Four

The busybodies obediently left, leaving Zhang Jiatian sitting alone in the headquarters. News is unreliable, but if the couple mentioned in the news has indeed been living a peaceful life, then there must be some truth to the rumors, as the newspapers would not fabricate such a story. Thus, Zhang Jiatian felt a slight concern, fearing that Ye Chunhao might have incurred the wrath of Director Lei—Ye Chunhao is different from him; he has a thick skin and a broad mind, unafraid of being scolded. Even if he were to be beaten, he could remain indifferent. But could Ye Chunhao handle it?

However, no matter how one puts it, Lei Duli is innocent. She cannot avoid bowing her head to apologize to him. But this time, Lei Duli was truly furious; in response to her submissiveness, he remained indifferent, seemingly intent on giving her the cold shoulder. After a night passed, Ye Chunhao found herself suddenly transformed into the renowned lioness of Hedong, unable to help but sit down on the bed, struggling to catch her breath for a long while.

Leiduli was lying on the sofa in the living room. Upon hearing this, he remained motionless, did not look at her, and simply said: "Are you someone else?"

Ye Chun let out a sigh. Since Lei Duli had such an attitude, there was no need for her to persist with her entreaties. However, just before leaving, she said softly, "Yuting, I know you regard me as your confidante. But ultimately, hearts are separated; you and I are two individuals, not one. Even if I wish to be your confidante, I cannot fathom all your thoughts and secrets."

Then she read through several newspapers, nearly brought to tears by her anger, feeling that her lifetime of reputation had been thrown away, and how would she face society in the future? It was originally just a domestic dispute between a couple, yet now it was portrayed so disgracefully by the reporters, tarnishing the dignity of both spouses. Who should be blamed for this?

However, Mr. Leidu has already gone out

Ye Chunhao originally had no sympathy for prostitutes, yet this news still pricked her a little. She could not articulate what this prick was, but simply lay in bed, increasingly unable to rise. Every day, Director Lei entered the room, only to find her lying with her back to him, indifferent to his concern for her, so he simply shrugged his sleeves and turned to leave, retreating to the study to live alone.

What a joke! Why would I marry a wife who specializes in misunderstandings and conflicts with me? Do I have a penchant for domestic disputes?

The situation has developed to this point, and it is hard to say whether it has come to an end or not. In any case, the literary master may not necessarily be defeated, nor the warlord necessarily victorious. The warlord's wife has indeed gained a notorious reputation, but unfortunately, it is one of infamy. Others who hear this news find it amusing, but only Zhang Jiatian cannot bring himself to laugh—Ye Chunhao is indeed fierce and jealous, yet would not so openly wield power and act arrogantly.

She is in good health, never falling ill, and even now does not consider herself sick, merely attributing her condition to a lack of spirit and a bit of laziness. Coincidentally, rumors began to circulate outside, claiming that the young courtesan, Huang Ying'er, had hanged herself—revealing that the world of these women is akin to a turbulent river. Huang Ying'er, only seventeen years old and beautiful, was at the cusp of rising to fame, yet this scandal erupted, leading her peers to mock her for trying to climb the social ladder and ultimately falling, leaving her with no face to show to others. The brothel she worked at also suffered repercussions. Her madam, seeing that her girl had offended a powerful figure, was terrified and contemplated fleeing back to her hometown in the south. However, calculating the costs of such an escape, she realized it would result in significant financial loss. The madam thus harbored deep resentment towards her, subjecting her to severe punishment for several days, and eventually sold her off to a third-rate establishment, not for profit, but merely to vent her anger.

As Zhang Jiatian was secretly plotting, the Lei residence in Beijing experienced several days of ominous weather, with a palpable sense of impending storm. The atmosphere was so oppressive that not only the living inhabitants of the residence, but even the living dogs within it tucked their tails and refrained from barking recklessly

The news concerns the domestic affairs of Lei Duli: Lei Duli has recently married an exceptionally fierce new wife, whose fierceness is said to be rare in the world and unparalleled in North China. Lei Duli accidentally obtained a token of affection from a courtesan, which was discovered by his wife. In a fit of rage, she mobilized troops overnight to seal off all the alleys, digging three feet into the ground to find the courtesan, forcing her to confront Lei Duli face to face. It is said that Lei Duli was dragged out of bed by his wife, and at that time, he was in disheveled clothing, wearing only a set of pajamas. The wife held court in the alley, investigating this scandalous case, while the courtesan's family knelt on the ground, trembling in fear. Not to mention the courtesan, even Lei Duli himself was kicked out of the car by his wife.

Ye Chunhao sat alone upstairs for a while, and when she thought of Director Lei sulking downstairs, she could no longer remain seated. After enduring for half a day, she finally decided to confront him one last time and went downstairs to find him for a discussion

His attitude was indifferent, as if he was too lazy to speak: "It's obviously false. These journalists thrive on chaos and love to spread rumors to trick people into buying their newspapers. Not to mention, our great leader has never been afraid of his wife. Our great leader's wife, being young and well-educated, would never do the things written in the newspapers. You all know nothing, believing every rumor you hear, and you deserve to be deceived by those gossipmongers." Then he waved his hand dismissively, "Get lost! I have no time to listen to your nonsense."

