Chapter 216: The Final Breath
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Lu Yuan Ze had no time to react as Lu Yan Shu’s sudden punch landed squarely on his face. His vision blurred, and his nose bled profusely.
“What are you doing kneeling at the door? You hypocrite! You don’t deserve to be here!” Lu Yan Shu shouted, continuing to pummel his father.
Madam Xu’s scalp tingled with fear as she watched the scene unfold.
“Stop the young master quickly,” Deng Zhi shouted in a panic. Though Lu Yuan Ze had been expelled from the family, he was still their biological father. If this scandal got out, they would be shunned by society.
The servants hurried to restrain Lu Yan Shu, who was relentless in his attack. Lu Yuan Ze’s face was beaten black and blue, his hands desperately holding his nose.
“I am your father!” he shouted angrily at Lu Yan Shu.
Lu Yan Shu’s expression was cold and unyielding. “Father? Do you deserve to be called a father? You drained your wife’s blood and used her dowry to support your mistress. I am ashamed of you!”
“You’ve brought disgrace to the Lu family. If Grandfather were alive, he wouldn’t be able to hold his head high because of you. You even lost the title that Grandfather earned with his blood and sweat. You’re a disgrace.” His son’s words made Lu Yuan Ze’s face flush with shame.
Lu Yan Shu had always respected his father, but Lu Yuan Ze had shattered his happiness. Even though he had been expelled from the family, he still kept up appearances and never spoke harshly to him. But at this moment, he couldn’t hold back.
“If I were you, I would have ended it with poison, at least to save some face for the Lu family. And you have the nerve to come to the Xu family!” Lu Yan Shu’s eyebrows showed a hint of menace.
Lu Yuan Ze knelt at the Xu family door, with the servants glaring at him. “Shi Yun, I didn’t mean to upset the Old Madam. I made mistakes in my youth, but I just wanted to explain things to the Old Madam. Shi Yun, believe me.”
Upon hearing that Shi Yun intended to remarry, Lu Yuan Ze couldn’t sit still. He had driven Shi Yun out of the house, hoping she would live miserably, but he never expected her to thrive. Even their three sons and one daughter were making great progress. Lu Yuan Ze couldn’t stand it.
Having drunk some wine and not thinking clearly, he came to the Xu family to seek an audience, only to accidentally anger the Old Madam into fainting!
“Yan Shu, when you were young, I taught you and carried you on my shoulders. We had happy days together as a family. Have you forgotten? If your mother remarries, a stepfather and stepmother can’t compare to biological parents. I just want the Old Madam’s forgiveness.”
Lu Yan Shu’s expression remained indifferent. He picked up his sister and headed for the door. “Your so-called happiness was built on lies. Why should we forgive you? Besides, we have been removed from the family registry. You are not my father. The son you want is Lu Jing Huai. Aren’t you hoping he’ll become the top scholar? Let’s wait and see!”
Lu Yuan Ze’s face turned ashen. He wanted to pull Lu Yuan Xiao, but Lu Yuan Xiao shook him off fiercely and ran after his brother.
“Shi Yun, we’ve been married for eighteen years. Do you still have feelings for me?” Lu Yuan Ze looked at Madam Xu with deep emotion, just as he was about to step forward.
Suddenly, Rong Che appeared out of nowhere and bumped him aside with his shoulder.
“Shi Yun, what kind of riffraff is trying to get close to you?” Rong Che said, petty as ever.
“General Rong, what is the meaning of this? This is my wife!” Lu Yuan Ze’s eyes reddened with anger at the sight.
Rong Che reminded him seriously, “Mind your words. Ex-wife, ex-wife!”
Lu Yuan Ze clenched his fists, his voice filled with disdain as he pointed at Rong Che. “General Rong, you are the only son of the Protectorate Duke. Are you seriously considering marrying a divorced woman with three sons and a daughter?”
