Of course, the guards were being this harsh. In this era, women were already looked down upon by everyone, unless they were very pretty and petite, the kind that men wanted to protect. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—for Ji Yu, the original owner of this body looked very different from what society considered desirable.
She was tall. Incredibly tall. Her height reached a full six feet, making her stand out even among many men. She wasn't frail or delicate like the typical image of a woman back then. Instead, her figure was plump and sturdy, strong rather than fragile. Her arms and legs were built for hard work, not for showing off beauty. Her broad shoulders, solid stance, and thick hands were proof of a life of physical labor rather than luxury.
Her appearance combined with the terrible, outdated clothes she wore made her look exactly like a country bumpkin. Every part of her—from her thick eyebrows and unkempt hair to the way her shoes clomped against the pavement—shouted that she was a woman from the countryside. Her tall stature made her inherently intimidating to most men, especially those unused to a woman towering over them with such confidence.
Despite society's cruel judgment toward women, Ji Yu was oddly content with the body she was in. She knew the original Ji Yu would have been seen as ugly by the city's elite, but Ji Yu didn't care. In her previous life, she was a top-level alpha—strong, powerful, and never caring about societal norms. To be placed into a petite, cute little girl's body would have been utterly embarrassing, like a joke played by the universe. No, this body had presence. This body commanded attention.
Her clothes were practical and completely unfashionable, a reflection of rural life in the 1970s. She wore a loose, faded floral blouse patterned in dull brown and orange, the fabric frayed at the cuffs. The blouse was tucked into a pair of high-waisted, wide-legged trousers made of coarse, sturdy denim. These pants weren't designed for fashion but for work, the fabric thick and unforgiving. Her shoes, made of worn leather, were scuffed and dusty from travel. They weren't designed to impress anyone—just built to last. A simple, old cloth bag hung from her shoulder, carrying all her few possessions. Every inch of her outfit screamed that she came from the countryside, far removed from the elegant, fashionable women of the capital city.
Ji Yu walked calmly toward the guards, her expression unreadable. Her steps were steady, showing no hesitation or fear, as if walking to meet an old acquaintance rather than confronting men trained to protect the most powerful family in the country. She stopped in front of the guard who had spoken before, tilting her head slightly down to meet his eyes, forcing him to look up. The guard shifted his posture awkwardly, feeling a strange, unconscious humiliation at having to look up at a woman.
The guard glanced her up and down, his expression full of disgust. But Ji Yu paid him no mind. She didn't flinch, didn't frown, and certainly didn't hesitate. Instead, she spoke plainly, without any emotional charge, her voice steady and clear.
"I am Li Mingxuan's wife from his home village," she said. "I've come to discuss our divorce."
The guard's jaw seemed to drop in slow motion. His eyes widened in pure shock as though he couldn't believe his ears. It seemed impossible. The words didn't fit into his mental map of reality. After a brief moment, he composed himself, and in a sudden move, grabbed the arm of his partner, pulling him closer. They exchanged hurried whispers, their voices tense with disbelief and suspicion.
Then, both of them erupted into loud, harsh laughter, their voices echoing through the otherwise quiet, wealthy street.
"Hahaha… Miss. Are you kidding us right now?" the first guard said between fits of laughter. "We've been guards for the Li Family for years! We know for a fact that Master Li is a bachelor! He has never been married!"
The second guard joined in, his sneer as sharp as a blade. "Are you mentally unwell? Are you trying to scam us? Do you think we are stupid? Hahaha… Go back to where you came from, miss. Otherwise, don't blame us for being rude."
Their laughter grew louder, more mocking, more cruel, clearly meant to humiliate her and send her away. Their voices seemed to bounce from wall to wall, their arrogance nearly suffocating.
But Ji Yu didn't react. Her face remained like a still pond, neither angry nor annoyed. Her eyes stayed calm and placid, betraying no emotion.
She waited patiently for their laughter to fade, knowing that in time, every loud voice quiets itself.
"My name is Ji Yu," she said again, her tone level and factual, as if stating the most ordinary fact in the world. "Before Li Mingxuan came to the capital, the Li family lived in a rural village. My family is also from there. Our families arranged a marriage ten years ago. Madam Li, his mother, is my father's cousin. You can confirm my identity with Madam Li or Li Mingxuan himself. If you doubt me, you can check. I will be staying in a nearby hotel for the next few days. I will come back again."
With that, Ji Yu turned around and left, her steps steady and unwavering. There was no desperation in her pace, no fear in her posture—only calm resolve.
Though the guards didn't want to believe her, her words struck an unexpected chord in their minds. They did know about the Li family's humble origins. Stories of how the Li family had once lived a simple life, rising from the countryside to become one of the most powerful families in the country, were spoken in whispers among lower-class people. Even within their circles, the old tale was part of the unsaid background noise of their lives.
Her calm tone, the serious expression etched onto her face, and the precise details she provided made their mocking smiles falter. A flicker of doubt entered their eyes.
"Could she be telling the truth?" the first guard whispered, his voice suddenly uncertain, almost fearful. His previous confidence seemed to crumble.
"We've only been here for four years," his partner replied softly, nodding. "There's a lot of old family history we simple guards wouldn't know about."
The harsh laughter they had shared minutes ago now seemed like a distant echo, replaced by a cold dread of "what if."
If Ji Yu was indeed the legal wife of Li Mingxuan, and if the story of their arranged marriage held any truth, then they had just insulted the legal wife of the future head of the Li family. Their jobs, their livelihoods, their reputation—everything—could collapse like a house of cards.
.
.
.
To be continued.