Bai Xuefeng accompanied her with a smile: "The handsome man probably suddenly remembered something, so he left in a hurry"

She is not that kind of person, nor does she possess such a temperament

In places like the Eight Great Alleys, it is truly a hub of gossip and chatter. When such a major event occurs, it immediately makes headlines in the next morning's newspapers. By the following morning—before lunchtime—a large contingent of military and police was dispatched, sealing off five newspaper offices. Among them, the editors-in-chief of two newspapers were directly imprisoned. The remaining three editors-in-chief, enjoying the pleasures of life, one in Shanghai and two in Tianjin, were initially reveling in this modern world. However, upon hearing that they were to be placed on a wanted list, they immediately sought refuge in the concessions, while also clamoring to hold a press conference to protest Director Lei's act of suppressing press freedom.

Ye Chun tightly closed her mouth and turned to walk upstairs. She had to keep her mouth shut; otherwise, she would immediately start sighing again.

Upon considering this, Zhang Jiatian suddenly felt a strong desire to return to Beijing for a visit. Since he returned on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, and with the weather about to warm up, he had not made a single trip back yet

Ye Chunhao felt that she and he truly could not communicate rationally. After a moment of silence, she said: "Then you should speak to me properly! Look at today's newspaper, it is written in such an irritating manner. You... you are going to be the subject of ridicule, and my reputation... will also be completely ruined"

When Lei Duli was good to her, it was truly overwhelming, so good that it made her heart ache. Now that he has turned his back, he is just as cold and indifferent. In comparison to those good days, she feels that every minute and every second at this moment is unbearable. With a heart devoid of feelings, she stepped out of the house and wandered aimlessly in the courtyard. Suddenly, she saw Bai Xuefeng walking towards her, so she stopped and asked, "Do you know where the commander has gone?"

So he told the busybodies in front of him: "False."

You brought this upon yourself

More than ten days passed like this, and Ye Chun developed a severe fever, with two large blisters swelling on her lips, bright red and painful, making it almost impossible for her to open her mouth. In addition, she had a poor appetite, a slight fever, and felt dizzy and lethargic; as soon as she stood up, the world would spin around her.

Oh. She forced a smile, saying, "I was just talking to him a moment ago. I turned around to go upstairs, and when I came back down, I found that he was gone."

Bai Xuefeng replied, "It is likely that he has gone to the Yu residence again." Then he smiled and added, "The general is at the Yu commander’s place discussing official matters"

Huang Ying'er was originally the top courtesan in the Qingyin Xiaoban | female, who had planned to use her skills to attract a wealthy patron in hopes of securing a good future. However, she suddenly found herself in a lowly brothel, with no prospects ahead of her. The only outcome left for her was to contract diseases and die in this place. Thus, within a few days, she hanged herself with a rope.

The major news from Beijing reached Wenxian, at most one or two days late, so when this segment of news reached Zhang Jiatian's ears, it was indeed a genuine "new" report. However, after hearing it, Zhang Jiatian was only half-convinced and pondered aloud to the gossipmonger, saying: "Could it be?"

Make a trip back, see her, and also see him, just to take a look. They can live however they want; if they are not doing well, that would be good. If he has the ability, he can get divorced again. If he were to divorce Ye Chunhao, he would just happen to seize the opportunity to pick up someone leftover.

Ye Chun lowered her head, remaining silent for a long while. Eventually, she spoke again: "Precisely because I am not someone else, and we are to spend our lives together, there will be many more misunderstandings and conflicts in the future. If your reactions are always this intense, then we should not engage in anything else; we would only end up arguing endlessly."

The onlookers eagerly retorted, "Fake?"

The three editors, who were hidden in the concession, are all renowned literary figures of their generation. Their noisy quarrel naturally stirred the realms of journalism and culture. Within these two realms, there are quite a few heroes who are not afraid of losing their heads, passionately writing and speaking out for justice, mercilessly berating Director Lei. After the scolding, they also slipped into the concession, leaving the warlord who had been scolded in vain, only able to stare in disbelief.

Ye Chun listened to these words and felt that Bai Xuefeng seemed to imply something deeper—why did he specifically need to inform her that it was "business talk"? Could it be that he regarded her as a hidden and fierce woman who would go to the Yu residence to cause trouble?

Ye Chun observed the respectful demeanor of Bai Xuefeng and instead felt awkward and uninteresting, so he hesitantly walked back.

Reverend Lei finally glanced at her: "As a couple, we should naturally be in sync with each other's thoughts. If you do not trust me, is it my fault?"

A young person who constantly sighs and laments is not a good omen for the days to come

After taking several deep breaths, she suppressed her anger and tears, then went to find Lei Duli and said: "I see that you are quite amiable towards others, so why is it that you are so irritable with me? It is common for young couples to argue, so why did you have to get so worked up last night and make such a big scene?"

Ye Chunhao has truly wronged Director Lei this time—though it is said to be a misunderstanding, upon reflection, it may not be entirely unjust. She does not possess the ability to see through things, so how could anyone know that he inadvertently brought those items home

Anyone who hears this news will first feel, "No way"