy General Huang’s place, drinking and training endlessly.

Seeing lovers disgusted him. Seeing loveless people disgusted him even more.

When Chen Lin said that medicinal decoctions were being delivered nonstop and the Fifth Prince had fallen ill, Jiang Chuang snapped that he was faking it! Faking illness to coax him back? Useless!

But in the middle of the night, when he secretly snuck back, he overheard Changning asking Wen Jue, “Shall I send someone to fetch the general?”

Wen Jue, truly sick, replied with words that nearly made Jiang Chuang explode.

“No need. I don’t want to see him.”

Furious, Jiang Chuang stayed away another month. Fine, don’t see me then. Like I care to see you!

Later, he did return. When they saw each other again, it was like strangers. Jiang Chuang ignored him for days, yet Wen Jue came to make peace.

But what disappointed Jiang Chuang was that this so-called reconciliation came with bargaining chips. He tried to win Jiang Chuang over, talking politics, calling him “General Jiang” as if their former intimacy had all been an illusion.

Enraged, Jiang Chuang had grabbed his hand and pinned it atop his head, catching the strong scent of medicine on him. He went from accusations to shouting to disappointment, until he finally pressed him down and asked, were those cries of “husband” ever sincere?

Yet their bodies were far too familiar. One thing led to another, and it all spiraled. That night, Jiang Chuang had been rough, trying to vent all the sorrow in his heart through his actions.

Looking back now, Wen Jue must have been in extreme pain. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have clung to Jiang Chuang, crying as he begged:

“Husband, don’t… it hurts…”

But all Jiang Chuang thought at the time was: Good. Let it hurt. Only when it hurts this much will you know how much I’m hurting inside.