HGSBFT 02

Chapter 2 — Changing Fate

The moment she arrived at Chaohua Pavilion, through the endless curtain of wind and snow, Xue Ning spotted the man sitting among the crowd at a single glance.

The weather was bitterly cold, yet the snow falling against her skin felt scalding hot.

“It’s almost New Year’s,” someone said with a smile. “Now that the Heir Apparent has returned from official duty, you won’t be leaving the capital again, will you?”

The man’s voice was cool and low.

“Mhm. I’ll rest for a few days, then return to work at the Ministry of Justice.”

From far away, the sound of his voice drifted through the snow.

Xue Ning froze where she stood, her chest tightening painfully.

In truth, they had only been apart for a few days.

But if one really counted…

She and Su Zhan had not truly seen each other for four or five years.

Back when he was young, Su Zhan had been devastatingly handsome, with sharp brows slanting cleanly into his temples.

Simply sitting there, he looked like a painting crafted by the hands of heaven itself.

Today, the Marquis Xuan Yi’s estate was bustling with guests. Visitors filled both the front halls and inner courtyards without end.

The noblewomen and young ladies of the inner residence had all gathered in Chaohua Pavilion to watch the opera performance.

But naturally, no one on the stage could compare to the man seated below it.

Nearly every unmarried girl present stole glances toward Su Zhan.

He had only just come of age, yet had already earned top honors in all three imperial examinations. In all of Bianjing, there was no more sought-after husband candidate than him.

Today was Madam Jiang’s birthday banquet. She had invited the daughters of every prominent family in the capital—

all to find a suitable wife for him.

And the woman Su Zhan truly cherished, Princess Xie Ningtang of Xiuning Commandery, was here as well, seated right beside Madam Jiang.

In her previous life, when Xue Ning learned that Madam Jiang intended to arrange a marriage for Su Zhan, she had pretended to be ill and deliberately stayed away from the gathering.

Instead, she had secretly ordered Baochan to slip an aphrodisiac into Su Zhan’s wine.

When the drug took effect and he was helped into the nearby Chaohui Pavilion to rest…

she had quietly slipped into his room.

That was the day she and Su Zhan first crossed that line.

Even though he had been rough enough to leave her aching with pain, she had clenched her teeth and never cried out.

She had simply waited obediently for Madam Jiang to notice that both she and the heir were missing—

and discover them tangled together in the same bed.

Madam Jiang had watched her grow up, had loved her like a daughter since childhood.

That day was the first time Xue Ning had ever seen disappointment in her eyes.

And from that day on, her reputation was ruined.

Though she had inherited the finest features of both her parents, beautiful enough to topple cities, no respectable scholarly family in Bianjing was willing to marry a girl who had so willingly debased herself.

Soon afterward, her marriage to Su Zhan was finalized.

He was the heir of the marquis household, carrying the honor and future of the entire Su clan on his shoulders.

As for her…

her parents and brothers had all died on the battlefield long ago. She was nothing more than an orphan girl with no family left to support him.

Madam Jiang was deeply disappointed in her. The entire Su family looked down on her.

Even Su Zhan—who had once grown up with her like a childhood sweetheart, like family—began to change.

Being siblings would have been the best ending for them.

But she had insisted on wanting more.

And in the end, all her desperate grasping earned her was his cold disgust.

After marrying into the Su family, her days only grew harder year by year. Once Madam Jiang passed away, there was no one left who treated her kindly.

To outsiders, she and Su Zhan seemed perfectly matched—respectful, harmonious, a model couple.

But only she knew how bitter that marriage truly was.

“Ningning? Why are you here?”

Madam Jiang was the first to notice her, smiling warmly as she beckoned her over.

Xue Ning snapped out of her memories, swallowing down the ache spreading through her chest. She hurried through the corridor, eyes reddening as she reached Madam Jiang’s side.

“Madam…”

Madam Jiang and her mother had grown up together, closer than sisters.

After Xue Ning’s parents died defending the borderlands, members of the Xue clan fought over custody of her, all coveting the military merit left behind by her family.

It was Madam Jiang who ignored all opposition, brought her out of the Xue family’s branch household, and raised her in the marquis estate.

