Chapter 1 My Husband Welcomes His Childhood Sweetheart into the House

It was dusk when a torrential downpour was falling.

At the entrance of the Zhan Mansion, Yao Qingling stood watching the rapidly approaching carriage, her expression perfectly calm.

The maid, Taoye, held an umbrella to shield herself from the rain, muttering, "Honestly, the young master always has to meddle in Zhou Zhining's affairs. It's not like all her family members are dead... The Zhan family isn't her family..."

As the carriage drew closer, Yao Qingling turned her head and scolded the maid, "Shut up."

The maidservant fell silent, and Yao Qingling's calm face turned anxious and worried.

Before the carriage had come to a complete stop, she took the umbrella from the maid and ran forward to hold it up for the man who got out of the carriage.

Amid the patter of rain against the umbrella, she called out, "How is Madam Wang?"

The man put his foot down, glanced at her with a stern face, and said, "Hold this umbrella for me."

So Yao Qingling stood quietly to the side, holding the umbrella, and said nothing more.

She could sense that the man was very angry today, but he was suppressing his anger, afraid of scaring someone.

She watched as the man lifted the curtain and carefully helped a woman in a cloak down.

The woman was holding a little boy who looked three or four years old in her arms.

The umbrella is too small and there are too many people; it can't cover everyone.

The man glanced at Yao Qingling, took the umbrella and held it over the woman and child, saying in a low voice, "Take another umbrella."

Then, supporting the woman and child, he walked towards the door.

He tilted the umbrella towards the women and children so they wouldn't get wet.

Yao Qingling, soaked by the rain, stared blankly at their retreating figures.

She saw the man stop halfway there, take the child from the woman's arms, then hold the child in one arm and hold an umbrella for the woman with the other, before going behind the door.

Yao Qingling gently touched her stomach, lowered her head slightly, and felt a strong sour feeling well up inside her.

Raindrops fell on her, raindrops clung to her eyelashes, and she remained quiet, trying to calm herself down.

During lunch, she suddenly vomited uncontrollably and had to see a doctor.

The doctor congratulated her; she was pregnant.

She should have been happy to wait for her man to come back and give him a pleasant surprise.

Unexpectedly, the man first poured cold water on her enthusiasm.

The maid, Taoye, ran over to hold an umbrella for Yao Qingling: "Madam, please go inside quickly, the rain is so heavy!"

Yao Qingling looked at the maid whose eyes were red-rimmed, reached out and touched the maid's hair, and forced a smile, saying, "Yes, the rain is so heavy..."

She lifted her foot and walked dejectedly toward the door.

The maid said indignantly, "The young master is really too much. Miss was worried about him and personally held an umbrella for him, but he only cared about that woman."

"That Zhou Zhining is so shameless. Her child is already so big, how can she have the nerve to keep coming to bother other people's homes..."

Tao Ye walked along, fuming the whole way, wishing she could kick the woman and child who had just entered the house out.

Yao Qingling walked calmly, letting the maid scold her all the way.

What Taoye said was exactly what she wanted to say.

But she couldn't say these things.

Passing around the wall and through the small courtyard, you'll find the main hall just ahead.

Yao Qingling said, "Alright, stop talking... You wait outside."

She composed herself, left Taoye at the door, and went into the hall.

Inside the hall, Zhou Zhining took off her cloak, revealing a large handprint on her left cheek, making her face red and swollen, with the finger mark clearly visible like a relief sculpture.

She stood there shivering, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't make a sound.

It speaks volumes without being spoken, making it impossible to hate the viewer; only pity and sympathy arise.

The man was examining her injury closely, his anger intensifying. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around and saw Yao Qingling. Unable to contain his rage, he asked her, "Where is Doctor Li? Why hasn't anyone come over?"

Yao Qingling was startled. Looking at the anger on his face, she squeezed the dampness in her palm and spoke calmly from her throat: "Dr. Li went out of the city to see patients today, but he is already on his way. It's raining heavily today, so we'll have to wait a bit longer."

She turned her head and looked at Zhou Zhining, then gasped.

