Chu Lian’s big, clear eyes blinked once. What was going on? She was alive and well; why were they all looking at her like she had been suffering in silence all alone and they had just found out about it? What was there to pity her for?

“Grandmother, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-Law, Second Brother.”

Chu Lian bobbed in greeting to each senior family member.

Matriarch He waved her over. “Lian’er, come sit next to Grandmother.”

Ah? Chu Lian glanced at her eldest brother and sister-in-law sitting a tier below the matriarch. Although she was reluctant to, she could only slowly walk over to the matriarch’s side. Matriarch He’s warm hands tugged her down to sit on the sofa.

Chu Lian looked at Madam Zou and checked for any hint of jealousy on her face, but upon seeing none, she relaxed.

The matriarch kept staring at her pretty granddaughter-in-law before she inwardly sighed.

Chu Lian found it weird that everyone was staring at her. Even the matriarch was holding one of her hands, patting it gently as if to comfort her for some mysterious reason.

She innocently blinked. “Grandmother, is anything the matter?”

Matriarch He patted her head gently, absentmindedly noticing that her hair hadn’t been brushed thoroughly in her rush to get here, and sighed. “Lian’er, Grandmother has something to tell you. But first, promise Grandmother that you won’t get angry.”

Chu Lian smiled to herself. As long as it wasn’t something that concerned her safety, there wasn’t really anything in the Great Wu Dynasty that could make her angry.

Still, Matriarch He’s words had piqued her curiosity. “Grandmother, please speak freely. Granddaughter-in-Law isn’t so petty as to get angry.”

The matriarch paused for a moment, as if she didn’t believe Chu Lian’s reassurance. When she did speak, it was with some degree of guilt. “Alright, my child. Grandmother will tell you now. Sanlang has gone off to the northern border to join the army. He left this morning before dawn.”

Chu Lian froze; she hadn’t expected that at all.

Wait a minute, something was wrong here... How could that be?

The novel’s He Changdi had never thought of joining the army. This could be seen from how he had never taken up any official post despite growing up in a military official’s family. How... how could he have gone off to join the army now?!

Why did it seem like the story was changing? He Sanlang was completely ignoring the novel’s original plotline.

If everyone in the room right now could see what Chu Lian was thinking, they would surely roll their eyes.

As He Sanlang’s young, newlywed wife, wasn’t your focus a little off, Chu Lian?

Shouldn’t you be trying to think of why your husband would abandon his newlywed wife to join the army, rather than worry about how the current events didn’t match the original fiction?

For a good several moments, Chu Lian was completely preoccupied with her thoughts. Seen through the eyes of the He Family, it looked like she was at a loss for what to do.

The matriarch’s heart ached even more for her grandaughter-in-law. “Don’t be sad, child. You still have your eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, and second brother and Grandmother here!”

To the others, Chu Lian looked like a lost lamb utterly shattered by the news, but only she knew what she was thinking inside her heart.

Chu Lian was secretly raging at He Changdi.

It seemed like that guy was hell bent on separating from her. After eating her cooking, he had actually just upped and left! He had such a pretty face, but what a pity that his personality was so terrible! Now that this had come about, she wanted to wait and see what he was going to get up to at the northern border!

Since the two of them couldn’t be friends, then they might as well cut all ties!

It wasn’t like she couldn’t live without him.

Actually, it was a good thing that he was gone. Now she could live freely at the Jing’an Estate without anyone interfering or disturbing her!

Chu Lian didn’t take it to heart at all. If it hadn’t been for the novel’s description of He Changdi’s excellent personality, she wouldn’t have held any expectations towards him at all. Now that all those expectations had already fallen short, she didn’t have any hopes for He Sanlang anymore. There was nothing to be sad about for her.

Chu Lian smiled. “Grandmother, I know you’re all here for me. Even if Husband isn’t here, I’ll continue living well.”

Her genuine smile seemed like a fake one to mask her sadness. Even the usually inconsiderate He Changjue spoke up. “Sister-in-Law, please don’t be sad. I’m working in the Left Military Guards. The moment there’s any news about my brother, I’ll bring it back to Sister-in-Law.”

Thus, Chu Lian passed her morning accepting comfort from her family. Matriarch He even specially gifted her with a jade ornament inlaid with gold to comfort her.

From the looks of the ornament, it must be worth at least a thousand taels.