Shen Gui left.
Before departing, his face had turned ashen with rage. He left behind that straightforward Divorce Letter, tossing it directly into Xin Yi’s lap along with the ink that had not yet dried. “Don’t regret this. Even the Wu family won’t truly accept a daughter abandoned by her husband! If you have nowhere to go in the future, don’t come crawling back to beg me!”
With that, he flicked his sleeves and stormed off, his anger thick and heavy, as if he had nothing more to say and could not be bothered to spare her another glance.
Xin Yi bit her lip and stood dazed for a long while before she remembered to wipe away her tears. Then she stuffed the Divorce Letter into her sleeve.
Her emotions had still not settled, and her body continued to tremble. Her hands shook too, especially when her fingertips touched the blood-soaked knots of the ropes binding the youth, sticky and cold.
The tears that had just begun to stop welled up uncontrollably in her eyes once more, and a faint, mournful sob escaped her throat.
A Ying cried too. While crying, she helped Xin Yi untie them.
The two of them struggled for a long time before they finally removed the tightly wound hemp ropes from the youth’s body. It took great effort to throw them to the ground.
Almost the moment the ropes came off, the frail youth, beaten until he was covered in blood, reached out his arms and hugged Xin Yi in a dependent, obedient manner.
He hugged her tightly, his jet-black head lowered. Even as the motion tugged at his bleeding wounds, he seemed not to care. Like an unwanted little dog, he nuzzled against her. “Sister-in-law, you came to save me again. You always come to save me.”
It was always like this. She never cared about others’ gazes. She always walked toward him with such heartache and resolve, pitying him.
Xin Yi belonged to him alone. No one else could take her away. Whoever dared to covet her would be killed.
The night wind stirred his tattered clothes, making the sickly sweet scent even more pronounced.
The clear, serene moonlight illuminated the courtyard. Where they stood, a dark, winding stream snaked across the ground, like blood-red spiderwebs clinging to the stone slabs.
Xin Yi had been rubbed all over with blood from his embrace. She could feel the youth’s cool, soft breaths against her neck—he clung to her relentlessly.
Yet she was still trembling. Even hugged so tightly, she still trembled.
Shen Ru Jie reached out and touched the helpless tears on her face. He actually let out a shy, faint smile. “Sister-in-law… don’t cry. It doesn’t hurt.”
It was not as if he had never been injured before. That waste of a brother could only beat him until his flesh was a bloody mess— he could not even break a single bone.
But Xin Yi felt sorry for him.
She cried because of him, cried so sadly, so pitifully. It was sweeter than the finest honey in the world.
The youth’s eyes darkened inscrutably, and his embrace tightened even more, as if he wanted to embed the bonelessly soft body of the woman in his arms into his very blood and bones.
Thus, he did not notice that the tear-streaked little face in his arms went blank for a moment before she fainted away right there.
A few days later, in the bustling streets of the Capital City.
A rundown house overlooking the flower and willow alleys was bought by a young and beautiful woman accompanied by her maidservant. They added two cooks, some cleaning servants, and swept the place inside and out before finally settling in.
The window lattice facing the courtyard was propped open. The woman sitting by the window and lost in a daze wore plain clothes. She was stunningly beautiful, holding a book scroll she had not turned a page of in ages.
Though her face showed little expression, a faint loneliness and sorrow seeped through her brows and eyes, impossible to hide.
A Ying watched with heartache.
The lady must have been in great pain over the divorce with the Marquis. Otherwise, she would not have been so absent-minded these past few days, refusing food and tea.
Even more so, on the very night she received the Divorce Letter, she had choked up until her little face turned pale and fainted straight into the Second Young Master’s arms.
The lady’s heart must hurt terribly.
Ever since she learned of that outer chamber named Zheng Wu, the lady had been deeply saddened.
She had originally thought there was still a chance to win back the Marquis’s heart, but in the end, it had turned out like this. Both were stubborn, misunderstanding each other, equally proud and unwilling to yield.
Wasn’t it just like those stories in the play scripts, where talented scholars and beauties missed each other due to regrets?