Later, it had also been Madam Jiang who pressured Su Zhan into marrying her.

But not long afterward, Madam Jiang fell gravely ill and passed away.

Su Zhan blamed her for Madam Jiang’s death.

But Xue Ning had been raised at Madam Jiang’s knee—

how could she ever have harmed her?

Looking at the woman who had once loved her most, Xue Ning’s eyes burned with bitterness. She wanted nothing more than to break down and cry.

But now was not the time for reminiscing.

Madam Jiang took her hand gently. Seeing her reddened eyes, she asked with concern, “Weren’t you feeling unwell? Are you better now, Ningning?”

“Yes, Madam. I rested for a while and feel much better now. I heard Elder Brother had return—”

Xue Ning’s gaze darted toward Su Zhan.

Just in time to see him lift the wine cup in his hand.

Her pupils contracted sharply.

That cup!

Xue Ning stiffened instantly. Without another word to Madam Jiang, she rushed several steps forward and snatched the wine cup straight from Su Zhan’s hand in full view of everyone present.

Madam Jiang was stunned.

So was everyone else beneath the stage.

Countless strange looks immediately turned toward Xue Ning.

She had been raised in the marquis household as a proper noble lady—

how could she behave so improperly in public?

Su Zhan, who had been seated calmly in his chair, lifted his eyes toward her at once.

Snowflakes drifted endlessly between them as she met those dark, sharp phoenix eyes.

Xue Ning’s face went pale, but her fingers tightened stubbornly around the cup.

Su Zhan stared at her.

The young girl before him wore a bright yellow winter skirt, her apricot eyes and peach-blossom features breathtakingly lovely. But those watery eyes that usually looked so soft now seemed to burn with something fierce and unreadable.

Something in his chest stirred faintly.

Not understanding why, he reached out with his long, elegant fingers, his cool gaze carrying the slightest trace of reproach at her childish behavior.

“A’Ning,” he said calmly, “what are you doing?”

He moved to take the wine cup back.

But how could Xue Ning possibly let him?

Ten years of marriage, yet they had lived like strangers.

And that final fire before her death—

it had burned through her heart and soul, leaving behind unbearable pain.

But it had also burned her awake.

Regret crashed over her like a tidal wave, drowning her whole.

In those flames, she had sworn an oath:

If she were given another chance…

if fate allowed her to start over…

she would stay far away from Su Zhan. She would never again scheme to get close to him, never again love him, never again become his wife.

Forcing back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she drew a quiet breath and suddenly smiled brightly—a smile that looked entirely for his sake.

“It’s been so long since Elder Brother returned,” she said lightly. “You shouldn’t drink.”

As she spoke, she tipped the wine silently into the snow.

Then she snatched the wine flask from beside him and hugged it possessively to her chest, sounding almost spoiled as she added, “Madam always says Elder Brother should drink less anyway. I’m only thinking about your health.”

The moment she finished speaking, Madam Jiang laughed fondly.

“It’s freezing outside. Letting your brother have a few cups of warm wine to keep out the cold won’t hurt.”

“That’s not what Madam said before,” Xue Ning replied with a pout. “Besides, this wine’s been sitting here long enough to turn cold. If Elder Brother drinks cold wine, his hands will shake when he writes later.”

The corners of Su Zhan’s lips lifted faintly—not quite a smile, but enough to soften the cold elegance in his features.

He was breathtakingly handsome.

Xue Ning was still young now, radiant and lovely, and her playful complaints made many of the noblewomen in the pavilion laugh aloud.

After all, it was only a younger sister worrying about her older brother.

Perhaps a little foolishly.

Perhaps embarrassing him in public.

But to the older ladies present, it was nothing serious. They merely teased her a few times before letting the matter pass.

The young noblewomen, meanwhile, craned their necks eagerly, hoping to enjoy a bit of gossip at Xue Ning’s expense.

Though most of them also wanted to befriend her.

After all, she had been raised in the Su family and treated like a daughter by Madam Jiang. In name, Su Zhan was her elder brother.

If they became close to Xue Ning, they would naturally have more opportunities to visit the Su residence in the future—

and more chances to see Young Lord Su.