Chapter 2: Once Upon a Time

The Xie family’s feelings—whether pleased or displeased—were unclear to Lu Shuyao. Yet, upon hearing these words, she felt a quiet joy within her heart. For she, too, had been given a second chance at life.

In her previous life, she fretted over how to escape the marriage arranged by the Xie family, never expecting that as soon as she dozed off, someone would come to offer her a pillow. Xie Liwen, despite his upright-sounding name, was a tall, burly man. When they first married, he treated her reasonably well, and they shared a brief period of closeness. But after half a year without children, the in-laws began to make life difficult for her.

Xie Liwen turned a blind eye to all of this. At home, he was a careless master who shirked all responsibilities and even resented Lu Shuyao for failing to manage the relationship between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. Eventually, at the suggestion of his mother, Lu Shuyao was compelled to accept two concubines for Xie Liwen.

With the arrival of these concubines, the mother-in-law inexplicably saw them as allies against Lu Shuyao, and her life became somewhat easier. Yet, those concubines also failed to conceive after six months. Naturally, the problem lay with Xie Liwen himself.

To conceal her son’s infertility, the matriarch sold off the two concubines and publicly claimed that her son was devoted and loving to his wife, forbidding the concubines from entering the marital chamber. The matriarch praised herself as noble and virtuous, earning the Xie family a reputation for deep affection between husband and wife. Xie Liwen’s cousin even secured a good marriage because of this.

From then on, Xie Liwen became a master of pretense, cooperating with his mother to feign tender affection toward Lu Shuyao in public, playing the role of a strict, honorable gentleman. Yet behind closed doors, he exerted oppressive control over her, forbidding her contact with outsiders and flying into violent rages even if she so much as exchanged words with a male servant.

To the outside world, they appeared the perfect couple—talented husband and beautiful wife, a dazzling pair. Only Lu Shuyao knew how hard her life truly was behind closed doors.

Her mother-in-law was domineering; the Xie family’s rules were numerous; and her husband’s affection was nothing but a sham. Xie Liwen vented his frustration from their childlessness on her, forcing himself upon her while drunk, even during her menstruation.

When Lu Shuyao once returned to her natal home, she tearfully confided in her stepmother, hoping to obtain a divorce. But the stepmother sent her back, sternly advising Xie Liwen to discipline his wife well. This act made it clear to the in-laws that Lu Shuyao had no support, and Xie Liwen grew even more ruthless, physically abusing her whenever displeased.

Realizing she had no one to rely on, Lu Shuyao tried to curry favor with her mother-in-law, hoping she might restrain Xie Liwen. Though disdainful of Lu Shuyao, the matriarch pitied her enough to delegate some household authority to her.

Under Lu Shuyao’s management, the Xie family’s household, which had long run at a loss, finally turned a profit by year’s end. Xie Liwen no longer struggled socially in officialdom and gradually found opportunities for advancement, treating Lu Shuyao somewhat better.

It was then that Lu Shuyao discovered he maintained a mistress outside the household. This mistress had once been a noblewoman’s daughter, fallen into disgrace and forced into a brothel. Xie Liwen had redeemed her before their marriage and kept her outside the estate.

From the very start, Xie Liwen had never truly cared for Lu Shuyao. To the Xie family, she was nothing more than the most suitable among many noble daughters.

The Xie family was like rotting wood eaten away by worms; had she not taken over household management and restored the family business, the family’s reputation would have collapsed within a few years.

As the family prospered, three years into their marriage, Xie Liwen was given a chance to distinguish himself beyond the capital. Lu Shuyao encouraged him to go make a name for himself.

Her feelings for him had long since turned to bitterness and resentment. To ease his concerns, she even magnanimously promised to care for his mistress well.

Shortly after Xie Liwen left for the frontier, the mistress became pregnant, and the entire Xie family doted on her like a treasure. Only Lu Shuyao sneered inwardly, wondering if the child truly bore the Xie name.

When the mistress bore a son, the matriarch, unwilling to sully the family’s newly regained honor with an illegitimate child, insisted that the mistress and her child remain outside the household.

Later, Xie Liwen returned victorious, promoted to a fourth-rank general. The family’s glory was at its peak. He exonerated the mistress’s father, restoring her noble status.

Xie Liwen demanded that the son be officially recognized, leading to disputes with Lu Shuyao. Drunk, he pushed her down, her head striking the corner of a table. When she opened her eyes, she found herself reborn.

Grateful to Heaven for this second chance, she resolved that in this life, love and affection mattered no longer. She would care for no one but herself.

With her youthful, softly rounded face slightly lifted, she looked toward her stepmother and stepsister. In her previous life, she had been kind and dutiful toward her stepsister, even asking Xie Liwen to plead her case before the emperor.

But never had she imagined that in this new life, her stepsister’s first act upon rebirth would be to swap betrothals with her.

Lu Shuyao smiled faintly and said to Lu Yurong, "Big sister, with your reputation, you could marry someone far better. Why wed into the Xie family? You can still refuse this engagement."

The Xie family was a pit of fire; no woman ought to be thrown into it. This was her final act of kindness.

Lu Yurong cast a cold glance at her. "What, you, a daughter of a concubine, areI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.