Chapter 021

Chapter 21: Back Again

In storybooks, the love between Du Zi Heng and You Bing Yue is the classic tale of a noble young master who falls for a country girl. They break through layers of rules and chase love bravely, then live happily ever after. If someone wrote and sold this, countless little misses would feel their hearts race, thinking they could also become a phoenix. Many boys would be brainwashed into thinking fighting the whole world for love looks super cool.

But what about real life?

Du Zi Heng disappeared for three full months. Madam Yao cried every day until her eyes almost went blind. Chancellor Du worried each night and couldn’t sleep, aging several years in just a few months.

Yet less than half a month after the attack, Du Zi Heng could already get out of bed. After one month, his wounds were mostly healed. If at that time he had sent word to Chancellor Du and Madam Yao, then brought his lifesaving benefactor back to the Capital, his parents might have disliked You Bing Yue’s low status, but they wouldn’t have strongly opposed right away. After all, she had saved their son’s life.

But Du Zi Heng, afraid Madam Yao would look down on You Bing Yue, kept putting it off, telling himself he would wait until he found a way to make his parents accept her.

As for You Bing Yue, once she learned he had parents and family, she didn’t urge him to send a message home. Later, when she heard his parents wanted a proper daughter-in-law, she told him to give up everything and wander the world with her. Her exact words were: we can earn money, and you have knowledge and ability; even without the Chancellor’s Manor, we can still live well.

She didn’t just say this to Du Zi Heng. When Madam Yao gently told her she hoped to find a noble lady who could help her son, You Bing Yue said the same words right back to Madam Yao’s face.

When Chancellor Du’s people found that mountain village, Du Zi Heng was getting ready to run away with You Bing Yue.

Handled like that, unless Chancellor Du and Madam Yao were clay dolls, there was no way they would agree to let You Bing Yue marry into the family.

Yu Zhi Yi said evenly: “From what I’ve seen, Father and Mother are not unreasonable. Like when I wanted to set up an incense room, Mother asked my reasons, and even though she didn’t fully trust my skill, she still agreed.”

She added: “If you hadn’t hidden things on purpose at the start, and if you hadn’t even thought of abandoning your parents to leave with her, there might have been room to talk.”

Back then, Du Zi Heng hadn’t felt he was wrong. His father was the current chancellor. He was the only son of the Chancellor’s Manor. His father was always strict, and his mother, though loving, would tell him to compromise whenever his father’s principles were involved. Since his parents had always told him to marry an equal, he never imagined they could accept a low-born woman. So when You Bing Yue suggested they roam the world, he was tempted. He had never thought about another path, and he had never realized how much his choice hurt his parents.

People around him always scolded him for being blinded by beauty, but no one ever told him that, if he had trusted his parents at the start, the ending might have been different.

It was like a hammer hit his head. Dizzy, he asked suddenly: “Then, in your view, what should I do?”

Yu Zhi Yi blinked and said helplessly: “The first time Miss You saw me, she insulted me and tried to push my person into the water. The second time she saw me, she helped others frame me. Why should I help her?”

Du Zi Heng had no words, but he still wanted to try.

Yu Zhi Yi said coolly: “Not breaking you two up myself is already my greatest kindness. Helping you is impossible.”

Right after he asked, Du Zi Heng also felt he was being absurd. Asking the principal wife to help persuade his parents to accept a concubine-what kind of person does that? Covering his face in shame, he said: “Sorry. I was rude.”

Yu Zhi Yi answered: “It’s fine.”

The carriage rolled on. Du Zi Heng wasn’t one for small talk. Yu Zhi Yi never chased idle chatter either. Silence filled the carriage. Du Zi Heng picked up a book, but today he couldn’t read a line.

To his own surprise, his mind wasn’t on him and You Bing Yue. It was on what he saw today. He thought of Madam Pang’s snake-like heart and asked, curious: “Yi’er, can you tell how Uncle Ji will choose?”

Although Madam Pang was evil, the first wife and her son were still alive. For many men, this was something to laugh off and move on from. As a man, Ji Cong Xin could have brought the first wife back into the house and enjoyed the “blessing” of keeping both. But when Du Zi Heng put himself in that place, he knew he couldn’t bear to keep a viper by his side. He really wanted to know what would happen.

Since the outcome would be clear by tomorrow, and because Du Zi Heng wasn’t a gossip, Yu Zhi Yi satisfied his curiosity and said: “Squire Ji is a man of true feeling. He will choose the first wife.”

Having eaten the melon, Du Zi Heng was satisfied-and pleased with Ji Cong Xin’s choice. Still, he felt a little regret and said: “It’s just a pity for Ji Yi Fei.”

A good family had fallen apart.

The next day, Ji Cong Xin divorced Madam Pang. Madam Pang refused at first, but Ji Cong Xin laid out her crimes one by one and said that if she would not agree to divorce, he would set her aside. The Pang Clan did not want their daughter to carry the shame of being cast off, so they agreed to the divorce for her.

By now, Ji Cong Xin was no longer the country merchant who had once fled from the Pang Clan’s power. He had strong capital and connections. Many nobles stood behind him. No matter how angry the Pang Clan was, they could do nothing to him.

Ji Cong Xin wasn’t completely hard-hearted either. After the divorce, he gave Madam Pang a large sum of silver and allowed Ji Yi Fei to go with his mother.

Zi Yuan told the Ji Clan’s story vividly and had just reached the climax when Yu Pan’er hurried in with a worried face and said: “Bad news, young madam!”

Yu Zhi Yi looked over lazily and asked: “What is it?”

Yu Pan’er said in a rush: “Young master brought that woman back again! He even persuaded madam somehow, and now that woman is allowed to live in the Moon-Viewing Pavilion again!”

Yu Zhi Yi looked away without surprise and said: “I thought it was something big. Is that worth getting this worked up?”

Yu Pan’er stared in shock and said: “Isn’t this a big deal?”

Yu Zhi Yi said evenly: “Young master is a man. Whoever he wants to bring back is his choice. We don’t need to comment.”

Yesterday, Du Zi Heng had, for once, come by her place again. Madam Yao’s face was all smiles. Yu Zhi Yi worried that if You Bing Yue didn’t come back soon, Madam Yao would start talking about consummation and children.

[In this life, I only want quiet cultivation. Let others serve the man. Let others have the children. They will still call me legal mother. After I earn my title, even if I fail to ascend, I can still be buried with dignity. Isn’t that better than worrying over a man?]

Even thinking that, Yu Zhi Yi sighed.

[If my rebirth had come at a better time, I wouldn’t have to face any of this.]