Chapter 2

Nan Qin did not know how to respond to him; this person is always like this. Arguments do not affect him at all. He can act as if nothing has happened, seemingly to express an attitude: if you ignore him, he will not regard you highly either

Having endured for so long, he fought against her and against himself, striving to suppress his love for her. The anguish in his heart was inexpressible; he came from an extraordinary background and had once lived with reckless abandon. Her appearance was the only redemption in his life of indulgence. However, a gathering among friends after their marriage opened a gap of misfortune in this union. Those things better left unsaid, he sighed, not even knowing what he truly wanted. He had once thought of taking her to France, far away from here, severing all ties with the people and matters of this place. Yet it was unrealistic; the issues between them loomed large in his heart, and even if they escaped to the ends of the earth, they would still persist.

He took off his hat and threw it on the dressing table, looking at her with a semblance of a smile, "I will sleep here tonight"

Liang Yan sat down on the velvet stool in front of the dressing table and patted the wrinkles on her knees, saying: "Whether I eat or not is of no consequence... Is it uncomfortable to sleep so early?"

She calmly stuffed the ticket back, reaching to the bottom of her bag, and finally found that small wing-shaped button. With her eyes downcast, she said: "Don't get me wrong, I noticed that there was a button missing from the cuff."

She walked to the high table against the wall to pour water, holding the cup and turning around. The floor lamp behind him cast his shadow onto the glass. She stared at that blurred image, and after a long while, she finally made a sound. He had a strong desire for control, drawing a circle around her, allowing her to move only within the limits he set. Like the wedding banquet tomorrow, Deyin called to say he was very nervous and hoped she could come over early. He clearly knew this, yet he only had the aide send her over at noon, which was truly frustrating. Like the wedding banquet tomorrow, Deyin called to say he was very nervous and hoped she could come over early. He clearly knew this, yet he only had the aide send her over at noon, which was truly frustrating

He nodded very slowly, "This is how you do it, madam. Your husband has not returned, yet you can sleep soundly."

He entered the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a bang. She stood there in a daze, as he seized the opportunity to seek her out. She felt weary and frustrated. There was no choice but to open the cabinet and pull out a blanket. Sharing a bed with him seemed increasingly difficult; she wrapped the blanket around herself, the fine fibers of the wool pricking her skin through the nightgown, providing a stinging warmth

She was caught in a dilemma, watching him strip down to just a shirt. His boots were thrown far away against the wall. He walked over barefoot, locked the door, and waved the key at her, saying, "Don't think about leaving. If you want to be cold, then go to bed. If you are not afraid of the cold, you can sit there all night if you wish"

Nan Qinyi stood there, but his tone softened, "Liang Yan, I do not wish to argue right now. It is almost time, I need to sleep, and you should rest early as well"

Nan Qin has always been a light sleeper, and even the slightest noise can wake her. Earlier, she had a headache, took some medicine, and then lay down, still concerned about his absence. Later, feeling unwell, she unknowingly fell asleep.

Nan Qin stepped back and did not wish to argue with him, "Then I will go sleep in the guest room"

Nan Qin's heart skipped a beat; they had been married for one year, yet had been living apart for ten months. She did not welcome him, a fact he knew and accepted. Today, however, things had suddenly changed, taking on a somewhat unreasonable tone.

She remained silent, sitting in front of the dressing table rummaging through the sewing box. Liang Yan felt his patience was wearing thin; did she prefer to waste time over there rather than sleep with him? He approached her and pulled her, saying, "Let the servants handle these tasks." Seeing her wrapped in a blanket only made him more displeased, and he forcefully yanked it off and threw it aside, "Are you really planning to confront me all night? I advise you to save your energy; using the principles of chastity and fidelity against your own husband only serves to tell your sister that she wouldn't praise you for doing well."

He only then realized that he had been too impatient. He hurriedly released her, rolled up her sleeve to take a look, and indeed there was a circle of red marks on her fair wrist. He was very familiar with such marks; when they had just married, in moments of passion, he would kiss her neck a bit harder, and after a few hours, it would turn purple, forcing her to wear high-necked qipaos even in the hot summer... He didn't want it to be this way, but who made her so stubborn? He felt frustrated, and before she had a chance to retreat, he picked her up horizontally and tossed her onto the mattress.

He stepped forward to block the door, "Do you think I only want to sleep in your warm bed? Who are you keeping yourself pure for?"

Nan Qin exerted himself, his strength was considerable, restraining her and causing her arms to go numb. She bit her lip and continuously tried to pull back, but the more she shrank away, the tighter he pulled. Finally, she could not help but cry out in pain, "We are returning to Zhitao tomorrow, do you want to make the headlines of the evening news?"

The man's pocket was wide, and her hands were small, so when she reached inside, it felt a bit empty. He never kept money in his pockets; Yu Raoliang was his natural wallet. Therefore, when she touched two banknotes, she felt a bit curious. Pulling them out to take a look, she saw colorful prints with five bold letters that read "Oriental Grand Stage"

Liang Yan, however, said: "There will be many people tomorrow, and if we go too early, it will be chaotic and meaningless! Mother has the second wife and others to help, so you don't need to join the commotion." After saying this, he smiled again, "The guests at the wedding banquet are all couples; don't you feel lonely being there alone?"

