A year or two of southern life seemed to have darkened him further. His originally honey-colored skin had turned to a slightly deeper wheat tone. That air of romantic flirtation that once surged everywhere in his features had long since been restrained and disappeared. When his features were solemn, he truly appeared quite imposing. The fusion of a military man’s iron blood with a Chang’an youth’s arrogance made the haughty domineering quality between his eyes and brows even more intense. Merely resting his hand on the sword hilt was enough to let one imagine his commanding presence on the battlefield—golden spears and iron horses, commanding thousands of troops.

Xu Fengjia showed no joyful expression. After exchanging one glance with Seventh Miss, he turned his head to listen to the wedding attendant’s instructions, pouring the nuptial wine to drink with Seventh Miss.

The two had to intertwine arms, naturally drawing close. Surrounding giggles sounded as one, including many maiden’s laughs. Seventh Miss couldn’t help but blush slightly, yet she maintained her composure. She parted her lips to slowly drink the wine in the cup. Then someone came to cut a lock of hair from each of them to tie together and tuck in the pillow corner.

Xu Fengjia set down the wine cup. Before he could speak, a voice came from outside. “The palace has bestowed a gold and jade ruyi to congratulate the new wife’s entrance. Please, General, come to the front hall to receive the reward.”

Seventh Miss’s heart immediately warmed.

She just didn’t know whose handiwork this was.

Everyone immediately made a commotion. Xu Fengjia only glanced once at Seventh Miss before standing to leave the room. The wedding attendant took the opportunity to invite everyone out of the bridal chamber, smiling as she said, “Time to go to the front courtyard to receive guests!”

Those who could enter the bridal chamber to make merry were none other than the Xu family’s most intimate male and female relatives. These words were most appropriate for them. Several older middle-aged women praised Seventh Miss a few times—”Truly beautiful features”—then smilingly led the way out. Only the wedding attendant and dowry maids remained in the room to serve.

Seventh Miss had risen early to dress and groom. All day she had only eaten two mouthfuls of half-cooked rice balls—the undercooked rice given to her according to ritual custom. Now she was ravenous. Moreover, wearing those headdress ornaments weighing over ten jin and walking about everywhere, still having to mind etiquette—she was truly both hungry and exhausted.

In any case, the veil had been lifted. Now with Xu Fengjia going out to receive the reward, he would surely proceed directly to the front hall to toast afterward—this was precisely the time for her to remove her makeup.

She called Lixia over to remove the face full of white powder, took off the gold and jade crown, removed the large red cross-collar hundred birds ceremonial robe, entered the washing room to briefly freshen up, and changed into a lotus-root colored long jacket she commonly wore. Sitting cross-legged before the bed, she helped herself to several cups of tea before finally feeling more comfortable throughout her body.

Then drowsiness began to set in. She poked her head out to look at the small standing clock by the bed—today’s auspicious hour had been divined late. Now it was nearly past the second watch—Seventh Miss’s usual bedtime. Outside, however, the lights were still bright. The sounds of laughter and congratulations could be heard even from here in the distance.

She shook her head and surveyed the new room again.

This room should be the central bedroom in the west wing of Mingde Hall. Setting the bridal chamber here didn’t surprise Seventh Miss at all. After all, the east wing was where Fifth Miss had once lived. Holding a wedding celebration in her room—no matter who it was—would probably feel strange.

Her eyes couldn’t help but darken. That mixed feeling of emotions rose in her heart again.

Being a second wife was not so easy to do. Previously, she had viewed marrying into the Quan family too simply—truly she had lacked experience.

No matter how shallow the feelings, no matter how brief the marriage’s duration, the first wife was always the first wife. Especially when this first wife was also a sister with whom she had good relations—many things would become too complicated.

Not to mention Xu Fengjia…

Only at this moment did Seventh Miss admit to herself that what she truly feared in her heart was only Xu Fengjia alone.

Men like Xu Fengjia—she wasn’t unfamiliar with them even in her previous life.

Such people had always been proud, and all had capital for their pride. They were born distinguished, possessed superior abilities, successful in youth… Whatever they wanted, they need only crook a finger and tons and tons of whatever would be waiting.

