It was just after the New Year, in the first month of the lunar year.
Because the heavy snow had blocked the mountain roads and made travel difficult, their journey to Longzhou had been delayed. They would probably have to wait a few more days before they could set off.
The personal guards had arrived to pick up Shen Tinglan at a rather unfortunate time—it happened to be New Year’s Eve, and Yun Ni had not even had the chance to share a single New Year’s Eve meal with him.
But thinking about it carefully, Shen Tinglan came from an aristocratic family. A man of his status probably wouldn’t even care for the simple meat dishes she cooked.
She had once thought Shen Tinglan deliberately moved the tastiest braised meat toward her while eating only vegetables and tofu himself. Now that she thought about it, perhaps he simply had an innate sense of pride and refinement and looked down on such humble food.
Yun Ni silently used all sorts of harsh words to “put down” Shen Tinglan in her mind, trying to convince herself that he really was a terrible man.
Only by doing so could she convince herself that distancing herself from Shen Tinglan was the right choice, and that she had done nothing wrong.
Yet no matter how much she tried to deceive herself, the moment she saw Shen Tinglan, her thoughts would still become hazy.
It was not until Yun Ni returned through the snow, carrying the sesame cakes and dry food she had baked in the oven, that she finally understood.
Her clothes were completely soaked, yet Shen Tinglan did not even stop to look at her. He did not call her inside to change, nor did he ask anyone to prepare a bowl of ginger soup to warm her.
Only then did she truly realize that he was no longer the husband he used to be.
Perhaps Yun Ni’s gaze had been too obvious. Shen Tinglan stopped and looked back impatiently.
“Miss Yun, is there something you need?”
Yun Ni’s arms tightened around the baked cakes. Her fingers curled inward, as though someone had cut out her tongue. She could only shake her head helplessly.
Shen Tinglan ignored her and turned to leave.
Before he could take another step, Yun Ni called after him.
“Young Master Shen, wait.”
Shen Tinglan pressed his thin lips together.
Yun Ni glanced at the hem of her dress, damp from the falling snow. Out of simple kindness, she still reminded him, “Usually, when it snows, the weather tends to warm up afterward. But when I went outside just now, the winter wind felt damp and cold, and the clouds were unusually heavy. I think it may rain tonight. If you’re going out, you’d better bring an umbrella.”
After saying that, Yun Ni nodded politely and limped away.
“Thank you.”
After hearing her words, Shen Tinglan inexplicably felt a faint, persistent ache spreading through his chest.
He knew it was the love gu at work. He had to endure the poison and resist its influence, or it would control his emotions.
His expression suddenly turned cold.
He deliberately looked back at Yun Ni, his icy gaze settling on her retreating figure—and finally on her limping right leg.
Only by seeing the imperfection of Yun Ni’s body could he remind himself of her lowly status.
Shen Tinglan was a favored son of Heaven who carried the hopes of countless people. He was the exalted Son of Heaven’s Mandate, the head of a powerful aristocratic clan capable of sustaining a great household.
Yun Ni was humble, weak, and insignificant. The difference between them was like heaven and earth.
She was a stain on Shen Tinglan’s life—one that he should erase without mercy.
Even though Shen Tinglan treated her with indifference, Yun Ni did not wallow in self-pity.
Of course she was hurt.
When someone tears open a wound in your heart, even the strongest person will feel the pain. Healing takes time.
But it was all right.
Everything would eventually get better.
While comforting herself, Yun Ni brought over a bowl of freshly prepared ginger soup. She blew gently on the steam before taking two small sips.
The warm soup settled into her stomach, warming her from the inside out. Even the soles of her feet, still damp from the melting snow, gradually became warm.
Yun Ni’s mood improved.
To comfort herself, she even added an extra piece of sugar to the bowl.
Malt sugar was expensive—more precious than coarse salt. Yun Ni normally could never bear to buy it.
Whenever she wanted something sweet, she would often climb the mountains, knock open beehives, collect the honey, and bring it home.
The only time she was willing to use sugar was when making nourishing pork kidney soup for Shen Tinglan. She would carefully chip off a tiny piece of cane sugar and add it to the pot with goji berries.
She did this because she was afraid Shen Tinglan would dislike the strong smell of the pork offal and refuse to drink another bowl.
Sitting on the embroidered stool, Yun Ni slowly drank her soup as memories of the past surfaced.
She should have forgotten Shen Tinglan.
Yet every time she remembered those days, warmth spread through her heart, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward.
If only Shen Tinglan had treated her a little worse.
Then she could have proudly told him:
“Shen Tinglan, we’re done. From now on, we owe each other nothing!”
And she could have left him without looking back.
Inside the bedroom, the faint, elegant fragrance of spring orchids drifted from the sleeves of the man seated at the table.
After bathing and drying himself, Shen Tinglan dressed and took his seat.
Wei Lingfeng knelt beside him and presented a secret letter sent by Cao Wen, an official of the Imperial Secretariat, through a carrier hawk.
