When Mother had ruthlessly driven his father away, knowing she was pregnant, she expelled them without a second thought. After his father’s death, she didn’t even visit them, leaving him unable to forgive her. He feared that Miss Jin would abandon him if she learned of his pregnancy, dreading she would be as heartless as his mother.

Mother Xu looked at his belly and the small hand covering it, feeling guilty and sad. If the child had been born, it would have been almost two years old now. She held his hand, saying, “Yi’er, it’s good that the child is gone. Marry Boss Miao and live well. She will treat you well and not let you suffer. Moreover, being the principal wife is quite good.” Having learned medical skills from his father, she accidentally diagnosed Xu Yi’s pregnancy and, before anyone found out, made him believe he had miscarried. Though she was a bit heartless, she believed this was for Xu Yi’s sake.

Xu Yi fell silent. He understood that marrying out, especially as the principal wife, was advantageous, but he could not accept it. With reddened eyes, he silently cried for a while. He opened his mouth, and just when Mother Xu thought he would agree, he said, “I won’t marry. I won’t marry. I won’t marry anyone except her.” His stubbornness was heart-wrenching.

“Don’t be willful,” Mother Xu said, anger rising in her voice. “Getting married as soon as possible is the best solution. Listen to your mother. Don’t I know what’s best for you?”

“No, I won’t marry,” Xu Yi shook his head weakly, kneeling down to beg her. “I won’t marry anyone except her…” He had only returned to the Xu family to be closer to her. Enduring humiliation was bearable, but marrying someone else would render his six years of fondness meaningless. He would rather never marry than be with another woman.

Mother Xu glared at her son and angrily threw his hand away. “This matter is decided. Boss Miao is already prepared. You will marry in the spring.” She believed that feelings could develop over time, just as they had in her own marriage.

After she left, Xu Yi cried uncontrollably, his hand clenched tightly, nails digging into his palm. Fresh blood seeped out, dropping to the ground amidst his faint sobs.

When Hua Yan entered, she hurriedly rushed to help him treat the wound.

Xu Yi’s face was flushed, tears gradually stopping, tear tracks still visible. His voice choked as he asked, “Hua Yan, if I were not in the Xu family and my status were as lowly as his, do you think she would like me?”

Huayan was startled by his thoughts. “Young Master, please don’t talk nonsense,” he said, aware of who ‘he’ and ‘she’ referred to. He tried to comfort him, “If Miss Jin likes you, she will like you regardless of your identity. Please don’t do anything foolish.”

Seeing Xu Yi fall silent, Huayan sighed in relief, feeling more at ease as he continued treating his wound.

After a while, Xu Yi spoke again, “I want to go to the Beauties’ House.”

His stubborn voice startled Huayan. “Young Master, please don’t do anything reckless. Once you enter the Beauties’ House, it’s hard to leave. How can you degrade yourself? Even if Miss Jin doesn’t like you, you cannot go to such a place.”

“No, Huayan, you misunderstood. I’m not going to become a hidden prostitute like him. I just want to go to the Beauties’ House to see him,” Xu Yi said somewhat aggrieved. “I want to know why she keeps going to see him.” For two years, he had known that Miss Jin frequently visited a hidden prostitute. Although he had been abandoned as a child, was he really so unclean that he was worse than a prostitute?

That prostitute, originally from a small noble family, had been married before becoming a hidden prostitute. Why did she keep visiting and caring for him?

Huayan relaxed when Xu Yi thought for a moment, then lowered his eyes and spoke, “If she wants me to come often, I’d be fine even living in the Beauties’ House.”

Huayan was stunned, looking at Xu Yi with shock, feeling helpless. “Young Master…”

“This is the last time, Huayan. I still want to try,” Xu Yi bit his red lips, seeming to steel his resolve.

Tears fell from Huayan’s eyes. A poor orphan, he had been saved by the Young Master, who had cared for him despite his hardships in the Xu household. If the Young Master were to degrade himself, how could he stand by? If the Young Master sought happiness, how could he stop him? He felt only heartache for him.

The night was quiet, yet never truly peaceful.

#

Early morning brought a male scream from the Beauties’ House, startling Xiao Wu and Xiao Zhou next door. They hurried outside, confused by the noise.

#

Jin Yu’s heart felt blocked at the thought of him with another woman. She lowered her eyes, feeling that familiar ache again.

She organized her thoughts and asked calmly, “Who was the woman who came to his courtyard yesterday?”

……

#

The day was bright.

Sunlight filtered through the latticed window, casting onto the sleeping man in bed.

Suddenly, the light intensified as one side of the bed curtain was drawn back. The man’s long eyelashes trembled, and he drowsily opened his eyes. Seeing the woman standing by the bed, he was startled and sat up, flustered but trying to appear composed. He called out, “Wife,” his voice hoarse.

Jin Yu stood quietly by the bedside, gazing at him silently. After a long moment, she closed the bed curtains and said softly, “Since you’re awake, get up.”

“Yes, Wife.” Yun Mei lowered his eyes and began dressing, the rustling of clothing filling the room. He felt dejected. Dao’er had said that the Wife would only spend the night in the mansion or with her little widow, never elsewhere. Now, her presence carried a man’s scent, meaning she had spent the night with the little widow at the Beauty Pavilion. This was the third consecutive night she had done so. Was this little widow the man in the portrait? Had the Wife truly fallen in love with him? Would she marry him?

Initially, she had called off the engagement with the Xu family, saying she would only marry one person. But now, would she divorce him to marry this little widow? He didn’t know.

If the Wife truly no longer wanted him, what would he do?

Jin Yu paid no attention to Yun Mei and glanced around the room, her gaze briefly resting on the burned lantern by the desk before moving to look at the man’s portrait.

“Wife, I’ll go back now,” Yun Mei said uneasily, moving towards the door, but was stopped by Jin Yu’s call.

Jin Yu, growing anxious, spoke, “First, have the servants help you wash and arrange your hair before returning. If you’re not comfortable with the servants, have someone call your personal attendant.”

Yun Mei was stunned, looking at Jin Yu’s back, which seemed more reliable than before. Lowering his eyes, he said, “I’ll wash here, if it’s not too much trouble.” He was her husband and wanted to try to get along with her in hopes of reconciliation.

Jin Yu paused, slightly raising an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected Yun Mei to agree so readily and shook her head, amused, “As you wish.”

“Her voice remained gentle; for those not closely related, she wouldn’t push them to desperation.

I am a professional translator.

I slept all night in my wife’s room, but she did not return. Yunmei walked toward the bed, saying, “Daoer, I want to sleep a bit more, don’t say anything more.” If he continued talking, he might not be able to hold back his tears.

Alone for two years, the secret joy in his heart had turned into something pitiful. Perhaps if he had given her his body and heart at the time of marriage, he would not have ended up in this situation.

Daoer looked confusedly at Yunmei’s lonely back, wondering whether the young master liked the second miss or the family head.

In a distant, dim room, countless parasitic insects crawled around, occasionally emitting eerie, chilling hisses that were terrifyingly strange.