Chapter 65

Seeing how mad he got swept away all of the gloom in Liu Nüluo’s heart. She covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh.

She knew An’an didn’t like his father, which was why she had deliberately teased him like that.

Things between her and Tang Yun had already gotten to that point. How could she possibly still be thinking about him in everything she did? No matter how foolish she was, she couldn’t have been so deluded as to lie to herself to that extent.

When An’an heard his mother laughing, he cracked open his eyes just a sliver—only to meet her gaze, still full of laughter. Realizing he’d been tricked, he pouted exaggeratedly.

Liu Nüluo gave his tiny hand a gentle squeeze. Normally so clingy with his mother, little An’an now scrunched up his face and pulled his hand away, tucking it into his sleeve.

He was still so small that he couldn’t even sit up by himself, and yet he was already so petty and prone to holding grudges.

But perhaps because he was still just a child, even this fussy, nitpicky look couldn’t stir up the slightest bit of anger. Instead, it made one’s heart soften completely.

“Missing Daddy already? If you’re missing him, then how about Mommy takes you back home tomorrow?”

That one sentence immediately made An’an forget he was angry. But he still didn’t want to lose face, so he awkwardly shoved his hand back into his mother’s palm and stared at Liu Nüluo with wide eyes, as if asking if this would do.

Pride was important—but even more than that, he didn’t want to return to that house. Compared to the Tang residence, An’an clearly preferred the Duke’s estate. He could tell that when his mother smiled here, she was truly happy.

“If you don’t want to go back, then we won’t. Staying here is perfectly fine.”

After all, this was her family home. Only in the Duke’s estate was Liu Nüluo the cherished young lady of the house.

In the Tang residence, even though she was still the mistress, she constantly had to consider Tang Yun’s feelings. It couldn’t compare to the ease she felt here.

An’an gave a tiny nod in agreement and babbled on in his baby talk.

In his past life, he had spent his entire existence shackled by the guilt of having caused his birth mother’s death. That guilt had weighed on him like iron chains, keeping him trapped in a tiny courtyard where he was raised by a kind-hearted, soft-spoken old nanny.

The few times he saw his father or older brothers, their eyes were filled only with disgust and hatred.

The old nanny had already been quite elderly when she was assigned to that courtyard. By the time An’an turned two, she could barely see anymore. With no one to teach him properly, he stumbled through his short life in a daze.

As he thought of the things that had happened in that previous life, An’an gradually drifted off to sleep. Liu Nüluo gazed quietly at his peaceful sleeping face, then lowered her head and gently kissed his cheek.

Perhaps it was the change in weather that night—the wind outside picked up in bursts, and the little trees in the courtyard were bent nearly double. It left Liu Nüluo feeling a bit uneasy.

Even after An’an had been carried off to bed, she couldn’t sleep. Instead, she sat on a cushioned couch and played a quiet game of Go with herself. Her slender fingers held a white stone as she placed it on the board, her thoughts drifting far away.

In this world, where standards for women were so harsh, she was undoubtedly one of the lucky ones.

Most women could only swallow their grievances and pretend all was well, just to keep up appearances.

Some parents, for the sake of their family’s fragile reputation, would even force their daughters to endure injustice.

But both her father and mother supported her decision to divorce. Her older brother and sister-in-law had shown no displeasure whatsoever. In everything that had happened between her and Tang Yun, none of the fault had been hers, and so no shame would fall on the Duke’s estate.

As she played Go against herself, Liu Nüluo’s mind gradually grew more and more tangled.

Just then, rain began to fall outside. The sound of it only made her feel even more uneasy. She pushed open the window and looked out—raindrops pattered on the leaves, and a wave of damp air swept in, making her shiver involuntarily.

“Miss, the rain’s getting heavy. Best not to leave the window open. You need to take care of your health.”

The nanny’s voice came from outside the door. Liu Nüluo softly replied, “Mm,” and closed the window.

“The master had the kitchen make you some calming soup. Drink it and try to get some sleep—it’s already quite late.”

“Alright.”