During the year Shen Tinglan had been missing, Wu Zhen, the second legitimate son of the Wu family of Guanyang, had gained the young emperor Li Yi’s deep trust. He had taken Shen Tinglan’s position as Chancellor and temporarily assumed control of the court’s affairs.
The Wu family of Guanyang had once been retainers of the Shen family of Longzhou. Thanks to the favor and protection of the Shen family’s ancestors, they had established their own household and clan in the capital of Wu, where the family had flourished for generations.
Privately, the Wu family members had always referred to themselves as the Shen family’s retainers and shown the utmost respect toward their masters. In court, they had also served as Shen Tinglan’s right and left hands, helping him govern the state and assist the young emperor.
Yet while Shen Tinglan had been ambushed and was missing, his fate unknown, Wu Zhen had suddenly gained the emperor’s favor and taken control of the government.
It inevitably made people suspicious.
Wu Zhen might very well have been the traitor within.
Perhaps he had deliberately leaked Shen Tinglan’s troop deployments and whereabouts, then colluded with the Fan family to assassinate the head of the Shen clan.
Wei Lingfeng said furiously, “My lord, the Wu family has dared to betray us! Once we return to the capital, I swear we’ll tear them limb from limb!”
Unexpectedly, Shen Tinglan merely smiled faintly after hearing this.
“Don’t fall into someone else’s trap.”
“What do you mean?” Wei Lingfeng asked, confused.
Shen Tinglan held the secret letter between his fingers and slowly brought it toward the flickering candle flame.
He watched as the paper blackened, curled, and finally turned into a fragile pile of ashes.
“How do you know this isn’t a scheme where two sides fight while a third party profits? After all, if I personally eliminate the Wu family, whom I once relied upon, it would be equivalent to destroying my own allies and turning against the powerful aristocratic clans of Longzhou.”
Wei Lingfeng quickly understood.
His master suspected that the young emperor, Li Yi, had deliberately elevated Wu Zhen in order to use him as a weapon.
The emperor wanted to make Shen Tinglan suspicious of the Wu family, forcing him to turn his blade inward and eliminate his own former allies.
In doing so, Shen Tinglan would weaken his own foundations and become isolated from those who had once supported him.
Wei Lingfeng was horrified.
“Are you saying all of this was orchestrated by His Majesty? But you raised him yourself, and he even calls you ‘Father Chancellor’… You’ve always put the emperor’s interests first. How could he… how could he harbor such a vicious intention?”
The young Emperor Li Yi was only fifteen years old, still a young and inexperienced boy.
Years ago, if Shen Tinglan had not led his troops into the palace, rescued the eight- or nine-year-old Li Yi, and guided him through a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood to the throne, how could Li Yi possibly have the peaceful life he enjoyed today?
Why would Li Yi refuse to rely on Shen Tinglan and instead want him dead?
Wei Lingfeng simply could not understand.
He had personally witnessed Li Yi bringing pastries and tea, calling Shen Tinglan “Father Chancellor,” then clinging to the hem of Shen Tinglan’s robe before he could fall asleep peacefully.
Wei Lingfeng could not bear to imagine that the child his master had personally raised could develop such murderous intentions.
Shen Tinglan merely curved his lips.
“After the New Year, His Majesty will turn sixteen. It is time for him to choose an empress, marry, and personally take charge of the court. As the emperor’s ‘Father Chancellor,’ I should naturally enter the palace and offer my congratulations.”
In the blink of an eye, the faint smile disappeared from Shen Tinglan’s lips. His cold eyes suddenly sharpened.
He issued an order to Wei Lingfeng.
“Spread word along the route that we have safely returned to the capital. Then dispatch a thousand scouts and personal guards to investigate everything inside and outside. If anyone is watching or spying on us, kill them without exception, regardless of their identity.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Wei Lingfeng accepted the order and left.
The window opened and closed.
The room once again became empty and silent.
A few breaths later, the soft patter of rain began outside. The damp, chilly sound unsettled the mind.
Boom!
The pitch-black sky suddenly lit up.
A terrifying thunder dragon seemed to writhe and surge through the dense clouds.
Shen Tinglan’s dark eyes shifted instinctively toward the bed inside the room.
The bedding was neatly arranged.
There was no one there.
Yet at the moment the thunder roared, he had inexplicably imagined that if he turned around, he would see Yun Ni’s face lying on the bed.
Shen Tinglan curled his long fingers slightly and coldly closed his eyes.
The deafening thunder naturally frightened Yun Ni as well.
When she was young, she had once nearly been struck by lightning. Ever since then, she would tremble uncontrollably whenever she heard thunder.
Whenever this happened, Yun Ni would crawl into her soft blankets, curl herself into a ball, and comfort herself:
Daoists even use lightning-struck jujube wood to drive away evil spirits. That means the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning must be good deities. They only strike bad people. They would never strike a good girl like me!
Whenever Shen Tinglan saw her trembling, he would laugh softly, reach into the layers of blankets, pull his wife into his arms, gently stroke her back, and coax her not to be afraid.
