2 The Despised Wife

Li Rui was walking towards him with her two maids.

Xi Ying was looking at his wife in a daze until she passed by him.

Passed by him.

Without any greeting.

Xi Ying thought that she must have gotten a lot of courage to ignore him. Even though they have not seen each other for the last four years, even though their relationship has never been good, this was not the way a wife should treat his husband.

With the intention of reprimanding his wife, he turned in the direction she went. He walked in front of her. Still seeing no reaction from the person he wanted to confront, only heightened his anger. In this anger, he tried to stop her by holding her arm when she was about to pass by him again. However, he couldn't hold her arm.

His hands couldn't grip anything but passed through her arm without any obstruction.

Xi Ying's mind went blank.

'What sort of sorcery does this woman know?' Xi Ying wondered

He composed himself and tried again but his hands passed through her arm without any resistance, again.

A thought came to Xi Ying's mind.

Even if his wife, Li Rui, has the courage to ignore him, her maids can never be this brave. So what was happening exactly?

It could only mean that ...

Dismissing the thought inside his mind, Xi Ying tried to pick something else with his hands but...

....couldn't do so.

He tried to pluck the flowers but his hands passed through the flowers. From all these things, Xi Ying could conclude only one thing.

This was not his body.

This was his soul.

And that was the reason Li Rui passed by his side without any change in her calm and composed expression. She couldn't see him.

He didn't notice that he felt somewhat comforted on finding that Li Rui did not ignore him deliberately.

Still, there was one question that remains unanswered.

Was he dead or alive?

But he didn't get the time to sort his thoughts. 

Before he could come out of this predicament, he heard something ridiculous.

Two maids were cutting the weeds in the garden. There was a large wall of bushes and small trees between them and the side on which Li Rui and Xi Ying were standing.

As their hands were not stopping their work, their mouth, also, didn't stop doing their work.

" Have you heard the rumor going around the city lately?" The first maid asked the other.

The second maid had a confused expression on her face.

" Which One? " She asked the first

The asked maid showed a mocking smile on her face and told her.

"All over the Imperial City, People are saying that Prime Minister Xi himself asked His Majesty to solve the ongoing problem between our Empire Xin, and neighboring Country. After solving this border problem, he is going to ask for an imperial edict of marriage with First Princess Wenling from His Majesty in reward. "

The second maid seemed to be filled with fresh energy suddenly. Her face showed great excitement.

"Really! Well if all this is true, then His Majesty will certainly grant this marriage. This border problem has been continuing for almost ten years. His Majesty will surely be impressed by Prime Minister Xi if he solved this problem. And knowing Lord Xi's intelligence, he is the only person who is able to solve this. Doesn't it mean that Xi manor will be going to have a concubine soon? "

At this, the first maid looked at the second maid like she was looking at an idiot.

"Have you lost your mind somewhere? What concubine? Don't you know how much His Majesty adores First Princess Wenling? How can he let her become a mere concubine?"

Making a shocked face, the second maid said

"Then Does it mean that Lady Li .....?"

The rest was unsaid but was understandable.

The second maid stopped herself from saying anything else and shut her mouth tightly. She looked around herself in fear ....checking if someone heard the words said by her loose mouth. 

"Why are you looking so shocked? Ha…I knew this would happen one day. Lord Xi has never stepped in Lady Li's courtyard in these four years. He also gave her the most isolated courtyard in this Manor. I am certain if there had not been that kind of situation four years ago, Lord Xi would have never married Lady Li. After all, everyone can see how much Lord Xi and First Princess Wenling likes each other. "

Xi Ying's face looked like he had something in his throat which he doesn't know how to swallow.

He and First Princess Wenling.

He didn't know why he looked at Li Rui to see any effect of the ongoing conversation on her face.

He was looking at his wife since the maid said that 'there is a rumor going around lately that he was going to ask His Majesty for an imperial edict of marriage'. He didn't know who was Idle to spread this false rumor.

He would never marry Princess Wenling even in the same circumstances which were the reason for the marriage between him and Li Rui.

Princess Wenling was an intelligent lady.

There was no doubt in that.

But Xi Ying has never liked the arrogance in the royalties which was their childhood quality. And First Princess was no different. She was good at almost everything and could even defeat many men in Xin. But he did not like self-conceit in any person.

However, all of this was not known to Li Rui.

Seeing no change in those calm eyes since she had entered ...even after listening to the ongoing chit-chat, bothered him.

Her being so calm was bothering him a lot. Even at the mention of four years ago's incident, she didn't react. She was still looking at the plants in the garden with whole concentration.

The heart that was beating very fast after seeing her suddenly calmed down. A whole new emotion surrounded his heart.

He was upset.

Very upset.

He was confused also. He knew how many times his wife had dirtied her hands just to keep the position of the first wife of Xi Manor. Whenever he came to know about her schemes, he was very furious.

Her love for the status of his first wife disgusted him. But she never stopped.

In the end, he arranged the most isolated courtyard for her.

Of course, she was not stupid enough to think that she could use the same schemes on Princess Wenling.

Then what was the reason behind this calmness? And why her calmness was bothering him so much?