Chapter 1

This is the fourth year of Tang Xiu’s marriage to Chen Yue.

It was early spring, and the weather was still a bit chilly. A cool breeze slipped in through the gaps in the bed curtains that hadn’t been closed tightly. Tang Xiu opened her eyes, and through the dim light, she saw that Chen Yue was already up and getting dressed.

Tang Xiu roused herself, turned over, and lifted the curtains with her hand. She lay on her pillow and watched Chen Yue.

Although today was a rare day off for Chen Yue, he didn’t have to go on duty at the Jin Yi Wei, he still got up early as usual to practice martial arts. The black sash was tied and fastened, and the loose white practice clothes immediately became fitted, making the man’s broad shoulders and narrow waist look even more slender and upright. His figure was becoming more and more to Tang Xiu’s liking.

But…

Every day, it was him when she opened her eyes, and it was him when she closed them. No matter how good his figure or how handsome his face, it couldn’t rekindle Tang Xiu’s interest in him.

Three years of marriage, she was really tired of it.

So, when Chen Yue came over to the bed and leaned over, about to tuck Tang Xiu’s blanket in like he usually did before leaving, Tang Xiu spoke, “Chen Yue.”

“Hm.”

Chen Yue responded.

Even though he had already noticed Tang Xiu was awake, the man still subconsciously lowered his voice, afraid of disturbing her sleepiness for the next nap. “It’s still early, don’t you want to sleep a little longer?”

Tang Xiu said, “No, I’m not going to sleep. I have something to tell you.”

She remained in her lying-down position, her beautiful eyebrows slightly sleepy and her voice lazy with the sound of just waking up, as if what she was going to say was very ordinary.

Chen Yue waited for her next words as if he was listening to a casual conversation.

But he heard her say, “Chen Yue, let’s get a divorce.”

Chen Yue’s hand stopped pulling the blanket.

He froze for a moment.

But soon, he reacted, continuing to pull up the blanket, covering Tang Xiu’s exposed shoulders and neck, so that she was completely wrapped in the soft brocade quilt, before asking, “What’s wrong? Did I keep you up too late last night and you didn’t sleep well? It’s my fault, I’ll be earlier next time.”

After saying that, he leaned down again, lowering his head to kiss her.

Tang Xiu turned her head away.

Her fine eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with impatience, her resistance was very obvious.

Chen Yue could only squat down halfway, pulling the blanket up for her again, “What are you talking about, out of the blue?”

Tang Xiu turned back to him, “It’s not out of the blue.”

Chen Yue said, “Then…”

“Let’s get a divorce,” Tang Xiu’s expression was calm, her voice flat, “I don’t want to live with you anymore.”

Chen Yue fell silent upon hearing this.

He looked at her steadily for a moment, then lowered his eyes, his dark eyelashes casting a shadow, his thin lips also slightly pursed, the curve of his profile was extremely cold and serious.

This look made Tang Xiu feel a little disturbed.

He knew he would put on this expression.

Did he agree or disagree?

She had deliberately chosen to bring up the matter of divorce while he was home today, if he wanted to pretend to be deaf and dumb and find excuses to delay…

Tang Xiu was even more annoyed.

Even the face she had once fallen for at first glance became more and more unpleasant to her, she just felt it was boring, it was time for a fresh one.

Men, after all, are all the same after the lights are out, if you really want it, just find a clean one, it’s good as long as it works.

Tang Xiu thought, her expression became more and more indifferent, no longer the warmth of the past.

For a moment, the lamplight flickered suddenly, Chen Yue was startled awake as if, his fingers resting on the brocade quilt suddenly lifted, then fell back into place, not attempting to touch Tang Xiu. He raised his eyes, staring at Tang Xiu’s face, and asked in a hoarse voice, “How long have you been thinking about this?”

Tang Xiu came back to her senses and replied, “Half a month.”

Half a month ago, he was working in the palace and hadn’t been back for many days in a row.

Chen Yue was speechless.

Seeing that he thought it was because he was too busy that made her want to divorce, Tang Xiu was happy not to explain.