Even if her worries were proven correct, Xu Fengjia might not necessarily forgive her refusal from years ago because of it.

Perhaps precisely because her worries were proven correct, he was even less able to forgive her?

Regarding how to conduct herself in the Xu family, Seventh Miss already had established principles in her heart. Over the past year, her understanding of the Xu family was no longer so superficial. What to do, how to do it—she had a plan in her heart.

But emotionally, Seventh Miss had absolutely no idea how to view this marriage or how to face Xu Fengjia. She suddenly discovered she didn’t really understand her husband at all. And that little bit of understanding she had seemed to offer no help whatsoever to this marriage.

She lowered her eyes, gazing at the silver wine bottle before her, illuminated bright by the lamplight.

The twisting and reverberating light on the wine bottle reflected a gloomy beautiful face.

Outside suddenly came rushing footsteps again.

“Heir Apparent, you’re drunk…” It was the wedding attendant’s ingratiating laugh. “But there’s still scattering the bed curtains, sitting by the bed…”

Xu Fengjia’s low, mellow voice then rang out.

“What hour is it already? Tomorrow morning we still must enter the palace to give thanks. Vulgar customs can be dispensed with!”

The wedding attendant seemed still somewhat unwilling, actually daring to respond to Xu Fengjia. “But these are all old customs—”

Xu Fengjia gave a light snort. The wedding attendant’s voice gradually diminished, finally mumbling into silence. Between the candlelight shadows, he had already strode into the bridal chamber. Seventh Miss raised her eyes to look at him, maintaining her composure with effort.

“All of you withdraw.” The Heir Apparent’s mood seemed not very good. He waved his hand and barked at the several maids serving in the room. “In the future when I’m home, don’t leave anyone serving in the room. I want quiet.”

These latter words were directed at Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss started, then nodded.

As Lixia and the others silently withdrew from the room and closed the door, the room suddenly quieted.

Though the liveliness outside still hadn’t dispersed, Mingde Hall’s west wing seemed to have its own rules. She only heard the adjacent rooms closing their doors and securing their households one by one. Then this entire section of buildings fell silent.

Seventh Miss sat by the table watching Xu Fengjia. For a moment, she felt somewhat at a loss.

Xu Fengjia was more at ease than her. He untied the sword at his waist and casually slapped it onto the standing cabinet, then sat at the small square table. He critically scanned the auspicious dishes on the table, then picked up chopsticks to eat a bite of each—this too was ritual custom—but he didn’t offer any to Seventh Miss.

It seemed he was deliberately giving her the cold shoulder.

Seventh Miss instead breathed a sigh of relief.

If Xu Fengjia had entered the door with a face full of deep affection, wanting to join her in intimacy, Seventh Miss truly wouldn’t know how to respond.

Cold violence—she was actually accustomed to enduring that.

She turned to pick up the several embroidered quilts stitched with “early birth of precious sons” and simply began making the bed.

But once she started, she encountered difficulty. Seventh Miss seemed to feel Xu Fengjia’s gaze stabbing toward her… Gritting her teeth, she laid out two embroidered quilts, deliberately leaving a line of bedding between the covers, making them clearly distinct.

A crisp collision sound—Xu Fengjia seemed to have set down his chopsticks. Seventh Miss’s spine immediately stiffened.

Though neither person showed any particular sign, the atmosphere was truly too rigid.

Only then did Seventh Miss discover how afraid she was… Her hands were actually trembling!

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then simply turned around, sat on the bed edge, and began meeting Xu Fengjia’s gaze without evasion.

She had nothing to fear, nothing to feel guilty about. The more overbearing Xu Fengjia’s attitude, the more it could only prove his own guilt. She told herself this repeatedly in her heart.

Yet she was fearful after all. She understood this very clearly. Precisely because she was so fearful, she had to bluff like this, pretending she wasn’t afraid at all…

“No matter how much you look down on the Xu family, you still had to marry in all the same.” Xu Fengjia seemed instead amused by her actions. He tossed down his chopsticks and boldly folded his hands, leaning back against the chair back, grinning as he looked at Seventh Miss. “Things have reached this point—what, you’re still hoping someone will come rescue you?”

