Chapter 17: Even Her Child Must Make Way for Zhou Xinyue’s

Zhou Xinyue’s eyes reddened with tears, as if she had suffered a great grievance. Clutching tightly to little Wei’s hand, she stood helplessly, her voice trembling:
“Sorry, Auntie… sorry, Brother Zhi… it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come… but I… I just wanted Xiao Wei to feel the warmth of a family…”

As she spoke, tears began to fall, and where others couldn’t see, she fiercely pinched Xiao Wei’s hand, forcing him to cry along with her.

Lu Xueting’s eyes reddened immediately. She stepped forward and pulled Xiao Wei into her arms, glaring at Xie Yunshu:
“You’re even bullying a child now? Xie Yunshu, you really are mentally ill! Just wait—tomorrow I’ll have my brother lock you up again!”

A moment of silence filled the room.

Lu Jianshe was the first to speak, his voice low and serious:
“Xueting, stop talking nonsense.”

Lu Zhizhi rubbed his brow and gave Xie Yunshu an apologetic look.
“She’s just a child—don’t stoop to her level.”

So they were just going to label this as a childish tantrum?

Xie Yunshu laughed in fury, tears welling up not from weakness, but from a deep, bitter irony. She cried for the crazed, broken version of herself in that dream—but also in relief, for the sharp clarity of her present self.

“A surgeon—what right does he have to have his wife committed to a mental hospital? Just how powerful is the Lu family? So powerful even the law doesn’t matter to you anymore?”

Her voice rang clear and cold. Each word echoed through the room, as she swept her gaze slowly over the family of four before her.

Finally, her eyes locked onto Lu Zhizhi’s still-handsome but pale face:
“Tell me, are you speaking for the law, or for the people?”

Lu Jianshe realized the severity of her words. He abruptly turned and headed for the door:
“This is a matter between husband and wife. As elders, we won’t interfere. Zhizhi, manage your own household.”

With that, he firmly classified the situation as a “domestic issue.”

Lu Xueting opened her mouth to argue, but was pulled back by Lu Yuxiang:
“That’s enough. Take Xiao Wei and go. Let your brother handle this.”

She assumed Xie Yunshu still cared deeply about her son. Otherwise, how could she have tolerated being under their control for over a year? Surely she was just putting on a show now for face. Once everyone left, she’d come groveling again, asking Zhizhi to forgive her…

Hmph. When that time came, she’d make sure Xie Yunshu apologized—properly—to her and to Xinyue.

Lu Jianshe and Lu Yuxiang left first. Lu Xueting, pulling an unwilling Xiao Wei along, followed. Only Zhou Xinyue lingered for a moment. Once the Lu family was gone, she wiped her tears and looked at Xie Yunshu, eyes misty:
“Yunshu, I’m begging you… please stop fighting with Brother Zhizhi. Once Xiao Wei’s household registration is settled, I promise I’ll stay far away from you both and won’t cause you any more trouble…”

Household registration?

A sudden jolt struck Xie Yunshu’s heart. She remembered something—something from her dream that she had once overlooked. In the dream, she and Lu Zhizhi were married for over a decade. They had a physical relationship, and both were healthy—so why did they never have a child?

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Zhou Xinyue’s eyes flickered, and she quickly continued:
“I really had no choice. Xiao Wei doesn’t have a father, and for now we just want to temporarily register him under Brother Zhizhi’s name. Later, when I…”

She didn’t finish, biting her lip as if she had no other options. But Xie Yunshu could hear the smugness and provocation behind her feigned helplessness.

Lu Zhizhi let out a soft sigh:
“Xinyue came over today to talk to my parents about this. You know Xiao Wei’s biological father isn’t around, and if he’s going to school, the household registration must be sorted out.”

“So you volunteered to be his convenient daddy?” Xie Yunshu almost laughed aloud. How touching. How selfless of him.

Lu Zhizhi stiffened at her sarcasm, his voice growing colder:
“It’s just temporary. When Xinyue marries, Xiao Wei’s household registration will be transferred again.”

In 1988, the one-child policy was enforced strictly, especially for influential families like the Lus. If Xiao Wei were registered under their household, that meant she could no longer have her own child.

Xie Yunshu finally remembered now—in that dream, how many times had she wanted a child of her own? Maybe, if she had one, she wouldn’t have spiraled into despair… But because Xiao Wei had taken the role of eldest grandson of the Lu family, Lu Zhizhi eventually began avoiding her altogether.

What a joke.

She not only had to give way to Zhou Xinyue, but even her future child had to give way to Zhou Xinyue’s son!

“So I can’t even have my own child until Zhou Xinyue gets married?” Xie Yunshu laughed, a bitter and hollow laugh. “Lu Zhizhi, why don’t you just go all in—divorce me and marry your darling Xinyue. Why bother with all these games?”

Why drag me down with you? Why not just let me go?

Lu Zhizhi’s expression twisted when she mentioned divorce. He instinctively reached for her hand:
“Yunshu, it’s not what you think…”

He had never considered what would happen if Zhou Xinyue never remarried. But now that Xie Yunshu had said it out loud, he couldn’t answer.

Zhou Xinyue burst into tears right on cue.
“I never wanted to ruin your relationship! Brother Zhizhi, I’ll find another way… If I have to—I’ll marry the man the head nurse introduced me to last time!”

“No!” Lu Zhizhi instantly let go of Xie Yunshu’s hand and gripped Zhou Xinyue’s shoulders. His voice was commanding and furious:
“Xinyue, that man isn’t suitable—he doesn’t have a proper job and he has a history of domestic violence. If you marry him, Xiao Wei will suffer!”

“Brother Zhizhi, I really don’t have any other options…” Zhou Xinyue cried pitifully, as if hoping to fall into his arms for comfort.

Perhaps because Xie Yunshu was standing there, Lu Zhizhi’s body stiffened. After a moment, he pushed Zhou Xinyue away, then turned back to Xie Yunshu:
“Yunshu, I won’t divorce you. But I also won’t abandon Xinyue and her child. This is my debt to the Zhou family. And yes—I owe you too. I’ll make it up to you.”