Her fingertips were icy from touching the damp air just now, but as she cradled the hot bowl of soup, they slowly began to warm up. The rain outside had eased up somewhat, and her thoughts began to settle.

There were so many women in this world who wanted to divorce but had no way to do so. She had been fortunate enough to be one of those who could. If she continued to cling to a love that had never truly existed, then she would truly be a fool.

“Nanny… tomorrow, please ask around for me—see if Father is free. I have something I want to discuss with him.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The nanny was a little puzzled by the request, but she still agreed immediately.

Now that she had made up her mind, Liu Nüluo no longer dwelled on the past. It had already happened, and there was no way to change that.

She had no desire to hear Tang Yun’s apologies, nor did she want to watch him admit his faults to her.

Suspicion and distrust—those had already happened. No matter what came next, there was no going back to the way things were. Better to grit her teeth and make a clean break.

After making her decision, Liu Nüluo felt no regret. In fact, she let out a long breath, feeling as if a burden had finally lifted.

Perhaps from the very beginning, her story with Tang Yun had been a mistake. Thankfully, she hadn’t spent her whole life trapped in that mistake.

…

The next morning, Duke Liu was informed by a servant that his daughter’s maid had come by to ask whether he had any free time, as the young lady had something she wished to discuss with him.

Duke Liu had no idea what kind of matter could be important enough for his daughter to send someone over so early. As he made his way to her courtyard, he found himself thinking of all sorts of possibilities. The more he thought, the more uneasy he became, and his steps quickened unconsciously.

At that moment, the Duchess was strolling in the rear garden with her eldest daughter-in-law. They were chatting happily when they looked up and saw the Duke hurrying by. The Duchess called out to him.

“What’s the rush?”

“Nüluo said she had something she wanted to talk to me about. I don’t know what it is, so I’m heading over to check.”

“I’ll come with you.”

The moment she heard it had to do with Nüluo, the Duchess couldn’t sit still. She quickly followed after the Duke.

Knowing that she was worried about her daughter, Duke Liu didn’t object, and even brought along Liu Nuoluo’s sister-in-law.

“Father, Mother, I want to divorce Tang Yun.”

That one sentence left the three elders who had just entered the room standing frozen in shock. It was Duke Liu who recovered first. His gaze was heavy as he fixed it on his daughter. After a long pause, he finally asked,

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Liu Nuoluo gave a soft affirmation. She had agreed to the marriage because Tang Yun had once promised her that she would be his only one in this lifetime. He had said he didn’t care about having children. Even knowing she couldn’t bear any, he still vowed to grow old with her and never take another woman.

But now that he had broken that promise, naturally, it was time for the marriage to end.

“You won’t regret it?”

“I won’t.”

Her voice was firm when she said that. Since even the Duke’s manor couldn’t uncover anything about that incident, it meant that Tang Yun truly hadn’t contacted that woman recently—it must’ve been before they met.

Even if there had been no contact between them, just the thought that her husband, the man who lived and slept beside her every day, might be constantly thinking about someone else made her feel nauseated.

“Father, I want to trouble you with this matter.”

“As long as you won’t regret it after it’s done, I’ll handle the divorce myself.”

According to custom, both husband and wife had to be present for a divorce, but Liu Nuoluo was afraid that if she saw Tang Yun, she wouldn’t be able to resist his pleas. So she chose to stay home and pushed everything onto her father instead.

“Alright.”

“Then I’ll go take care of it today!”

Afraid that dragging things out might make Liu Nuoluo change her mind, Duke Liu was determined to settle it as quickly as possible. Only after securing that divorce document would his heart be at ease.

“Thank you, Father.”

Duke Liu hurried out, instructing his attendants to gather some people and head to the Tang residence to bring back his daughter’s dowry.

When Liu Nuoluo had gotten married, there hadn’t been much time to prepare, so things were a bit rushed. Even so, the wedding was still lavish, with ten miles of red decorations. She even owned three of the most popular shops in the capital.

Just because they were short on time didn’t mean the dowry was meager—in fact, they had stuffed it full of valuable things.

Duke Liu had no intention of letting the Tang family benefit from that.