Though he was teasing, his eyes were ice cold. These eyes that had once been hot enough to melt glass into a pool of water now seemed cold as ice. They were still burning, but this fire could freeze people to death.

Xu Fengjia had indeed transformed love into hate… No, perhaps that love had been immature, but this hate was far more intense than the love.

Seventh Miss suddenly wanted to laugh.

Look at this—how had she made her life turn out this way! After expending countless calculations and using endless scheming, in the end she still had to marry into such a family, to spend her life with such a man!

Yet instead, she straightened her spine even more.

Xu Fengjia’s arrogance had never been able to make her bow her head—it could only make her raise her head higher.

“No one will come to rescue me.” She heard her own voice—crisp and clear, her tone—calm and undisturbed. “What, does the Heir Apparent take me, Yang Qi, for a naive, ignorant young girl who still thinks someone will rescue her from fire and water?”

Xu Fengjia suddenly shot to his feet.

He still wore the crimson official robe, but this exquisite formal garment couldn’t conceal his fury at all. This man was like wildfire on the autumn plains—once ignited, there was no way to extinguish it. Facing him, one couldn’t help but exercise more caution: after all, no one wanted to get burned.

At this moment, his fury practically illuminated half the room. His tall, robust frame almost blocked all the light sources before Seventh Miss. Her world suddenly darkened.

“You still have the face to say such things! Put on such an expression?!” His voice wasn’t loud, but seemed to carry fire. Each word left scorch marks on Seventh Miss’s cheeks. “You think my Xu family is a den of dragons and tigers? That I, Xu Shengluan, am a crude man who doesn’t know how to cherish beauty, who would only torment you without caring for you—Yang Qi, don’t forget, the position of first wife and legitimate spouse was originally reserved for you—”

Seventh Miss could no longer endure. She stood up at once, confronting Xu Fengjia without yielding an inch.

“Reserved for me? Is there any more absurd joke under heaven? Yes, the Heir Apparent is a noble with many affairs—you probably don’t remember that your front foot barely left before the Princess Consort came to propose marriage, proposing for whom!”

She deliberately showed a sweet smile. “You probably forgot even more that just a year ago in this Mingde Hall, my Fifth Sister died unjustly, a pair of infant children with no one to care for them! Should I not hope someone would rescue me from fire and water, or does the Heir Apparent think—Ah!”

She couldn’t help but cry out softly, suddenly stepping back to dodge Xu Fengjia’s grasp.

But she was after all not a brave and battle-tested military general. Facing Xu Fengjia’s assault, how could she have any ability to counterattack? She only felt a shadow flash before her eyes, and Xu Fengjia had already pressed her between the exquisite, soft embroidered quilts, using just one hand to grip Seventh Miss’s chin.

“No matter how eloquent you are, no one will come rescue you!” His eyes had already been dyed completely crimson by alcohol and fury. “Yang Qi, you’d better keep your eyes sharp—you’re standing on my Xu family’s ground now, eating my Xu family’s grain. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do it!”

Seventh Miss only felt a stifling energy surging from above, from Baihui point rushing straight down toward her chest. She almost wanted to spew another mouthful of blood.

How had someone with such a self-righteous temperament walked to this point today?

She suddenly struggled with all her might, bending her legs to forcefully kick Xu Fengjia away—he simply hadn’t expected Seventh Miss would be this wild. At once she broke free from him, slipping from his grasp.

“Does the Heir Apparent not know me, Yang Qi, at all?” She laughed in extreme anger. “Even in my most humble moments, I wouldn’t obey your every word. What, do you think in the current Xu family, you can still cover the sky with one hand?”

Xu Fengjia’s eyes narrowed. He was about to press forward again to restrain her. Seventh Miss retreated all the way to the standing cabinet. Without time to think carefully, she simply grabbed that heavy sword and forcefully pulled it from its sheath, pointing it from afar at Xu Fengjia.

Xu Fengjia immediately halted his steps. A bit of clarity flashed in his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Seventh Miss flicked her wrist. The sword edge trembled. He quieted down again.

