Chapter 4: Besties in Our Hearts — If You Divorce, So Will I

The woman who entered wore a deep violet silk dress made of Sichuan brocade, with intricate embroidery, golden and silver threads interwoven into elaborate patterns. As she walked, her flowing sleeves fluttered, and every gesture exuded grace and noble elegance.

Upon seeing her, Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue immediately stood up, curtsied gracefully in unison, and greeted in clear voices,
“Daughters-in-law greet Mother.”

Inwardly, they both wondered—this kind of high-ranking noble household probably didn’t have an easygoing matriarch. Their hearts couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.

But to their surprise, their mother-in-law approached with a warm smile, stepped forward quickly, and gently helped them up with both hands, speaking kindly,
“You two little girls, so young yet so formal. We’re all family now—no need to be so restrained from now on.”

After speaking, she turned and took something from the exquisitely decorated tray held by a maid behind her. Handing it to Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue, she said,
“This is a small gift from me to welcome my new daughters-in-law. Take a look—do you like it?”

Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue exchanged a glance, a flicker of joy in their eyes. They quickly reached out to receive the gifts and responded in unison,
“We love it. Thank you, Mother.”

Ever since Yun Ruoxi discovered she had the power to read minds, she often tried to probe others’ thoughts—but frustratingly, she kept hitting a wall. It seemed her ability only worked on Mu Ruxue.

Still, even though she couldn’t hear thoughts, she could keenly sense people’s goodwill or hostility.

At this moment, as she scanned the room, most people gave off friendly energy—except the maid in red standing behind the matriarch. That girl was practically oozing tangible malice, sharp as needles on her back.

Yun Ruoxi thought to herself, It’s just a maid, and besides, the Marquis’s residence is about to face confiscation and exile—no need to stoop to her level. She chose to ignore it.

In the Ronghui Hall, the conversation flowed pleasantly, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

As the sky darkened, Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue seized the opportunity to excuse themselves from the matriarch and the marquis’s wife.

Once they stepped out of Ronghui Hall, Mu Ruxue could no longer hold back. She hurried over to Yun Ruoxi, eyes sparkling with excitement and urgency.
“Sister-in-law, I’ve just arrived here and don’t have anyone I can talk to. Can I come over for a cup of tea with you?”

Yun Ruoxi caught her meaning and smiled warmly.
“You’re too polite. I was hoping you’d come.”

Arm in arm, the two headed toward Yun Ruoxi’s courtyard together.

Their easy and affectionate interaction was soon reported back to the matriarch and the marquis’s wife.

Hearing that the sisters-in-law were getting along well, both older women nodded in satisfaction, their faces full of relief.

On the way, Mu Ruxue held back a whole bellyful of words. As soon as Yun Ruoxi dismissed the servants, she could no longer contain herself. Like a bird finally set free, she leaned in close and whispered mysteriously,
“The sky is high and the tiger rules the land!”

Yun Ruoxi looked helpless but couldn’t help laughing as she responded,
“Mu Ruxue is five foot one.”

Hearing the familiar password exchange, Mu Ruxue finally let her guard down, flopped onto the soft chaise, and sighed deeply.
“This body of mine, before transmigration, was just jealous that you had a bigger dowry. Her mind was full of ways to outshine you—she didn’t even bother to learn your name properly.”

Both of them had read the original novel and knew that even though they were supporting characters, their relationship in the story was antagonistic.

In fact, Mu Ruxue’s ending in the novel was even worse—she died earlier than Yun Ruoxi.

Yun Ruoxi’s expression turned serious as she looked at Mu Ruxue and said bluntly,
“Even though we came here together, you know how the story goes. The Marquis’s household is about to be raided and exiled. We need to start preparing now.”

Mu Ruxue sat up and nodded earnestly,
“In the book, the raid happens exactly a week later. Today’s only the second day after the wedding. Tomorrow we return to our maiden homes—perfect chance to stockpile supplies.”

Yun Ruoxi suddenly recalled the original host’s background and quickly asked,
“How does your family treat you?”

As soon as Mu Ruxue heard that, it was like lighting a fuse—she exploded.
“Don’t even talk about it. With a family like mine, I’d rather not have one!”

Seeing Yun Ruoxi’s curious expression, Mu Ruxue started venting her frustrations:
“The father of this body is just a petty magistrate—barely any power, but full of ambition.”