After all, if she told him the real reason, he would surely think it was far-fetched and refuse to agree to the divorce. Besides, he was a Jin Yi Wei, observing words and expressions was his basic skill, recognizing lies was a piece of cake for him, she didn’t need to make up lies to make things more troublesome. Thinking about this, Tang Xiu simply said, “Get up.”

Chen Yue got up, and Tang Xiu also sat up, making it easier to talk to him.

She didn’t know where she pulled it, Tang Xiu unconsciously furrowed her brows again. Chen Yue noticed, just about to ask, she had already covered her waist with one hand and pulled the fallen blanket over her with the other.

The hint of a seductive red mark below the neckline was quickly covered in front of Chen Yue’s eyes, as if the night’s entanglement had never happened. Tang Xiu nonchalantly rubbed her waist, then straightened up, her face serious as if she was discussing serious business.

Chen Yue looked at her silently.

She said, “Since you have no objections, then that’s settled. You’re not on duty today, so please write the divorce papers for me as soon as possible, I’ll try to leave with the papers before noon.”

“…Are you in a hurry?”

Tang Xiu frankly said yes, “The longer we wait, the more likely things will change. I want to go to the palace to ask the Emperor to take a look today.”

Divorce is not a small matter, it’s a big deal, you need to find an elder to preside over it.

The top elder of her and Chen Yue was the Emperor.

The Emperor was Chen Yue’s uncle.

They wanted to get a divorce, they had to get the Emperor’s nod.

“I’ll have people pack things now, don’t worry, I won’t take anything I shouldn’t,” Tang Xiu continued, “Your Jiang Xia Hou Mansion’s things, my Tang Mansion’s things, these past few years, even a pot of flowers has been recorded, I won’t take anything wrong.”

Seeing that Tang Xiu not only brought up the Emperor, but also even brought out the gift list from the secret compartment by the bed from when they got married, she was going to settle accounts with him like a real husband and wife, her attitude was extremely firm, there was no room for turning back, Chen Yue knew that no matter what he said or did at this moment, it would be useless to her, so he simply said okay.

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Tang Xiu smile.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, with a hint of relief.

Chen Yue’s eyes narrowed instantly.

She was nervous.

Who in the Marquis’s Mansion, or what was it that was threatening her, that she had to divorce him and leave the Marquis’s Mansion?

But there were only him and her two masters in the house, the rest were servants. His mother had the Princess Mansion, and his father, as a consort, didn’t live with them, so he couldn’t control her at all.

Could it be someone from outside?

Chen Yue’s mind raced, he suspected almost everything he could, but he didn’t ask a word. He only watched Tang Xiu call the maid Liu Cai to come in and serve her, then ordered others to pack things, and some to go to the palace to deliver a token, after finishing her instructions she turned her head to signal him to write the papers, she was determined to settle the divorce today.

Chen Yue said to this, “Don’t you want breakfast?”

Tang Xiu suddenly realized, “Right.”

No matter how anxious you are to leave, you still have to fill your stomach first.

So she told Liu Cai, and Liu Cai immediately went to the kitchen to arrange breakfast. When Liu Cai came back, she saw Chen Yue still standing there, not going to write the papers at all, Liu Cai lowered her head and eyes, walked around, and went forward to serve Tang Xiu to get up, she seemed to have no idea of the strange atmosphere between the two masters.

Tang Xiu didn’t think it was strange either.

She just said, “Liu Cai, remember to grind ink for the Marquis later.”

The meaning was obvious, let Liu Cai watch Chen Yue write the divorce papers.

“Yes, Miss.”

Seeing that Liu Cai was not surprised, Chen Yue understood at once, Liu Cai had known for a long time that her Miss wanted to get a divorce.

He smiled slightly.

I’m afraid everyone in the house, even a blade of grass, knew it long ago, only he was the only one who knew it today.

Sure enough, when Tang Xiu went to the bathroom to bathe, Liu Cai didn’t follow. She went to the desk, spread out a sheet of paper, and began to grind ink.

