Chapter 2

The next morning, a harsh ray of sunlight cut through a gap in the curtains, falling across my face. I hadn't slept at all. Shen Huaiyu was already gone. The other side of the bed was cold, the only sign he had been there was the discarded robe still slumped over the chair.

A servant girl knocked softly and entered with a basin of warm water. She kept her eyes down, her movements timid. In this house, everyone knew my status, or rather, my lack of it. I was the unwanted wife.

"Young Master Shen has already gone to the county office," she murmured. "He left a message. He said... he said for you to not cause any trouble."

The words were like a splash of cold water, but this time, they didn't sting with the pain of rejection. They were just a confirmation of what I already knew. A bitter pill I had already swallowed in a past life. I nodded, my face impassive. "I understand."

I washed my face, the warm water a small comfort. In the bronze mirror, I saw the face of my younger self. It was a pretty face, but filled with an innocence and hope that was now completely gone. My eyes held a weariness that didn't belong on a young bride.

My desire to see my mother was an ache in my chest. In my previous life, after my marriage, I was so consumed with Shen Huaiyu that I neglected her. When he finally cast me aside, she was all I had left, and she had to endure poverty and hardship with me until the very end. That was my greatest regret. This time, she would be my priority.

But I was trapped. According to tradition, a bride could not return to her maiden home until three days after the wedding. Three days in this cold, suffocating house. I needed a plan. I needed to get out, and I needed to do it in a way that would give me and my mother a future. The imperial examination. That was the key. In my past life, I had the talent, but Jasmine's schemes and my own fixation on Shen Huaiyu had ruined my chance. This time, it would be my escape route.

Later that day, I went to pay my respects to Shen Huaiyu's mother. She was a stern woman who looked at me with thinly veiled disapproval. The visit was short and formal. She gave me a few cold instructions about my duties as a wife and dismissed me. It was clear she shared her son's opinion of me.

I walked back to my room through the pristine courtyard. The Shen family residence was large and imposing, a symbol of their power. It felt like a beautiful, ornate cage. I belonged to a small, scholarly family with no influence. My marriage to Shen Huaiyu was arranged by our fathers, who were old friends from the army. It was a connection my family desperately needed, but it had cost me everything.

As I neared my quarters, I heard a familiar, sweet-sounding voice. "Cousin Huaiyu, you're back so early!" It was Jasmine. I stopped behind a decorative rock, my body tensing.

I heard Shen Huaiyu's footsteps. His voice, when he replied to her, was completely different from the one he used with me. It was gentle, concerned. "I was worried about you. You seemed unwell last night."

"I'm feeling much better now that you're here," Jasmine said with a light laugh. "It's just... this whole marriage. It must be so difficult for you, being tied to someone you do not care for."

I held my breath, waiting for his reply. It came without hesitation. "It is my duty. Nothing more."

The words confirmed everything. I closed my eyes for a moment, then turned and walked silently back to my room. There was no point in listening further. I had all the motivation I needed.