The wind and snow were not particularly heavy today, but as Ji Hanyi stepped out of her room, she still felt a biting chill.
She pulled her fox-fur cloak tighter around her, gazing at the misty layer of snow on the glazed lamps—it was as hazy and uncertain as the path ahead of her.
Her mother-in-law, First Madam Lin, had also fallen ill over the past two days. People from the second and third branches of the family had all come to visit. By the time Ji Hanyi arrived, the heated room was already crowded.
Ji Hanyi entered, untied her cloak, and handed it to Rong Chun. A maid held back the curtain for her, and the lively sounds of pleasantries reached her ears. However, the room fell slightly quiet for a moment as everyone’s gaze landed on her.
Their expressions were indifferent—neither warm nor cold.
In the nearly three years since she had married into the family, the members of the Xie household had always looked at her this way. It was as if they had never truly accepted her as a daughter-in-law of the Xie family, making it impossible for her to feel close to them.
Ji Hanyi walked over as usual to pay her respects to First Madam Lin.
Lin Shi offered a few words of concern and asked about Ji Hanyi’s own illness before gesturing for her to take a seat to the side.
Another round of pleasantries followed. No one mentioned the snowy night she had been abandoned alone; they chose to turn a blind eye to it. Instead, they were all discussing Li Mingrou’s marriage prospects.
The Second Madam said, “We’ve picked through several families for Mingrou, but she’s been of age for a year now. Yuheng says he isn’t satisfied with any of them. I truly don’t know what kind of ideal husband he’s looking for to finally be pleased.”
A member of the third branch laughed and said, “Mingrou grew up under Yuheng’s watch. How could he let her suffer even the slightest grievance? Naturally, he has to choose carefully.”
One of the sisters-in-law then asked Li Mingrou, “Is there anyone in the Capital City you’ve taken a fancy to? As long as you like them, you could marry into almost any household.”
This was not an exaggeration. Li Mingrou’s father had once been the Prefect of Xuanzhou, a local official with a solid record of achievements.
However, during a plague in Xuanzhou years ago, her father had personally overseen the relief efforts only to contract the disease himself. Her mother also fell ill, and both passed away, leaving behind the young Li Mingrou and her younger brother, Li Mingqing.
Li Mingrou was only five at the time, and Li Mingqing was three. To prevent the family fortune from being seized by greedy relatives, Lin Shi had taken in the siblings left behind by her sister.
The Li family’s wealth was substantial, and the Imperial Court, moved by her father’s sacrifice, had bestowed many rewards. The Xie family naturally did not touch these assets; they were all held under the names of Li Mingrou and Li Mingqing.
Furthermore, according to their father’s final will, the family fortune was to be split equally between the siblings, and they were to support each other without conflict.
Thus, even though Li Mingrou was an orphan, her dowry was enormous—enough to ensure a life of luxury for several lifetimes. Moreover, because her father had died for the people, marrying her would bring not only a rich dowry but also a sterling reputation.
Only after marrying in did Ji Hanyi learn that if she hadn’t brought that marriage certificate years ago, everyone in the Xie household would have preferred a union between Xie Yuheng and Li Mingrou.
Hearing her sister-in-law’s words, Li Mingrou replied with a smile, “Brother Heng will choose for me.”
At that moment, Xie Yun, who was standing beside the Second Madam, asked curiously in a childish voice, “Doesn’t Big Brother like Cousin the most? Why can’t Cousin just marry Big Brother?”
Xie Yun was only four or five years old, the youngest child born to the Second Madam in her late thirties. It was merely the innocent babbling of a child, so no one took it to heart, though it did provoke a round of laughter.
When the laughter subsided, Lin Shi spoke up. “Yuheng is the most concerned about Mingrou’s marriage. No one else can make the decision for him.”
“He demands family status, character, looks, and talent. If even one thing is lacking, he isn’t satisfied.”
Lin Shi sighed. “This child… he has protected Mingrou since they were small. He can’t bear to let her suffer even a bit of a grievance.”
