Xiao Xuanyi’s newly taken-in secondary consort was pregnant.
It happened to be the third anniversary of our wedding, and he brought the woman back to the marquis’s residence.
In a calm voice, he instructed me, “Yun Ning is delicate and fussy about food. From now on, her meals must be different every day.”
“She’s easily startled at night and needs someone to keep her company and comfort her. Make room for her in the main western wing and move to the eastern courtyard.”
I said nothing. I simply picked up the small bundle I had prepared long ago and walked calmly toward the hanging-flower gate.
The old steward hesitated, seeming to want to comfort me.
But the marquis let out a scornful laugh. “Let her make a fuss. In three days, she’ll come back in tears and beg me to take her in.”
At his words, the maids and servants around us all covered their mouths and laughed quietly.
Right in front of me, they whispered among themselves, betting I wouldn’t make it through the night before returning in despair to beg for the marquis’s mercy.
But none of them knew that the carriage sent by Chu Ciyuan had already been waiting outside the side gate for quite some time.
This time, I was determined to leave and sever the ill-fated bond of these three years.
…
