Chapter 138: The Sun Family’s Good Days Are Coming to an End

Lady Li wept bitterly, shaking her head desperately. “No, husband, it’s not true! It’s not true!”

But Magistrate Li was no longer willing to listen. He immediately ordered the servants to bring out the blood test tools for a paternity test.

Young Master Li and Miss Li Er, determined to prove their innocence, didn’t wait for Lady Li to stop them. They each pricked their fingers and let their blood drip into the bowl.

Magistrate Li also pricked his finger and added his blood.

After a moment, everyone stared at the bowls. The blood from the children and the magistrate did not merge.

Then, Li Fu stepped forward and dripped his own blood into the bowls. Within moments, his blood merged perfectly with theirs.

The entire room fell into stunned silence. Even the Sun family, who had been prepared to defend Lady Li, found themselves at a loss for words.

Having not one, but two children who weren’t biologically his—no man could bear such a blow.

Magistrate Li stood frozen, his eyes hollow. At first, his face displayed shock and fury, but gradually, those emotions faded into a strange sense of relief.

It was as if, in that moment, he had been freed from years of deception.

After a long pause, he did not lash out in rage. Instead, he turned around and silently walked back into his room.

“Husband!”

“Father!”

Lady Li rushed after him, desperately trying to explain. “Husband, I was indeed wrong back then, but you’ve raised these children for over ten years! Surely, you have some feelings for them?”

Magistrate Li stopped, gesturing for the servants beside him to restrain her. Then, with a wave of his hand, he commanded coldly, “Take these two bastards and get out of my sight. If I ever see any of you again, don’t blame me for what happens next!”

At that moment, Young Master Sun stepped forward angrily. “Magistrate Li! How can you treat my sister like this?”

Magistrate Li turned his head and stared at him with icy disdain. “Don’t think that just because you’re clinging to Consort Wu, you can act all high and mighty. I have nothing left to lose. If I have to, I’ll drag your entire Sun family down to hell with me!”

Young Master Sun flinched, his confidence instantly shattered under the magistrate’s cold, murderous gaze. He had no choice but to take his disgraced sister and leave.

Before long, news of Magistrate Li being cuckolded twice spread through every street and alleyway.

Later, when Du Wanchun and Zhou Ruizhen arrived at the shop, they overheard Zhang Qiuhe animatedly gossiping. “No wonder that Young Master Li looks like a pig! Turns out, he wasn’t even Magistrate Li’s son. Honestly, I kind of pity the magistrate.”

“Yes, he once had a childhood sweetheart, but now he has nothing left—it all ended in vain. But in the end, it’s because he was too cowardly,” Du Wanchun said slowly.

Hiding inside the room, Lady Liu listened to their conversation, dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief.

Zhang Qiuhua glanced in Lady Liu’s direction and said, “Since that’s the case, why doesn’t Magistrate Li reconcile with Lady Liu? That way, the lovers can finally be together.”

Du Wanchun followed her gaze and replied, “That depends on Lady Liu herself.”

At that moment, Lady Liu stepped out of the room and said, “Wanchun, Lady Zhang, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to Qingzhou anymore. I’ll stay here.”

“But right now, everyone thinks you’re dead,” Du Wanchun said softly.

Lady Liu wiped away her tears and replied, “Then I’ll change my name and identity.”

Du Wanchun smiled. “That works. As it happens, my mother still lacks a cousin. Lady Liu, would you be willing?”

Lady Liu nodded.

Zhang Qiuhua immediately understood Du Wanchun’s plan and called out to Lady Liu, “Cousin from the Zhou family!”

Lady Liu quickly responded, “Yes!”

Du Wanchun’s eyes filled with amusement.

Keeping Lady Liu by their side would ensure that Liu Xiangxiang wouldn’t dare to come looking for trouble.

Right now, compared to Lady Liu, the Sun family was the real problem. Since the Sun family had spent time in the capital, staying in Cheng’an County would only make it easier for the Zhou family’s true identities to be exposed.

Most of the Sun family resided in either the neighboring county or the capital. This time, they had only come to Cheng’an because of their sister.

That family was notorious for their cruelty.

The villages in the neighboring county had all suffered under their tyranny.

Take their rouge-making business, for example—one of their formulas required the use of fresh human blood. To obtain it, they kept a group of young women under the pretense of employing them in rouge production. In reality, these women were drained of their blood day after day until nothing remained.

This blood-infused rouge was rumored to have anti-aging properties, and Consort Wu was the one who used it the most.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed the Sun family to remain alive.

However, the Sun family’s days of prosperity were coming to an end.