Chapter 12

“Impossible.” Wei Yuntai flatly denied it, showing no room for negotiation.

“Land, estates, shops, anything under my name, you can choose. I guarantee you a worry-free life. Lu Minghua, you have always been smart; don’t be foolish at this moment.” His tone carried a warning.

“So, Lu Mingxi is still not as important as your… dignity.” Lu Minghua pondered momentarily before choosing the word “dignity” with a smile.

She looked at Wei Yuntai, unable to suppress her sarcasm. She thought it was deep affection, but it turned out to be nothing more than that.

Although she didn’t get the desired request, Lu Minghua didn’t feel disappointed. Instead, she found Lu Mingxi somewhat laughable.

Look, this is the man she had painstakingly plotted for.

Wei Yuntai’s gaze tightened slightly, and after averting his eyes, he said, “Think it over carefully. I want to know the answer tomorrow.”

“Why think too much?” Lu Minghua slightly raised her delicate brows and said without hesitation, “Once we return, the heir will give me the account books under your name. After I make my selection, you can write the divorce papers.”

Unexpectedly, Lu Minghua agreed so easily, leaving Wei Yuntai momentarily stunned.

Lu Minghua instead gave a gentle, contented smile. She lifted the carriage curtain and reached out to catch a snowflake, and her whole demeanor seemed to relax.

Wei Yuntai was momentarily confused. At that moment, he couldn’t tell whether Lu Minghua’s actions were sincere or a strategic retreat. The matter of divorce was so crucial that most people wouldn’t take the risk, but Lu Minghua, in his mind, was definitely not an ordinary person.

But if it were sincere…

Wei Yuntai felt a surge of complex emotions, making it hard to discern his own thoughts.

After returning to the residence, the snow fell even heavier.

Feeling sorry for her son, Madam Sun had already instructed the steward not to let them go to Yining Courtyard. In the past, Wei Yuntai would have definitely disagreed, and Lu Minghua would have had to refuse as well, but this time, she said nothing.

In Yining Courtyard, Madam Sun received the report and frowned slightly, sensing something was off.

In Chunshan Courtyard, as soon as Lu Minghua entered, she summoned Mama Li.

“Mama, arrange for the carriage to come over, call my maids here, and you go count my belongings. Pack up all the valuable things. We’ll be going back to the Lu family soon.” She sat upright on the soft couch, not planning to groom or wash up, looking out at the wind and snow.

“Young Madam, what’s wrong?” Mama Li was startled.

“I want to divorce Wei Yuntai. Mama, please prepare,” Lu Minghua said directly to the elderly woman without hiding anything.

Mama Li was stunned. “Divorce?” She couldn’t help but raise her voice slightly.

Lu Minghua nodded and urged again, “Mama, hurry up. We need to leave soon, and nothing is packed yet. I’ll explain everything to you later.”

Mama Li wanted to say something to dissuade her.

“Mama, go ahead,” Lu Minghua smiled slightly, her eyes firm, showing no sadness and even a hint of relief.

Seeing this, Mama Li couldn’t say anything else and turned to go inside.

Not long after, Wei Yuntai came in with an account book. Lu Minghua glanced at it and directly took half of the most profitable items. Then she looked at the man in front of her and said, “Please, Heir, write a document to avoid any misunderstandings about the origin of these items in the future.” Her words were calm and without sarcasm, but they caught Wei Yuntai’s breath.

However, Lu Minghua’s willingness to divorce was already a good thing. He didn’t argue and used the pen and ink that Lu Minghua had prepared to write a document, stating that he willingly gave these items to Lu Minghua.

After the ink dried, Lu Minghua took the document, placed it aside, and looked at Wei Yuntai, who had stopped writing, with a frown.

“Do I need to teach you how to write a divorce letter?” She glanced at the blank paper.

Her attitude was so straightforward that Wei Yuntai’s earlier hesitation seemed almost laughable. But once this divorce letter was written, from then on—

Thinking about the questions from the elders, the gossip from outsiders, and the potential damage to the reputation of the Ningguo Marquis’ residence, Wei Yuntai closed his eyes briefly before opening them resolutely. He lowered his head, picked up the pen, and, without further thought, began writing a divorce letter.

The letter did not mention any faults of Lu Minghua, only that the two were incompatible and their feelings were not harmonious, thus ‘parting ways to find happiness separately.’ In the end, he even wished Lu Minghua to find a good partner, to live in harmony, and to grow old together.

Lu Minghua carefully read through the letter, put it away, and stood up to look at the snow outside. She said, “I will return home now. From now on, we will be strangers. I hope you and Lu Mingxi will live in harmony and grow old together.” She repeated the words from the divorce letter to Wei Yuntai with deep meaning in her tone.

She wanted to see how long it would take for Wei Yuntai to realize that Lu Mingxi was not the weak, pitiful, flawless person he imagined.

With this thought, she truly hoped that these two people would become a pair of resentful partners, unable to escape each other forever.

“Now?” Wei Yuntai was surprised at her urgency.

“Now.” Lu Minghua did not hesitate. Outside, her carriage had already arrived, and Mama Li was arranging to load the things onto the carriage.

Neither of them called for servants to attend to them. They sat quietly, with Lu Minghua looking at the snow outside while Wei Yuntai couldn’t help but look at her. He could never understand what this woman was thinking.

“At this point, do you regret it?” Perhaps the room was too quiet – so quiet that Wei Yuntai couldn’t help but voice his thoughts. He looked steadily at Lu Minghua, his eyes slightly moving.

