That afternoon, Su Yu was jolted from a nap by a knock at the door. Dressing quickly, she opened it to find the two manor sentries standing outside alongside a handsome man with a gentle demeanor.
The two guards pointed at her in unison. “Adjutant Xue, that’s her.”
Su Yu looked at Adjutant Xue and cut straight to the chase. “Did Mo Chengyuan send you to fetch me?”
Adjutant Xue smiled faintly. “Greetings, Miss Su. I am Xue Yanzhen. I attended Miss Su’s wedding to the Marshal ten years ago.”
Su Yu arched an eyebrow. “And? Shouldn’t you answer my question first? Until Mo Chengyuan and I are divorced, please address me as Madame Marshal or Madam Mo. Thank you.”
Xue Yanzhen took no issue with her bluntness, smoothly adapting. “Madam Mo, the Marshal happens to be occupied with official business. He instructed me to escort you back to the manor to get settled.”
Su Yu nodded. “Very well. Wait for me a moment.” She shut the door crisply.
Her cloth bundle was still packed. Looking around the room, she found nothing to gather. Dressed in the same indigo cotton clothes from the morning, Su Yu slung the pack over her shoulder and pulled the door open.
“I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Su Yu took the lead. The innkeeper recognized Xue Yanzhen. Seeing even the Marshal’s adjutant treating Su Yu with such deference, he hurriedly presented the silver dollar he had collected that morning with both hands. “Madam, this is your room fee. You’ve stayed less than a day; I truly cannot accept this money in good conscience.”
Su Yu waved him off. “Keep it. The mistress of the Marshal’s Manor isn’t strapped for such pocket change.”
The innkeeper’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. “The mi-mistress of the Marshal’s Manor?!”
“Is there a problem?” Su Yu pointed at Xue Yanzhen. “If so, ask him. I’m sure Adjutant Xue will be more than happy to enlighten you.”
“No, no, not at all!” The innkeeper shrank back, not daring to utter a word to Xue Yanzhen.
Stepping outside the inn, Su Yu saw a black Ford Sedan parked by the curb. She turned back to Xue Yanzhen. “Adjutant Xue, what is this?”
Adjutant Xue explained patiently, “It is a mode of conveyance known as a sedan.”
He stepped forward to open the rear door. “Madam Mo, please.”
Su Yu hesitated. Whether in the modern era or on this backward planet, she had never been fond of motor vehicles.
Mistaking her hesitation for fear, Adjutant Xue offered gentle reassurance. “Rest assured, Madam Mo. The sedan is quite safe.”
Su Yu took a step back. “I’ll sit in the front. You three can take the back.”
With practiced ease, she pulled open the passenger door and slid inside.
The two sentries had intended to walk back to the manor, but now that the mistress had spoken, Xue Yanzhen gave her every courtesy. “You two get in as well.”
The journey proceeded in silence. When Su Yu stepped out of the car, her face was slightly pale. It was an innate physical trait; she suffered motion sickness in any vehicle.
Xue Yanzhen inquired with concern, “Madam Mo, are you alright?”
Su Yu shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s go. Isn’t Mo Chengyuan waiting to see me?”
From the outside, the Marshal’s Manor was imposing and magnificent. Its interior architecture was equally solemn and grand, bearing none of the delicate, waterside charm typical of the south.
Passing through several courtyards, Su Yu was surprised to find Western-style buildings. In the rear garden stood a two-story white villa, featuring a sprawling second-floor balcony furnished with a lounge chair.
“Mo Chengyuan certainly knows how to indulge himself,” Su Yu commented.
Xue Yanzhen merely offered a polite smile, at a loss for words.
Following Xue Yanzhen inside, Su Yu was greeted by an enormous ground-floor drawing room. A colossal crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating vivid European-style sofas that looked plush and inviting.
A tall grandfather clock, a gramophone, and an oil painting of a female nude on the wall—every detail reeked of opulent extravagance.
He abandoned his wife to suffer on a rural planet while he revels in utter luxury.
“The Marshal is in his study on the second floor. Allow me to escort you up.”
Su Yu followed Xue Yanzhen up the spiral staircase. Turning right, they stopped before the first door. Xue Yanzhen knocked three times.
A deep male voice resonated from within. “Enter.”
Xue Yanzhen turned the handle. “Madam, after you.”
Su Yu showed not the slightest trepidation. “You needn’t come in. Mo Chengyuan and I have things to discuss in private.”
Hearing her words from inside, Mo Chengyuan called out, “Yanzhen, you’ve been working tirelessly all month. Take half a day off and get some rest.”
Xue Yanzhen smiled. “Thank you, Marshal.”
As Xue Yanzhen descended the stairs, Su Yu pushed the door open and walked in.
Mo Chengyuan sat behind an expansive desk. Mounted on the wall behind him was an enormous portrait depicting a dashing man in full military uniform.
The man clearly harbors narcissistic tendencies, Su Yu noted.
Mo Chengyuan raised his head. The moment his gaze landed on her, a flicker of disgust surfaced in his eyes.
Human beings were visual creatures, after all, and no one could look upon Su Yu’s current figure and call her beautiful with a straight face.
“It seems my cousin has been living quite comfortably on that backwater planet,” Mo Chengyuan remarked, leaning back in his chair with legs spread wide, his eyes drifting toward the scenery outside the window.
Afraid looking at me will wound his precious eyes, no doubt.
“Naturally, it pales in comparison to yours,” Su Yu replied evenly. “Furthermore, as husband and wife, addressing each other as cousins is hardly appropriate. The Marshal may call me Little Sister Yu.”
Mo Chengyuan frowned and straightened his posture. “The guards reported that you came here seeking a divorce.”
“Indeed,” Su Yu nodded. Before he could rejoice, she added, “That was my original intent. However, I have since reconsidered.”
Mo Chengyuan rose and marched up to her. “Su Yu, I can offer you ample compensation. There is no affection between us, and I have never so much as touched you. After the divorce, you can take the money and find a man who actually loves you.”
Su Yu could see he was doing his utmost to suppress his temper. Having commanded armies since the age of twenty and weathered hundreds of skirmishes over the past seven years, his word had always been absolute. It had been a very long time since he had attempted to persuade anyone in such a gentle tone.
Yet Su Yu remained unmoved. Meeting his gaze squarely, she spoke each word deliberately: “I spent seven years on that rural planet tending to our parents’ graves.”
The prime of a woman’s youth had been spent keeping vigil over the tombstones of his parents.
Mo Chengyuan’s face darkened considerably. Aside from his lack of affection, Su Yu owed him nothing. On the contrary, she had stood vigil over his parents’ graves in his stead for seven years; it was he who owed her an insurmountable debt.
The demand for divorce caught in his throat. Scowling fiercely, he brought his hand crashing down onto the desk with a resounding thud.
That must hurt; his hand is completely red, Su Yu thought indifferently.
“You will stay in the manor for now,” he commanded through gritted teeth. “We will put the matter of divorce on hold. But you must promise me not to utter a word of this to anyone.”
To deter him from physical violence, Su Yu feigned vulnerability, clutching the bundle tightly against her chest. “Marshal, I am your properly wedded wife, not some shameful concubine to be kept in the shadows.”
