As soon as Lu Tong Xiao stepped outside, Bai Yu Yan immediately put down the chopstick in a hurry and rushed towards the washbasin where she threw up everything inside her stomach. Even when her stomach was empty, she kept on kneeling beside it while retching her gut out.

“Miss!” cried out Xiao Fan in shock. She bolted towards Bai Yu Yan in two steps and supported her body. Xiao Fan had panic written all over her face as she gently rubbed Bai Yu Yan’s back with her palm.“Miss, are you okay? Was there something in the food?” she asked in worry.

Bai Yu Yan was not in a condition to answer Xiao Fan. Her small shoulder shook as she lowered her head to the washbasin and heaved for a long time until nothing but air came out of her throat. Her both hands were tightly grabbing the edge of the metal vessel to prevent herself from slumping on the ground due to the lack of energy after all that vomiting.

“I will go and bring the doctor. Miss, wait here for a minute” said Xiao Fan while supporting Bai Yu Yan’s body from the back. Turning towards Fan Lu who was near the door, she added, “ Fan Lu, take care of Miss until I come back. And if you need anything, call the other servants but don’t leave her alone.”

Suddenly being called, Fan Lu was startled by Xiao Fan’s instruction. She had been standing at the side and silently looking at Bai Yu Yan with scrunched brows as the other emptied her stomach. Instead of rushing to help, she had her head turned sideways to hide the disgust in her eyes. She had never served anyone before and still wasn’t used to it. Especially not at this moment when the other was vomiting.

Biting on her lips, she tried to appear fretful by the sudden situation and said in a nervous voice, “Xiao Fan, how about I go and bring some more servants to help us? I am worried if Madame’s condition will worsen while you are gone. What if I cannot handle this alone?”

Xiao Fan furrowed her brows in displeasure. She was not in the mood to waste her time in calming Fan Lu. “Can’t you see what’s more important here? You don’t need more people to look after a single person for a few minutes” she scolded. She was irritated how the maid who had always appeared clever was suddenly acting like she didn't know what to do at a crucial moment.

Before Xiao Fan could panic any more, Bai Yu Yan turned around and weakly grabbed Xiao Fan’s hand to stop her from running outside. Shaking her head with difficulty, she said, “There is no need to call a doctor. I am okay now.”

“Miss, you are not okay. How can someone vomit without a reason?” retorted Xiao Fan with distress. Bai Yu Yan was alright just a moment ago so she didn’t understand what happened suddenly.

“I have lost my appetite because of this hot weather. It’s nothing serious. Fortunately, it’s raining today so the heat will die down and I will be fine by tomorrow.” There is no use calling a doctor anyway, she thought.

When Fan Lu heard that, she secretly sighed in relief but was immediately irritated by Xiao Fan’s insistence.

Xiao Fan was not assured by it and wanted to call a doctor anyway but she couldn’t find any fault in Bai Yu Yan’s answer. Losing appetite due to the sweltering heat was not uncommon in the hot summer. The appetite would naturally return after eating cold and sour food. Unable to retort, she sighed, “Then let me at least go and call His Excellency. We should let him know that you are unwell so that he would not worry when he hears from someone else.”

Hearing Lu Tong Xiao’s name, Bai Yu Yan grip on her hand tightened slightly. She took the wet towel handed by Xiao Fan and said after wiping her mouth, “There is no need to bother him with such a small matter. He is dealing with some work right now. You two can go and rest for the day. I’ll call you if there is anything I need.”

Although Xiao Fan was still worried, she helped Bai Yu Yan to the bed while Fan Lu sighed in relief and cleaned the table where the dinner was served. After everything was done, Xiao Fan took a last look at Bai Yu Yan peacefully sleeping under the cover. Opening the windows to let in some night wind, she left the candle burning before leaving the room.

After the door was closed, Bai Yu Yan slowly opened her eyes. No one could see her expression under the veil of the dark as she got up from the bed and just stared in the darkness. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she tried to calm her erratically beating heart.

The reason for nausea earlier was not food or even the summer heat. It was the sudden suffocation of the emotions inside her that didn’t get a way out due to it being frantically suppressed in her chest. Tucking a lock of her long hair behind her ear, she folded her legs and leaned her chin on her propped knees. Her arms wrapped around her knees as she looked outside through the open window with her unfocused eyes where she saw the rustling trees heavily swaying in the blowing wind.

Her mind wandered somewhere far, bringing the memories of the original story.

She remembered this part of the story where Lu Tong Xiao was sent to the south in Jin kingdom to fetch the princess who had been away from her home for the past eight years. The princess was the most favoured daughter of the emperor and the most revered princess of the kingdom where every subject looked up to her as the pride of the nation. As the first daughter who was born after many princes, she was a jewel in the emperor’s eyes who pampered her with only the best of everything.

The Jin kingdom was the most powerful in the continent due to its enormous size and the military capacity it possessed. After the Princess Xin An Rou was ten years old, she was sent to Jin, her maternal family home for the formal education that only the royals were entitled to receive.

She learned sword skill, archery, chess, calligraphy, painting and with her aptitude and genius mind, she mastered everything within eight years. Add to her peerless beauty and her kind heart, her desire to always give the best to her citizens is what made them love her like no royals ever. She was the pride of the Xin kingdom.

After Lu Tong Xiao escorted her to Xin kingdom, her home, everyone suddenly found the perfect match for him, the best man in the whole nation when they saw him together. Princess Xin An Rou was undeniably superior to Bai Yu Yan in every aspect much to everyone’s expectation. One was like a useless rock while the other was a priceless diamond.

Soon, rumours of them meeting in the palace frequently spread like a wildfire. The two were said to have had the common opinion in state matters and politics while they shared the same goal to serve the nation and its citizens. In the process, they both fell in love with each other.

Suddenly, Bai Yu Yan who was like an eyesore to the world as Lu Tong Xaio’s unworthy wife became like a villain in the love story of Lu Tong Xiao and the princess, the perfect couple.

After coming to this world, Bai Yu Yan thought she was living a happy life while accepting everything she was given. A privileged life, a good family-in-law who supported her, a chance to pursue her passion when she was supposed to stay at home as an obedient daughter-in-law, and most importantly, a good husband who not only cared for her but also looked out for her in every situation without letting her know about it.

But she had forgotten that none of these was supposed to be for her. It belonged to someone else entirely. Only now did she realize that all this time while she was running away from reality, pretending everything was in its right place, the path that she was walking with fondness was suddenly blocked by a dead-end she had never seen approach.

Outside in the tar-black sky, the thunder boomed against the rolling clouds as the downpour continued without a sign of stopping anytime soon. The thick air in the room was oppressive with the rich earthy smell brought by the rain.

Bai Yu Yan continued to stare outside the window as the flickering candle reflected in her eyes which didn’t have a hint of sleep. Her thin nightgown loosely hung on her body making her look even smaller because of her position where she was curled into a ball on the wide bed.

Closing her eyes, she grabbed her hair in exasperation. Too busy taking care of her new life, she forgot that the main story had not even started. And she was nothing more than an insignificant character that is meant to make a path for the love of the male lead and the heroine.

Habits are dangerous things and it seems she got one - Lu Tong Xiao. Not that he didn't give her a reason to. But she forgot that apart from being her husband she was growing attached to unforgivably, he was one more thing. Her very own doom.