Chapter 10: Yan Jiyue’s Transformation

After divorcing her husband, Su Mu would probably remarry soon.

What kind of man would she like?

Xie Yi rubbed his fingertips that had just touched Su Mu’s hand. After the brief cool sensation, there was a burning heat, as if scorched by fire.

At the dinner table, Su Mu kept her head down, eating without a word. Xie Yi held the chopsticks but had no appetite at all.

This question kept swirling in his mind, buzzing incessantly.

“Eat quickly, or the food will get cold,” Su Mu said, seeing that Xie Yi still hadn’t moved his chopsticks.

Xie Yi made a sound of acknowledgment and picked up a chopstick of stir-fried lotus root slices, placing them in his mouth. Crisp with a slight sweet taste, the heat was just right. Who would believe that such delicious food was made by a woman’s hands?

Xie Yi raised his eyes and looked at Su Mu, who was eating with her head down.

Her thick long lashes hid the light in her eyes, making it difficult to discern her expression. The cuffs on her arms were still not removed, her wrists clean and jade-like. Her wrists were a bit thinner than ordinary women’s, but didn’t make one feel weak. Her fingers were also slender and delicate, with a scholar’s refined and lean grace.

Thinking that his fingertips had just slid over such slender fingers, Xie Yi’s eyes surged with an unsolvable thickness.

“Are my hands very good-looking? Why do you keep staring at them?” Su Mu put down her chopsticks, her hand supporting her chin as she teased him with a smile.

The lotus root pieces in Xie Yi’s throat almost got stuck. With great difficulty, he swallowed and explained, “No, I wasn’t looking at Sister Mu.”

Xie Yi’s beauty was well-known in the small town on the border of the desert. The customs on the border were loose, and the women were all rough and bold, often teasing Xie Yi with dirty jokes, their frivolous words unimaginably filthy.

Xie Yi had long been used to it. Not only that, he had also learned how to take advantage of these women to gain benefits for himself.

Although he was young, he was not the kind of man who would blush and stammer because of a woman’s flirtatious remark.

But faced with Su Mu’s words that couldn’t even be considered offensive, he actually stuttered and stumbled, almost unable to speak, his mind short-circuiting, and he spouted an explanation that only made things worse.

Xie Yi secretly regretted it. What was wrong with him?

“Then hurry up and eat. The lard will congeal and won’t taste good.” Su Mu didn’t continue to pursue the matter and only urged him to continue eating.

This made Xie Yi breathe a sigh of relief, but in his heart, he felt a vague sense of disappointment. Why didn’t she continue to ask further?

“I’m going to take the exam tomorrow. You’ll have to cook for yourself at home,” Su Mu said while eating.

“Exam?” It wasn’t the first time Xie Yi had heard this word. When he was at Scholar Li’s house, her husband always talked about exams.

He asked curiously, “What is an exam?”

Su Mu thought for a moment. With Xie Yi’s current level of Central Plains language, it was difficult to explain the profound meaning of the imperial examination to him. So she said bluntly, “It’s a kind of competition. If you pass, you get silver and grain.”

According to the rules of the female-dominant world, anyone who passed the xiucai (scholar) exam would receive 6 dou of rice and 500 coins per month. Even if they couldn’t pass the juren (higher-level scholar) exam later, they could still live off the xiucai title and receive public rations, which was even more enjoyable than getting an official position.

Moreover, she was living alone now and didn’t need to support a husband or children. 500 coins a month plus six dou of rice was enough for her to live comfortably.

“Sister Mu will definitely pass,” Xie Yi said sincerely.

“Pass my foot! What lowly thing is this Su Mu to even think about taking the xiucai exam? She really doesn’t know her place. Dream on.” The fat, middle-aged man with a face like a silver plate narrowed his eyes and coldly rolled them.

In the blooming garden, Yan Ruyu sat lazily and snorted. “Exactly. If I hadn’t seen her fill in her own name with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. Dad, where did she get the nerve? When she first arrived at Uncle’s house, she couldn’t even write a few characters properly.”

