"I... I'll call for tea..."
Yun Wenfang glanced at her with a half-smile. "No need for formalities."
Miss Meng bit her lip, looking as if she might burst into tears again.
Yun Wenfang glanced around casually and asked, "Are you settling in well?"
It sounded like a caring question, prompting Miss Meng to look up at him. "Y-yes, I am."
Yun Wenfang nodded with a smile. "I thought so, because I find it rather unfamiliar." Most of the furnishings in Yun Wenfang's courtyard had been replaced by Miss Meng. Although Yun Wenfang usually didn't pay much attention to such matters, he had always disliked others moving his things without his permission.
Miss Meng paled, opening her mouth to explain, but Yun Wenfang cut her off. "It's fine. If you prefer this arrangement, you may continue living here."
Encouraged, Miss Meng mustered her courage and stammered, "How long will you stay this time? Will you be living in the residence?"
Yun Wenfang raised an eyebrow, a smile on his lips but his eyes cold and tinged with mockery. "How long do you hope I'll stay?"
Miss Meng, too afraid to look at him, missed the sarcasm in his tone. Blushing, she said, "Grandmother and Mother... they all miss you, husband. If you could stay longer, they would surely be delighted."
At the unfamiliar address, Yun Wenfang narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Miss Meng for a long moment without speaking.
Miss Meng stole a glance at him, blushing, but couldn't decipher the dark look in his eyes.
"I'll leave once my elder brother's wedding is over," Yun Wenfang replied, curling his lip. "What your maid said earlier about you returning to the Meng family makes some sense. If you're unhappy living in the Yun Family, you may go back to the Meng family."
Miss Meng immediately explained anxiously, "I... that was just their thoughtless words in anger. Please don't be upset, husband."
"I'm not upset. And don't let me hear that address again." Yun Wenfang snorted, a flicker of disgust passing through his eyes.
Seeing Miss Meng stunned into silence, Yun Wenfang smiled amiably. "Miss Meng, you must be aware that marrying you was never my intention. The Yun Family brought you into this household without consulting me. Having endured this empty marriage for so long, if you harbor any resentment, you should take it up with the elders of the Yun Family or your own Meng family."
Miss Meng was utterly stunned, unable to react.
"To be frank, I will be stationed with the army for the next few years and won't have time to return to the Yun Family. Even if I do return, I have no intention of staying in this unfamiliar courtyard. Everyone knows that while we are married in name, our union has never been consummated. I find it rather regrettable to keep you tied down like this. So, if you wish for a divorce, I have no objections. You're still young. After leaving the Yun Family, with the Meng family's standing, you can easily find a more suitable match."
Yun Wenfang spoke with rare patience and persuasion.
After a long moment of stunned silence, Miss Meng suddenly burst into tears. "What... what do you mean by this?"
Miss Meng's appearance was actually quite pleasant, especially when she cried, with a delicate, pitiable charm that would likely stir sympathy in most men.Unfortunately, Yun Wenfang was no ordinary man. He coldly laid it out: "What I mean is, if you wish to stay in the Yun Family, you may continue to do so as the second young madam. But I will not return home, will not share a bed with you, and will not touch you. Staying in the Yun Family would be no different from living as a widow. So if you wish to divorce me and seek a better marriage, I fully support it and will cooperate."
Yun Wenfang believed that being so blunt with Miss Meng was already the utmost he could do in terms of decency. Otherwise, maintaining their false marital relationship, as had been the case during the past year when Miss Meng was left alone, would have been more beneficial to him.
He tried to ignore the fact that the position of his wife was now occupied by an unrelated person, but he was inherently a straightforward and self-centered man who disdained taking advantage of women.
For Miss Meng, however, these words struck like a bolt from the blue. She had only one thought: her husband was going to divorce her. They had just met for the first time since their wedding, and they hadn’t even consummated the marriage, yet he was already abandoning her. For a woman, this was an unbearable humiliation.
But Miss Meng had always been a well-behaved and proper young lady. She had never done anything to cause a scene, so even though Yun Wenfang’s words left her trembling with anger, she did not make a fuss. Instead, she covered her face and wept.
Yun Wenfang felt no pity for her. Seeing that he had said what he needed to, he brushed off the hem of his robe, stood up, and prepared to take his leave.
"I will be in Yunyang City for the next three days. If you make a decision, you can send someone to inform me. I will not let the Yun Family stop you."
With that, Yun Wenfang turned to leave. Miss Meng, who was crying uncontrollably, suddenly looked up and asked, "Do you already have someone you love?"
Miss Meng was not entirely foolish. Yun Wenfang’s words, combined with the hints she had occasionally picked up from the Yun Family’s servants who pitied her, suggested that Yun Wenfang had someone else in his heart.
Seeing that Yun Wenfang remained silent, Miss Meng suppressed her heartache and humiliation and said, "If you truly cannot let go of that person, I am not someone who cannot tolerate her. You can take her into the household as a concubine. I... I will not be jealous."
