Chapter 36: Eating Melons and Losing a Wife
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
Hong Luan’s expression froze when she caught sight of Yu Zhi Yi’s gentle, radiant smile. Quickly, she looked away, avoiding her friend’s eyes.
What’s happening to me?
Why is it that, after all these years of being close friends with nothing unusual, today my heart suddenly starts racing?
She couldn’t look at her any longer. Her heart felt like it wasn’t hers anymore.
Yu Zhi Yi paused, her eyes dropping as a hint of sadness flashed beneath her lashes.
So, it’s true—she finds me repulsive.
Suppressing her emotions, Yu Zhi Yi spoke softly, “The exhibition tonight won’t go smoothly. Be careful of the seamstress in the white dress. If you go back to your room now, there’s still time.”
At once, Hong Luan’s fluttering feelings disappeared upon hearing the warning. The mention of a woman in a white dress immediately reminded her of Bai Tian Er, a well-known silver-ranked seamstress.
“You go inside and take a seat. I’ll go take a look.”
Hong Luan didn’t question how Yu Zhi Yi knew about Bai Tian Er’s presence or why she knew there was trouble. Instead, she lifted her skirts and hurried towards the rear courtyard of the Splendid Embroidery Workshop.
Purple Swallow opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again. She knew the rules.
Even though her mistress sometimes shared secrets with her, it was only after everything was perfectly resolved. Before then, Yu Zhi Yi only informed those directly involved.
If she asked now, Yu Zhi Yi would answer, but at the cost of her mistress suffering the backlash.
Yu Zhi Yi, lost in thought while calculating the consequences of Hong Luan’s situation, didn’t notice Purple Swallow’s unease.
Moments later, she withdrew her hand, her expression returning to calm.
Though there would be challenges, the outcome seemed promising.
Just as they were about to head inside, an irritatingly familiar voice called out from behind, “Well, if it isn’t my dear sister—the one getting bossed around by a farmer’s wife.”
Yu Zhi Yi turned, only to see Yu Jiao Jiao approaching with exaggerated elegance.
It had been a while since they last saw each other, and Yu Jiao Jiao had lost some weight. If there were outsiders around, she would undoubtedly pretend to be affectionate, acting like a caring sister while stabbing her with words.
But there were no outsiders here.
So Yu Jiao Jiao didn’t bother hiding her malice. “I can’t believe you still have time to attend the exhibition! I thought you’d be crying your eyes out by now.”
Unfavored in the Yu Manor, unwelcome at the Chancellor’s residence—if she were in her shoes, Yu Jiao Jiao would have found a rope long ago.
Yu Zhi Yi looked at her sister’s bitter face and smiled faintly. “You’ve had countless concubines trampling over you in your home, and you haven’t broken down. Why should I cry?”
Since she grew up in the Yu family, Yu Zhi Yi was inevitably tied to them by karma. But ever since her rebirth and marriage, those ties had weakened considerably.
Soon enough, they’d be severed entirely.
She was determined never to exhaust herself for them again.
And they could forget about using so-called family ties to manipulate her.
Yu Jiao Jiao still had a veil of mist covering her, but reading her marriage line wasn’t difficult. It showed that her other half was tangled in messy romantic affairs, and her children’s fate had changed.
This meant she’d soon have a child—but not one of her own blood.
In other words, she was about to become a stepmother.
Being a stepmother might be acceptable, or it might not, depending on one’s perspective.
Yu Zhi Yi, for instance, had no interest in having children herself, so she didn’t mind if concubines bore heirs for the Du family. All she wanted was a peaceful life of cultivation and enjoyment.
But Yu Jiao Jiao was proud and ambitious—she’d never accept it.
Just as she could never accept Zhang Tian Shun’s courtyard full of women, even if You Bing Yue didn’t provoke her and Du Zi Heng loved her.
Yu Jiao Jiao hadn’t expected her attempt to pick a fight would backfire. She took a deep breath and sneered, “My husband may have concubines, but they all fear me like mice fear a cat. I keep them well under control.”
“Not like you, being ordered around by a mere farm girl!”
Yu Zhi Yi wasn’t in the mood for a verbal spat. “Yes, yes, you’re right. Dozens, maybe even hundreds, of concubines call you ‘big sister.’ You must be very pleased.”
Yu Jiao Jiao fumed. “No matter how much you pretend, it doesn’t change the fact that Du Zi Heng doesn’t care about you. The more you pretend, the worse you’ll feel when you cry later!”
“Yes, yes, you’re right. Dozens, maybe even hundreds, of concubines call you ‘big sister,’ and soon you’ll be getting even more new sisters. You must be very pleased.”
Yu Jiao Jiao glared. “Just you wait! Du Zi Heng will throw you out for that woman sooner or later. He might even favor his concubines over you!”
“Yes, yes, you’re right. Soon you’ll have even more sisters, and your mother-in-law will ask you to be generous and urge your brother-in-law to have children. You must be very pleased.”
Yu Jiao Jiao was nearly spitting blood in frustration.
She had come to provoke Yu Zhi Yi, but instead, she almost choked on her own anger. Afraid she really might cough up blood, she turned on her heel and stormed away. “We’ll see how long you can stay smug!”
The situation might not have gone exactly as it had in her past life, but still—
Yu Zhi Yi would surely meet the same fate as before, brought to ruin by Du Zi Heng.
Why bother with someone destined to lose? She’d simply laugh and wait for that day.
Ordinarily, no one would have overheard their argument. But as luck would have it, a young nobleman and his fiancée were visiting the exhibition, and neither Yu Zhi Yi nor Yu Jiao Jiao had made an effort to lower their voices. The young couple heard every word.
The fiancée blinked in surprise. “So, Du Zi Heng is that kind of person?”
The young nobleman, Shen Yun Jing, was the second son of the Minister of Personnel and one of Du Zi Heng’s few true friends.
He hadn’t realized how serious things were. Not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to completely betray his friend, he tried to explain. “Well, it’s not exactly like that. Miss You is actually quite remarkable. It’s just… her background isn’t ideal, and she isn’t favored by Zi Heng’s mother.”
He then tried to defend his friend. “But he hasn’t really favored his concubine over his wife. Don’t listen to Madam Zhang. Zi Heng isn’t like that.”
He still wanted to salvage his friend’s reputation.
Little did he know, his words only made things worse.
His fiancée laughed coldly. “Ignoring his lawfully wedded wife while doting on some woman with no status—and you say he’s ‘not that kind of person’?”
“Shen Yun Jing, do you approve of your friend’s behavior?”
“So, in the future, you’ll also neglect your wife for some woman your family doesn’t accept? Hmph! I’ll tell my parents right away. Our engagement is off!”
Shen Yun Jing never imagined that standing up for his friend would cost him his fiancée.
He tried to run after her, but her guards held him back until her carriage was out of sight.
Shen Yun Jing: “…”
Du Zi Heng, you owe me a wife!
Yu Zhi Yi hadn’t expected someone to almost lose their fiancée because of her drama. By then, she had already taken her seat inside.