As Lin Shi spoke, her eyes were full of regret. She held Li Mingrou’s hand tightly, and everyone in the hall could clearly see exactly what that regret was about.
Lin Shi sighed again, patting Li Mingrou’s hand. “It’s been hard on you.”
“You are such a wonderful child.”
That melancholy tone and the remark about it being “hard on her”—no one failed to understand the meaning behind them.
Those intentional and unintentional looks fell upon Ji Hanyi, but she merely offered a faint smile. The Xie family’s reputation as a family of scholars was, it seemed, nothing more than this.
Li Mingrou’s sweet yet slightly forlorn voice rang out again: “Mingrou doesn’t feel wronged at all.”
When the gathering dispersed, Ji Hanyi was asked to stay behind by Lin Shi. Lin Shi was a noblewoman accustomed to a life of luxury; her every move was gentle and proper, and she spoke in a slow, soft voice.
Even though she was ill, she still leaned regally against the heated couch. Having managed the household’s affairs for many years, she carried an air of authority.
Her gaze toward Ji Hanyi had never been one of affection. Now, that gaze had gradually turned into one of frustrated disappointment.
In the past, she would always say that without that marriage certificate, Xie Yuheng could have married a daughter from a high-ranking family who could have aided his career. She seemed to have forgotten how this marriage had been settled in the first place.
Lin Shi frowned at Ji Hanyi. “You’ve been married for nearly three years, yet there hasn’t been a stir in your belly. Yuheng doesn’t like you, but don’t you know how to keep him with you at night?”
“Don’t you know how to find ways to please him?”
“If you continue like this, when will I ever get to hold a grandson?”
Lin Shi’s words were laced with exhaustion and severity, stopping just short of calling her incompetent.
They all understood how much Xie Yuheng disliked her. They all understood that the person Xie Yuheng loved was Li Mingrou. Yet, they still chose to make things difficult for her, demanding to know why she didn’t have his favor.
But Ji Hanyi didn’t say these things out loud. She had made her choice; she was the one who had come to Xie Yuheng with the marriage certificate.
She had no defense.
Seeing that Ji Hanyi remained silent, Lin Shi rubbed her temples in frustration. “If you truly don’t know how to win Yuheng’s heart, then go and ask Mingrou.”
“Learn from her how she gets along with Yuheng.”
When Ji Hanyi withdrew from Lin Shi’s presence, Li Mingrou was waiting outside.
Seeing Ji Hanyi come out, she approached with a smile and took her arm, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Do you know why Brother Heng is so reluctant to see me married off?”
Ji Hanyi met Li Mingrou’s gaze.
Li Mingrou leaned in closer, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Because Brother Heng can’t bear to let me go.”
“Did you know? That night when Brother Heng brought me back, he was so worried about me. He’s been having people send tonics and warming remedies to my room every day, afraid that my health might suffer even slightly.”
“I heard you coughing just now. Has Brother Heng cared for you even once? Has he sent you medicine? I expect you even had to call the physician yourself. I find you truly pitiable.”
“No matter how desperately you cling to this position, Brother Heng will never love you. If I were you, if I had any sense of shame, I wouldn’t force myself on someone who doesn’t want me.”
Ji Hanyi’s footsteps faltered.
She had understood long ago that Xie Yuheng wasn’t cold to everyone, nor was he incapable of being caring.
He knew that staying out in the cold night would be freezing and lead to illness. It was simply that the only person he cared about was Li Mingrou.
A cold wind blew past. Ji Hanyi looked at Li Mingrou, her posture remaining composed and her gaze cold. “To speak of shame, one must first possess it. Anyone with a shred of decency wouldn’t be pining for another woman’s husband.”
“My marriage is legitimate and proper. Was your move into the Xie household legitimate?”
“If you two truly adored each other so much, why didn’t you come to the Ji family earlier to discuss breaking the engagement? Why wait until now to ruin me?”
“Though the Ji family’s status is no longer what it was, if the Xie family had come to break the engagement back then, my father would have agreed without a second thought.”
“He didn’t come to break it then—is it because he didn’t love you enough?”