Chapter 1: Wedded Couple in Grudge
Before marriage, those who envied her good fortune were now watching her misfortune…

In the depths of winter, the snow fell silently.

At the stroke of midnight, the distant sound of the night watchman’s wooden clapper pierced through the thick fog, rousing Yu Mingyao, who had been dozing while threading a needle.

For a moment, she wasn’t careful, and the needle pricked the tip of her finger, a drop of crimson blood immediately welling up.

Yan Yue, who was nearby, quickly put down the embroidery frame, rose, and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve. With a serious expression, she wiped the blood from Yu Mingyao’s fingertip and spoke with a hint of complaint, “Madam, don’t blame this servant for speaking out. For a marriage to last, there must be someone willing to bow their head. I see you and the young master, both as stubborn as can be.”

“The clothes of the young master, you never let anyone help, always sewing them yourself. Take this knee pad, for example—the stitches are dense, and the embroidery technique has used several kinds, clearly showing great effort. Yet, you never mention it in front of the young master, and you don’t let us speak of it either.”

“The young master, too. Last year, when the mansion held the grand lotus lantern festival, if it wasn’t for Cheng Qing from his side accidentally letting it slip, who would have known that the young master had arranged it specially for you?”

“We know this much, but who knows how much more there is that we don’t?”

Yan Yue lowered her head, her face scrunched in frustration.

Her words caused Yu Mingyao, who was sitting on the heated couch with the knee pad in her hand, to drift into a daze.

Yes, it wasn’t just her—Yan Yue had the same feeling.

Yu Mingyao always thought that it wasn’t one-sided on her part, that Xie Zhuoguang also had feelings for her.

At that time, she had just lost her parents and was living with the Pei family, raised alongside their children.

When she first entered the academy, her knowledge and experience were lacking compared to the noble ladies in the capital. She didn’t know the latest fashions. It was Xie Zhuoguang who had helped her when others ridiculed her. When the teacher made things difficult for her and she couldn’t answer a question, it was Xie Zhuoguang who spoke on her behalf.

At that time, she had developed a fondness for the sixth son of the Duke of Xie.

However, he was like the moon in the sky, like a flower in the mirror. Yu Mingyao knew that her grandmother had sent her to the Pei family to find a good husband.

But she never dared to dream of marrying him.

The Pei family was strict in its ways. Her grandmother, being the eldest sister of her maternal grandmother, was a noble lady of the first rank and had always been a strong figure. During the two years she stayed in the Pei family, she was treated with great care by her grandmother.

Knowing she was a guest, she restrained her temper, being careful and cautious, and never imagined she would fall victim to a scheme in such a straightforward household. She had planned to use the situation to her advantage, but through a series of misunderstandings, she didn’t know how that cup of tea, laced with something, ended up in Xie Zhuoguang’s hands.

It ruined both of their lives.

A doomed fate.

Clang—

The door was forcefully pushed open, the cold wind and the smell of alcohol sweeping into the heated room.

“Yan Yue, go out.”

Xie Zhuoguang stood at the door.

His voice was cold, yet there was an underlying silence, as if beneath an iceberg, a fire was simmering, ready to explode.

Yan Yue, who had just finished applying medicine to Yu Mingyao’s finger, was about to move but hesitated when she saw Xie Zhuoguang’s cold expression and Yu Mingyao’s drooping eyes.

“I’ll count to three.”

Xie Zhuoguang’s gaze, as cold as water, turned to Yan Yue.

Yan Yue bit her lip, unsure of what to do, and saw Cheng Qing behind Xie Zhuoguang, signaling her to leave with urgency.

Seeing this, she realized that today’s events were not something she could get involved in. After a moment’s consideration, she could only excuse herself.

The door was closed, leaving only the two of them inside. Yan Yue sighed deeply and then turned to Cheng Qing to inquire about the situation.

“What has the young master gone mad about this time?”

Cheng Qing shook his head, “This is not something we can speak of. In any case, these two… always fight and then reconcile.”

Inside, a few moments passed, but Xie Zhuoguang still stood in place.

Yu Mingyao saw him standing there and really didn’t want to approach him.

Three days ago, on her birthday, everything had been fine. But he came in cold, silent, pulling her towards the bed and disturbing her throughout the night, even calling for water three times.

Her body had still not fully recovered.

He had then stubbornly stayed away for three days.

She had asked Yan Yue, and learned that on that day, Xie Zhuoguang, who usually didn’t care about trivial matters, had asked Yan Yue to go through the gift list, discovering that Pei family’s eldest son had sent a pet raccoon.

The jealousy had spilled over.

He was always like this. When she was secretly pleased by the idea of their mutual affection, he would perform actions that stabbed her heart, making her feel cold.

