Lanyin was originally speaking with Qi Yubai.
She had eaten a lot at noon today and had specially come to tell Qi Yubai that she would not be going to the Qi residence for dinner tonight. However, just as she finished speaking, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind. Following the voice, Lanyin turned her head and saw, not far away, Xiao Ye sitting atop a blue-green horse, dressed in purple.
The man who once had a jade-like face and elegant attire now had an empty sleeve tied with a sash. His entire figure looked visibly thinner, and even his once heroic and spirited face had become somewhat sunken. This greatly diminished the handsomeness of the once-renowned “Young Lord Xiao.”
At this moment, his gaunt face was full of anger. His eyes were wide open, the veins on the hand gripping the reins bulging, and his fists clenched tightly, his eyes filled with shock and fury.
Ever since that day when she left the Earl Manor, Lanyin had not seen Xiao Ye again. Although she had heard from many people that he was not doing well, she had never expected that in just a month’s time, he would become so despondent.
The Xiao Ye in her memory was always high above others—when had he ever been like this? Even in the year when the Xiao family fell into trouble, he had never been so downtrodden.
Perhaps because she had never seen him like this before, Lanyin could not help but be slightly dazed as she looked at the current Xiao Ye.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the quiet alley. Seeing Xiao Ye approaching aggressively, Qi Yubai frowned and, without hesitation, stepped in front of Lanyin.
Looking at that familiar shade of blue before her, Lanyin’s originally unfocused gaze finally slowly sharpened. She looked at Qi Yubai, who stood like a towering mountain shielding her, and felt a warmth in her heart. Ignoring the approaching Xiao Ye, she gently tugged at Qi Yubai’s sleeve. When he turned his head, she spoke to him in a soft voice, “It’s fine, my lord.”
Qi Yubai furrowed his brows.
Before he could say anything, Xiao Ye, who had sharp eyes, had already noticed their movements. Already burning with anger, his face turned even darker, and he loudly demanded, “Gu Lanyin, what are you doing?!”
As he spoke, he reached out toward Lanyin, seemingly wanting to pull her to his side.
However, just as he stretched out his hand, Song Yue and Zhusheng, standing nearby, swiftly raised their swords to block his way.
“Young Lord Xiao, our mistress has nothing to do with you anymore. Please conduct yourself with dignity,” Song Yue said coldly.
Zhusheng, on the other hand, had far less patience. He had long disliked Xiao Ye and would love nothing more than to have a real fight with him. Now, standing on either side of Qi Yubai and Gu Lanyin with Song Yue, he sneered at Xiao Ye and taunted, “I say, Young Lord Xiao, Miss Gu has already divorced you. Even His Majesty has approved it—who exactly are you putting on this show for now?”
“And besides—”
Seeing Xiao Ye gritting his teeth, his fists clenched tight, his eyes burning with fury, Zhusheng, completely unafraid, raised his chin and continued to mock, “Our lord is an official of the imperial court, his rank far above yours. It’s one thing if you refuse to pay respects when you see him, but what now, do you actually intend to attack our lord?”
The commotion attracted the attention of the gatekeepers of both residences. Seeing their masters involved in an incident, the servants of both the Gu residence and the Qi residence hurriedly grabbed whatever they could and rushed over.
“Master, are you all right?” Dan Xi was among them. Having heard the noise, he had come out to investigate. Seeing the situation, he grabbed a broom and ran over, standing protectively beside Lanyin as he anxiously asked.
Lanyin shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Her tone was gentle, no different from before. Seeing the crowd gathering around her and, beyond them, Xiao Ye’s increasingly ugly expression, she noticed that his gaze remained fixed on her the entire time. She could see the resentment, the unwillingness, and even… grievance in his eyes.
Grievance?
Lanyin had never expected to see such an emotion in Xiao Ye’s eyes.
It made her feel strange and puzzled. She could not understand what Xiao Ye was feeling aggrieved about. Was it because she had been the one to propose the divorce? Because she had not followed the path he had expected? Or was it because, after their separation, she had not fallen into the despair he had anticipated?
She did not know.
And she could not be bothered to find out.
She merely glanced at Xiao Ye once before turning to Qi Yubai and saying, “I will speak with him for a few moments.” She did not even know why she felt the need to consult Qi Yubai—it was simply an instinctive action.