A Ying sighed, composed her expression, and carried over a bowl of warm medicinal soup.
In the side room.
Xin Yi sighed helplessly too and asked the system again, “Can’t we really take advantage of these past couple of days to have a deeper conversation with Shen Ru Jie? He’s already had those spring dreams anyway, so he probably wouldn’t refuse me.”
The system’s response was utterly exasperated. “No. At least wait a bit longer, or find a suitable opportunity. Otherwise, your pure and devoted persona as a lady will completely collapse.”
“The original host was married to Shen Gui for two years and truly saw him as her husband. She had feelings for him too. It’s impossible for her to fall out of love so quickly and throw herself into someone else’s arms. So the host must hold back. You can flirt subtly, but not overtly.”
Xin Yi had no choice but to give up, her tone thick with regret. “Alright, I’m still very reserved. I was just asking casually. That’s not really what I’m thinking deep down—don’t misunderstand me.”
The system: “…”
Yeah, right.
While she was still regretting it, A Ying came in with the medicinal soup. “Madam, drink it while it’s hot. This servant specially added honey dates, so it’s not bitter.”
Xin Yi said nothing upon hearing this and took the dark bowl of medicinal soup with practiced ease.
At the beginning, she had resisted it a bit, but later, as she drank it more often, her tolerance for the bitterness grew. Now she could down the bowl without changing expression.
Seeing the lady’s gentle and compliant demeanor, A Ying felt even more heartbroken.
She knew there was nothing between the lady and the Second Young Master. The lady was simply kind-hearted and wanted to repay any kindness shown to her.
Moreover, the Marquis had been at fault first, yet he had accused and misunderstood her without distinction.
It was no wonder the lady had finally grown disheartened and proposed the divorce.
But what A Ying could not have expected was that just a few short days after the divorce night, the Marquis planned to marry his outer chamber—with full pomp, phoenix crown and rosy cape.
It was simply humiliating the Wu family, leaving not a shred of face for the lady!
She had only learned of this today while out shopping for supplies. The news had already spread throughout the Capital City.
Now, everyone in the Capital City pitied that Wu family daughter ruthlessly abandoned by her husband.
So what if she came from a prestigious clan? She was still just a sickly invalid propped up by medicinal soups.
So what if she had married into the marquis manor as the legal wife? Two years passed without a single child, and she was still discarded once her husband grew tired of her.
A Ying looked at the lady’s sharp, slender chin and felt she had lost a full circle of weight recently. Sitting by the window, she seemed like a gust of wind could blow her away.
She could not help resenting the Marquis in her heart. The lady was so wonderful, yet he did not cherish her. He would regret it someday and have nowhere to cry!
But on her lips, she tried her best to offer comforting words. “Madam, don’t believe the rumors outside. They’re not worth taking seriously. You’re not being cast out because the Marquis grew tired of you, nor because that outer chamber Zheng Wu is more beautiful.”
“That storyteller in the teahouse doesn’t know where he got those trashy tales from. He’ll wear out his own good fortune someday and get sores on his tongue!”
Xin Yi just smiled upon hearing this, not seeming to care much.
Because those rumors were the ones she had deliberately spread. She had even found a few poor scholars to polish the stories, then sold the finished scripts to famous teahouses in the Capital City.
It was all to expose the scum’s dirty secrets that he had tried to hide, laying them out for everyone to see.
She did not care about idle gossip—in fact, when she was in the mood, she could munch on melon seeds and enjoy it as entertainment.
Shen Gui, on the other hand, probably could not take it. His self-proclaimed earth-shaking true love had become the Capital City’s after-dinner chatter.
Thinking of something, she turned to A Ying. “Don’t call me Madam anymore. Call me Miss.”
Then she gave a seemingly strong but lost smile, revealing a sense of relief. “Anyway, the Marquis and I probably have no fate in this lifetime.”
“Yes, Mad— ”
A Ying’s habitual address reached her lips, but she quickly corrected herself. “Yes, Miss. This servant understands.”
