Finally free to breathe elsewhere, Qi Yue gasped for air.

"Chang Yunchang, don't make me look down on you," she called out fiercely.

There was no struggle, no lunge like last time; she remained perfectly still, seemingly resigned to the man's advances.

Chang Yunchang stopped, his own breathing still ragged.

The half-drawn curtain cast the space into dim light; at such close range, it was impossible to make out the other's features.

"What is it now?" he asked in a husky whisper.

"What do you mean, what is it now? What in the hell are you doing?" Qi Yue snapped, biting her lower lip.

This action sent a fresh surge of blood rushing through Chang Yunchang; he couldn't help but tighten his grip on the slender waist beneath him.

"Nonsense. Naturally, it's what husband and wife should be doing," he growled.

"What husband and wife should be doing? What do you think we have to do with that?" Qi Yue growled back. "Get up. Don't make me despise you."

With those words spoken, Chang Yunchang’s ** subsided.

"Are you done making a scene?" he demanded, suppressing a sudden, unprovoked anger. "Haven't you had enough?"

"Who’s making a scene with you?" Qi Yue shot back. "If someone slaps you a few times and humiliates you however they please, are you going to cheerfully go on a sweet courtship with them? You can be pathetic all you want, but I, for one, am not that cheap!"

Chang Yunchang rose in fury.

"What are you implying?" he demanded.

"I'm implying nothing," Qi Yue sat up, smoothing her disheveled garments. "Just stating facts."

"The fact is, you and I are husband and wife!" Chang Yunchang bit out, teeth clenched.

"Only when it comes to that kind of thing, do you remember we're husband and wife?" Qi Yue scoffed, looking at him.

"Qi Yueliang!" Chang Yunchang strode forward, grasping her jaw, and cried out her name through gritted teeth.

Qi Yue held her head high, her expression shadowed under the lamplight, her eyes filled with contempt, disdain, and rage.

For a moment, their eyes locked.

Chang Yunchang released his grip and sat down beside her.

"Yueliang," he called, his voice softening. "Can we stop this fuss?"

Qi Yue sighed.

"Chang Yunchang, I truly am not making a fuss," she said, her voice also relaxing slightly.

This truly wasn't about making a fuss; it was about... it was about... something completely impossible!

Chang Yunchang looked at her and reached out to take her hand.

Qi Yue’s body instantly stiffened, instinctively wanting to pull away, but Chang Yunchang held fast.

This side of the man... she was truly unaccustomed to it; it only made her feel uncomfortable all over...

If he had been shouting, cursing, or hitting her, it would have been easier to bear.

This... this was just too strange.

"Yueliang, what happened in the past is past. Whatever we say now won't change it. In the future, I promise it won't happen again," Chang Yunchang stated solemnly.

Qi Yue felt goosebumps rise all over her skin. She instinctively leaned back, staring at the man in surprise.

What did he just say? Had she misheard him?

"You say it's past and it's over? If you nail a peg into a fence, pull it out, does the fence instantly become whole again? Offering a sweet treat after a slap—only a child accepts that! Moreover, we've had so many slaps already..." she said, turning her gaze away.

The man beside her fell silent for a moment.

"Then what do you want to do?" he asked softly.

"Let's part ways amicably. A divorce," Qi Yue said quickly, turning back to face him.

The moment the words left her mouth, Chang Yunchang's face darkened instantly, and Qi Yue felt a sharp pain as his grip tightened on her hand.

She cried out in pain.

Chang Yunchang flung her hand away and stood up, walking out. The sound of the door opening and closing in the dark night was unusually loud.

Silence returned to the room. Qi Yue sat on the ** bed, her mind a confusing mess.

Did this man... actually intend to spend the rest of his life with Qi Yueliang?

Of course, the sentence was flawed; they were already married, but hadn't he always wanted to divorce her?

Did he change his mind again?

Could he have genuinely fallen for this Qi Yueliang?

If so, she was doomed...

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Yue tossed and turned, unable to sleep, when she heard the door softly creak open.

Given that they were at another post station surrounded by guards, only Chang Yunchang could enter this room so easily.

Qi Yue instinctively clenched the lapels of her clothes.

The footsteps didn't approach; the lamp burning in the outer section of the room was extinguished, and then she heard the rustling sound of bedding being laid out. Through the thin curtain, catching the light from the outer lantern, she saw the man lie down on the small ** near the door, facing away from her.

Qi Yue let out a quiet breath and closed her eyes.

The next day when they set off, the change between the Heir and the Young Mistress immediately attracted attention.

"The Heir is riding a horse?" Rao Yufang murmured, slightly lifting a window curtain.

The woman beside her quickly leaned over to look.

Chang Yunchang, wrapped in a heavy cloak, spurred his horse forward, soon reaching the front of the procession and disappearing from their sight.

"Were you bored sitting in the carriage?" the woman commented. "The Heir is a military man; riding a carriage must be uncomfortable for him."

Bored? Or perhaps, the person sitting with him was bored?

Rao Yufang looked towards the carriage ahead again; she thought she had seen the Young Mistress's expression sour when boarding earlier.

Her aunt mentioned that the Young Mistress wasn't supposed to be traveling with them this time; it seemed she insisted on coming. The Heir must finally be fed up...

They traveled swiftly. During a stop to change clothes, Rao Yufang intended to observe them again, but neither Chang Yunchang nor Qi Yue allowed anyone near, resulting in nothing. However, this only solidified Rao Yufang's suspicion: something had definitely transpired between the two last night, and it hadn't been pleasant.

