Chapter 154 -
The village square became dead quiet. Red lanterns swung gently in the cold wind, making long shadows on the snowy ground.
Yueqing’s heart beat fast inside her chest. Held tight in Xiao Chen’s arms, she waited for a big fight to start. She expected Wenzhe to jump off his black horse, pull out his sharp sword, and angrily drag her away—just like he always did.
She looked up and met Wenzhe’s dark eyes across the crowd.
Her breath stopped.
Wenzhe’s eyes looked completely empty. There was no anger, no jealousy, and no shouting. He looked at her face for a long, quiet moment, looking at her like she was a complete stranger he had never met before.
Without saying a single word, Wenzhe slowly pulled his horse’s reins.
He turned his tall black horse around. He did not yell or make a scene. He just rode away down the snowy road. His soldiers followed quietly behind him, heading toward the camp site.
Yueqing stood frozen, her mind going totally blank as she watched him disappear into the dark night.
He had just walked away. He saw her in his biggest enemy’s arms, but he rode past her like she did not exist.
Xiao Chen slowly let go of her shoulders. The teasing smile left his face, replaced by a confused look. He had expected a big fight. He did not expect Wenzhe to ignore her completely.
"Well," Xiao Chen said softly, looking at the empty street. "That was surprising."
Yueqing stood on the cold stone street, feeling a strange, hollow hurt inside her chest.
[System 009: H-Host...] Nine’s tiny voice whispered nervously in her head. [General Wenzhe’s favorability points... just dropped by 50 %.]
Xiao Chen stood frozen on the snow-covered street, his easy smile entirely gone. He stared down at the quiet Yueqing, completely quiet.
.
He knew Xi Wenzhe better than anyone in the empire. Four years on the northern battlefield had taught him how Wenzhe operated. Wenzhe was never a threat when he shouted, argued, or lost his temper.
He was at his most dangerous when he went completely quiet.
Over the past four weeks, Xiao Chen had systematically sent false reports directly into Wenzhe’s camp through intercepted messengers. He made sure Wenzhe received constant updates that his wife was living comfortably in the Third Prince’s estate. Xiao Chen had planned tonight down to the minute, expecting Wenzhe to lose his composure and make a reckless mistake at the city gates.
Instead, Wenzhe had looked at her like a stranger and kept riding.
That silence meant Wenzhe had stopped caring. He had shut down his feelings completely, which meant he was no longer acting as a husband, he was acting purely as a commander.
Xiao Chen’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Yueqing, who was still staring blankly down the empty road.
"He didn’t make a scene," Xiao Chen said, his voice dropping into a flat, serious tone. "He didn’t even slow down."
Yueqing turned her head to look at him, her chest tight.
Xiao Chen pulled his cloak tighter against the wind, his gaze shifting back toward the dark road leading into the capital. "A loud man is easy to deal with. A quiet one is just waiting to strike."
Sue Yueqing didn’t know what came over her.
The cold wind blew snow across her face, but inside, her blood was boiling. Everything suddenly clicked. The trip to this specific market tonight, the exact timing, and the way Xiao Chen had pulled her into his arms right as Wenzhe arrived—it was all setup. He had used her as a tool just to provoke her husband.
Xiao Chen reached out, his long fingers extending to take her hand and lead her back toward their horses.
Yueqing yanked her hand back.
Before he could react, she swung her hand and struck him hard across the face.
SLAP!
The sharp crack echoed across the quiet street.
Lu Yue gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. The guards nearby froze, their eyes wide with shock. No one in the empire had ever dared to touch the Third Prince like that.
Xiao Chen’s head turned to the side from the hit, a few strands of golden-brown hair falling over his face.
Dead silence fell over the snowy street.
Slowly, Xiao Chen turned his head back to face her. A faint red mark bloomed on his cheekbone. His dark eyes were completely still, stripped of all playful teasing.
"You used me," Yueqing said, her voice shaking with rage. She stared right into his eyes, her chest heaving. "You brought me here on purpose and put on a show right in front of his eyes. You set this up."
Xiao Chen stared at her, feeling the sting on his cheek. He had no clever words, no poems, and no lazy smirk. He simply stood there in the falling snow, watching her tremble with anger.
"I am not a tool for your revenge," Yueqing said, her voice dropping into a cold, lethal quiet. She stared right into his dark eyes, her gaze sharp as ice. "If you think you can use me to hurt Wenzhe, you have deceived yourself. He does not love me. Our marriage was never based on love, so you will get nothing from using me and you will achieve nothing."
Xiao Chen stared at her, feeling the sting on his cheek. He stood completely still in the falling snow, her blunt words cutting deeper than the slap itself.
Yueqing turned away, her dark cloak swirling around her legs in the bitter cold wind.
"Lu Yue, let’s go," she commanded quietly, her voice flat and cold.
Lu Yue snapped out of her shock, hurriedly stepping away from the silent guards and rushing after her mistress. "Yes, Madam!"
Xiao Chen did not move to stop them. He remained standing beneath the flickering red lantern, his hand lightly resting near his cheek, watching her cold, rigid posture recede into the white fog of the snowy street.
Lu Yue led Yueqing down the narrow alley where their horses were tied, away from the bustling market crowd. She quickly unhitched the reins, checking the saddles before handing the leather straps over to Yueqing.
Looking at Yueqing’s pale, tight face, Lu Yue asked hesitantly, "Madam... where do you want to go? Should we head back to the third prince mansion or..?"
Yueqing swung herself smoothly up onto her mount, pulling her fur hood high over her head to shield herself from the falling snow.
"To the army campsite," Yueqing said firmly, her eyes staring down the dark, snow-covered road. "Take us to Wenzhe’s camp."