After he left, the Duchess and Liu Nuoluo’s sister-in-law stayed behind. They chatted with her about light-hearted topics, trying to steer her thoughts away, afraid she might take things too hard.

After all, it had been years of marriage. It was perfectly normal to have trouble letting go. No one could be completely unaffected by the end of a relationship.

The old nurse, feeling sorry for her, instructed the maids to prepare Liu Nuoluo’s favorite tea.

After taking a sip, Liu Nuoluo glanced at her mother and sister-in-law’s worried eyes and suddenly found it a little funny. It seemed like they were more upset than she was.

“Mother, I’m alright. You know what I’m like—when I came back to my maiden home in anger back then, I never once thought about going back.”

It was only now that Liu Nuoluo realized this.

“Of course I trust the daughter I raised,” the Duchess sighed helplessly.

Liu Nuoluo’s sister-in-law gave her a glare and added, “What ‘maiden home’? This is your home!”

Before they could say much more, a maid watching over An’an came to say that he was fussing and calling for his mother. He had just woken up, changed clothes, and fed—now full and comfortable, he was crying loudly for her without shedding a single tear.

“Hurry and bring An’an over.”

“Yes, madam.”

Even from far away, they could hear An’an crying. As he was carried closer, Liu Nuoluo held him in her arms. His little face was flushed red from the effort of wailing, but not a single tear was in sight.

She was about to tease him when, suddenly, fat teardrops began to well up and stream down his cheeks.

“Wah… ah wah…”

Liu Nuoluo began patting his back nervously. She hadn’t seen him cry like this since the day he saw Tang Yun.

Thankfully, he calmed down quickly, though his body still trembled in little sobs, making him look all the more pitiful.

An’an’s tiny nose twitched as he desperately tried to find his mother’s familiar scent.

After discovering that An’an had forgotten everything about being a mission-bound soul and being sealed, the System didn’t try to remind him. Instead, it took the opportunity to feed him some memories from his past life.

In that life, Liu Nuoluo died in childbirth, leaving a son behind in the Tang household. The Duke and Duchess, stricken by grief, couldn’t bear to raise him.

Later, the Duchess fell ill and passed away. The Duke sank into despair. Tang Yun, however, used the Duke’s influence to establish himself firmly in court.

After his wife’s death, Tang Yun never remarried. He made a show of deep devotion, publicly mourning her and appearing grief-stricken at her funeral. His act even won over Liu Nuoluo’s brothers, who began to show him favor.

Meanwhile, Tang Yun became entangled in the fight for the throne.

The current crown prince had been established the year the emperor ascended the throne. He was the legitimate eldest son of the empress, raised personally by the emperor. The father and son were deeply bonded.

The crown prince had been educated to be virtuous and wise. Though slightly lacking in talent, he was more than enough to be a ruler who preserved stability.

What’s more, the crown princess had given birth to a legitimate heir whose extraordinary talent became evident by age three.

Tang Yun’s beloved had been selected to enter the palace and became one of the consorts. But because of her humble background and plain looks, she wasn’t favored. Though she was fortunate enough to bear a prince while young, she wasn’t allowed to raise him herself.

Tang Yun schemed to have the crown prince die during disaster relief efforts. He then presented a beauty to the empress’s second legitimate son and secretly drugged him, ruining his health. In the end, he helped his beloved’s son ascend the throne and became the regent minister himself.

By law, regardless of which prince took the throne, the empress dowager’s status could not be shaken. But Liu Nuoluo’s older sister had been in the palace for years and basically controlled the entire inner court. Tang Yun feared that his beloved would suffer injustice under her.

They claimed to the outside world that the Empress Dowager had died from overwhelming grief and followed the late Emperor in death. In truth, she had been locked away in an abandoned palace and starved to death.

At that time, the new Duke Liu—Liu Nüluo’s elder brother—was still an official. Having done so many disgraceful things, Tang Yun feared that he would come looking for trouble in the future. So he simply submitted a memorial to the Emperor and had him demoted to a remote county magistrate.

