Chapter 270: Thrown into the Pond
Translated by BCatranslation
Lu Yuan Ze’s face was as dark as a storm cloud ready to unleash its fury. Anger poured off him in waves, like heat from a raging fire.
Pinned to the ground, Lu Yuan Xi struggled to break free. His body was tense, his face a mix of fear and defiance.
“How dare you dress like a monk and sneak into my house! Where did you get the guts to do this?” Lu Yuan Ze roared, his voice trembling with fury.
He had gone through all the trouble to officially add both children to the family registry, only to find out they weren’t his. The humiliation was a bitter pill to swallow.
Nearby, a maid, shaking like a leaf in a storm, was thrown to the ground by the guards. Her bloodshot eyes, filled with terror, locked onto Lu Yuan Ze’s furious glare.
“When did all of this start? Speak the truth, and maybe I’ll let you live!” he snarled, his voice rough like stones grinding together, every word forced through clenched teeth. He pulled at his collar, gasping for breath, choking on his own rage.
The maid’s eyes darted to Madam Pei, silently begging for help. But Madam Pei, her face swollen and bruised from a severe beating, could barely lift her head.
Lu Yuan Ze’s boot pressed down on the maid’s cheek, pinning her to the ground. “Your contract is here, isn’t it? And your parents live here too, don’t they?”
The maid’s face twisted in terror, her body trembling uncontrollably. “They… they knew each other before coming to the capital,” she stammered. “Back then, it wasn’t romantic, just…”
“Just when Madam felt lonely, he would visit her,” she continued, her voice cracking. “He was always so gentle. Over time, Madam grew to care for him deeply.”
“Please, Master, spare my family. They know nothing of this!” The maid dropped to her knees, her forehead hitting the ground repeatedly until it was bruised and bloody.
A sharp, stabbing pain gripped Lu Yuan Ze’s heart. “Jing Huai…”
Tears streamed down the maid’s face as she pointed a trembling finger at Lu Yuan Xi. “He’s the father.”
“To make the timing fit, they paid a doctor to say the baby was born a month early. You thought Young Master Jing Huai was premature, but he was actually full-term,” she confessed in a hushed tone. “They even starved her so the baby wouldn’t grow too big, just to fake a premature birth.”
Lu Yuan Ze stumbled back as if struck by a blow, his last shred of hope shattered.
The child wasn’t his.
“Jing Yao isn’t his either, is she?” Lu Yuan Ze asked, his voice low and threatening, his eyes blazing with fury.
The maid nodded, unable to meet his gaze.
“Pei Jiao Jiao, you’ve gone too far!” he roared, his voice echoing through the courtyard. “How could you? How could you?”
“You shameless woman, you broke our vows! I’ll drown you! I’ll end your life!” His voice was a mix of madness and grief.
“Papa! Papa, no hurt Mama! Papa…” A small voice cut through the chaos. It was Lu Jing Yao, tears streaming down her face as she ran toward him.
“Papa, Jing Yao no know that man. You Papa, only Papa. No hurt Mama…” she pleaded, clutching his leg.
“He tricked her. Not Mama fault!” she sobbed.
“Get away from me, you little brat! How dare you compare yourself to my Chao Chao! You little monster!” Lu Yuan Ze kicked her away. Lu Jing Yao flew back, hitting the wall with a sickening crack. She crumpled against the cold stone, crying out in pain.
“Jing Yao, Yao Yao!” Madam Pei called, trying to crawl toward her daughter, but Lu Yuan Ze stomped her down with his boot.
“Even if she’s not yours, she’s called you ‘Papa’ for years! How can you be so heartless?” Madam Pei cried, her voice filled with anguish.
“Heartless? You drove away my wife and child to put your bastards in the family registry. Who’s the real monster?” Lu Yuan Ze’s face was as cold as ice, his eyes devoid of any warmth. “She’s not my blood, so what kind of child is she?”
“A girl who already knows how to manipulate, who helps Lu Jing Huai cheat—what kind of demon is she, huh?” he sneered.
“Guards! Take these adulterers and drown them in the pond tomorrow!”