Apart from deceiving him, Lu Minghua had no other faults over the years. He always thought she would admit her mistakes and turn back.

“Regret?” Lu Minghua turned to look at him, her gaze gradually becoming focused from emptiness.

She looked carefully at Wei Yuntai in front of her and, after a while, suddenly asked, “Before our marriage, I only saw you a few times and never deliberately spoke a word to you. Wei Yuntai, can you tell me, what made you so confident to think that I would use tricks to marry you?”

Wei Yuntai frowned immediately.

“Because you are Wei Yuntai, because you are the heir of the Ningguo Marquis? So women must admire you and must scheme for you?” Now that they were divorced, Lu Minghua was no longer prepared to endure.

She was never someone who would swallow her anger and suppress herself for various reasons. Now, she didn’t have to restrain herself anymore.

“I suspected you because the evidence was conclusive!” Wei Yuntai’s eyes darkened. Listening to her firm words, he felt inexplicably irritated.

Lu Minghua looked him in the eye and said seriously, “I can tell you, before our marriage, I never thought of marrying you. The saying ‘a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh’ is not an empty phrase. I only sought a partner. Now, I only regret not asking more questions when we got engaged, wasting these three years of youth.”

“Wei Yuntai, I never admired you, and I would never use those dirty tricks for you.”

Her eyes were so serious that Wei Yuntai almost believed her. But in the end, he didn’t believe Lu Minghua. He didn’t want to listen to Lu Minghua’s words anymore, but he was willing to tolerate her for a moment, so he didn’t speak again.

Seeing the disbelief in his eyes, Lu Minghua looked away.

Wei Yuntai was a proud, determined, and confident person. Once he believed in something, he would not waver unless there was conclusive evidence. Absolute evidence was necessary to change his mind.

But she didn’t have it. Her good sister really understood this man. She would soon get what she wanted, but—

Looking at the vast Ningguo Marquis’ residence, Lu Minghua smiled faintly.

This was just the beginning.

Mama Li, along with the maids, busily packed up, managing to gather most of the valuable items. The movement of boxes in and out attracted the maids’ gossip in the courtyard.

In the main courtyard, Madam Sun quickly received the news. Packing up at this time?

Then she heard that the carriage had gone to Chunshan Courtyard, and Lu Minghua’s servants were loading things onto the carriage. She couldn’t sit still any longer.

“No, I have to go and see.” Madam Sun stood up abruptly.

Outside, the wind and snow were heavy. A group of people surrounded Madam Sun and hurried to Chunshan Courtyard.

When they entered the courtyard, Lu Minghua had just come out and was about to get into the carriage. Seeing this arrangement, which was clearly not for a day or two, she frowned and said, “What’s going on?”

“In such heavy snow, Minghua, where are you going? Yuntai, Minghua is being reckless, and you’re not stopping her?”

Sensing the situation, Mama Li stepped forward and dismissed the servants in the courtyard. Mama Li refused to leave, looking at Lu Minghua.

“Mama, come and hold the umbrella for me.” Lu Minghua thought for a moment and said, taking the opportunity to explain things clearly.

Madam Sun’s sudden appearance didn’t surprise her. In this Marquis’ residence, there were few things that could be hidden from Madam Sun. Even if she wasn’t here, her carriage would have been stopped before it left the gate.

The servants in the courtyard quickly disappeared. Snowflakes fluttered down, seemingly heavier, obscuring the view. Looking out, only a vast expanse of white could be seen.

“Madam.” Lu Minghua smiled and stepped forward, curtsying.

Madam Sun looked at her abruptly. “Madam?” she repeated.

“The heir has decided to divorce me. After receiving the divorce letter, I am no longer the heir’s wife of the Ningguo Marquis’ residence.” The woman in front of her had always been proud, and she should be proud. Born in a Marquis’ residence, trusted by her husband, with one daughter and two sons, all born to her, and several concubines who were so well-behaved that they were almost invisible. Her gaze was extremely sharp, but Lu Minghua seemed not to see it, remaining calm and composed.

This news suddenly hit, and even Madam Sun was momentarily stunned. She quickly regained her composure and looked at Wei Yuntai.

A woman who had always doted on her son, for the first time, spoke harshly, even forgetting to go inside to avoid the wind and snow, directly asking, “Yuntai, what is going on?”

“Mother, the snow is heavy outside. Let’s go inside and talk,” Wei Yuntai, concerned about her health, advised.

“No need. Tell me right here, clearly,” Madam Sun looked at him coldly.

“Wei Yuntai hesitated, “I have not been on good terms with Lu Minghua for many years, and rather than—”

“Don’t use these words to fool me. I want to hear the truth,” Madam Sun interrupted directly.

She indeed didn’t like Lu Minghua much and was happy to see them divorce. After all, her son could always find a suitable wife. But the premise was that they had a legitimate reason for divorce, not something vague and baseless that would leave people guessing. Without any evidence, divorcing like this would make the entire capital speculate about the Ningguo Marquis’ residence.

“I,” Wei Yuntai hesitated.

If he told the truth, his mother would definitely not accept it, but deceiving his parents…

Lu Minghua, standing under the porch, suddenly chuckled at this scene.

“Let me tell Madam.”

“Lu Minghua!” Wei Yuntai tried to stop her.

“Because the person your son truly loves is my sister, Lu Mingxi.” Lu Minghua stepped forward, the wind and snow hitting her face, covering her dark hair with a layer of snow.

Mama Li was shocked by her words and didn’t immediately shield her from the wind and snow. She only came to her senses and stepped forward to block it.