She rubbed her sore waist as she woke up, then trundled off to the bathroom and soaked herself in a nice, warm bath. It wasn't until she glanced in the mirror that she acknowledged the one redeeming trait of this body—it belonged to a stunningly beautiful woman. She had a pair of chestnut eyes, a straight and delicate nose, slightly flushed pink cheeks, and moist, cherry-like lips. Her flawless heart-shaped face was as fair as jade, and her figure was slender yet curvaceous in all the right places.
"Such a pity she's empty-headed," Tang Ningshan sighed, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
She grabbed a random piece of clothing, draped it over her shoulders, and headed downstairs, planning to grab some food before facing her so-called "husband".
As soon as she stepped onto the first floor, she spotted the man from her borrowed memories. He was dressed in a dark green military uniform, and even when he sat casually on the sofa, he exuded an air of solemnity and authority. His handsome features were sharp and striking; his jet-black eyes seemed to pierce straight into one's soul, his nose was high and straight, and his thin lips were slightly upturned. His neatly trimmed short hair accentuated his elegant and noble bearing in every gesture.
"Morning," Tang Ningshan greeted him calmly, her face betraying no hint of emotion.
She paid no mind to whether he responded or not, walking straight into the dining room.
Shao Ruihan, seated on the sofa, raised an eyebrow as he watched Tang Ningshan walk past him with such poise. Something about her felt different. Curious, he got up and followed her into the dining room.
"Butler Lin, serve the meal," Shao Ruihan ordered in his cool, crisp voice. Tang Ningshan was a little surprised—his voice was actually quite pleasant to listen to.
Shao Ruihan noticed her subtle reaction and frowned slightly, but quickly dismissed it from his mind.
Butler Lin wasted no time in setting a lavish spread of dishes on the table. The two of them ate their lunch in refined silence, but their thoughts couldn't have been more different.
Before their marriage, Shao Ruihan had investigated Tang Ningshan thoroughly—he'd dug up every detail about her family, going back generations. Yet, in just these short moments, he'd already realized that the woman sitting in front of him bore no resemblance to the person described in those files.
The girl he'd married yesterday was the one from the reports—he was certain of it. His intelligence network was infallible, especially when it came to digging up dirt on a sheltered, unremarkable rich girl with no real power or connections.
His gaze lingered on the woman across the table, a faint glint of intrigue flickering in his eyes. A slow, amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as if he'd just stumbled upon a most entertaining toy.
"Something funny?" Tang Ningshan asked, eyeing the man who looked like a scheming fox. She had no idea what he was grinning about.
Shao Ruihan simply shook his head, his smile fading as quickly as it had appeared.
After lunch, the two of them settled onto the sofa in the living room. Tang Ningshan knew the first real battle of wills was about to begin—her ability to hold her own against this "familiar stranger" of a husband hinged entirely on how she handled this conversation.
So she decided to strike first.
"I assume you've noticed I'm not the same as before?"
Shao Ruihan nodded, raising an eyebrow to signal her to continue.
Tang Ningshan took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.
"I'm sure you're well aware of my family situation. As the saying goes, when there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather—and my life is the perfect example of that. I played along with their demands just to survive, to keep a roof over my head. But now that they've shipped me off to you like a package… I'm sorry. If this marriage doesn't suit you, we can get a divorce. I'll move out immediately. But I'd appreciate it if you'd keep it a secret for a while—at least until I'm far away from their grasp."
"Oh? And what makes you think I'd let you leave?" Shao Ruihan scoffed, finding her audacity rather amusing.
"Because of that uniform you're wearing," Tang Ningshan said, her gaze locking onto his with unwavering seriousness.
"Hmph. Then you should also know that because of this uniform, divorce might not be an option for me in this lifetime," Shao Ruihan replied, a flicker of respect crossing his eyes, though his tone remained laced with sarcasm.
"Then I hope I'll be treated with the respect I deserve in the days to come," Tang Ningshan said, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Do you really think you have the right to negotiate terms with me?" Shao Ruihan sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Time will tell."
"With that, I'll head upstairs to rest," Tang Ningshan said, eager to escape the suffocating pressure of being in his presence. Even a simple conversation with him felt like walking a tightrope.
"We're going back to the main family residence tonight—to visit Grandpa," Shao Ruihan said, already picking up a newspaper and flipping through the pages, not sparing her so much as a glance.
He watched from the corner of his eye as she hobbled toward the stairs, her back ramrod straight despite her obvious discomfort. A faint, unreadable expression crossed his face.
Perhaps, he thought to himself, she might just be worth keeping around after all.