Chapter 2 — One Sword Cuts Our Ties

He cast a glance at my way, as though silently waiting for me to utter a word. In the past, whenever we encountered such a situation, he would have instantly stood up and walked away in a huff. If I dared to stop him, he would only reprimand me for being needlessly jealous. Yet now, he remained rooted to his spot, sitting quite still, strangely appearing as if he were waiting for me to make the decision on his behalf. Since he deferred to me, I chose to decide for him.

"My Lord, you should go pay her a visit."

I offered him a gentle, placid smile.

"You do not need to constantly stay by my side."

Pei Ze turned his head to look at me, his gaze deep and heavy with unreadable emotions.

"Are you truly telling me to leave?"

"Little Sister Lin is unwell. It is only proper and expected for you, My Lord, to go and tend to her."

He did not move an inch, staring straight into my eyes for the duration of several slow breaths.

"Do you not mind this at all?"

I looked back at him, finding his repeated question rather peculiar.

"Not in the least."

I smiled at him, my voice carrying an earnest tone.

"Little Sister Lin is of delicate health. It is only natural that her husband should show her more care and concern."

Abruptly, Pei Ze rose to his feet, maintaining a silent and solemn expression as he gazed down at me. Without uttering another word, he turned and strode straight out of the door. Lin Wan Yin hurried forward, eagerly hooking her arm through his and pressing her soft, fragile body closely against his side.

"Brother Ze, please walk a little slower and wait for me."

Paying them no further mind, I picked up my script book once more, casually turning to the page where I had left off. Naturally, I failed to notice the single backward glance Pei Ze cast toward me before he vanished from sight. Ever since that fateful day, Pei Ze’s demeanor underwent a bizarre transformation. If he bestowed a bolt of fine Yun Brocade upon me one afternoon, the very next day he would claim that Lin Wan Yin desired it, demanding that I return it to him.

"Wan Yin has her eyes set on those bolts of Yun Brocade," he said.

Pei Ze stood with his arm around Lin Wan Yin, yet his sharp eyes remained fixed intently upon my face. Hearing this, I felt a genuine sense of relief. Thank goodness I had not yet touched that fabric; I hastily instructed the servants to retrieve it all at once.

"If the young sister fancies them, she may take every last bolt."

The exquisite hairpin that he had promised to gift me just days prior was soon gleaming brightly amidst Lin Wan Yin’s dark hair.

"Does my elder sister think this hairpin looks lovely on me? Brother Ze specially chose this piece just for me, you know."

Lin Wan Yin stroked the hairpin resting upon her head, speaking to me with a triumphant, beaming smile. I carefully observed it for a brief moment.

"It is lovely."

My tone was filled with utmost sincerity, devoid of even a shred of perfunctoriness.

"It suits Little Sister Lin remarkably well."

Lin Wan Yin froze for a second, likely never expecting that I would offer her a genuine compliment. Pei Ze, standing off to the side, watched the scene with a countenance that darkened completely.

For three whole days, Pei Ze did not set foot in my courtyard. But I cared little for his absence. My physical strength had nearly fully recovered, and I was making firm plans to leave the marquis manor behind. My only lingering concern was a mild hesitation: if I were to bluntly ask Pei Ze for a divorce, I wondered if he would readily agree. His temper of late had grown utterly volatile. Should he refuse my request, my only recourse would be to enter the imperial palace and seek a decree from His Majesty. Xiao Jing Xing had once given me his solemn promise. Should the day ever arrive when I came to him with a plea—so long as it did not involve treason or rebellion—he would grant it without hesitation. Pei Ze would have no choice but to obey the imperial edict. As I was deep in thought, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from outside. Pei Ze had arrived. Having not seen him for three days, he appeared noticeably thinner, with faint, bruised dark circles shadowed beneath his eyes.

"You have come, My Lord."

Pei Ze stepped into the room and seated himself on the chair beside me.

"Ming Tang."

He looked at me, struggling slightly as he forced the words past his lips.

"These past few days, I acted that way on purpose."

"That hairpin and those bolts of brocade—I deliberately gave them all to her, simply because I wanted to test your reaction."

I cast a strange, uncomprehending look in his direction. He raised his head to meet my gaze, bloodshot networks branching across his eyes. It was impossible to tell whether he had merely suffered from sleepless nights or if there were other, deeper reasons at play. Pei Ze offered a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

"Ming Tang, are you angry with me?"

"Regarding what happened in the ancestral hall that day, I truly should not have forced you to kneel there for seven whole days."

Not expecting him to suddenly bring up that painful memory, my hand froze mid-motion. He watched me intently, his lips pressed into a hard, white line.

"At the time, I only considered that you were the mistress of the marquis manor, yet you struck Wan Yin in front of a large crowd. If I had left you unpunished, it would have utterly shattered the household rules."

"That was the only reason why I..."

I cut him off mid-sentence, my voice detached and calm.

"That matter is already in the past."

Suddenly, Pei Ze took a step forward, reaching out his arms to pull me fiercely into his embrace.

"But now, I deeply regret it."

His arms locked tightly around me, his voice muffled and heavy with despair.

"A Tang, I know you are furious with me. It was all my fault."

"Can you find it in your heart to forgive me this very once?"

Just as I raised my hands to push him away, a maidservant burst into the room unannounced. It was one of the personal maids who attended closely to Lin Wan Yin, her face radiating with unrestrained joy and excitement.

"My Lord! Good news! Concubine Lin is with child!"

The entire room fell into an instantaneous, profound silence. The arms that held me so tightly around the waist stiffened rigid, and Pei Ze involuntarily turned his head to look in my direction. Seizing the opportunity, I shoved him firmly away, retreating a few paces backward. My eyes brightened as I looked at the maid, my voice overflowing with feigned delight.

"Is she truly with child?"

My joy, however, was entirely genuine. Just as I was growing drowsy, someone had graciously handed me a pillow. I had been fretting over how to broach the subject of a divorce with Pei Ze, and now Lin Wan Yin had miraculously fallen pregnant. This was, without a doubt, the greatest stroke of good fortune imaginable. In the past, Pei Ze had prized Lin Wan Yin so dearly, and now she carried his sole bloodline within her womb. If I brought up the matter of a separation now, he would surely have no remaining excuses left to refuse me. The maid beamed broadly as she continued.