On the way to his new post, the entire family was slaughtered by wandering refugees. Even his three-year-old daughter was not spared.

Tang Yun climbed higher and higher in court by stepping over the corpses of the Liu family, while the Liu family was left broken and ruined, with not a single bloodline surviving.

These memories were suddenly forced into An’an’s mind, and his little head couldn’t quite handle it.

But he remembered how his mother, during childbirth, screamed with bloodshot eyes to save the child. How his grandmother had coughed up blood and called softly for Nüluo in her final moments. How his grandfather’s eyes were lifeless when he died in sorrow. How the Empress had cursed bitterly as she starved to death in the Cold Palace. How his uncle, aunt, and several children lay dead in pools of blood.

And beyond that, An’an even dreamed of the truth.

Why had his mother, so frail and unfit for pregnancy, still been forced by Tang Yun to give birth to him?

Before he had received news of that woman, he had hoped his wife would bear a daughter, so that Tang Jun could become his son-in-law, turning the Liu family into support for his precious Jun’er.

A foster son with no blood relation and raised apart—how could he possibly compare to a legitimate grandson-in-law?

An’an couldn’t process such complicated matters just yet, but as he snuggled in his mother’s arms, breathing in her familiar scent, he calmed down considerably. His resolve to stand between his mother and that man only grew firmer.

When the Duchess saw An’an approach, she took a handkerchief and gently wiped away his tears.

“It’s for the best that you’ve divorced. We can’t let An’an cry every day, can we? Just the other day at the flower-viewing banquet, Lady Wang said one of her concubines deliberately made a child cry just to attract attention from the master. In the end, the child cried so much they developed a high fever that wouldn’t go away and became a fool!”

An’an, who had been squirming like a little caterpillar, overwhelmed by too many memories, froze the moment he heard that. His eyes widened as he looked up at his mother, as if seeking confirmation.

Grandmother had babbled on for a while, but in An’an’s ears, only the words “divorced” remained.

Liu Nüluo’s lips curved slightly. Under An’an’s nervous gaze, she gave a soft “Mm.”

“Waaah~”

An’an clapped his hands, wriggling happily like a joyful little caterpillar.

“You’re that happy?”

Liu Nüluo asked instinctively. She had never seen a child this small express such a range of emotions. Usually, An’an was afraid others would find out he was smarter than he seemed, but today, he was simply overjoyed.

He laughed so hard that drool came out. Liu Nüluo frowned and wiped it away with a handkerchief, speaking gently:

“Look at you.”

The moment An’an heard that, he immediately restrained his smile. His little face puffed up indignantly, lips pressed tightly shut.

His expression changed so quickly that both the Duchess, Liu family sister-in-law, and Liu Nüluo were all thoroughly amused. With such a treasure of a child at home, the household was full of laughter.

“Leave the rest to your father. You don’t need to worry.”

“Mm, I know, Mother.”

There was no one more suitable than the Duke Liu to handle this. He had opposed Liu Nüluo’s marriage to Tang Yun from the beginning, but in the end, had given in to his daughter’s insistence.

Who could have imagined that Tang Yun would humiliate their daughter like this? Normally even-tempered, Duke Liu had been wearing a dark face all the way over, furious.

Today, Tang Yun happened to be at his residence, entertaining several colleagues for a drink.

These men all knew Tang Yun was Duke Liu’s son-in-law. Even though their official ranks were now similar, none dared to put on airs in front of him. In fact, they usually treated him with cautious flattery.

They didn’t expect favors from him—only hoped not to offend him.

So when Tang Yun invited them over during his day off, they all came with gifts in hand. After a few cups of wine, Tang Yun revealed his true intentions.

“Brothers, to tell you the truth, I’ve been feeling quite troubled lately.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it. If there’s anything I can help with, I won’t say no.”

The others all nodded and chimed in, expressing their willingness to lend a hand.

“It’s about my wife. She won’t agree to me adopting Jun’er. But Jun’er has been with me for so long already. My wife wants to make him a mere servant—how could I be so heartless?”

Tang Yun had specifically invited these smooth talkers today, hoping that next time he brought them over, they could help persuade his wife.

