Shadow Bride - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Man to Lead Outside, The Woman to Lead Inside

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Accept her fate?

If she had accepted her fate, she would not have chosen to marry him.

She married him to gamble on another possibility in her hopeless life.

But now, she lost. She lost badly. She realized that she had just jumped from one fire pit to another. Only that this fire pit was deeper, more brutal, and more torturous, he had destroyed everything in her.

She lay on the spacious and luxurious bed, her long and black hair in a mess. She was in so much pain that she wished she was dead.

She was in so much pain that she gradually regained some clarity—didn’t everyone want to do whatever they wanted to her?

She refused!

She wanted to live on and live better than anyone else!

Pale fingers gripped the bedding so tightly that it was as if she was a drowning person clutching the last driftwood.

Su Xingyu stopped crying. She also stopped struggling. She knew that this was useless. Lu Shifeng… that man had a heart of stone and was as cruel as a demon. She would use other methods to deal with him until she regained her freedom one day.

Before that, she would endure it.

The long night passed.

When she woke up, the smell of blood was floating in the air.

Su Xingyu moved a little. Only then did she realize she was injured when a tearing pain came from the deepest part of her body. The bedroom was tranquil. Other than her, only the messy bedding and clothes were everywhere.

That man seemed to go out early every day.

This was good too. She did not have to face his extremely handsome but cold face. After what had happened last night, she did not know if she would lose control once she saw him next time. Now that she had some buffer time, she could calm down by herself.

Su Xingyu slowly straightened her body and casually pulled something over to cover herself before getting off the bed.

She stumbled for a while before managing to steady herself. She walked to the full-length mirror in the bathroom with difficulty and saw that she was wearing the shirt he had left behind last night. The tailored shirt was so white that it was a little glaring. She subconsciously tightened her grip, and the shirt in the mirror wrinkled up, forming ripples in the dim morning light.

Under the ripples were bruises and teeth marks.

He did not show any mercy last night, leaving her with almost no intact skin on her body. She looked at herself in the mirror, and after a long while, she seemed to have made up her mind as she muttered to herself, “Su Xingyu, you have nothing to lose anymore.”

With that said, she turned around and returned to the bed. She took out her phone from the pile of messy clothes from last night.

She adjusted the camera angle and took a few selfies.

Unlike normal selfies, she mostly took selfies of her entire body, showing all the scars on her body to the camera without reservation. It was a ghastly sight. There were also a few close-up shots of her body, which were also scarred.

She did not know if using her phone to take photos was a violation of Lu Shifeng’s ban, but she had to take these photos. This was because one day, when she could settle his crimes, these photos would be evidence.

After filming, she put her phone away, washed up, showered, and changed her clothes.

Now, her wardrobe was filled with all sorts of brand new clothes from the current season. Other than that, there was also a batch of custom-made clothes, house shirts, and so on. Everything from the quality to the cutting was very exquisite.

Lu Shifeng was not stingy with her on these matters.

But she knew very well that it was only because she was his wife.

When she was done, she went downstairs and greeted Aunt Gui when she saw her busy in the kitchen. “Morning, Aunt Gui.”

The elderly maid turned around. Seeing that it was her, she quickly wiped her hands on her apron and said with a smile, “Young Madam, you’re up? There’s barley porridge, poached eggs, toast bread, and a few pickles and fruit juice for breakfast. Do you want to eat now?”

Su Xingyu nodded. “Sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s my duty to serve you and Young Master.” Aunt Gui smiled again and helped her into her seat. Then, she served the breakfast that she had prepared meticulously. “Young Madam, don’t always be so polite. You’re treating me like an outsider.”

Su Xingyu replied, “Yes, I’m still not used to it, but I’ll get used to it slowly.”

“That’s right.” Aunt Gui was very willing to chat with her now that there was a new mistress at home. “When I first married my old man, I wasn’t used to it either. He’s from the north and I’m from the south. I have to give in to his lifestyle and food preferences. However, things will get better after some time.” As she spoke, she looked at Su Xingyu’s expression. “Young Madam, you won’t mind me saying too much, right?”

“How could that be?” Su Xingyu smiled. “You’re right. Once a woman is married, she must get used to her husband’s home.” She took small sips of fruit juice. “This is blueberry juice? It tastes different from what I usually drink.”

Aunt Gui said, “These are wild blueberries flown over from the production site in the early morning. Young Master has a special supply of fruits, but it’s a pity that he always spoils things. He only ate a few from that big basket of blueberries and didn’t touch the rest.” Then she paused. “Young Madam, if you like them, I’ll make you juice every day.”

Su Xingyu said, “That’s not too appropriate, is it?”

Aunt Gui said, “What’s wrong with that? You’re the Young Madam. You’re in charge of this family.”

Su Xingyu smiled. “There’s still your Young Master.”

Aunt Gui also smiled and told Su Xingyu with a hint of intimacy, “You still don’t know, do you? Ever since the first day you entered the house, the Young Master has already instructed us to let you decide on all the household matters in the future. We will do whatever you say.”

Su Xingyu was stunned.

That man… gave her so much power?

Just a few days ago, they were still strangers. What right did he have to leave all his family matters to her? Without realizing it, she asked, “Did he say that?”

Aunt Gui said, “How would I dare lie to you about this?”

At the thought that she and her Young Master were still sleeping in separate rooms and were not as intimate as other couples, Aunt Gui felt that Su Xingyu’s suspicions were reasonable. Hence, she made a solemn vow. “It was Young Master’s order. Don’t look at how Young Master rarely smiles, or that he looks like he’s hard to get along with. In reality, he’s a good person, and he’s the most empathetic. He said that a Young Madam should behave like a Young Madam. Not only does she have to eat and wear like one, but she also has to be in charge of family matters. It’s only right for the male to lead outside while the female to lead inside.”

Now, Su Xingyu believed that Lu Shifeng was the one who had said those words. A Young Madam should behave like a Young Madam? She could practically imagine his arrogant and overbearing face when he spoke these words.

She rubbed her temples in pain. Male to lead outside while female to lead inside?

Crazy!