The convoy entered the city of Shanning Prefecture by afternoon. The Xie family had received word from the advance scouts and sent people to meet them.

To Rao Yufang's disappointment, Chang Yunchang only ordered his trusted personal guards to escort her to the post station; he never reappeared or offered a polite word, instead heading straight off with the Xie family representatives. There was certainly no invitation for her to join them at the Xie residence.

Rao Yufang lifted the carriage curtain to look back at the departing convoy. The man on the tall horse was surrounded by an entourage.

Still, it shouldn't take long before they meet again.

The next time they meet, she will stand proudly and upright right by his side.

A faint smile touched Rao Yufang's lips as she let the curtain fall.

The Xie family of Shanning Prefecture boasted two Jinshi graduates since the founding of the New Dynasty; Jinshi Jidi banners stood before their gate, proclaiming their noble and pristine lineage.

Qi Yue remained in the carriage until they reached the inner quarters before stopping.

When A'ru helped her disembark, surprisingly, only four or five female servants were waiting.

This scene made the servants who had followed Qi Yue from the Dingxi Marquis Residence look deeply displeased. Although the Xie family had slapped Qi Yue, they felt the sting on their own faces.

Perhaps unsettled by Chang Yunchang's strange behavior the other day, Qi Yue felt a sense of relief upon seeing how the Xie family treated her—it felt much more natural.

After all, everyone knew that if someone who deeply disliked you suddenly became overly kind, it was far more terrifying. Compared to hypocrites, a true villain was almost preferable.

Qi Yue followed the servant women inside.

"The Young Mistress has endured a long journey; she should rest well," the servant said.

"Thank you," Qi Yue replied.

A'ru frowned.

"Shouldn't we pay respects to the Old Madam first?" she suggested.

The servant glanced back at her, a mocking smile lingering in her eyes.

"No need. The Old Madam instructed that the Young Mistress rest well. She is elderly and her energy is low, so she won't be receiving many visitors today," the servant chuckled.

There were only two guests in total—her maternal grandson and his wife... Even the servants from the Dingxi Marquis Residence couldn't stomach that; they looked at the Young Mistress with concern.

Qi Yue merely murmured an "Oh," her expression relaxed and cheerful. She had been dragged here by Chang Yunchang specifically to see this Old Madam. What could she possibly diagnose? It was better not to see her, saving her the awkwardness of speaking what might not be understood.

This was the first time the Xie family had seen the Dingxi Marquis Residence's Young Mistress. Back when the marriage took place, to show their displeasure, Old Madam Xie had refused to let any female relative from the Xie family attend the wedding.

Due to the Old Madam's aversion, no one mentioned the Young Mistress in daily life; if they hadn't seen her in person today, they might have forgotten she even existed.

She is truly beautiful...

But, weren't they saying she was near death? Why did her complexion look quite good, apart from the faint dark circles under her eyes?

As they reached the entrance of a room, a maid's voice called from behind.

"Young Mistress." Two maids hurried over and bowed to Qi Yue, whose status was immediately recognizable among the group. "The Heir requests your presence to see the Old Madam."

At this announcement, everyone present froze.

"But, the Old Madam instructed the Young Mistress to rest first..." the servant quickly said, fearing the maid might have misunderstood the message.

"The Heir is with the Old Madam and just requested the Young Mistress join them," the maid stated, a flicker of helplessness in her eyes.

It seemed Chang Yunchang wanted her to go.

Qi Yue understood. After a moment of hesitation, she decided against it. Since he had asked, she shouldn't let his words fall flat, and besides, filial piety mattered.

She nodded, said "Alright," and proceeded forward.

Watching the original group backtrack, the leading servants looked helpless and somewhat embarrassed.

What was this supposed to be? They brought the visitor on a tour, expecting to see her awkward, only to end up being the ones feeling embarrassed.

The layout here resembled the Dingxi Marquis Residence, just on a smaller scale, but it didn't feel cramped; the buildings were interspersed pleasingly, dotted with red blossoms and green willows.

Along the way, any maid or servant who saw their party stopped abruptly, gazing at them with surprise and curiosity. They continued this until they reached the Old Madam's courtyard, where the maid who drew back the curtain to announce them couldn't help but take an extra look at her.

Stepping into the room, a warm fragrance greeted them, and the floor beneath their feet was softly covered with a carpet.

Unexpectedly, there weren't many people inside. Besides an elderly woman with silver hair seated on the main cushion, only Chang Yunchang was seated. All others standing were maids and servants.

"This is Maternal Grandmother," Chang Yunchang said.

Then a maid brought over a kneeling cushion and placed it down.

Qi Yue hesitated for a moment, then decided to treat it as a gesture of respect for her elders.

She knelt, kowtowed, and called out, "Maternal Grandmother."

There was no response, and naturally, no one told her to rise.

Doing this deliberately? Qi Yue lifted her head. The Old Madam on the seat had closed her eyes at some point, tilting her head as if asleep.

This is too tedious!

Qi Yue pouted and shook her head. I respect your age, but that doesn't mean I will indulge your age. She was about to stand up.

"Rise," Chang Yunchang spoke.

Unexpectedly, he spoke before the elder, causing Qi Yue’s movement to pause. The old woman on the seat also opened her eyes. Compared to Qi Yue’s slight surprise, her gaze held distinct displeasure. (To be continued)