After shouting those words, Marshal Yan didn’t wait to see Song Meier’s or Yan Changrou’s reactions.
He kicked his chair aside and stormed out.
[Long live the Marshal! The bandit personality never disappoints! He can casually scold someone for “daydreaming about men” without the slightest hesitation.]
Liu Xiyin innocently watched Yan Changrou’s deathly pale face and Song Meier’s furious expression.
It was obvious Song Meier had never known about Yan Changrou’s secret relationship.
The anger on her face now came entirely from realizing she’d been deceived. Even her carefully painted eyebrows looked ready to stand upright.
[So this time, will Yan Changrou sacrifice her own mother first… or will her mother end up saving her life first? Stay tuned!]
[Oh, wait. The male lead’s royal uncle hasn’t arrived in Ancheng yet. Yan Changrou probably won’t be able to offer her mother to him just yet.]
[Ah, I’m such a good person. I just saved two people at once.]
While happily awarding herself the title of “good person,” Liu Xiyin stood up from the main table.
Since Marshal Yan had already left, everyone else naturally began leaving as well.
The other concubines and children exchanged meaningful glances toward Song Meier and Yan Changrou before quietly filing out.
Qin Wan said to Liu Xiyin,
“Ayin, come with Mother.”
She then turned to Yan Changye.
“Aye, go make sure the return gifts have all been loaded onto the car. Don’t leave anything behind.”
“I understand, Mother.”
Liu Xiyin knew Qin Wan wanted to speak with her privately, so she obediently followed.
After leaving the dining hall, Qin Wan removed a jade hairpin from her own hair and gently placed it into Liu Xiyin’s.
“The birthday gifts we sent to the Liu family over the years… I was the one who prepared them. They had nothing to do with Aye.”
She was worried Liu Xiyin had misunderstood Yan Changrou’s earlier remarks and believed Yan Changye had been deeply in love with Liu Mingyue.
Liu Xiyin touched the hairpin and lowered her eyes.
“It’s all right, Mother. I only just returned. Originally… this marriage really did belong to my sister.”
For sixteen years…
Liu Mingyue had been the Liu family’s treasured daughter…
…and the Yan family’s future eldest daughter-in-law.
Whether it was Qin Wan or Yan Changye, treating Liu Mingyue well had been perfectly natural.
What respectable in-laws would ignore the daughter they had long intended to marry into the family?
So in the original novel…
When Liu Mingyue suddenly discovered she wasn’t the biological daughter and had to surrender her marriage, Liu Xiyin could understand why she completely broke down.
As for Yan Changye…
The original novel’s male lead had certainly been jealous of him.
After all, the heroine had nearly married Yan Changye.
For the first sixteen years of her life—even after meeting the male lead—Liu Mingyue still couldn’t completely forget Yan Changye.
But Yan Changye already had those deputy brothers…
Besides, when he was sent to the front at twelve years old, Liu Mingyue had only been four.
He’d never harbored romantic feelings toward her.
Even after they met again later…
He had merely remained courteous.
Well…
Except for helping her twice.
Which only created even greater misunderstandings between the male and female leads.
As for Liu Xiyin…
Jealousy was completely impossible.
If Marshal Yan hadn’t threatened both her and the Liu family with a gun…
She would have happily let Liu Mingyue complete this marriage instead.
Then the great villain and the male lead could fight each other instead of tormenting her.
He actually suspected me of being a spy just because I almost slipped.
Hmph. What an ungrateful man.
He deserved to have his leg blown off.
As Yan Changye returned, those resentful complaints immediately entered his ears again.
Heh.
That only made him even less inclined to grant her the divorce she wanted.
After giving Yan Changye a few more reminders, Qin Wan finally let the couple leave.
The carriage house had already prepared their vehicles.
Seven or eight escort cars accompanied them, all loaded with return gifts.
Liu Xiyin climbed into the Lincoln with Yan Changye.
A great warlord really is wealthy…
Driving a luxury car in the Republican era.
Once again she pressed herself against the car door.
When she was alone with the great villain…
There wasn’t much to say.
As long as he didn’t suddenly grab her throat again, accuse her of being a spy, and threaten to kill her…
That was enough.
Yan Changye was equally content to ignore her.
Logically speaking…
They barely knew each other.
This distance suited him perfectly.
Halfway through the journey, however, Liu Xiyin suddenly spoke.