“What’s the big deal? Just one more pair of chopsticks in the household. Why’s your wife being so stubborn?”

One of them, drunk already, began to ramble nonsense, speaking with outrageous disrespect, painting Liu Nüluo as an intolerant shrew.

Tang Yun found himself surprisingly in sync with this man, the two of them talking on and on. The other three exchanged glances, kept their heads down, and silently drank, not uttering a word.

They hadn’t had their minds dulled by a few cups of wine. No matter what Liu Nüluo had done, she was still Duke Liu’s daughter. Not someone they could insult at will.

Besides, in this matter, those three actually thought Liu Nüluo wasn’t wrong at all.

Their own family situations were modest—meager salaries barely enough to get by. Their wives had to take in sewing to make ends meet. Tang Yun earned about the same as they did, with no special background, so most of the household expenses likely came from his wife’s dowry shops. In that situation, wanting to add another mouth at home—wasn’t it only right to get the wife’s approval?

Refusing to let go even after being turned down by the legitimate wife—that was what truly made people look down on him.

These few didn’t want to offend Tang Yun, so they kept all these thoughts to themselves.

At that moment, Duke Liu arrived with several guards. From the moment they entered, the servants trying to block the door were dragged aside, mouths covered, ensuring not a sound was made.

Standing at the door, listening to Tang Yun badmouth his daughter, Duke Liu’s face grew darker and darker.

It was still those three slightly more sober men who first noticed Duke Liu and nudged their companions with their elbows in reminder.

One of them didn’t want Tang Yun to completely offend his father-in-law, so he quickly cupped his hands and saluted.

“Greetings, Duke.”

That single sentence sobered Tang Yun up quite a bit. He shook his head, then saw his father-in-law standing there. His face turned instantly pale as paper, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

“Father-in-law…”

“I don’t dare accept that title from Lord Tang. I came here today simply to deliver my daughter’s letter of separation. But from the way Lord Tang spoke just now, it seems resentment has been festering for quite some time.”

Cold sweat broke out across Tang Yun’s forehead as he repeatedly declared he didn’t dare.

“I know the Liu family’s upbringing is upright and honest. We would never raise the kind of petty, jealous daughter you described. Every word you spoke just now was slandering my daughter’s name, and you show no remorse. Today, I will make the decision myself and present you with a letter of divorce on her behalf!”

Having said that, Duke Liu turned and gave his attendant a look. The attendant understood and brought over writing materials, bowing to hand him the brush.

Usually mild-mannered, Duke Liu’s brushstrokes as he wrote the letter were forceful enough to pierce the paper. The moment the last stroke was done, he didn’t even wait for the ink to dry before throwing it directly into the face of Tang Yun, who was kneeling in apology.

“From this day forth, the Liu family has nothing more to do with you.”

“Someone, retrieve the young lady’s entire dowry.”

Things had escalated so far that the other colleagues no longer dared to remain as guests and all hastily excused themselves.

Duke Liu had not initially intended to make such a scene, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He instructed the steward that even the smallest items originally part of his daughter’s dowry must be taken back.

In just half a day, what had once been a fine residence was stripped bare. Tang Yun sat on a stone bench in the back garden, drinking, completely stunned at how things had reached such a point.

———

At the Liu residence, when Duke Liu returned home, Liu Nüluo originally wanted to go up and ask what had happened, but seeing how angry her father looked, she dared not speak and could only wonder what exactly had transpired.

Duke Liu glanced at his daughter. Though he was still angry, he wasn’t so far gone as to vent it on her.

“That matter has been dealt with.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“No need. Where’s An’an?”

The rage still lingered, and all Duke Liu wanted at the moment was to hold his little grandson.

“He just finished nursing and went to sleep. Shall I have the nanny bring him over?”

“I’ll go hold him myself.”

The sleeping An’an was jostled awake by Duke Liu’s movements. He squinted his eyes, saw it was his grandfather, smacked his lips, and closed his eyes again, intending to return to sleep.

