Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Miss and I were leaving the church after distributing relief grain when Chen Bozhou, accompanied by a modern-looking female companion, stepped onto the stone steps of the Sangcheng Old Pier.

On the flagstone road, goods from the Wang Family Shop had spilled everywhere, and workers were scrambling to clean up the mess.

Our carriage was blocked and forced to wait.

Nearby, the voices of a man and a woman drifted over.

“Is that old-fashioned wife of yours pretty? Does she have bound feet? Does she sway back and forth like this when she walks fast?”

The woman’s voice was crisp, filled with lively laughter as if she were mimicking someone’s movements.

“I don’t really remember. I saw her a few times when I visited as a child. She always kept her head down and never spoke, like a puppet without a soul.”

“You left home to pursue freedom and truth, yet she actually stayed in that empty room waiting for you all these years, completely unable to be the master of her own fate. Sigh, such traditional women are truly pitiable and pathetic!”

“She naturally can’t compare to a modern youth like you. I was young and headstrong back then, and the way I handled things was improper. I thought that if I ran away, this ridiculous engagement would naturally be voided. I didn’t expect it to turn into such a stalemate.”

“You really shouldn’t blame yourself. Your intention was to break the shackles and give both parties their freedom. She’s the one who insisted on being a ‘stone of a waiting wife,’ yet it’s you who ended up with the bad reputation. In any case, you must be firm this time!”

My heart skipped a beat. Uncertain, I turned to look at Miss.

However, she was frowning slightly, staring down at my hand as if she hadn’t heard a word of the conversation outside.

Only then did I notice a bleeding gash on the back of my hand. A shelf had tipped over while we were giving out grain earlier; fortunately, I had been quick enough to shield Miss. I must have been injured then without realizing it.

Afraid of worrying her, I haphazardly wiped the blood on my clothes and grinned at her. “It’s just a small scratch. It doesn’t hurt at all!”

Miss didn’t smile. In fact, she looked faintly angry. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke in a low voice, “Give me your hand.”

I rarely saw her so serious, so I obediently reached out.

She untied a plain handkerchief from her waist, took my hand, and lowered her head to carefully wrap it, layer by layer.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the carriage curtains.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly in the light.

…

The carriage arrived at the Chen Residence first.

When Miss and I finished changing and stepped out of the room, the butler came running toward us, his face beaming with irrepressible joy.

“Young Mistress! Great news! The Young Master is back! The day you’ve been waiting for has finally come!”

My suspicions had become reality. I turned to look at Miss nervously, but her expression was calm, without a single ripple of emotion.

My feelings regarding Chen Bozhou’s return were complicated.

I was certain of one thing.

If Chen Bozhou had looked at my Miss even once on their wedding night, he would never have had the heart to flee the marriage.

Miss was so beautiful.

I had never seen anyone more beautiful in my entire life.

Whenever I accompanied her out, I would always see the stunned eyes of passersby; when she bought things at a shop, even the owner’s tone would soften.

I hated Chen Bozhou for leaving Miss to guard an empty room for three years, yet I knew all too well that after the Master passed away, Miss had no blood relatives left.

Over the past few years, the Chen elders had treated Miss like their own daughter. Not only did they put her first in everything, but they also handed the management of the Chen Family household over to her.

In these troubled times…

The Chen Family was Miss’s only reliance.

Still, I couldn’t suppress the resentment in my heart and let out a cold snort.

“What a baseless thing to say. Why is it ‘great news’ just because your Young Master is back? My Miss has waited for three years! He should have to kneel and apologize to make up for the grievances she’s suffered!”

Wiping sweat from his brow, the butler nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, yes, the Master is making the Young Master kneel right now. He said if the Young Mistress doesn’t tell him to get up, he’s not allowed to move.”

Miss didn’t show much emotion.

Whether it was Chen Bozhou running away on their wedding night…

Or his sudden return today.

Miss was always like this.

It was as if no matter how big the matter was, it couldn’t cause much of a stir in her.

I accompanied Miss toward the main hall.

Just as we turned past the covered walkway, a clear, resolute male voice rang out from the hall ahead:

“Blind marriages are the poisonous remains of feudalism! They were discarded by the era long ago! I came back this time to end this mistake. If you don’t agree, I’ll announce our divorce in the newspapers!”