“If Young Marshal is busy investigating the bombing… I can return home by myself.”
Yan Changzhuo had already been barred from returning to the Marshal’s residence because of yesterday’s incident.
If Yan Changye delayed important military matters just to accompany her home…
What if it affected his future achievements?
She didn’t want that blamed on her.
Yan Changye raised an eyebrow.
“In your village… have you ever seen a husband who doesn’t accompany his wife on her return visit?”
Well…
She’d never seen a bride marry a rooster because her groom was absent either.
But she’d certainly read about such things.
In the original novel…
Yan Changye hadn’t accompanied the original Liu Xiyin home at all.
She smiled ingratiatingly.
“Of course you’re different from village husbands. I was only worried about delaying your military duties.”
Leaning back against the seat, Yan Changye replied indifferently,
“Why should I clean up someone else’s mess?”
“…”
Definitely the son of a bandit.
“Oh.”
Liu Xiyin shrank back into silence.
The Liu residence occupied prime land in Ancheng.
Its sprawling estate was a reward given after Old Master Liu had once taken a bullet for Marshal Yan.
It was also the dignity befitting the Marshal’s future in-laws.
Today was the couple’s return visit.
The entire Liu family had been waiting outside since early morning.
Liu Youcheng, director of military logistics, had even taken leave from work to personally welcome his son-in-law, the Young Marshal.
The convoy stopped one vehicle after another outside the Liu mansion.
Bai Manman’s expression was complicated.
The girl returning…
Was indeed her biological daughter.
That much was true.
Yet during the month since returning home…
This daughter had appeared timid, meek, and too frightened even to eat meals with the family.
But behind everyone’s backs…
She had repeatedly targeted Liu Mingyue.
Yes…
She was the Liu family’s true daughter.
But Liu Mingyue had been the child Bai Manman lovingly raised for sixteen years.
She had poured her heart into that girl.
How could she simply cast her aside after learning the truth?
She couldn’t bear it.
Nor would she ever do such a thing.
After discovering Liu Mingyue wasn’t their biological daughter…
The Liu family investigated how the babies had been switched.
Back then…
Bai Manman had given birth in Su City.
Enemy troops had suddenly entered the city, throwing the hospital into chaos.
In the confusion…
The wet nurse accidentally carried away the wrong infant.
Who could really be blamed?
Liu Mingyue had also suffered from being separated from her true parents.
The family had investigated further.
Her biological parents had already died during the war.
As for how Liu Xiyin ended up with another farming family…
Local villagers said her adoptive father, a country physician, had found her abandoned beside a river while returning home after treating patients.
How could they possibly have sent Liu Mingyue to live with that physician?
He wasn’t related to her.
Why would he raise her?
Besides…
None of this had been Liu Mingyue’s fault.
She had already endured enough.
Marshal Yan himself had publicly called her a “fake.”
She had lost the marriage she’d expected for sixteen years.
Bai Manman’s heart ached for her.
Why couldn’t Liu Xiyin understand that?
Children raised in the countryside…
Really were too narrow-minded.
Yet with Marshal Yan personally pressuring the Liu family, threatening both their gratitude toward him and Liu Youcheng’s reputation…
Neither Bai Manman nor anyone else in the Liu family dared mistreat Liu Xiyin.
Even so…
Watching her return hand in hand with the Young Marshal…
The very man who should have become Liu Mingyue’s husband…
Filled Bai Manman with bitterness.
Liu Mingyue herself did not come out to greet them.
She…
Yan Changye stepped out of the Lincoln.
He walked around the car and opened the door for Liu Xiyin.
Today he wore a dark blue military uniform.
Golden medals and braided cords gleamed brilliantly beneath the bright winter sky after the snowfall.
His already noble bearing seemed even colder and more refined.
This…
Had once been the man who completely captivated the heroine.
Too bad he’s gay.
Liu Xiyin placed her slender white hand into his large, calloused palm.
He firmly helped her out of the car.
She wore a light purple cross-collared jacket embroidered with morning glories over a deep blue satin horse-face skirt.
The colors perfectly complemented Yan Changye’s military uniform.
Her pearl-trimmed embroidered shoes landed gracefully on the meticulously swept ground before the Liu residence.
Everything about her looked elegant and refined.
No one would ever guess…
That she had actually grown up in the countryside.