Yun Ni stared at the empty bed.
Suddenly, she remembered that Shen Tinglan would never enter this room again.
He was no longer the gentle, attentive husband he once had been.
Yun Ni’s heart felt as though it had been soaked in sour plum soup—swollen, aching, and unbearably bitter.
She forced herself to endure her fear of thunder and pulled the separation agreement from her bundle.
She could barely recognize all the characters written on it.
Yun Ni and Shen Tinglan had no children. They had never held a proper wedding ceremony, and there had been no dowry or bride price to speak of.
If their marriage had never been officially registered with the matchmaker’s office, then simply living separately would have been enough.
But Yun Ni wanted to bring things to a proper end.
She wanted to formally hand Shen Tinglan a separation agreement. She wanted him to know that she was not some ignorant country woman who understood nothing.
She, too, could end their past relationship with dignity.
Yun Ni got out of bed, put on her shoes, and carried the separation agreement to Shen Tinglan’s door.
She knocked nervously.
“Young Master Shen, are you asleep?”
After a long while, the door opened.
Shen Tinglan stepped out with his dark hair loosely tied back. His demeanor was cold and distant, making it clear that he did not welcome anyone near him.
“What is it?”
Shen Tinglan had only recovered his memories. He had not forgotten the year he had spent married to Yun Ni.
He knew her well.
He knew she was afraid of thunder.
He knew she depended on her husband.
He knew she still could not let go of their past.
His coldness toward her was simply because he hoped she would give up sooner rather than later instead of continuing to cling to him.
His gaze lowered to her thinly clad, slightly trembling shoulders.
The thunder outside was loud tonight.
Could she have deliberately come to throw herself into his arms?
Was she hoping that he would show her the same tenderness as before, comfort her to sleep, and hold her in his arms?
Shen Tinglan’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression darkening.
He remained silent for a long moment.
But before he could say anything, Yun Ni noticed the displeasure in his gaze.
She glanced at the rain-soaked hem of her skirt and brushed her wet hair away from her cheek.
She understood.
Shen Tinglan must have mistaken her for deliberately pretending to be weak, hoping to offer herself to him.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you, Young Master Shen. It’s just that we were once husband and wife. We should at least bring things to a proper end…”
Yun Ni bit her lip and continued.
“I heard that when couples from wealthy families no longer get along, they write a separation agreement.”
“I’ll stay and help you recover from the love gu, but I want to give myself some closure…”
She looked up at him.
“Shen Tinglan, let’s get a divorce.”
Yun Ni knew that only by doing this could she finally let go completely and stop allowing a single glance from Shen Tinglan to affect her emotions.
Shen Tinglan lowered his gaze to the separation agreement in her hands.
Yun Ni had already signed her name.
All that remained was for him to sign his.
Shen Tinglan stared at the awkward, crooked characters that looked as though they had been written by a child who had only just begun learning to write.
For some reason, the sight was painfully jarring to him.
It even seemed absurd.
Deep within his chest, the flesh and bones began to ache and tear once again.
Because of Yun Ni’s declaration that they should part ways, the love gu had somehow influenced him again, filling him with an intense and inexplicable displeasure.
Shen Tinglan forcibly suppressed the savage pain that seemed determined to make him yield.
Maintaining the pride of an aristocratic heir, he took the separation agreement from her.
Then, right in front of Yun Ni, he slowly tore it into pieces.
“Miss Yun, you must be joking.”
“Taking a wife requires a formal matchmaker, the proper betrothal gifts, and a wedding ceremony before she can be welcomed into the family home. You and I never completed any of those formalities. How could we be considered husband and wife?”
“If that is the case… why would we need a divorce?”
Shen Tinglan’s merciless words struck Yun Ni like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.
They left her utterly devastated, humiliated, and ashamed.
Yun Ni pressed a hand against her chest and forced herself to steady her rapid breathing, as though doing so could suppress the bitter pain of being rejected and humiliated.
She lowered her head, afraid to meet Shen Tinglan’s eyes.
At that moment, she was even secretly grateful that it had rained.
The bluestone floor beneath the corridor was wet.
Even if she cried, Shen Tinglan would not be able to tell.
There were many things Yun Ni did not understand.
The marks left on her body—the kisses and fingerprints—had clearly been real.
The sweet words whispered beside her ear had been so tender and beautiful.
Could a mere love gu from Southern Xinjiang truly be powerful enough to make a man who had absolutely no feelings for her repeatedly desire her in bed?
Yun Ni used every bit of strength she had to suppress the tears in her voice.
She steadied herself until her voice no longer trembled and managed to make herself sound as dignified as possible.
“That’s fine…”
“Six months from now, once Young Master Shen has removed the love gu and I have healed my leg, we will be even.”
Yun Ni knew that it was better for Shen Tinglan to treat her badly.
That way, she would stop being foolish and would have nothing left to cling to.
She only needed to endure another six months.
Six months from now, she and Shen Tinglan would have nothing to do with each other.
They would never see each other again for the rest of their lives.