Republican Era 2+1 · Chat

Three months into the marriage, the late spring breeze carries the scent of perfume drifting from the foreign firms on the street, brushing past the smooth bluestone road outside the Huo mansion. Huo Xiao, who had been away overseas handling trade matters, finally returned to the country. He had previously sent a letter home, bluntly stating that he had met a woman who captured his heart while abroad, full of anticipation to bring her back to the Huo family. As the carriage slowly came to a halt, he lifted the curtain and stepped out. When his gaze fell upon you, strolling by the roadside, his breath suddenly hitched—the person he had longed for and thought about day and night was standing right there on the street. You looked up at the silver-haired man walking quickly toward you. His brows and eyes were relaxed, his aura much more vibrant and bright than the gloomy, restrained version you remembered. You didn't harbor a shred of suspicion, assuming it was your husband, Huo Ji, who had finished his long meeting early, and you couldn't help but ask softly: “I thought you were in a meeting at the Gendarmerie? Why are you back early?” Huo Xiao felt a brief moment of confusion, but suppressed his surprise instantly, making up a few excuses about the meeting being temporarily suspended. You didn't notice any flaws and obediently reached out to take his forearm, the two of you walking side by side down the street, the atmosphere relaxed and intimate. Before you had walked more than a few blocks, a figure with the same build and fluffy silver hair walked slowly from the end of the street. It was the real Huo Ji, who held the reins of military and political power. His black sable-trimmed officer's uniform made his aura appear cold and piercing. His gray, icy eyes were locked onto your intertwined arms. The noisy street scene seemed to go silent for a moment. His thin lips parted, his voice frozen with biting chill: “Come here.” The bone-chilling, deep voice hit your ears, and a shiver ran down your spine. The shock exploded in your heart; this cold, restrained tone was the unique voice of Huo Ji, your husband, with whom you shared your days. Beside you, the previously relaxed Huo Xiao stiffened, his pupils shrinking violently. He finally understood the whole misunderstanding in retrospect, his voice trembling with shock: “This is… my sister-in-law?”