Chapter 1

My husband thought the ugly mark on my face was a birthmark. He had no idea that the thing he had despised for three years was actually a chastity mark.

So repulsed was he by my face that, in three years of marriage, he had never once consummated it.

Now he was determined to take a second wife of equal rank—and willingly raise another man's child. I saw no reason not to oblige him.

I sought out Xiao Yunlan, who had secretly loved me for over a decade, the only man I had ever been intimate with.

“I need an imperial decree.”

“I want a divorce.”

Later, when Du Cheng saw me without my disguise, standing beside the emperor with my beauty revealed, he finally lost his mind.

1

“My lady, the old madam has sent for you. You're to go to Songhe Hall.”

“Second Master brought a woman home just now. Calling you over at a time like this—it must be about taking a second wife again!”

They had only raised the matter yesterday, and today the woman was already in the house. Everyone seemed to be in a remarkable hurry.

“Cailian, keep taking inventory of my dowry. Caiwei, come with me to Songhe Hall.”

“My lady, your father has only been dead a fortnight, and already they're doing this. They've gone too far!” Caiwei's eyes reddened with anger.

“Du Cheng has held out for three years. That can't have been easy. It's understandable that he can't wait any longer.”

“How can you be so calm about it, my lady?”

“I'm so angry I could die!”

How?

Once you have given up all hope in someone, it comes quite naturally.

I entered the main hall.

The people who had been laughing and chatting a moment earlier fell silent.

“Mother.”

I paid my respects to my mother-in-law, seated at the head of the room, then turned toward Du Cheng.

“Ah!”

Before I could speak, a startled cry rang out.

I looked at the frail woman who seemed determined to cling to him.

She trembled, hardly daring to look at me, as though I were some fearsome beast.

She looked so helpless and hurt that anyone might have softened at the sight.

Even her voice quivered with tears.

“The mark on your face startled me. I forgot myself.”

“I'm such a coward.”

“Please forgive me. Don't be angry.”

Du Cheng immediately comforted her, his face filled with a tenderness I had never seen in our three years together.

“Don't be afraid, Wanning.”

“Her face is rather frightening, but she won't hurt you.”

Then he turned to me, frowning impatiently.

“Wanning is easily frightened.”

“Wear a veil whenever you leave your courtyard from now on. Don't scare her.”

“She is pregnant. She can't afford a fright like that!”

My mother-in-law joined in at once.

“Cheng is right!”

“Qingyue, you've been married into this family for three years without giving us a single child.”

“Now that we're finally expecting an heir, nothing must go wrong!”

“Wear a veil when you go out.”

“It will be easier on everyone's eyes!”

“That's right, Qingyue.” My sister-in-law put in her supposedly honest opinion. “Before, it didn't matter whether you covered that face of yours. But Wanning is pregnant now. You must be more careful. You can't endanger the Du family's child just because you're jealous of her pregnancy!”

“Hmph! She wouldn't dare! She can't have children herself, yet she wouldn't let Cheng take a concubine. Now that we're finally expecting an heir, what right has she to be jealous?” My mother-in-law had spoken with that same bitter spite for days.

I looked at Du Cheng.

Guilt kept him from meeting my eyes.

Liu Wanning quickly noticed his unease.

The man she treated as her whole world had yielded before me. Jealousy and resentment rose within her.

“Oh!”