Chapter 32  

The cool night breeze carried the autumn wind, which swept through Xu Lianqiao’s dress. Occasionally, leaves fell at her feet. When she stepped on them, they crumbled into mud.

“Hmm… Is there only one room in this courtyard to sleep in?” she asked, puzzled.

Why had Jiang Huai’s grandfather arranged such a small courtyard for them?

“If we use separate rooms, it will certainly arouse Mr. Jiang’s suspicion.”

It went without saying that Jiang Huai must have had a hand in this arrangement. But Xu Lianqiao might not have realized it.

That might be true, but sharing a room with him was still difficult for her.

Xu Lianqiao hesitated and then tentatively said, “How about… we say it’s inconvenient for me right now… and I can’t share a room with you?”

She knew that some people were sensitive to such matters.

“Ah Qiao…” Jiang Huai gazed at her with a smile that conveyed a mix of amusement and frustration.

She was, after all, his betrothed wife, and sharing a room was completely natural. He reached out to hold her hand, but she quickly evaded him.

“Do you… already have a family?”

Xu Lianqiao asked, recalling his earlier words. Her voice trembled slightly, revealing her inner conflict.

She wondered if his feelings were genuine or if her hopes were misplaced. After all, she’d already been disappointed by him once. She couldn’t risk falling for him again, especially if he belonged to someone else.

Even though society often accepted men having multiple wives and concubines, she couldn’t accept such a future. She might not be able to change the world, but she could protect her own heart.

Xu Lianqiao had fond memories of her big brother. He’d always cared for her in her youth. Apart from his sudden disappearance, he had always been good to her. Even now, as Jiang Huai, he peeled crabs for her, bought her clothes, and defended her honor.

She didn’t care about his identity or his current appearance, but she also couldn’t compromise her values.

Jiang Huai was momentarily stunned. He wanted to affirm that he had no other family so she would stop doubting him. But to say that might seem like running away from the truth.

“Ah Qiao.” He spoke her name with a weight that made her pause. “Do you want me to leave?”

Xu Lianqiao nodded slightly, her gaze steady but conflicted.

“But Ah Qiao, what if I told you I’m truly disfigured beyond recognition?” His voice softened as he looked away, his tone full of vulnerability.

He sighed before continuing, “Ah Qiao, I lied to you before. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to write to you. Eight years ago, after leaving the capital, I was in a terrible accident. I was bedridden for years, unable to speak, my appearance ruined.”

He paused to collect his thoughts. “When I found myself in Jiang Huai’s body, I felt like it was a gift from heaven. It meant I could finally stand by your side openly. Do you understand how much that means to me?”

Xu Lianqiao froze, trying to process his words. She didn’t know how to respond or how to comfort him. She feared saying the wrong thing and causing him pain.

“I’m sorry, big brother,” she finally whispered, her heart heavy with guilt. She had once angrily asked him why he never wrote, not knowing how much he had suffered.

“It’s all right, Ah Qiao,” he said gently, his tone carrying a mix of sorrow and relief. “It’s all in the past.”

Xu Lianqiao felt overwhelmed by emotions she couldn’t put into words. Her fingers nervously toyed with the hem of her dress as she lowered her gaze.

Suddenly, Jiang Huai pulled her into an embrace.

She stiffened, caught off guard.

This hug felt different from the ones before. The atmosphere around them seemed to shift, filled with unspoken feelings.

“Ah Qiao, let me hold you for a moment. I’ve missed you so much,” he murmured.

Xu Lianqiao’s hand hovered in mid-air, unsure of how to respond. His words stirred something deep within her, leaving her stunned.

_

Jiang Huai finally followed Xu Lianqiao into the house as he wished.

However, he did not push further and instead offered to sleep on the floor.

The moonlight was dim, but Jiang Huai could not sleep at all as he lay on his side.

Through a layer of bed curtains, with the soft glow of the moon filtering in through the window, he quietly observed Xu Lianqiao, who was fast asleep.

He never imagined that fate would connect him and Ah Qiao in such a way. In fact, if he had known the truth earlier, he wouldn’t have needed to approach Ah Qiao using someone else’s identity.

“Ah Qiao.”

Jiang Huai whispered, but there was no response.

He stood up, walked over to the bed, pulled aside the curtain between them, sat down on the bed, and gently touched Xu Lianqiao’s forehead.

She was truly beautiful. That had been Jiang Huai’s first impression when he saw her.

He still remembered the first time they met.

From a few feet away, he saw her offering incense with the Xu family. She appeared timid, quietly following at the back of the group. It seemed as though she was not the eldest daughter of the Xu family but rather a servant. Yet, even in her simple green dress, Jiang Huai had to admit she was extraordinarily beautiful, like a lost butterfly.

Initially, her timid nature made him feel indifferent toward her, but her appearance matched his ideal. Otherwise, he would not have agreed to marry her.

But… There had been so many misunderstandings between them later on.