Qi Yubai lowered his eyes at her words, meeting Lanyin’s calm and gentle apricot eyes. He did not stop her—he merely nodded to her before turning to Zhusheng and ordering, “Step back.”
After speaking, he also moved to the side, standing at an appropriate distance, watching Lanyin’s figure.
This position was neither too close nor too far. If Xiao Ye attempted anything, he could step in immediately.
Zhusheng was reluctant, but he did not dare to disobey Qi Yubai’s order. After glaring fiercely at Xiao Ye, he withdrew his sword and stepped aside. The other servants of the Qi residence followed suit and also retreated.
“You all step back as well,” Lanyin said to Song Yue and the others.
“…Yes.”
Song Yue also sheathed his sword and led Dan Xi and the others to the side. However, they did not go far. Their expressions were vigilant, and their bodies tense as they fixed their gazes on Xiao Ye, ready to charge forward at any moment.
Soon, only Shi Yu remained by Lanyin’s side. She still stood in place, looking at Xiao Ye, who was not far away. Her tone was calm and composed as she greeted him, “Young Lord Xiao.”
“Young Lord Xiao?” Xiao Ye murmured softly as he looked at Lanyin. It was the first time he had heard her address him this way. After a brief moment of confusion, his rage flared even higher, and his previously handsome face twisted with anger and resentment.
“Young Lord Xiao…!” He gritted his teeth and repeated the words, then suddenly took a large step toward Lanyin. But the moment he moved, the people on both sides immediately raised their weapons, ready to charge the moment Lanyin gave the order.
Lanyin frowned but did not speak.
She looked at Xiao Ye and reminded him, “Xiao Ye, we are already divorced. There is nothing wrong with me addressing you this way.”
“I never wanted to divorce you!” Xiao Ye’s face was filled with anger and pain. His hoarse voice carried a low growl as he shouted at Lanyin, “It was you who wanted the divorce. From start to finish, it was you, Gu Lanyin—it was you who did not want me!”
“It was you who abandoned me…”
He murmured as he looked at Lanyin, his eyes slowly turning red.
Zhusheng, seeing this scene, was nearly driven to curse out loud. But just as he was about to say “Xiao—,” Qi Yubai’s voice interrupted him. “Take the men and guard the alley. Don’t let gossip spread.”
The commotion here had already drawn the attention of nearby residents. Some house servants, dressed in their household attire, stood at the entrance of the alley, craning their necks to watch. Upon seeing this, Zhusheng’s expression changed slightly—he was worried about damaging his master’s and Miss Gu’s reputation. Swallowing his anger, he raised a hand to summon the Qi residence’s guards and led them over to disperse the onlookers. Song Yue quickly ordered the Gu residence’s servants to assist as well.
Xiao Ye noticed this movement and naturally also noticed Qi Yubai.
Looking past Lanyin, he directed his gaze behind her. Seeing that familiar face, countless memories flashed through Xiao Ye’s mind—the way Qi Yubai had looked at him over the years, and the moment Qi Yubai had stopped him and spoken to him unexpectedly on the day Lanyin left home.
Things that had once been unclear suddenly became clear in an instant.
“Why is he here?” Xiao Ye demanded of Lanyin, but his eyes remained locked onto Qi Yubai. Looking at that ever-composed, dignified face, the anger within him burned even hotter. A suspicion took root in his heart, and without thinking, he asked, “Was it because of him?”
“What?”
Lanyin frowned, momentarily unable to grasp what Xiao Ye meant. Then, seeing those red, fury-filled eyes turn toward her, she heard Xiao Ye say, “Did you divorce me because of him?”
Lanyin’s expression changed completely.
Shi Yu was furious.
Everyone else still near Lanyin also had their expressions shift. But before they could say anything, a sharp slap suddenly rang out.
Everyone froze.
Even Qi Yubai, who was rarely surprised, was momentarily taken aback. His hand, which had been gently rolling his prayer beads, paused. He saw Xiao Ye’s face turned to the side from the impact, saw the disbelief in his eyes.
Qi Yubai ignored Xiao Ye’s miserable state and instead looked toward Lanyin. Seeing her trembling slightly, her jade-like face flushed red with anger, his brows furrowed.
He wanted to step forward.
But he was afraid of affecting her reputation, so he could only suppress himself and remain in place.
Qi Yubai pressed his thin lips together, continuing to restrain himself as he turned the prayer beads in his hand. His gaze toward Xiao Ye finally darkened.