She held the ticket in the palm of her hand, her heart sinking downwards. She had heard of his reputation before marriage, the young major general with a bright future ahead. Accustomed to mingling in the world of pleasure, he had at least one intimate companion among the many beautiful women, and one of the leading figures on the grand stage was among them

De Yin is his maternal younger sister, and the groom, Jiang Shangqian, is his schoolmate and the fourth son of General Jiang Daozhang of the Army. The marriage between Feng and Jiang is a political alliance; in this era, it is indeed rare for the upper class to unite purely for love. Nan Qin is in a daze; if she and Liang Yan can still coexist harmoniously now, it would indeed be a beautiful story. Her background is not remarkable; her father was a Daotai during the Qing Dynasty, who later died in despair after a failed restoration. At that time, she was still young, orphaned and had to seek refuge with her sister, then went abroad, where she met him. Her background is not remarkable; her father was a Daotai during the Qing Dynasty, who later died in despair after a failed restoration. At that time, she was still young, orphaned and had to seek refuge with her sister, then went abroad, where she met him. Ultimately, they were not a match; even if he overcame numerous difficulties to marry her, their marriage still encountered problems and became irreconcilable.

He slammed the door shut, and upon uttering this sentence, felt a significant relief from the pain in his chest. It was as if all the foul air in his lungs had been expelled, allowing him to finally breathe freely.

She got out of bed sluggishly to pour herself a drink, passing in front of him, her silk nightgown lightly brushing against the back of his hand, like a dream that could not be grasped. He leaned back, his spine harshly pressed against the sharp edge of the dressing table, causing some pain, but the pain was vivid. He said: "Tomorrow is the wedding day of Shang Qian and De Yin. At noon, let Deputy Officer Cao take you to Zhi Tai first, and I will come after I have arranged matters at the office."

The handle of the bathroom door suddenly made a sound, and he came out from inside, still tying the belt of his bathrobe. Upon seeing her holding the two tickets, he said nothing and simply gazed at her quietly.

His temper is not very good; although he has repeatedly shown forbearance, he was ultimately provoked by her. The more she is unwilling, the more he is determined to confront the challenge. He raised his hand to unbutton his collar, speaking coldly and harshly, "From now on, do not lock the door."

Nan Qin felt very uneasy, his face alternating between pale and flushed. After a quarrel, he sulked and went out, only returning late at night. Upon his return, he insisted on staying here; did he regard her as merely a courtesan in the brothel? She was unwilling to pay attention to his petulant remarks, as discussing this matter was genuinely embarrassing for her. It was merely a moment of youthful ignorance, yet it had now become his Achilles' heel. She was also resentful; since there was no trust between them, there were many things she did not wish to mention again. She had nothing to defend herself with, nor did she have anything to plead for. If he wanted to make a scene, he could go ahead, but it was a pity for the earnest feelings she had once harbored.

She raised her hand to her forehead and stood up, "You are back? Have you eaten?"

There is not much going on at home tomorrow, and I am also worried that my mother will be overwhelmed. After you leave, I will go to the platform. She set down the cup of water, turned her face, and no longer looked at the reflection in the cup.

Faintly hearing footsteps, she was entranced, drowsily thinking it was not yet dark, assuming it was a servant coming in to check on her. To her surprise, when she opened her eyes, she saw him in front of her, and it took her a moment to regain her senses. The curtains were too thick to see the daylight; she glanced at the wall and realized it was nearly 7 o'clock. It was not too late, but she had already fallen asleep, and once she was asleep, she was not particularly fond of him entering her room

The sound of water splashing in the bathroom, she moved over to tidy up his clothes. The military uniform was made of wool, and it hung neatly and crisply after being placed. She carefully smoothed the lapels, only to discover that one of the copper buttons at the sleeve's end was missing. He had a habit of removing loose buttons, even if they hadn't fallen off, and putting them in his pants pocket to avoid losing them later. Originally, the rules from their hometown dictated that women should not rummage through men's pockets, but she wanted to sew it back on for him, which inevitably required her to take some action.

She has a physique that easily bruises; a careless bump or knock immediately results in a strikingly large bruise. His heavy-handedness at the wedding banquet, attended by numerous small reporters, is likely to be sensationalized, becoming a topic of conversation for people during their leisure time.

Liang Yan had been paying attention to her expression; the light in her eyes gradually shifted from initial surprise to a cold indifference. She probably thought he was just speaking casually, and he questioned himself whether he was being serious. His original intention was indeed to provoke her; if she had any reaction other than ignoring him, he would have been more accepting. However, she treated him like a wisp of smoke, a puff of air, which greatly wounded his pride. He walked out as the prominent 'Second Young Master,' the 'Chairman' of the Air Force Bureau, yet at home, he felt like a lonely widower. However, she treated him like a wisp of smoke, a puff of air, which greatly wounded his pride. He walked out as the prominent 'Second Young Master,' the 'Chairman' of the Air Force Bureau, yet at home, he felt like a lonely widower

He sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his arms, his gaze drifting past the bed frame to look at her. "Those two tickets are for the 18th. Don't you like Yu Linglong's Xiju? She has a performance that day. If you don't want to go with me, it's fine to let Yayan accompany you."

Loneliness is something one can get used to, Nan Qin tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Misses who are not married must also have it, Ya Yan and Ru Zheng are both here, so what do I have to be lonely about?" She hugged her arms; the early spring night was still quite cold. She got out of bed without putting on her morning gown, feeling a bit chilly on her back. When facing him, it was always a bit embarrassing to get into bed, so she intentionally responded to him, "If you haven't eaten, let Wu Ma instruct the kitchen to prepare something for you. I apologize for my negligence; I am feeling lazy and do not want to go downstairs."