Gu Yan’s face darkened. “Divorce?”
Yun Xiangye replied, “Yes, divorce. Nuonuo will take my surname and be a daughter of the Yun family. Since you come from such wealth, I’m sure you won’t lack children in the future. Nuonuo will stay with me.”
Yun Xiangye’s parents had passed away early, leaving only her and her younger sister. Before marrying Gu Yan for good luck, she had already discussed with Gu Yan’s uncle that regardless of whether their first child was a boy or a girl, it would bear the Yun surname. Nuonuo was thus a child of the Yun family.
Gu Yan’s face turned ashen. “How have I wronged you? Why would you bring up divorce just as we’re about to reach Chang’an?”
Yun Xiangye said, “I didn’t know before that you were the son of the Princess Royal and the Prime Minister. The threshold of your family is simply too high. Nuonuo and I come from humble origins and truly cannot enter such a grand mansion.”
Gu Yan looked displeased. “You are my wife, and Nuonuo is my daughter. How can you speak of humble origins?”
Yun Xiangye raised her voice. “If you don’t think my origins are humble, then why have you kept your identity from me for nearly three years of marriage? Have you ever truly regarded me as your wife? How could you not tell me something so important?”
Gu Yan frowned slightly. “You married me, not my parents. Isn’t it enough that you know me? What does my background have to do with anything?”
Yun Xiangye found this laughable and said angrily, “How could it not matter? Unless, in your heart, your parents are not my parents—only then would it be irrelevant!”
“Mother.”
Nuonuo, seeing her parents argue for the first time, fearfully threw herself into Yun Xiangye’s arms. “Mother.”
Yun Xiangye’s brows furrowed tightly. She picked up Nuonuo and went outside the cabin, unwilling to argue with Gu Yan in front of their daughter. However, Gu Yan’s background was something she found difficult to accept at the moment.
If Gu Yan had told her earlier, she could have prepared herself sooner and learned the rules of the princess’s mansion in advance. Yet Gu Yan had only now revealed his illustrious origins to her.
Gu Yan had married her back then only because his severe illness left him with no choice but to seek a marriage for good luck. Deep down, he didn’t truly care about her, which was why he was so indifferent to her situation in her in-laws’ home.
Gu Yan stepped outside and looked at Yun Xiangye on the deck. “If I looked down on your humble origins, why would I have consummated our marriage? Don’t overthink it. My parents are very kind people; they won’t look down on you either. The threshold of our home isn’t actually that high—you can step over it with one foot.”
“If you feel the threshold is too high to cross, I’ll carry you over it.”
Hearing Gu Yan’s words, Yun Xiangye looked into his eyes, unable to hide her frustration. “Why didn’t you tell me about your identity earlier?”
“What difference does it make whether I tell you earlier or later?” Gu Yan said.
Yun Xiangye frowned. “How could it be the same?”
“Mother, Father.”
Seeing her young daughter’s fearful expression, Yun Xiangye stopped arguing with Gu Yan and simply let out a long sigh.
The boat gradually moved westward. In the distance, the surrounding city walls were already visible. They were only two or three hours away from the Chang’an city docks.
Gu Yan had waited until today to tell her about his background. He truly didn’t value her and didn’t regard her as his wife…
The sun rose higher and higher in the east. Yun Xiangye asked her maid, Arun, to help her with her makeup.
Gazing at her reflection in the dressing mirror, Yun Xiangye put on her few hair ornaments.
Yun Xiangye stared at her own reflection in the bronze mirror, unable to hide the anger in her eyes. Gu Yan treated her with such disregard—she wondered how she would manage her days in Chang’an.
She instructed Run’er to guard the cabin door while she carefully sewed five hundred-tael silver notes into her clothing. These five hundred taels represented all her savings.
If Gu Yan truly betrayed her, and life in Chang’an became unbearable, she could take her savings and return to the embroidery workshop in Yongxing City. There, she and her daughter could at least secure food and warmth without much difficulty.
After hiding the silver, Yun Xiangye felt the boat gradually slow down.
Around them, the voices of trackers chanting work songs could be heard.
Yun Xiangye stepped out onto the deck and gazed into the distance—they had arrived at Chang’an.
Gu Yan looked toward the crowd on the distant dock and said softly to the child in his arms, “Nuonuo, we’re home.”
Yun Xiangye also peered toward the dock, where many luxurious and ornate carriages were parked.
Gu Yan turned back and, seeing Yun Xiangye with her hair neatly combed, gave a faint smile. “We’re home.”
As Yun Xiangye followed Gu Yan off the boat and onto the dock, she saw a girl of about fourteen or fifteen running toward Gu Yan.
The young girl immediately took Nuonuo from Gu Yan’s arms. “Little Nuonuo? You must be Nuonuo! I’m your aunt!”
Gu Yan turned to Yun Xiangye beside him. “This is my younger sister, Jingyu. She’s sixteen this year.”
Gu Jingyu, holding the little child in her arms, looked up to examine Yun Xiangye’s appearance, then curtsied respectfully. “Sister-in-law.”
Yun Xiangye glanced at Gu Yan. He had never mentioned having a sister, and she hadn’t prepared any gifts. She could only reply empty-handed, “Sister.”
“Cousin.”
A gentle voice called out as a woman dressed in a silver fox fur coat approached from behind Gu Jingyu.
“Cousin, you’ve finally returned.”
Yun Xiangye looked over. The approaching woman had delicate features, rosy lips, pearly teeth, and skin as fair as jade, carrying an air of nobility. Since she addressed Gu Yan as “cousin,” she must be a noble young lady from a wealthy family.
Gu Yan nodded to the approaching woman. “Cousin Wei.”
Wei Nian looked at Yun Xiangye’s attire and appearance beside Gu Yan, her face showing surprise before breaking into a smile. “This must be Miss Yun?”
Yun Xiangye found the woman’s words amusing. This cousin addressed Gu Yan as “cousin” but called her “Miss Yun” instead of “cousin-in-law”?
“Yan’er!”
A beautifully dressed noblewoman approached from beside the carriage.
Gu Yan hurried forward and knelt before the woman in brocade robes. “Mother, your unfilial son has returned after three years apart.”
Yun Xiangye looked toward Princess Shengzhao. She had seen the Princess Royal once as a child and remembered her as exceptionally beautiful. Now, over a decade later, time seemed to have left few marks on Princess Shengzhao.
In her early forties, Princess Shengzhao still looked as if she were in her thirties, stunningly beautiful, almost like an older sister to Gu Yan.
The man beside the Princess Royal wore a purple robe and was also extremely handsome, appearing to be in his early thirties…
Princess Shengzhao helped Gu Yan to his feet and held his hand. “It’s good that you’re back. After three years, you’ve finally returned.”
“Mother, Nuonuo was still too young before, and it wasn’t suitable for travel, so…”
Princess Shengzhao chuckled softly and said, “It’s true that children are too young for long journeys. By the way, where is Xiangye? Why don’t I see Xiangye?”
Princess Shengzhao looked behind Gu Yan, only to see Gu Jingyu holding a little girl in her arms, but there was no sign of her daughter-in-law.
Yun Xiangye was taken aback by the princess’s question. Had the princess not seen her?