Liu Cui took a sip of tea and said disdainfully, “She probably secretly learned a few characters. But she didn’t even use her brain to think. With her level of knowledge, it’s already a stretch for her to keep accounts, yet she has the audacity to dream of becoming a xiucai. Hah, it’s truly trying to show off in front of a sage, overestimating her abilities.”

“Exactly. Don’t think that just because she temporarily learned a few characters, she can pass the xiucai exam. If it were that easy, I would have passed long ago. Dad, just wait and see Su Mu make a fool of herself.”

“Who’s making a fool of herself?” Yan Zhujun stood behind the two at some point, his face as cold as ice.

The father and daughter were startled. Seeing Yan Jiyue and a group of people standing behind Yan Zhujun, they were so scared that they immediately bowed.

“Greetings, Brother-in-law.”

“Greetings, Uncle.”

“Were you just talking about Su Mu?” Yan Jiyue’s eyes were still red, his long hair slightly disheveled, and the hem of his clothes was wrinkled. The always dazzling Yan Jiyue had never been in such a sorry state.

However, his cold and beautiful expression remained unchanged. He could be subservient in front of Su Mu, but in front of outsiders, he still maintained that haughtiness that made people not dare to look directly at him.

Liu Cui and his daughter didn’t dare to raise their heads at all. It was Yan Ruyu who spoke, “When I was at the candidate exam, I saw Sister-in-law also filling out her name. Only after asking did I know that she was also there to take the xiucai exam. Cousin, you also know that Su Mu can indeed recognize a few characters, but if you’re talking about taking the xiucai exam, how can it be such an easy matter?”

“Hmph, she’s really putting on airs,” Yan Zhujun said with a fake smile.

Liu Cui sensed Yan Zhujun’s dissatisfaction with Su Mu and took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, saying, “Exactly. My Ruyu even advised Su Mu not to be too impatient and to go back and study diligently for a few more years. Otherwise, if she handed in a blank exam paper and made a fool of herself, it would be our Yan family’s reputation that would be tarnished. But she didn’t appreciate it at all and even scolded my Ruyu in public.”

As he spoke, Liu Cui even started to act aggrieved, clutching his handkerchief and complaining to Yan Zhujun, “Brother-in-law, say something. Su Mu has only married into our family for a few days, and now she’s even publicly insulting Ruyu. After some time, who knows how arrogant she’ll become? You must help us teach her a lesson.”

“Teach her a lesson? On what grounds?” Yan Jiyue’s eyes were as cold as ice.

“Jiyue, what are you saying?” Liu Cui was slightly angry. “Su Mu is overestimating herself, wanting to take the xiucai exam, and even publicly insulting your cousin. Shouldn’t she be taught a lesson? She’s just a live-in son-in-law. We need to make her know her place.”

Yan Jiyue’s phoenix eyes swept over Liu Cui’s large face with disdain. “What’s wrong with Su Mu taking the xiucai exam? Is it only allowed for your daughter and not for her?”

Liu Cui was at a loss for words and forced a smile. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just…”

“There’s no ‘it’s just.’ Since Su… my wife wants to take the xiucai exam, it means she has the ability. It’s not something you can comment on.” Yan Jiyue raised his beautifully curved chin arrogantly.

“You—”

“And Cousin.” Yan Jiyue directly interrupted Liu Cui and shifted his gaze to Yan Ruyu, his expression full of coldness that kept people at a distance. His thin lips spoke with a hint of mockery, “The exam starts tomorrow. Are you fully prepared? You’ve been taking the exam from the age of sixteen to twenty-six. You’ll definitely pass this year, right?”

Yan Jiyue’s smile was casual. Without waiting for Yan Ruyu to answer, he led his attendants and left.

He left behind Liu Cui and Yan Ruyu, who watched Yan Jiyue’s back, surrounded by the crowd, gritting their teeth in hatred.

“A man has fallen so low as to take in a live-in husband, what right does he have to be so arrogant!” Liu Cui picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it on the ground in rage.

