Jun sat in the main room on the chair, her gaze unfocused, her expression vacant.
The smoky voice, Jun's matchmaker, guessed that this young lady was probably still in a state of shock. After all, being chased through the streets by someone so disheveled, bleeding from multiple wounds, and drooling, was an unforgettable and terrifying experience for anyone.
"Thank you. If it weren't for your timely help, I don't know what would have happened," Jun expressed her gratitude.
The smokey voice waved her hand, indicating that it was a small effort. She looked around and asked Jun, "Where's your husband?"
Jun shook her head with a gloomy expression.
Yan emerged like a sprouting sapling breaking through the soil. He had appeared from seemingly nowhere, leaving Jun and the smokey voice in stunned Amazement. Yan probably hadn't anticipated two ladies to witness his return, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"I'd say instead of 'Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives,' we should change it to 'Speak of Yan, and Yan appears.' You must be the fastest runner in history," the smokey voice attempted to make a joke to ease the awkward atmosphere.
"Emerging like this implies you took some unconventional route. Didn't you see the commotion at the main gate?" The smokey voice quickly added another sentence.
"The commotion at the main gate?" Yan scratched his head, puzzled.
"Yeah, while you were living it up, your wife had a tough time. A horrible guy blocked the main gate," the smokey voice explained.
Yan turned and headed straight for the courtyard, swiftly swinging open the large gate.
A cacophony of noise hit them as they saw once again the drenched figure, dripping with saliva, and a raucous crowd that seemed ready to burst into action.
Yan stepped out of the gate with a decisive thud, closing the door behind him, Jun and the smokey voice were completely cut off from the lively scene outside.
Jun tried to grab the door handle to open it, but the smokey voice held her back. "You really have a knack for trouble. What if that person barges in? I know you worry about your husband, give me one moment."
She took a few steps back, gave herself a running start, and leaped onto the top of the wall. "Well, I'll give you a live broadcast then."
Jun ran to the edge of the wall to listen to the smokey voice's commentary.
"Yan lifted that person up. Wow, girl, your husband is so strong! He can lift someone off the ground just by grabbing their neck."
Jun felt a warm and sweet sensation inside herself.
"He has put the person down, it looks like he's sparing him... Yan, be careful!" The smokey voice shouted in excitement.
"What's going on?" Jun's heart was racing.
Sitting on the wall, the smokey voice stretched her neck, completely ignoring Jun's question.
"Why don't you say something?" Jun was on the verge of reaching out to pull the smokey voice up onto the wall.
The smokey voice took a deep breath. "It's all good now. Your husband is truly remarkable. That person was trying to attack him from behind, arms flailing, but your husband has eyes in the back of his head. With just a turn, he intimidated the guy with his gaze, and the man ended up bowing and apologizing. Hold on... "
The smokey voice continued to tease, and this time, Jun couldn't wait for her commentary any longer. She decided to go to the door and opened it slightly.
"Yan? Are you Yan?"
Jun saw the guy who had pursued her on the street an hour ago wiped away black blood at the corner of his eye, tried hard to identify his formidable opponent.
Yan was suddenly called by name, but he looked bewildered, his menacing demeanour unable to recognize the man's face.
"We both served in the Divine Machination Corps, and we were classmates in the palace," the man tried to establish a connection with Yan.
Yan's expression showed a glimmer of recognition, as if he was starting to remember the man.
"I'm Deqi. My father is Guixiang, and Empress Dowager Cixi is my aunt," the man introduced himself.
Using his name seemed to work, and Yan recognized him. However, there was no warmth or familiarity in his expression; his face remained as cold as ice.
"What is the Divine Machination Corps?" The smokey voice poked Jun, who was also peering through the crack in the door.
Jun felt like she should know what the Divine Machination Corps was, and the answer was right on the tip of her tongue. However, for some reason, she couldn't say a word.
She struggled to pull the answer from her mind, but the harder she tried, the more elusive it became. It felt like a worm had crawled into her nostril and was wriggling its way into her head, causing chaos in her brain.
A dull ache turned into an explosive pain, and Jun had a hard time keeping herself together. She quietly gripped the door crack to prevent herself from collapsing and causing more trouble for others.
Fortunately, the smokey voice didn't press further. The commotion outside the door continued to stir her excitement.
"Hey, hey, You guys know each other, why resort to violence? " The smokey voice suddenly shouted.
Jun quickly shifted her focus from her headache to what was happening outside. She saw the person claiming to be Deqi holding Yan tightly, rendering him helpless as he struggled.
