Bai Baozhu was so furious that she immediately rose from the sofa, pointing a finger at Bai Liuyue.
"Are you even still my cousin?"
"I am!"
"Then how could you steal your own sister's husband?" She knitted her brows, unable to maintain her earlier gentle and gracious demeanor.
"Cousin, he soon won't be," Bai Liuyue leaned forward, looking at her and enunciating each word clearly. "It's Grandfather's decision. As young ladies of the Bai family, we should obey."
"You... you... you're utterly impossible!"
Bai Baozhu felt she was like an antique relic from a bygone dynasty.
She also thought that this dull and introverted nature of hers probably wouldn't win Xie Chengxiao's affection either.
Since ideological work on Bai Liuyue was getting nowhere, she had to find a way to make Xie Chengxiao reluctant to let her go. Thinking of this, Bai Baozhu couldn't be bothered to continue talking to her.
She decided it was better to go and win over her sister-in-law, Xie Manyu.
Only after Bai Baozhu's figure disappeared from sight did a sly glint of amusement flash in Bai Liuyue's previously wooden eyes.
...
By evening, a small car stopped at the entrance of the Marshal's mansion.
Northwestern warlord Xie Zhenning and his Second Concubine, Lan Yingniang, were ushered in by Nanny Wu, from whom they learned that Bai Baozhu had already been brought back.
Xie Zhenning's tiger-like eyes widened, and he frowned without concealment.
"Fine, let her stay for now then."
"The Bai family should arrive in another two or three days."
A few days prior, his old friend Bai Wenshan had sent a telegram saying he had dispatched his eldest grandson, Bai Baocheng, to fetch her.
Lan Yingniang gently linked her arm with his, saying,
"Marshal, the important thing is to send her off peacefully and without affecting our relationship with the Bai family."
Xie Zhenning patted her hand.
"Take good care of her these next few days."
"Yes."
Everyone had gathered in the dining room.
Xie Zhenning sat upright at the head of the table, appearing to be in his fifties.
His face was stern, with high brow bones and deep-set eyes, faintly revealing the handsome looks of his youth.
He wore a dark blue military uniform, the fabric crisp and sharp, the eagle insignia on his epaulettes gleaming.
This was Bai Liuyue's second time seeing this Northwestern warlord marshal.
The first was when the steward brought her to the mansion and they had a brief encounter.
Xie Zhenning's gaze first fell on Xie Chengxiao to his left, asking about some official matters. Seeing him answer fluently one by one,
he nodded with satisfaction.
Only then did he look at Bai Liuyue not far away, his tone softening considerably.
"You are Wenshan's granddaughter?"
Bai Wenshan and Xie Zhenning were friends despite their age difference; Bai was now seventy-eight.
He had two sons.
The youngest daughter of the second branch, Bai Zhao, was Bai Liuyue.
"Yes, Marshal." Bai Liuyue timidly raised her head and nodded.
She still wore that light pink ruqun dress, her jet-black hair coiled up.
She stood out starkly amidst the room full of people in military uniforms.
Seeing this, Xie Zhenning's tone grew even gentler.
He seemed quite pleased with his old friend's granddaughter.
He said softly,
"No need to be afraid. From now on, we are family."
He then turned to Xie Chengxiao. "I'll give you a day off tomorrow. Take this young lady out for a stroll."
Bai Baozhu, who had been silent all along, thought, This is bad!
It seemed the Marshal was very satisfied with her cousin. No, she had to change her own fate.
She couldn't help but shoot a look at Xie Manyu across the table.
Xie Manyu understood immediately and chimed in,
"Dad, let brother take me and sister-in-law too. I heard the department store has lots of new clothing styles in stock."
A sharp glance from Xie Zhenning swept over, and Xie Manyu instantly cowered, not daring to say another word.
Lan Yingniang quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying with a smile,
"Marshal, you don't know how much this child Manyu loves buying clothes. Her room is piled high with them. It's time she was properly disciplined."
She shot a glance at Xie Manyu and scolded affectionately,
"You're getting bolder and bolder. When the Marshal and the Young Marshal are speaking, it's not your place to interrupt."
"Tomorrow, you are not to tag along without manners. Otherwise, even if the Marshal doesn't punish you, I will enforce household discipline."
Xie Manyu obediently lowered her head.
"Yes, Second Concubine."
Xie Zhenning had three wives.
The principal wife, Xie Chengxiao's birth mother, was from a family of equal social status to the Xies. She had passed away from illness a few years ago.
This Second Concubine had been a maid serving Xie Zhenning since childhood. After his marriage, she was taken as a concubine.
That was before the Republic era, when taking concubines with formal status was permitted.
As for the Third Concubine, she was a famous opera singer, also Xie Manyu's birth mother, who unfortunately died during childbirth.
The Second Concubine had lost a child in her youth and could no longer conceive, so she raised Xie Manyu as her own, and they were like mother and daughter.
Her earlier affectionate scolding had actually defused the situation.
Finally, Xie Zhenning looked at Bai Baozhu and said,
"You have a few days left. Stay quietly. When you return to the Bai family, give my regards to your grandfather."
"Marshal..."
Bai Baozhu's voice held a plea. She glanced at Xie Chengxiao, but seeing he wasn't looking at her at all, she had to say,
"I know I was wrong. Can you please not send me away?"
When Bai Baozhu first married into the family, Xie Zhenning had been very fond of his old friend's granddaughter.
He thought she and his son were a perfect match, both talented and attractive.
Even when they first argued, he would defend Bai Baozhu and scold his son Xie Chengxiao for being too cold.
But after Bai Baozhu's first attempt to run away, Xie Zhenning began to feel something was amiss.
When she eloped with Xu Yanci the second time, Xie Zhenning felt his old face had nowhere to hide!
Was this the daughter-in-law he had so carefully chosen for his son?!
He must have been blind!
Forget the mockery from other warlords; he himself felt he had wronged his son.
Fortunately, his old friend Bai Wenshan was sensible. He proactively suggested that the Xie family divorce Bai Baozhu and send Bai Liuyue over instead.
This Second Young Miss Bai Liuyue appeared quiet and well-behaved, a young lady raised deep within the inner chambers.
Unlike the rebellious Bai Baozhu, Xie Zhenning was very satisfied.
Seeing Bai Baozhu's soft plea, he paid it no mind.
He and his old friend Bai Wenshan had already made the decision; there was no room for her objections.
He turned his head to look at Xie Chengxiao.
"Did you give her the letter of divorce?"
Xie Chengxiao nodded. "Yes." Then he paused and added, "However, there was a fire at the villa in the suburbs last night. Everything burned, including the letter."
Xie Zhenning shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We'll just announce the divorce in the newspaper in a few days."
Although many things had become modernized in the new Republic with influences from the West, most marriages still followed the traditional Chinese ways: arranged by parents and matchmakers, with the three letters and six etiquettes.
Marriages also didn't require government registration.
In principle, once the letter of divorce was given, the marriage was dissolved.
But given Xie Chengxiao's status, any change in marital status needed to be announced publicly.
Bai Baozhu could no longer remain seated.
She knew that once the divorce was announced in the newspaper, she would completely lose any right to stay by Xie Chengxiao's side.
"Thud—"
She actually knelt before the Marshal in front of everyone and kowtowed heavily.