“Daughter, you must fight for your father and mother’s honor. You must pass the exam this year. Once you become a xiucai, you will be a great contributor to the Yan family’s glory. Then we can trample on Mo Hui and Yan Jiyue’s heads and vent our anger.” Liu Cui pulled Yan Ruyu, his eyes filled with hatred.

“When you pass the exam, we’ll find a way to get rid of Su Mu. By then, the Yan family will be in our father and son’s pockets. That Yan Young Master, Yan Zhujun, I’ll drive them all away to release my years of humiliation and resentment.”

“Rest assured, Father.” Yan Ruyu pledged firmly, “…But Father, did you notice that Yan Jiyue was a bit strange today?”

Liu Cui smiled ambiguously, “How could I not notice? Before, he always referred to Su Mu as ‘that woman,’ but today he actually called Su Mu his wife. It’s like the sun rising from the west.”

Yan Ruyu had a hidden worry in his heart, “Could it be that their relationship has improved?”

“Absolutely impossible.” Liu Cui’s voice was sharp, “It was because we were a step too slow that Yan Jiyue took in Su Mu as a live-in husband, preventing you from inheriting the Yan family’s estate. If Yan Jiyue’s relationship with Su Mu really improves and they have a daughter, you will completely lose hope of inheriting the Yan family.”

“What should we do then?”

Liu Cui said helplessly, “We can only go back and think of a plan, and also try to find out how their relationship suddenly improved. We need to find a way to continue straining their relationship.”

The father and daughter hurriedly returned to Yuegui Garden together.

In Handai Courtyard, Yan Jiyue sat at the head of the bed as if in a daze.

Since being reborn, he had inherited the memories of this young body. He didn’t understand why, after being reborn, he and Su Mu didn’t end up like in the previous life. Instead, Su Mu had even proposed a divorce.

Her attitude was so resolute that it made him feel apprehensive from the bottom of his heart. Where exactly did the problem lie?

Was it because the Su Mu of this world met Xie Yi first?

…Would she only turn her head and look at him if Xie Yi died?

“Young Master…” Xiao Ping cautiously approached Yan Jiyue. Seeing his bone-chillingly cold eyes, Xiao Ping’s heart trembled.

He took out the item he had prepared early in the morning, thinking that this would definitely please Yan Jiyue.

“Young Master, don’t be angry. Look, this is a calligraphy piece by Miss Shen that this servant obtained from outside.”

Yan Jiyue’s cold gaze shifted to the paper Xiao Ping had spread out. On it was Shen Yuxue’s graceful and vigorous handwriting. He took it.

Xiao Ping had just breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next second, Yan Jiyue tore it to shreds and threw it in Xiao Ping’s face, his entire being gloomy enough to drip water, “From now on, don’t bring me anything related to Shen Yuxue. Get lost!”

Xiao Ping was extremely shocked and scrambled away.

“Come back!” Yan Jiyue’s voice carried a hint of anger.

Xiao Ping could only tremble and return, kneeling before Yan Jiyue.

“You’re afraid of me?” Yan Jiyue tilted Xiao Ping’s chin up from above.

Xiao Ping’s whole body was shaking.

Yan Jiyue squatted down, his frosty and beautiful features magnified in front of Xiao Ping. He pinched Xiao Ping’s chin, “Why are you afraid of me? Am I very fierce?”

Xiao Ping’s face was deathly pale. He stammered and couldn’t squeeze out a single word.

Yan Jiyue let go, “Get lost.”

Xiao Ping ran away as if relieved of a heavy burden.

Yan Jiyue sat alone on the damp, cold ground, feeling desolate. Even his personal attendant was afraid of him. No wonder Su Mu would rather like that little slut Xie Yi and not be willing to stay by his side for a moment longer.

What was so good about that little slut? Su Mu was just deceived by his pretense.

Being considerate, gentle as water, all of it was a lie.

Yan Jiyue pressed his lips tightly together. After a while, he laughed coldly.

It was just an act, right? He could do it too.