A surge of anger coursed through Jun's entire body. It was the kind of fury that arises when witnessing loved ones being mistreated.
Jun stepped over the threshold and shouted, "What are you doing? Let him go!"
The noisy scene suddenly fell into a hushed silence, with the onlookers all eagerly awaiting the next development. Yan turned to see Jun and quietly warned her, "What are you doing out here? Go back inside."
"Oh," Deqi drawled with sarcasm, "it seems lovebirds can't be separated, a perfect match... but it's a pity."
"What's a pity?" Yan used this distraction to break free from Deqi's grip and once again became a fierce contender.
Deqi hadn't expected Yan to regain control so quickly, and he was a bit nervous. However, he remained confident in his position. He confidently placed his hands on his hips and pointed at Jun with his index finger, saying, "It's a pity that she's my wife."
"You're talking nonsense!" Jun was flushed with anger.
"I have a betrothal gift as proof," Deqi said, approaching Jun and reaching out to touch her sleeve.
Yan immediately stood in front of Jun like a shield and crossed his arms, resembling a protective mother hen.
"I do remember this matter now. If you've forgotten, I can remind you. If you falsely claim a wife, I won't allow it," Yan warned Deqi once Jun was safe.
"Who's falsely claiming a wife? She is my wife!"
"Your father is Guixiang, and your marriage can only be arranged by your aunt. She chose the daughter of Minister Qingshan from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for you. This is a well-known fact," Yan pointed out.
"Who would want that chubby dumpling as a wife? So pale and fat! When you get into bed at night, you think you're with your bride, but you might as well think it's a rice dumpling jumping out of a bowl!"
The onlookers erupted in laughter.
Yan frowned. "Your mouth is so sharp. Luckily, the young lady didn't marry you. Do you know what happened later?"
Deqi's arrogant demeanour suddenly dimmed.
"What happened later?" The smokey voice voiced the curiosity of the crowd.
Yan glanced at Deqi and showed a hint of sympathy. "The day before the wedding, he and a group of friends went boating. They drank too much and happened to encounter a flash flood, and he drowned in the river."
Jun suddenly understood why this person was always soaked.
"Poor Qingshan's daughter. She became a widow before even entering the marriage, and under the feudal customs, there's no chance for a widow to remarry. Fortunately, the 'Temporary Provisions of the Republic of China' includes provisions protecting human rights…"
"Yo yo yo, let's put aside your Republic of China rhetoric for now," Deqi interrupted Yan, "Are you saying that after my death, that chubby dumpling got remarried?"
"Well, she didn't. She... But let's not get off-topic. Deqi, I understand if you didn't like the wife your aunt chose for you, but you can't just claim anyone you find attractive as your wife."
"Who said I'd claim anyone attractive as my wife? I'm not someone who picks dishes at random..." Deqi's face showed a sly smile. "When my aunt appointed Qingshan's daughter for me, that's a well-known fact in public. But do you know what happened behind the scenes? I had conditions when I married that chubby dumpling."
Deqi waited for someone to join in the questioning and answering, but no one stepped forward to join the conversation, so he had to reveal the secret himself. "Before marrying the chubby dumpling, I had to take a concubine first, someone who met my standards, and this person..."
Jun's heart inexplicably started racing.
As expected, Deqi was indeed referring to Jun.
Jun stepped out from behind Yan and said, "I don't even know you."
"You talk as if you're not from the Qing Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, did married couples know each other before marriage? Weren't they unveiled during the wedding to see each other's nose and eyes?"
Jun couldn't argue with Deqi on this point; after all, she had only seen Yan's face when he was unveiled during their wedding.
"Besides, even if you don't know me, I know you. You're a member of my aunt's harem group..."
"Deqi, can you stop babbling nonsense? Are you talking about the harem group, which consists of Empress Dowager Cixi's palace maids and concubines?" Jun realized that Yan's voice was trembling when he said this, and she couldn't understand why he seemed even more nervous than her.
"That's right," Deqi turned and pointed at Jun again, "she's the one who talks the most, and Empress Dowager Cixi likes her the best. It's a pity her father had bad luck. He was given birth at the wrong time, and as a result, she lost her status as a princess and could only serve as someone else's companion, relying on the luck of Yu Gege to enter the palace..."
The crowd suddenly took a sharp breath, followed by a chorus of gasps.
Jun watched in disbelief as Yan grabbed Deqi's throat with a grip so tight it looked like it might strangle him.
"I told you not to spout nonsense! Whether Jun has been married or not, I know it better than anyone!"