Rong Che’s face tightened with anger. “She was my wife for eighteen years, cooking for me, taking care of me…” His words trailed off as he couldn’t bear to hear Lu Yuan Ze belittle Shi Yun any longer. His fist flew, connecting with Lu Yuan Ze’s jaw with a force that sent him reeling.
Unlike the scholar Lu Yan Shu, Rong Che’s punch was powerful enough to make Lu Yuan Ze taste blood and lose a tooth. “Lord Lu, watch your mouth,” Rong Che growled. “Shi Yun is perfect in my eyes. I like her, and I’m willing to be with her. If you didn’t cherish her, someone else will!”
He took a step closer, his voice low but filled with determination. “Thank you, Lord Lu, for driving such a wonderful wife out of your house. Shi Yun deserves better. As for her children, I will treat them as my own. They will not be mistreated.”
“And when Shi Yun and I get married,” he added with a touch of spite, “we will definitely invite you to our wedding.”
Lu Yuan Ze’s face flushed with fury, his mind blank with rage. Yet, he couldn’t even approach the Xu family’s door. Xu Yi Ting had issued strict orders that if Lu Yuan Ze got within half a step of the Xu family, he would be beaten to death.
Madam Xu burst into the room, her eyes red from crying. The Old Madam lay pale and frail on the couch, her breaths shallow.
“Mother… Mother…” Madam Xu knelt beside the bed, clutching the Old Madam’s hand, her tears falling freely.
Just days ago, the Old Madam had been vibrant, able to eat and drink. Now, she seemed a shadow of her former self. The eldest sister-in-law wept, “The Old Madam was so angry she couldn’t catch her breath.”
“That heartless scoundrel,” she continued, her voice shaking. “He heard there was trouble at Shi Yun’s house and stayed at General Rong’s for the night, reeking of alcohol. He knelt before the Old Madam, begging for forgiveness, claiming he wouldn’t allow Shi Yun to remarry and wanted to rekindle their relationship.”
“The Old Madam wouldn’t hear it and scolded him for deceiving Shi Yun for eighteen years. He started spouting nonsense,” the eldest sister-in-law said, her lips pressed into a thin line. “He claimed thieves had broken in and that Shi Yun, as a divorced woman, must have suffered. He was throwing mud on Shi Yun’s name, calling her a tramp and saying General Rong was picking up his discarded shoes.”
The Old Madam’s fury had reached its peak upon hearing this.
“I’ll kill that scoundrel!” Master Third Xu’s face turned red with rage, veins bulging.
“Don’t make things worse. Check on the Old Madam first,” the third sister-in-law said, holding Master Third Xu back. The Old Madam’s condition was dire, and she couldn’t be left alone.
The doctor shook his head solemnly. “The Old Madam’s health has been poor for years. This time, she was so angry that she… She might not last the day,” he said, even thinking that she wouldn’t survive the night. He could only use century-old ginseng to keep her barely alive.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Mother, it’s all my fault. I caused this,” Madam Xu cried, slapping herself repeatedly until her cheeks were bruised and swollen.
The children of the Lu family stood by, biting their lips so hard that blood seeped from the corners of their mouths.
Lu Chao Chao pursed her lips, seizing a moment when no one was paying attention. She slipped out quietly, without even a maid. Outside, Lu Yuan Ze was waiting eagerly.
“Chao Chao, you’re still on your father’s side, right?” he asked hopefully.
Lu Chao Chao looked at him with her big, innocent eyes, then glanced up at the sky. She dragged Lu Yuan Ze under the wutong tree. “Why did you make Grandmother angry?” she demanded, her cheeks puffed up in a pout.
“I didn’t mean to upset her. She has a temper,” Lu Yuan Ze tried to explain.
“I don’t believe you,” Lu Chao Chao said, blinking her eyes.
Lu Yuan Ze, desperate to win her over, quickly said, “I am willing to trade twenty years of my life for your grandmother’s health.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chao Chao’s small hand reached out, as if grabbing something from the air. Her tiny fist clenched around it, and her big eyes sparkled.