They were still married, and Yu Mingyao didn’t want others to see her as a laughingstock, so she sighed deeply and placed the knee pad she had embroidered over the past few days into the basket on the table, then slowly approached Xie Zhuoguang, her graceful figure moving towards him.

Outside, the snow had deepened, and she didn’t know where he had come from, but there was a layer of snow on his shoulders. Now, the warm air inside the room was causing the snow to melt, turning into droplets like salt.

She placed her finger on his embroidered robe, ready to act, but before she could, Xie Zhuoguang grabbed her hand.

Her heart raced, and she heard his cold voice, as if carrying the chill of the snow.

“I told you before, we have an embroiderer in the house, you…”

Not this again.

Yu Mingyao, irritated, retorted, “I’m not royalty, it was just a small touch, it’s not a big deal.”

The atmosphere in the room, which had just relaxed a little, suddenly turned cold again.

Yu Mingyao ignored him and started to undress. She draped her cloak over her arms, intending to leave.

Just then, a pair of long arms wrapped around her, pulling her forcefully towards his cold chest.

Yu Mingyao instinctively struggled, trying to escape. But this resistance seemed to ignite the suppressed anger in Xie Zhuoguang’s heart.

Ignoring her struggles, he resumed his actions.

On the bed, her clothes fell one by one.

This behavior, so unlike the usual self-controlled, aloof Xie Zhuoguang, made Yu Mingyao feel like a mere object.

Perhaps from the very beginning, they were never meant to be.

She clenched her teeth, and the whole process was silent. The beautiful face, like a flower, had a tear slowly sliding down the corner of her eye.

The warm fingertips gently brushed away the tear, and Xie Zhuoguang’s voice, cold as ever, echoed in her ear.

“Today, after the court adjourned, I ran into you at the Pei family’s carriage. Guess what Pei Shang said?”

Yu Mingyao, eyes closed, remained silent.

His calloused fingers gently stroked her delicate cheek.

“He asked me if you liked the birthday gift he gave you. It was a raccoon he specially found for you, gentle in nature, meant to entertain you.”

“Ten Li Street is a road I must pass when returning to the Duke’s residence, and it’s in the opposite direction of the Pei family. Do you think he took such a big detour just to say something to me? What’s his intention?”

When Pei Shang’s name was mentioned, Yu Mingyao’s eyes snapped open, blood rushing to her face.

This name, ever since she married Xie Zhuoguang, had constantly been whispered in her ears. What was once a non-issue had been twisted by Xie Zhuoguang into a misunderstanding.

Her eyes widened, and she responded, “No matter what I did before, you never reacted. But when he is mentioned, you immediately become so agitated.”

“Yao Niang, you really are heartless! Sometimes, I wonder if that cup of tea was really meant for me, or if there was someone else in your heart?”

…

After the night, a bowl of bitter medicine was placed in front of Yu Mingyao.

She had been drinking this bitter medicine for seven years and was thoroughly sick of it.

“Is this to nourish my body?” she asked, leaning on the bed with a sarcastic expression.

In the bitter cold winter, Xie Zhuoguang stood there in thin clothes, his chest exposed, with his back to her.

“Mm,” he replied.

Seeing this, Yu Mingyao drank the medicine in one go, leaving no residue.

“Leave.”

She placed the bowl back on the tray, closing her eyes. The preserved fruit on the plate next to her remained untouched.

Xie Zhuoguang remembered that she used to be the most sensitive to bitterness.

When they had just married, during the honeymoon period, she refused to take her medicine unless he coaxed her, held her, and kissed her. The preserved fruit was something he had specially found, going to her hometown in Suzhou to search for an old woman who had once worked in the Yu family kitchen and learned how to make it.

Back then, she would eat the fruit with a sweet smile, thanking him with sparkling eyes, gently and obediently.

But now…

Pei Shang, Pei Shang… He regretted saving Pei Shang’s life at the cost of his own when the Pei family was in trouble.

Xie Zhuoguang’s heart sank, and he put on his cloak, walking out without a word. Just as he was about to leave the Warm Jade Pavilion, Yu Mingyao’s calm voice came from behind him.

“This morning, I went to greet my mother-in-law. She has been hinting at adding two concubines for you. I’ve seen

your expression, and I don’t think you’ll object.”

Xie Zhuoguang paused, but he didn’t look back.

Behind him, Yu Mingyao curled up on the bed.

“I’ve known for a long time.”

Her voice was clear and indifferent.

“You… you can’t always be the one with the upper hand.”

In the suffocating silence, Xie Zhuoguang’s footsteps grew heavier.

“I’ll leave you alone now, young master.”

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