As he thought about it, Jiang Huai’s expression darkened. These troubles stemmed from Lu Siqing and the Xu Mansion, and he vowed to make them pay.

Suddenly, the woman on the bed murmured something, as though in a dream.

Jiang Huai leaned in closer, wanting to kiss her.

She smelled faintly sweet, her breath steady and gentle.

Just as he was about to draw nearer, Xu Lianqiao turned over.

Feeling regretful but unwilling to take advantage of her, Jiang Huai stopped himself. He wasn’t a man without principles.

He lightly touched her earlobe before returning to his bedding on the floor.

However, Jiang Huai did not notice that Xu Lianqiao had clenched the quilt over her chest tightly in her hands.

_

The next morning, birds chirped from the eaves outside the window.

Xu Lianqiao opened her eyes, dark circles visible beneath them. She had stayed awake all night, disturbed by Jiang Huai’s actions. Only after hearing him leave did she manage to close her eyes for a brief moment of rest.

Frustrated, she sat up and buried her face against her knees.

If this continued, she feared she wouldn’t last much longer.

Her fatigue was evident when she accompanied Jiang Huai to visit his grandfather.

“Xu girl, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t you sleep well?”

It was obvious to anyone that she hadn’t rested properly.

Madam Jiang reprimanded Jiang Huai, saying sternly, “You didn’t take care of her properly last night!”

Xu Lianqiao didn’t understand the hidden implication in Madam Jiang’s words, but Jiang Huai caught on immediately.

“Ah Qiao, are you feeling unwell?”

Xu Lianqiao nodded quickly but then shook her head.

“I might have caught a cold last night.”

She didn’t dare admit the real reason for her sleeplessness.

“How could that happen?”

Jiang Huai leaned closer, pretending to check her temperature.

Flustered, Xu Lianqiao turned away, coughing lightly as if embarrassed.

Madam Jiang, seeing the interaction, smiled. “Girl Xu is unwell. Huai’er, take her back home. She’ll feel more at ease there.”

“But I’m still recovering, Grandma. I feel weak in this place,” Jiang Huai replied.

“All right, all right. Just go back then,” she relented.

“Ah Huai, take good care of her,” she added.

“Yes, Grandfather. Don’t worry,” Jiang Huai assured.

With that, Xu Lianqiao got into the carriage. She didn’t object—she was too anxious to resist.

_

After returning to the Jiang Mansion, Xu Lianqiao used the excuse of a headache to send Jiang Huai away.

“Brother, can you help me find a physician?”

“Okay.”

Xu Lianqiao’s request sounded sincere, and Jiang Huai had no doubts.

Once everyone left, Xu Lianqiao quickly stood up from the stool and went to search the bookshelf. She rummaged through every book she could find, but the letter and the He Li document ^[1]which is a divorce agreement in traditional Chinese culture. were nowhere to be seen.

Strange…

Where could they be? She clearly remembered that before Jiang Huai left, he said he had placed the He Li document on the bookshelf in her room. Why was it gone?

“What are you looking for?”

Startled by the voice, Xu Lianqiao hadn’t noticed the approaching footsteps. The person behind her had spoken.

“You said you weren’t feeling well. What are you searching for?” Jiang Huai asked again.

Xu Lianqiao’s hand froze on the bookshelf, and she started trembling.

She hadn’t felt like this in a long time. That tone, that oppressive presence…

Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. This person… he had likely returned.

When?

Perhaps today was the day.

How foolish had she been to believe his lies? Stories about finding a wife, having children, or being accidentally disfigured—what had he taken her for? A joke?

Xu Lianqiao turned around, stiffly and slowly. Jiang Huai stood there, holding a medicine bottle in one hand and looking at her darkly.

“Why are you back?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Seeing her so frightened, Jiang Huai abandoned any pretense.

“Are you looking for this?” he said, taking a piece of paper from his sleeve.

When he unfolded it, it revealed the He Li document bearing Jiang Huai’s signature.

Xu Lianqiao’s breathing stopped, and her heartbeat thundered in her chest. She had never been this nervous before, cold sweat soaking her palms.

She wanted to speak, but the words caught in her throat.

When Jiang Huai brought the document closer to the candle flame, Xu Lianqiao finally reacted, lunging to grab it.

“What are you doing? You gave this to me, don’t you remember?” Xu Lianqiao protested.

“Really?” Jiang Huai’s voice seethed with anger.

He grabbed Xu Lianqiao’s chin with one hand and held the He Li document over the flame with the other.

Despite Xu Lianqiao’s struggle, the document was burned to ashes.

The charred fragments scattered onto the table and into Xu Lianqiao’s heart.

At that moment, all her reason and composure were reduced to ashes.

“Jiang Huai, you bastard!”

She shouted hoarsely, her voice cracking, but Jiang Huai merely sneered.

So arrogant, so domineering.

“Ah Qiao, you’ve finally recognized me,” he said.