Chapter 216: Past Rift

Chapter 216: Past Rift

Su Youyue still remembered that in her previous life, she and Xie Yuan had been in a cold war for an entire month before her death.

That was the first time they had gone so long without seeing each other since he had coerced her into his bed.

The last time they had been apart for so long was when Xie Yuan had been dispatched on official business and had been away for over half a month.

The reason for the cold war wasn't complicated. It started because after accompanying Xie Yuan for two years, she believed she was the only woman in his life and held some weight in his heart, even thinking that Xie Yuan truly liked her.

But then, she saw a painting of another woman in his study.

From the painting, it was evident that he had caressed it countless times with great care.

It was then that she realized how foolish she had been to think she held any significance in Xie Yuan's heart.

So that night, when he returned, she looked at him coldly, a stark contrast to her increasingly gentle demeanor toward him in the past. She spoke to him with icy sarcasm.

The man remained silent for a long while.

The longer he stayed silent, the more aggrieved and heartbroken she felt.

It turned out that she had been deluding herself; she was merely a substitute for another woman in his heart, someone he called upon for pleasure when he was happy.

What was she, Su Youyue, but a mere substitute, a plaything for Xie Yuan to summon for a night's rest?

Reality proved that this was indeed the case.

Xie Yuan didn't explain who the woman was, but he did say coldly that she had no right to ask.

With those words, the taut string in Su Youyue's heart snapped.

It was like a person standing high above the ground, relying solely on a string for survival, suddenly having that string break and falling into an abyss.

Even an abyss couldn't adequately describe the depth of her fall.

She didn't know what awaited her, only that she and Xie Yuan were completely finished, and she didn't even have the right to inquire about the identity of that other woman in his heart.

That night, she seemed to lose her soul, not knowing how she left Xie Yuan or how she returned to the Lu family.

Fortunately, after that day, Xie Yuan didn't call her to Xie Mansion for an entire month.

While she felt relieved, her heart was also filled with mixed emotions.

Later, her husband, Lu Song, who had been away from home for ten years, returned, bringing along Yun Niang.

In truth, after ten years apart, she barely remembered what Lu Song looked like. But during those ten years, she had devoted her time, energy, and wealth to his family, even going as far as climbing into Xie Yuan's bed at the urging of Old Lady Lu to save Lu Cheng, sacrificing her body for the Lu family.

So in the end, she couldn't understand why the Lu family would treat her like a white-eyed wolf, drowning her together as a family.

Su Youyue's thoughts came to a halt.

After her death in her previous life, she didn't know if Xie Yuan had married the woman he loved.

He probably did.

Her death meant that his chambers were now free of her presence, and aside from his confidants, no one knew of their past together.

Perhaps her death was no different to him than the death of a stray cat or dog by the roadside.

But now, having lived this life again and knowing about her past with Xie Yuan, she wondered if perhaps she wasn't a substitute for that woman, but rather that Xie Yuan had once had some feelings for her and had sought her out for amusement before finding the woman he truly wanted.

Thinking about this, Su Youyue still felt wronged for her past self.

"Big Sister, what's wrong?" Even Su Rong noticed her change in mood and assumed it was due to her questions, hastily trying to make amends. "If Big Sister doesn't like Lord Xie, then don't marry him. I won't call you that anymore!"

Su Youyue didn't want to show her sadness in front of her sister, so she shook her head and forced a smile. "It's not about that, silly girl."

"Then it's... Never mind, I won't ask." Su Rong stopped halfway through her question, afraid of upsetting Su Youyue further.

After pulling at her lips, Su Youyue stopped dwelling on the painful memories of her past life.

Now that she could be certain that Xie Yuan genuinely cared for her and that they had already spent many nights together in their previous life, why not marry him in this life?

The injustices of her past were behind her; there was no need to burden Xie Yuan, who hadn't done those things in this life.

Fate brought them together, and she was destined to be entangled with him.

"There's nothing to be sad about. I was just thinking about how we sisters will eventually marry and go to different families, and it feels strange."

Su Rong thought about it and said, "Big Sister, don't worry. I've carefully considered this. No matter what, we're such good sisters that even after marriage, we can never be separated! We'll always be family."

Looking back, she was glad she had realized this earlier. If Big Sister had already married into another family, she wouldn't have been able to share these heartfelt words with her.

In the past, she never imagined she could be so intimately close with Big Sister.

Hearing her words, Su Youyue recalled Su Rong's miserable life in her previous life and looked at her current silly appearance, feeling a soft spot in her heart. She secretly resolved that, regardless of the circumstances, she would ensure that Su Rong's marriage was handled properly.

"You're right." She took the little girl's small hand and gently squeezed it.

The young girl's hand was tiny and soft, with delicate palm lines and slender fingers, making anyone who held it feel tenderly towards her, hesitant to apply too much pressure.

After squeezing her hand for a moment, Su Youyue instructed her, "Don't mention anything about Lord Xie to others today, but there is one thing you can say."

Su Rong obediently nodded.

"And that is, our Great Shen will definitely win this martial arts competition!" Su Youyue declared confidently.

"Big Sister, can we really win?" Su Rong was still young and didn't fully understand the implications of today's wager. However, she did know that Great Shen hadn't won against Dongrong Country in the martial arts competition for over a decade, so she wasn't very confident in their victory.

"Of course, with Lord Xie here, we have nothing to fear." Su Youyue patted her hand. "Our Great Shen is bound to triumph, and someday, our might will surpass Dongrong Country's, just like in the Martial Arts Competition!"

Seeing her sister's determined gaze, Su Rong seemed to envision that scene, her eyes brightening as she nodded vigorously.

"The Martial Arts Competition is this afternoon. Why don't you go back now, dress up, and wait for our Great Shen's victory?" Su Youyue released Su Rong's hand, urging her on.

Delighted by this encouragement, Su Rong immediately skipped off, turning halfway to call back, "Big Sister should dress up too!"

Watching the girl's smile, Su Youyue couldn't help but be infected by it, laughing as she replied, "Alright."