Chapter Text
“Gan is a mighty swordsmith. You're lucky to have him as a husband. You must have everything you want,” Donghuang Taiyi sits at a dimly-lit dinner table with Mo Ye in front of him. He sips wine from his aeramber-clad chalice while his blue slit irises pierce through the woman.
Mo Ye, nervous but composed, replied, “He's everything I ever prayed for and by far the best that happened to me. Nothing can prove me otherwise.”
“Be honest with me. What do you love the most about Gan?” he asked
“I married him because he's a kind man. We've been inseparable since childhood and he always made sure I'm never alone. I'm mainly enthralled by his determination as a swordsmith, and although I hate to admit it….” Mo looks down, her eyes watering
“He sometimes gets too focused on his job and forgets I exist. There are times he never gets home so I'm forced to do things on my own, and it became almost impossible when I got sick.”
Donghuang pours himself more wine while listening to Mo.
“We started arguing more often. I kept on telling him not to work too much, and he only yelled at me. He never hit me, though, but since he started working on that sword he became more avoidant. It’s like he isn’t the same man I married.”
Mo Ye fiddled with her wedding ring and looked up at Donghuang, “I wasn't lying when I said I'd do anything for Gan. When you told me to throw myself into the furnace, we became inseparable like we always wanted. We may have died, but we still have each other.”
Donghuang slammed his chalice, making Mo jump in surprise.
“You didn't think twice. That's how devoted you are. Even going as far as sacrificing your life.”
Her expression turned serious, “Are you calling me an idiot just for following your orders?”
Donghuang chuckled, “Not at all, Mo. Your sacrifice was completely worth it. You made your husband really proud.”
“Whatever makes him happy, even if it means killing myself. His devotion turned us into something he always worked on. It's a bit unsettling, but this is our life now.” Mo said
Donghuang reached for Mo's left hand and gently caressed her ring finger. His long nails slightly prick her skin, but his touch is eerily soft to cause pain.
“You did so much for Gan. Can you name one thing he did for you?”
Mo gulps and straightens her back. She recalls the days she and Gan spent together when they were still mortals. Although Gan was a great provider, it'll never equate to Mo sacrificing her own life just for a sword.
“Well… he still makes swords for a living and is now the most successful swordsmith in Riverlands. Since the incident happened, our business grew bigger than we could imagine. Seeing his lifelong dream coming true is the best thing for me.”
Donghuang looked disappointed, but forced a smile, “Is that it? You only said he's a triumphant entrepreneur, but is he also a good husband?”
His slit pupils sharpened and his expression turned serious again, “Put your careers aside. How about your marriage? How is your swordsmith husband keeping it together?”
“I-I don't see why it matters. Why do you want to know?” Mo stuttered. She tries to answer properly, but she's starting to show cracks.
“Marriage was always about love and commitment, while career and status come second. You may have all the riches, but deep down, you should be able to say you have a healthy relationship,” Donghuang looked at her straight in the eyes. He could see her breaking down beneath that composed exterior.
Healthy relationship? But they've been happily married for almost a decade.
Do they think so?
Mo clenched her fists as she desperately fought back tears. Donghuang sighed and got off his seat to pull Mo into a gentle hug from behind. She broke down completely. Donghuang's suspicions were right - Gan and Mo weren't truly a happy couple.
Or that's actually part of his plan?
“He never changed. He even became more aggressive. Gan doesn't let me do things without his permission anymore, claiming he doesn't want to lose me again. I understand his point, but I don't think it's fair. If I ever try to object, he….”
“.....He beats me.” Mo admitted. It was difficult, but she voiced it out at last.
Donghuang gripped her shoulders, careful not to leave any mark. His touch may feel comforting, but there's a sinister edge to it.
“Ah, you're a brave woman,” he leaned down to breathe in her scent, “I'm sorry to hear you're going through that. Living with an abusive spouse sure is stressful.”
“I….I don't want to think of it that way.” Mo pushed Donghuang's hands away, “I love Gan, and I should do whatever he says. We already died once, and I can't let it happen again.”
Mo wiped her tears and stood up from her seat. Her honest words reveal her courage, but ironically, she doesn't want to believe that Gan is abusive.
“I must return home. He might freak out if I'm late again.”
Donghuang watched Mo Ye scurry out of the palace. He poured himself another cup of wine while contemplating the couple. His plan of exposing the Wonder worked perfectly, but that was only the beginning. Gan was an obedient pawn and he definitely held a grudge against him. However, Donghuang isn't quite content yet. Mo is his second target. He'll never stop until he fulfills his sickening ambitions.
Mo got home and found Gan harvesting molten metal from the incinerator. He gave her a kiss on her arrival.
“Hey, honey. I was just about to cook dinner. Have you borrowed money?”
“Yeah. Here’s 20k.” Mo gave Gan the money envelope and he opened it to count the bills.
The couple has more bills to pay brought by their growing swordsmithing business. Following Gan’s outburst to other swordsmiths, they had to pay for the damage, making their debt more expensive.
“Alright, this will do for this month’s expenses. Hopefully, we get more customers so we could pay it back within the week. Tell Aubrey I said thanks.” Gan said
Gan poured the glowing hot metal into a mold. His orders are piled up and it’s unlikely he’ll finish by dinner. Mo sighed for Gan hasn’t changed - he never did. He’s still overworking himself, even after both of them died from the same exact thing. She didn’t say a word, for she knows Gan will make a fuss. After all, he’s just trying to make a living.
Mo went to the kitchen and filled a small pot with rice and washed it, then filled it with water. As it’s heating up on the stove, she grabbed pork and vegetables from the fridge. She began cutting up the meat to make pork stew with rice for dinner. The loud sounds of Gan hammering steel can be heard in the kitchen and it made Mo more stressed - yet she couldn’t do anything.
Her husband only lets her outside to borrow money. Ever since the incident happened, she has had limited freedom as Gan doesn’t want to lose her again. Her life is pretty much a typical housewife’s. Regardless of how happy their marriage looks like on the outside, it somehow got dry.
Should Mo tell the truth about where the money actually came from? More like, who? She knows she shouldn’t talk to other people without Gan’s knowledge, but she did anyway. God bless this woman. Indeed, the money wasn’t from Aubrey, the couple’s trusted financier. It was from Donghuang.
Yes. Mo Ye met up with Donghuang Taiyi to borrow money, ignoring the fact that her husband has a burning rage for him.
The way he touched her earlier was…unusual. That’s not how an emperor should touch a mere peasant. Gan warned her about Donghuang. He’s the very reason why they’re living like this now. He was naive enough to trust his deceitful words, and if he knew his wife was secretly seeing him, he’d definitely lose it.
Mo called Gan for dinner and they both ate in silence with barely any eye contact. Gan is rushing to eat so he can go back to work.
“Gan, how many swords do you still have to forge?” Mo asked
“Around three,” Gan answered coldly
“Oh… that’s great. Does it mean you can go to bed by 11?” she asked
Gan scoffed and shook his head. He downed a whole glass of water and slammed it on the table, seemingly offended.
“I’m sorry…” Mo muttered. She’s used to her husband being like this.
“You know I still have paperwork to do. It won’t kill you if I don’t sleep with you for one night.” Gan left his plate half-finished and went back to work.
Mo was left at the table, confused but not surprised. Gan also lost his appetite, which adds up to their souring marriage. She tossed Gan’s leftovers outside for the stray dogs. When she’s done washing dishes, she walked to her bedroom, not bothering to check on Gan. She’s tired and can only hope for a better tomorrow.