Liu Xiyin immediately sat up and honestly explained,
“Someone was following me on my way back to the Liu family. Father’s adjutant searched him and found that roll of film.”
“Then why was it on you?”
Liu Xiyin secretly glanced at him.
“Speak.”
His expression remained cold, with not the slightest trace of romance in his eyes.
So…
Everything that had just happened was simply an excuse to search her.
Now that he’d found something, he was interrogating her like a criminal.
Not daring to hide anything, Liu Xiyin confessed,
“I was afraid Father wouldn’t stand up for me, so… I secretly kept one roll, hoping to find an opportunity to develop it myself.”
What had Liu Xiyin done wrong?
She already knew her future fate was to become fish food.
Of course she had to be cautious.
Who knew what hidden danger might already be following her, quietly planting a deadly trap?
Unfortunately, after returning to the Liu family, she’d never found the chance to develop the film.
That was why it had ended up in the great villain’s hands.
“You’d better make sure every word you’ve said is true.”
Liu Xiyin immediately raised both hands to swear.
“If I’m lying, may lightning strike me, and may I be sent to the eighteenth level of Hell!”
Honestly…
Even Hell sounded better than remaining cannon fodder inside this novel.
Yan Changye snorted.
“Then why were you hiding just now?”
“…”
Liu Xiyin answered truthfully.
“You hadn’t taken a bath…”
Even if they were going to consummate the marriage…
Basic hygiene mattered, didn’t it?
A girl raised inside research laboratories simply couldn’t compromise on that principle.
“…”
Yan Changye stood up from the bed.
“If I discover you’ve lied to me…”
He lifted her chin.
“Young Madam…”
“I’ll make sure you never get another chance to bathe.”
After straightening his military uniform, he left behind one final sentence.
“Tomorrow you’ll accompany me to pay respects with tea.”
“Stay here until dawn.”
Then he turned and left.
Hearing the bedroom door close, Liu Xiyin collapsed weakly onto the bed.
Her life really was miserable.
She’d only read one novel.
Did she really deserve to end up like this?
She lay motionless for a long time.
Only when a maid knocked on the door did she finally stir.
“Young Madam, the Young Marshal has sent us to change your bedding.”
Ahhh!
No matter how miserable life was…
At least she’d survived for now.
She still hadn’t bathed.
She could finally sleep peacefully.
Liu Xiyin instantly jumped to her feet and opened the door.
Two maids entered.
One changed the bedding.
The other prepared a bath and attended to her while she washed.
Western-style bathrooms had already made their way into the country.
Liu Xiyin soaked happily in a hot bath before rolling into the warm, freshly changed bed.
As for tomorrow…
She’d worry about it tomorrow.
Who knew?
Maybe if she died, she’d wake up back in her own world.
For now…
Sleep.
Giving up on overthinking, Liu Xiyin closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Yan Changye went straight to his study.
His chief adjutant had already been waiting for him.
“Young Marshal.”
The adjutant, Zhao Yuan, clicked his heels together and saluted.
Yan Changye handed him the roll of film.
“Develop it before dawn.”
“I want you watching the entire process yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then Zhao Yuan added,
“The prisoner confessed.”
“He has signed and left his fingerprint.”
“He admitted that the Second Young Master was the one behind everything.”
Yan Changye had joined the army at twelve years old.
He started as an ordinary soldier and spent the next twelve years expanding territory on distant battlefields.
Unfortunately, Marshal Yan greatly favored the Second Concubine.
Her son, the Second Young Master, Yan Changzhuo, had enjoyed preferential treatment since childhood.
Not only was he allowed to attend military academy, but immediately after graduation he entered the military government and became Marshal Yan’s trusted right-hand man.
For reasons known only to himself, Marshal Yan had still named Yan Changye the Young Marshal.
Yet over the years, people only knew of the Second Young Master.
Few truly recognized the Young Marshal.
Most loyalties had already been won over by Yan Changzhuo.
Everyone knew that once Yan Changye returned…
A struggle between the two brothers was inevitable.
So the Second Young Master had no intention of allowing him to come back alive.
He arranged an ambush along the way.
Yan Changye should have arrived in Ancheng the day before the wedding.
Instead, he narrowly escaped death.
That was why he returned to the city a day late.
Since he was already delayed, he didn’t bother going straight to the Marshal’s Mansion.
Instead, he personally interrogated the captured assassin.
Then, that very evening…
His bride became involved in another incident.
Again…
It involved people connected to the Second Concubine.
They were openly slapping Yan Changye in the face.
So he went directly from the prison to the Marshal’s Mansion.
He wanted to see exactly who dared touch someone under his protection.
The assassin at the prison had been left in Zhao Yuan’s hands for further interrogation.
Zhao Yuan offered him the signed confession.
Yan Changye didn’t even take it.
“We can’t move against him yet.”
“Keep it.”
The Second Young Master, Yan Changzhuo, had deep roots throughout Ancheng.
Even if Yan Changye had died…
This confession alone still wouldn’t be enough to bring him down.
Yan Changye sat behind his desk.
“Bring me another copy of everything we have on Young Madam.”
“Huh?”
Zhao Yuan froze.
He had heard that the Young Marshal had brought back the country-born Young Madam.
He’d assumed it was simply because circumstances at the Marshal’s Mansion had forced him to do so.
He never expected the Young Marshal to suddenly request her file.
Previously, when Marshal Yan had sent one copy to the military camp, Yan Changye had merely glanced at it before tossing it aside.
Finding it now would take some effort.
Yan Changye looked up.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, sir.”
“I’ll retrieve it immediately.”
Zhao Yuan hurried out.
Yan Changye opened the bottom drawer of an organized bookshelf and took out a signed marriage contract.
He unfolded it.
His eyes settled on the neat, elegant signature in the lower-right corner.
Liu Xiyin.
Yan Changye looked at the name for a long moment.
So…
That was his bride’s name.
This time…
He remembered it.