“Have you sobered up yet?”
Lanyin had lived two lifetimes, but she had never been so angry before. Most of the time, she carried herself with dignity—screaming in rage and crying her heart out did not suit her. It was said that children who cry and make a fuss get rewarded, but that only worked if someone was willing to comfort them. Lanyin had understood from a young age that no matter how much she cried or struggled, there were some things that would never belong to her.
Rather than end up in such a humiliating position, she would rather live with dignity.
In both her lives, the only time she had lost her composure was on that New Year’s Eve.
On that brightly lit New Year’s night, amid the falling snow, she had knelt in the snow, clutching the hem of Xiao Ye’s robe, tilting her head up to plead with him—to ask him to believe her, to give her time to find the evidence that she had been framed. But what had Xiao Ye done back then?
Draped in a gray squirrel-fur cloak, he had looked down at her from above. His eyes were so unfamiliar, so cold. He had not said a single word. He had merely stepped past her and walked away.
That night.
That piece of royal blue fabric had slipped from her grasp, taking with it her last shred of hope.
Yet, she had only been sad for a moment. When she saw Xiao Ye leave, she did not argue, did not cry, did not try to call him back. She had simply gazed at his retreating figure in silence. Then, pressing her hands into the snow, she had picked up the divorce letter and slowly stood up.
She had walked away, one deep step, one shallow step, without looking back.
She had never expected that, after living another life, she would lose her composure once again because of this man.
But that time, it had been disappointment. This time, it was anger.
Not because he had maliciously misjudged her, but because he had dragged Qi Yubai into it as well. If Xiao Ye had accused someone else today, Lanyin might not have lost control like this.
That slap had used up all of Lanyin’s strength. Even now, her arm and fingers were still trembling slightly. But the effect was clear—Xiao Ye’s left cheek bore a distinct red handprint.
“Are you all right?”
No one paid attention to Xiao Ye. Shi Yu, worried, grasped Lanyin’s arm.
Lanyin shook her head without speaking. She was still staring at Xiao Ye. He seemed to have not recovered yet, remaining motionless in the position where she had struck him.
Taking a deep breath, Lanyin spoke to him.
“Xiao Mingchuan, I always thought that after three years as husband and wife and more than a decade of knowing each other, even if you were not a good husband, at the very least, you were still a person.”
This was the first time Lanyin had spoken to Xiao Ye with such cold and reproachful words.
Xiao Ye finally came back to his senses. He raised his hand to cover his slapped cheek and looked at Lanyin. But when he saw her wiping her hands with a handkerchief, as if she found the hand that had touched him dirty, his expression changed. His pupils contracted slightly.
Lanyin gazed at him indifferently, uncaring of what he was thinking. She merely looked at him and said flatly, “Let me reiterate this one more time: the only reason I divorced you is because I could no longer continue living with you. It has nothing to do with anyone else. If you are still a man, then stop shifting your own mistakes onto others.”
Seeing Xiao Ye’s thin lips part slightly, as if he was about to speak, Lanyin did not give him the chance and continued, “You want to ask why I was able to live with you before, but now I suddenly refuse to?”
Xiao Ye pressed his lips together.
He did not speak, but his gaze remained fixed on Lanyin.
Yes.
That was what he wanted to know.
He wanted to know why—why exactly…
Clearly, everything had been fine before. Why had it suddenly changed? Why? Why?!
“Fine. Since you want to hear it, I’ll make it clear to you.” Lanyin looked at him and spoke, enunciating each word, “It’s not because of Gu Qing—she was never that important to me. It was because of you. From beginning to end, it was always because of you, Xiao Mingchuan.”
Seeing Xiao Ye’s pupils contract slightly, she did not stop. Her voice was calm, yet cutting. At this moment, not a trace of her usual gentleness could be found. Lanyin was rational and cold, devoid of any affection, as she spoke to Xiao Ye.
“Because your bias humiliated me. Because your broken promises left me with nowhere to turn. Because your accusations, your self-righteousness, made me feel nothing but disgust.”
With every word she spoke, Xiao Ye’s face turned a shade paler. By the time she finished, even his lips were bloodless.
He wanted Lanyin to stop speaking, but she only gazed at him with cold indifference. Though she was much shorter than him, in that moment, Xiao Ye felt as if she were a deity standing high above in a temple, looking down upon him from on high.