Chapter 412 - 419: It’s an Acquaintance

There’s always that one sliver of moonlight that remains in the heart, becoming a cinnabar mole at its core. Su Wenyue could never have expected that her initial act of saving someone would have such an effect. Su Wenyue had no wish to become entangled in troubles; she had even left without giving her name. Yet, precisely this only fueled Liu Xiu’s imagination, leading him to idealize her even more.

After leaving Liu Mansion, Han Yu returned home with a rather stern expression. Su Wenyue thought that Han Yu was troubled by the incident caused by Chen Li, for her extensive acquisition of food had a substantial impact. To some extent, it would inevitably affect Han Yu’s arrangements, but it wasn’t appropriate to ask too many questions in front of others.

“Husband, how did things go? Is there anything difficult at hand?” As soon as Su Wenyue returned to her room, she sent the servants away and inquired about the situation outside. She felt some worry at heart, as Han Yu’s temperament had clearly brought home the stress from outside affairs, indicating the severity of the situation.

Han Yu was not upset because Chen Li had disrupted his plans, but rather because Liu Xiu had actually acquiesced to Chen Li—a woman—being involved in external affairs. Moreover, he found it particularly uncomfortable to be such a woman. Seeing his daughter-in-law looking at him with concern, his frown finally eased.

“Daughter-in-law, there’s no need for you to worry about affairs outside. I have everything arranged,” Han Yu said as he stroked his wife’s smooth hair, thinking that his own daughter-in-law was indeed better—smart, sensible, and measured. She would ask about his external affairs, but only out of concern for him and their household, not out of wild ambition or desire like Chen Li. His wife might display some petulance at times, but to him, it was mostly amusing. If he had married a woman like Chen Li, that would truly be distressing. Perhaps he harbored a bit of a male chauvinist mindset, which was why he hadn’t fully agreed when Su Wenyue wanted to start a store initially.

Su Wenyue was not very convinced: “Really? Then why such a pale face? The turmoil Chen Li caused is no small matter this time. Hasn’t it caused any disruption?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not hindering things. The Imperial Court will eventually send troops to attack Yiyang Prefecture—it’s just a matter of time, and I’ve been prepared for a while. Although the trouble Chen Li caused is a bit troublesome, it isn’t all bad. I just feel that Brother Liu is far too lenient with that woman. He shrugged off the disaster she caused this time and even allowed her to involve herself in critical external matters. Brother Liu is truly being foolish!”

Han Yu seldom spoke ill of others, but Su Wenyue could hear the indignation in his tone. It seemed he truly disagreed with Liu Xiu’s decision. In fact, upon hearing this news, Su Wenyue was also displeased. After all, she had expended considerable effort in trying to suppress Chen Li, yet this woman, despite repeated setbacks, continued to bounce back more vigorously than before. It was not a welcome development. However, Su Wenyue understood that a woman who managed to become an Imperial Consort in her previous life would not be easily defeated by her. A long-term strategy was needed.

“That person is not a fool. Perhaps Chen Li really has some extraordinary qualities. I see that the woman is not simple either. Why let such things vex you? It’s not worth getting upset over,” she quipped.

“Nothing more than a woman adept at flirting—what true skills could she have? She relies only on her mediocre siren’s tricks,” Han Yu replied disdainfully, clearly disapproving of Chen Li’s actions, but also because she was a woman.

Although Chen Li was her rival, Han Yu’s dismissive attitude toward women rubbed her the wrong way: “So what if it’s a woman? Women can also achieve great things. Don’t look down on women. If you don’t believe it, just wait and see!”

Han Yu was also momentarily irritated and didn’t like to disguise his feelings in front of his wife, so he inadvertently revealed some of his emotions. Seeing his wife’s dangerous gaze fixed on him, he quickly softened, a smile gracing his face: “My dear, I believe, of course, I believe. You’re amazing, running the store so well that it’s flourishing. Truly, profits abound each day! When I spoke just now, I was only referring to Chen Li, that promiscuous woman. You must have misunderstood my meaning.”

Han Yu was afraid his wife would hold a grudge and actually go out to prove something, like opening a store despite his objections, which would really give him a headache. So, he preferred to yield.

“Really?” Su Wenyue clearly didn’t believe him. She knew exactly what her man was like. Although he had changed a lot under her guidance, the deeply rooted male chauvinism was still there.

Seeing that he couldn’t fool his wife with half-truths, Han Yu’s tone became more earnest and serious: “My dear, I didn’t mean to belittle women. It’s just that men and women have their respective duties—men take care of external matters while women manage the household. Isn’t that quite alright? You needn’t concern yourself with external affairs like that unruly woman, Chen Li. She may seem clever, but she’s actually very foolish. Even if she managed to meddle in external matters, in the end…”

Han Yu stopped there, but his words piqued Su Wenyue’s interest: “In the end, what? Has something happened that I’m unaware of?”

Seeing the curiosity on his wife’s face, Han Yu didn’t hide anything and said directly, “Brother Liu intends to marry Miss Yin from the Yin Family. It wasn’t urgent before, but with Yiyang Prefecture becoming increasingly chaotic, it seems that this matter might need to be expedited.”

When Han Yu said this, his face showed a hint of sarcasm. Chen Li’s hopping about had only sped up Liu Xiu’s resolve to marry Miss Yin. Even if Chen Li ended up with Liu Xiu, she could only be a concubine, a fitting self-inflicted outcome. However, Chen Li probably didn’t know this news yet.

Su Wenyue was taken aback but not overly surprised. In her previous life, around this time, Liu Xiu had also married Yin Lihua. It seems that this life had not changed due to other circumstances.

“Miss Yin is both beautiful and talented, gentle and virtuous—she indeed matches him well,” Su Wenyue remarked, though internally she considered how Liu Xiu later married another woman for his grand ambitions. She thought of the current, unaware Chen Li and reflected that Liu Xiu, albeit a rare ruler and wise sovereign, was not exactly a good husband for any woman.

Su Wenyue thought about this and turned her gaze to Han Yu. Fortunately, she married a man who truly loved her and was worth her devotion. Although he too harbored aspirations for success and could sometimes be a domineering male chauvinist, he genuinely held her in his heart. Moreover, he stood firm on his principles, always relying on his own efforts, never dreaming of using women to achieve his goals.

“They are indeed well-suited,” Han Yu agreed, having met Miss Yin and acknowledged her to be an exemplary young lady from a noble family, incomparably better than a woman like Chen Li.

Han Yu stayed in the room for a while before heading to the study. The times were tumultuous, and he had stopped by the backyard first fearing his wife would be worried. Many matters awaited his attention outside, yet when he arrived at the study, someone was already waiting there—a familiar face.