“Using alcohol to feign madness is a very good idea.” She tried her utmost to calm herself down. Yet it seemed she had been repressed too long, seemed that earlier cup of nuptial wine had too strong an effect—she also couldn’t control herself. The self-control she could usually take pride in had now completely vanished. “Unfortunately, the facts are all there. Who lacks principle, I think is very clear, yes? Heir Apparent. Don’t think that because your voice is loud, you have more reason. That I must marry into the Xu family today is itself proof of your failure! Is being a young general so remarkable? Is being your first wife so remarkable? Do you dare say these words before Fifth Sister’s memorial tablet or not?!”

The young general let out an angry roar and stepped forward again. But Seventh Miss didn’t give him the chance. She continued speaking.

“Don’t think that my marrying into the Xu family means I’m climbing above my station to match your family’s rank. Bah! What’s so remarkable about your Xu family! The Yang family is already filthy enough—Pingguo Ducal Residence hides even more dirt and grime. A living murderer walks freely outside. You lack the courage to rage at her, so you come to vent on me? Xu Fengjia, you truly are an upstanding man!”

Xu Fengjia snorted in fury and stepped toward the sword edge regardless. Seventh Miss cried out softly in fright. She drew back the sword to force this person to retreat, but only felt her wrist go numb. She could no longer grip this heavy weapon. Her hand loosened, and the long sword fell to the ground with a clang. Her vision blurred—she had already been pushed against the standing cabinet by Xu Fengjia, unable to move.

“The matter between Shanli and me is not your place to manage!” Xu Fengjia’s tone instead turned cold, each word and sentence full of mockery. “Pursuing the murderer is my matter, feeling guilty toward her is my matter. What are you to dare judge the grievances between us husband and wife?”

“Ha!” Seventh Miss couldn’t help herself—a cold laugh.

She knew she should be calm, but this feeling of losing control was so good! How long had she buried all her thoughts completely in her heart? How long had she been mute, year after year without a single word of truth?

To be able to show her sharp edge was truly also a kind of happiness.

“Now you want to talk about husband and wife.” Her tone was actually this venomous—even Seventh Miss herself was startled. “Speaking of husband and wife—you left on official business the day after the wedding. Until Fifth Sister’s death, two years of marriage, together less than half a month. The murderer roams free outside—where were you? When Fifth Sister died, her heart full of worry about who would care for the orphans—where were you?! How could the Heir Apparent think such a husband would be what I, Yang Qi, wanted? You think I, Yang Qi, value your Xu family’s rank? You needn’t put on that aggrieved face. I’m telling you, Xu Fengjia—you don’t want to marry me, I don’t want to marry you either. This belly full of fire you want to vent—find your mother, find your father, find your Fourth Aunt, find your Fourth Uncle. You alone have no qualification to find me! You think I’ll be your punching bag? You think I’ll feel guilty and humble for refusing you? Then you’re really feeling too good about yourself! Look at yourself—you couldn’t even protect your own cousin. You let her suffer grievances in your family, let her die with eyes unclosed. You think everyone else is wrong? That I am? That I shouldn’t have refused back then? Then I might as well say it plainly here—I haven’t regretted refusing you for a single day, because I’m very selfish. I know that if I had agreed, the one lying in a coffin today with the title of first wife and a grand funeral would be me!”

“Enough!” Xu Fengjia suddenly roared in fury. “Yang Shanheng, you think I don’t dare divorce you?!”

Seventh Miss immediately felt an impulse to burst out laughing.

“If you could divorce me, you wouldn’t have agreed to marry me in the first place. Cousin.” She bit down hard on the word “cousin.”

Xu Fengjia’s eyes widened. The muscles at his jaw clenched and jumped. For a moment Seventh Miss felt some terror again, but she forced herself to calm down, meeting Xu Fengjia’s gaze without yielding an inch. She might be shorter and smaller than Xu Fengjia, but she was confident that in spirit, she was no more humble than him.

Xu Fengjia gritted his teeth. He seemed to want to say something, then quickly stopped himself. He stepped back half a pace, his tone turning indifferent.

“Don’t call me cousin.” He spat on the ground. “You never treated me as a cousin, and I never treated you as a cousin… False sentiment—disgusting!”

After speaking he turned to leave, even his back radiating disdain.

Seventh Miss immediately felt a nameless fire rise again. She took quick steps forward and grabbed Xu Fengjia’s sleeve. “Where do you think you’re going?”