Three years

In the third month of spring in the third year of Shangwu, in Chang'an City, at the Zhang residence.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhang Chunfeng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is of gentle and virtuous character, diligent in his duties, and has made outstanding contributions. Therefore, he is hereby promoted to the position of Grand Secretary. This is the imperial decree." The high-pitched voice of the popular eunuch Yuanbao spread throughout the Zhang residence, and an atmosphere of joy enveloped the entire mansion.

After reading the imperial edict, Yuanbao looked down at the person kneeling on the ground in a red robe.

"I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's great favor. I accept your decree." Zhang Chunfeng's clear, melodious voice reached Yuanbao's ears.

She then straightened up, her crimson official robe highlighting her delicate, oval face. Even though Yuanbao had seen Zhang Chunfeng almost every day in the court for the past three years, he still couldn't help but gasp when he saw her face again.

His eyes were captivatingly bright, his eyebrows long and thin like ink, and his hair as black as charcoal. He was like a lotus rising from the mud, untainted by its surroundings, pure and elegant, his fragrance spreading far and wide. He was truly an existence to be admired from afar, not to be trifled with; even a eunuch would be moved by his gaze from a distance.

"Since becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination three years ago, Lord Zhang has risen five ranks in the past three years to become the Grand Secretary. Our family will have to rely on Lord Zhang's help in the future."

Zhang Chunfeng had a faint smile on his lips.

"Father-in-law is joking. Although I have received the position of Grand Secretary, my mother at home is seriously ill, and I'm afraid..."

Before Zhang Chunfeng could finish speaking, the Zhang family steward rushed over and knelt down with a thud.

"Sir, the old lady, she, she, she..."

The steward's face was deathly pale, and everyone present knew from his tone that the old lady had probably passed away.

"Oh, what bad timing. I'll go back to the palace and talk to His Majesty. Lord Zhang, you'd better take care of your family matters."

Zhang Chunfeng's expression was cold. He thanked Yuanbao and quickly walked towards the west wing.

In the west wing, Li was lying on the bed, breathing heavily.

She is only in her early fifties, but she looks as old as a woman in her seventies or eighties.

"Mother." Zhang Chunfeng dismissed everyone, went inside alone, and then turned to close the door.

This room never gets any sunlight, and it becomes even darker when the door is closed.

Li forced a bitter smile.

"You've been waiting for this day for a long time, haven't you?"

"Look what Mother is saying. You're sick, and I didn't find a doctor for you or have anyone take care of you. I'm not a god, and I can't help you with birth, aging, sickness, and death."

Although Zhang Chunfeng said this, a faint joy welled up in his eyes.

"When you entered the palace yesterday, the Empress praised you for your filial piety and righteousness. Now that you are the Grand Secretary, you are hoping that your mother will die soon." Li Shi smiled bitterly.

"Mother thinks of me so much, I am truly wronged."

Li shook her head, stretched out her skin-and-bones hand and beckoned to Zhang Chunfeng, indicating that she should sit on the side of her bed.

"Mother, please say whatever you need to tell me."

Li's arm hung limply at her sides.

"Spring Breeze, for the sake of your mother's life, don't go looking for him after I die!"

Zhang Chunfeng raised an eyebrow, watching the drool dripping from the corner of Li's mouth.

"Him? You mean my brother or my sister-in-law?"

Zhang Chunfeng suddenly approached Li Shi. His voice, clear as a spring, was still pleasant to hear, but every word seemed to come from the depths of his heart, filled with resentment, unwillingness, and burning desire.

"My men brought news this morning that my brother is dead. He is mine now."

Li's eyes, which were so tired they were about to close, suddenly widened. She cried out, "Spring, my child!" Her whole body was like a dried-up corpse with its soul ripped out. She lay on the bed with her eyes wide open, her body stiff, and she stopped breathing.

Zhang Chunfeng sighed and reached out to close Li's eyes.

