Chapter 50: The Marquis’s Reinforcements and Yu Zhi Yi’s Indifference
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
Under Yu Zhi Yi’s watchful eyes, the Guardian Duke glared sharply at Prince Xiao Yao, his gaze filled with a suppressed fury.
His youngest granddaughter was his favorite among all his children and grandchildren, and he had worried himself sick about her marriage prospects. Originally, he had chosen Prince Xiao Yao for her because, first, the prince was handsome, and second, he believed the prince was loyal and reliable.
Moreover, since the prince was his grandson through his daughter, he never suspected that the prince could be deceitful. So when the Empress Dowager passed away and the prince proposed mourning for three years, the Guardian Duke, out of respect for the prince’s filial piety, refused to cancel the engagement.
He thought a filial man—loyal and righteous—would surely cherish his wife. Even at the risk of making his precious granddaughter an older unmarried woman, he insisted she wait for the prince for three years.
And now?
This man, who had supposedly severed all emotions to mourn the Empress Dowager, was defending another woman—coming to someone else’s home to cause trouble!
“Grandfather,” Prince Xiao Yao said, his eyes narrowing as he denied the accusation, “there’s absolutely no such thing. Young Madam Du must have misunderstood. I simply didn’t hear her greeting.”
“Your Grace has misunderstood,” Yu Zhi Yi spoke in a gentle yet mocking tone. “The prince didn’t make things difficult for me. He was just so engrossed in watching something that he didn’t hear my greeting.”
If they wanted to say she was scheming and deceitful, then she would show them just how deep she could be.
Upon hearing this, the Guardian Duke exploded, “I’m not blind or deaf!”
He glared coldly at Prince Xiao Yao. “If you don’t intend to marry my granddaughter, you can say so directly. There are plenty of men eager to marry the granddaughter of the Guardian Duke. She doesn’t have to hang herself on one tree!”
Prince Xiao Yao’s eyes flickered.
His little cousin was lovely, but he truly didn’t want to marry her. He only had sibling-like feelings for her; his heart had never skipped a beat for her. Sometimes, when she chased after him, he even felt annoyed.
He hadn’t understood what romantic love felt like until he met You Bing Yue. Only then did his dormant heart come alive. Especially after witnessing the love between You Bing Yue and Du Zi Heng, he realized—that was the kind of love he wanted. Not marrying a woman he didn’t love out of obligation, only to spend a lifetime in respectful yet lifeless companionship.
But You Bing Yue already had someone she loved, so he suppressed his feelings, letting his affection remain mere admiration. As for the engagement, he thought that marrying anyone would be the same, and breaking it off would cause trouble.
But now, Grandfather had said that if he truly didn’t want to marry, he could break the engagement directly.
He was tempted.
“But they can’t get married in the first place,” a cold female voice suddenly rang out, leaving everyone stunned.
Yu Zhi Yi was surprised, looking at You Bing Yue, not expecting her to be so bold.
Prince Xiao Yao was initially taken aback, but then excitement surged in his eyes. He turned sharply to You Bing Yue, his affection nearly palpable. “Bing Yue…”
Du Zi Heng’s face darkened. “Bing Yue!”
The Guardian Duke’s expression grew even more severe.
A hint of confusion appeared on You Bing Yue’s cold face, as if she didn’t understand what she had said wrong. “Why are you all looking at me like that? I’m not wrong. Close relatives can’t get married. Marriages between close relatives have a high probability of resulting in children with problems.”
The Guardian Duke sneered. “What utter nonsense! I’ve lived a long time and never heard such absurdities.”
Du Zi Heng frowned. “Bing Yue, don’t speak recklessly. Since ancient times, marriage within the clan is a tradition, and there haven’t been any issues.”
You Bing Yue raised an eyebrow, anger flashing in her eyes. “You don’t believe me?”
Du Zi Heng shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but—”
You Bing Yue suddenly stood up. “An explanation is just a cover-up, and a cover-up means the truth. Du Zi Heng, I didn’t expect that after knowing each other for so long, you wouldn’t trust me at all. I misjudged you!”
Prince Xiao Yao looked at Du Zi Heng unhappily. “Bing Yue is knowledgeable and wouldn’t speak without reason.”
He then turned to You Bing Yue. “Bing Yue, I believe you.”
Yu Zhi Yi almost wanted to applaud these people. How entertaining—this scene was truly delightful. She even considered pulling out some sunflower seeds to snack on while watching.
Zi Yuan, her maid, was equally engrossed. She finally understood why her mistress had said nobles would be performing for her today. This love triangle drama was truly exciting.
The master and servant’s amusement was too obvious, and You Bing Yue keenly noticed it. “All of this today was your doing, wasn’t it?”
Prince Xiao Yao also looked coldly at Yu Zhi Yi. “You, the fake daughter, really have some tricks.”
His words were not only sarcastic but also carried a hidden threat.
Yu Zhi Yi sighed inwardly. She hadn’t expected that even just watching the drama could get her into trouble. Reluctantly, she reined in her desire to enjoy the scene and retorted, “What Prince Xiao Yao said is correct. I’m just a fake daughter with no foundation or backing. How could I possibly scheme against the highly respected Guardian Duke and the famous Prince Xiao Yao at the same time?
“Besides, wasn’t it you who came here on your own today? Did I beg you to come?”
Marquis Wu’an could invite the Guardian Duke over—what did it have to do with her, Yu Zhi Yi?
So she wasn’t lying. Was there any reason she shouldn’t defend herself when she knew someone would come to cause trouble?
Prince Xiao Yao was speechless. After this incident, he couldn’t openly support You Bing Yue anymore. Without this powerful patron, You Bing Yue’s other admirers wouldn’t pose much of a problem for her.
What does it feel like to be slapped in the face by your own words?
You Bing Yue was furious. She had a hunch that everything today was orchestrated by this woman, but she had no evidence.
Prince Xiao Yao realized he couldn’t gain anything from Yu Zhi Yi, so he suppressed his anger and smiled at the Guardian Duke. “Grandfather, isn’t Chancellor Du not at home? Why have you come at this time?”
He guessed that the Guardian Duke wouldn’t lower himself to visit a junior like Du Zi Heng. With Chancellor Du and his wife not at home, for the Guardian Duke to come, there was only one possibility—he was invited by Yu Zhi Yi.
That woman had deliberately said things to cause misunderstandings, ensuring Grandfather heard them. In this way, Grandfather would hold a grudge against Bing Yue.
Bing Yue wasn’t wrong; that woman was indeed deep and scheming.
“I came to find the Master,” the Guardian Duke replied.
“Master?” Prince Xiao Yao was puzzled. Since when had the Du residence become a temple?
The Guardian Duke didn’t explain further, as he himself was still confused. He turned to look at Marquis Wu’an.
Marquis Wu’an had also been enjoying the drama, and only when the Guardian Duke’s gaze settled on him did he compose himself. Respectfully, he said to the Guardian Duke, “Your Grace, isn’t the Master right here? Young Madam Du is the Master I mentioned.”
The Guardian Duke was taken aback.
Prince Xiao Yao sneered. “And you say this wasn’t your design?” He displayed open disdain. “You truly are ridiculous, pretending to be a Master. A woman like you dares to call herself a Master?”
This was the second time he had uttered those three words.