Chapter 2: Betrayal

Returning to the Main Hall

After tidying her appearance, Xie Jiu calmly returned to the main hall.

Yang Shi, ever attentive, hurriedly invited her to sit and share the meal.

A Father’s Probing Question

“Speak,” Xie Mingshen began, his tone sharp and direct, “why did you rush back so early in the morning?”

Caught off guard, Xie Jiu had just picked up her chopsticks but promptly set them down. Lowering her gaze slightly, she replied, “Your daughter had a nightmare, dreaming that Father and Mother were harmed. I was terrified and hurried back to the residence at dawn. Only now, seeing you both, do I feel somewhat at ease. It was my impulsiveness.”

As she spoke, Xie Mingshen appeared to focus on his meal, casually eating the dishes in his bowl. Yet, his eyes remained fixed on her expression, clearly scrutinizing every word for its truth.

A Coquettish Defense

Noticing his intense gaze, Xie Jiu pursed her lips. Deliberately, she slipped into the coquettish demeanor of her maiden days, hoping to soften his stern demeanor.

“Your daughter knows her mistake, Father,” she said playfully, “but I was only worried about you!”

At this, Xie Mingshen’s stern expression seemed to soften slightly. He personally placed a serving of food in her bowl and, in a quieter tone, responded.

“It’s not that Father wishes to scold you,” he said. “When the current emperor rose as a vassal king, the Wu family led a rebellion under the late emperor’s orders. Had your father-in-law not died and Wu Que not surrendered, how could they have preserved their lives?”

A Stern Warning

Xie Mingshen’s tone grew heavy with caution. “That title of theirs is merely a gesture of the emperor’s benevolence toward former dynasty officials. One day, if the emperor grows displeased, it could be stripped away. Your recklessness, if noticed by others and used against him, could bring trouble.”

Yang Shi, attempting to defend her daughter, interjected, “It’s not as serious as you make it sound…”

However, Xie Mingshen’s sharp glance silenced her. “No speaking during meals, no talking during sleep,” he declared, his gaze returning to his plate.

Consequently, Xie Jiu suppressed her swirling emotions and ate in silence.

An Unexpected Return

As breakfast neared its end, the household steward returned from outside. Approaching Xie Mingshen, he whispered something in his ear.

After listening, a flicker of wariness crossed Xie Mingshen’s eyes. Setting down his chopsticks, he turned to Xie Jiu. “You came back from your husband’s family so rashly today, which was improper. Now that you’ve seen your mother and me, you should be at ease. I’m heading to court, so I’ll take you back to the Weiyuan Marquis Residence on the way.”

His words, though impeccably proper, felt calculated, leaving Xie Jiu no room to object.

Yet, the urgency of personally escorting her back to the Weiyuan Marquis Residence struck her as odd. Why did it feel more like he feared she might flee?

A Reluctant Agreement

The Weiyuan Marquis Residence, a place Xie Jiu dreaded, was the last place she wanted to return to. Suspicion toward her father had taken root, but she dared not reveal her true thoughts. To buy time and devise an escape, she suggested, “I need to change.”

Xie Mingshen, unable to object to such a request, merely urged her to hurry.

A Shocking Discovery

As Xie Jiu stepped out of the room, she caught sight of a familiar figure slipping through the courtyard’s side gate.

“It’s Steward Chen’s son!” Qingfang whispered, alarmed.

Xie Jiu, recognizing the figure as someone from the Weiyuan Marquis Residence, felt her scalp prickle. Quickly, she gripped Qingfang’s hand, signaling her to stay silent.

Why would someone from the Weiyuan Marquis Residence be here now?

A chilling realization hit her. Perhaps her father, noting her frantic return at dawn, suspected she knew something and had contacted the Weiyuan Marquis Residence to confirm.

A Painful Truth

Though she resisted believing it, the evidence was undeniable. Her natal family, her own father, had likely been conspiring with her husband’s family all along.

No wonder, in her previous life, when she cursed Wu Que’s shamelessness before her death and threatened him with the Xie family’s power, he remained unmoved, fearless.

Recalling her miserable death, how she clung to the hope that her family would save her, and how, upon rebirth, she fled to her natal home for protection, Xie Jiu felt a bone-deep chill. From start to finish, on both sides, she was the one abandoned.

How laughable that her desperate escape had delivered her into another cage.

A Final Plea

Was she to surrender so easily? Gritting her teeth, Xie Jiu returned to the room and made a final attempt. “Father, I’d like to speak with Mother a bit longer and return to the marquis residence later on my own. There’s no need for you to escort me…”

But Xie Mingshen rose abruptly. “Let’s go,” he said. “There are things I need to discuss with you on the way.”

His tone brooked no refusal.

Moreover, his eyes, fixed unyieldingly on Xie Jiu, felt like a cage closing around her. It was painfully clear—escape was impossible.