The fragrance of ink filled the air, the bedroom was quiet for a while, and the sound of water could be faintly heard coming from the bathroom.

“Marquis.”

After a while, the new ink was ground, Liu Cai held the pen with both hands, her head slightly lowered, her attitude as respectful as always.

She urged softly, “Please write.”

Chen Yue’s gaze moved away from the bathroom and slowly fell on the pen.

His eyes were deep, as if they had a dark glow, Liu Cai lowered her head even further.

However, until Tang Xiu finished bathing and came out, Chen Yue still didn’t touch the pen.

Tang Xiu glanced over there, seeing Liu Cai standing there with her hands bound, shaking her head at her, the promised papers were still not a single word, Tang Xiu narrowed her eyes, Chen Yue was indeed trying to delay.

Tang Xiu didn’t panic. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of unknown flowers gradually masking the aroma of ink. She gathered her damp hair and sat at the dressing table, letting Liu Cai take care of her long hair.

“Chen Yue, do you not know how to write a divorce paper?” she asked.

She looked at him through the mirror, as if she would immediately find a sample for him to refer to if he didn’t know.

The mirror was a gift from the Emperor, reflecting the light. The two of them stared clearly at each other in the mirror.

This time Chen Yue finally reacted.

“I know,” he said.

Things had come to this, there was no room for Chen Yue to delay. He walked towards the desk, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink, writing with a flourish.

He was very fast, as if the person who had refused to move no matter how much Liu Cai persuaded him was not him.

After a short while, Chen Yue stopped writing.

He turned his head and looked at Tang Xiu as she was dressing in front of the mirror.

Unlike the married women of the time, Tang Xiu didn’t like to wear ma-mian skirts, nor did she like long jackets and cloaks. She usually loved Daoist robes, and wore them almost all year round. However, today she had chosen a bright red woven gold ma-mian skirt, and had chosen a full set of gold silk hairpins. Her face was flushed, her teeth were white, and her beauty was dazzling. She was naturally beautiful, and after dressing up so carefully, every gesture and every raising of her eyebrows was as bright and dazzling as a peach blossom or a plum blossom.

If it weren’t for the newly inked divorce paper right in front of him, Chen Yue would definitely have gone over to do something.

But he couldn’t do anything.

He could only watch as the beautifully dressed woman got up gracefully, walked to him, and picked up the divorce paper with her slender fingers, reading it carefully to make sure that the black and white writing was standard and that he hadn’t played any tricks. She put it away with satisfaction, then bowed respectfully and formally.

“Thank you, Marquis of Jiang Xia.”

Chen Yue didn’t respond.

Tang Xiu didn’t expect him to suddenly have a change of heart and say something to keep her.

He was always taciturn, except in bed, when he would talk a little more to coax her to cooperate. He rarely spoke otherwise, and it was the same now.

In any case, she had the papers in hand, he could become a chatterbox and she wouldn’t even bother to listen, he was no longer anything to her.

Tang Xiu went to eat with a light heart.

Halfway there, she suddenly stopped and turned back, “Aren’t you eating?” It was he who had suggested breakfast, “There’s something you like today.”

Chen Yue followed silently.

Breakfast was very plentiful, there were things Chen Yue liked, and there were things Tang Xiu liked. They washed their hands and sat opposite each other as usual. The difference was that Tang Xiu was in a good mood and had a good appetite, while Chen Yue found it tasteless.

After breakfast, Chen Yue didn’t move, he sat and watched Tang Xiu flit around the various rooms like a butterfly, personally checking the things she was taking back to the Tang Mansion.

However, the things were really too many and too miscellaneous, even though she had started making arrangements behind Chen Yue’s back half a month ago, this formal inventory was bound to take until the sun was high.

Making sure that nothing was missing or wrong, Tang Xiu finally had a cup of tea from the Marquis’s Mansion, gave Chen Yue a casual wave, and then left the Marquis’s Mansion with Liu Cai.

Watching Tang Xiu get in the carriage and leave without looking back, with no lingering affection, Chen Yue didn’t say anything, only his eyes reddened slightly.