“Grandfather has taken care of that matter for you. In the future, you must study hard and repay Grandfather’s kindness.”

“You’ll be able to read in a few years—how can you still sleep at a time like this?”

“Oh, still sleeping so soundly!”

Duke Liu gently poked An’an’s soft, chubby cheek, making the little one frown in frustration. He covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

“Haha.”

The pent-up frustration in Duke Liu’s heart dissipated entirely in that moment. Hugging An’an tightly, his steps quickened as he returned to the courtyard, wanting to spend more time teasing his little darling.

Madam Duke, who was sewing in the small courtyard, wasn’t surprised at all to see him carrying An’an again. She tossed her needlework aside and asked:

“I heard you looked absolutely grim when you returned?”

Duke Liu held a rattle drum in one hand, shaking it lightly, and recounted everything Tang Yun had said in an offhand tone. Madam Duke was so furious she slammed the table and cursed:

“Absolutely outrageous! I’ve never seen such a shameless man!”

The moment someone scolded her father, little An’an was instantly wide awake. His small hands flailed in the air, and he babbled as if chiming in.

“He didn’t deserve a letter of separation—should’ve been a divorce!”

After venting her anger, Madam Duke waved a hand for a maid and instructed her to repeat everything to the young lady.

Upon hearing it, Liu Nüluo stood silently in the courtyard for a long time. It wasn’t until evening that she finally returned to her room. Her nanny was worried upon seeing her like this, but before she could offer words of comfort, the young lady smiled faintly.

“Nanny, I’ve always known. How could I not know what kind of person he is…”

She had simply been blinded by love at first, choosing to ignore all the signs.

Now that all feelings had been exhausted and his flaws laid bare, all she felt was disappointment—no sadness.

Even the Empress in the inner palace heard about the matter. She selected some rare, exquisite hair ornaments from her private stores and sent them over, along with bolts of fabric to make clothes for her little nephew.

Liu Nüluo didn’t understand why everyone pitied her so deeply after all this, when she herself didn’t feel very sad.

She did, however, genuinely like the fabric her sister had sent. She spent an entire afternoon with her sister-in-law comparing swatches, thinking there could never be too many outfits for An’an.

Only after separation did she realize how joyful her days at home had been. In the end, all she had let go of was someone who never truly cared about her.

A few days later, Liu Nüluo personally made soup for her father, intending to ask him to revoke the academy placement. She admitted there was a bit of spite involved, but even if she had to throw that spot away, she absolutely refused to let that child benefit.

After the separation, the more Liu Nüluo thought about it, the more something felt off. That child’s claim that he just wanted to see what his little brother looked like—she should never have believed a single word.

She never underestimated how cruel a child could be, especially when it concerned her own.

The mere thought filled her with fear.

When she brought the soup to her father, she startled Duke Liu, who was busy coaxing An’an. He immediately asked in a firm tone:

“Which cook helped you make this?”

“I made it all myself.”

“When did you learn to cook? How come I didn’t know?”

That question left Liu Nüluo frozen on the spot. Back then, she had learned to cook because of a single comment from Tang Yun. Yet he always found fault with her food, said it didn’t compare to the cook’s, even accusing her of disgracing his status.

“My cooking… wasn’t good, so I didn’t want to embarrass myself.”

Duke Liu held the spoon, tasted it, and then, with a stern face, said:

“Who said it’s not good? I think it tastes far better than what the cook at home makes.”

The cooks at the Duke’s residence were all highly skilled, often changing up their dishes to please their masters. If she could truly compare to them, she wouldn’t have been dismissed by Tang Yun.

Originally lying on the side, An’an began smacking his lips and made a couple of babbling sounds as the scent of food wafted over.

“Look at him—if he weren’t so small, I bet he’d be trying to crawl over and have a few sips himself.”

An’an’s babbling sounded as if he were agreeing with his grandfather’s words, making Liu Nüluó smile knowingly.

She was self-aware—she knew she wasn’t better than the cooks. The only reason she was receiving such praise was because she had the advantage of being a daughter.

No matter how her cooking turned out, her father would never be critical.

