Suiqiu and Zhao Chi listened to the young man’s vague and cryptic words, then both stepped aside. This was, in fact, their second meeting since that encounter at the post station.
From beginning to end, however, Yan Hui was nothing more than a pawn in this game. No one ever considered her situation.
“Isn’t this deliberate humiliation?” Yan Hui, though clear about the purpose of her coming here, also understood that in this world where women were treated as nothing, this man was in some sense her salvation—just like her uncle’s dark words when she left the imperial capital, “Ah Hui, as long as you can win your husband’s heart, no one in the northern lands will dare bully you.”
But her uncle had never said how one could possibly win the heart of a man so deeply rooted and far from the brutish figure she had imagined.
Yan Hui clearly sensed a subtle change in the man’s expression, yet she continued: “You and I both know the truth. You knew I was a fake, yet still brought me to Yuncheng—wasn’t it simply because you couldn’t explain things to the imperial family? And since you knew I was not the Wang family’s daughter, unable to resist the imperial household, you chose instead to vent the grievances your Li family suffered upon me. Tell me, is the Li family only capable of bullying a defenseless woman with no strength to bind a chicken?”
“Sharp-tongued,” Li Suyu murmured, a faint dark gleam flashing in his narrowed eyes.
Yan Hui’s red lips moved slightly, her clear eyes spreading with coldness, betraying no joy or anger: “The token has been returned today. Then, may I also immediately return to the capital?”
Zhao Chi, seeing that this seemingly delicate woman from the capital was not so easily deceived, grew nervous and looked toward Li Suyu, afraid the matter would escalate further.
“Miss Yan, you speak too harshly,” Li Suyu frowned, pondering her words deeply. His brows tightened like drawn blades. He had not expected that rushing here from the military camp would lead to such a situation. Clearly, the warning his grandmother had arranged had been directed at the wrong person.
“Since the Li family does not acknowledge me, nor is satisfied with me as a person, then…”
Li Suyu fixed his gaze on the mocking curve of Yan Hui’s brow and interrupted her: “It was the Li family who acted improperly. I will give you an explanation.”
Yan Hui’s brows tightened, but a faint smile flickered in her bright eyes. She bowed slightly, her tone distant: “Thank you, General Li, for your understanding.”
Zhao Chi was dumbfounded. That’s it? He felt as though all Yan Hui wanted was simply a word of explanation from his second brother.
Li Suyu looked at the girl in the dim light. A ray of golden brilliance fell upon the corner of her eyes, her dignified and noble bearing, her radiant beauty adding a touch of splendor to the otherwise dreary tavern.
“Miss Yan, you are too courteous.” Li Suyu’s gaze turned cold as he shifted his eyes away from her face, settling instead on her half-exposed wrist. The translucent white jade bracelet was truly rare.
Yan Hui noticed immediately and used her sleeve to cover her wrist.
The seemingly casual gesture, however, made both men grow cautious. Yan Hui felt that the man before her was even harder to deal with than she had imagined—after all, it is the silent dog that is most dangerous.
If Li Suyu had the same attitude as the rest of the Li family, she could have managed him more easily. But Li Suyu’s purpose was clearly different from Zhao Chi’s.
Li Suyu, on the other hand, thought Yan Hui neither resembled someone from the Wang family nor the Yan family he had investigated. Her every movement carried nobility, and everywhere there was a display of wealth. She did not seem like a woman fallen into such straits as to depend on others for shelter.
“After returning from the post station, I stayed in the military camp. Only today, upon learning you had arrived in Yun City, did I return,” Li Suyu said—implying that he had not known of Zhao Chi’s actions.
Yan Hui lowered her gaze.
Li Suyu’s manner was cold. After a slight nod, he turned and left.
Yan Hui listened to the heavy footsteps on the stairs, sensing the faint anger in him. Is he angry?
Zhao Chi apologized to Yan Hui several times before quickly leaving.
Suiqiu, seeing this, came to Yan Hui’s side: “Miss, is the Li family planning not to acknowledge you as their daughter-in-law? You were personally sent here to the northern frontier by the imperial household. Would the Li family dare defy an imperial decree?”
“It is precisely because they dare not defy it that they gave me such a harsh reception upon my arrival in Yuncheng. I can understand why the Li family did this. But understanding is one thing—trying to humiliate me is another.” Yan Hui, of course, could not return the token to the Li family. If she were foolish enough to do so, countless cruel words would surely follow.
“But wouldn’t entering the Li household be even harder this way?” Suiqiu frowned, recalling the schemes and treacheries within the Wang family’s inner residence, which made her shudder.
