Of course, the guards were being this harsh. In this time, women were already looked down upon by everyone, unless they were very pretty and petite, the kind men wanted to protect. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—for Ji Yu, the original owner of this body had a very different look. She was tall, incredibly so, standing at a full six feet, which was even taller than many men. She had a plump, sturdy figure, not frail or delicate in the slightest. Her height and build, combined with her terrible, outdated clothes, made her look like a country bumpkin through and through. Her tall stature was inherently intimidating to men who were not used to a woman looking down on them.
Even though women were judged harshly for their looks, Ji Yu was perfectly satisfied with the body she was in. After all, as a top-level alpha in her previous life, being put into a petite, cute little girl's body would have been utterly embarrassing. This body had presence. This body commanded attention.
She was dressed in the practical, unfashionable clothes of a rural woman from the 1970s. She wore a loose, faded floral blouse in a dull brown and orange pattern, the fabric slightly frayed at the cuffs. It was tucked into a pair of high-waisted, wide-legged trousers made of a coarse, sturdy denim that was more for work than for style. On her feet were a pair of worn leather shoes, scuffed and dusty from travel, which were practical but undeniably clunky. A simple, old cloth bag hung from her shoulder, holding her few possessions. Every part of her outfit practically screamed that she was from the countryside and had no concept of city fashion.
Ji Yu approached the guards with a calm, unreadable look on her face. She stopped before the one who had spoken, and she had to look down slightly to meet his eyes, forcing him to tilt his head back. He felt a strange, unconscious humiliation at having to look up at a woman.
She ignored him looking her up and down with disgust and went straight to the point, her voice level and clear.
"I am Li Mingxuan's wife from his home village. I've come to discuss our divorce."
The guard's jaw practically dropped to the ground. His eyes went wide with pure shock. The next moment, he recovered and grabbed the arm of another guard, pulling him close. He whispered something urgently in his ear, and then they both turned and started laughing loudly right in her face.
"Hahaha… Miss. Are you kidding us right now?" the first guard managed to say between laughs. "We have 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 other guard joined in, sneering. "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."
They laughed and laughed, their mocking echoing in the quiet, wealthy street, clearly meant to humiliate her and send her away.
But Ji Yu didn't get angry. She didn't even look annoyed. Her face remained a calm, placid lake.
She waited for their laughter to die down before she spoke again, her tone still even and factual.
"My name is Ji Yu. You should know that 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. Just mention my name to Madam Li or to Li Mingxuan himself. You will know I am telling the truth. I will be staying in a nearby hotel for the next few days. I will come back again."
With that, she turned around and left from there.
Even though the guards didn't want to believe her, her words struck a chord. They did know the Li family had come from a humble beginning in the countryside. They had heard the stories. And her calm tone, her serious expression, and the specific details she provided made their mocking smiles fade. They exchanged an uncertain glance. She wasn't acting like a crazy person or a scammer. She was acting like someone who knew a private, family secret. They were now a little hesitant, unsure of what to do.
One guard, seeing her unwavering attitude and the precise way she revealed the time and location of the Li family's past, glanced hesitantly at his partner. Their mocking laughter from before had completely faded, replaced by a cold dread of the "what if." After all, if this tall, plainly-dressed woman was telling the truth, then they had just deeply humiliated the legal wife of the future head of the Li family. Their jobs, their livelihoods, could be over in an instant.
"Hey, do you think there's any chance what she said is right?" the first guard whispered, his voice hushed and anxious. "We've only been working here for a little over four years. There's a lot of old family history we simple guards wouldn't know about."
The other guard immediately nodded, his earlier bravado gone. "Yes. You're right. What should we do now? We can't just let her in, but we can't just send her away if she's… you know…"
Just as they were talking back and forth in worried whispers, the low, smooth purr of a powerful engine sounded from the street. A luxurious black carriage, sleek and shiny, glided towards the Li family gate. It was a car only the very richest could afford, a symbol of immense power and money.
Soon, the impressive vehicle came to a silent stop right in front of the main gate. The passenger door opened, and a tall, handsome man emerged. He was clad in a sharp, professional men's suit from the time: a slim-fitting, dark grey single-breasted jacket with narrow lapels, paired with matching high-waisted trousers that had a sharp crease down the front. His crisp white shirt was buttoned to the top, and a simple, elegant tie completed the look. He looked every bit the powerful, modern city businessman.
Seeing him, the two guards immediately snapped to attention, bowing a full ninety degrees in a stiff, formal salute. "Welcome, Adjutant Xu!" they chorused, their voices filled with respect and a touch of fear.
The man who had arrived was Adjutant Xu, the right-hand man of Li Mingxuan and his most capable secretary. He held significant power and influence within the Li family empire; his words carried great weight.
Adjutant Xu walked closer towards the guards. He saw their nervous faces and their hesitant posture and immediately knew something was wrong. He told one of the guards with a slight jerk of his head to take the car inside to the garage. Then he turned to the other one standing rigidly at attention.
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