By the same logic, no matter how well she did, Tang Yun would never be satisfied.

“Did you come see me for something else?”

“Yes.”

Liu Nüluó didn’t try to hide anything in front of her family. She simply nodded and brought up the matter of the academy slot.

As soon as she mentioned it, Duke Liu remembered a letter he’d just received that day—it had made him furious. He took out a letter from the academy dean and handed it to Liu Nüluó.

Liu Nüluó had been taught to read from a young age. After taking the letter and reading it, even someone as mild-tempered as her flushed with anger.

“How can he be so shameless?”

Right in front of her, he had clearly insisted it was inappropriate to adopt Jun’er as a foster son. Yet he turned around and took the child to the academy, claiming he was Liu Nüluó’s adopted son.

The academy’s teacher had recently caught wind of something fishy, which was why this letter had been sent.

“Father…”

Duke Liu had originally wanted to scold his daughter a bit when she saw the letter, reminding her of her poor past choices. But now, seeing how upset she was—nearly to the point of tears—his heart only ached.

“Forget it, forget it. What’s done is done. Since the academy teacher wrote a letter, that means he’s made his position clear. Just don’t dwell on this matter anymore.”

“Alright.”

An’an was unusually lively and cheerful that day. If he weren’t still so little, he’d probably be trying to stand up and jump around.

“Father, I’ll leave An’an with you for now. I’m going back to make some winter clothes for him. It’s starting to get chilly.”

“Go on, go on.”

Duke Liu waved her off, thinking it was better for her to focus on other things than brood over that matter and feel sorrowful alone.

Every time An’an remembered how, in his past life, his older brother used to show off about studying at that academy, he couldn’t help getting angry. That spot should have belonged to him.

That same brother took his place at the academy and later mocked him for not knowing how to read. Thinking of it made An’an grind his little toothless gums in frustration.

“Thinking about your father again?”

It was odd—ever since Liu Nüluó and Tang Yun’s separation had reached the boy’s ears, he stopped crying or fussing when the name came up. He acted like a perfectly well-behaved child.

The change was so drastic, it was hard not to wonder if his past tantrums whenever Tang Yun was mentioned had been a calculated act—to push for their separation.

As a father, Duke Liu naturally hoped his grandson was on his daughter’s side. An’an’s behavior pleased him greatly, and he couldn’t help but love the boy even more.

Half a month later, a bout of autumn rain brought a sudden chill. The clothes Liu Nüluó had prepared earlier were just right for this weather.

An’an no longer spent his whole day lying around like before. He would occasionally roll over on the soft couch, tossing and turning nonstop.

On that spacious couch, he practiced crawling every day with great determination.

No matter how much Duke Liu enjoyed having his precious little grandson around, he still made sure to have a nanny watch over him constantly, worried he might roll over and fall off.

The Duke’s household naturally lacked for nothing. Everyone in the family adored the little one, and under their care, he had become a plump, round, and utterly adorable little dumpling—just looking at him made people feel he was full of good fortune.

The older he got, the cuter he became. When he wore a finely embroidered little hat, he could blink those big eyes and coax all kinds of things out of Duke Liu.

Duke Liu didn’t care about material things anyway, and with such a lovable little grandson, he was more than willing to give whatever he could.

He started thinking about choosing a fine day to visit some old friends—and, of course, he would bring An’an along. After all, if he showed up in person with his grandson, those friends had better prepare generous gifts, or it wouldn’t be proper.

Half a month later, the palace held a Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet. The Empress openly invited many noblewomen to the palace, but it was clear to anyone with eyes—this was just a chance for her to see her family.

For something so minor, she only needed to notify His Majesty, and permission was guaranteed. In a letter sent home, the Empress even specifically asked that An’an be brought along.

As his aunt, she had only seen him once shortly after he was born. It had now been over two months, and she was curious how much he had changed.

Before Liu Nüluó became pregnant, the Empress had been worried about her sister’s health and didn’t want her to risk her life just to have a child. But now that the baby was born, both mother and child were healthy and well, with no trouble at all.

Naturally, she cherished An’an as any aunt would.