As a woman from a prominent family, Miss Meng had heard stories like this before. She guessed that the woman might be of a status unsuitable for marriage to Yun Wenfang, which was why he could not marry her. If that were the case, she could endure him taking her as a concubine. After all, a concubine was just a concubine—her status would never surpass her own.
Miss Meng’s words actually made Yun Wenfang pause and turn to look at her.
"You as the wife, and her as the concubine?" Yun Wenfang asked with a hint of amusement.
Miss Meng gritted her teeth and nodded. "If it’s inconvenient for you to speak of it, I can go to Grandmother and Mother."
Though her heart was filled with grievance, she was still willing to compromise to save her marriage.Unexpectedly, Yun Wenfang laughed, his words spoken like a sigh, slow and deliberate, each syllable chilling to the heart: "A long time ago, I once thought the same way—to bring her into the household at any cost. Back then, I believed status didn’t matter much. If she suffered a bit in terms of position, I could simply spoil and protect her. If she couldn’t get along with the principal wife, I could turn that wife into a tablet in the ancestral hall, offering three sticks of incense during festivals to settle the matter. That way, no one could ever oppress her."
At this, the color immediately drained from Miss Meng’s face. She stared blankly at Yun Wenfang’s silhouette against the light, unable to speak.
Yun Wenfang looked at Miss Meng’s expression and smiled somewhat maliciously: "So you should be grateful she cannot enter the Yun Family’s gates. Otherwise..."
Yun Wenfang left his words unfinished. After giving Miss Meng a meaningful glance, he turned and walked away.
Miss Meng’s body went limp, and she collapsed onto the kang, her face ashen.
No one saw that as soon as Yun Wenfang left the courtyard, the frivolous smile vanished from his face. His eyes were dark and profound, thick like impenetrable clouds, concealing all disappointment and pain within.
Shortly after Yun Wenfang departed, the four senior maidservants entered. Seeing Miss Meng lying motionless on the kang, pale and trembling, they were startled and quickly gathered around her.
"Miss!"
"Miss, what’s wrong?"
Upon closer inspection, the maidservants realized Miss Meng’s face was silently streaked with tears, yet her eyes were vacant and lifeless, as if her soul had been seized by something.
It was unclear how much time passed before Miss Meng finally stirred and sat up, wiping her tears as she instructed the maidservants: "Go pack our things."
"Miss? What are we packing for?" the maidservants asked, confused.
Miss Meng closed her eyes briefly. "I must return home to see my mother."
One of the senior maidservants advised, "Miss, tomorrow is the day the Yun family’s eldest young master marries. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to leave now? Perhaps wait a few more days?"
Miss Meng shook her head with a look of utter despair. "No, I must leave now, immediately. I cannot stay another moment." With that, she collapsed again, weeping.
The maidservants exchanged glances but had no choice but to seek permission.
Although the elders of the Yun Family had always been lenient toward Miss Meng, leaving the household still required reporting to Madam Yun.
Madam Yun was currently overwhelmed with preparations for Yun Wenting’s wedding, worried that something might go wrong tomorrow if Yun Wenting was absent. Yet, her usually obedient second daughter-in-law chose this moment to cause trouble. Though displeased with her daughter-in-law’s request, Madam Yun politely refused the maidservant. With the Yun Family’s joyous occasion tomorrow, Miss Meng leaving her husband’s home to return to her parents’ would undoubtedly invite gossip.
When the maidservant returned to convey First Madam’s decision, Miss Meng gritted her teeth and, for the first time, disregarded her mother-in-law’s opinion: "No, I must go back."
Without bothering to pack any belongings, Miss Meng left with only a few of her dowry attendants in tow.At first, no one paid much attention, and even First Madam Yun wasn't overly concerned about such a minor matter. After all, aside from her tendency to cry, Miss Meng was usually quite obedient, so no one dared to stop her along the way. It wasn't until the elders of the Yun Family realized, amidst their busy schedules, that Miss Meng had returned to her maiden home on her own that they grasped the severity of the situation.
Tomorrow was a significant day, and the Yun Family wanted to avoid any complications. They immediately sent people to the Meng family to inquire and bring Miss Meng back first. Unfortunately, those sent by the Yun Family to fetch her were turned away at the door. The First Madam of the Meng family had the gates shut and ordered that no one from the Yun Family be allowed in.
First Madam Yun suspected it must be related to Yun Wenfang and, in a fit of rage, ordered him to be summoned. But where would Yun Wenfang obediently wait at home to be scolded?
Thus, the Yun Family spent a chaotic and busy day.
The next day, Yun Wenting was still nowhere to be seen, likely truly absent from the wedding. Fortunately, Yun family's second young master, Yun Wenfang, appeared just before the Yun Family set out to fetch the bride.
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