“Mother, it’s been three years. I’ve endured so much for you for three years. It’s time to let me have a taste of sweetness.”

The next second, Zhang Chunfeng rushed out of the room, mounted the Akhal-Teke horse that could travel a thousand miles a day, and galloped away.

Lijiacun, Ancheng, Jiangnan.

At the end of the village, near the mountain, there is a small earthen house.

Someone recently died in that mud house, and according to village custom, the mourning hall must be set up in the courtyard.

White funeral banners, white candles, white ribbons—from a distance, the vast expanse of white and the faint candlelight blend together. When a cold wind blows, it looks as if the Black and White Impermanence are wandering in mid-air. Passersby murmur a few words and then walk around in circles.

Dressed in a white mourning robe, Li Xiuman knelt in the mourning hall. There was only a straw mat under his knees. In front of him, an iron basin was burning countless paper money ingots, and there were only six sticks of incense in the incense burner.

It was clear that the deceased was insignificant, as few people came to pay their respects.

The funeral hall was so rudimentary that there wasn't even a proper coffin in the center. The deceased was wrapped in straw mats and laid flat on a door panel, with scraps of wood pieced together to make a makeshift coffin.

The only thing that stood out was the memorial tablet, which looked like it had been bought with money. The smooth ebony was carved with "The Tablet of Zhang Chuntian." Those who came to pay their respects this morning said that although Zhang Chuntian was a fool, his name was truly well-chosen, differing from that of the current Grand Secretary Zhang Chunfeng by only one character.

As the night grew chilly, Lee Soo-man's legs ached from kneeling, and his hands continued to burn paper money.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats reached his ears.

He was just wondering what anyone would want to do on horseback in the middle of the night when the fragrance of osmanthus wafted into his nose.

It's her!

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Lee Soo-man's hand holding the paper money froze in place.

The footsteps behind him grew closer and clearer. The fragrance lingering around his nose grew stronger, as if it were about to envelop him entirely.

Lee Soo-man's neck, shoulders, and even his entire body seemed unable to move, even though he could see her just by turning around. He was frozen in place as if by the spring wind, his blood was ice-cold, and his heart was pounding as if it would jump out of his chest.

It shouldn't be her! She had already achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination, rising through the ranks in three years to become the Grand Secretary. Why would she bother coming to this poor, remote place?

The boots embroidered with gold thread finally stopped beside Lee Soo-man.

"Sister-in-law." A voice as clear as a spring reached Lee Soo-man's ears again after three years.

Three years. Three years.

Lee Soo-man stiffly turned his head, first noticing the gold thread on Zhang Chunfeng's shoe. He absurdly thought that the shadow of one of Zhang Chunfeng's shoes could probably buy Zhang Chuntian a decent coffin.

Then he saw the gleaming jade pendants hanging from Zhang Chunfeng's waist—jadeite, white jade, and gold-inlaid jade. Above that was a gemstone belt that accentuated her slender waist, and her milky-white silk dress was embroidered with a pale golden osmanthus flower.

He was adorned with jewels and looked like a god.

She's been doing well these past years. Her decision back then was definitely the right one. Lee Soo-man thought this, but she still didn't dare to fully lift her head to look at Zhang Chunfeng's face.

"Are you here to pay respects to your brother?" Lee Soo-man asked, his voice hoarse. He had been kneeling for most of the night without drinking a drop of water.

Zhang Chunfeng looked down at the kneeling person, who was dressed in patched white mourning clothes and cloth shoes that were almost sticking out of his feet. The person was completely covered by clothes, except for a large expanse of white neck that was exposed when he looked down.

He was so fair-skinned. It didn't look like the kind of skin tone someone would have if they worked in the fields all the time.

This body should have been kept in a high place, possessed day and night, and humiliated night after night. I watched his eyes redden and tears stream down his face, watched him plead and beg for mercy, watched as marks were left on his snow-white skin.

Zhang Chunfeng's eyelids twitched.