Because they were entering the palace to meet the Empress, a nanny dressed An’an in a delightfully festive outfit early that morning and brought him to Liu Nüluó.

Since returning home, the boy had been with his grandfather most of the time. Now that Liu Nüluó finally had a chance to be close to him, she cherished it.

An’an was just as happy to be with his mother. Sitting in the nanny’s arms, he reached out his hands, clearly wanting his mother to hold him. His little fists waved impatiently, his actions full of eagerness.

But the carriage ride was a bit bumpy, and Liu Nüluó only held his little hand, afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold him steadily.

There were many rules for entering the palace. As the Empress’s younger sister, she had to be especially careful not to step out of line, lest others use her as leverage against her elder sister.

Outsiders all envied the boundless wealth and splendor of the imperial palace, but Liu Nüluo felt only heartache for her elder sister, who had to tread carefully and follow every rule while living there.

After entering the palace, a palace maid informed them that the chrysanthemum banquet would begin in half an hour. Liu Nüluo, the Madam of the Duke’s Household, and her eldest sister-in-law were first led by the Empress’s personal attendants to her palace.

“The Empress has been waiting for some time.”

“Thank you for leading the way.”

The Empress was far more intimate with her mother and younger sister. As soon as they met, she held her sister’s hand and silently wept. It was a rare chance to see each other, and she didn’t want to waste too much time in sorrow. After wiping her tears with a handkerchief, she smiled and said:

“Look at me… I shouldn’t be crying at a time like this.”

The Madam of the Duke’s Household gently patted her on the back and said nothing. Liu Nüluo’s sister-in-law standing to the side pretended she hadn’t seen anything.

“It’s just as well that you separated. A man who breaks his promises isn’t worth entrusting your life to! And this must be the little nephew? Come, let me take a look. What a handsome little face he has.”

An’an didn’t recall meeting this aunt before, though he had seen her in a dream. The current version of his aunt looked every bit the part of an empress—noble and dignified. But in that dream, she wore coarse clothing, lay curled up in a corner, her hair completely white, her eyes murky.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

The Empress noticed An’an staring at her intently and couldn’t help but ask. He had zoned out for so long—being so young, he couldn’t control himself and drooled a bit, which made everyone in the room laugh.

Liu Nüluo blushed as she wiped his drool and glared at him a few times, clearly annoyed.

Her elder sister’s beauty was renowned throughout the capital. Now, even as age had settled in, she possessed a different kind of elegance. Years of high status had added an air of majesty to her presence—one that was not to be taken lightly.

An’an covered his eyes tightly with his little hands, and even his ears had started to turn red.

Just then, a palace maid outside announced that it was time for the chrysanthemum banquet. Though the Empress was reluctant to part, she had no choice but to head over. The guests were all noblewomen of high rank and great influence, and arriving late would be considered impolite.

At first, An’an had been delighted when he heard he would be going to the Imperial Garden to admire the chrysanthemums. He had looked forward to it for a long time, hoping to feast his eyes on the beautiful blossoms.

Even those who didn’t often care for the young master could see just how excited he was—especially since An’an was frequently teased by his grandfather.

But because of that episode in the Empress’s palace, he kept his head down the entire time. Eventually, weariness caught up with him and he dozed off. By the time he opened his eyes again, they were already back in the carriage.

Having missed out on seeing the beautiful flowers, An’an was clearly unhappy. His little face was scrunched in displeasure. Just then, the carriage came to a sudden stop, and An’an accidentally bumped his nose against the nanny, the pain bringing tears to his eyes.

Before he could even start acting pitiful for his mother’s sympathy, a male voice called out from outside:

“Nüluo, may I have a word with you?”

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Difference between Letter of Separation and Letter of Divorce

Letter of Divorce (休書): Officially ends the marriage. The wife is no longer legally married and can remarry. Usually issued by the husband.

Letter of Separation (分居書): The couple agrees to live apart but stays legally married. Neither can remarry. Often used when divorce isn’t acceptable.
Key difference:

Divorce = marriage ends.

Separation = still married, just not living together.

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