HNYWEF -Chapter 87 Unintended Gains

The Lantern Festival was over.

The flower lanterns on Zhuque Street were still lit, but most of the crowd had already dispersed. Only a few groups remained, walking slowly along the roadside, reluctant to go home just yet.

Li Shimin’s group returned to the palace.

Lanterns were lit in the Ganlu Hall, and the charcoal fire burned brightly.

Li Shimin sat on the couch, holding a teacup in his hand—but he didn’t drink.

He just held it there.

Empress Zhangsun sat beside him and glanced at him.

“What are you thinking about?”

Li Shimin didn’t respond.

But the corners of his mouth were lifted.

And they wouldn’t come down.

Empress Zhangsun waited a moment. Seeing that he still wouldn’t speak, she let out a soft laugh.

“Alright, if you want to laugh, just laugh.”

Li Shimin finally turned to look at her.

“You saw it?”

Empress Zhangsun nodded.

“I saw it.”

Li Shimin took a sip of tea, then set the cup down.

“Tell me, what’s going on with those two kids?”

Empress Zhangsun thought for a moment.

“Probably fate.”

Li Shimin froze slightly.

“Fate?”

His mind drifted back to the day he went to the Zhou family to propose the marriage.

Zhou Xiong’s expression, that “doesn’t work,” and that “Li Er”—

At the time, he thought he had misunderstood and ended up offending the man.

Later, he mulled it over for a long time and figured the marriage was probably doomed.

But now—

He suddenly laughed out loud.

Empress Zhangsun looked at him.

“What are you laughing at?”

Li Shimin waved his hand.

“I’m thinking about Zhou Xiong.”

She waited for him to continue.

Li Shimin said, “When I brought up the marriage, his reaction looked like I had dug up his ancestors’ graves. I thought it was completely ruined.”

He paused.

“Who would’ve thought the two kids would end up liking each other on their own?”

Empress Zhangsun said nothing.

But the corners of her lips also curved slightly.

Li Shimin chuckled again, softly.

“This proves my decision itself wasn’t wrong.”

Empress Zhangsun looked at him.

“Just the method was wrong?”

Li Shimin nodded.

“Yes, just the method.”

He said it—and laughed again.

This time, the smile was even more obvious.

Empress Zhangsun shook her head gently as she watched him.

“Alright, stop laughing. You won’t be able to sleep at this rate.”

Li Shimin restrained his smile a little, but the corners of his mouth were still raised.

He looked out at the moonlight outside the window for a while.

Then suddenly said,

“What do you think Zhou Xiong is doing right now?”

Empress Zhangsun was slightly startled.

“What do you mean?”

Li Shimin said, “He must have seen it too.”

She thought for a moment.

“And so what if he did?”

Li Shimin replied, “He’s definitely thinking about it right now.”

He paused.

“I really want to see what expression he has at this moment.”

Empress Zhangsun glanced at him.

“Isn’t that just schadenfreude?”

Li Shimin didn’t deny it.

He was enjoying it a little.

After being scolded so badly that day, at least now there was finally a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

Empress Zhangsun stood up.

“Alright, go to sleep. You still have court in the morning.”

Li Shimin nodded.

But even after lying down, the corners of his mouth were still lifted.

He couldn’t sleep.

Just couldn’t sleep.

On the other side.

Zhou family blacksmith shop.

Zhou Xiong sat in the main hall, a bowl of tea placed in front of him.

The tea had gone cold. He didn’t drink it.

Zhou Hong had already washed up and gone to bed.

Zhou Yi stood nearby, watching his father.

Ever since he entered the house, something felt off.

His father hadn’t said a single word all day.

Since returning from the lantern festival, not a word.

After sitting down at home, still not a word.

Just sitting there, looking at him.

Zhou Yi felt uneasy under that gaze.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

Zhou Xiong didn’t answer.

He just kept looking at him.

Three breaths passed.

Five breaths passed.

Wen Yi’s legs were already getting sore from standing.

Zhou Xiong finally spoke.

“What did you see at the lantern festival today?”

Wen Yi froze for a moment.

“What did I see? I saw lanterns, and performances, and a lot of people—”

“That girl.”

Zhou Xiong cut him off.

Wen Yi’s words got stuck in his throat.

He looked at Zhou Xiong and blinked.

“Which girl?”

Zhou Xiong didn’t answer.

He just looked at him like that.

Wen Yi’s face slowly turned red.

“Dad, what are you talking about? I didn’t see any girl—”

“Stop pretending.”

Zhou Xiong’s voice wasn’t loud, but every word landed like a nail.

Wen Yi opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Zhou Xiong stood up.

Walked over to him and looked down.

“You think I didn’t see it?”

Wen Yi’s face turned even redder.

“Dad, I—I just looked a couple of times—”

“A couple of times?”

Zhou Xiong took a step forward.

“That’s a couple of times? Your face was red like a monkey’s butt, and you still call it ‘a couple of times’?”

Wen Yi had no way to respond.

Zhou Xiong looked at him and suddenly said,

“You’re a man, staring at a girl like that. Like some lecher.”

Wen Yi’s face flushed instantly, deep red.

“Dad! I didn’t! I just—”

“Just what?”

Wen Yi couldn’t continue.

He lowered his head and stared at his toes.

Zhou Xiong stood there watching him.

After a long while, Wen Yi suddenly raised his head.

He looked at Zhou Xiong.

That gaze was different from before.

“Dad, have you been thinking about this all night?”

Zhou Xiong froze slightly.

Wen Yi continued,

“Ever since we came back from the lantern festival, you haven’t said a word. Then the moment we got home, you started interrogating me, saying I’m a lecher.”

Zhou Xiong’s brows twitched slightly.

He paused.

“Dad, are you actually trying to ask me something?”

Zhou Xiong stood there, silent.

Wen Yi looked at him.

Three breaths passed.

Then he suddenly smiled a little.

“Dad, I’m tired. I’m going to sleep first.”

He turned and walked toward the inner room.

After a couple of steps, he stopped.

Without turning back, he said,

“Dad, you should sleep early too.”

He lifted the curtain and went in.

The curtain swayed once, then settled.

Zhou Xiong stood in the main room, staring at it for a long time.

Then he sat down on the stool.

Picked up the cup of cold tea and took a sip.

So cold it hurt his teeth.

He put the cup down and kept looking at the curtain.

That kid—

He suddenly didn’t know what to say.

Zhou Xiong sat there, thinking for a long time.

How does this kid even know what I’m thinking?

He picked up the tea again, took another sip, then put it down.

He stood up.

Walked toward the inner room.

At the doorway, he stopped.

Didn’t lift the curtain.

Just stood there.

From inside came faint snoring.

Zhou Xiong stood for a while.

Then he turned and walked to the window.

The moon outside was bright.

He looked at it for a long time.

Only one thought kept turning in his mind—

This marriage… is really becoming unavoidable.

He stood there a long while.

Then suddenly let out a soft laugh.

Very light.

He walked back to the bed and lay down.

Eyes open, staring at the beams above.

Those two kids…

Forget it. Don’t think about it.

He closed his eyes.

But he couldn’t sleep.