BDSMST -Chapter 63 First Meeting — A Stranger of a Wife

Following the direction of the voice, Gu Yan looked over.

On a ridge between the fields not far away stood a woman.

She wore an indigo cotton dress, with a short jacket of the same color layered over it—plain, without any embroidery. Her long black hair was simply gathered at the back of her head with a wooden hairpin.

The last rays of the setting sun fell upon her, outlining her modest figure in a soft golden glow.

In her hand, she carried a bamboo basket, which seemed to hold freshly harvested vegetables.

She stood there quietly, looking at him, her face devoid of any unnecessary expression.

But Gu Yan’s heart gave a heavy thump.

This woman…

Was Jiang Suisui.

His wife—the one he had only met briefly on their wedding day, separated by a red bridal veil.

In his memory, she was always lowering her head, silent and withdrawn, so frail it seemed a gust of wind could knock her over. There was always a careful, almost humble eagerness to please about her.

But the woman before him bore no resemblance to that memory.

Her figure was still slender, yet she stood tall and straight, like a green bamboo facing wind and snow. Her complexion was no longer sickly pale, but a healthy honey tone kissed by sunlight.

What felt most unfamiliar to him were her eyes.

They were extraordinarily clear—and extraordinarily calm. When she looked at him, there was none of the timidity or ingratiation he remembered, nor any excitement or joy at reunion after long separation.

There was only a calm, almost assessing gaze.

As though she were not looking at a husband long absent from home—but at a stranger who had suddenly stepped into her territory.

They stood facing each other from several yards apart.

The winter fields were silent, save for the cold wind passing through bare treetops, producing a low, mournful sound.

It was Jiang Suisui who broke the silence first.

“Marquis, you’re back?”

Her voice, like her person, was light and calm, betraying no emotion.

Gu Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He realized he did not know how to respond.

The questions he had prepared along the entire journey vanished at the sight of her tranquil eyes. Not a single word could be spoken.

“Mm.” In the end, he only forced out a single syllable.

Jiang Suisui nodded, seemingly unsurprised by his return.

“Come inside first. It’s cold out.”

After speaking, she turned and walked toward the courtyard in the distance, basket in hand. Her back was composed and steady, without the slightest hesitation.

She did not look at him again.

Gu Yan stood where he was, watching her retreating figure, as an unfamiliar sense of frustration welled up within him.

Half his life had been spent on horseback and battlefield. There, he was a general whose word was law, a war god who struck fear into enemies. In the capital, he was the prestigious Marquis of Yongning, an existence admired and feared by many.

He was accustomed to controlling everything.

Yet before this woman, he felt all his presence and authority dissolve.

He was like an intruder.

And she—the true master of this place.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the agitation in his heart, he strode after her.

Lights were already lit in the courtyard.

Gu Xuan was gathered with Wei Ziqian and the others at the kitchen entrance, waiting for dinner to be served. When they saw Gu Yan walking in behind Jiang Suisui, everyone froze in shock.

The laughter instantly vanished from the boys’ faces. They looked at the tall man who had appeared out of nowhere, radiating an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance. One by one, they stood there awkwardly, at a loss.

“Father?”

Gu Xuan looked at the man before him—both familiar and unfamiliar—and called out hesitantly.

His voice was soft, tinged with uncertainty.

Gu Yan’s gaze fell on him. Father and son’s eyes met in midair.

Gu Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Should he put on a stern face and reprimand him for “lacking manners”? Or should he act like a kind father and ask, “Have you been well?”

He realized he had no words.

Jiang Suisui, however, seemed not to notice the awkward confrontation between father and son.

She handed the basket to Chunxing and instructed, “Add these cabbages to the lamb soup. And make two more small dishes to go with the wine.”

Only then did she turn to the boys still frozen in place.

“What are you all standing around for? The Marquis rode hard all the way here—he must be hungry. Where are your manners as hosts?”

Her words were like flipping a switch.

Wei Ziqian was the first to react. He nudged Qian Duoduo beside him, and the group of boys quickly lined up and gave Gu Yan a somewhat clumsy military salute.

“Greetings, Marquis!”

Their voices rang out loud and clear.

Gu Yan looked at these former young dandies—now standing straight like soldiers before him—and the absurdity he felt deepened even further.

“Go inside,” Jiang Suisui said calmly. “Gu Xuan, take your father to the warm chamber to rest for a bit. Serve some hot tea.”

With just a few sentences, she arranged everything in perfect order.

Gu Xuan responded and walked up to Gu Yan, tilting his small face up at him. His lips moved slightly before he finally muttered, “Father, come with me.”

Gu Yan looked at his son. The little face that resembled his own carried restraint and unfamiliarity.

Something pierced his heart.

Only now did he realize what a failure he had been as a father.

He followed Gu Xuan into the heated side room that had been temporarily set up as a dining hall.

Jiang Suisui did not follow. She turned and went into the brightly lit kitchen instead. Through a crack in the window, Gu Yan could see her rolling up her sleeves and working personally at the stove.

He sat in the warm room, drinking the hot tea his son had poured for him, listening to the chopping sounds and the clatter of spatulas from the kitchen, smelling the gradually spreading aroma of food in the air.

Everything felt intensely unreal.

This… was his home?

This… was his wife and his son?

Why did he feel like the outsider?

Just then, Jiang Suisui walked in carrying a tray. The heat from the kitchen had flushed her cheeks with a faint rosy glow.

She placed two small dishes and a pot of warmed wine on the table.

“Marquis, have some wine and dishes first to warm yourself. Dinner will be ready shortly.”

After speaking, she turned to leave.

“Stop.”

Gu Yan finally spoke to halt her. His voice was hoarse and carried an unmistakable pressure.

Jiang Suisui paused and turned back, looking at him calmly.

Gu Yan’s deep, unfathomable eyes locked onto her.

“Shouldn’t we have a talk?”