“No, you can’t drown me! Lu Yuan Ze, you can’t do this!” Madam Pei’s face turned pale with terror, but Lu Yuan Ze simply ordered her mouth gagged and had her watched closely.
Lu Yuan Xi kept his mocking smile, even as Lu Yuan Ze commanded him to be flogged. His defiant expression only deepened the tension.
Both men were confined, barely clinging to life in the woodshed.
Lu Jing Yao was left sprawled on the ground. The maids and servants, too terrified to intervene, watched helplessly as she struggled to her feet and stumbled toward Madam Pei’s room, her small frame bent like a wounded creature.
After a long, restless night, dawn finally arrived.
Lu Yuan Ze hadn’t slept at all. He stood in the cluttered courtyard, his face a tragic mask of despair, wavering between tears and bitter laughter.
Two years ago, he had everything—a virtuous wife, a son, a daughter, and a well-kept household that always welcomed him with warmth and joy.
But now…
His family was in ruins. His wife had left him, his children were distant, and the house felt cold and empty.
His mother lay paralyzed, covered in bedsores, barely clinging to life.
And the children he had cherished were nothing more than the products of Pei’s deceit.
Such a sin.
“Hahaha, such a sin,” he laughed through his tears, not realizing he had wandered to Madam Xu’s door.
He stood there for what seemed like an eternity, staring blankly at the door.
As the morning light broke, the door opened, and Madam Xu stepped out, holding a hand warmer. She was seeing her son off, who was dressed in his official robes, ready to leave in his carriage.
Her son had grown into a tall, refined young man, the spitting image of Madam Xu.
He spoke softly and gently, “Mother, please go back inside. You don’t need to see me off. It’s chilly this morning; take care not to catch a cold.”
After his carriage departed, General Rong from next door sneaked over to Madam Xu.
“Hehe, I’ll come to propose tomorrow,” he said, his cheeks flushed with excitement.
“Um… um…” Rong Che scratched his head, looking awkward. “My parents wanted me to ask… if I marry into your family, can they come too? They won’t live with us, just next door. Yes, right next door…”
Madam Xu chuckled softly. “Of course.”
“Really? Shi Yun, you’re the best!” Rong Che beamed, almost jumping with joy.
A sharp stab of jealousy pierced Lu Yuan Ze’s heart. He couldn’t even describe the feeling.
All of this once belonged to him.
He had once thought Madam Xu too reserved, lacking the liveliness and charm of Madam Pei. But now, he realized that what he had ignored was precisely what Rong Che valued.
He felt like a rat in the gutter, secretly watching Madam Xu’s life from a distance.
Rong Che hurried home to count his money. His mother had insisted that a proper proposal required sincerity. So, the family of the Protectorate Duke gathered all their savings. The old Duke hesitated but finally brought out the private stash he had hidden for decades, earning a stern reprimand from his wife for it.
At that moment, Lu Yuan Ze watched Madam Xu, feeling as though each step he took weighed a ton. Disheveled and worn, he was a shadow of his former self.
Madam Xu turned and saw him. Her smile vanished instantly, making Lu Yuan Ze’s heart ache even more.
“Shi Yun…”
“Ugh! What are you doing here? Haven’t you caused enough damage to our family?!” Deng Zhi snapped. She had seen how Madam Xu’s sincere heart had been shattered and was naturally furious.
At the gate, little Chao Chao poked her head out, her ears perked up.
[What’s Bad Daddy doing? He looks funny.]
“Shi Yun, it’s all my fault. Can you believe what that awful Pei Jiao Jiao did?” Lu Yuan Ze clenched his fists, his chest heaving with emotion.
“Pei Jiao Jiao cuckolded me! Lu Jing Huai and Lu Jing Yao, they’re both bastards!”
“They’re not my children!”
“Shi Yun, none of them are mine!” Lu Yuan Ze’s voice was thick with the weight of his grief.
Deng Zhi’s eyes widened. She had been about to call someone to remove Lu Yuan Ze, but now, her eyes sparkled with interest.
Gossip, after all, was far too tempting!