Chapter Twenty-Five: Husband Meets the Lover

—

“Whether he can be saved or not, I’ve done everything I could. Anything more… is beyond me.”

Perhaps it was the heavy clamor of carriages and horses downstairs that left Liu Fuying restless and agitated.

She rose abruptly and slammed the half-open window shut.

“By the way,” she turned back to Jinli, “any news from the Shen family?”

“There is. I heard two physicians were sent over—both have already left. Seems the old madam’s condition isn’t serious. Madam, when are we going back?”

“Back? How?”

Liu Fuying sat before the bronze mirror, her eyes lowered, hands clenched on her lap.

“They kicked me out. What would it say about my dignity if I just go crawling back?”

Looking closely, she noticed a faint smear of blood on her sleeve.

She lifted her hand to inspect, rubbing with her fingertip—sure enough, a trace of red stained her finger. It must’ve gotten on her when she embraced Pei Zhouwu.

“Madam, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, when will the general or the old madam come to bring us back…”

But whatever Jinli said, it seemed to pass unheard.

Liu Fuying’s mind was full of the image of Pei Zhouwu, soaked in blood.

—

At the Shen residence.

Liu Shiyuan had been waiting in the courtyard for quite some time. The servants at Shuxing Courtyard infuriated her, refusing to let her inside to wait.

This was the result of Liu Fuying’s strict rules over the household.

Of course, it was also due to Shen Xiunian’s direct orders that no one disturb the old madam’s rest.

Although he had clearly instructed them not to let outsiders in, Liu Shiyuan still blamed Liu Fuying. Sitting beneath a crabapple tree, she muttered curses under her breath.

“That damn little bitch. Pretending to be kind, asking me to come mediate with the general, then refusing to accompany me.”

“She did it on purpose! The old madam’s ill and can’t be disturbed, she’s not home, and I—I—am stuck here alone with my brother-in-law? That little slut left me here to rot. I haven’t even eaten lunch!”

But then she thought—Shen Xiunian hadn’t eaten either—and her indignation softened into a bittersweet sense of shared hardship.

Eventually, Shen Xiunian emerged from the house.

Prompted by her maid, Liu Shiyuan’s eyes lit up and she quickly stood to greet him.

“Brother-in-law, you’re finally out. You haven’t even—”

Without even sparing her a glance, Shen Xiunian strode straight past her toward the courtyard gate.

Left coldly behind, Liu Shiyuan’s smile stiffened.

“Miss, the general is gone…”

In no time, Shen Xiunian had disappeared out the gate.

Gritting her teeth, Liu Shiyuan forced herself to move. She had already come this far—she couldn’t leave empty-handed. This was too rare a chance to waste.

At last, she spotted his figure again—headed for the front gates.

“Brother-in-law!” Liu Shiyuan ran after him, breathless. “Are you going out? My sister’s still waiting for you at home. Don’t be angry at her—she’s just anxious. For her sake—”

Shen Xiunian abruptly halted and finally turned his head.

“Brother-in-law, you—”

“She is at the Liu residence.”

With that, he turned away and walked even faster.

Liu Shiyuan’s eyes lit up again. If Shen Xiunian was going to the Liu residence, did that mean she could ride in the same carriage with him?

But when she reached the gate, a Shen family carriage was already waiting.

No matter how quickly she chased after, Shen Xiunian never looked back. He climbed aboard swiftly, and the carriage departed at once.

Fuming, Liu Shiyuan stomped her foot. If not for her maid warning her to behave, she might have thrown a full tantrum then and there.

She had no choice but to return to her own carriage and follow slowly behind.

By the time she arrived at the Liu residence, Shen Xiunian was already coming out.

Seeing he wasn’t accompanied by Liu Fuying, she smiled in glee.

“That little bitch must’ve stirred up trouble again—refusing to come back with him. Good. The more she angers him, the better chance I have.”

She stepped down quickly and hurried forward.

“Brother-in-law, why are you leaving already? Did my sister say something wrong again?”

She wore her best smile, but Shen Xiunian ignored her, striding across the threshold without a single glance.

“Brother-in-law,” Liu Shiyuan said anxiously.

She was the legitimate daughter of the Liu family. Why would Shen Xiunian rather marry a mere concubine-born girl than look her in the eye?

“Brother-in-law!”

Anger and bitterness surged within her. She’d waited all day, stomach growling, just for a moment to speak with him.

And what was the result?

Desperation overtook her—she instinctively grabbed his sleeve.

But Shen Xiunian reacted as if she were a ghost, yanking his sleeve free with sudden force. The pull was rough, but partly it was Liu Shiyuan’s own fault for losing balance—especially since they were standing on the stone steps.

In the blink of an eye, she stumbled and tumbled all the way down.

There were at least five or six steps—and many people around who saw it happen.

Shen Xiunian quickly composed himself. His expression returned to cold indifference as he walked down the stairs to stand beside her. He didn’t even lower his head as he spoke.

“Don’t bother pretending to play peacemaker. If the Liu family truly cared about her, would she have left after less than half a day? If she hadn’t felt heartbroken, would she have stormed out?”

Before marriage, Shen Xiunian had already investigated the Liu family.

He knew they were cold and unkind.

Liu Fuying’s hasty departure from her natal home confirmed what he suspected—she must have been mistreated.

As for this so-called Liu family legitimate daughter, coming to the Shen household, lingering here all day—what was her goal if not trying to replace her cousin and climb the ranks?

He may not think much of Liu Fuying, and had only come back because of his mother, but he despised the rest of the Liu family even more.

Liu Shiyuan had lost all dignity. She kept her head bowed, sobbing quietly.

From a distance, the sound of approaching hooves could be heard.

A subordinate arrived.

“General, His Majesty has issued a decree.”

Once inside the carriage, the subordinate explained the full message.

He had tried to deliver the news earlier that morning—about the city-wide uproar over Pei Zhouwu’s alleged murder—but never expected the case would land in the Shen family’s hands.

“General, His Majesty has ordered you to depart immediately for Xiangshan.”

“There’s more to this case?”

“They say the emperor was furious upon hearing the morning report. He nearly sent Lord Pei to death row on the spot. If not for the empress—she knelt outside the hall, pleading for his life. Said if he had any intent to rebel, he would’ve done so long ago—not wait for a full six months, and not act just as a new warden takes office. She even vowed that if Lord Pei were guilty, she would die alongside him.”

“And so now I’m being sent to investigate?”

“Most likely for the crown prince’s sake. After court, more news came in—someone on the street saw a body being carried down from Xiangshan. A stick of incense fell from it. When someone picked it up to sniff, they were immediately dizzy—nearly fainted right then and there.”

“Incense? A drugged one?”

“Yes, a sleeping incense. Which further supports the empress’s claim that there’s more to this than meets the eye.”