Having hit a raw nerve, He Yunxuan went mad again. He grabbed Jiang Wuyan by the throat with ferocious intensity. "Jiang Wuyan, I have never touched you! You are not my wife in any real sense, and I am not discussing this with you!"
The suffocation was overwhelming, and Jiang Wuyan felt she was about to die.
Unable to see, she could only blindly reach out and grab his arm.
Though he was the one hurting her, she clung to him like a shipwrecked person clutching a piece of driftwood. Beneath her numb expression lay a pitiful, sorrowful helplessness, and hot tears streamed down her cheeks to drip onto the back of He Yunxuan's hand.
He Yunxuan paused, as if recalling the past, and slowly calmed down.
This wife of his was like a wooden beauty. Her life was as stagnant as a pool of dead water, utterly devoid of vitality. Being with her often felt stifling. In his memory, she had never done anything particularly rebellious, let alone anything that went against him; she lived her life with the utmost caution.
Of course, she didn't need to do anything. Just by standing there, she could bring disaster to everyone around her.
She cared deeply about him—perhaps that was why she had suddenly turned "rebellious."
Now, as she wept silently, she truly looked pitiful.
It was as if the whole world were bullying her.
He let go of her. Realizing she was still useful, he resumed his gentle manner and grasped her by the arms with a semblance of intimacy, only to make her shudder instinctively in fright.
"A-Yan, don't be afraid!"
Jiang Wuyan shrank back. If she could, she would have curled up into a ball to ward off all the sudden, unseen hurts.
"I'm sorry, A-Yan. Don't be afraid, I was just too angry a moment ago," He Yunxuan said softly, almost tenderly. "I know I was in the wrong regarding Huanhuan, and I was too impulsive. But you shouldn't have said such harsh things to me. Huanhuan and I are truly in love, and I will definitely find a way to resolve this. As long as you help Huanhuan weather this storm, you will still be my legitimate wife in the future, and I will give you the dignity you deserve."
He gently and tentatively placed his hand back on her shoulder.
"Wuyan, having you help me is actually helping yourself. You must know what fate awaits you if you are cast aside now!"
After a long while, Jiang Wuyan slowly raised her head. Her unseeing eyes made her look dazed and fragile. Seeming to have compromised, she asked with a trace of trepidation, "What... what do I need to do?"
"First, send your father away. No matter what, you must not admit to anything regarding Huanhuan externally, and find a way to handle anyone who comes sniffing around for news."
"But..."
"There are no buts, A-Yan. We are husband and wife, we are one!" He Yunxuan said softly, yet the hand resting on her shoulder tightened its grip.
A pang of pain shot through Jiang Wuyan, causing her to flinch, but she could not pull away from the heavy weight on her shoulder.
Her eyes turned red, yet no more tears fell. Seeming timid, she lowered her gaze. "But... the Crown Prince..."
At the mention of the Crown Prince, He Yunxuan fell silent for a good while. Jiang Wuyan felt a cold breath wash over her, and then she heard his chilled voice: "A-Yan, you and Huanhuan have similar figures. When the time comes, you can take Huanhuan's place to meet the Crown Prince. No one will notice anything amiss, right?"
Jiang Wuyan clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug painfully into her palms.
She kept her head lowered, silent. Whether her silence was a form of protest or a weak capitulation, He Yunxuan chose to take it as consent.
He raised a hand and gently stroked her hair. "A-Yan, I know I've wronged you. Rest assured, no matter what happens between Huanhuan and me in the future, you will always be my legitimate wife and the mistress of the Marquis Manor. No one will ever shake your position!"
***
Jiang Wuyan walked out of the study with her blind cane. Sensing the warm caress of sunlight, she lifted her head slightly, hoping to feel the warmth of the light, but found only endless darkness.
She longed to smile, but she felt utterly exhausted, too weary even to twitch the corners of her mouth.
Lowering her gaze, she turned to leave, but the movement aggravated the long-neglected pain in her chest, forcing her to double over. Clutching her chest, she found herself momentarily unable to take a step.
From nearby came the sound of her husband returning to the secret room. Believing he had successfully shifted the burden of the aftermath onto her, he couldn't even spare her another glance before rushing off to see his Huanhuan.
At that moment, a small bird fluttered down and landed on her shoulder.
The bird chirped incessantly, as if talking to her or guiding her way, showing not a shred of fear.
Jiang Wuyan was used to this. Listening to the crisp, pleasant birdsong, her tightly coiled heart relaxed just a bit. She regulated her breathing, slowed her movements, and pushed herself up steadily until she could stand straight again, then resumed her walk.
With every steady step she took, she forcefully swept the storm from her mind, compelling herself to grow calm.
Beneath her fragile exterior lay a mind as sharp and methodical as a razor, analyzing the current situation.
Since He Yunxuan wanted her to go back to the Jiang Family to deceive the Crown Prince, she would gladly play along with their little drama.
She was determined to obtain a clean divorce from him and leave this man-eating Pingyang Marquis Manor with her head held high!
Without any human guide, relying solely on her blind cane and the chirping bird on her shoulder, Jiang Wuyan successfully found her father.
Truth be told, it was she who had secretly discovered that her father had locked Jiang Huan away.
She knew she was about to face another storm, but after shooing the bird away, she walked right up to her father.
Before the word "Father" could even form in her throat, a brutal slap landed squarely across her face.
"You bringer of bad luck! Because of you, the He and Jiang families are in constant turmoil! If I had known it would come to this, I should have strangled you the day you were born!"
Her burning cheek throbbed with fire, and her ear rang with a harsh buzzing sound, but her father's curses cut through clearly enough. Jiang Wuyan listened numbly... She had lost count of how many times she had heard these exact words since childhood.
With a blank expression, she straightened up and dutifully bowed to her father again. "Father, please calm your anger. Your daughter knows she was wrong."
"If you couldn't even keep your husband in check, how could things have come to the point where he locked Huanhuan away? You are cursed, so stop dragging Huanhuan down with you! She is the Ziwei Star foretold by the Directorate of Astronomy! In this lifetime, she is blessed with boundless fortune, bringing prosperity to her family, her husband, and the entire Da'an Dynasty. She is destined to be the Crown Prince's Consort and the future Empress! Are you determined to ruin Huanhuan and destroy the Jiang Family before you'll be satisfied?"
After venting his anger in a long tirade, Jiang Qianming finally calmed down enough to ask, "Where is He Yunxuan? Why didn't he come to see me?"
Jiang Wuyan gave a helpless, troubled shake of her head. Seeing this, Jiang Qianming flew into a rage. "Is he refusing to release Huanhuan?"
When Jiang Wuyan nodded, Jiang Qianming struck her across the face a second time. "Useless wretch!"
True to his words, Jiang Wuyan was treated like useless refuse; she simply kept her head bowed and took the blows. She was merely a cursed, blind woman—what could she possibly do? She was nothing more than a helpless, incompetent little wife.
Jiang Qianming paced back and forth anxiously. Tomorrow, the Crown Prince would come to visit Huanhuan. If he were to discover the truth...
No, it must never be discovered!
He abruptly halted his pacing and fixed his eyes on Jiang Wuyan. "You are coming home with me."
"Yes, Father."