Chapter 61

Lu Qihuai naturally responded one by one.

Once the person had finished speaking, he bowed again before turning to leave. However, just as he was about to step out the door, Lu Qihuai stopped in his tracks and looked back.

Under the flickering candlelight, the young woman’s face appeared even softer than usual. There was no visible difference from her usual expression, yet he felt as if he could glimpse a soul different from the one that normally inhabited that face. He stared at her without looking away, and before Shen Wei could speak, he was the first to break the silence:

“Today, Mother said at the Huo family’s residence that you believe in my character, that you are certain I would never do such a thing…”

“Mother, do you truly trust me that much?”

Shen Wei was briefly taken aback by his words, but only for a moment before she replied, “You have your father’s blood in you. He was a man of unwavering integrity, respected by all. Since you are his son, how could you possibly commit such an act?”

In truth, Shen Wei’s trust in Lu Qihuai had little to do with Lu Buwei. It was simply a woman’s intuition.

She herself didn’t know why, but she just instinctively believed in Lu Qihuai. She was certain he wouldn’t do such a thing. There was no reason—just a deep-seated feeling from within.

The candlelight in the room flickered between brightness and shadow. Lu Qihuai stood at the doorway, half of his figure concealed in darkness. He continued to look at Shen Wei, his expression hidden in the dim light, but his eyes remained piercingly clear. His voice was steady and calm as he asked, “If something like this were to happen again in the future, would you still stand by my side, just as you did today?”

Shen Wei furrowed her brows slightly at his words. She lifted her gaze to look at Lu Qihuai but found that she couldn’t quite make out his expression.

She felt that something about Lu Qihuai was different tonight. Yet, this difference was elusive—hard to pinpoint, hard to describe. After some thought, she simply said in a neutral tone, “You are my son. Naturally, I will stand by you.”

Regardless of what she truly thought—

Lu Qihuai was the boss of this story. To oppose him… did she have a death wish?

Lu Qihuai didn’t know what she was thinking. He only gazed at Shen Wei and let out a quiet chuckle. He had always been handsome, but this carefree, unrestrained smile was unlike anything she had ever seen on him before… However, before Shen Wei could analyze it further, Lu Qihuai had already lifted the curtain and walked out.

Shen Wei watched his departing figure, then looked at the swaying curtain. Thinking back on Lu Qihuai’s words just now, she furrowed her brows and muttered under her breath, “What a strange man.”

—-

West Courtyard

All the servants in the room had been dismissed.

Madam Wang and Lu Buyang sat in the main seats, while Lu Qixuan sat below them. By now, the night had deepened, and it had been some time since Lu Qi Yan was sent away from the manor.

The large room had been silent for a long while. Only Madam Wang continued to dab at her tears with a handkerchief. She had cried loudly earlier, but now, perhaps because she had been crying for too long, even her sobs were barely audible.

Every time she thought of how Qi Yan had clung to her hand upon waking up and pleaded, “Mother, I don’t want to go to the countryside. Please don’t send me away,” her heart twisted in unbearable pain, and her tears fell even more freely.

Although the old madam had said it was only temporary, as long as Qi Yan was still alive, the stigma attached to his name wouldn’t simply disappear. Moreover, they had now offended both the Huo family and the Grand Princess—his future in the imperial examinations was ruined. Was her son supposed to become a merchant instead?

Scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant—merchants were ranked the lowest in society…

With Qi Yan’s personality, how could he possibly lower himself to such a profession? Thinking of this, Madam Wang couldn’t stop her tears from streaming down.

Lu Buyang sat upright in his chair, gripping a teacup, his expression dark.

When he returned home today, Lu Qi Yan had already been sent away. Madam Wang had been crying the entire night, and in the end, it was Qi Xuan who explained everything to him… Upon hearing it, he felt both distressed and furious. He pitied his youngest son, whose future had been abruptly cut off, yet he was also angry that the boy had fallen so easily into someone else’s trap, leading to this disaster.

Moreover, the entire ordeal had unfolded in public. By tomorrow, the news would likely spread throughout the city. At that point, not only would the Lu family’s reputation suffer, but even his own career in court would be affected.

For years, he had worked diligently to reach his current position. His family was favored by the emperor. Now that his elder brother was gone and there were no other capable men in the household, as long as he remained cautious and avoided missteps, the Minister’s position would soon be his. But now, after such an incident, forget about becoming Minister—his current position as Deputy Minister might even be threatened by impeachment from the censors.

Thinking of this, Lu Buyang felt a surge of fury. Madam Wang’s continued weeping beside him only fueled his frustration.

His grip on the teacup tightened, and the veins on his forehead bulged. Finally, he slammed the cup down on the table, his voice cold and harsh:

“And you still have the audacity to cry? Qi Yan has been spoiled by you for years—that’s why he had the nerve to do something like this!”

Tea splashed everywhere, some even landing on Madam Wang’s clothes.

The tea was freshly brewed and still scalding hot. Even through thick winter garments, she felt a stinging pain. She yelped in surprise and jumped up, but when she saw the expression on Lu Buyang’s face, she swallowed back her cry.

Over the years, Lu Buyang had grown increasingly distant from her, but he had never been this enraged before. She knew today’s events would implicate him as well, so she dared not cry any further. However, she still couldn’t stop herself from speaking:

“Qi Yan may have been spoiled, but if someone hadn’t set him up, how could he have ended up in this mess?”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Her voice grew sharp:

“Today’s incident must be connected to that little brat from the main branch! Husband, you must seek justice for Qi Yan!”

Lu Buyang listened to her accusations in silence. He kept his eyes shut, but the tension in his face betrayed his anger. His lips trembled slightly as if suppressing his emotions. After a moment, he finally steadied himself and responded coldly:

“He is my elder brother’s son and the eldest of the Lu family. Without any evidence, how dare you accuse him?”