Yun Ruoxi pressed,
“What do you mean?”

Mu Ruxue curled her lips in disdain.
“I only ended up marrying the second son of the Marquis household because of my father’s scheming. I didn’t even see my husband on our wedding night.”

That reminded Yun Ruoxi—she hadn’t seen her husband either on their wedding night.

Right after drinking the wedding toast, all the men in the Marquis household were summoned to the palace by imperial order and hadn’t returned since.

Thinking about the looming disaster facing the household, Yun Ruoxi’s heart tightened.
It looks like the crisis had already begun showing signs—just that no one noticed.

She frowned, concern written all over her face.
“I didn’t enter the bridal chamber either. All the Marquis household men went to the palace and haven’t returned… Things aren’t looking good.”

Mu Ruxue never had much affection for her “cheap husband,” and now she had to share in the household’s punishment. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.
“Ruoxi, do you still plan to stay here in the Marquis household?”

Yun Ruoxi gently shook her head, her expression calm. “I don’t really feel anything in particular. It’s all the same to me.”

Mu Ruxue’s eyes lit up as she suddenly suggested,
“How about we just get a divorce? We haven’t even had a single day of good married life—why should we suffer through this for nothing? Let’s divorce and go home. If that doesn’t work out, we can register as independent women and live freely.”

Yun Ruoxi was moved by the idea. After all, she had married a total stranger with no emotional foundation. It was only human to avoid harm and seek benefit—she was no exception.

But then she remembered the laws of this dynasty… and her doting family back home. Her resolve wavered.

She hesitated, then said helplessly,
“I really don’t have any feelings for this so-called husband. But in this era, women divorcing their husbands has never happened before. If I run away, my family would be criticized and shamed—I really couldn’t bear that.”

Mu Ruxue understood her concerns and gently patted her hand in comfort.
“It’s okay, I get it. You have way more on your mind than I do. But promise me this—if one day you really want to divorce, you have to tell me. If you leave, I leave too.”

Yun Ruoxi smiled and nodded. “Alright, I got it. Since we’re already here, we might as well make the best of it. Let’s just focus on getting through the mess in front of us.”

Mu Ruxue nodded firmly,
“Wherever you go, I’ll go. I’ll follow your lead.”

They chatted a bit longer before Mu Ruxue finally got up and returned to her own courtyard.

After she left, Yun Ruoxi used the excuse of taking inventory of her dowry to dismiss the servants—but in truth, she planned to store everything in her space.

When she entered the storeroom, the sight before her made her eyes widen in shock. The piles of dowry items reached up like a mountain.

Just the silver alone totaled over 500,000 taels. There were eighty trays filled with jewelry, not to mention the heaps of silk, satin, jade, and gemstones—a dazzling treasure trove.

Yun Ruoxi gave it all a quick once-over. With a single thought, the items vanished instantly, leaving behind only a stack of empty boxes.

Just as she was about to leave, something caught her eye—a wall scroll, oddly positioned and extremely eye-catching.

Suspicion stirred in her mind. She changed direction and walked straight toward it.

Upon closer inspection, she discovered a hidden niche behind the scroll, and inside was a small clay Buddha statue.

A scene from a modern drama flashed through her mind. Almost involuntarily, she reached out to move the statue.

At first, it resisted her touch. She tried shifting it left and right a couple of times—until it suddenly moved.

A soft click echoed.

Then, the wall in front of her slowly shifted, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one person to pass through.

It was pitch black inside—nothing could be seen. Yun Ruoxi hesitated, fear creeping up her spine… but curiosity had taken hold. She couldn’t stop herself.

She quickly pulled a high-powered flashlight from her space and, steeling her nerves, stepped into the passage.

As she walked downward along a staircase, she could feel the steps stretching on endlessly beneath her feet.

After who knows how long, a tightly shut stone door appeared ahead.

She reached out and tried to push it—no use. The door didn’t budge.

Looking up, she spotted a mechanism switch near the top of the stone door.

But the door was at least five meters tall, and there was nothing nearby she could use to climb. Anyone else would’ve been stuck.

Fortunately, Yun Ruoxi had her “cheat” tool—her space.

She immediately took out a ladder, propped it beside the stone door, and began climbing. Wearing ancient clothes made the task quite difficult, and she struggled for a while before finally reaching the top.

Reaching out, she pressed the button.

With a low grinding sound, the stone door slowly opened—

And what she saw was…