“Mother, about this matter…!”

Lin Chenglie hesitated before speaking.

“Let’s leave it as it is for now! We need to take care of the affairs at home first.”

Zhao Hanya knew what her son wanted to say, but there were other things to handle at the moment.

“Yes, but now that my sister is back, we can’t keep this from the family any longer, can we?”

Lin Chenglie voiced his concern.

“It doesn’t matter. Sooner or later, she will find out. Xinxin is not some sheltered canary—this girl has plenty of courage.”

Zhao Hanya was not worried at all.

She had kept the truth from Xinxin because she didn’t want her to come home and immediately face all these troubles.

But in the end, she still learned about them.

As a mother, she wished to provide a good living environment for her children.

The burdens should be hers to bear.

“Mother, the people I sent to follow him reported back. He sold off a lot of things yesterday.”

Lin Shaoyang suddenly spoke up, sharing the news he had received.

“I didn’t expect him to be so impatient. But he hasn’t come to me for money this time?”

Zhao Hanya let out a cold snort.

Ever since she discovered Lin Xiongan’s betrayal, she had sent shadow guards to investigate him.

Over time, they had uncovered plenty of information.

She then instructed Shaoyang to set up a trap, leading Lin Xiongan’s illegitimate son into a gambling addiction.

Now, he owed a great deal of money.

Yesterday, Lin Xiongan’s mistress had already sent him a message.

Now, they would wait to see what he would do next.

“Mother, I believe he won’t give up on trying to get money from you.”

Lin Shaoyang spoke in a low voice.

Although he hated to admit it, their father was truly despicable.

“Hmm, I know. I’m just waiting for him to come to me.”

Zhao Hanya calmly rubbed her fingers as she spoke.

…

Meanwhile, Lin Yuxin returned to Tingyu Pavilion and found the boy awake.

She quickly approached him with concern.

“How do you feel? Does anything still hurt?”

The boy stared blankly at the young woman before him, saying nothing.

Where was he? Was he dead?

“Don’t be afraid. I rescued you from the brothel. From now on, you will live in my house. When you grow up, you are free to leave if you wish. If you don’t want to stay, I can give you some silver now, and once you’re healed, you can leave.”

Seeing the boy’s guarded expression, Lin Yuxin explained simply and offered him two choices.

The boy remained silent, still wary of her.

Lin Yuxin wasn’t in a rush.

Seeing that he was physically fine, she gently said, “Rest first. You can think about what I said and give me an answer when you’re ready.”

With that, she got up and left the room to avoid making him uncomfortable.

Afterward, Lin Yuxin went to the backyard to tend to her medicinal herbs.

By noon, she returned to give the boy his medicine.

Watching him fall asleep afterward, she then headed to her mother’s courtyard to have lunch with her.

That very morning, Zhao Hanya had said she was waiting for Lin Xiongan. Sure enough, he arrived that afternoon.

Lin Yuxin decided to stay after lunch, hoping to find a way to avoid her etiquette lessons.

She had been pestering her mother about it for a while now.

Truthfully, Zhao Hanya had regretted being too strict with her daughter ever since she ran away from home.

Nothing was more important than her daughter’s happiness.

Now that she had finally returned, Zhao Hanya didn’t want to push her away again.

She had refused for so long just to tease her.

It was at this moment that Lin Xiongan barged in anxiously.

“Hanya! Help me!”

His voice came from outside.

[Oh! It’s the scumbag father! I’ve been so busy studying that I haven’t seen him in a while. Why does he look so haggard? Did something happen that I don’t know about?]

Lin Yuxin looked at Lin Xiongan in surprise.

He no longer had the air of a high-ranking official.

His beard was unkempt, his clothes were messy, and he looked like he hadn’t bathed in days.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhao Hanya glanced at him nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

“Hanya, I owe someone five thousand taels of silver. I’ve already used up all my money, but it’s still not enough. I remember that your dowry included a large amount of silver. Could you lend it to me? Just to tide me over?”

Lin Xiongan got straight to the point.

Lately, everything had been going wrong for him.

His plan to have Miss Bai seduce Lin Chenglie had failed, angering the crown prince.

His scheme to have Wang Siqin ruin Lin Yuxin had also gone nowhere.

Meanwhile, his illegitimate son had racked up massive gambling debts.

He was completely overwhelmed.

“My dear husband, I have no silver. My dowry was emptied by you and your people long ago. What else could be left?”

Zhao Hanya showed no mercy, rejecting him outright.

“You… No, Hanya, don’t lie to me. You still have half of your dowry, don’t you? That must be worth at least two thousand taels! Just lend it to me for now. Do we really need to be so calculative as husband and wife?”

Lin Xiongan ignored her sarcasm.

He refused to believe she had no money.

Right now, his only goal was to get silver to clear his debts and save his precious son.

“I have no silver.”

Zhao Hanya sat calmly, staring at the man before her.

“No? You just don’t want to help me! Zhao Hanya, we are husband and wife. How can you be so heartless?”

Seeing that she refused to budge, Lin Xiongan became furious and shouted at her.

“I don’t have two thousand taels, but I can give you five hundred. On one condition.”

Zhao Hanya spoke calmly.

“What condition?”

Lin Xiongan immediately asked.

Even if it was only five hundred, he could find a way to get the rest from her later.

“I want a divorce letter.”

Zhao Hanya enunciated each word clearly.

“What?”

Lin Xiongan was stunned, thinking he had misheard her. He asked again in disbelief.

[Wait, what? Mother wants a divorce? That wasn’t in the original story… Did something change? Oh well, good riddance! This man isn’t worth keeping around. The sooner he’s gone, the better!]

Lin Yuxin was momentarily surprised but quickly became delighted. This way, her mother could finally escape this miserable marriage.

“I want a divorce. If you write the divorce letter, I will give you the five hundred taels.”

Zhao Hanya looked at Lin Xiongan coldly.

“Impossible! I will never agree to a divorce! You belong to me in life and in death! You will give me the money whether you want to or not!”

Lin Xiongan roared in fury, his face twisted with rage.

“Why are you so agitated? Think about it—if you don’t agree, won’t your dear illegitimate son lose a hand or a foot? Wouldn’t that make you heartbroken?”

“Oh, and by the way, when will Wang Siqin and Lin Qianqian finally get their rightful status? One has no title, and the other is just an adopted daughter. How pitiful.”

Zhao Hanya chuckled as she spoke.

“You… What nonsense are you spouting? I have no illegitimate son! Wang Siqin and Lin Qianqian have nothing to do with me! You’re insane!”

Lin Xiongan yelled, trying to cover up his guilt.

“You know whether I’m speaking nonsense or not. If you want to keep your official position, write the divorce letter. Otherwise, not only will your illegitimate son be ruined, but your career might be, too.”

Zhao Hanya’s aura was overwhelming, showing no concern for his denials.

She only cared about achieving her goal.