Chapter 18: Thanks for the Praise
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The unfamiliar newlyweds soon arrived at Shangjing Garden. Several cousins from the Yao family, along with their spouses and other relatives, were already there. When they saw Yu Zhi Yi, they all looked visibly stunned.
Clearly, Yao’s transformation efforts had worked wonders.
Yao Jin Ang nudged Du Zi Heng with his elbow, a knowing grin on his face. “You lucky guy! Your wife is not only gorgeous but talented too. You really lucked out!”
Word had spread about how Yu Zhi Yi indirectly saved the Yao family’s old madam. As they say, having an elder in the house is like having a precious treasure. The old madam held a special position in the Yao family and treated everyone fairly, no matter if they were born of a concubine or not. Because of her kind heart, the younger generation loved her dearly. Yu Zhi Yi’s actions, in turn, earned her their appreciation.
Du Zi Heng had already heard about what happened that day from Old Madam Yao. Though he believed it to be just a coincidence, he didn’t want to embarrass anyone in public.
Suddenly, a male voice rang out, “Oh, looks like Young Master Du and the lady of the house are getting along quite well. Sticking close together, aren’t they?”
A young man, dressed in a red robe with golden trim, had entered the venue at some point. He was unabashedly studying Yu Zhi Yi, his eyes showing a fleeting glimmer of admiration before quickly turning into disdain, as if something had crossed his mind.
Du Zi Heng frowned. “It was my grandmother who invited us. That’s why we came together.”
His words sounded as if he was eager to disassociate himself from Yu Zhi Yi.
Yu Zhi Yi wasn’t surprised or bothered. The Yao family members, however, furrowed their brows.
Not noticing the reactions around him, Du Zi Heng continued, “Brother Yi Fei, did you come here alone?”
Ji Yi Fei, the son of Ji Cong Xin, the wealthiest man in the city. Ji Cong Xin only had this one son, whom he adored deeply. He was also deeply in love with his wife, Madam Pang. Despite being married for nearly two decades, Ji Cong Xin never took a concubine, nor did he keep any handmaids. He was never seen frequenting brothels either.
Raised in a loving family and with a privileged background, Ji Yi Fei grew up with an unrestrained personality.
“If I didn’t come alone, should I have brought a beautiful lady along, like Brother Youlin here?”
Youlin was Du Zi Heng’s courtesy name.
His comment seemed to merely point out that Du Zi Heng had brought his beautiful wife to a flower appreciation event, but the sarcasm in his tone was hard to miss.
Du Zi Heng’s face stiffened, unsure of how to respond. Indeed, he had arrived with another woman, and though to the world Yu Zhi Yi was his lawfully wedded wife and should be seen by his side, those close to them knew about his relationship with Bing Yue. His actions felt like betrayal.
Yao Jin Ang couldn’t hold back. “Brother Ji, if you’re jealous of Youlin and his harmonious relationship with his wife, why not ask your mother to find you a suitable lady instead of souring the mood here?”
They were all from the same social circle, and Du Zi Heng was Yao Jin Ang’s cousin. Naturally, he knew about Du Zi Heng’s entanglement with another woman.
He neither understood nor cared for it. His cousin was married now, and the bride was also someone who had helped their grandmother. There was no way Yao Jin Ang would let Du Zi Heng continue causing trouble.
Ji Yi Fei sneered. “Jealous of him?” His eyes flickered as he turned to Fang Cheng. “Maybe a bit. After all, it’s not like I never invited a beauty to join me. It’s just that her heart was set on someone else and refused to come.”
His gaze settled on Yu Zhi Yi, turning cold. “It’s just a pity that the one she loves is nothing but a scoundrel, who abandoned her for a fox.”
Yu Zhi Yi smiled slightly. “…Thanks for the praise.”
Ji Yi Fei blinked, thrown off. “What?”
Yu Zhi Yi’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “The term fox originally meant someone beautiful and wise. In ancient times, it was even a totem, a symbol of good fortune. Later, people added negative meanings to things that were beautiful, like ‘disaster’ or ‘the ruin of a nation.’ Over time, the fox turned from a sign of good omen into something sinister.”
Yao Jin Ang quickly laughed. “Cousin-in-law is absolutely right. In the early days, foxes were indeed symbols of good fortune. I’ve traveled far and wide, and I’ve seen many places where foxes are worshipped as deities.”
The rest of the Yao family echoed their agreement.
Du Zi Heng remained silent.
Ji Yi Fei, after a moment’s hesitation, sneered. “Quite the silver tongue you have, twisting the truth like that. No wonder such a pure-hearted person couldn’t compete with you.”
Having abandoned subtlety, Ji Yi Fei shifted to open mockery.
He looked at Yu Zhi Yi with disdain. “Miss You, wasn’t it enough for you to take your sister’s family and affection while you were in the Yu household? Now you’ve come to the Chancellor’s residence to steal another woman’s love. Have you no shame?”
“Don’t give me that nonsense about obeying your parents’ orders. You’re clever enough—if you truly didn’t want to marry into a powerful family, you’d have found a way to make your parents change their minds. Yet here you are, a part of the Chancellor’s family!”
“This only shows that you’re vain and greedy! And even knowing Bing Yue is Youlin’s true love, you still schemed to drive her away. You’re selfish and jealous! A woman like you isn’t even fit to carry Bing Yue’s shoes!”
Du Zi Heng frowned. “That’s enough.”
Ji Yi Fei’s eyes widened. “You’re standing up for her? Have you really changed your heart?”
Du Zi Heng rubbed his forehead, about to say something when Yu Zhi Yi interrupted with a smile. “Of course not. He only has eyes for Miss You, and all of you can rest assured on that.”
Du Zi Heng: “…”
It was true, yet somehow it sounded so wrong coming from her mouth.
Yu Zhi Yi smiled brightly at Ji Yi Fei. “In your view, taking someone else’s things is shameless, and anyone of lower status reaching for someone higher is vain and greedy?”
Ji Yi Fei gave a derisive laugh. “Isn’t it?”
Yu Zhi Yi looked thoughtful, then nodded. “By that logic, everyone here is less shameless than you.”
Ji Yi Fei’s smile froze, and he was furious. “How dare you insult me?!”
Yu Zhi Yi looked innocent. “I was just applying your logic to evaluate you. Since you believe in it, you should accept this assessment. Why get upset?”
“When did I ever—”
“When you were three, you visited your maternal family and saw a rocking horse that your cousin owned. You liked it so much you wanted to take it. Your cousin was unhappy, so you threw a tantrum until your uncle finally gave it to you.”
“Again with the same cousin. When you were six, you saw he had a beautifully crafted wooden sword and ordered your servant to take it. Little did you know, it was a birthday gift from your uncle, who had spent a month making it. Your cousin cherished it deeply.”
“By the time you were ten, your cousin had already learned about your greedy tendencies. He never flaunted his beloved items again, keeping them in a cabinet in his room. But even then, he couldn’t escape you—you barged into his room to steal them.”
Ji Yi Fei’s face turned alternately red and pale before he finally stammered, “You had me investigated?”
Yu Zhi Yi chuckled. “Until today, I didn’t even know who you were. Why would I waste time investigating someone unrelated to me?”