He walked up, picked up the incense sticks next to him, lit three sticks, and without even bowing, casually threw them into the incense burner.

"Brother, Mother also passed away yesterday. She will accompany you on your journey to the underworld, so you won't be lonely."

"Don't worry, I will take good care of your sister-in-law after you leave."

Li Xiuman's heart skipped a beat, and she asked in a panic, "Mother has passed away?"

Only then did he come face to face with Zhang Chunfeng.

She still had those familiar peach blossom eyes and slender eyebrows, but the emotions in her eyes burned like embers.

Before Zhang Chunfeng could answer, Li Xiuman hurriedly turned his head away, not daring to look at Zhang Chunfeng again.

"Are you avoiding me again?" Zhang Chunfeng raised his head slightly, and after a night of riding, his hand, which had been slightly injured by the horse's reins, gently stroked Li Xiuman's fair neck.

The soft flesh moved across her palm, and beneath her hand were Lee Soo-man's pulsating veins. Each pulsation made her feel as if her palm had been gently licked by a cat's tongue, a ticklish sensation.

Lee Soo-man was suddenly touched and instinctively turned his head to dodge, but Zhang Chunfeng grabbed him by the neck. Even after three years apart, Lee Soo-man felt that Zhang Chunfeng's hand was stronger than before; his slender fingers, like venomous snakes, were embedded in his neck, rendering him unable to move.

The next second, he felt a sweet warmth on his lips, a fierce kiss. Lee Soo-man immediately tasted blood in his mouth. Zhang Chunfeng wasn't kissing him, but devouring him, biting his lips hard, one bite at a time.

All of this happened so suddenly that Lee Soo-man barely had time to react. He was still in his husband's mourning hall! In front of him was his deceased husband's memorial tablet, and in his hand was the paper money he was supposed to burn for his husband. But now, his sister-in-law was pressing his head down and kissing him.

"Chunfeng! Let me go! Let me go!" Li Xiuman began to push Zhang Chunfeng away with all his might, and his resistance caused Zhang Chunfeng to frown slightly.

“Sister-in-law, don’t you understand? Mother is dead, and my brother is dead. No one can stop us now.” Zhang Chunfeng whispered in Li Xiuman’s ear, his eyes filled with undisguised aggression.

Her hands had already wrapped around Lee Soo-man's waist, tightly gripping his narrow waist, her palms kneading his waist back and forth, eager to slip into the white mourning clothes and feel that warmth.

Realizing what Zhang Chunfeng was about to do, Li Xiuman's eyes were filled with terror. He tried to get up in a panic, but was held down firmly by someone.

"I'm your sister-in-law!" Li Xiuman shouted, but she couldn't muster any strength to break free from Zhang Chunfeng. To raise enough money for Zhang Chuntian's funeral, Li Xiuman had been eating only half a steamed bun each day for three days. How could someone who was starving have any strength?

He was completely overshadowed by Zhang Chunfeng, whose peach blossom eyes looked down at him.

"Good sister-in-law, for the past three years, the thought of you spending every day and night with this fool has driven me mad with jealousy!"

“He’s not stupid. Zhang Chuntian is your brother and my husband. It’s only natural for us to be husband and wife!”

With a tearing sound, a huge hole was ripped in the patched white mourning clothes. Li Xiuman panicked and tried to push it away again, but Zhang Chunfeng pulled out the white jade pendant and quickly tied it to his wrist.

Large swathes of skin were exposed to the air; the March night was cool and the dew was heavy. A gust of cold wind made Lee Soo-man shiver slightly.

"Sister-in-law, have you forgotten? I was the one who married you."

As soon as Zhang Chunfeng finished speaking, he flipped the man over. Li Xiuman was now facing away from Zhang Chunfeng, a position that immediately made him blush.

"Zhang Chunfeng! I'm your sister-in-law! You're crazy! You're crazy!" Li Xiuman struggled back and forth, and for a moment, she even felt that if she were to be treated like that by Zhang Chunfeng here, she would rather die.

