Chapter 056

Chapter 56: You Fell Out of Love

Even though she used You Bing Yue’s birth chart to figure out that she was an Otherworldly Soul, the Heavenly Mechanism Device kept her from seeing more. Everything stayed hazy, like flowers in water or the moon in a well; she could not catch the details.

She only hesitated for a moment, then she stopped thinking about it: [When the right time comes, I will know.]

After sending off Duke Ding Guo, Yu Zhi Yi told Chancellor Du and his wife that she needed to go into seclusion and would not come out until next month. If any other family’s daughter-in-law said that, her in-laws would think she was odd, refuse at once, and even call several physicians to check her head. But because it was Yu Zhi Yi who said it, the elders agreed with happy smiles. They not only asked what she might need for seclusion, they also warned everyone not to disturb her.

So Yu Zhi Yi settled into Windward Pavilion and shamelessly slacked off. Every day she either ate and drank or slept until she woke up naturally. Her days were wonderfully easy. When she thought of her past life, getting up early and staying up late to serve Zhang Tian Shun while plotting every day, she almost saw a huge fool in front of her: [What a sucker I was back then.]

Yu Zhi Yi enjoyed her lazy days, but You Bing Yue was in a foul mood. On the day Duke Ding Guo learned the truth about Prince Xiao Yao and You Bing Yue, he was already angry. Only because she tossed out a bait about knowing where his sister was did he hold back for the moment. Her plan had been to shut his mouth with the credit of successfully rescuing his sister. Then she would become the honored guest of Duke’s Manor, and everyone would see her ability and how different she was from the women of this era. Later, when she kept dealing with Prince Xiao Yao, people would stop guessing about romance.

With ties to Duke’s Manor in hand, she would also be able to stand tall before Chancellor Du and his wife and tell them that her love with Du Zi Heng was equal, not like that useless woman who married into the Du Clan by relying on Yu Manor’s status.

Reality slapped her hard. Not only was the clue she offered wrong, but after she finally tracked down the kidnappers from years ago on her own, she underestimated them and fell into their trap. She was almost sold off like some weak, helpless woman. Luckily, that mess did not cause much outside impact. Besides losing face before Prince Xiao Yao, few knew how awkward it had been. And Prince Xiao Yao did not look down on her.

She told herself she should not mind; even in modern times she had failed missions, and in the end she died because she trusted a teammate by mistake. But comparison is the thief of joy. She had offered a wrong clue and got scolded to her face by Duke Ding Guo. He even forced Prince Xiao Yao to choose between You Bing Yue and his fiancée. Prince Xiao Yao, muddle-headed as he was, chose her. Yet she clearly felt no romance toward him. That was not the point. The point was that Yu Zhi Yi then got a clear lead from who-knows-where, and a few days later Duke Ding Guo really did rescue his sister. Now the whole Capital praised Yu Zhi Yi’s accurate divination.

If it were only that, You Bing Yue would not be so angry. What enraged her most was this: both of them had named Ma Family Village as the thieves’ den. Yet You Bing Yue was cursed out in public, while Yu Zhi Yi was praised by Duke Ding Guo as a noble, righteous wonder. He said she had named the wrong place on purpose so the women trafficked into the village could be saved.

Grinding her teeth, You Bing Yue spat: “Liar! Smooth-talking fraud!”

She did not believe a single word. How could that vulgar, ignorant backyard woman have such a broad heart?

The day before the Imperial Examinations, Du Zi Heng finally got out of the house under the excuse of clearing his mind. Madam Yao knew he would not test well with worries bottled up, so she let it slide. He looked tenderly at the woman before him and felt that a day apart was like three autumns.

You Bing Yue sneered: “What a rare guest.”

Knowing he had neglected her these days, Du Zi Heng felt guilty and said, “Bing Yue, I never meant to avoid you. You know there are things I cannot decide yet. But trust me, I am very confident about these Imperial Examinations. Once I win a high rank, Father and the others will stop meddling in my private matters. Then I will bring you home openly.”

He sounded sincere, and You Bing Yue pressed her lips together. In the original plot, he did move out after placing as top scholar. But there was still something she cared about, so she asked, cold and flat: “Why did you help that woman?”

Du Zi Heng was puzzled and said, “What?”

Expressionless, You Bing Yue said, “You helped her find where Duke Ding Guo’s sister was hidden, and you helped spread her good name.” When she thought of the Capital calling Yu Zhi Yi beautiful and kind, her stomach turned. She also felt more resentment toward Du Zi Heng. If she did not have to win this male lead to rebuild a body and return to modern times, she would never waste time on such a hesitant man.

Du Zi Heng sighed and said, “I did not help her. She figured it all out herself. She truly has skill. She did not plan to explain her reason for saving those women either. Duke Ding Guo noticed he was used, asked her in public, and only then did she share that hidden thought.”

You Bing Yue did not believe a word and said, “That woman is very scheming. Only someone as simple as you would believe her.”

Du Zi Heng frowned and said, “Bing Yue, why won’t you just believe she is kind? If you had not stopped her on the bridge that day, she would not even have bothered you, right?”

Fire flared in You Bing Yue’s chest as she snapped, “You are defending her again! Du Zi Heng, admit it: you have fallen out of love!”

“I have not,” Du Zi Heng said, already feeling very tired.

“If you have not, you would not speak up for her at every turn. You would not question me or argue with me because of her!”

Looking into her eyes, Du Zi Heng felt the woman before him had become very unfamiliar and said, “Must I shield you even when you are wrong? If one day you make a serious mistake, should I indulge you without any bottom line?”

He truly did not understand. Yu Zhi Yi had done nothing to provoke You Bing Yue. She only held the position of principal wife. With parents’ orders and a matchmaker’s words, Yu Zhi Yi herself had no say. Why did Bing Yue insist she was scheming and not a good person?

Face like water, You Bing Yue said, “You are fierce to me for her sake? You even make up this kind of absurd guess? So in your heart I am that awful?”

“No,” Du Zi Heng said, weariness heavy in his voice.

“You are! You are!” Eyes red, You Bing Yue said, “Your whole family has been fooled by her. You defend her in everything. Even you, Du Zi Heng, have changed your heart. But I will show you how wrong you all are. My skill is not something a backyard woman can match. I will prove it soon!”

That same day, Yu Zhi Yi was trying on the lovely skirt Red Luan had sent when Zi Yuan came in with an unhappy face. Curious, Yu Zhi Yi asked with a smile: “Who upset my little Zi Yuan?”