Yan Hui’s cold eyes flickered slightly. She turned and walked into the room without speaking.
After closing the door behind them, Suiqiu continued: “If the young master still does not cherish you, Miss, how will you live out the rest of your life?”
Yan Hui composed herself, sitting by the window. Her fingertips idly tapped the teacup on the table as she spoke calmly: “My arrival in Yuncheng has, in itself, brought humiliation to the Li family. I am a fake, and, naturally, the Li family does not accept me. But the imperial household is watching closely, expecting the Li family to hold a grand wedding. Only after I enter the Li household will I return to the capital. The Li family dares not harm me, but they resent that I occupy Li Suyu’s position as principal wife. In truth, both the Li family and I are the same—we each have a breath caught in our throats, unable to swallow or spit it out. Yet clearly, the Li family has chosen the wrong person to target. Once I enter the Li household, I will turn a blind eye to trivial matters.”
Yan Hui’s words were frank. Aside from claiming the title of principal wife bestowed by the imperial household, nothing else concerned her.
“Miss…” Suiqiu looked at Yan Hui’s indifference with pity. “Miss, your fate is truly bitter.”
Yan Hui’s red lips curved faintly. She turned her gaze to the window, where sunlight poured over the rows of black-tiled, yellow-walled houses. A glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes: “Yuncheng in the northern frontier is beautiful.”
Late afternoon.
Because the Li family was preparing for a grand wedding, the entire household was busy. Though displeased with the bride arranged by the imperial household, this was still the marriage of the Li family’s most cherished grandson. It could not be treated carelessly.
Li Suyu strode across the courtyard, his armor not yet removed, his brows sharp, his whole presence radiating a cold, aloof aura. As he entered the main hall, the noisy chatter instantly fell silent.
Everyone saw his cold, indifferent face, his dark eyes fixed directly on the Li family’s matriarch, Madam Jiang.
“Suyu has returned,” the old lady said with delight at her grandson’s arrival. But glancing at the young woman seated beside her, she looked troubled. “Second daughter-in-law, take them all out.”
A richly dressed woman rose, bowed, and left first. The other women seated followed suit.
The girl beside the matriarch also stood, intending to leave, but the old lady held her back: “Yun’er, sit down.”
Jiang Yun glanced shyly at the heroic man, lowering her head, but she did not sit.
“You should know what I want to say. Do you think hiding in the military camp means you can avoid this? Since the imperial household has forced a fake into the Li family as a wife, then our family has the right to choose a favored girl as a secondary wife. Yun’er is a fine girl, and you know it. This time, you will marry them both. Don’t say things that will chill my old heart. I only wish to see your line prosper. Beyond that, I will not interfere.”
The old lady declared firmly: “I want a granddaughter-in-law who satisfies me. Otherwise, I will die with my eyes unclosed.”
Li Suyu’s gaze grew colder. He looked steadily at Jiang Yun: “Leave.”
Startled by his icy tone, Jiang Yun lowered her eyes and, ignoring the matriarch, turned and left.
The old lady nearly choked with anger, pointing at Li Suyu: “You unfilial grandson, you—”
“Grandmother, was it you who sent Zhao Chi to retrieve the token?” Li Suyu asked, his voice heavy, as though something weighed on his chest.
“It was fake to begin with. Am I not allowed to take it back?” The old lady sat upright, no longer pretending. “What, did that girl complain to you?”
“Do you think the people you sent could retrieve the token?” Li Suyu’s eyes darkened, a faint smile on his lips. “Grandmother wanted to intimidate her, to make it known she was a fake, that the Li family would never acknowledge her as a wife, so others would retreat. And even if she entered the household, she would forever be forced into submission?”
The old lady’s expression hardened. “Zhao Chi is useless. He couldn’t even handle such a small matter.”
“Grandmother, I can only say this: the young lady from the capital is not what you imagine—merely a sheltered girl. If you continue to stir up trouble, I won’t mind if you give me seven or eight more secondary wives.”
The old lady, seeing Li Suyu’s cold and solemn demeanor, listened and began to ponder.
Li Suyu turned and left the hall. Just then, he encountered Jiang Yun, who had lingered.
“Suyu,” she called, though he did not spare her a glance.
Li Suyu turned his eyes, cold as blades, his tone indifferent: “Still not giving up?”
Jiang Yun’s hands clenched tightly, her chest rising and falling with agitation. She asked: “I heard the girl from the capital is dazzlingly beautiful. Have you fallen for her?”