This time it was clearer; not only was her face injured, but her clothes were also filthy and stained with blood.

"How could they be so cruel!" Yao Qingling was shocked and frowned. She felt resentful, but the sight of the horrific scene still made her heart pound.

Zhan Xingzhuo's face darkened. Seeing Yao Qingling's surprised expression and Zhou Zhining's embarrassed turn of her head, he frowned slightly, moved to block Yao Qingling's view, and said in an unhappy voice, "I already told Minglu to come back and inform you. Why didn't you stop Doctor Li?"

Dr. Li is a skilled doctor, especially because he has a family secret medicine that heals wounds quickly without leaving scars.

For the past two years, Zhou Zhining has been seeing him.

Yao Qingling had just felt a little sympathy and pity, but her voice turned cold because of the man's reproach: "How was I supposed to know that Doctor Li was out of town seeing patients today? Besides, I already sent someone to invite him."

Rainwater was still dripping from her fingertips, and she could only rub her arms to keep warm.

He was so focused on protecting Zhou Zhining's dignity that he didn't see that her clothes were soaked and she was shivering all over.

Zhan Xingzhuo felt that her words were strange.

"Brother Xingzhuo, don't make things difficult for Qingling, she didn't want to..." A delicate voice sounded from behind the man.

Zhan Xingzhuo didn't have time to think it over. He turned to Zhou Zhining and said softly, "Then go change your clothes first. I'll take care of Xiao'er."

Zhou Zhining nodded and gave a soft "Mmm," then turned to look at Yao Qingling with a distressed and embarrassed expression: "Qingling, I'm sorry to bother you again."

Yao Qingling looked at Zhou Zhining.

Even after being beaten and her face was swollen, she was still beautiful.

When she sheds tears, she is like a delicate peony in a downpour, its petals so ravaged that one cannot help but want to protect it, unwilling to hurt it even a little.

Yao Qingling glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo out of the corner of her eye.

When she married him, she was unaware of their relationship. She later learned that they were childhood sweethearts and had even been engaged.

She swallowed hard and said calmly, "We'll talk about whether it's troublesome or not later. The guest room is ready. Let's settle in first and get your injury treated."

...

Yao Qingling also went to change her clothes.

Whether Zhan Xingzhuo noticed that her clothes were wet or not, she no longer cared, assuming he was blind.

But she couldn't leave herself to the cold and suffer, waiting for him to discover her and then pity her.

Now that she has two bodies, she should cherish herself even more.

Tao Ye brewed brown sugar and ginger water to warm Qing Ling and scolded the couple with red eyes. She added, "...If the general and his wife were still alive, they would definitely come to attack you if they knew you were being treated so disregarded."

Yao Qingling's father was a military general who died in battle during the reign of Emperor Suwen and was posthumously honored as the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor. When her father died, her mother followed him in death.

Yao Qingling was only eight years old at the time. She carried her parents' coffins from the frontier to the capital.

After the Marquis of Zhongyong and his wife passed away, the title was inherited by the eldest branch of the Yao family, and she was raised by her grandmother and two aunts.

Uncles and aunts can't care for and love her as much as her biological parents. Because of the distance between them, the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion is now only half her maternal home.

When you feel wronged, it's not like you can just tell anyone and expect them to listen.

Perhaps influenced by her mother's suicide, Yao Qingling is somewhat cold-hearted and doesn't value emotions above all else.

She had been married to Zhan Xingzhuo for three years. In the first year, the man was gentle and caring towards her. Qingling felt warmed by him and thought that if she could live a loving and peaceful life together, it would be because her parents in heaven were protecting her.

However, things did not go as she wished.

The following year, Zhou Zhining and her son appeared in her and Zhan Xingzhuo's lives...

Yao Qingling slowly drank the ginger soup.

The spicy ginger flavor dispelled the chill from her body, warming her up and allowing her tense body to slowly relax.

She put down her bowl, lost in thought, and suddenly asked, "Taoye, if I get a divorce, what do you think will happen to me?"