He opened his mouth to bite his tongue, but Zhang Chunfeng reacted quickly and stuck his finger in his mouth.

"Is my sister-in-law truly so devoted to my brother? She abandoned me three years ago, and now she wants to die for him?"

Zhang Chunfeng's tone was extremely cold, "Why don't you take a look at the gift I prepared for your sister-in-law before making a choice?"

"Mother! Mother!" The baby's cries interrupted Lee Soo-man's calls.

Li Xiuman turned his head and saw his three-year-old child, Xiaosui, being held in the arms of Zhang Chunfeng's men, crying loudly. Li Xiuman didn't see that there was actually a wet nurse standing next to the soldiers; he only saw the sharp curved swords on the soldiers' bodies.

The child's cries shattered the last barrier in Lee Soo-man's heart.

"Spring Breeze, I beg you, please let my child go."

He was met with a cold laugh.

“Sister-in-law, you are truly heartless. Three years ago, you were the one who took the initiative to have a one-night stand with me, but afterwards you abandoned me and had a child with my stupid brother! Did you ever think about how I felt when I found out this news?”

Li Xiuman closed his eyes, only to feel his legs suddenly being spread apart. The rugged yellow earth made his knees ache. Zhang Chunfeng's knees were squeezed between his legs.

"Please release the child first," Lee Soo-man sobbed.

Zhang Chunfeng placed his palm on Li Xiuman's back. He had lost a lot of weight in the three years since they last met. It made sense; although he was a tall man, he had to take care of both children and a mentally challenged person, and his life was one of poverty.

She has much less fat on her body, but her overall figure is still attractive. Her back is straight, her calves are straight, her back is slender, but her buttocks are round.

Zhang Chunfeng waved to the soldiers outside. The wet nurse took the child and left. With the child's cries gone, Li Xiuman felt a little relieved. But in that instant, he suddenly felt a chill beneath him, and his private parts, which should and shouldn't have been exposed, were suddenly revealed.

"Spring Breeze!" Li Xiuman cried out, but he had no strength left in his body. He just kept his eyes tightly closed, not daring to look at the surroundings, which were still the mourning hall.

"Tell me how this child was created, and I'll let you go." Each sentence was like a devil's whisper.

Lee Soo-man trembled all over, his teeth chattering, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"Open your eyes!" Even though he was retreating step by step, Zhang Chunfeng still grabbed his neck and turned him around, his head and tightly closed face facing the mourning hall.

As Lee Soo-man's eyelashes trembled, the words "Zhang Chuntian's position" could be vaguely seen.

"Spring Breeze, this will send you to hell..."

"If my sister-in-law is in this hell, I wouldn't mind letting the King of Hell watch us party every night." Zhang Chunfeng's eyes were bloodshot, and her whole body was burning. The Chief Minister Zhang, who had been self-disciplined and respectful for three years, and the gentle and modest Lord Zhang, had revealed his true colors at this moment.

Vast expanses of dazzling white filled her vision.

With almost no time to adjust, Lee Soo-man felt a piercing pain. Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and tears mingled with sweat beneath his fan-like eyelashes.

Zhang Chunfeng tilted his head back, his expression relaxed.

"Isn't my sister-in-law deeply in love with my brother? Why does it seem like their relationship isn't that good?"

Lee Soo-man remained silent, biting his lip in pain to force himself not to make a sound.

"They rarely have sex, that's why my sister-in-law is in so much pain."

Zhang Chunfeng kissed Li Xiuman's fair earlobe.

Boom—

Thunder suddenly roared in the dark eyes, and within seconds, a torrential downpour began to fall from the sky.

Zhang Chunfeng didn't stop for a moment, letting the rain soak her and Li Xiuman completely.

"This weather reminds me of my first meeting with my sister-in-law."

At this moment, Lee Soo-man, who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

"If I could do it all over again, I wish we had never met."