Night deepened. This house backed right onto the flower and willow alleys.
Even after nightfall, the sounds of decadent silk strings and singing drifted in. Occasionally, the rumble of carriage wheels and drunken scoldings came through the courtyard walls.
At first, A Ying had tactfully advised her that though it was under the emperor’s feet, accidents could still happen. She should think it over again.
Xin Yi said it was fine—someone would guard them at night. If she was still worried, they could hire some guards.
The little maidservant, unable to dissuade her, obediently went with the matrons and stewards to the market to select suitable guards.
In the end, they settled on four who looked honest and reliable, with known backgrounds.
After the hour of Hai passed and everyone had gone to sleep, the courtyard fell into deep, silent darkness.
Only then did Xin Yi pick up a small lamp and step out of her room.
She knew a certain fool had been silently guarding the place here for several nights.
Of course, it was not she who discovered it—the Melodramatic Transmigration System had told her.
When she approached that dim corner near the courtyard gate, lantern in hand, the youth’s figure suddenly stiffened.
Then he lowered his harmless lashes and called out very obediently, “…Sister-in-law.”
Xin Yi looked at him. Her refined face showed no smile. “How long have you been staying here? Why didn’t you tell me?”
The youth thought she was angry. After a slight daze, his eyes reddened. “Sorry, I-I didn’t mean to spy on you on purpose. I was just a little worried.”
Though he had spied a bit—spied on her sleeping, behind the incense screen, her raven hair like a waterfall veiling her delicate closed eyes and brows.
Xin Yi looked at the youth before her and sighed helplessly. “You could have just told me directly. I could have prepared a bed for you, or at worst a mat on the floor.”
“Better than you sleeping on the roof these past nights. Don’t you feel cold?”
She took two steps closer and frowned as she asked, “How are your wounds?”
Shen Ru Jie’s heart warmed. His narrow phoenix eyes held a smile as he nodded gently at her. “Much better. I’ve been injured often before—this time isn’t severe.”
Most importantly, he could see Xin Yi and talk to her.
Hearing this, Xin Yi relaxed a little.
Then, as if remembering something, she lifted her gaze casually. “The day before yesterday, I specially had A Ying buy a jar of Osmanthus Wine from the street.”
Shen Ru Jie understood and fell silent for a moment.
But he did not seem entirely approving. A hint of hesitation and concern floated in his eyes. “Sister-in-law wants to drink? But… your health isn’t good. You shouldn’t drink alcohol.”
Xin Yi nodded and gripped his wrist in a somewhat coquettish manner. “I want to. Ah Jie, drink with me. Don’t worry—my tolerance is poor. I can’t drink much.”
Moreover, after drinking, she could borrow the alcohol’s courage to say some outrageous words—flirt without taking responsibility.
In the end, Xin Yi still pulled the youth into her room and opened that jar of Osmanthus Wine.
At first, she was very proper, sitting upright, sipping small mouthfuls from the cup of Osmanthus Wine.
After two cups, her eyes grew misty, and her little face flushed pink.
She leaned closer and closer to him, her words becoming more and more numerous.
Of course, most were complaints about her emotional wounds—how she had admired the Marquis since her boudoir days, how she had married into the marquis manor full of joy and been his wife for two years.
She had thought they would grow old together, but in the end, he had spurned and betrayed her, even saying such cold and hurtful words. She would never forgive him again.
By the end, she was thoroughly drunk, weakly slumping over the table, pillowing her head on her arms as she tearfully grieved.
The lamplight flickered at the corner of her tear-wet eyes, tinged with a thin drunken blush, making the young man’s heart race even faster.
She probably knew it too.
Her face only grew more beautiful the more fragile it appeared.
Moments after Xin Yi feigned drunken crying, Shen Ru Jie could no longer hold back. He drew close, gently extended his knuckles by the candlelight, and brushed away the strands of ink-black hair stuck to her face from the tears.
Then he cradled her face, caressing it devoutly and obsessively. “Sister-in-law, you need a little dog.”
“Ah Jie is willing to be your little dog.”