Because Yuan Xiang made a fundamental error, under the leadership of our household head An Jin, it gnawed on corn steamed buns for three days—no bones, meat, or oil. After this period, Yuan Xiang’s eyes were bright green, and when I walked it, neighbors fled in terror, thinking I was walking a wolf.
I realized that in my husband’s eyes, Yuan Xiang and I were treated the same: after a mistake, the punishment was either house arrest or food deprivation. Perhaps with an added clause of being dealt with in a way too miserable to describe.
I thought I had performed commendably in front of the new Emperor of Xiliang, showing no behavior that could provoke my husband’s jealousy. However, An Jin returned home, silently throwing me onto the bed. This hurt my self-esteem, leading me to angrily declare that if he touched me again, it would be beast-like behavior!
He sneered and indeed did not touch me that night—truly less than a beast.
I hugged the blanket, feeling sad, and fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I found myself lying in his arms, tightly wrapped around him. He raised his hands, claiming this was entirely my voluntary action.
I kicked him in anger.
He caught my foot, his fingers sliding upward.
It was a beautiful morning, perfect for exercise. His lips moved from the bottom to the top and back again, thoroughly touching me. Dazed and feverish, he whispered in my ear: “Don’t see him again.”
“Who?”
“Yan Huo.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “Who is Yan Huo?”
He was stunned, then laughed like a cat that had stolen cream, showering me with kisses and leaving red marks on my neck.
I knew the Emperor of Xiliang, Yan Huo, was the “merchant” Zheng Huo who had once sparked a small flame with me. Playing dumb was effective; even my clever husband was fooled.
Clearly, my husband knew of my past with Yan Huo, and while I maintained a calm exterior, I was delighted: after his failed proposal, he must have been paying attention to my every move.
The Three Kingdoms competition was about to begin. To prevent favoritism, all qualifiers would compete anonymously, only receiving their position markers on the day of the event. My elder brother had qualified, and An Jin also entered the horse hunting event.
